I returned to my room and went straight to sleep, letting my exhausted body rest properly and my mind recover from the immense mental fatigue brought on by the intense body cultivation session.
The transformation had drained me more than I'd anticipated.
When I woke the next morning, gentle sunlight streaming through the window, the house was already stirring with life.
The children were up and about, their voices carrying faintly from outside.
Outside through the window, I saw Grandfather already beginning his daily routine, could see Mo Fan helping Grandfather with some woodworking.
The boy was carefully handing him tools as the old man worked, his movements precise and attentive.
We exchanged simple greetings as I emerged from my room, and I headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone.
Mo Ling, meanwhile, followed closely behind me into the kitchen, her small steps light with anticipation and excitement.
I went directly to the stove to begin cooking.
She immediately went to fetch her little wooden stool, dragging it across the floor with determination.
She positioned it carefully as if she were entering a grand theatre, ready to watch an important performance.
Before I could even begin cooking properly, she tugged insistently at my sleeve.
"Big browther Shen," she said, her voice filled with hopeful curiosity, "what are you making today?"
She hesitated briefly, biting her lip.
Then, when I gently insisted her to say what she actually wanted, her eyes lit up brilliantly.
"Can you make the flying chicken noodle soup? The one from last time that was so delicious!"
She was already drooling by the end of the sentence, a thin line of saliva appearing at the corner of her mouth.
I chuckled warmly at her enthusiasm. "First, wipe your mouth, little glutton."
She laughed sheepishly and did as told, using her sleeve.
Then she climbed onto her stool and watched me wash the ingredients with rapt, unwavering attention.
Her eyes tracked every movement I made.
After a moment of comfortable silence, she spoke again thoughtfully.
"Browther, today we're having the special rice soup, right? The red one?"
I paused in my washing and looked at her carefully.
She was absolutely right.
Today was indeed vermilion rice soup day according to my schedule.
Since the harvest had been completed, I had been making it once every three days for them without fail.
Using a small, carefully measured portion of the precious grains to strengthen their bodies and improve their overall health.
The children had grown noticeably sturdier and more energetic because of it.
Their cheeks had always filled out, their movements more confident.
"I have important work in the fields today," I explained gently. "Tomorrow, I promise I'll make that special rice soup for you."
She said immediately, without hesitation, "Then I'll help you with the field work!"
I raised an eyebrow at her eagerness. "Do you honestly think I really need help with farming?"
She instantly remembered last harvest day vividly.
How easily and quickly I had worked, finishing everything in mere minutes.
She lowered her head in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing slightly.
I smiled faintly at her reaction. "Don't worry about it. Just help Grandfather in the garden today, alright? That's important work too."
Only then did she brighten again considerably, nodding eagerly with renewed purpose.
I finished preparing all the food efficiently and carried everything to the table.
Mo Fan and Grandfather soon joined us from outside, and we ate quietly together as a family.
The morning meal was peaceful, filled with the simple comfort of shared food.
After breakfast concluded, I told the children to go to the backyard and check on the plants we'd been growing.
Mo Fan glanced at me, his young eyes showing understanding immediately.
He took his sister with him without a word, leading her gently by the hand.
Once they were safely gone and out of earshot, I turned to Grandfather.
My expression became serious, shedding the warmth I'd shown the children.
"I'm going to the market today," I said quietly but firmly. "If anyone asks where I am, say I went to the fields to work or went fishing at the creek."
He studied me silently for a long, measuring moment.
His weathered eyes searched my face for something.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked finally, his voice heavy with concern.
"Yes."
"Have you prepared properly for what you're planning?"
"I have," I assured him.
He sighed softly, the sound carrying years of experience and worry.
Then he nodded slowly in acceptance. "Alright. Be careful out there. Be back before sunset, no matter what happens."
"I've already prepared lunch for everyone," I added. "It's in the kitchen. Eat it when you get hungry."
He waved me off with his weathered hand, watching quietly as I left the house.
His gaze followed me until I disappeared from view.
I didn't draw any attention to myself as I moved through the village.
Near a cluster of trees at the village edge, I activated the farming robe's cloaking function.
The fabric shimmered briefly before rendering me nearly invisible.
I slipped away from the village completely unnoticed, like a ghost passing through.
As I travelled toward the city, I couldn't help but marvel at the incredible system rewards I'd received.
Both the farming robe and the sickle were classified as growth-type items.
This meant as my cultivation increased over time, they would automatically level up alongside me.
Currently, they were rated as top-grade Tier 1 in terms of pure durability and construction.
Though their actual power output was only high-grade, perfectly matching my current cultivation level.
Activating the robe's various special abilities required a continuous supply of spiritual energy.
For an ordinary cultivator with a normal-sized dantian, doing so would drain them completely dry in mere minutes.
Turning them into a withered corpse devoid of qi.
But my abnormally massive dantian could sustain it indefinitely.
I kept the invisibility cloak active until I reached the outskirts of the city.
