Servants, spurred on by the innkeeper's bellows, hauled wooden barrels of steaming water up to his room one by one, filling the large tub. The soap they provided was a fine-milled block, fragrant with lavender—a luxury far beyond what the inn's usual clientele would ever see.
Wei Lian sank into the scalding water with a contented sigh. The last of the deep-seated grime from his breakthrough clouded the water, turning it a murky gray. As he scrubbed his skin clean, he felt as if he were washing away not just the filth, but the last four years of humiliation. He was reborn.
Emerging from the bath, feeling lighter and renewed, he dressed in his simple but now clean clothes. He descended the stairs to find the innkeeper waiting nervously, hoping his service had been satisfactory to his mysterious, wealthy guest.
Wei Lian felt a flash of genuine satisfaction. The service had been excellent. From his perspective as a transmigrator, rewarding good service was natural. It was also another perfect opportunity.
He approached the innkeeper, who immediately bowed. "I hope the bath was to your liking, Young Master!"
"It was very good," Wei Lian said, his voice even. He reached into his robe, his hand passing into his System Storage. He retrieved five silver taels and pressed them into the stunned innkeeper's hand. "A tip for your staff's promptness."
Five silver taels was more than a month's wages for the men who had hauled the water. The innkeeper stared at the coins, speechless. Wei Lian gave a slight nod and walked out of the inn, leaving the man gaping at the unexpected fortune.
As he blended into the street traffic, the familiar blue screen bloomed.
[Sincere gifting intent detected.]
[Target: Inn Staff (via Innkeeper).]
[Item: 5 Silver Taels.]
[Calculating reward... Reward options enhanced due to high sincerity and value ratio.]
[Please select ONE of the following reward packages:]
► 500 Gold Taels
► 5x Spirit Convergence Pills (Low Grade)
Wei Lian's lips curved into a slight smile. The system's logic was consistent. Five times the input, five times the reward. He already had over 400 gold; adding another 500 would solidify his financial independence completely.
The gold.
[Selected: 500 Gold Taels]
[Reward transferred to System Storage.]
With over 900 gold taels, he was now wealthier than most minor clans. But wealth was a means to an end. The true goal was power. The system gave the best rewards when he gifted cultivation resources. He needed to acquire more.
He walked through the bustling streets, his enhanced senses guiding him toward the faint, layered scent of dried herbs and minerals. This led him to the city's alchemy district, a street lined with shops whose signs were carved with cauldrons and spiritual grasses.
His plan was twofold. He needed a baseline—cheap, plentiful pills to test the system's response to quantity. But a more intriguing question lingered: what would happen if he gifted good pills? Gifting impure, low-grade pills had yielded pure, high-grade ones. Would gifting a superior product result in an even greater qualitative leap?
First, he found a dusty, unassuming shop named "Common Alchemical Supply." This was where disciples from minor sects or struggling rogue cultivators bought their essentials. He entered and, without haggling, used a few silver taels to purchase a hundred low-grade, impurity-riddled Qi Gathering Pills, the kind he had received from Xiao Mei. He stored the large satchel directly into his system storage.
Next, he sought out a more reputable establishment, "The Verdant Cauldron Pavilion." The air inside was cleaner, the shelves neatly organized with porcelain bottles instead of clay jars.
A polite but shrewd-looking attendant approached him. "How may this one assist you, sir?"
"I'd like to see your medium-grade Qi Gathering Pills," Wei Lian stated.
The attendant led him to a glass counter. Inside lay pills that were a richer color and visibly clearer than the ones he had just purchased. "These are our standard medium-grade pills, guaranteed ninety-percent purity. Twenty silver taels for a bottle of ten."
The price was steep, but Wei Lian didn't even blink. "I'll take five bottles."
He paid with a single gold tael, receiving a pouch of silver in change. The transaction was smooth, and he now possessed fifty medium-grade pills. He had his cheap "fodder" and now, his high-quality "bait." Armed with his new investments, he left the alchemy district, ready to find his next target and begin the next phase of his experiment.
