Slanted rays of soft light filtered through the open window, illuminating Nie Kong, seated cross-legged, casting a long shadow upon the floor. The nine golden needles still protruding from his body vibrated faintly, emitting a dazzling gleam.

"Boom!"

The spiritual energy condensed within his meridians dissolved rapidly. Inside the three apertures of the Spirit Soul, the power surged and churned like a tide, and another invisible barrier shattered.

"Gathering Spirit, Fifth Grade!"

Nie Kong opened his eyes slightly, murmuring softly.

After soaking in the medicinal bath, Nie Kong had immediately begun his cultivation. To hasten the infusion of the medicine into his muscles and bones, he had spent the first half of the day manipulating his spiritual energy to agitate his entire body. Only as the sun neared its descent did he begin using the "Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Art" to dissolve the solidified spiritual power.

With his physique strengthened, Nie Kong found the process of clearing his meridians much faster.

In less than an hour, both the Du Meridian and Chong Meridian were completely opened. Miraculously, Nie Kong’s cultivation had leaped from Gathering Spirit Third Grade to Fifth Grade. The previously minuscule three apertures of the Spirit Soul had also expanded considerably, capable of holding and storing much more spiritual energy.

His power was rising swiftly, bringing joy to Nie Kong, yet he remained level-headed. He was acutely aware that all this credit belonged to the body’s original owner.

If he had cultivated from scratch, there would have been no way to advance four grades in just two days.

Moreover, yesterday, the Ren Meridian alone had caused a two-grade jump, while today, the Du and Chong Meridians combined yielded only two grades. The further one progressed, the more spiritual energy was required for cultivation, and the lesser the effect a single meridian could produce.

Nie Kong estimated that once the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Principal Meridians were all cleared, his cultivation should reach around Gathering Spirit Ninth Grade.

Beyond that point, what realm he could reach would depend entirely on himself. However, reaching Gathering Spirit Ninth Grade so effortlessly already made him quite content.

"That's enough for today."

Retrieving the golden needles, Nie Kong dressed and left the room.

The house was quiet; Hua Mei was nowhere in sight. Nie Kong knew she hadn't returned from her work at the clan—washing clothes. For years, Nie Qingyang’s annuity and Nie Kong’s living expenses had gone toward medicine, leaving Hua Mei to work to support the household.

Thinking of this, Nie Kong felt a sudden pang of heartache and subconsciously stepped out the front door...

...

The small river snaked its way through a cluster of dwellings, its water crystal clear to the bottom. By the riverbank, seven or eight women were washing clothes. Most were middle-aged, in their thirties or forties, making the nineteen-year-old, delicately featured and beautiful Hua Mei stand out like a crane among sparrows.

The women chattered about clan gossip—which man secured a good post, how many gold coins another’s son was awarded, or which daughter was both beautiful and powerful, having just broken through to a new cultivation level. Hua Mei merely smiled and offered occasional nods of agreement.

A kind-faced elderly woman, while rubbing a piece of cloth, looked over at Hua Mei. "Oh dear, Hua Mei, you must be nineteen this year, right?"

"Mmm," Hua Mei nodded.

"Ah, to marry into the Nie family at sixteen only to become a widow—what terrible fate," sighed another woman sympathetically. "Hua Mei, your little uncle is terribly ill. I say, you should take advantage of your youth and remarry soon. You've looked after him for three years; that’s more than enough repayment to his family."

"I will not remarry," Hua Mei said, shaking her head with a slight blush. "Besides, my uncle’s illness is almost completely cured." Recalling Nie Kong’s miraculously robust physique, she added happily, "In a few days, he won’t need medicine anymore."

"Impossible. How could his illness possibly get better?"

"Yes, he was so frail, being able to cling to life was already a miracle."

"..."

The women babbled, clearly skeptical.

"It's true, I'm not lying to you," Hua Mei insisted earnestly.

"Girl, stop holding on. Even if your little uncle truly recovers, can you really spend the rest of your life like this with him? Listen to me, while you're young and pretty, find someone else quickly. I heard the Clan Head’s Third Young Master has taken a shine to you, girl. You really should think about it."

Hua Mei pursed her lips, saying nothing, a hint of displeasure clouding her face.

"That's absolutely right."

A sharp voice suddenly cut in. A plump woman, waddling her fleshy hips, approached the water's edge. This woman was Nie Qinghua, also a collateral member of the Nie clan. At her appearance, the other women quieted, as Nie Qinghua was their supervisor—fussy, sharp-tongued, and relentlessly critical.

The stout woman spoke with forced sincerity. "Hua Mei, I don't mean to lecture you, but the Third Young Master is such a fine man. For him to fancy you is your fortune; why won't you agree? The Third Young Master is a mighty Spirit Master at the Eighth Grade of Spirit Attunement, with endless gold coins. Marrying him, even as a concubine, would be bliss. But your sickly little uncle? Half his body is already in the grave. Even if you care for him until death, what future or benefit will you gain? If you truly can’t bear to leave him, can't the Third Young Master just send more gold coins for him?"

"Silence!"

Hua Mei’s usually delicate face flushed crimson as she cut off the fat woman's incessant prattling.

"What?"

Nie Qinghua was stunned for a moment, taken aback by the usually shy Hua Mei's sudden boldness, before shrieking, "You impudent little widow! You dare tell me to shut up?"

Hua Mei stood up, gritting her teeth. "You are forbidden to speak of my uncle that way!"

