Half a month passed. “Feng Muchen, you are an impressive young man,” Lu Yuanding declared, his voice echoing in the main hall of the Green Bamboo Manor. “Not only did you marry three women of my Lu family, but in the span of a fortnight, you have already gotten Lanshu with child!” “Our Lu family has always been fair in matters of reward and punishment, and we certainly do not mistreat our own. Here is your reward!” “A low-grade magical weapon: a flying sword!” “A set of green bamboo robes!” “A bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills!” “And one hundred catties of spiritual rice!” It had been only two weeks since Feng Muchen’s wedding, but his efforts had already borne fruit. Among his three wives, Lu Lanshu’s pregnancy was confirmed. The news filled Feng Muchen with a profound joy. In this life or his last, this was the first time he would be a father. Even though the child’s conception was tangled in duty and expectation, the happiness he felt was entirely genuine. The moment he learned of the pregnancy, he had already chosen names. If it was a boy, he would be Pingan. If a girl, she would be Xile. Peace and Joy—that was all he truly wished for his children. When the family head, Lu Yuanding, received the news, he had come to Qingzhu Villa in person to commend Feng Muchen and bestow upon him a generous reward. A low-grade magical weapon was worth fifty spirit stones. The robes, thirty. The hundred catties of spiritual rice were worth ten, as was the bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills. In total, the reward was equivalent to a hundred spirit stones worth of resources. When the other cultivator prospects heard of his reward, their gazes burned with envy. Their monthly stipend from the Lu family consisted of a mere two spirit stones and ten catties of spiritual rice. The reward Feng Muchen had just received was nearly equal to their allocation for the next three years. All because he was the first to conceive a child. The injustice made them clench their jaws in frustration. “Thank you, Patriarch!” Feng Muchen said, bowing respectfully, his own delight evident. He hadn't expected such a bounty simply for being the first. He understood, however, that Lu Yuanding was making an example of him, motivating the others to hurry up and start their own families. “Hehe, you have earned it. The Lu family never neglects those who contribute,” Lu Yuanding said with a knowing smile. His gaze swept over the other young men gathered in the hall. “When you have a child, the family will reward you as well. And if anyone is the first to produce an heir with spiritual roots, I, the family head, will grant an even greater prize!” His words electrified the room. The prospects were spurred into action, their minds suddenly filled with thoughts of returning home to their wives. Even Sun Wujie looked tempted. In time, however, when others began to announce pregnancies, the rewards were far more modest: a single bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills and ten catties of spiritual rice. It was nothing compared to the grand prize Feng Muchen had received. Another month went by, and Feng Muchen’s second wife, Lu Qinger, also became pregnant. For this second child, the family offered no additional reward. If they rewarded every birth so lavishly, the Lu family coffers would soon run dry. Then, a little over half a month later, his third wife, Lu Zier, was confirmed to be pregnant as well. In just over two months since joining the Lu family, Feng Muchen had managed to get all three of his wives with child. The other prospects were left speechless, wondering if the man had any interest in cultivation at all, or if he was solely focused on procreation. His success was not by chance. Beyond his own relentless efforts, he had meticulously calculated ovulation cycles and made use of the fertility potions provided by the Lu family, maximizing every opportunity. Feng Muchen could say with a clear conscience that he had truly put in the work. Once all three of his wives were pregnant, Feng Muchen finally began to shift his focus to cultivation. In light of the pregnancies, Uncle Fu sent two maids to attend to his daily needs. They were fair-skinned, with lovely figures and pleasing features. It was clear at a glance they were not here simply to manage household chores. The Lu family, it seemed, had noted his talent for producing heirs and had sent them for that very purpose. For now, Feng Muchen had no particular thoughts about the two maids. He wanted more children, yes, but such things could not be rushed. A slow and steady approach was best; working so hard every day could take a serious toll on the body. Before he started on the path of immortality, such frequent activity would have left him merely exhausted. Now, as a cultivator, Feng Muchen could keenly sense a depletion of his vital essence. It not only affected his physical condition but also noticeably slowed his cultivation speed, requiring time to recover. This was precisely why other cultivators were unwilling to pursue heirs with such abandon. It was a path that could lead to one’s ruin. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. “I’ve finally broken through to the first level of Qi Refining!” Inside his cultivation room, Feng Muchen, dressed in a green robe, opened his eyes and exhaled a long, slow breath. His face was alight with joy. It had been nearly ten months since he first arrived at the Lu family estate. Now, he had finally completed the process of drawing spiritual energy into his body. He was officially a cultivator. His progress wasn't exceptionally fast, but it wasn’t slow either, especially considering the time he had devoted to starting a family. The Qi Refining realm had nine levels, and the first three were not considered difficult. As long as one persisted, breakthroughs were largely a matter of time. Still, Feng Muchen knew his recent success was thanks to the Yellow Dragon Pill, which had saved him months of difficult cultivation. Without it, he estimated it would have taken him another two or three months to reach the first level. The experience drove home the importance of wealth and resources on the path of cultivation. Over the past half year, he had not neglected his other duties. He had taken the two maids sent by Uncle Fu as concubines, and they too had successfully become pregnant. In response, Uncle Fu sent two more maids of similar good looks and increased his monthly stipend to three spirit stones and twenty catties of spiritual rice. “Lanshu must be close to her due date,” Feng Muchen murmured, standing and smoothing the front of his green bamboo robe. Though not a magical treasure, the garment was extraordinary. It adjusted its size to always fit perfectly, resisted both cold and heat, and repelled dust. After leaving his seclusion, Feng Muchen spent time with his wives and visited Sun Wujie’s home to catch up. Of all the prospects who had come to the Lu family, he was only close with Sun Wujie. They had known each other from the beginning, and Sun Wujie had saved his life on the journey to Red Maple Mountain. Over this long period, Feng Muchen had learned that while Sun Wujie was a man of few words, he possessed a warm heart and was a friend worth keeping. A little over half a month later. “Don’t be nervous. Your wife lives in Red Maple Mountain Villa, nurtured by spiritual energy. Her constitution is strong. There will be no danger,” Sun Wujie said, his voice a calm presence beside him. Outside the room, Feng Muchen could hear Lu Lanshu’s cries. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists. “I’m not nervous,” Feng Muchen said, taking a deep breath. “I’m just… excited. Happy.” But his darting eyes and restless energy betrayed his forced calm. “Have you thought of a name for the child?” Sun Wujie asked. Though the child would belong to the Lu family, the father still retained the right to name them. As Feng Muchen shared the Lu surname, that part was already settled. “I have. A boy will be named Pingan, and a girl, Xile,” Feng Muchen replied, his mind still elsewhere. Before long, the sharp, clear cry of a newborn erupted from within the room, startling Feng Muchen. At that very same moment, a notification unexpectedly sounded in his mind. 【Congratulations to the host on the birth of your first offspring. You have been awarded one lottery chance!】 A lottery? The system’s message stunned him for a second. Then he understood. This was an achievement reward for having a child, one he had no way of seeing beforehand and could only discover on his own. Pushing thoughts of the system lottery aside, Feng Muchen fixed his gaze on the delivery room door. Moments later, it opened. A woman emerged, carrying a swaddled infant, its skin red and wrinkled. “Congratulations, Young Master. It’s a little boy!” Feng Muchen reached out and took the baby. He looked down at the tiny, rosy face, at the bright, clear eyes, and a smile bloomed from the very depths of his heart. “From this day forward, your name is Lu Pingan.” “My son.”

Chapter 5: A Legacy Swiftly Begun