His experiments with currency were a success, but Wei Lian knew the true potential of his system lay in gifting cultivation resources. Now, standing at the precipice of a new realm, he needed a final, powerful push. He sought out the most renowned spirit chef restaurant in the district, a lavish three-story building named the "Jade Phoenix Pavilion."
At the entrance, two guards in polished armor flanking an elegantly dressed attendant radiated an aura of the Qi Condensation realm. This was a place for the true elite.
"Welcome to the Jade Phoenix Pavilion," the attendant said, his smile polite but his eyes assessing. "There is a one gold tael entry fee for a table."
Without a word, Wei Lian produced a single gold tael and handed it over. The attendant's professional smile became a fraction more genuine as he personally escorted Wei Lian to a quiet table overlooking a serene inner garden.
The menu was a short scroll of exquisite calligraphy, with prices that would make a rich merchant faint. Wei Lian ordered a main course of "Crimson Sun Hawk stewed with five-element herbs" and a pot of "Cloud-Mist Spirit Tea." The total came to ten gold taels.
The food arrived, served in immaculate jade bowls. The aroma alone was intoxicating, rich with spiritual energy. As Wei Lian ate, the potent, refined energy from the spirit food flooded his body. It was different from the violent torrent of the pills—it was a warm, nourishing tide that permeated every cell. His perfect five-element spirit root greedily absorbed it, compressing the power, refining it, and directing it toward the final barrier.
His dantian, already saturated with peak Body Forging might, began to hum. The spiritual energy from the food acted as the perfect catalyst, allowing the dense physical power within him to undergo a qualitative transformation.
HUMMM—CRACK!
A resonating chime echoed in his soul. It was not a shattering, but a seamless unlocking. The invisible wall between the Body Forging and Qi Gathering realms dissolved. A vortex of spiritual energy formed in his dantian, coalescing from a gaseous state into the first shimmering drop of liquid Qi. He had broken through.
First Level of Qi Gathering!
The meal had not only been delicious but had propelled him into a new stage of cultivation. The service had been impeccable, the ambiance perfect. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction. This was an experience worth rewarding.
When the attendant returned, Wei Lian gestured him closer. "The service and the meal were excellent."
"We are pleased to hear it, Young Master," the attendant bowed deeply.
Wei Lian reached into his robes. "A token of my appreciation for the staff." He placed a small pouch on the table. Inside were twenty of the cheap, impurity-riddled Qi Gathering Pills, and resting on top of them, a single, much purer medium-grade pill. To the attendant, this was a small fortune, a gift beyond comprehension.
"Young Master... this is too much!" he stammered, his eyes wide with shock.
"You've earned it," Wei Lian said simply. He stood up and left the pavilion, leaving the flabbergasted attendant and the pouch behind.
Once he was out on the street, the world feeling brighter and sharper in his newfound realm, the blue screen blazed to life.
[Sincere gifting intent detected.]
[Target: Jade Phoenix Pavilion Staff.]
[Item: 20 Low-Grade Qi Gathering Pills, 1 Medium-Grade Qi Gathering Pill.]
[Calculating reward... High-value cultivation resources gifted. Reward options significantly enhanced.]
[Please select ONE of the following reward packages:]
► 2000x Perfect-Purity Qi Accumulation Pills (Medium Grade)
► 20x Soul-Nourishing Comprehension Pills (High Grade)
Wei Lian stopped dead in his tracks. His heart hammered in his chest. The first option was exactly what he'd hoped for—an affirmation of his theory. Gifting a mix of low and medium-grade pills would yield a massive quantity of perfect, medium-grade pills. 2000 of them. Enough to propel him through the Qi Gathering realm at a terrifying speed. His path was confirmed.
But the second option... it sent a jolt through him. Comprehension-boosting pills. These were legendary treasures, pills that didn't just increase Qi but actively sharpened the mind, cleared the soul, and made understanding cultivation techniques, laws, and concepts dramatically easier. They were far rarer and, in the long run, infinitely more valuable than simple Qi pills. Twenty of them, and high-grade at that. This was a gift that could create a peerless genius.
The choice was clear. Qi could be accumulated with time and resources. True comprehension was priceless.
I choose the comprehension pills.
