Xu Hao was still staring at the enormous rooster when Sia came out of the house.
The husky stopped beside him, her mismatched eyes fixed on the three chickens.
Xu Hao was considering whether the rooster would even fit inside an ordinary cooking pot when he heard a faint dripping sound.
He turned.
A thin strand of drool hung from Sia's mouth.
"Sia."
Her ears twitched.
"Don't tell me you're still hungry."
She swallowed, but her gaze remained fixed on the birds.
The rooster noticed.
His feathers puffed out, and he hurried towards Xu Hao.
The brown hen followed.
The golden hen squeezed between his ankles, nearly tripping him.
"Whoa! Careful!"
Xu Hao steadied himself.
All three chickens had crowded around his legs, keeping him firmly between themselves and Sia.
He looked down at them.
"You three certainly know where to hide."
Sia took a step closer.
The rooster retreated.
The hens pressed against Xu Hao's legs.
He looked at the drool gathering at the corner of Sia's mouth.
"Absolutely not. They're not your breakfast."
Sia gave a disappointed whine.
Xu Hao turned his attention back to the chickens.
Their transformation was extraordinary.
He'd expected the spiritual rice to nourish his cultivation, but he certainly hadn't expected three ordinary birds to become so large overnight.
He circled the rooster, examining his broad chest and thick legs.
"Good heavens. There's enough meat on you to feed a family for days."
The rooster stopped moving.
Xu Hao rubbed his chin.
"Roasted with some of Da Bao's herbs, perhaps. Or a nice pot of soup."
The rooster gave a startled squawk.
Both hens suddenly began flapping their wings.
Xu Hao paused.
"What?"
The birds scattered.
The brown hen raced around the pond. The golden hen hurried beneath the table, while the rooster sprinted towards the rear fence.
Xu Hao stared after them.
He hadn't even touched them.
"Wait a minute."
He looked towards the rooster.
"Did you understand what I just said?"
The bird stopped near the fence and turned its head.
Xu Hao frowned.
Surely not.
He decided to test his suspicion.
"Come here. I'm not going to eat you."
The rooster took two cautious steps towards him.
Xu Hao pointed at the empty cooking pot near the doorway.
"Unless, of course, I decide to make chicken soup."
The rooster squawked and ran.
Both hens scattered again.
Xu Hao's mouth fell open.
"They really do understand!"
Unfortunately, Sia saw the fleeing chickens.
Her ears shot up.
Three moving birds.
Three wonderfully exciting things to chase.
She bounded forward.
"Sia!"
The husky raced after the rooster.
He made a frantic circuit of the courtyard, wings beating furiously, while the hens fled in opposite directions.
"Sia! Stop!"
Her paws scraped against the stones.
She halted beside the pond, looking back at Xu Hao with an expression of complete innocence.
The rooster continued running until he reached the opposite wall.
Xu Hao pointed towards the ground.
"Come here, girl."
Sia returned slowly.
He placed a hand on her head.
"Those chickens are not food. Do you understand? We're keeping them."
She looked at the rooster.
Xu Hao gently turned her head back.
"Keeping them alive."
Sia sighed and lay down.
It was the same sigh she used to give on Earth when he refused to share his dinner.
Xu Hao scratched behind her ear.
"Yes, I know. Life is terribly unfair."
He glanced towards the chickens.
All three were watching him.
He thought back to their behaviour.
They'd understood his remarks about roasting them. They'd reacted when he told them to come closer. And when Sia threatened them, they'd instinctively sought his protection.
These were no longer ordinary chickens.
Something in yesterday's meal had changed them. Whether it was the rice, the spring water, the herbs or all three, he couldn't yet tell.
He'd have to experiment again when he understood the risks.
For now, however, another possibility was occupying his thoughts.
If the chickens could grow this large in a single night, what would happen to their eggs?
He looked at the hens.
"Perhaps eating you would be a terrible waste."
Both birds remained still.
"Imagine the eggs. And if you produce chicks, I might eventually have an entire flock."
His excitement grew.
Eggs for breakfast.
Chickens to breed.
Possibly even a way to earn money, if their offspring inherited the same unusual qualities.
Xu Hao smiled.
"All right. I've decided. You're staying."
The rooster approached cautiously.
Xu Hao crouched before the birds.
"But if you're going to live here, we need to establish a few rules."
