1: Martial Arts and Spirituality

In his mind.

— — — — — — — — — — —

In Da Huai Village, at the end of the village, in a house that was fairly well-maintained.

A young man of seventeen or eighteen lay on the bed, with bronze skin and dark, short hair. Although his eyes were tightly closed, it was not difficult to see that he was quite handsome, with a youthful face yet a resolute, chiseled appearance.

His head was wrapped in several layers of white cloth, clearly indicating he was severely injured and unconscious.

At this moment, there was a creak.

Then, a woman with an alluring figure, pure looks, and beautiful long hair walked in, holding a pair of scissors.

Her bright eyes held a mix of struggle and shyness, but ultimately, they turned resolute.

"Xiao Chen, you've suffered."

"Tomorrow is the day the Black Tiger Gang comes to collect their debt."

"Don't worry, even if I die, I won't let them succeed."

"Tomorrow morning, I will scar my own face."

Cheng Yurou clutched the scissors tightly in her hand, the blades already sharpened to a keen edge.

The resolve in her eyes showed that she had already made her decision.

Looking at the unconscious Jiang Chen, whose forehead was constantly sweating, Cheng Yurou quickly fetched a cloth and wiped his sweat.

Jiang Chen felt a glimmer of light appear in his dark vision.

Memories flooded his mind.

Eighteen years ago, Jiang Chen, by a stroke of luck, transmigrated into the Great Lan Dynasty as a baby.

While still an infant, he was abandoned on Huangpi Ridge outside Da Huai Village. He thought he would die young but was rescued by a passing hunter, Jiang Dalei.

Jiang Chen settled in Da Huai Village. Once he gained self-sufficiency, Jiang Chen discovered that the Great Lan Dynasty was a world where Martial Dao was revered. Indeed, it was a world where people were casually seized and instantly refined.

Knowing the dangers of this world, Jiang Chen learned hunting skills from Jiang Dalei while also waiting for his Golden Finger to arrive.

Jiang Dalei had a son named Jiang Da An, three years older than Jiang Chen.

Jiang Da An was a typical lazy man in the village, idle and aimless, spending all his money in the town's casino.

Three years ago, Jiang Dalei arranged a marriage for Jiang Da An.

However, that very night, before Jiang Da An's wedding banquet even ended, he took all the bridal gifts and squandered them in the town's casino. Not only that, but he also accumulated a huge debt and, in despair, drowned himself in the river.

Jiang Dalei, who had to bury his son, also had his head crushed by a runaway bear during a hunt not long after.

Only Jiang Chen and the recently wed Cheng Yurou were left in the household.

According to the villagers, Cheng Yurou was also a burden. Her body was extremely weak; she couldn't do heavy farm work, and she frequently caught colds and coughs, needing tonics to sustain her life. Her maternal family had sent her away because they felt they couldn't afford to raise her anymore.

However, Jiang Chen did not give up on his life.

He hunted in the mountains, paid taxes, and repaid the Black Tiger Gang's debt.

At the same time, he was waiting for his Golden Finger to arrive.

Two days ago, while hunting, Jiang Chen discovered a century-old Blood Ginseng. Just as he was celebrating, he was ambushed by the village chief's son, Jiang Dahu, who stole the Blood Ginseng and severely injured Jiang Chen.

"Jiang Dahu!"

Jiang Chen recalled all this, gnashing his teeth in anger.

If he had obtained that century-old Blood Ginseng, he could not only repay the debt Jiang Da An owed but also exchange it for some good medicine to help Cheng Yurou recover her health.

Speaking of the village chief's son, he had been coveting Cheng Yurou for more than just a day or two.

Although Cheng Yurou was frail and sickly, no one in the surrounding ten li would deny her beauty.

Jiang Dahu had already tried to coerce Jiang Chen multiple times, wanting him to hand over Cheng Yurou.

Although he was the village chief's son, the arrows in Jiang Chen's hand were not dull.

After being driven away by Jiang Chen several times, Jiang Dahu unexpectedly dared to ambush him with others.

"Don't let me run into you in the mountains..."

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes.

Finally, the blurry light before his eyes gradually became clear.

"This... this is...?"

"This is a status panel!"

Jiang Chen thought he was hallucinating.

He hadn't heard a "ding" sound in his head either.

He focused his mind carefully.

He saw twenty grids on the transparent panel.

Two of the grids had flashing icons.

One was in the shape of a treasure chest, with the words 'Newbie Gift Pack' written on it.

The other was in the shape of a scroll, with the words 'Choose One of Three' written on it.

"Choose One of Three?"

"Newbie Gift Pack?"

Jiang Chen's breathing immediately became rapid. His hard work had finally paid off!

It wasn't in vain that I loved life and persevered all these years!

"Open the Newbie Gift Pack!"

Over eighteen years, Jiang Chen had simulated opening the gift pack hundreds of thousands of times in his mind; he could open it with his eyes closed.

"Ding... Newbie Gift Pack opened."

"Obtained [jin chuang pill] x10."

"Obtained [Gold] x10,000 taels."

"Obtained [Dragon Horn Bow] x1."

"Obtained Fate Trait [Martial Dao Saint Body]."

Jiang Chen knew that jin chuang pill was a very precious Medicinal Pill for healing. While it couldn't guarantee resurrection, it could ensure you survive critical injuries in time, giving you a few more days to breathe.

Ten thousand taels of gold!?

Let alone now, even in his previous life, at over seven hundred per gram, converting it would make him instantly rich.

The Dragon Horn Bow, on the other hand, was a longbow glowing with light. Jiang Chen had been handling bows for over ten years and could tell at a glance that this bow was extraordinary.

"This gift pack isn't bad; the items it gives are decent."

【Martial Dao Saint Body: Extraordinary Comprehension Ability, understanding all techniques at a touch. Steadfast Dao Heart, never suffering Qi Deviation. Physical Body beyond limits, capable of enduring the infinite.】

"Hiss!"

Extraordinary Comprehension Ability!

Steadfast Dao Heart!

Physical Body beyond limits!

Any one of these abilities would be a dream for countless Cultivators.

However, these were all fate effects and did not mean that Jiang Chen was invincible yet.

Cultivation still required taking one step at a time.

He calmed himself slightly.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to open the 'Choose One of Three' scroll.

He felt a slight movement from outside.

"This is...?"

Jiang Chen's body was still heavy, as if filled with lead. He gradually gained some consciousness and could feel that someone was busy beside him.

Cheng Yurou looked up, her hair a bit disheveled, and her breathing slightly shallow.

Her body was still too frail.

There was also a hint of shame on her pretty face.

After wiping the sweat from Jiang Chen's forehead, Cheng Yurou felt as if her strength was completely spent.

If not for Jiang Chen hunting and gathering herbs for her every day all these years, she probably wouldn't have lived until now.

Suddenly.

A rough knocking sound came from outside the courtyard.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Little Lady Yu Rou, hehehe..."

"Brother Hu is here to see you."