Awakening Innate Divine Ability

The next day, the sky was overcast, with lead-gray clouds pressing low over the outer city of Gaoye City. The air in Bluestone Alley felt stagnant and heavy.

Wang Gui, clutching a bag of copper coins saved through his family's scrimping and originally intended for Wang Yuan's apprenticeship, stepped out with heavy feet.

The money was wrapped in a faded, washed-out cloth. It was heavy, causing his spine to bend slightly.

Wang Yuan sat on a small stool by the window inside, appearing to be resting, but in reality, his entire focus was on sensing the mark on his chest.

The progress bar, "[Energy Absorption in Progress... Current Energy: (24/100)]", crawled like a snail, making him anxious, yet he had no choice but to endure.

Time trickled by until the sun was past its zenith. Wang Gui finally returned, dragging his feet.

With a "clang," he practically slammed the door open. His face was ashen, his lips trembling, his chest heaving violently. His calloused hands were clenched tightly, empty.

"His father, what happened? Did you pay the money?"

Madam Zhou's heart leaped into her throat at the sight. She asked tremulously.

Wang Gui suddenly punched the doorframe, emitting a dull thud that shook loose a few wisps of dust from the ceiling.

His eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse, filled with boundless rage and humiliation. "Black-hearted beasts."

"They said... they said the previous price was for before! The rules have changed now, the tribute money... it's increased by fifty percent!"

"Fifty percent?"

Madam Zhou's vision went dark, and she nearly fainted.

Wang Yu quickly supported her mother, her own face turning instantly pale.

"The money I brought... wasn't even enough for the interest."

"They... they confiscated the money directly, saying it counts as part of this month's payment. The rest, they demand we gather within three days."

"Otherwise..."

Wang Gui couldn't finish.

The unspoken threat coiled around the family's hearts like a cold venomous snake.

The brief peace they thought they could buy with silent endurance had vanished in an instant.

The Black Tiger Gang's greed knew no bounds!

Wang Yuan sat there, his eyelids lowered, his hands on his knees slowly tightening. His heart felt utterly cold.

He needed time, a stable environment to accumulate his initial capital.

But the Black Tiger Gang wouldn't even grant him this basic breathing room.

It seemed his path of discreet development was blocked.

His opponents were forcing him to take a desperate gamble.

He looked up, his face devoid of expression, only a cold resolve flashed deep within his eyes.

"Father, Mother, Sister, I'm feeling stifled lying here. I want to go out for some air."

Wang Yuan stood up, his voice eerily calm.

"Yuan'er, you're not fully recovered yet..."

Madam Zhou worriedly grabbed his arm.

"It's fine, I'll just walk around nearby. It won't be a problem."

Wang Yuan gently broke free from his mother's grasp, giving her a reassuring look, but deep within that gaze was a chilling coldness.

I just wanted a peaceful life.

Why are you forcing me?

He said no more and walked straight out of the house.

The alley was still dirty and dilapidated. A few idle thugs leaned against the wall, their gazes sizing up passersby with ill intent.

Wang Yuan ignored them. His steps were unhurried, as if he were truly just taking a stroll.

However, his direction was clearly towards a narrower, more chaotic alley, opposite to the outer city market.

That was the territory of the "Interest Upon Interest" money shop, a den for loan sharks.

His memories from his past life and the original body's experiences told him about this place.

Entering the dimly lit room, filled with the smell of smoke and sweat, several burly, fierce-looking men were gathered around a broken table gambling.

Seeing Wang Yuan enter, one of them, Scarface, looked up, narrowing his eyes as he sized him up. "Kid, what do you want?"

Wang Yuan forced a look of embarrassment and panic onto his face, rubbing his hands together. He deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound hesitant and ashamed. "Brothers, I... I want to borrow some money."

"Borrow money?"

Scarface let out a sneer.

"Look at your scrawny appearance, what collateral do you have? Your dilapidated house?"

He was familiar with the backgrounds of people in this area and naturally knew this was the Wang family's son from Bluestone Alley.

The others beside him burst into laughter.

Wang Yuan's face flushed red, as if his sore spot had been hit. He stiffened his neck and said:

"I... I had bad luck at the gambling house the past two days and lost... lost quite a bit. I owe money and didn't dare tell my family."

"Don't worry, I have a way to pay it back!"

"My family... my family has a house in Bluestone Alley, after all!"

He deliberately revealed the information about "losing money gambling" and "owning property."

To loan sharks, a young man who gambled away his fortune and was at his wit's end was practically a fat sheep delivered to their doorstep.

