The village square of Willow Creek was a chaotic mess, a testament to Alex's cursed existence as the heavens' favorite punching bag. At 16, the transmigrator with a sluggish dantian and a knack for attracting disaster had just survived another ordeal: a rampaging herd of Demon Boars, drawn by his soggy basket of spirit turnips, and a dive-bombing Iron-Beaked Sparrow that seemed to have a personal grudge. The lead boar, a massive beast with tusks like curved daggers, had even nuzzled Alex's leg, leaving a slimy trail of slobber on his tattered robe. Now, sprawled in a pile of spirit cabbages, clutching a glowing Spirit Core—a fist-sized orb of concentrated qi worth more than the entire village—Alex groaned, his black hair singed, green eyes bleary, and rusty dagger dangling uselessly at his side. The heavens, clearly not done tormenting him, had turned another disaster into an absurd reward.
The square was a wreck: Auntie Mei's vegetable stall was splintered kindling, spirit turnips and cabbages littered the cobblestones, and the unconscious sparrow twitched in a nearby tree, having knocked itself out in its frenzy to peck Alex into oblivion. Villagers peeked from behind crates and doorways, their faces a mix of awe, fear, and exasperation. Fatty Li, the chubby merchant who'd sold Alex the turnips, was the first to break the silence, his round face red with disbelief. "Alex, you menace! You trashed the square and walked away with a Spirit Core? How?!"
Alex, brushing cabbage leaves off his robe, grinned shamelessly, holding up the pulsing orb. "It's my charm, Fatty! The heavens hate me, but they pay well!" The villagers murmured, some laughing, others shaking their heads. Big Bao, the blacksmith's son, poked his head from behind a crate, his eyes wide. "Is that really a Spirit Core? Alex, you unlucky bastard, how do you keep doing this?"
"I don't know!" Alex shouted, dodging a stray cabbage that rolled his way. His dantian, stagnant for two years, quivered with a faint spark of qi, the Spirit Core's energy teasing a breakthrough. It wasn't Foundation Establishment, but it was progress—proof his curse was a double-edged sword. The villagers, used to his antics, began recounting past incidents where his misfortunes turned to gold, their voices a lively mix of envy and amusement.
"Remember the time Alex tripped into Old Man Wei's well?" Auntie Mei said, storming over, her face red with fury. "He broke the bucket, flooded my garden, and found a Jade Qi Shard buried in the mud!" She jabbed a finger at him, her apron flapping. "You're paying for my stall, Spirit Core or not!" Alex, clutching the orb, flashed a shameless grin. "Auntie, how about I trade you a shiny new stall for a lifetime of free turnips?" She swatted him with a cabbage leaf, but her scowl softened into a reluctant smirk.
Big Bao laughed, tossing Alex a spirit pear, which he fumbled, nearly tripping into a crate. "What about the Ghost Rat stampede?" he said, his voice booming. "Alex ran from those critters, slipped into a ditch, and dug up a Spirit Herb Patch! My dad's still mad he didn't get a cut!" The villagers roared, and Little Xiu, a braided girl with a mischievous grin, chimed in, tossing a qi candy. "Don't forget the Lightning Carp incident! Alex got zapped fishing in the creek, sank Old Lady Chen's boat, and pulled up a Water Spirit Pearl!" Alex, catching the candy (barely), groaned. "That pearl was nice, but I smelled like fish for a week!"
Elder Chen, the village's low-level cultivator, pushed through the crowd, stroking his wispy beard. His Foundation Establishment aura was modest, but his eyes gleamed with envy. "Boy, you're either the luckiest or unluckiest soul I've met," he said, eyeing the Spirit Core. "That orb could fund a sect's training for a year." Alex, standing amid the cabbages, grinned shamelessly. "Unluckiest, Elder. Definitely unluckiest." But as he felt the qi spark in his dantian, he wondered if the heavens were apologizing—or setting him up for a bigger fall.
