The drought didn't affect you much. Over the years, your side hustle as a thief had earned you plenty of dirty money.

Your stealing skills had reached perfection—you even considered patenting them.

Sometimes you'd share stolen money with the poor, and legends of your "rob from the rich to give to the poor" deeds had spread through the martial world.

Your fellow rogues gave you a nickname: Flying Sky Cockroach.

Though it didn't sound great, you accepted it as a form of recognition.

You had to accept it—the alternative nicknames were even more goddamn awful.

These martial world brothers had started hustling young without schooling, completely illiterate.

Do you know how hard they worked to come up with this nickname for you?

The drought hit ordinary people hard—barren lands stretched for miles with starving refugees everywhere.

Miao Jiayao's family ran out of food, their situation becoming dire.

Wei Xia came begging you for provisions.

After over a decade of hardship, Wei Xia had lost all her youthful innocence, becoming just another worn-out peasant woman.

That tiny flicker of hope she'd once held for you? She'd snuffed it out herself long ago.

Wei Xia was emaciated from hunger. Miao Jiayao and the elderly couple huddled by the bed, too weak to even move their eyes.

Focused on cultivation, you hadn't realized how bad things had gotten for them.

"Why didn't you come to me sooner!" Your tone came out harsher than intended.

After over ten years together, you'd come to see this family as friends.

Wei Xia kept her head down, not daring to speak.

You used your qi to stabilize them, giving them enough strength to eat.

After wolfing down the food you brought, the family knelt before you in tearful gratitude for saving their lives.

You left them sufficient money before returning to your courtyard to continue cultivation.

Without Blood Qi Pills, you had to rely on medicinal baths and massive nutritional intake—primitive cultivation methods like slash-and-burn farming.

Progress was slow, but you were advancing. You could feel a breakthrough coming.

You decided to focus on effort and let time handle the rest.

Year 15

The drought ended this year.

One morning, peach blossoms fell like snow.

As usual, you rose early to cultivate.

When the first sunlight touched you, your eyes snapped open—you'd broken through.

You reached the late stage of Skin Refining.

The qi inside you shattered barriers, suddenly quintupling in volume.

Thunderous rumbles echoed through your body.

Your physical strength broke through to 1,200 jin.

Cloud Treading Steps also advanced, reaching perfection.

You'd mastered the technique completely—stepping on your own feet could launch you over ten meters high.

No wall could contain you now.

That same day, Miao Jiayao and Wei Xia came to you beaming with joy.

They announced Wei Xia was finally pregnant.

You were puzzled—since Miao Jiayao was infertile, how could Wei Xia conceive?

When you asked, Miao Jiayao explained they'd prayed to the Child-Giving Bodhisattva at Xuaming Temple thirty li away.

You asked if Wei Xia had stayed overnight at the temple.

Miao Jiayao happily confirmed it.

He said their sincere piety moved the Bodhisattva in just one night, unlike less devoted couples who prayed repeatedly without results.

Wei Xia kept her head lowered the entire time he spoke.

You knew the child was actually some monk's or pilgrim's doing—your past life's history had similar records.

But seeing Miao Jiayao's genuine, simple smile and Wei Xia's bowed head, you kept silent.

No need to interfere with their chosen way of life.

Year 16

Miao Jiayao and Wei Xia's son was born.

That same day, the elderly couple passed away peacefully, their regrets resolved.

Birth and death are often two sides of the same coin.

They asked you to name their son.

You shook your head playfully: "This child is heaven's gift to you—let's call him Miao Gift!"

The couple was delighted: "Young Master He, what's the meaning behind this name?"

"It signifies the child will understand propriety and carry virtue."

You actually using literary phrases impressed them greatly.

They hoped Miao Gift would grow up as educated and clever as you.

Year 20

"Miao Gift you little idiot!!"

"Three days and you still can't tell 'big' from 'grand'!"

Teaching the five-year-old to read made you curse in frustration.

The boy was dumb as a post—days spent on a single character with no progress.

It made you so angry your piss turned dark yellow.

Mid-rant, you suddenly felt qi surging within—you'd broken through again.

Miao Gift's stupidity had triggered your breakthrough.

How absurd.

You'd unexpectedly reached Skin Refining Peak.

Your flesh strengthened further, boosting both defense and offense.

Your strength reached 2,400 jin.

The next realm would be Bone Tempering—

—the highest level most ordinary people could achieve.

Looking at snot-nosed Miao Gift munching on a peach,

your anger faded.

You ruffled his hair: "Good lad, you've got spirit! Wait here—I'll get you a roast chicken!"

You returned with a glistening whole chicken.

"Thank you Uncle Yu!"

Miao Gift set down his peach and reached for the chicken.

He wiped his runny nose from left cheek to right with his sleeve.

"Uncle Yu eat first!"

He tore off a drumstick and offered it to you.

Smiling, you took the drumstick and ate while patting his head.

Year 21

Peaches ripened again this year.

Six-year-old Miao Gift came running to your courtyard as usual.

The boy visited often, and you'd grown fond of the simple, honest child.

Though slow, his pure nature made him likable.

That day, as you cultivated beneath the peach tree,

Miao Gift climbed up to pick peaches.

Munching fruit, he stared blankly at your training.

Soon,

he frowned: "Uncle Yu, my tummy feels warm."

You lifted him down.

Checking his pulse, you were shocked to detect faint qi within him.

Just by watching you practice, Miao Gift had unconsciously begun martial cultivation.

"Holy shit! What kind of freakish talent is this?"

You were stunned.

Miao Gift sniffled, asking blankly: "Uncle Yu, am I sick?"

After reassuring him and sending him home,

you immediately packed your belongings.

Willow Tree Village was no longer safe—you had to leave.

With such a monstrous talent appearing, chaos would surely follow.

As this novel's protagonist, you'd inevitably get dragged in.

So you fled overnight,

seeking a new place to lay low.

Before leaving, you visited Miao Gift one last time.

Six years watching him grow had forged real affection.

You left him the Spirit Serpent Spear Technique manual and a gleaming silver spear.

Finally, you uprooted your peach tree and transplanted it to his home—

—the boy loved its fruit best.

You departed Willow Tree Village,

traveling west.

After over a month's journey,

having seen diverse customs and dealt with several bandit gangs

(whose robbery speeches you interrupted by smashing their pig-brains),

you arrived at an endless lake—Fragrant Moon Lake,

surrounded by villages.

The vast, beautiful lake convinced you to settle here.

You bought land from the village chief,

who enthusiastically praised: "Young Master He, our Fragrant Moon villagers are simple and harmonious—never any fights!"

Just then a villager rushed over: "Chief! Jiang the Barbarian broke someone's leg again!"

The embarrassed chief hurried away.

You later learned Jiang was a twelve-year-old orphan—

—massively built with natural superhuman strength,

but mentally deficient (villagers affectionately called him "Big Dumbass").

During his episodes, he'd attack people and wreck things.

Since nobody could stop him, they just avoided him.

Aside from Jiang, Fragrant Moon Village seemed normal, so you stayed.