The alarm buzzed softly in the morning, but Liang Chen was already awake. His body had long since adjusted to the rhythm of early mornings. Today was another day of school, another day of making money, and another day of preparing himself for the life he was determined to build.
Breakfast was simple — steamed buns and tea — but he didn't mind. His mother had worked late last night, and the faint worry lines on her face reminded him why he couldn't afford laziness.
After school, instead of joining friends in idle chatter, Liang Chen made his way to a small alley where he had set up a discreet workstation. Herbs, powders, and small vials of liquids were arranged neatly. He worked efficiently, grinding, mixing, and preparing the next batch of pills.
His hands moved with care, but his mind wasn't entirely on the task. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling the faint aroma of ginseng and chrysanthemum. Then he focused inward, tracing the channels he remembered from his past life.
The pulse was faint — almost imperceptible. A flicker of energy stirred within his dantian, teasing him like a candle struggling against the wind. Not enough to call it cultivation, but enough to confirm that he was on the right path.
Satisfied, he packaged the pills carefully and prepared to sell them in the nearby market. On the way, he noticed the girl he had helped the day before. She struggled again, carrying water bottles up a flight of stairs. Without a second thought, he hurried to her side.
"Here, let me help," he said, taking a few bottles from her hands.
She looked up, eyes wide, but nodded in relief. "Thank you… you don't have to."
"I don't mind," Liang Chen said simply. "It's easier if we share the load."
For a moment, she seemed hesitant, but then a small smile appeared. Something about the simplicity of the act, the quiet kindness, warmed her. Liang Chen didn't linger; he had work to do.
Back at the market, he sold the pills steadily. Every coin he earned was logged in his mind: ingredients, improvements, small savings. Step by step, he was building the foundation for his future.
That evening, after returning home, he sat at his small desk, grinding herbs again. He paused, pressing his palms together over the pile, and focused.
This time, the pulse inside him responded differently. It was stronger, warmer, like a spark finally catching in a dry forest. A single thread of energy wove through his body, faint but undeniable.
Liang Chen's lips curved into a small smile. It wasn't a breakthrough. Not yet. But it was the first real sign of progress in this new life.
He leaned back in his chair, staring out at the quiet city below. The world seemed ordinary to everyone else. But to him, it was full of potential — a place where patience, effort, and determination could turn even the faintest spark into a blazing fire.
And Liang Chen was ready to stoke it.
Chapter Ending Quote:
"A single spark is enough to ignite the world — if one tends it patiently."