---
He fetched a stool and sat in front of the three chickens.
Sia lay nearby, resting her great head on her paws.
Xu Hao looked at the birds with the seriousness of a professor about to address an examination committee.
"First, I'll provide you with food, water and a proper place to sleep. No more living in the bushes."
The golden hen pecked at a blade of grass.
"In return, I expect you to earn your keep."
The rooster lifted his head.
"You'll be responsible for guarding the house. If someone tries to enter the courtyard without permission, make enough noise for me to hear. And if someone threatens the place, I expect you to defend it."
The rooster puffed out his chest.
Xu Hao nodded.
"Good. I can see you're taking this seriously."
He turned to the hens.
"As for you two, you'll help guard the property. But you also have another important responsibility."
Both hens watched him.
"Eggs."
The brown hen tilted her head.
"Healthy eggs. Plenty of them, preferably. And eventually, chicks."
Xu Hao leaned forward.
"Now listen carefully. I don't expect you to work for nothing, but neither can you live here for nothing."
"If you never lay a single egg, I may have to reconsider this arrangement."
The hens shifted uneasily.
Xu Hao lowered his voice.
"And there are many excellent recipes for roast chicken."
Both hens flapped their wings.
The rooster let out an alarmed squawk.
Sia immediately lifted her head.
At the word 'roast', her ears had pricked up.
She looked at the chickens.
Then she licked her lips.
All three birds hurried towards Xu Hao.
"Oh, for heaven's sake."
He pointed at Sia.
"No. We've discussed this."
The husky lowered her head again.
Xu Hao looked at the chickens.
"And you three needn't worry. Do your jobs, and nobody is getting roasted."
The birds gradually settled.
He leaned back on his stool.
"Now, every respectable guard needs a name."
He considered the rooster.
With his enormous chest and proud red comb, the bird looked like a general inspecting his troops.
Xu Hao smiled.
"You'll be General Drumstick."
The rooster crowed.
"An excellent response, General."
He turned towards the brown hen.
"You'll be Captain Omelette."
She blinked at him.
"And you, the golden one, will be Sergeant Nugget."
The golden hen tilted her head.
Xu Hao was quite pleased with the arrangement.
General Drumstick.
Captain Omelette.
Sergeant Nugget.
A fine collection of names, though he suspected Er Bao would laugh himself sick if he ever heard them.
"General Drumstick, you guard the front gate. Captain Omelette, the back fence. Sergeant Nugget, you patrol the courtyard and assist wherever you're needed."
The rooster marched towards the gate.
Captain Omelette wandered towards the rear wall.
Sergeant Nugget immediately discovered a beetle beneath the stool.
Xu Hao watched her for a moment.
"Well. Discipline may take some time."
A faint rustling came from the rear wall.
A stray cat had climbed onto the fence.
It crouched there, watching the yard with obvious interest.
Captain Omelette noticed it.
Her feathers rose.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, she charged towards the wall, wings spread and beak open.
The cat took one look at the enormous hen racing towards it and fled.
Xu Hao stared.
Captain Omelette strutted back across the yard as though nothing unusual had happened.
He looked towards Sia.
The husky was watching the commotion with interest.
The moment she sat up, Captain Omelette hurried over to Xu Hao.
He couldn't help laughing.
"So you're afraid of her, but not a cat."
General Drumstick gave a loud crow from the front gate.
"Yes, General. Very impressive."
Xu Hao looked around the courtyard.
Yesterday, he'd been alone in a strange town.
Now he had Sia and three surprisingly fierce guards.
They might be named after food, but they appeared quite capable of protecting the place.
And the two hens might even provide breakfast.
"All right. You've all got your duties. Try not to cause any trouble while I'm inside."
General Drumstick crowed again.
Xu Hao decided to take that as agreement.
Only after the chickens had settled into their new responsibilities did Xu Hao return to the house.
He sat on his bed, crossed his legs and closed his eyes.
The strange warmth from yesterday's rice had vanished.
In its place was a lightness throughout his body, as though he'd enjoyed several nights of uninterrupted sleep.
He felt stronger and clearer, and there was something different about the way Spirit moved within him.
Xu Hao entered his mind palace.
The familiar darkness surrounded him.
His Beast Deck floated where he'd left it, the writing brush suspended beside the blank cards.
He focused on his cultivation.
Three specks of dust shone brightly.