They knew his background, had "assets" to seize, and since he had already ruined his reputation, he would be easier to control.

As expected, Scarface and a tall, thin man who seemed to be the leader exchanged a look.

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The tall, thin man put down the dice he was holding and walked up to Wang Yuan, saying with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "The kid from the Wang family in Bluestone Alley?"

"Right, I know you."

"How much do you need to borrow?"

"The interest is nine out, thirteen back, with interest compounding. The term is three months. If you can't repay, the house is collateral. We'll put it in black and white, and your fingerprint will seal the deal. Dare you borrow?"

The terms were extremely harsh, almost outright robbery.

Wang Yuan's face showed a flicker of struggle and fear, but he finally gritted his teeth:

"I'll borrow it! I'll borrow five taels of silver!"

Five taels of silver was a huge sum for ordinary residents of the outer city.

It was even enough to cover the Black Tiger Gang's increased protection money, with plenty left over.

But Wang Yuan naturally wouldn't give it to the Black Tiger Gang.

Otherwise, not a single tael of the five would remain.

The tall, thin man chuckled and got straight to the point, quickly writing out the loan agreement.

"If you can't pay it back, you know the consequences," Scarface said, a fierce glint in his eyes.

Wang Yuan didn't even look closely at the promissory note, or rather, he didn't care. He directly pressed his thumbprint on it.

As he took the heavy five taels of silver, he took a deep breath.

"The seed money is here."

With the money in hand, Wang Yuan didn't delay at all.

He headed straight for the outer city marketplace.

He didn't buy rice or flour, but went directly to the butcher shop.

He bought the fattiest, most glistening beef tallow.

He also bought a large piece of air-dried beef jerky, hard as a rock but said to be very filling.

Then, he detoured into a small medical clinic.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any... medicinal herbs that can replenish qi and blood, and aid recovery?"

Wang Yuan asked, deliberately making himself sound weak and frail.

The shopkeeper sized him up and recommended a cheap medicinal powder called "Qi-Boosting Powder." He said it was a mixture of several common herbs, with a slight effect on post-injury weakness, and wasn't too expensive.

Wang Yuan bought several packets without hesitation.

Upon returning home, facing the surprised and uncertain gazes of his parents and sister, he simply said:

"I met an old classmate and borrowed some money. We'll get through this immediate difficulty."

Without waiting for them to ask further questions, he left a large piece of meat for the family.

Wang Yuan then took his purchases and retreated into his small room.

He closed the door, shutting out the outside world.

He lit a small charcoal stove and began to render the beef tallow, cutting it into pieces. The sizzling sound was accompanied by a rich, oily aroma that filled the air.

He then softened the hard beef jerky with hot water.

What followed was a near-frenzied meal.

Wang Yuan tore at the softened jerky and gulped down the rendered tallow, stuffing the coarse, greasy food into his stomach.

At the same time, he poured the purchased Qi-Boosting Powder directly into his mouth and washed it down with warm water.

The powder, with its herbal bitterness and a strange warm current, instantly dissolved within his body.

At first, his stomach felt bloated and uncomfortable.

Having not eaten meat for a long time, Wang Yuan's stomach struggled to cope with the sudden intake.

But he endured it, his will locked onto the mark on his chest.

Here it comes!

This torrent of heat, ten, even a hundred times more intense than when I ate eggs or drank porridge before, surged from my stomach like a breached dam, flooding my chest.

The Talent Bead vibrated at an unprecedented frequency.

The chaotic black mark seemed to come alive, its surface patterns faintly glowing as it greedily devoured this surging energy.

[Energy Absorption in Progress... Current Energy: 35/100... 52/100... 78/100... 91/100...]

The progress bar leaped forward at an incredible speed.

Wang Yuan's eyes shone terrifyingly. He ignored everything else, continuing to stuff dried meat and oil dregs into his mouth, swallowing them whole. He then consumed all the remaining Qi-Boosting Powder.

A tearing pain shot through his stomach, but he paid it no mind.

"Just a little more, just a little more..."

As the last surge of heat flooded his chest.

A soft "buzz" echoed in his mind.

[Energy Absorption in Progress... Current Energy: 100/100]

[Energy has reached the standard for initial awakening! Awaken Innate Divine Ability immediately?]

Success!

Wang Yuan panted, his hands covered in grease, meat scraps clinging to his lips.

But a genuine smile, the first since his transmigration, bloomed on his face—cold, yet filled with anticipation.

Without a moment's hesitation, he silently chanted in his mind:

"Awaken!"