Sister's Illness, Light on the Road Ahead

Footsteps closed in through the night, heavy breathing and muffled curses growing clearer.

"...Just that broken shack ahead."

"Li Si's a waste, getting taken down by some kid. Fucking embarrassing."

"We'll hit hard this time, cripple his right hand. See if he still dares act tough."

Green Wolf Gang.

Lin Fan quickly assessed the situation—at least four men, judging by their footsteps, all adults, likely armed. A direct fight was too risky, and his sister was still in the shack. If the conflict spilled over to her...

He couldn't fight here.

He took a deep breath, turned, and walked swiftly toward the shack, moving lightly, almost soundlessly.

Pushing open the old wooden door, the interior was dim. Lin Xiaoyu curled up on a straw mat, lifting her head weakly at the sound. "Brother... you're back?"

"Mm." Lin Fan crouched, touching her forehead—still burning. "Xiaoyu, we need to step out for a bit."

"Out?" Confusion flickered in her eyes, but she didn't ask further, just nodded. "Okay."

Lin Fan quickly gathered a few things: the remaining Nutritional Paste, the packet of Coarse Salt, their father's Bronze Badge, and the 41 Credit Points he'd just earned. He wrapped them in a tattered shirt, tied it into a bundle, and slung it over his shoulder.

Then he bent down. "Come on, I'll carry you."

Lin Xiaoyu hesitated, then obediently climbed onto his back. She was light, light as a feather—a fourteen-year-old girl weighing less than seventy jin. Lin Fan's heart ached, but his movements didn't falter.

He secured her with strips of cloth, making sure she wouldn't slip, then blew out the Oil Lamp and pushed open the back window—a simple plank nailed together, usually propped with a stick.

Outside lay the tangled alleys of the Slum District.

Lin Fan listened. The Green Wolf Gang had reached the front door, pounding on it.

"Open up! Green Wolf Gang business!"

"Open up or I'll break it down!"

Perfect timing.

Lin Fan climbed out the window, gently closing the plank behind him. He oriented himself and headed deeper into the Slum District, toward the most chaotic area. The alleys there were a maze, piled with trash and debris—the best place to lose a tail.

The night deepened.

Lin Fan carried his sister through the darkness, his steps steady. Basic Footwork served him well—even on uneven ground, he kept his balance, dodging potholes and obstacles.

Lin Xiaoyu whispered from his back, "Brother... is someone causing trouble?"

"It's nothing," Lin Fan replied curtly. "A few thugs. I'll deal with them tomorrow."

He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either. The Green Wolf Gang wasn't just random punks—they might have ties to Outer City powers. But for now, keeping his sister safe was all that mattered.

"Brother, I'm sorry..." Lin Xiaoyu's voice choked. "I'm just dragging you down..."

"Don't talk nonsense," Lin Fan cut her off. "You're my sister. There's no 'dragging down.' Besides, I've got skills now. I can protect you."

He paused, then added, "Once I become a Martial Artist and earn real money, I'll take you to the Inner City, get a big house, buy the best medicine, and cure your illness."

Lin Xiaoyu said nothing, but Lin Fan felt warm drops fall on his neck.

Tears.

His heart ached, but he didn't stop.

A quarter-hour later, Lin Fan reached a cluster of abandoned workshops at the edge of the Slum District.

This was the site of a small Beast Tide three years ago. A 2nd Tier Demonic Beast, an Ironclad Boar, had broken through the outer defenses, smashed through these workshops, and killed over a dozen people. The place had been deserted ever since, only occasional vagrants spending the night.

Lin Fan found a relatively intact corner, set his sister down, and gathered dry straw to make a simple bed.

"We'll make do here tonight," he said. "Tomorrow, I'll find somewhere safer."

Lin Xiaoyu nodded, pale-faced but clear-eyed.

Lin Fan took out the Nutritional Paste and squeezed out a small portion. "Eat a little."

She ate in small bites, then suddenly asked, "Brother, do you still remember Mom and Dad?"

Lin Fan's movements paused.

The Original Owner's memories flooded back.

Father Lin Dashan, mother Li Xiuying. Father was a 3rd Grade Martial Master, a squad leader in the Jiangnan City Garrison; mother was an Ordinary Person, working at a Weaving Factory in the city. Three years ago, they lived in a small house on the edge of the Inner City—not wealthy, but with enough food and clothes, a stable life.

Until that Beast Tide.

Three autumns ago, a Spatial Rift opened three hundred li east of Jiangnan City, spewing out hundreds of Demonic Beasts. The main force was quickly wiped out by the military, but a few stragglers slipped through to the city's outskirts.