The villagers, now crowding around, swapped more stories, turning the square into a lively storytelling session. Fatty Li, munching a spirit pear, recounted, "Last spring, Alex tripped over my cart, spilled my spirit rice, and found a Qi-Infused Coin under it! Paid for my new cart!" Little Xiu giggled, tossing another candy. "And the time he crashed into the village shrine? Broke the statue, got chased by Elder Chen, and found a Hidden Qi Talisman in the rubble!" Alex, dodging the candy, laughed. "That talisman saved me from a Horned Toad! The heavens owe me after that one!"
The comedy escalated when Big Bao, inspired by the chaos, started a mock "Alex Misfortune Reenactment." He flailed dramatically, pretending to trip, and rolled into a pile of turnips, yelling, "Look, a Spirit Core!" The villagers howled, and Little Xiu joined in, mimicking Alex's dodge from the sparrow by diving behind a crate, only to knock over Fatty Li's new stall. "Not again!" Fatty Li wailed, but he laughed, tossing Alex a spirit plum. "You're contagious, kid!" Alex, catching the plum (miraculously), struck a pose. "Chaos is my Dao!" The crowd cheered, their laughter echoing through the square, a peaceful slice of village life amid the wreckage.
Auntie Mei, still fuming, grabbed a broom and started shooing villagers back to work. "Enough gawking! Alex, clean this mess!" Alex, tucking the Spirit Core into his robe, saluted shamelessly. "Yes, Auntie! I'll make this square shine!" He began picking up turnips, only to trip over a cobblestone, landing in a pile of cabbages that hid—surprise—a small Qi-Infused Gem. The villagers gasped, Fatty Li choking on his pear. "Again?!" Big Bao shouted, collapsing in laughter. "He's a walking treasure magnet!"
Elder Chen, stroking his beard, muttered, "The heavens are playing tricks." Alex, holding the gem, grinned. "Tricks or not, I'm keeping this!" Little Xiu tossed another candy, giggling. "You're gonna bankrupt the heavens, Alex!" The peaceful moment, with villagers joking and sharing snacks, felt like a family gathering, grounding Alex's chaotic life. Even Auntie Mei, sweeping debris, smirked. "Keep tripping, kid. Maybe you'll find me a new stall."
As Alex cleaned, the sparrow stirred, flapping groggily. "Not again!" he yelped, diving behind a crate. The bird, still dazed, pecked at a cabbage and flew off, leaving the square in peace. Fatty Li clapped Alex's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "You're a menace, but you're our menace." Alex, brushing off more cabbage leaves, muttered, "I'd rather be a rich menace." The villagers laughed, their chatter a warm backdrop as they rebuilt the square.
That evening, Alex sat by the creek, the Spirit Core and gem glowing in his hands. His dantian hummed, the qi spark stronger, hinting at a future breakthrough. The village's stories replayed in his mind—each disaster, from wells to shrines, had brought treasures. "Why do you hate me, heavens?" he muttered, tossing a pebble into the water. "But thanks for the loot." The creek rippled, and a faint glow caught his eye—a tiny Qi Crystal in the shallows. Alex stared, dumbfounded. "Seriously?!"
He fished it out, his shameless grin returning. "One day, I'll punch you in the face, heavens," he said, shaking a fist at the sky. A distant rumble, suspiciously like laughter, echoed above. Back in the square, villagers lit lanterns, sharing qi-infused tea and retelling Alex's tales. Mei, now an outer disciple visiting from the sect, appeared, tossing him a spirit apple. "Heard you trashed the village again, Chaos Boy!" she teased. Alex, catching it (barely), grinned. "Just warming up, Mei! Wait till I trash the sect!" The villagers roared, and the peaceful night, filled with laughter and glowing snacks, cemented Alex's place as their unlucky hero.
As he headed to his hut, the Spirit Core pulsing, Alex felt a spark of hope. His curse was a nightmare, but it kept paying dividends. With the Righteous Annihilation Sect waiting, and friends like Jin Hao and Mei cheering him on, he'd turn his misfortunes into a legend. "Watch out, heavens," he muttered, tripping over a root but landing softly in a patch of spirit grass. "I'm coming for you."