There, in a deserted grove hidden from prying eyes, I deactivated the concealment effect.
Then I began altering my appearance carefully with the robe's remarkable help.
My clothing colours transformed, turning black and deep blue from my normal green robe.
A black cloth mask materialized, covering the lower half of my face completely.
I pulled a wide bamboo hat from my spirit pouch and settled it low over my head.
Only my eyes remained visible to anyone who looked.
Also my cultivation aura shifted convincingly to that of a late Qi Refining cultivator.
Showing my actual level.
At the city entrance, the guards immediately sensed my elevated aura.
They quickly straightened and greeted me with respect.
I nodded once in acknowledgment, tossed them a spirit stone each casually, and walked past without slowing.
Behind me, I could hear their hushed whispers as they tried and failed to guess my true identity.
I didn't bother paying attention to their speculation.
In a secluded alley deeper in the city, I changed my appearance yet again before entering the bustling market district where spirit rice and grains were commonly sold.
I first went directly to Senior Wu's shop, the one I'd visited before.
But when I entered, a young man stood behind the counter instead of the familiar shopkeeper.
He looked up as I approached.
"Do you buy jade spirit rice?" I asked directly, keeping my voice neutral.
The young man behind the counter glanced up briefly, his eyes assessing me with practiced efficiency before he nodded professionally.
"We do. How much do you have?"
I smiled and reached into my spirit storage bag and began releasing the contents.
Sack after heavy sack of grain landed neatly beside the counter.
Until five hundred jin of high-quality jade spirit rice were stacked impressively before him.
I left only a little over two hundred and fifty jin behind in storage for our own household consumption.
The young assistant crouched down immediately and inspected each sack with care.
Opening them one by one systematically.
His fingers sifted expertly through the grains, his eyes sharp and practiced from years of experience.
After checking the very last bag thoroughly, he straightened and nodded in clear approval.
"Excellent quality," he said. "Four pounds of rice per spirit stone."
I frowned slightly at the rate. "Didn't it used to be five pounds per stone?"
He sighed heavily, as if this was a complaint he'd heard many times.
"Prices have gone up significantly because of the ongoing yao beast war. Supply routes were disrupted repeatedly. Transportation losses mounted. All of this increased the market demand dramatically."
I nodded, having already expected something like this.
After a brief mental calculation, he said, "That comes to one hundred and twenty-five low grade spirit stones total."
I accepted the figure without argument.
Then I asked, "Do you have jade spirit rice seeds available for purchase?"
"Yes, we do." He paused, then added somewhat reluctantly, "Previously the price was three spirit stones per pound. Now it's risen to five."
"How many pounds do you need?"
"Ten pounds."
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing judgmental, clearly accustomed to bulk buyers.
After a short pause, I asked as casually as possible, "Do you also sell the jade spirit rice seed condensation method?"
His hands froze for a fraction of a second.
His expression changed instantly, becoming guarded.
Then he shook his head firmly and decisively.
"No. That's strictly prohibited by official decree. Direct City Lord's order."
"Why is it prohibited?" I pressed, genuinely curious.
He hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.
Then he let out a helpless sigh.
"If someone sold low-quality seeds along with the condensation method, imagine the catastrophic losses. Entire harvests would fail completely. Farmers would be utterly ruined financially."
I nodded outwardly, accepting the explanation without argument.
But internally, I knew the real reason perfectly well.
The harvested seeds were deliberately made infertile, intentionally so.
The true condensation method was monopolized tightly by those in power.
Farmers were systematically forced to depend on them for seeds year after year.
For protection from bandits.
For basic survival.
Grain taxes were collected in the name of public order.
Then bandits conveniently swept through to claim whatever remained.
An endless, vicious cycle of exploitation.
Even in this cultivation world, social and political oppression thrived just as ruthlessly as it had in my previous mundane life.
Only exceptional talent or recognition by a powerful force offered any real chance of escape.
The shop assistant disappeared into the back room and returned shortly carrying a storage pouch and several cloth sacks.
"Here you are. Ten pounds of seeds cost fifty spirit stones. These seventy-five stones are your change."
If Senior Wu trusted this young man enough to leave the entire shop in his care, that spoke volumes.
That was enough endorsement for me.
"Where is Senior Wu today?" I asked conversationally.
He blinked in mild surprise. "You know Shopkeeper Wu personally?"
"We've had some business dealings in the past," I replied calmly and vaguely.
He nodded in understanding. "Ah. He's currently at the city center. He said an acquaintance has arrived today unexpectedly. He went to receive them properly."
"I see. Thank you for the information."
I cupped my fist politely in farewell and left the shop.
Blending seamlessly back into the crowd, I quietly altered my appearance once more changing back to the black and blue.
Then I made my way steadily toward the city center.
After asking several people for specific directions, I soon arrived before a tall, impressively ornate building.
Its was decorated extensively with carved patterns and glowing spiritual inscriptions.
