Morning sunlight spilled across the small hut when I woke. My body felt… different. Stronger. The aches from years of hard labor were gone, replaced by a quiet energy thrumming beneath my skin.
Lianhua stirred beside me, her hair falling across my chest. She looked up with sleepy eyes. "Mm… you're awake early."
I kissed her forehead. "I couldn't sleep. My body feels… powerful. Like I could crush stone with my bare hands."
She chuckled softly, teasing, "Oh? My husband, suddenly boasting? Don't tell me marriage has turned you into a braggart."
I grinned. "Want me to prove it?"
She raised a brow. "Prove it? How?"
I sat up, stretching, and clenched my fist. A faint ripple of Qi stirred the air around me. Her eyes widened.
"Kael… is that—?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "Qi. Real Qi. I can feel it moving through me."
Her lips parted in shock. "But… you told me you could never cultivate."
"I couldn't. For ten years, I tried and failed. But now…" I touched her belly gently. "…you gave me what I lacked. You gave me a reason, and the heavens gave me a path."
Her eyes softened, filling with warmth. She cupped my cheek. "Then… if this power keeps you safe, I'm glad. But promise me, Kael—don't lose yourself chasing strength. Don't forget us."
I held her hand against my face. "Never. You and our child are the reason I need strength."
---
After breakfast, I decided to test myself. A man can talk about strength all day, but the truth only shows in action.
I took up a wooden staff and walked toward the nearby forest. Lianhua insisted on following, despite my protests.
"You're pregnant," I said firmly.
She crossed her arms, pouting. "I'm not sick. I'll just watch. What if you faint, and no one's there to help you?"
I sighed. "Fine. But stay close."
She smiled triumphantly, holding my arm as we walked.
---
In the forest, I spotted a wild boar rooting around. A nasty one, bigger than me, with tusks like daggers. Normally, even hunters avoided these beasts unless in groups.
Lianhua whispered, "Kael, let's go back. That's dangerous."
I shook my head. "No. This is perfect."
I tightened my grip on the staff. My heart pounded, but instead of fear, I felt excitement. For the first time, I had power.
The boar noticed us and charged, the ground trembling beneath its weight.
I inhaled, focusing on the Qi inside me, guiding it to my arms. The staff swung down with a force that surprised even me.
Crack!
The boar squealed, collapsing after a single strike to the skull. Dust settled. Silence followed.
I stood there, stunned, staring at the broken staff in my hands.
"I… I did that?"
Lianhua covered her mouth in shock, then rushed to me. "Kael! That was… incredible!"
I laughed, breathless, my blood singing. "Ten years as a useless disciple… and now, one strike!"
She hugged me tightly, trembling. "You scared me half to death. But… I'm proud of you."
I wrapped my arms around her, whispering into her hair, "This is only the beginning. With this strength, I can protect you, our child… and build the life we deserve."
At that moment, the familiar chime echoed in my mind again.
> [Quest Completed: Demonstrate your strength.]
Reward: +1 Qi Refining Layer, +5 Vitality.
My body shuddered, another surge of energy coursing through me. I had already climbed to the 2nd Layer of Qi Refining.
I smiled, holding Lianhua even tighter.
"The world cast me aside as trash. But now… I'll rise. And I swear, no one will ever take you from me."
The boar's carcass was heavy on my shoulder as we made our way home. Lianhua carried a small bundle of herbs, humming softly. For the first time in years, I felt… proud. A man, not a servant. A husband, not a failure.
But fate never lets peace last long.
Halfway down the dirt road, three figures stepped out from the trees. Rough clothes, dirty blades, leering eyes. Bandits.
The leader, a thickset man with a scar across his cheek, twirled a rusted saber in his hand. I felt it immediately—the faint ripple of Qi around him.
"Qi Refining… first layer," I muttered under my breath. My grip tightened on the staff in my hand.