[Selected: 20x Soul-Nourishing Comprehension Pills (High Grade)]
[Reward transferred to System Storage.]
A small, elegant porcelain bottle materialized in his system's inventory. Wei Lian took a deep breath, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his face. The system wasn't just a tool for catching up. It was a path to absolute supremacy. His road was no longer just confirmed; it was paved in gold and secrets that the world could only dream of.
The night in the Weary Traveler Inn was peaceful. Back in the sanctuary of his bolted room, Wei Lian sat cross-legged on the bed, the small porcelain bottle from his System Storage resting in his palm. Twenty Soul-Nourishing Comprehension Pills. A treasure that could start a war between clans. He was about to consume them all.
Without hesitation, he uncorked the bottle and tipped the contents into his mouth. The pills dissolved instantly, not into a surge of Qi, but into a cool, refreshing stream that flowed directly to his mind.
It felt as if his entire consciousness was being submerged in a divine, clarifying light. Years of hazy memories snapped into perfect focus. Every book he had ever skim-read, every conversation he had half-listened to, every martial form he had glanced at—it all came rushing back, not as a chaotic flood, but as a perfectly organized library. Complex cultivation theories from his past that had once been inscrutable became as simple as basic addition.
His mind was no longer just a tool; it was a weapon. The processes of deduction, analysis, and learning had accelerated a hundredfold, a thousandfold. No one in this world would be able to approach his speed of comprehending cultivation manuals now.
A profound calm settled over him as the transformation completed. He felt no fatigue, only a pristine clarity. With a faint, confident smile, he lay down and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. No guards bursting in, no elders interrogating him. Just the blissful silence of his new beginning.
But outside the tranquility of his room, the city's predatory underbelly had taken notice. His casual display of wealth had been like blood in shark-infested waters.
Deep beneath the cobblestone streets, in a subterranean hall lit by flickering torches that cast more shadows than light, a figure knelt on one knee. The air was cold and damp, smelling of earth and stolen wine. Before the kneeling figure sat a man upon a throne carved from dark, unpolished granite. His face was lost in the gloom, only his sharp, assessing eyes visible, gleaming like a predator's in the night. This was the Grandmaster of Azure Dragon City's Thieves' Guild.
A shadow detached itself from a dark corner of the hall, moving with utter silence before solidifying into a second kneeling figure.
"Speak," the Grandmaster's voice was a low rasp, like stones grinding together.
The scout kept his head bowed. "Reporting to the Thieves' Guild Grandmaster," he said, his voice a trained whisper. "We have a thick sheep."
The Grandmaster's eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of interest igniting within them. "Elaborate."
"A single youth, looks no more than sixteen. Dressed as a commoner, but spending gold like it's copper. He paid the innkeeper at the Weary Traveler with a full gold tael. He bought out the Verdant Cauldron Pavilion's stock of medium-grade Qi pills. And tonight, he dined at the Jade Phoenix Pavilion. The bill was over ten gold."
The Grandmaster let out a soft, humorless chuckle that echoed in the stone chamber. "A young master playing at being a commoner, no doubt. Careless and arrogant. Does he have guards?"
"None, Grandmaster," the scout replied. "He is completely alone. He's a new arrival, no known backing. His cultivation is weak, likely still in Body Forging. He is the perfect target."
A silence settled over the hall, thick with avarice.
"A thick sheep indeed," the Grandmaster mused, his fingers drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm on his granite throne. "Find out his routine. Where he goes, what he does. We do not act rashly. When we strike, we will shear this sheep of all its wool in one clean motion."
"As you command, Grandmaster."
The shadow bowed low, then melted back into the darkness, leaving the Grandmaster to his plotting. While Wei Lian slept, utterly transformed and more powerful than ever, the gears of a different kind of machine had begun to turn, intent on taking everything he had just gained.
The morning light that streamed through the shuttered window seemed sharper, the distant sounds of the city more distinct. Wei Lian awoke not to grogginess, but to a state of absolute mental lucidity. The Soul-Nourishing Comprehension Pills had permanently rewired his consciousness. His path forward was not just a plan; it was a crystalline certainty.
