No Need to Live Off a Woman

Central Origin Continent, Luo Cloud Prefecture, Five Elements Sect, Bamboo Forest Valley.

A chore worker in the Herb Field, Qin Dongcheng, was tending to various medicinal herbs, his expression strangely somewhere between a smile and a frown.

He had been in this world for half a year. He had thought he wouldn't get a cheat, but now, at last, one had awakened.

"The Heaven Rewards Diligence System has finished adapting to this world and has merged with its host. One part effort, one part reward. Critical hits may be triggered, randomly multiplying the reward by up to ten thousand times."

The sudden appearance of his cheat nearly brought Qin Dongcheng to tears of joy.

Do you know what I've been through these past six months? If his cheat hadn't come now, he would have had to surrender to life and prepare to live off a woman.

After crossing over, Qin Dongcheng had become an illegitimate son of the Qin Family in Maple Leaf City. His mother had been of humble birth, merely the daughter of an ordinary doctor.

Had she not happened to save the Qin Family head's life and fallen in love with him while caring for him, she never would have married into the Qin Family, one of Maple Leaf City's two great families.

Sadly, after marrying into the Qin Family, she was soon neglected by its head and could only live in a remote little courtyard. Even after giving birth to a son, she received little preferential treatment.

The Qin Family head never came to see her, not even when she was gravely ill and dying. In the end, she could only leave this world with regrets.

Qin Dongcheng had crossed over at that very moment, witnessing with his own eyes the tragic death of his predecessor's mother. Even though she wasn't his own mother, he found it hard to accept.

So, after taking care of her funeral, he brought the little gold and silver she had saved over the years and traveled a thousand li to the Five Elements Sect's mountain gate. He hoped to join the sect, practice the legendary Martial Arts, and see whether he might find a chance at immortality.

Even if he couldn't live forever, who could resist the temptation of moving mountains, overturning seas, summoning wind, and calling rain?

Since he had come to such a flourishing age of Martial Arts, how could he not practice it?

The Qin Family had its own inherited martial arts, but they were passed down to legitimate sons, never illegitimate ones. Illegitimate sons generally had to manage the family's various businesses, while only legitimate sons qualified for the family's full support in practicing its inherited martial arts.

Qin Dongcheng had had no choice. Besides, he had grown disillusioned with the Qin Family, so he left to practice martial arts.

Unfortunately, after being tested at the Five Elements Sect, he was found to have very ordinary aptitude. Fortunately, he had learned to read and write as a child and had studied quite a bit about medicine from his mother, which qualified him to become a chore worker in the Herb Field and learn some of the Five Elements Sect's basic martial arts.

In exchange for the chance to practice martial arts, he had to do a great deal of work for the Five Elements Sect. Qin Dongcheng's main duty was tending the three mu of Herb Field in Bamboo Forest Valley.

Every month, he had to hand over a set amount of medicinal herbs. If he fell short, he would be scolded and beaten at best, expelled from the sect at worst—or even killed. The punishments were undeniably severe.

Fortunately, although the requirements were harsh, he had also received one of the Five Elements Sect's basic fist techniques, the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist. It was said to rank among the very best Body Strengthening techniques in Luo Cloud Prefecture.

Unfortunately, the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist was difficult to comprehend and not easy to learn. He had practiced bitterly for several months, yet still hadn't managed to master even the basics.

His aptitude really was too poor, only a little better than an ordinary person's. This sort of outcome was entirely normal.

Seeing that he was making no progress, he had been ready to sacrifice a little of his looks and marry into one of the wealthy families around Bamboo Forest Valley, so he could get the resources he needed to practice. He hadn't expected his cheat to awaken just then.

His confidence in marrying into a family came from more than being a chore disciple of the Five Elements Sect, skilled at growing medicinal herbs and treating the sick. His predecessor had also been good-looking.

After all, both the Qin Family head and his mother had been exceptionally attractive. Their son couldn't have turned out badly: he was handsome, refined, and every bit the pretty-boy, though he lacked much masculine vigor.

But plenty of women liked that sort, so Qin Dongcheng had been confident he could marry into a wealthy family.

Now, he wouldn't have to. Who would choose to eat standing when they could eat on their knees?

One part effort, one part reward was already impressive, let alone the critical-hit rule that could grant him up to ten thousand times the reward.

It also came with a Diligence Space that could grow along with his strength. At first, it was only one cubic meter, enough to hold the rewards he gained from critical hits.

What was there to wait for? Qin Dongcheng got to work.

"You picked Angelica. You've gained a deeper understanding of how to harvest Angelica!"

"You planted Fleeceflower Root. You've gained a deeper understanding of how to grow Fleeceflower Root!"

"You observed Ginseng. You've gained a deeper understanding of its characteristics and medicinal properties!"

Even without triggering a critical hit, the effect of one part effort, one part reward was astonishing. His medicinal-herb knowledge, which had previously grown at a sluggish pace, now improved at incredible speed.

Identifying medicinal herbs, growing them, treating the sick and saving lives... all fell under Alchemy. A qualified Alchemist had to master all of these skills.

Although his predecessor had studied medicine as a child and learned a fair amount about medicinal herbs, he still couldn't even be called an Alchemy Apprentice. At best, he was a country doctor.

After all, he hadn't focused on these things before, and hadn't spent much time on them.

It wasn't until he joined the Five Elements Sect and became a chore worker in the Herb Field that Qin Dongcheng realized how important these things were.

But without anyone to guide him, progress was slow, even though he wanted to become an Alchemy Apprentice, or even an Official Alchemist.

Now, with the Heaven Rewards Diligence System's help, Qin Dongcheng could clearly feel his knowledge in these areas soaring.

If he could become an Alchemy Apprentice, or even an Official Alchemist, not only would his status rise dramatically, he would also qualify to become an Official Disciple of the Five Elements Sect. He could then exchange his alchemy and medicine-making for valuable cultivation resources.

"You picked a five-year Ginseng. Congratulations, you triggered a Triple Critical Hit. You received three five-year Ginseng!"

Qin Dongcheng hadn't expected to trigger a critical hit just when he thought the Heaven Rewards Diligence System's critical-hit rate was extremely low. He had picked only one five-year Ginseng, but received two more as a bonus. They appeared directly inside his Diligence Space.

"Whoa..."

Sensing the two five-year Ginseng in his Diligence Space, Qin Dongcheng couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath. This was incredible! His first critical hit had given him five-year Ginseng, one of the most precious herbs in the Herb Field.

A single five-year Ginseng was worth a full three taels of silver. As a chore worker in the Herb Field, his monthly pay was only one tael of silver, plus five Sect Contribution points.

Two five-year Ginseng were worth six taels of silver—half a year's income for him.

If he occasionally ate some to strengthen his body, it should be easier for him to enter the Martial Artist realm.

Once he finished today's work, he would resume his studies and practice. With the Heaven Rewards Diligence System's help, he wondered if he could set foot on the path of Martial Arts.

Qin Dongcheng continued tending the Herb Field, weeding where weeds needed to be pulled, planting where herbs needed to be planted, and harvesting what was ready... He worked methodically, his rewards steadily increasing with the Heaven Rewards Diligence System's help.

"You healed a plant of Angelica. Congratulations, you triggered a Double Critical Hit. You gained twice the insight into healing Angelica!"

"You picked a plant of Red Peony. Congratulations, you triggered a Double Critical Hit. You received two plants of Red Peony!"

"You observed Glue Grass. Congratulations, you triggered a Fivefold Critical Hit. You gained five times the insight into Glue Grass's medicinal properties!"