Father's Garrison unit received orders to go out and clear the remnants.

Before leaving, he patted the Original Owner's head. "Fan'er, I'll be gone three to five days. Take care of your sister at home, and listen to your mother."

The Original Owner was thirteen then. He nodded firmly.

Three days later, news came—Lin Dashan's squad was ambushed by two 3rd Tier Demonic Beasts, Shadow Wolves. All members killed.

Their mother fainted at the news. She never recovered, dying three months later.

A once-comfortable family, shattered overnight.

Because his father had "died in the line of duty," the military had issued a pension, but the amount was meager, barely enough to sustain the siblings for a year. The original owner had moved with his sister out of the Inner City to the Slum District, using the remaining money to rent that broken-down shack.

A year later, the money ran out, and his sister's old illness relapsed—a congenital heart and lung weakness that required long-term medication to manage. The original owner started working odd jobs everywhere, but the money he earned was far from enough to cover the medicine.

Until three days ago, the original owner collapsed from heatstroke while hauling cargo at the docks. When he woke up again, he had become Lin Fan, the transmigrator.

"I remember," Lin Fan said softly. "Dad was tall, strong, and laughed loudly. Mom was gentle, and her cooking was especially good."

Lin Xiaoyu's eyes reddened. "Brother, do you think... if Dad were still alive, what would we be like now?"

"If Dad were still alive..." Lin Fan looked at the moonlight streaming through the shack's gaps. "You'd be attending the Martial Arts Academy, and I'd be preparing for the college entrance exams. The whole family would eat together on weekends, and Mom would make your favorite sweet and sour fish."

"I miss Mom and Dad." Lin Xiaoyu lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.

Lin Fan was silent for a moment, then reached out and ruffled his sister's hair. "Brother misses them too."

Neither of them spoke again.

The Night Wind blew through the holes in the Abandoned Workshop, making a wailing sound, like someone's sobbing.

***

A long time passed, and Lin Xiaoyu's breathing gradually steadied as she fell asleep.

But Lin Fan had no desire to sleep.

He summoned the panel and checked his recent gains.

[Basic Fist Technique (Proficient 482/500)]

[Basic Footwork (Proficient 12/500)]

[Basic Breathing Technique (Proficient 108/500)]

[Combat Experience: 8]

[System Integrity: 4.5%]

[Task System Unlock Progress: 45%]

Basic Fist Technique was only 18 points away from Mastery Level. If he started practicing now, he could break through by midnight at the latest.

But Lin Fan didn't start immediately.

He sat beside his sister, looking at her pale face in the moonlight, a complex mix of emotions surging in his heart.

For three days since transmigrating, he had been in "survival mode"—earning money, training, dealing with crises. Like a precisely running machine, calculating every resource, planning every step of growth.

Only now, in this abandoned workshop, listening to his sister's steady breathing, did those suppressed emotions slowly rise to the surface.

He wasn't the original owner, but he had inherited his memories, and he had inherited this responsibility as well.

Lin Xiaoyu was his sister, his only family in this unfamiliar world.

"I need to get stronger," Lin Fan muttered to himself. "Not just to survive, not just to pass the academy assessment."

He had to cure his sister's illness.

He had to give his sister a stable life.

He had to find the truth behind his parents' deaths—in the original owner's memories, his father was an experienced 3rd Grade Martial Master and a squad leader in the garrison. How could he have been so easily ambushed by two 3rd Tier Demonic Beasts? What really happened back then?

And the truth of this world.

Spiritual energy resurgence, rampant demonic beasts, the rise of martial arts... What was hidden behind all of this?

Lin Fan looked up, through the hole in the workshop's roof, at the night sky.

Blue Star's night sky was very similar to Earth's, with a moon and stars. But the original owner's memories told him that after the "Spiritual Energy Resurgence" three hundred years ago, the starry sky had changed—some stars had vanished, new stars had appeared, and astronomers said it was a change in the star chart caused by "spatial distortion."

As for the deeper truth, ordinary people had no way of knowing.

"I need power," Lin Fan clenched his fist. "Power to protect my sister, to uncover the truth, and even... to change this world."

The Martial Arts Panel System was his greatest asset.

He had to walk the path of a grind king.

Not just grind, but grind smart, grind efficiently.

***

At two in the morning.

After confirming his sister was fast asleep, Lin Fan got up, walked to the other side of the workshop, and began practicing his fists.

This time, his mindset was different.

Every punch thrown was no longer just mechanical "practice," but carried a clear goal—to get stronger, to protect, to uncover.

The fist wind howled.

