As Wu Yong watched him walk away, he felt a mix of complicated emotions.
...
After leaving school, he took several transfers on the intercity high-speed rail.
It was getting dark by the time Li Chang’an arrived back at his home in the suburbs.
His parents were still working overtime at the factory and hadn’t returned. His younger sister, Li Furong, whose school was closer, had been home for a while and was now in the kitchen making dinner.
Seeing Li Chang’an come back, Li Furong casually asked, "The scallions?"
Li Chang’an, who had been drinking a glass of water, froze for a moment. "What scallions?" he asked.
He quickly scanned his memories and realized the body’s original owner had promised Li Furong yesterday that he’d pick up some scallions from the supermarket on his way home. But with his mind on other things, Li Chang’an had completely forgotten about it. He only remembered now that she had reminded him.
Li Furong couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "I knew I couldn’t count on you," she huffed. "Hurry up and eat. I still have homework to do!"
Li Furong was two years younger than Li Chang’an, making her only fourteen. In a typical family, she would still be considered just a kid.
But since their parents often worked overtime and Li Chang’an was at a critical point in his preparation for the Martial Dao exams, the task of making dinner fell to the young Li Furong.
Although Li Furong occasionally complained, she still shouldered the chore—a heavy burden for someone her age.
Watching Li Furong bustle around the kitchen, Li Chang’an felt a touch of emotion.
’To be honest, I’ve been transmigrated for the better part of a day, but it’s only now that I can find a sliver of reality in this illusory world.’
That’s just how people are.
It’s only when you see certain things that it all starts to feel real.
This was especially true for Li Chang’an. It was only upon seeing this sister, both familiar and strange, that his heart finally found a stable anchor in this new world.
Sensing the strange look in his eyes, Li Furong frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did you do something you feel guilty about?"
The two were now sitting across from each other at the table, eating.
Li Chang’an looked away and took a few bites of food before speaking. "It’s nothing," he said casually. "I was just thinking the commute to school is too long."
Li Furong kept her head down, her tone still sharp. "Go tell that to Mom and Dad. The area around Third Middle School is worth its weight in gold. One square meter costs tens of thousands of Cosmic Coins. Even if you sold me, it wouldn’t be enough!"
Li Chang’an just smiled and said no more.
The two ate in silence. Before long, Li Chang’an’s parents in this life arrived home. His mother went straight to the kitchen to tidy up, and without even grabbing a bite to eat, she started preparing the nutritional supplements he’d need for the day.
His father, Li Yan, came home a bit later.
He was carrying a heavy box of pig’s feet on his shoulder as he walked in.
He came into the living room, set the box on the floor, and said, "Chang’an, how was your day? I asked your Uncle Chen to pick up some Qi and Blood Pills from the pharmacy. He said he’ll bring them over in a couple of days. For now, you’ll have to make do with these pig’s feet!"
Martial Dao cultivation, especially in this world, places extreme demands on the body.
After all, a powerful physique and an explosive Qi and Blood Value don’t just materialize out of thin air.
Typically, for a young person to reach a Qi and Blood Value of 10 before their eighteenth birthday, they must maintain a specific nutritional balance in their diet.
Not only do they need a diet rich in fish and meat, but they also have to buy extra Qi and Blood Pills to replenish the Qi and Blood they lose during training.
Li Chang’an’s family was comfortably middle-class—not rich, but better off than many. His parents were factory workers who would have pensions after retirement.
Even so, supporting both Li Chang’an and Li Furong was still a struggle for them. Li Chang’an, in particular, was a financial black hole with his preparations for the Martial Dao exams.
A growing boy will eat you out of house and home.
Just covering the cost of Li Chang’an’s daily nutritional and medicinal supplements forced the couple to tighten their belts, and that was without even considering the costs of raising Li Furong.
Seeing them rush into the kitchen the moment they got home—too busy to even eat themselves, all just to help his Qi and Blood Value rise by even a fraction of a point—moved Li Chang’an even more deeply.
He put down his chopsticks. "Dad, Mom," he said calmly, "you don’t have to do all this. I beat the top student in my class during Martial Dao combat practice today. Teacher Wu added my name to the honor roll, so I’ll be getting a top student stipend and a Qi and Blood Supplement in a few days!"
At his words, all three of them stopped what they were doing. The dining room and kitchen fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Li Yan and Su Manyu were still processing what he’d said.
His sister, Li Furong, couldn’t help but roll her eyes, ruthlessly calling his bluff. "Yeah, right. With your pathetic Qi and Blood Value, you’re barely stronger than I am. You made the honor roll? The only way that’s happening is if every other student in your school dropped dead. How could it possibly be you?"
The moment she said it, both Li Yan and Su Manyu shot her a gentle warning look, but they didn’t scold her. They felt they owed too much to their sensible little daughter and could rarely bring themselves to find fault with her.
Besides, as much as they hated to admit it, Li Furong had voiced what they were both thinking.
Of course, they didn’t think *all* the students had to die for Li Chang’an to make the honor roll. They just figured that at least two-thirds of the top students would have to drop dead for their son to have a chance.
After all, no one knew the limits of their son’s talent better than they did.
When Su Manyu had been pregnant with him, she had taken a bad fall.
Advances in medical technology prevented a miscarriage, but Li Chang’an was still born much weaker than other children as a result.
Innate deficiencies are difficult to make up for through Acquired means.
Their willingness to sacrifice so much for him was partly out of guilt, but mostly to protect Li Chang’an from feeling like a failure.
As for whether Li Chang’an could ever become a Martial Artist... deep down, they both knew the answer, even if they refused to accept it.
Li Chang’an looked at the three of them. Though their expressions differed, they all shared one sentiment written clearly across their faces: disbelief.
Li Chang’an gave a bitter smile and shrugged helplessly, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain further. He got up and went back to his room.
’Forget it. I’ll just show them the facts.’
’After all, given my original self’s past performance, words alone won’t be very convincing.’
...
Back in his room, Li Chang’an locked the door and quickly sat down in a cross-legged position.
This body’s original owner had an Innate deficiency, making his Qi and Blood far weaker than an ordinary person’s.
This kind of congenital injury was incredibly difficult to deal with. Even with the advanced medical technology of the Star Sea Era, treating such an intangible ailment was nearly impossible.
The only known cures for an Innate deficiency were all exorbitantly priced Spiritual Objects. Typically, only the Interstellar Nobility could afford them. Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of buying one; they’d be lucky to ever even see one.
Among these pricey Spiritual Objects, the only one an ordinary person like Li Chang’an could possibly have access to was the Martial Arts Qi and Blood Supplement developed by the Pandora Consortium.
Taken slowly over multiple doses, it could supplement Qi and Blood while also alleviating some symptoms of an Innate deficiency!
However, Li Chang’an clearly had other options.
The *Martial Scripture* he had created was a synthesis of countless techniques and naturally included methods for absorbing external Energy to strengthen the body.
It was just that this body’s Innate deficiency was too severe. Relying solely on the restorative effects of the *Martial Scripture*, it would take him a year or more to catch up to his peers. This was the main reason Li Chang’an had agreed to Wu Yong’s request to enter the competition.
After all, if he could use the Qi and Blood Supplement as an Energy source and absorb it using the *Martial Scripture*, he could likely achieve twice the results with half the effort.
...