The very presence of the structure radiated authority and wealth.
Jin Shang Hall.
This was the premier establishment for purchasing skill techniques, artifacts, cultivation legacies and much more.
Four guards stood stationed at the entrance, two on each side.
Unmoving and vigilant.
All of them were mid to late Qi Refining stage cultivators.
I nodded slightly in acknowledgment and stepped inside confidently.
The interior was remarkably spacious and elegant.
Polished glass counters lined the hall in organized rows.
Shelves displayed various precious items, each etched with intricate formation patterns.
Each object radiated faint but distinct spiritual light.
At one prominently placed counter, a female attendant greeted me with a practiced, professional smile.
"What can I help you with today, sir?"
"I'm looking for the jade spirit rice seed condensation technique," I stated directly.
She nodded without any visible surprise, as if this was a common request.
"Three hundred spirit stones. You will be required to swear a binding oath not to spread or sell the information to others. Any commercial use of the technique requires official testing and a proper license issued by either the City Hall or Jin Shang Hall."
I nodded in understanding, having expected such restrictions.
Then I asked, "Do you also sell cultivation legacies here?"
The female attendant tilted her head slightly with interest.
"We do carry several. Do you have any specific types in mind?"
"Alchemy and talisman-making legacies, specifically."
She nodded, her fingers moving lightly across the counter surface.
As if checking an invisible register or mental catalog.
"We do have those available. Tier 1 alchemy legacies and Tier 1 talisman-making legacies are both priced at five hundred spirit stones each."
I fell into thoughtful silence.
After the expensive physique transformation resources, ongoing cultivation expenses, array plate rental costs, and daily household consumption, I had barely more than four hundred spirit stones remaining from the system's generous initial newcomer investment.
Making even one purchase would leave me completely dry financially.
And that simply wasn't acceptable, not at this critical juncture.
"I'm somewhat short on funds currently," I admitted at last. "I'll return later when I have sufficient resources."
The attendant didn't seem offended by my lack of purchase.
She smiled politely and inclined her head gracefully.
"No problem at all, sir. Jin Shang Hall will be here whenever you decide to return."
I nodded once in appreciation and turned away from the counter.
Already calculating my next moves carefully.
Leaving Jin Shang Hall behind, I walked slowly through the crowded streets.
My thoughts churning restlessly.
I pondered seriously how to earn the substantial money I needed.
Having no other immediate source, I kept those thoughts aside.
Then a particular thought surfaced, the reason I came to the market.
The bandits.
While wandering deliberately through the outer market district, I started gathering information about them discreetly.
Listening to conversations, watching for suspicious behaviour.
After nearly an hour of patient observation, I finally spotted one of them.
A familiar scar ran from his eye down to his cheek.
Distinctive and unmistakable.
He had wrapped his head with cloth in an attempt to hide his identity.
But that prominent scar was impossible to miss for anyone who'd seen it before.
I immediately activated the robe's concealment effect.
My presence vanished completely as I merged seamlessly into the bustling crowd.
Trailing him at a careful distance.
He moved cautiously through the streets, frequently glancing nervously over his shoulder.
Checking repeatedly if anyone was following.
When he reached a narrow, deserted alley far from the main thoroughfare, his steps slowed considerably.
At the very end of the alley stood an inconspicuous wooden door.
Embedded directly into the weathered wall.
So plain and ordinary it would be completely overlooked by anyone not specifically searching for it.
He approached and knocked in a very specific rhythm.
Three quick knocks, pause, two slow knocks.
Then he spoke quietly, "Hail to the Dark Blood."
A password.
With a faint creak of old hinges, the door opened from within.
Another man stepped out into the alley.
The moment I saw his face clearly, my eyes narrowed dangerously.
I recognized him immediately and completely.
The bandit leader who had robbed our group at the mountain pass.
The one I'd been searching for.
He swept his gaze over the scarred man with clear irritation.
Then he frowned deeply. "Li Gou," he said coldly, his voice sharp. "What are you doing here at this hour? You know the rules about daytime visits."
The scarred man, Li Gou, straightened instinctively under the rebuke.
"Captain, I heard rumours that a merchant group from a nearby city is delivering valuable goods tonight. I wanted to ask if we're planning to make a move on them."
The Captian's expression darkened considerably.
"Get inside first, you complete idiot. Do you want to announce our business to the whole street?"
Li Gou scratched his head awkwardly with embarrassment.
"Sorry, Captain. I was just excited about the opportunity. They're rumored to be carrying some genuinely rare items this time."
The Captain snorted derisively, clearly displeased with his subordinate's lack of discretion.
But he stepped aside to let him enter.
So he was only a captain, I noted carefully.
That means there's someone ranking above even him in this organization.
While they were both distracted by their exchange, I slipped forward silently.
My concealed form passing through the doorway just as it began closing.
My presence completely erased by the robe's powerful effect.
The heavy wooden door shut with a dull thud behind me.
The darkness of the interior swallowed me whole.