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

His movements grew smoother, his power delivery more complete. Lin Fan could feel his understanding of the fist technique deepening. The jump from Proficient Level to Mastery Level wasn't just an accumulation of proficiency; it was a qualitative change.

Eighteen points of proficiency required eighteen "Complete Practices."

He focused completely, losing track of time.

One punch, two punches, three punches...

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

When the seventeenth punch landed, the panel suddenly trembled.

[Detected bond user's mental state breakthrough, resonating with Martial Will]

[Cultivation Efficiency temporarily increased by 50%, duration: 10 minutes]

Lin Fan's spirits lifted.

A temporary boost! Was this the system's recognition of his "mental state"?

Without overthinking, he seized this precious opportunity and continued practicing.

Eighteenth punch—

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

Nineteenth punch—

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

Twentieth punch—

[Skill: Basic Fist Technique has been upgraded from 'Proficient' to 'Mastery']

[Current Proficiency: 501/1000]

[Skill Effect updated: Punching power +20%, striking technique optimized, can initially channel Origin Energy to empower punches]

[Milestone 'Skill Master' completed]

[Reward: Skill Points ×2, System Integrity +1%]

[Current System Integrity: 5.5%]

[Unlockable function 'Task System' progress: 55%]

A breakthrough!

Lin Fan sensed the changes within his body.

A warm current surged from his Sea of Qi, flowing through his meridians to both arms. He tried throwing a punch—his speed was noticeably faster, the wind from his fist sharper, and he could even faintly see a thin layer of white light at his Fist Edge—the embryonic form of Origin Energy externalization!

He checked the Attribute Panel.

[Strength: 13 (+0.65)] (Parentheses indicate Mastery-level Fist Technique bonus)

20% of 13 Strength was 2.6, but the system showed 0.65... It seemed it still only displayed one decimal place, but the actual bonus was already in effect.

His real Strength now should be 15.6!

Estimated Punching Power might exceed 180 kilograms!

"Just one step away from the 200-kilogram standard of a 1st Grade Martial Trainee." Lin Fan's heart surged with excitement.

More crucially, System Integrity had reached 5.5%, and Task System unlock progress was 55%. At this rate, after just one or two more milestones, the Task System would activate.

And the Task System meant a more direct path to growth.

Lin Fan suppressed his excitement and didn't stop training.

He continued practicing punches, solidifying his Mastery-level realm while accumulating proficiency.

Every punch grew more condensed, more powerful.

Until the sky began to lighten with dawn.

Early morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed into the Abandoned Workshop.

Lin Fan finished his cultivation and returned to his sister's side. Lin Xiaoyu was already awake, sitting with her knees hugged to her chest on the Straw Mat, staring blankly at the light filtering in.

"Brother, you stayed up all night again?" she asked softly.

"I slept a bit." Lin Fan replied casually, taking out the remaining White Flour Bun from his bundle. "Eat breakfast."

The siblings shared the bun and each ate half a tube of Nutritional Paste.

"What are your plans today?" Lin Xiaoyu asked.

Lin Fan thought for a moment. "First, go to the docks to earn today's wages. Then... find a new place to stay."

He couldn't go back to that shack in the Slum District—the Green Wolf Gang was definitely still watching nearby. He needed somewhere more hidden, safer.

"Brother, I want to go home and grab some things," Lin Xiaoyu suddenly said.

"Something? I'll get it."

"The photo of Mom and Dad." Lin Xiaoyu's voice was very soft. "It's under the bed board, wrapped in oilcloth. And... Mom's wooden comb."

Lin Fan's heart softened.

That was his sister's last keepsake of their parents.

"Alright, I'll get it." Lin Fan nodded. "Wait here. I'll be back soon."

He settled his sister, confirmed the area was safe, then left the Abandoned Workshop and crept toward the Slum District.

In the early morning Slum District, cooking smoke curled upward.

Lin Fan didn't take the main road. Instead, he followed secluded alleys, circling around to the back of his family's shack.

He hid in a corner and observed for a while.

At the shack's entrance, two thuggish men stood guard—unfamiliar faces, short clubs tucked at their waists, clearly members of the Green Wolf Gang.

No way in from the front.

Lin Fan circled to the side. There was a low wall there; climbing over it led to the neighbor's backyard. He scaled it quietly, using piles of junk as cover, and approached the back window of his own shack.

The window was still as he'd left it last night—propped shut with a wooden stick.

Lin Fan gently pushed it open and slipped inside.

The shack was a mess—clearly ransacked. A broken chest lay on its side, clutter scattered everywhere. Luckily, there wasn't much of value to begin with. Aside from the 41 Credit Points he'd already taken, nothing was lost.

