Refusing Blacksmithing to Accumulate Slacking Value, Meeting Villagers and Hiding True Strength

The second time the morning light shone into the blacksmith shop's backyard, Tang San was woken by the laughter of villagers passing by outside. He stretched, slowly sat up, and rubbed his eyes. This six-year-old body's need for sleep was much greater than his previous life as a corporate slave; he had fallen asleep as soon as he hit the bed last night, not even remembering to check the system panel again.

Just as he put on his cloth clothes, there were two gentle knocks on the door. Tang Hao's voice came through the wood, less hoarse than yesterday and with a hint of probing, "Little San, are you feeling better today? Can you get up and lend a hand?"

Tang San leaned against the door, his mind racing. According to the system's rules, "actively reducing high-intensity training" earned Slacking Value. However, directly saying "I don't want to go" would be too obvious and likely make Tang Hao suspicious. He cleared his throat, deliberately making his voice sound a bit weak from just waking up, "Dad, I'm still a bit dizzy, maybe from the wind yesterday. Blacksmithing requires strength, and it would be troublesome if I accidentally hit my hand. How about I rest for another day?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a system prompt immediately sounded in his mind: [Evaded high-intensity physical labor, Slacking Value +1, current total 3 points].

There was a moment of silence outside the door, followed by Tang Hao's low "Got it," and then the sound of him picking up his hammer and walking towards the blacksmith shop, heavy and slow. Tang San breathed a sigh of relief and quietly opened a crack in the door to peek. Tang Hao was bending down to light the forge, his hunched back even more pronounced than in the anime he remembered. A pang of guilt hit him, but the thought of his goal to "get stronger by slacking" pushed the guilt down.

After washing up, Tang San carried his small stool from yesterday and sat in the yard. This time, he didn't bask in the sun but leaned against the wall and opened the system panel. The pale blue virtual screen was visible only to him. Besides the "Slacking Value: 3" displayed, the "Redemption Mall" button below glowed faintly. He clicked it and scanned through. The lowest-tier reward was "Minor Soul Power Increase (requires 10 Slacking Value)," followed by "Blue Silver Grass Basic Toughness Enhancement (requires 20)," and emergency options like "Temporary Stamina Recovery (requires 5)."

"Only 3 points, not even enough for the most basic Soul Power increase. Looks like I need to find more opportunities to earn some," Tang San clicked his tongue and closed the panel. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a nap, a head suddenly popped into the yard entrance. It was Huzi from next door—a sturdy boy half a head taller than him, holding a wooden sword.

"Little San, why aren't you working with your dad at the forge again?" Huzi bounced into the yard, his voice booming. "My dad says you're going to be a Soul Master in the future, so how can you not train your strength? Come on, let's go chop wood in the back mountain!"

If he agreed, not only would he not get any Slacking Value, but he might even lose points for "actively increasing physical training." Tang San quickly waved his hands and shrank back onto his stool, "I don't feel well, I was dizzy yesterday, I can't chop wood. Besides, there are wild beasts in the back mountain, what if we run into danger?"

[Evaded meaningless outdoor training, Slacking Value +1; Evaded potential safety risks, Slacking Value +1, current total 5 points]

As soon as the system prompt sounded, Huzi frowned, "What wild beasts? I saw a rabbit there yesterday! You're just being lazy!" He then reached out to pull Tang San.

Tang San quickly dodged backward and happened to glimpse Old Jack passing by outside the yard with a basket. He quickly called out, "Grandpa Jack!"

Old Jack stopped and peeked in, "What is it, Little San?"

"Huzi is insisting on taking me to the back mountain, but I don't feel well and don't want to go," Tang San quickly complained, his tone a little wronged. Seeing Huzi's stance, Old Jack immediately put on a stern face, "Huzi! Little San isn't feeling well and you're bothering him? You can't just go to the back mountain! Go home and help your mom feed the pigs!"

Huzi was reprimanded and drooped his head, glaring at Tang San before reluctantly leaving. Old Jack walked into the yard and handed Tang San two sweet potatoes from his basket, "Here, they're freshly steamed. You child, rest well if you're not feeling well, don't run around with Huzi. Oh, right, an elder from the Martial Soul Hall will be here the day after tomorrow. You'll go with the other children to the village shrine to awaken your Martial Soul, don't forget to get up early."

"Got it, Grandpa Jack, thank you, Grandpa," Tang San took the sweet potatoes, his mind calculating—Martial Soul awakening was a key plot point in the original work, he couldn't mess it up, but he also had to find a way to earn some Slacking Value from it.

