Chapter 1: Pills Turn into Jelly Beans

Time travel.

Lin Yuan slightly opened his eyes and vaguely saw someone pacing back and forth by the bedside in the dim firelight, but before he could look carefully,

suddenly a tide of memories surged into his mind.

Accompanied by severe abdominal pain, in a daze, information from his past life kept flooding into his mind.

"Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan." The middle-aged man beside the makeshift stretcher shuddered, seeing Lin Yuan showing signs of waking up, urgently called out.

"Village head, I'm okay." Enduring the pain, Lin Yuan sat up and replied with effort.

"The Dantian is damaged; it was the ruthless act of those from Quanya Village. This predicament is truly difficult." Thoughts flashed through Lin Yuan's mind.

Feeling the pain in his abdomen, combined with prior memories, he knew at this moment that the destruction of his Dantian was tantamount to being a cripple.

In his previous life, as a worker under a grueling schedule, every day was a mechanical repetition under constant pressure.

Fortune brought him here by a truck accident.

But just when he crossed over, is his new life going to end before it even starts?

"No, I refuse to accept such a downtrodden life. I must repair my Dantian and embark on a journey in this strange world!"

Lin Yuan made a firm resolve in his heart, and closed his eyes to sort through memories of his past life.

Suddenly, an idea struck him — there was still a glimmer of hope in his predicament.

This world respects martial arts supremacy; those with great power could move mountains and seas, pluck stars and seize the moon, with various elixirs that could bring the dead back to life, restore flesh to bones, and turn decay into magical wonders.

If he could obtain such an elixir, he could heal his own injuries.

The middle-aged man beside him saw Lin Yuan calmed down a bit after taking deep breaths, and his worried expression faded slightly.

"Lin Yuan, can you still manage?" Wang Dong showed both concern and urgency: "Quick, if you can move, hurry and follow me to the ancestral hall."

"Otherwise, your injuries might never have a chance to heal." Wang Dong hurriedly helped Lin Yuan and led him to the ancestral hall.

Lin Yuan got up afterwards, enduring the pain, and walked with Wang Dong towards the ancestral hall.

*****

The village's ancestral hall.

The hall was a square brick-tiled house, with a plaque hanging above the entrance, written with four large characters "Generation of Prosperity."

Inside, at the head of the hall, an elder sat with furrowed brows, seemingly in deep thought. A group of villagers surrounded him, engaging in a discussion.

As soon as Lin Yuan and Wang Dong stepped over the threshold, many eyes fell upon him.

"Lin Yuan is here. It seems his injuries are not too severe. Could his previous injuries have been fake?"

"I heard from the doctor that his symptoms included not only damage to the heart meridians but also a destroyed Dantian. His current state seems somewhat improved?"

"The Lin family boy is truly pitiful, with a pale face, rapid breathing, and a destroyed Dantian, it seems real."

"The youngsters from Quanya Village have such ruthless hearts. Surely they intentionally destroyed Lin Yuan's Dantian."

The crowd began to discuss loudly.

Bang!

Suddenly, a muffled sound came as the elder at the head of the hall struck his cane on the floor, silencing the discussions.

"Silence." The old village chief lightly commanded, and when everyone quieted down, he stepped forward two steps.

"Yuan, how are you feeling?" the elder gently asked.

"The heart meridians are damaged, the Dantian is destroyed, and I feel a bit weak," Lin Yuan answered truthfully.

The crowd fell silent again, the hall became quiet once more.

Although they already knew the situation, hearing Lin Yuan's confirmation made their expressions turn somewhat sorrowful.

"Alas! The doctor mentioned your condition, and we generally understand." The elder let out a light sigh, his brow drooping.

"Good child, you've suffered." The elder patted Lin Yuan's shoulder, his gaze filled with pity and comforting him.

"Village chief, I need that Vitality Pill!" Lin Yuan said with determined eyes, without much hesitation.