His next step was to replicate the conditions of his greatest success. He strode out of the inn, his gold-induced influence earning him a deep bow from the innkeeper. He made his way directly back to the Verdant Cauldron Pavilion.
The attendant from the previous day spotted him the moment he entered and hurried over, his face beaming. "Young Master! You honor us with your return. How may we serve you today?"
"The same as yesterday," Wei Lian said, his voice flat. "Ten bottles of your medium-grade Qi Gathering Pills."
The attendant's eyes widened. This was no casual purchase; this youth was buying out their stock. "Right away, Young Master!"
Wei Lian paid with two gold taels, storing the hundred freshly acquired pills directly into his system. His intention was simple: return to the Jade Phoenix Pavilion, gift these pills, and see what incredible rewards the system would offer for a gift of even greater value.
As he exited the shop and turned into a less crowded side alley to take a shortcut, he felt a subtle shift in the flow of foot traffic around him. Three burly men, their muscles straining the fabric of their cheap tunics, closed in. They exuded the brutish, overconfident aura of low-level Body Tempering cultivators.
The leader, a man with a greasy smirk and a jagged scar on his chin, deliberately stumbled into Wei Lian. At the moment of impact, his hand, quick as a viper, darted for Wei Lian's inner robe pocket where a money pouch would normally be.
His fingers found only empty fabric.
The pickpocket's smirk faltered, replaced by confusion. He pulled his hand back, empty. "What the...?"
Wei Lian hadn't moved an inch, his expression unchanging. "Are you looking for something?" he asked, his tone dangerously calm.
The thug's confusion instantly boiled into rage. He was being made a fool of. "You think you're clever, brat? Hand over your money pouch, and maybe we'll only break one of your arms!"
His two companions fanned out, cutting off any escape. Their knuckles cracked as they made fists, sneering at their trapped prey.
Wei Lian sighed. It was a soft sound, one of utter disappointment. It was the sigh of a master craftsman seeing a child butcher a piece of fine wood with a blunt rock.
He simply raised his right hand into a loosely clenched fist.
He didn't punch. He didn't channel Qi. He projected. An invisible, unstoppable kinetic force—the very concept and outcome of a perfect strike, born from his enlightened mind—manifested directly on the leader's chest.
A sickening CRUNCH echoed in the alley, not of bone hitting flesh, but of bone simply... giving way. The leader's eyes bulged in shock and agony as his sternum caved inward. The air was violently expelled from his lungs in a bloody spray, and he was thrown back as if hit by a battering ram, collapsing in a heap.
The goon on the right, momentarily stunned, let out a furious roar and charged forward. Wei Lian didn't even look at him. With a mere flicker of his will, a second wave of fist intent was unleashed.
A wet CRACK snapped through the air. The charging thug's right leg bent backwards at the knee, the joint utterly destroyed. He let out an inhuman shriek of pain and tumbled to the ground, clutching the mangled limb.
The third thug froze, his charge aborted. He stared in wide-eyed horror, first at his leader drowning in his own blood, then at his other companion writhing on the ground with a leg bent the wrong way. He looked back at Wei Lian, who stood perfectly still, his fist still loosely clenched. His mind simply broke. The sight of his friends being so brutally and inexplicably maimed by an unseen power was too much. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed in a dead faint.
Wei Lian lowered his hand. The entire "fight" had lasted less than two seconds. He stepped disdainfully around the wreckage of the would-be robbers and continued on his way, not sparing them a second glance.
From the shadows of a nearby rooftop, a Thieves' Guild scout watched, his body trembling uncontrollably. A cold dread, far worse than simple fear, gripped his heart. He had not witnessed a trick or a clever technique. He had witnessed a man break bodies with his will alone.
His whispered report, when it came, would be laced with sheer terror. This wasn't a sheep. This was a dragon pretending to be a lamb.
In the subterranean hall of the Thieves' Guild, the scout relayed his terrified report. The Grandmaster sat on his granite throne, his glowing eyes fixed on the trembling man.
"Fist Intent..." the Grandmaster mused, his voice a low growl. "A profound insight. But insight without true power is just a parlor trick."
