Shen Wei returned to his room and sat on the edge of the kang, raking his fingers vigorously through his hair. He really wasn't used to a house bustling with children and grandchildren. Especially when his eldest grandson called him “Grandpa.” The word sent a disquieting jolt through him, leaving him feeling completely detached. Shen Wei heaved a long sigh. It seemed he had no choice. No matter how unsettling it felt, he would have to slowly get used to it. Brooding wouldn't solve anything; it was better to figure out how to survive the days ahead. He opened a wooden chest at the head of the kang and lifted out a smaller box from within. Inside lay two silver hairpins, two silver bracelets, and thirteen taels of broken silver. Next, Shen Wei retrieved a pottery jar from the corner of the kang. It was filled with copper coins. After a quick count, he estimated that, aside from the jewelry, the family had about fifteen taels in savings. For a family this large, it was a meager sum. Fortunately, they still owned twenty acres of farmland. With autumn already set in, the harvest wasn't far off. For the next year, at least, they would be able to get by. As for the future, that was in the hands of fate. A farmer’s livelihood was entirely at the mercy of the heavens. With good weather, there might be enough food. But if disaster struck, starvation was inevitable. Having accepted his new reality, Shen Wei had to consider how he would live. His mind drifted to the usual tropes of transmigration stories. Should he start making glass, soap, and firearms, then launch a rebellion and become a king? He almost rolled his eyes at the thought. Novels were truly deceiving. He knew sand was used to make glass, but the method? That was a complete mystery. Lard could supposedly be used to make soap, but what came next? He hadn't the faintest clue. As for firearms, he was utterly clueless. He’d be hard-pressed to make a simple firecracker, let alone a musket. Most modern people knew a little about gunpowder, but knowing a little was a far cry from being able to produce it. Besides, this world had Martial Artists—extraordinary beings who could leap over rooftops and face a thousand men alone. Against them, primitive firearms were useless. Unless he could somehow develop modern munitions, it was far wiser to be an obedient citizen. At least that way, he wouldn't get himself killed. The body’s original owner had been a Martial Artist himself, having reached that level at fifteen. He wouldn’t have been able to join the military otherwise. But after one devastating battle, he had been gravely injured, and his path in the martial arts was severed completely. Thinking of the skills the man once possessed, Shen Wei clenched his fist. Although this body felt weak and was riddled with old wounds, it still held a surprising amount of strength—more than an average person, certainly. To resume his cultivation, however, he would first have to heal those hidden injuries and replenish his vital energy. That wasn't a problem ten or twenty taels of silver could solve; otherwise, the original Shen Wei would have sought treatment long ago. As he dwelled on his injuries, Shen Wei suddenly froze. Jade Spring: Heals injuries. Long-term consumption can improve one's physique and potential. An inexplicable piece of information surfaced in his mind, followed by a familiar image. A rock pool, its water crystal clear, surrounded by an endless darkness. It was a scene from his dreams. “Jade Spring!” Realization dawned. Shen Wei quickly left the room and returned with a porcelain bowl. He extended his index finger over the bowl and focused his thoughts. A stream of water flowed from his fingertip, cool and clear, into the waiting vessel. Soon, a full bowl of pristine water sat before him. Was this really safe to drink? Shen Wei eyed the water with a hint of doubt. The image in his mind had changed; the dark rock pool was now empty, but at the very bottom, fresh water was slowly beginning to seep upward. So, it could regenerate. After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Wei lifted the bowl and drank it down in one gulp. The water was crisp and sweet. As it entered his stomach, a gentle warmth spread through his entire body. The chronic ache in his left shoulder eased, and a feeling of unprecedented relief washed over him. “It really works?” Shen Wei shifted his weight, feeling distinctly lighter than before. When he tried to lift his left arm, however, a dull pain still lingered. The Jade Spring had an effect—it could heal his old wounds, but one bowl was not enough. Shen Wei’s eyes lit up. If he could heal his injuries, he could cultivate again. With the foundation the original owner had built, becoming a Martial Artist should be a simple matter. More importantly, his body could return to its peak condition. He might be a decade older, but if his body recovered, he was still a man in his prime. Thirty-eight was still young! Even if he was a grandfather, he was a young one. Definitely not an old man. With that thought, not only did his body feel lighter, but his spirits lifted as well. Ten years was nothing, so long as he wasn’t a broken-down weakling. So long as he could still be strong and full of life, that was all that mattered. Focusing his mind, he saw the rock pool again. The water was seeping out slowly, but it was enough. As long as there was hope, that was all he needed. After putting the silver away, Shen Wei walked out of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. His eldest grandson, who was playing