"We are currently discussing this matter." The elder nodded and turned back to the crowd.

As the elder stood still, the hall buzzed with voices once more.

"The elixir cannot be given to Lin Yuan. With his Dantian destroyed, how can he gather Qi-Blood and cultivate martial arts? The Vitality Pill should be given to the seed candidates for the selection ceremony! We bank on the selection."

"Village chief, the selection is nearing, and Lin Yuan can no longer participate. We must make plans early," someone soon proposed an objection.

"Right, village chief, Lin Yuan's Dantian is destroyed, and it's uncertain if the Vitality Pill will be effective at all."

"Given the situation, only Wang Dong, Captain Wang's son, can participate. While Wang Dong may not be as good as Lin Yuan, the gap isn't large; he can represent our Bull Horn Village in the selection. This is the safest approach."

Amid the crowd's discussions, Lin Yuan had little hope left with his destroyed Dantian, and they promptly suggested Wang Dong as a substitute.

Wang Dong was the son of the village's hunting team captain, and before Lin Yuan's rise, he was considered the most outstanding youth in the village. But as Lin Yuan's martial arts prowess increased, Wang Dong was overshadowed by Lin Yuan's brilliance.

Now, some people clearly abandoned Lin Yuan.

"Quiet! Such bickering is disgraceful!" The old village chief's brow furrowed, and he shouted angrily.

"Ever since you were injured and fell unconscious, Yuan, we've been deliberating on who should receive the Vitality Pill." The old village chief spoke again: "Unfortunately, the opposition is too substantial, leaving me indecisive."

"Now that you're here, listen to everyone's opinions, and the subsequent arrangements."

At this point, an elder with gray hair beside the village chief spoke up.

"Lin family boy, in your current state, with damaged heart meridians and your Dantian being demolished, and the selection ceremony approaching, your injuries are indeed too severe. We aren't confident if the Vitality Pill can heal you."

"As the saying goes, injuries to muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal. Even if you took the Vitality Pill, your body might not recover in time; in this state, how could you succeed in the selection?"

"The selection is critical for the village's offerings next year, and everyone is very concerned. Giving the Vitality Pill to you carries too much risk; it's better to hand it to Wang Dong."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan snickered coldly inside.

Sweat glistened on his forehead from the intense pain, but his tone was firm without a hint of trembling.

"I disagree!" Lin Yuan said with a stern face, glaring at the elder, flatly refusing.

"The selection concerns the village's harvest next year; you should understand its importance."

"Young man, you should consider the bigger picture! Furthermore, your agreement isn't for you to decide alone." The elder with gray hair looked at Lin Yuan, who clearly didn't comprehend the situation, his expression turned cold.

"In light of your condition, we'll consider reducing the amount of tribute you owe the village in the future accordingly."

"Lin Yuan, what do you think?" The village chief, noticing the words of the person next to him, looked displeased and immediately sought Lin Yuan's opinion.

Lin Yuan vaguely understood the village chief's intention.

He broke free from Wang Dong's support, limping forward two steps.

"Village chief, what Uncle Zhang said seems to me to be summed up in two words."

"Absurd!"

"Utterly absurd!"

Lin Yuan's eyes were firm and with anger, he rebuked.

"You impudent little kin, how dare you be so rude? What is absurd about what I said?" The elder surnamed Zhang flushed and immediately scolded.

The others naturally reacted strongly.

"Ignorant brat, such impudence! We even said to reduce your share of the tribute, yet you still...?"

"Lacking awareness! Looks like Lin Yuan has a rebellious streak! Ingratitude!"

"When your parents passed away, who gave you a bowl of rice, a bite to eat, and helped you grow and learn martial arts? Such a heartless person, can't you understand our hardship? Must you make trouble?"

Bam!

"Silence! Let Lin Yuan finish!" The old village chief tapped his cane, his voice carrying frustration.