And beside them—
Xu Hao stopped.
A fourth speck had appeared.
He moved closer.
Counted again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
He stared.
"The fourth layer?"
He examined the new speck carefully.
It was faint, and not yet as polished as the others, but there was no mistaking it.
He had reached the fourth layer of the Dust Realm.
For several moments, Xu Hao could only smile.
He'd spent days struggling to draw in Spirit, and now a handful of spiritual rice had apparently helped him cross another threshold.
Or perhaps it had been the spring water.
Or the forest herbs.
He thought of the enormous chickens outside.
There were far too many questions and not nearly enough answers.
He would need to experiment carefully before consuming more.
Still, whatever had happened, his cultivation had advanced.
Then the writing brush began to move.
A soft light spread across the Beast Deck.
Words appeared before him.
Copy Sia — Copies available: 0.
Superimpose Sia — Available.
Tame New Beast?
New Deck Available. Please select.
Xu Hao stared at the final line.
"A new deck?"
He focused on the words.
A series of illustrations unfolded in the darkness.
A swordsman stood beneath falling rain.
Sword Master.
Beside him appeared an archer drawing a bow.
Bow Master.
More cards followed.
Spear Master. Fist Master. Blacksmith. Chef. Alchemist.
Xu Hao watched with mounting excitement. An entire collection of professions and abilities lay before him.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he was being offered a way to develop skills beyond those provided by Sia.
A card showing a chef standing beside a steaming pot caught his eye.
He remembered yesterday's disaster.
Learning to prepare spiritual food properly would certainly be useful.
Then another illustration appeared.
A figure stood beside an injured patient, one hand resting gently over the wound.
Healer.
Xu Hao went still.
The image reminded him of his parents.
His mother had been a surgeon, often returning home exhausted after long hours in the operating theatre.
His father had also worked in medicine, and both had spent years trying to interest their son in the profession.
When Xu Hao was young, his mother had taught him to tie surgical knots using thread and pieces of fruit.
His father sometimes discussed anatomy over dinner, much to the annoyance of anyone who preferred not to hear about internal organs while eating.
Xu Hao had enjoyed those conversations.
But he'd chosen archaeology instead.
His parents had supported him anyway.
He looked at the Healer card.
He wasn't a doctor.
He knew enough about medicine to understand how dangerous it could be to pretend otherwise.
But he had a foundation that might help him learn.
More importantly, healing was a skill he could use almost anywhere.
A cultivator might go years without needing a sword.
People became sick and injured every day.
And if he learned to treat serious wounds, he might someday be able to help the Wang brothers.
They spent much of their lives hunting dangerous beasts.
Xu Hao had seen the injuries they endured.
The thought of being able to do something useful for them was difficult to dismiss.
He reached towards the illustration.
"Mum. Dad," he murmured. "It seems I'm finally following in your footsteps."
Then he made his choice.
Healer.
The other cards faded.
A second deck appeared beside his Beast Cards, its edges glowing pale blue.
Xu Hao approached.
There were ten blank cards.
Only ten.
He frowned slightly.
He would need to be careful with them.
Before he could examine the deck further, the writing brush moved.
A blue-edged card floated free.
The brush swept across its surface, and Xu Hao felt a familiar drain on his Spirit.
An illustration appeared.
He leaned closer.
It was his own face.
"That's rather unsettling."
Words formed beneath it.
Name: Xu Hao.
Card Type: Profession (Healer).
Grade: Novice Healer.
Consultation: 12.
Diagnosis: 10.
Surgery: 25.
Acupuncture: 10.
Poison Analysis: 10.
Pulse Reading: 10.
Herbal Remedies: 10.
Meridian Knowledge: 10.
Water Element: 10.
Status: Upgradable.
Superimpose: 1/1 (New Deck Bonus).
Copies available: 1.
He'd barely finished reading when unfamiliar knowledge flooded his mind.
Xu Hao staggered.
Images appeared.
Bones and muscles.
Blood vessels and organs.
Then came things he'd never encountered in Earth's medical textbooks.
Meridians.
Channels of energy running through the body, gathering at points that seemed important to cultivation.
Medicinal roots appeared in his awareness, followed by leaves, flowers and methods of preparing remedies.
He learned how to examine a pulse, recognise certain poisons and identify symptoms that might indicate damage to a cultivator's internal energy.