in the courtyard, saw him and immediately ran over with a joyful cry. Looking at the boy now, Shen Wei felt the resistance in his heart soften. The sturdy, bright-eyed little fellow was actually quite endearing. Shen Wei scooped him up with ease. A single bowl of spring water hadn’t healed him completely, but it was enough to lift his grandson—something he remembered being too painful for the original owner to do. “Grandpa, teach me the Spear Technique!” the boy chirped, his face beaming with delight. Shen Wei’s gaze shifted to his youngest daughter, Shen Yunxue, in the courtyard. The ten-year-old girl was practicing with a long spear. The ancestral Spear Technique of the Shen family. It wasn't some profound secret art, but a practical style forged in the crucible of battle. Its movements were sharp and decisive, stripped of all flourish. Each attack was designed to flow into the next. All five of the Shen children had practiced martial arts and learned to read. The martial arts were a family inheritance, while literacy was a gift from their late mother. It sounded impressive, but in truth, they were masters of neither. None of them had become true Martial Artists, and their reading was just enough to recognize words, far from the level of a scholar. His eldest, Shen Bowen, and second oldest, Shen Mingzhi, were too busy with farm work to keep up with their practice. The fourth son, Shen Minghao, had been sent to apprentice at an ironworks in town and had likely let his skills rust as well. Now, only his little daughter, Shen Yunxue, still practiced diligently every day. Watching her wield the long spear with powerful, clean strokes, Shen Wei felt a familiar itch in his hands. Every man dreams of being a martial hero in his youth. His own dream had been shattered long ago, but in a world where true Martial Artists existed, that broken dream began to stir once more. “Grandpa will perform the Spear Technique for you, how about that?” Shen Wei said, a slight smile touching his lips. “Okay!” his grandson cried, clapping his hands. Shen Wei set the boy down, went back into the bedroom, and returned moments later with an iron spear. The weapon was one meter eighty in length, tipped with a seven-inch head that weighed four taels, its edges as flat as buckwheat grains. Drawing on the memories in his mind, Shen Wei’s first thrust was like a striking viper. He moved with swift grace, the spear a blur of motion. His movements were wide and powerful, each one delivered with full force. A sudden spin sent a shiver through the air as the spear tip vibrated, catching the light in a cascade of cold, dazzling glints that enveloped the space around him. On the battlefield, you gave every attack your all. To hold back was to invite death at the enemy’s hands. That was the essence of the Shen family’s Spear Technique: absolute commitment in every move. Each thrust was a matter of life and death, with no thought wasted on the next. Seeing him practice, Shen Yunxue stopped, her expression a mixture of surprise and delight. “Dad is practicing the spear again?” Her young voice was clear and sweet. “Grandpa is so amazing!” the eldest grandson, Shen Chengye, cheered, clapping enthusiastically. The doors to the east and west wings opened. His eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Wang, and his second, a daughter of the Ms. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Li family, came out with their children. They, too, stared at Shen Wei in astonishment. The man he now was had not touched a spear in a long time. Since his wife’s death, he had been lost in grief, with no heart for practice. The man, it seemed, had loved his wife deeply. Feeling their eyes on him, Shen Wei felt a surge of pride, and the iron spear in his hands became even more ferocious. But such elation was short-lived. Following a powerful lunge, he stumbled. A sharp pain lanced through his left shoulder, as if a nerve had been pinched. The world momentarily grayed at the edges, and his stance faltered. “Dad, are you okay?” Shen Yunxue rushed forward to support him, her voice filled with concern. Looking at his little daughter’s worried face, Shen Wei felt a warmth spread through his chest. Though he had come by this daughter without effort, her concern was undeniably real. “I can’t practice for now,” he said with a sigh of regret. It had felt wonderful to wield the spear again, but his injuries were too severe to allow him to indulge himself completely. He could only hope the Jade Spring would work its magic quickly. “Dad, should we ask a physician to take a look?” his eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Wang, asked as she approached, holding her own daughter. Though a mother of two, she was only twenty years old. Since her mother-in-law had passed, Lady Wang had taken charge of the household. The old saying held that the eldest sister-in-law was like a second mother, and it was clear the burden on her was not light. “No need. I’ll be fine after some rest.” Shen Wei felt a little embarrassed. His sons and daughters were one thing, but he still felt a strange awkwardness around his daughters-in-law. In his old life, he’d had a few relationships but had never married. He’d never even had a wife, let alone a daughter-in-law. Thinking about it, his previous life felt rather miserable. This would not do. He had to find himself a wife. Just because he was a widower didn't mean he had to stay one. He would find these children a stepmother, he vowed to himself. Just wait and see.

Chapter 3: An Unsettling New Reality