After finishing the meal, Tran Mac sat on a chair, contemplating life.
Although the Tran family used to be wealthy, that was in the past.
To treat the older brother's illness, they had spent a large amount of money, even selling off the fields. Later, they had also married a wife for him to ward off bad luck, using up almost all the remaining meager funds.
Now, they only had a little food left and could be described as dirt poor.
Naturally, Tran Mac disliked his current life and wanted to change it.
He had read many novels where the protagonist transmigrated to this kind of farming, feudal society.
The first idea for getting rich was to make glass.
The second was to produce fine white sugar.
Once he had some wealth, he would create gunpowder to conquer the world.
He knew the method for making glass.
However, not to mention how much harder it was to actually create it than to just know about it, even if he did make it, who would he sell it to?
Everyone was struggling to eat; who would buy his glass?
Okay, even if some people would buy it.
In this chaotic world, could he protect that wealth?
Tran Mac raised his arm, without a single muscle. He then lifted his clothes to take a look, and could see the distinct ribs on his stomach – a pure weakling.
His face was filled with disgust. Before transmigrating, he had a muscular physique.
"Chop, chop—"
In the courtyard, Han Anniang was already wielding a knife, chopping firewood.
It was the golden autumn of the tenth month, and the weather had begun to cool. The winters in the north were particularly harsh, so they had to prepare enough firewood to get through the season.
Tran Mac followed the sound. Based on the memories in his head, since the old mother passed away, all the big and small chores in the house, the dirty and hard work, were done by Han Anniang alone. The original body only needed to quietly read books.
But because of the rebellion, the imperial court had temporarily suspended the imperial examinations. The original body, who only knew how to read, suddenly had no way out.
"Truly suffering after transmigrating..."
"Sister-in-law, let me do it."
Tran Mac walked into the small courtyard and said to Han Anniang.
"No, Uncle, you are the reincarnation of the Văn Khúc Star descended from the heavens. How can you do such dirty work? Besides, you're still injured." Han Anniang wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Tran Mac suddenly felt extremely ashamed. The original body was only a tongsheng (a student who passed the county-level exam), not even a xiucai (a scholar who passed the provincial-level exam). A tongsheng held no official rank. If it weren't for her earnest expression, Tran Mac would have thought Han Anniang was subtly mocking him with that "descended Văn Khúc Star" comment.
"My injuries are already better. Anyway, I have nothing to do right now. Sister-in-law, you go rest, let me do it." Tran Mac snatched the firewood knife from Han Anniang's hand.
Tran Mac wasn't the type to shy away from hardship. Since reading offered no immediate path forward, he would first focus on training his body and properly support this household.
Although the original body had some spirit, he also possessed the pedantic air of a scholar. That was, knowing that the imperial examinations would eventually reopen, he still couldn't bring himself to do these arduous tasks and help share the burden in the family.
The firewood knife in his hand was the kind with a flat, wide blade, sharpened very keenly. With one swing, the log in front of him cracked and fell into two halves with a thud.
[ Heaven rewards the diligent; even the clumsy can compensate with effort. ]
[ Number of swings +1, Heavenly Union Blade Technique experience +1. ]
A voice rang in Tran Mac's mind.
"Holy crap, I have a cheat."
Tran Mac's consciousness silently focused, and immediately a screen of light appeared.
[ Name: Tran Mac. ]
[ Age: 16. ]
[ Cultivation Method: Blood Nourishment Art (not yet initiated) ]
[ Realm: None. ]
[ Strength: 4+2 (click to view details) ]
[ Skill: Heavenly Union Blade Technique (Elementary 1/100) ]
"Uncle, you... what's wrong?" Han Anniang suddenly saw Tran Mac standing there blankly, and her expression couldn't help but tighten.
"It's nothing, Sister-in-law, you go inside quickly. Leave this firewood to me." Tran Mac said with a smile.