Lianhua clutched my arm. "Husband…"
The scarred man grinned, his yellow teeth glinting. "Well, well. Look what we have here. A young couple. And the woman… mm, such beauty. Far too fine for a dirt path."
The two bandits behind him laughed, their eyes crawling over my wife.
Lianhua shuddered, pressing closer to me. "Husband…"
I stepped forward, planting myself between them and her.
"Turn around," I said coldly. "Walk away, and I'll forget I ever saw your faces."
The leader threw his head back and laughed. "Big words for a boy like you… You're just a Qi Refining first layer disciple, right? Hardly a match for me."
I narrowed my eyes but didn't answer. Wrong. I'm already at the second layer. His words only stoked my anger.
His gaze slid back to Lianhua, dark and hungry. "Leave the pig and the meat. The girl's mine."
Lianhua gasped, holding onto my arm tighter. "Husband…"
My blood boiled. How dare they! How dare they look at her like that!
I lifted my staff and pointed it at them. "Touch her, and I'll tear you apart."
The leader smirked. "Ha! Little Qi boy thinks he's tough. We'll see about that."
They lunged.
The first bandit swung a crude axe at my side. I inhaled sharply, channeling Qi into my arms, and struck. The staff cracked against his ribs, sending him flying with a scream.
The second bandit hesitated, eyes wide. "Boss, he's—!"
"Shut up and kill him!" the leader snarled, rushing forward with his saber.
Steel clashed against wood. Sparks flew. He was faster than the boar, stronger too. My arms shook under the impact.
"You've got some strength, boy," the leader sneered, pushing me back. "But you're still green. You'll die, and I'll enjoy your woman."
I gritted my teeth, rage fueling me. "Touch her, and I'll rip you apart!"
We clashed again and again, my body straining with every blow. Finally, his blade scraped across my shoulder.
"Ah—!" Pain flared hot, blood soaking through my sleeve.
"Honey!" Lianhua cried, rushing toward me.
I staggered back, but then—
> [System Notification]
Injury Detected: Shallow Saber Cut.
Passive Recovery Activated.
+10 Vitality Restored.
The wound stitched itself before my eyes, pain vanishing like smoke. My grip steadied, my breath even.
The leader's eyes widened. "What…? How did you—?!"
I smiled coldly. "You underestimate me."
---
With a roar, I drove forward. My staff slammed into his ribs, Qi bursting out like thunder. He spat blood, stumbling back, but I didn't give him time.
Another strike—his wrist snapped, the saber clattering to the ground.
I kicked him hard in the chest, sending him sprawling in the dirt.
The other two bandits, trembling, scrambled to their feet. "B-Boss, he's a monster!"
"Run!"
They fled into the trees without looking back.
The leader groaned, clutching his chest, glaring up at me. "You… you're already at the second layer… impossible!"
I pressed the staff against his throat, my voice icy. "Remember this: I was weak once. Powerless. Mocked, beaten, ignored. But now… I have everything to fight for. And I won't let filth like you touch what's mine."
Crack.
His neck broke under the weight of my strike. Silence returned to the road.
---
"Husband…" Lianhua's voice trembled. She ran to me, wrapping her arms around my chest. "You're bleeding—are you—"
I shook my head, stroking her hair. "It's already healed. Don't worry."
She looked up, eyes shining with tears. "You… you saved me."
I smiled faintly, kissing her forehead. "Of course. You're my wife. I'll always save you. Even if the world stands against me."
As I held her, the familiar chime echoed again.
> [Quest Completed: Defend your wife from mortal threat.]
Reward: +1 Qi Refining Layer, +5 Strength, Minor Healing Skill Unlocked.
Power flooded me once more. My cultivation rose to the 3rd Layer of Qi Refining.
I whispered to myself, "Three layers in a single day… If the sect saw me now, their jaws would shatter."
Lianhua hugged me tighter, her voice soft. "Husband… promise me you won't change. Promise me that no matter how strong you become, you'll still be the man who held me close that first night."
I kissed her gently, answering with my heart, "I swear it."