Old Jack added a few more instructions, "Don't be nervous during the awakening," and "Listen to the elder," before leaving with his basket. Tang San held the warm sweet potatoes and took a bite, it was very sweet. Just as he finished one, he heard a "clang" from the blacksmith shop, like a hammer falling on the ground. His heart tightened, and he quickly ran over to see.

He saw Tang Hao squatting on the ground, clutching his chest, his face pale, and his forehead covered in sweat. Tang San quickly helped him up, "Dad, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's an old problem," Tang Hao waved his hand, his voice weak, "I'll be fine after a rest." He then tried to get up to pick up the hammer. Tang San quickly held him down, "Dad, sit down, I'll get it for you."

He bent down and picked up the hammer, weighing it. It was very heavy—much heavier than the dumbbells in his previous life's gym. Tang Hao swung it to forge iron every day, no wonder his health was poor. He placed the hammer aside and went into the house to pour a cup of warm water for Tang Hao.

Tang Hao drank some water, and his complexion improved slightly. He looked at Tang San with a complex expression, "You didn't go to forge today, but you've learned to care for people."

Tang San scratched his head, not daring to say too much, fearing he might slip up, "I'm your son. Dad, you shouldn't forge today either, rest for a day, your health is important."

[Actively suggested reducing high-intensity labor for another, evaded risk of overexertion, Slacking Value +2, current total 7 points]

Tang Hao was stunned. Looking at Tang San's serious eyes, he was silent for a long time before nodding, "Alright, we'll rest for a day today."

Tang San felt relieved and helped Tang Hao back into the house, making his bed. After Tang Hao lay down, he quickly fell asleep, his breathing becoming more stable. Tang San sat by the bed, looking at Tang Hao's calloused hands, feeling a bit uneasy. In his previous life, his parents also overworked themselves for their jobs. Seeing Tang Hao like this reminded him of home.

However, this emotion didn't last long before he was pulled back by a system panel notification—he was only 3 Slacking Value away from redeeming "Temporary Stamina Recovery." If Tang Hao felt unwell again later, he might be able to use it.

In the afternoon, several other children from the village came looking for Tang San. Some invited him to find bird nests, others to catch fish by the river. Tang San refused them all, citing "not feeling well," "afraid of catching a cold," and "afraid of getting scolded by parents," earning another 3 Slacking Value, bringing the total to 10 points.

Looking at the "10 Slacking Value" on the panel, Tang San didn't rush to redeem it. Instead, he clicked into the description of "Minor Soul Power Increase" to read it— [Consuming 10 Slacking Value can slightly increase the host's current Soul Power. No side effects. The increase amount varies with the host's current Soul Power Level].

"It's just right to redeem it now. I'll increase my Soul Power a bit first, so I won't be noticed when I awaken my Martial Soul," Tang San made up his mind and clicked "Redeem."

As soon as he clicked, he felt a warm current rise from his dantian, spreading through his limbs and bones. His whole body felt warm, and the fatigue from his weak body had also lessened considerably. The system prompt sounded in his mind again: [Successfully redeemed "Minor Soul Power Increase," current Soul Power Level: Level 10 (minor increase), Slacking Value remaining 0 points].

"Level 10 can still be slightly increased? Looks like the system is more powerful than I thought," Tang San was delighted. He leaned against the bed, contemplating the upcoming Martial Soul awakening—he had to awaken the Blue Silver Grass smoothly, not reveal his strength, and still find a way to earn some Slacking Value during the process. This required careful planning.

As the sun began to set, Tang Hao woke up. His complexion had improved considerably, and he even went to the kitchen to cook some porridge himself. The father and son sat at the table drinking porridge. Tang Hao didn't mention blacksmithing anymore, only glancing at Tang San occasionally, his eyes holding emotions Tang San couldn't understand.

After finishing the porridge, Tang San voluntarily cleared the bowls and chopsticks. After washing the dishes, he went back to his room to sleep. Lying on the bed, he touched his chest and could clearly feel that his Soul Power was more abundant than in the afternoon.

"I need to earn more Slacking Value tomorrow, aiming to increase my Soul Power one more time before awakening my Martial Soul," Tang San yawned and soon fell into a deep sleep—after all, it was a six-year-old body. Even without doing any physical labor, a whole day was tiring enough.

The moonlight outside the window shone into the room, illuminating the sleeping boy's face and the "peak slacking path" beneath his feet, which was completely different from the original work.