As he spoke, he picked up another piece of wood and chopped it in half with a thud.
[ Number of swings +1, Heavenly Union Blade Technique experience +1. ]
Tran Mac glanced at the screen. The skill column had already become Heavenly Union Blade Technique (Elementary 2/100).
"Then... alright." Although she didn't understand what had suddenly happened to her uncle, seeing that he could help her, she felt a faint joy in her heart.
[ Number of swings +1... ]
[ Number of swings +1... ]
Slash, slash, slash, after Han Anniang went inside, Tran Mac swung the knife several more times in succession.
The Heavenly Union Blade Technique experience had reached (Elementary 10/100).
As for this Blood Nourishment Art and Heavenly Union Blade Technique, they were rewards given to Tran Da after he rose to the rank of centurion based on his military achievements.
Later, after Tran Da was injured and retired from the battlefield, he taught them to the original body.
The Blood Nourishment Art was said to be a cultivation method that could allow one to become a "martial artist."
The Heavenly Union Blade Technique was a martial art used for killing on the battlefield.
When Tran Da orally taught the original body, because the cultivation process was too arduous, the original body practiced for a few days, saw no reaction at all, and gave up.
He never thought that after his transmigrated soul arrived today, he could cultivate just by swinging a knife.
"This is more like it. A transmigrator needs a cheat to be a transmigrator."
Tran Mac's mood improved greatly.
"What is this?"
Tran Mac used his mind to click on "(click to view details)."
Soon, he understood what the 4+2 in the strength column meant.
4 was his own strength.
+2 was granted by the firewood knife.
Tran Mac tried putting down the firewood knife, and the strength column immediately changed to 4; the +2 was gone.
And the strength of a normal adult male was 7.
He only had 4.
A weakling among weaklings.
"Truly useless..."
Tran Mac desperately swung the firewood knife in his hand, but this time there was no +1.
After a moment of pondering, it appeared that only a full-powered swing would trigger the system.
Just randomly chopping didn't count.
"Chop, chop..."
[ Number of swings +1, Heavenly Union Blade Technique experience +1... ]
Even so, in less than half an hour, Tran Mac still completed a hundred swings.
[ Name: Tran Mac. ]
[ Age: 16. ]
[ Cultivation Method: Blood Nourishment Art (not yet initiated) ]
[ Realm: None. ]
[ Strength: 4+5. ]
[ Skill: Heavenly Union Blade Technique (Intermediate 0/500). ]
As the Heavenly Union Blade Technique reached the intermediate level, a feeling of mastery over the technique arose.
It was as if he had held a knife and diligently practiced for several months, sweating and striving to acquire it.
"Strength increased by three points!"
Tran Mac's face showed joy. He then put down the firewood knife again, and the +5 disappeared.
He casually picked up a piece of firewood, and the strength column showed 4+1.
Picking up the firewood knife again, 4+5 returned.
"Blade technique, blade technique, it seems related to the blade..."
"Interesting."
Tran Mac now felt full of motivation for living in this world.
Tran Mac continued to swing and chop.
More than half an hour later, the Heavenly Union Blade Technique had reached (Intermediate 410/500).
However, he could no longer chop.
At this moment, he was panting heavily, and his arms ached fiercely.
This body had not been trained for too long, and now after a bit of activity, it was already failing him.
Tran Mac had no choice but to stop and rest for a while.
After resting well, he continued chopping.
Soon, five hundred swings were completed.
"Ah, what's going on?"
Tran Mac looked at the light screen in his mind.
[ Name: Tran Mac. ]
[ Age: 16. ]
[ Cultivation Method: Blood Nourishment Art (not yet initiated). ]
[ Realm: None. ]
[ Strength: 4+5 (click to view details). ]
[ Skill: Heavenly Union Blade Technique (Advanced 1/2000). ]
With a thought, Tran Mac clicked on the details.
"Physique too weak, please increase your inherent strength to 7..."