"His cultivation level, Grandmaster," the scout stammered, "I couldn't get a proper sense of Qi. He feels like a peak Body Forging disciple. An incredibly powerful one, but still... Body Forging."
The Grandmaster's features relaxed, a cruel smile touching his lips. The fear of an unknown powerhouse receded, replaced by simple, potent greed. Peak Body Forging. A realm he himself had left behind decades ago in his youth. The boy hadn't even crossed the true celestial threshold.
"A fish with sharp teeth is still just a fish," the Grandmaster declared, his voice filled with predatory confidence. "He's too young and arrogant to know how to protect the inheritance he's stumbled upon." He turned his gaze to a menacing figure standing near his throne. The man was not large, but every inch of him was corded with dense, powerful muscle, his skin having a faint bronze sheen. "Lieutenant Su."
The man stepped forward, his knuckles cracking with the movement. "Grandmaster."
This was Lt. Su, the guild's foremost enforcer, a man who had reached the absolute zenith of the Body Forging realm and stayed there, honing his body into a perfect killing machine.
"Our 'dragon' is just a talented hatchling, still stuck in the mortal shell," the Grandmaster commanded. "Who better to deal with a peak Body Forging disciple than my own? You will lead the Shadow Fang squad. Observe him tonight. Tomorrow, you will strike. I want his storage pouch, and I want the fist technique he has mastered. A technique that can grant Fist Intent at such a young age is a priceless treasure."
"A peak Body Forging disciple?" Lt. Su asked, a chilling smile spreading across his face. He had broken dozens of so-called geniuses. "It will be a pleasure, Grandmaster." He bowed and melted back into the darkness, his mind already spinning with ways to physically dismantle the boy. Unbeknownst to Wei Lian, more plans were being made by incompetent fools, blinded by greed to the true nature of the being they were targeting.
Blissfully unaware, Wei Lian's only plan was to continue his celestial investment strategy. He arrived back at the Jade Phoenix Pavilion. The moment he stepped through the door, the attendant who had served him yesterday rushed over, bowing nearly to the floor.
"Young Master! Welcome, welcome! Please, your regular table is waiting!"
He was seated and ordered another lavish, energy-rich meal, this time costing fifteen gold taels. As before, the potent, refined spirit energy of the food washed through him. But this time, his dantian was already primed, a droplet of liquid Qi already formed.
Guided by his hyper-aware consciousness, the new spiritual energy was flawlessly absorbed. It swirled around that first drop, nourishing it, expanding it, and then, with perfect efficiency, coalescing into a second, identical drop of liquid Qi. The process was smooth, natural, and utterly without effort.
Second Level of Qi Gathering!
The breakthrough was even quieter than the first, a seamless transition. He felt his internal energy double, his senses heighten even further. As the attendant returned to clear the plates, Wei Lian placed a small, heavy pouch on the table.
"Another fine meal. For your staff," Wei Lian said. This time, the pouch contained twenty of the medium-grade Qi Gathering Pills he had purchased earlier.
The attendant nearly fainted. He looked at the pouch, then at Wei Lian, his mind reeling. "Young... Young Master... I..."
Wei Lian simply gave a slight nod and walked out of the pavilion, leaving the babbling staff to their good fortune.
The moment he was back on the street, the system's blue glow enveloped his vision.
[Sincere gifting intent detected.]
[Target: Jade Phoenix Pavilion Staff.]
[Item: 20x Medium-Grade Qi Gathering Pills.]
[Calculating reward... Reward options enhanced due to high-value cultivation resources.]
[Please select ONE of the following reward packages:]
► 2000x Perfect-Purity Qi Accumulation Pills (Medium Grade)
► 500x Gold Taels
Wei Lian smiled. The choice was obvious. His reserves of gold were still plentiful, but the pills were the key to his immediate empowerment.
The Qi Accumulation Pills.
[Selected: 2000x Perfect-Purity Qi Accumulation Pills (Medium Grade)]
[Reward transferred to System Storage.]
Two large, heavy satchels, filled to the brim with glowing, flawless pills, materialized in his inventory. This was the fuel he needed. Perfect to smash his way through the Qi Gathering realm. All he had to do was return to his room and begin.