The crowd had to quiet down, their voices gradually diminishing.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan looked around and began to speak in a low, steady voice.

"Village chief, uncles!"

"My father and my mother both sacrificed themselves in the village's water diversion struggle for the development of the village," Lin Yuan said slowly, unafraid of the criticism from others.

"How has the Lin family wronged you all?"

Lin Yuan's voice carried a strong sense of questioning.

"And I, the strongest youth in the village, had my Dantian destroyed, and my heart meridians damaged, for what reason was I injured?"

"I, Lin Yuan, for the selection, for the development of the village!"

"It was the same water diversion struggle, did I protect myself? Did I flinch? Did I retreat?"

"The fields of each of you here, your spirit rice, are they growing lush now?"

"Heh."

Lin Yuan chuckled lightly, then his expression turned stern.

"Because they draw the blood from me! They draw the lives of my father and mother!"

Lin Yuan's words were forceful, rendering the crowd speechless.

Lin Yuan turned and raised his functioning left arm, using his trembling index finger to point at the plaque above the entrance.

"Look at the plaque above the entrance, what does it say? Generation of Prosperity!"

"For the development of the village, the Lin family has sacrificed so much one after another."

"Generation of Prosperity, Generation of Prosperity! What a Generation of Prosperity!"

"So the Lin family ends up extinct just to make that plaque 'Generation of Prosperity' shine brilliantly!"

"If I can't get the Vitality Pill today, I'd rather spill blood within five steps than live on ignobly."

Lin Yuan's voice came out angrily, his pale complexion tinged with an unnatural flush, his chest heaving violently, staring determinedly at everyone.

Facing Lin Yuan's resolute attitude, the crowd was hesitant, evidently no longer daring to speak up.

"Huff, huff."

The only sound in the hall was Lin Yuan's heavy breathing.

"Good child! You're not well, rest for a while." The white-haired elder was comforted, his voice carrying a hint of emotion.

Seeing Lin Yuan's strong and resolute figure, moved beyond measure, sympathetic eyes from the old village chief became moist.

"Everyone, the Vitality Pill will be given to Lin Yuan, this decision is indisputable and not up for further discussion," announced the village chief, stepping forward, his elderly voice clear.

The villagers opposing pursed their lips, wanting to muster the courage to speak but receded under the village chief's stern gaze.

The old village chief walked over to the table offering to the ancestors in the main hall, using his cane to gently pry a hidden mechanism.

Below the incense tray, a thumb-sized square raised slightly.

"Wang Dong, retrieve the elixir!" instructed the village chief.

"Yes!" Wang Dong, knowing the pills were surely below that square, used both hands to carefully extract a walnut-sized wooden box, handing it over to the village chief.

Under everyone's gaze, the village chief slowly opened the wooden box in his hand.

Lying in the center of the box was an elixir, a hint of treasure radiance flowing around its round pill body, enveloped by a misty aura that filled the entire room with its medicinal fragrance, captivating everyone.

It truly was a Healing Pill!

Seeing the intact elixir, the village chief also let out a sigh of relief.

"Yuan, I originally planned to give this elixir to you before the selection. Now, with your current ordeal, it's just right to make it serve its purpose," the old village chief's face showed a trace of affectionate expression.

"Go back and recuperate well, strive for success in the selection," the village chief's affectionate look faded, his expression turning solemn.

Hearing this, Lin Yuan's mind turned.

"Grace as small as a drop shall be returned by springs of gratitude," is how he thought.

Today's situation only stood because the old village chief strongly supported him, otherwise even with the harsh words from Lin Yuan, no one would care about his life or death given his current state.

"I won't let you down!" Lin Yuan declared firmly.

"Good." The village chief smiled.

Just as the village chief was about to hand the elixir to Lin Yuan.

"There's a change outside! Village chief, please activate the array quickly." Came a hurried shout from outside the house.

A tall figure flashed by, suddenly covering the open wooden box in the village chief's hand.