Nie Qinghua planted her hands on her hips, haughty. "I'll speak of him however I please! What of it? Sickly fool, dead man—a waste of grain living in this world. It would be better if he died sooner and ascended faster..." The stout woman spewed saliva everywhere, a torrent of vicious curses erupting from her constantly moving, fleshy lips.

"You, you, you disgusting... fat pig!"

Hua Mei trembled with rage, but being unskilled at verbal sparring, she managed only those two words after a long struggle. The surrounding women nearly burst out laughing but quickly turned their faces away, afraid of attracting Nie Qinghua’s ire. They secretly felt great satisfaction but worried for Hua Mei.

"Ah! How dare you insult me!"

The fat on Nie Qinghua’s face jiggled with fury as she shrieked, swinging her meaty palm hard toward Hua Mei’s face.

Hua Mei cried out and squeezed her eyes shut. A moment later, feeling no sting, she cautiously opened them. She saw that Nie Qinghua’s raised wrist was clamped tightly in a hand—the hand of... Nie Kong.

Hua Mei gasped in delight. "Uncle, how did you get here?"

Uncle?

Several women widened their eyes, staring at Nie Kong. Was this the sickly Nie Kong? He had indeed become much healthier, showing no trace of his former pallor.

Nie Kong smiled gently. "Sister-in-law, let’s go home." With a flick of his right hand, the stout woman stumbled back several paces, nearly falling onto the ground.

Nie Qinghua, initially startled by Nie Kong’s transformation, regained her composure, her broad face reddening with shame and anger. "Go? Don't you want your job anymore?"

"Five gold coins a month. I can do without it."

Seeing Hua Mei frown with worry, Nie Kong merely smiled dismissively. Now that he no longer needed to buy medicine, the monthly fifty gold coin allowance was ample for their needs. In a few months, once he turned eighteen, even if the allowance stopped, he would be capable of earning money himself. These five gold coins truly held no weight for him.

Realizing she couldn't intimidate Nie Kong or Hua Mei, the fat woman began to panic and yelled maliciously after their retreating backs, "Oh, I wondered why this little widow refused to marry the fine Third Young Master! Turns out she’s been stirring up trouble with her own brother-in-law. Tsk tsk, birds of a feather flock together."

"You..."

Hua Mei turned back to glare at Nie Qinghua, feeling both humiliated and furious. Her pretty face was so red it looked like it might bleed, and involuntary tears welled up in her eyes.

Nie Qinghua smirked, emboldened. "See? I was right." She then cast a sidelong glance at Nie Kong. Although the sickly boy’s appearance had changed slightly, Nie Qinghua still dismissed him entirely. Everyone in the Nie family knew he had cultivated for ten years just to reach Gathering Spirit First Grade, whereas she herself was at the Third Grade.

"Fat pig, you asked for this!"

Seeing Hua Mei so upset, Nie Kong’s expression darkened. He reached out and grasped Nie Qinghua’s left shoulder.

The stout woman scornfully watched the hand land on her shoulder, raising her own fleshy palm to sweep toward Nie Kong’s head. A mere Gathering Spirit First Grade waste—she could knock him flying with one slap, she thought, her face full of mockery. However, before the slap connected, the smile froze on her face. A tearing, searing pain shot up from her shoulder. The fat woman opened her mouth, and a sound like a slaughtered pig erupted from her throat.

Nie Kong’s lips curved into a cold sneer. Wood-element spiritual power flashed from his palm. He hoisted Nie Qinghua’s corpulent body into the air, wrapped his arm around her, and flipped her upside down, shaking her vigorously by her ankles. A shower of gleaming gold coins tumbled from her bosom. "Almost forgot—my sister-in-law has worked more than half the month. I'll take three gold coins for her wages." With that, he swung his right arm, and the fat woman flew through the air.

"Splash!"

With a loud thud, Nie Qinghua landed squarely in the river.

Nie Kong picked up the three gold coins and walked up the embankment with Hua Mei. Soon after, the shrill screeching echoed from behind them: "Damn dead ghost, I won't let you off!"

The other women stood there, dumbfounded. They stared first at Nie Qinghua thrashing wildly in the water, then at the retreating figures of Nie Kong and Hua Mei. Their minds were a complete mess. Nie Qinghua was a Third Grade cultivator, yet Nie Kong, the sickly little uncle who was only First Grade, had tossed her into the river with such ease?

...

Walking home, Hua Mei worried, "Uncle, I’ve lost my job. Is it really alright?"

Nie Kong waved his hand cheerfully. "Of course it's fine. Sister-in-law, I am the man of this house now. Leave the earning to me."

Hua Mei gave a soft "oh," then sighed again. "Uncle, when you threw Nie Qinghua into the river just now, you really offended her deeply."

"With women like her, you have to be firm. The softer you are, the more arrogant she becomes. Besides, she’s just a minor supervisor; offending her is no big deal. I forgot to tell you—I’m already at Gathering Spirit Fifth Grade."

"Really?"

Hua Mei’s rosy little mouth formed a perfect ‘O,’ but a moment later, she blushed again, looking slightly coy. "But she’ll spread rumors, saying that we... that we..."

Nie Kong shrugged it off. "Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Let people say what they want. Their mouths are their own. We just need to live our lives well."

"Oh," Hua Mei mumbled, rubbing her sleeve nervously, her face clouded with worry. She was, after all, a woman, and a young widow whose only family was her brother-in-law. She couldn't possess the same easy-going nature as Nie Kong, who had arrived from Earth...