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As time slowly passed, little Ye Wen grew into a small but mature child.
One day, at the age of six, after finishing his morning routine, Ye Wen watched Tang San return to their dilapidated house from the mountains early in the morning. His eyes were filled with envy.
"How wonderful it must be to be reborn into this extraordinary world so seamlessly. He's already started cultivating even before his martial soul has awakened."
However, Ye Wen simply muttered this simple complaint and didn't dwell on it further. Regardless of what the future held, it had nothing to do with him—an ordinary villager living a humble life.
As someone from a lineage steeped in ambition, Ye Wen naturally harbored grand aspirations after being reborn. But in a world where future achievements largely depended on innate soul power—an unknown variable—Ye Wen lacked the means to cultivate at an early stage. Thus, he could only quietly await fate.
Of course, Ye Wen had read Douluo Continent and knew that the simplest way to change an ordinary person's destiny was to consume a miraculous immortal herb.
But those herbs were almost exclusively found near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, currently under the control of the venomous Du Gu Bo. There was no way for Ye Wen to obtain one. For now, he could only wait patiently and, based on his understanding of Douluo Continent, try to live cleanly, eat well, and exercise regularly. Perhaps this would give him, an ordinary civilian, a slight chance of becoming a soul master.
Once he obtained soul rings, he could claim gold coins from the Spirit Hall, live as a carefree parasite, and perhaps marry multiple wives. Such a life didn't seem too bad.
He had suffered his entire previous life; now that he had been reborn, shouldn't he enjoy himself?
As for cozying up to Tang San or asking him for cultivation techniques, Ye Wen had never entertained such thoughts.
After all, it was a surefire way to invite death. Anyone who had read Douluo understood. Even Tang San hadn't taught the Xuan Tian Gong to his closest confidants, let alone the villagers of Saint Soul Village, who were labeled as greedy and disdainful of poverty.
After finishing his morning routine, Ye Wen sat down to enjoy the breakfast prepared by his mother.
Though Ye Wen lived in the remote and impoverished Saint Soul Village, he had always displayed uncommon intelligence from a young age. Not only did he actively seek out Village Chief Jack to learn how to read, but he also convinced his family to raise rabbits and chickens—low-cost, easy-to-care-for livestock.
Some people weren't poor because they lacked diligence but because they applied their efforts in the wrong direction.
Compared to blind hard work, mastering a skill was the foundation of survival. Though raising livestock was a simple skill, in this ignorant era, any form of knowledge was rarely shared freely.
Moreover, the prevailing belief—"All professions are inferior; only soul masters reign supreme"—meant that books containing knowledge for commoners were scarce. Only someone like Ye Wen, born with inherent wisdom, would go out of his way to acquire such skills through other channels.
Ye Wen had considered other ways to improve his family's wealth, but he quickly realized that in this extraordinary society, earning too much money without the backing of a soul master made one an easy target for theft or worse.
Thus, maintaining a basic level of dignity was enough. Before becoming a soul master or securing a powerful patron, excessive wealth would only invite disaster.
Through years of small-scale rabbit and chicken farming, Ye Wen's family had become one of the few relatively wealthy households in Saint Soul Village. At the very least, they could comfortably provide meat, eggs, and milk for their family of three.
In such a rural setting, hoarding resources while neglecting neighbors was the quickest way to earn resentment. Therefore, Ye Wen intentionally fostered good relations with his neighbors, earning his family a solid reputation in Saint Soul Village.
In contrast, the Tang San family had the worst reputation. If not for Tang Hao's exceptional blacksmithing skills, the Tang family would have long been driven out, unable to afford even a meal.
Enjoying what could be considered a luxurious breakfast in Saint Soul Village, Ye Wen felt rather smug.
"So what if you'll become a god in the future, Tang San? You couldn't even afford side dishes when you were younger."
As someone familiar with traditional Chinese medicine, Ye Wen ate slowly and deliberately, savoring every bite. After all, there wasn't much else to worry about—he could simply enjoy his second run at life.
After swallowing the last bite of egg, Ye Wen dutifully cleaned up his utensils and said to his mother:
"Mom, I'm heading out."
"Mm, be careful and don't hurt yourself," his mother replied gently as she washed the dishes.
Though this exchange was repetitive, Ye Wen cherished it deeply. In his past life, he had been an orphan, and the warmth of family life was something he greatly appreciated.
After finishing his meal, Ye Wen found a secluded spot where no one was around and began practicing the Baji Quan and Xing Yi Quan.
As he went through the motions, Ye Wen felt something strange. Though he viewed these forms as mere psychological placebos, subtle changes in his instinctive movements left his body feeling unusually invigorated.
While practicing, Ye Wen cleared his mind and inwardly mocked Tang San.
How could someone not understand such a simple principle—don't exercise on an empty stomach? Tang San's childhood had been miserable, yet even after enduring so much hardship, he still fawned over Tang Hao like a loyal dog. It was truly exasperating.
But after finishing his practice, Ye Wen felt bored. What did this have to do with him? Focusing on living his own life was most important.
After completing his morning exercises, Ye Wen returned home to study.
Whether or not he could become a soul master remained uncertain, but understanding this world through books was still crucial.
After all, novels were novels, and reality was reality.
"Damn this feudal system—renting books is so expensive! Those damn capitalists… In the future, I'll definitely hang them from lampposts!" Ye Wen lamented bitterly, staring at his meager savings with clenched teeth.
Unlike Tang San, who had always been taciturn, Ye Wen had quietly showcased his intelligence while discreetly accumulating wealth. Though not exceedingly rich, his family had managed to build a modest fortune.
He was grateful for his open-minded parents, who willingly supported his endeavors.
The reason Ye Wen's father was absent early in the morning was that he had gone to deliver fresh produce to a small restaurant in Nuoding City.
Thanks to Ye Wen's guidance on raising high-quality chickens and rabbits, their products had entered Nuoding City's market two years ago. Leveraging this advantage, Ye Wen's family also helped other villagers sell their agricultural goods. Their efforts had lifted the entire village, earning them the second-highest respect in the village after Elder Jack.
And so, time passed day by day until Ye Wen finally reached that fateful moment.
Waiting quietly in the Saint Soul Village Spirit Hall for the arrival of the "blind deity," Ye Wen inwardly grumbled: "Commoners really have it rough."
Though commoners generally lacked cultivation talent, the fact that they couldn't awaken their martial souls on their sixth birthday but had to wait for specific times each year only widened the gap between them and the wealthy merchants or nobles.
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