The night was deep.

In the dilapidated hut, the moonlight cast a pale glow inside.

Su Qianxue crouched by the stove, stuffing dry wood into the hearth.

The firelight reflected on her smooth face, a beauty so unreal.

But Jiang Chi had no time to appreciate this peerless visage.

Jiang Chi sat beside her, clutching the "Five-Animal Transformation Art" in his hand.

"Brother Chi, you rest first. I'll call you when the water's ready."

Su Qianxue's soft voice drifted over.

Jiang Chi acknowledged with a hum, not moving.

Search "pawℝead.com" for the original.

He opened the first page.

[Five-Animal Transformation Art: Bear, Deer, Tiger, Ape, Crane. Imitate the forms of these five animals, draw the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth into the body, irrigate oneself, expand the Qi Sea, cleanse the meridians, and reshape the Martial Dao Constitution.]

Jiang Chi's eyes lit up.

Expand the Qi Sea, cleanse the meridians, reshape the Martial Dao Constitution?!

That bastard Jiang Fei, due to his mediocre Martial Dao Constitution, forced second uncle to use unorthodox methods, taking my heartblood to make up for his innate deficiencies.

Yet he never imagined that the Jiang Family Ancestral Residence already held the secret art to reshape the constitution.

Truly, man proposes, God disposes.

And now, I have obtained this "Five-Animal Transformation Art."

As he turned each page, there were illustrations of human figures performing various incredible movements, densely annotated with notes.

Jiang Chi flipped through the pages quickly.

Not out of carelessness, but because he was "scanning."

Su Qianxue glanced back at him as she added more wood to the stove.

The flickering firelight danced on his face.

His gaze was focused, fixed on the pages, one after another...

Flipping quickly.

As if searching for something.

Su Qianxue said nothing, turning back to tend the boiling water.

But she wondered if he was flipping so fast because he was afraid she'd notice he couldn't understand it.

The fire in the stove crackled.

Jiang Chi reached the last page.

Closed the book.

He was silent for three seconds.

Then he stood up and walked to the stove.

Su Qianxue looked up.

"Finished reading?"

"Finished!"

Jiang Chi said, tossing the "Five-Animal Transformation Art" into the hearth.

"You—!"

Su Qianxue panicked, reaching to retrieve it, but the flames had already licked the cover.

The pages curled, blackened, and turned to ash in the fire.

She turned to Jiang Chi, eyes wide.

"Why... why did you burn it?"

Jiang Chi said nothing, just watched the fire in the stove.

Suddenly, Su Qianxue understood.

She opened her mouth to speak, then swallowed her words.

Then she looked up at him, a tinge of heartache in her eyes.

"It's... it's okay."

"I... I know you can't practice martial arts, and seeing those things must be hard for you."

She slowly stood up, holding Jiang Chi's hand, the firelight casting a stunning glow on her face.

"It's okay."

She smiled.

That smile was more heartbreaking than tears.

"Don't... don't be sad. It's okay if you can't practice martial arts."

She paused, her voice even softer, as if afraid he might hear, yet afraid he might not.

"I... I can do embroidery, each piece sells for a few dozen coins, I... I'll take care of you!!!"

The fire in the stove crackled.

Jiang Chi stood there.

Looking at her.

She lowered her head, her ears as red as ripe persimmons, incredibly enticing.

At this moment, in Jiang Chi's eyes, she was no different from a celestial being.

Jiang Chi could no longer suppress his emotions, pulling this celestial being, who belonged solely to him, into his arms.

Su Qianxue let out a soft "yelp," her body going limp in Jiang Chi's embrace.

The sun rose high.

Jiang Chi slowly awoke from the bed, Su Qianxue was no longer there.

But the lingering fragrance on the quilt made him take a greedy breath.

The perfect goddess under the moonlight last night made Jiang Chi feel it was all so unreal.

Jiang Chi got up, noticing a dark red stain left from last night's passion.

He paused.

Last night... she kept her eyes closed, not making a sound.

He hoped... his impulsiveness hadn't hurt her.

Jiang Chi stretched, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He hadn't felt this way in this body for over a decade.

The injuries... no longer hurt.

He touched his left rib.

Yesterday, a bone was broken there.

Now, there was no sensation at all, completely healed.

He took a deep breath.

It felt like Spiritual Qi was flowing through his meridians, warm, like a stream, flowing from the Dantian to his limbs and back.

He clenched his fist.

Strength.

Not the illusion of "feeling stronger."

Real, tangible strength.

He looked at his hand. A thin layer of sweat covered his palm, but his fingers were steady, not trembling at all.

[Ding—]

["Effortless Gain" executed successfully.]

["Five-Animal Transformation Art" progress: 15%.]