Lin Fan walked to the bed, lifted the straw mat, and indeed felt an oilcloth bundle in the gap between the bed boards.

He opened it. Inside were three yellowed photos.

The first was a family portrait: young parents, a six- or seven-year-old Original Owner standing between them, holding a swaddled baby sister in his arms. All four were smiling.

The second was a photo of his father in military uniform, a Bronze Medal pinned to his chest.

The third was taken at the entrance of the Weaving Factory, his mother smiling gently.

There was also a wooden comb, a few teeth broken off, but polished clean.

Lin Fan carefully stowed the photos and comb. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a loose brick in the corner of the wall.

His heart stirred. He walked over and pried it up.

Beneath it was a small iron box, rusted and stained.

He opened it. Inside were a few pages of paper, a badge, and a small cloth pouch.

The papers recorded some information:

"July 15, patrol in East District Outside City, detected Abnormal Energy Fluctuation, reported to the military."

"July 20, military sent investigators. Conclusion: natural phenomenon."

"July 25, sensed fluctuation again, position shifted thirty li. Suspect a Hidden Rift."

"August 3, applied for solo investigation. Not approved."

"August 10, Beast Tide warning. Squad ordered out of city for suppression."

The last page had only a single line of scrawled handwriting:

"If I do not return, deliver this box to General Qin Zhantian. Do not let Fan'er and Xiaoyu take risks. —Lin Dashan"

Lin Fan's pupils contracted.

His father left this!

He quickly flipped through the other items. The badge was a Military Scout's insignia. The cloth pouch held three dim crystals—Demonic Cores, but their energy was nearly spent.

There was also a folded sketch, mapping a certain area outside the city, with several red dots marked.

"Abnormal Energy Fluctuation... Hidden Rift..." Lin Fan's heartbeat quickened.

In the Original Owner's memory, his father died in an "ambush by Demonic Beasts." But this record showed that before his death, his father had already sensed something abnormal, even suspected a "Hidden Rift," and applied to investigate!

And the military's conclusion was "natural phenomenon."

Soon after, the Beast Tide erupted, and his father died.

Was all this a coincidence?

Lin Fan packed everything from the iron box into his clothes.

He had to find this "General Qin Zhantian"—according to his father's note, this man was trustworthy.

But right now, he was just a slum boy, not even a Martial Artist. How could he get close to someone of a general's rank?

"Get stronger first." Lin Fan clenched his fist. "Once I enter the Martial Arts Academy, I'll have a chance to reach higher circles."

He took one last look at the shack he'd lived in for three years, then slipped out through the back window.

By the time he returned to the Abandoned Workshop, the sun had already risen.

Lin Xiaoyu visibly relaxed when she saw Lin Fan return safely.

"Did you get it?" she asked.

"Mm." Lin Fan handed her the oilcloth bundle. "And this too."

He pulled out the Military Scout badge.

Lin Xiaoyu took the badge, her fingers gently tracing its surface. "Dad's..."

"Dad left some things behind." Lin Fan chose his words carefully. "Once I'm strong enough, I'll look into what happened back then."

Lin Xiaoyu looked up at her brother, her eyes complex. "Brother, be careful."

"I will." Lin Fan ruffled her hair. "Come on, I'm taking you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Grandpa Li's place." Lin Fan said. "Stay with him for a few days. I'll come get you once I find a new place to stay."

Grandpa Li was the old man at the night market who had given him the Detailed Explanation of Basic Breathing Technique. According to the Original Owner's memories, Grandpa Li lived alone in a small courtyard on the edge of the Slum District. He was an easygoing man who had always looked out for the siblings.

Most importantly, Grandpa Li's place was relatively safe. The Green Wolf Gang wouldn't dare bother him easily—rumor had it that Grandpa Li had been a Martial Artist in his youth. Though he was old now, his lingering prestige remained.

Lin Xiaoyu nodded. "Okay."

Half an hour later, Lin Fan delivered his sister to Grandpa Li's small courtyard.

After listening to Lin Fan's brief explanation, the white-bearded old man asked no further questions. He simply nodded. "Xiaoyu can stay here. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Grandpa Li." Lin Fan bowed solemnly.

"Go on." Grandpa Li waved his hand. "Remember, on the path of martial arts, never forget your original intention."

Lin Fan's heart tightened. He bowed once more, then turned and left.

As he walked out of the courtyard, he looked back.

His sister stood at the doorway, waving at him, a forced smile on her face.

Sunlight fell on her pale face. In those big eyes, there was worry, dependence, and... hope.

Lin Fan clenched his fists.

His sister was his lamp—the lamp that lit the road ahead.

No matter how difficult the road, he had to keep walking.