Chapter 4

Wang Xiaofeng stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling. What the hell? How could he be pushing a cart one second and soaking in a tub the next?

(?◇?)

Wait… soaking in a tub? Wang Xiaofeng finally realized his current situation. He was submerged in a bathtub filled with water that reeked of pungent Chinese medicine, the strong scent making his stomach twist—especially since he hadn't eaten lunch yet.

"Come out and eat quickly now that you're awake. The food's getting cold," a familiar voice called out.

Wang Xiaofeng turned his head and saw Wang Daniu leaning against the doorframe.

"Father, what is this?" he asked, stepping out of the tub and pointing at the floating herbs.

"This is stasis-removing grass. There are also blood-activating flowers and some other medicinal herbs in there. It cost me a lot of money," Wang Daniu replied.

"Money, money! That's all you ever care about! If something happens to Xiaofeng, I'll fight you to the death!"

A beautiful woman stormed over, pinched Wang Daniu's ear, and scolded him loudly.

This was Wang Xiaofeng's mother—He Li. Though her surname was He, her full name was He Li, and she was far from ordinary. Like Wang Daniu, she was a Great Soul Master with two soul rings. Her martial soul was a daffodil—an ordinary plant-type soul, but one that she had developed to a frightening degree. It was said that in her younger years, He Li was a well-known figure in the Soul Arena.

Of course, this was just something Wang Xiaofeng had overheard. He wasn't sure if it was true—he had never even seen his mother's martial soul in action. But if the villagers' fear of her was any indication, it might not be just a rumor.

"Okay, son, mother," Wang Daniu sighed. "I've already prepared everything. That medicinal bath you soaked in is extremely expensive. I spent all the gold soul coins I've saved over the years on it."

"What? You still had gold soul coins?!" He Li's eyes widened. "Tell me honestly, have you been secretly hiding money all these years?!"

As his parents bickered, Wang Xiaofeng quietly finished his meal, washed the dishes, and shut the door behind him. This was how it had always been. Chaotic, noisy… but strangely warm.

---

The next morning, before dawn, Wang Xiaofeng was jolted awake by Wang Daniu's voice.

This time, however, there was an improvement—he woke up before his father could attempt a sneak attack.

On the second day of training, he still fainted halfway through, but thanks to Wang Daniu's massages and the medicinal baths, he could barely keep up with the training intensity the following day.

Spring passed, autumn came, and three years flew by in the blink of an eye.

But no matter how effective it was, the medicinal bath was just too expensive. Even with Wang Daniu calling in favors from an old acquaintance in Wuhun Hall, it only lasted for three months. The hundreds of gold soul coins saved by Wang Daniu and He Li over the years were completely spent.

(Note: Wuhun Hall's stipends for soul masters are limited. After all, paying a Great Soul Master 10 gold soul coins per month isn't a small matter, right?)

But those three months laid a solid foundation for Wang Xiaofeng. After all, the best time for the body to absorb medicine was right after breaking through physical limits.

By the time Wang Xiaofeng was four years old, he could already push a cart loaded with 20 catties of firewood back and forth.

At six years old, he even defeated a blind bear that had wandered out of the forest. The villagers were astonished, convinced that Wang Xiaofeng would surely become a Great Soul Master in the future.

---

One evening, Wang Xiaofeng returned home, covered in dirt, looking as though he had rolled down a hill multiple times.

"Father, I'm back," he called out.

Wang Daniu, who was collecting eggs in the yard, immediately looked up. Clapping his hands to dust them off, he placed the eggs into a basket before eyeing his son's disheveled state.

"What kind of soul beast did you run into this time? Why are you so late? And why do you look like that?"

Three years of training had toughened Wang Xiaofeng's body. Though he was only six, his physique was nothing like a child's. Despite standing just over a meter tall, his tattered clothes barely concealed the solid muscles underneath. His bright, determined eyes shone through the layer of dirt on his face.

(I'm handsome, not cute! (｀へ′) )

"Ugh… don't even ask," Wang Xiaofeng groaned. "It was a Blood-Burning Pig—almost a hundred-year-old soul beast. Who would've thought I'd run into one that strong?"

Ever since he discovered that low-year soul beasts occasionally wandered out of the forest, Wang Xiaofeng had been acting recklessly.

Setting traps and catching small animals had been his specialty in his past life. Of course, back then, he had been frequently scolded by the director of Qidian Orphanage for it…

Even thinking about that past life now sent shivers down his spine.

That morning, after chopping 50 catties of firewood, Wang Xiaofeng went to check his traps as usual. He had spent a long time digging a deep pit and carefully sharpening iron-blood tree spikes to line the bottom. These spikes were as hard as iron and coated with a toxin that numbed wounds, ensuring that trapped animals wouldn't feel pain—thus bleeding out without struggling.

When he was still some distance away, a loud squeal echoed through the forest.

Wang Xiaofeng looked up—only to see a boar the size of a small cow charging straight at him.

"!"

His heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Without hesitation, he sprinted to the right.

A thunderous bang rang out as the wild boar slammed into a tree twice the width of a man's arms—and knocked it over.

"WHY is there a boar here?! Someone help!"

The beast shook its head as if nothing had happened and charged again.

With every ounce of strength in his body, Wang Xiaofeng ran for his life. He knew that boars weren't known for their stamina—at least, that's what he vaguely remembered from his past life. (Hopefully…?)

His lungs burned, and his legs felt like lead, but he couldn't stop. If his assumption was wrong… he would die here.

Just as exhaustion began to take over, a strong gust of wind surged from behind him.

In that instant, some unknown force erupted from within him. Instinctively, Wang Xiaofeng threw himself sideways, narrowly dodging the boar's attack.

With a deafening crash, another tree was sent toppling forward.

Finally, Wang Xiaofeng got a good look at his pursuer—a Blood-Burning Pig. Nearly a meter tall, with fiery red fur, and just shy of a hundred years old.

But… it was already dead.

Several iron-blood spikes pierced through its belly. Its blood had drained out, leaving behind white specks of something unidentifiable.

"So that's why it chased me," Wang Xiaofeng muttered. "It fell into my trap first… then smelled me and assumed I was the culprit."

If it had fully activated its innate ability, Wang Xiaofeng wouldn't have survived.

Dragging his exhausted body out of the forest, he barely managed to eat some dry rations before heading home.

---

"It's a good thing you ran fast," Wang Daniu chuckled. "Otherwise, I'd be mourning wasted gold soul coins right now."

Wang Xiaofeng rolled his eyes. "Right, great to know your money is safe. I'm going to change."

"Wait a minute," Wang Daniu called out. "Three days from now is Martial Soul Awakening Day. Don't forget."

"...Got it."