[Mastered Form: Deer Form (Minor Mastery).]

[Effect: Strength +30%, Speed +50%, Injury Recovery Speed +200%.]

[Current Realm: Body Tempering Layer 1.]

Jiang Chi looked at the status panel, his heart filled with joy.

A night's rest, and he had reached Body Tempering Layer 1.

More importantly, his previously damaged Martial Dao Constitution had been repaired.

Though only Body Tempering Layer 1.

In the Jiang Family, that's just the level of a gatekeeper.

But it didn't matter, this was just the beginning.

Yesterday, he was a waste.

Today, he had stepped into the Martial Dao.

Tomorrow... he would be stronger.

As long as he slept more, he could reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to him.

Jiang Chi suppressed his excitement.

He wanted to lie down and sleep again.

But he couldn't.

Su Qianxue was unfamiliar with the area, and there were wild beasts outside the city.

Not seeing her now made him uneasy.

Thinking of this, he put on his shoes and pushed open the door.

Jiang Chi put on his shoes and pushed open the door.

Morning light flooded in, making him squint.

The courtyard was empty.

On the stove was a bowl of warm water, next to it half a piece of flatbread, the one she brought from the Su Family yesterday, broken in half, the other half still in the bundle.

She left the larger half for him.

Jiang Chi stood in the courtyard, dazed for three seconds.

Then got up and went out to search.

He moved quickly.

Not intentionally fast, his body had become faster.

His steps were light as if treading on cotton, each step farther than before, feeling like he could cover ten meters in one stride.

Deer Form.

Agile, swift, light as a swallow.

This was the effect of the "Five-Animal Transformation Art" Deer Form.

Reaching a riverside, he suddenly heard a sharp cry for help from the nearby dense forest.

"Help! Help!"

Jiang Chi was startled.

"It's Qianxue!"

Jiang Chi lifted his leg and dashed into the forest.

Moving like the wind, covering ten meters in a stride.

In the blink of an eye, he saw Su Qianxue under an old locust tree.

Su Qianxue leaned against the trunk, clutching a branch, facing a gray-furred wild wolf.

The wolf had a wound on its hind leg, the blood had crusted, it bared its teeth, growling, limping forward.

Su Qianxue's face was as white as paper, gripping the branch tightly, staring at the wolf.

"Qianxue!"

Jiang Chi shouted.

Su Qianxue turned her head, seeing him, her eyes immediately reddened.

"Brother Chi... don't come over! Run!"

Jiang Chi wouldn't listen.

Jiang Chi stepped forward, moving like the wind.

The wolf kicked off with its hind legs, its body leaping, fangs bared, lunging for his throat.

Deer Form, sidestep.

The wolf's claws grazed his chest, "rip"—his clothes tore, three bloody scratches from left shoulder to right rib, blood instantly flowing.

Pain.

But Jiang Chi didn't dodge.

He was waiting for this distance.

His left hand shot out, fingers like hooks, gripping the wolf's hind leg—the injured one, nails digging into the wound, into the flesh, gripping the bone.

The wolf howled, its cry sharp as a knife scraping an iron pot.

It twisted its head, its bloody maw snapping at Jiang Chi's neck.

The stench, the heat, the fangs.

Close at hand.

Jiang Chi didn't retreat.

His right fist swung up, aiming for the wolf's nose bridge, smashing down with all his might.

"Crack—"

The sound of bone breaking was crisp as snapping a twig.

The wolf's tears and nose blood sprayed out, splattering Jiang Chi's face.

The wolf went berserk.

All four legs kicked desperately, claws raking bloody lines on Jiang Chi's arm, dirt flying.

Jiang Chi stood like he was nailed to the ground, unmoving.

Second punch.

"Bang!"

Blood foam started bubbling from the wolf's mouth.

Third punch.

"Bang!"

Several of the wolf's teeth broke, mixed with blood, falling to the ground.

Fourth punch.

The wolf's eyes began to glaze over, its struggling weakened.

Fifth punch.

The wild wolf stopped struggling, completely still.

Jiang Chi let go, the wolf's body thudded to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

He panted heavily, the three bloody scratches on his chest burning, his right hand covered in blood, unsure if it was the wolf's or his own.

But he smiled.

He turned to Su Qianxue.

"Tonight, we have meat."

Su Qianxue stood frozen, looking at him, hands covered in blood, tears finally falling.

She rushed over, hugging him, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You scared me to death... you scared me to death..."

Jiang Chi patted her back.

"It's okay now, the wolf is dead."

He glanced at the wolf on the ground, thinking.

"With this wolf, we can eat and sleep well for a week!"

In a week.

He should reach Body Tempering Layer 5.