Barker City

"Brother Ye Tian, I feel so hot!"

"That heat is a good sign; it means the pill is taking effect."

After answering Dong'er, Ye Tian asked, "Do you still feel sleepy?"

Dong'er shook her head. "No, I feel wide awake."

"Now, run back and forth between the cabin and the stream. You can stop once you no longer feel that heat in your body."

Dong'er agreed and immediately dashed out, sweating as she ran along the path.

Whenever she felt she was about to collapse, a warm current would flow from her stomach, rapidly spreading through her body and restoring some of her spent energy.

Dong'er gritted her teeth and kept running, her clothes soaked in sweat that dripped all over the path. Her lungs wheezed like a bellows, and every breath felt like it required every ounce of her strength.

Her footsteps grew heavier, and eventually, she could only stumble forward on instinct.

I cannot stop!

Brother Ye Tian didn't say the time was up, so I cannot stop!

Though her mind refused to quit, her legs grew leaden. Finally, she tripped and tumbled forward.

The moment she lost consciousness, Ye Tian took control of Dong'er's body, landing her safely, walking her back to the cabin, and placing a Foundation Strengthening Pill into her mouth. The moment she swallowed, he returned control to her.

As the pill entered her stomach, waves of warmth flowed through her, quickly dispelling her exhaustion.

Hm?

Dong'er had a good sleep. Just as she was about to call out for Brother Ye Tian, she caught a pungent, foul odor that made her gag.

Looking closely, she saw her hands and legs covered in a layer of mud-like grime, which was emitting a foul stench.

Ugh!

Holding her breath, Dong'er instinctively rushed into the stream, stripped off her clothes, and began scrubbing the filth from her body.

In the mental space, the moment Dong'er woke up, Yun Shu consciously closed his eyes.

Dong'er was halfway through washing when she realized there was someone else in her mind. Her mental projection looked in to see Ye Tian sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. A blush flashed across her face, and only then did she feel at ease enough to continue washing.

"Brother Ye Tian, you can open your eyes now."

Ye Tian opened his eyes to see a face in the stream's reflection as if carved by the goddess Nüwa herself. Even at five years old, Dong'er's appearance was not inferior to the great stars of his past life.

To be this beautiful at only five—he dared not imagine what kind of peerless beauty she would grow into.

"Feel your body now. Do you notice any changes?"

Dong'er sensed herself carefully before speaking, "I don't feel cold at all, and I feel like my body has a lot of strength."

"Oh, and..."

Just as Dong'er began to hesitate, her stomach let out a loud growl, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face.

"The pill is effective, but it requires enough food to replenish you. I'll roast some more wolf meat for you to eat, and later I'll teach you how to set traps. If we're lucky, we'll have more food tomorrow."

Dong'er agreed. As she sat by the fire and began to eat, even she was shocked by her current appetite.

She had actually finished an entire wolf leg, and her little belly wasn't even bloated, as if those dozen pounds of meat had vanished into a bottomless pit.

Once she was full, Ye Tian began teaching Dong'er how to set traps and forage for food in the wild. Dong'er learned everything he taught, giving Ye Tian a great sense of accomplishment.

"Dong'er, let's begin the next stage of training. Give your body to me."

The next second, Yun Shu felt the abundant vitality in the body and began to practice a set of boxing techniques that blended hardness with softness. At the same time, he explained the essentials of the technique without reservation.

"Pay attention to my breathing. Every punch must be coordinated with your breath."

"Keep your footing steady. No matter what happens, your lower body must not sway!"

"Every punch must mobilize your entire body's strength. Let your waist and abdomen drive your arms so that the power is more explosive!"

After finishing the set, Ye Tian asked, "Did you remember all of that?"

"I did."

"Good. Now, Dong'er, you try. I will point out anything you do incorrectly."

Dong'er nodded firmly. Recalling the movements of Brother Ye Tian's punches, she stood in a horse stance and began to practice.

Throughout the process, Ye Tian would occasionally point out where her movements were lacking. For things she couldn't quite grasp, Ye Tian would guide her hand-in-hand within the mental space.

By the end of the afternoon, Dong'er had memorized all the moves. With every repetition, her proficiency grew rapidly. She would likely master the technique by tomorrow, though perfecting it would take time.

As the day ended, Ye Tian waited for the system's punctual tally.

[Congratulations to the host for slightly increasing the character's potential. Reward: 500 Fate Points.]

An investment of 20 Fate Points, plus a set of boxing techniques, had actually yielded 500 points!

A 25-fold profit—the return on investment was shockingly high!

If he could get this much every day, wouldn't he be able to secure those divine inheritances in the shop with a little more effort?

After a moment of joy, his rationality returned. Ye Tian knew that the reason for such a high reward today was that it was Dong'er's first time consuming the pill, similar to the "cleansing of marrow and cutting of bones" in cultivation stories.

Eating any more after this wouldn't make much of a difference, unless those immortal herbs in the Sunset Forest could be found.

Over the next few days, Dong'er consumed the remaining Foundation Strengthening Pill at a rate of two per day, yet the Fate Points tallied each day only amounted to 300.

"Brother Ye Tian, I'm all packed!"

Dong'er ran out of the wooden hut carrying a small bundle. Inside were the rabbit pelts and pheasant feathers she had caught herself over the past few days.

Under the guidance of Ye Tian, they left this forest and moved closer to where people lived.

Along the way, Ye Tian instilled some life lessons into Dong'er. For instance, in this world, the one with the loudest voice is also the one with the biggest fist.

Always keep an ace up your sleeve against outsiders, and leave yourself at least one trump card...

Dong'er committed all these words to memory. After trekking through the forest for a while, they soon spotted clear cart tracks.

She waited by the roadside for a while until she finally flagged down an ox cart willing to give her a ride.

She chatted with the old grandfather driving the cart and soon learned that they were heading to a small city called Barker City.

This city belonged to the Martial Soul Hall, which was comprised entirely of spirit masters. Furthermore, it was only a hundred miles away from the holy city of the Martial Soul Hall, making it safer and home to many wealthy people.

The old grandfather usually made bamboo crafts at home and raised chickens and ducks, heading into the city every so often to sell them.

Dong'er had a sweet tongue, and before long, she had the old man laughing heartily. He grew quite fond of this clever, eccentric little girl and was eager to share everything he knew with her.

Knowing that Dong'er intended to sell her goods in the city, the old man even offered to accompany her, saying that if a child like her went alone, the shopkeepers would drive the price down.