Some principles were familiar.
Others were entirely new.
When the flow finally subsided, Xu Hao steadied himself.
He could remember what he'd learned.
But remembering a procedure and performing it on a real patient were two very different things.
His mother had made that clear whenever he'd become too pleased with his practice stitches.
He looked at the card again.
Novice Healer.
It was a beginning.
Then he noticed the Superimpose entry.
One available upgrade.
Xu Hao hesitated.
He remembered how exhausting his previous card experiments had been.
But a stronger foundation in healing could help him earn a living, and he had little experience to draw upon in this world's medical practices.
He concentrated.
Superimpose Healer.
The brush moved again.
A second card separated from the deck.
The two images met, and pale blue light spread across them.
Another rush of knowledge entered Xu Hao's mind.
This time, it was deeper.
The signs of poisoning.
The dangers of combining incompatible herbs.
Methods of examining wounds without causing further injury.
He learned more about acupuncture, damaged meridians and how Water energy might be used to support healing.
Then came practical procedures.
Cleaning and bandaging wounds.
Immobilising injuries.
Recognising conditions that demanded immediate treatment.
By the time the flow stopped, Xu Hao's head was throbbing.
He forced himself to inspect the card.
Grade: Apprentice Healer.
Consultation: 28.
Diagnosis: 30.
Surgery: 45.
Acupuncture: 25.
Poison Analysis: 20.
Pulse Reading: 25.
Herbal Remedies: 22.
Meridian Knowledge: 20.
Water Element: 25.
Superimpose: 0/1.
Xu Hao smiled despite his exhaustion.
Apprentice Healer.
He still had a great deal to learn.
But at least he now possessed knowledge he could put to use.
A separate status card appeared before him.
Rank: Dust Realm, 4th Layer.
Strength: 9.
Agility: 11 (+3, Sia).
Stamina: 10.
Defense: 6.
Spirit: 14.
Perception: 12 (+3, Sia).
Element: Water (Affinity 10%, Healer).
Soul Slots: 2/2.
Slot 1: Sia (Beast).
Slot 2: Healer (Profession).
Body Technique: Heavens Body (not started).
Movement Technique: None.
Xu Hao examined the information carefully.
So Sia's bond had improved his agility and perception.
That explained why his reactions had felt sharper during training.
His Defense, however, was still rather disappointing.
Six.
No wonder Da Bao had found it so easy to knock him into the dirt.
And Heavens Body remained untouched.
He would need to resume training before long.
But the Water element caught his attention.
For days, he'd searched unsuccessfully for an elemental affinity.
Now his new profession had given him access to one.
It was only ten percent, but it was a beginning.
Xu Hao looked towards the Healer card again.
He had two occupied soul slots, one powerful beast and a profession that could become genuinely useful.
Yesterday, he'd been worried about earning enough money to support himself.
Today, he finally had a possible answer.
He opened his eyes.
Sunlight shone through the shutters.
From outside came an enormous crow.
General Drumstick was apparently still on duty.
Xu Hao smiled.
Then his stomach growled.
He pressed a hand against his abdomen.
He hadn't eaten a proper meal since yesterday morning. The little rice he'd managed to save hadn't been nearly enough.
He glanced towards the courtyard.
Three enormous chickens, another cultivation layer and a new profession—all from yesterday's disastrous lunch. He couldn't help feeling rather pleased with himself.
Xu Hao stood and straightened his clothes.
He could build the chicken coop later. He could review his notes after breakfast.
For now, he deserved a decent meal.
He stepped into the courtyard.
General Drumstick stood near the front gate. Captain Omelette was watching the rear fence, while Sergeant Nugget was investigating something beneath the stool.
Sia lifted her head as Xu Hao approached.
"I'm going into town for breakfast," he told her. "And you're going to stay in your card until I come back."
Her ears drooped.
He scratched her neck.
"I know. Very unfair. But I'm not leaving you alone with the chickens."
He returned her to the Beast Card.
Then he faced General Drumstick.
"You're in charge while I'm away. No strangers through the gate, and no attacking innocent people walking past."
The rooster crowed.
Xu Hao nodded.
"Good."
He locked the gate behind him.
With a smile on his face and a considerably better opinion of spiritual rice than he'd held yesterday, Xu Hao set off towards the market.
This time, he intended to enjoy breakfast without sharing it with anyone.