"I still can't believe it, the Young Master can now learn martial arts." Daichi ran a hand over his forehead, struggling to process the weight of the information before him.
"The heaven's truly are with us." Lady Cho gently held Li Yao's forehead, her smile radiant and full of relief. This was the best news she had ever received.
Li Yao was utterly speechless, he was literally at a loss for words. He had no idea what to say or how to process any of this, the idea of a maid being his mother baffled him.
Did that mean his father had made one of those 'mistakes' with a mere maid? The thought spun in his mind, tangled and confusing.
"Did you hear that Li Yao? You can now learn martial arts, isn't that exciting?" She asked her son, a bright smile tugging at the corners of her lips, her eyes filled with warmth and gentle curiosity.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, it still hurts though, that fall really was something else."
"Lady Cho, let's give the Young Master some time to eat and rest, he's been through a lot, we can celebrate this new development after he's had his dinner and rest." Daichi suggested.
"Alright." She nodded in agreement, slowly withdrawing her hands from his forehead before turning and making her way toward the door.
As Daichi and Lady Cho slipped out and closed the door behind them, Li Yao sprang to his feet, stretching his eyes sideways and cracking his joints with a sharp pop.
"This happened so fast, I don't think I've had time to properly process what's happening. All I understand is I transmigrated into my favorite novel, but I have no idea who this character is."
He continued stretching, working to loosen up and adjust to the unfamiliar sensations of his new body.
"Alright, all I can make out from this is that I got transmigrated into another world, and not just another world, a cultivation world. Fascinating, I never imagined the concept of reincarnation, or rather transmigration, would actually be true. Nonetheless, now that I know where I am."
He took off his shirt, and followed it up with a deep breath. The Heavenly divine pearl didn't just heal him completely before fading away, it restored all the abnormalities in his current body.
"Fascinati-"
"Li Yao, dinner is almost r-" As Lady Cho burst into the room, her lively expression instantly shifted to one of shock and confusion.
What puzzled her the most was Li Yao's body, his slightly well-defined six-pack abs, the sharp V-taper of his frame, his toned muscles, and most surprising of all, he seemed even taller than before.
"Have you been working out Yao?" No matter what he said, she wasn't sure she could believe it. After all, the Li Yao she had known and raised was skinny, average, and clearly malnourished.
After being rejected and cast aside by the patriarch of the demonic cult, Lady Cho fled in search of refuge with her son and Daichi, who felt remorse for them. This was solely because the other sects had refused to recognize the bastard Li Yao as the rightful heir to the patriarch's title.
Talentless or not, it didn't change the truth—he carried the blood of the patriarch in his veins, and he was the firstborn son of the leader of the cult.
"Working out? What do you mean?" He asked, unaware of the rapid changes sweeping through his body. In his previous world, muscle growth was like cultivation—earned slowly, through months of sweat and muscle tears.
Having just transmigrated and with less than a day passed since his transmigration, it never occurred to him that his once skinny body had transformed.
When he finally glanced down at his midsection, his eyes widened in disbelief at his sudden development.
'Whoa... I'm even more toned than when I was still the god of mana, how is this possible? Wait... Is this also as a result of the Heavenly divine pearl?'
"Dinner is ready, let's eat before the food gets cold, today's a special day."
Lady Cho shrugged it off. After all, it was the same situation as when his body had suddenly become strong enough to learn martial arts. In the end, she simply called it heaven's grace.
As she left his room, he went to take a bath, then changed into a fresh, clean kimono before heading downstairs to the cabin's dining area.
The moment he walked into the dining area, a delicious aroma filled his nose, making his mouth water. His eyes landed on the table, piled high with an array of tempting dishes—steaming rice, tender pork, savory chicken, and a warm bowl of soup.
All steaming hot, fresh from the pot just moments ago.
"Come join us Li Yao! Your mother went through a lot of trouble to cook this dish! Two months of supplies down the drain, HAHAHAHA!"
Daichi wasted no time digging in, devouring each dish like a ravenous beast. His eyes welled with tears of satisfaction as he ate.
"Two months??" Li Yao couldn't believe what he was hearing. He understood their situation from the way and place they lived, yet they chose to waste their supplies so carelessly.
"It's like I said, today's a special day, so we have to celebrate."
"Celebrate?" Li Yao sat down with a smile stretched across his lips, picked up a piece of chicken, and began to eat. Despite his confusion, it didn't change the fact that he was hungry, malnutrition had already started to take its toll on his body.
"What are we celebrating?"
Lady Cho and Daichi exchanged a brief glance, a knowing smile passing between them, before turning their eyes back to Li Yao.
"Yao, me and Daichi had a talk, and we decided that the time has finally come for you to enroll into the demonic cult academy, isn't that exciting? You can finally claim what's rightfully yours."
As she spoke, both she and Daichi smiled brightly, their eyes full of hope as they waited for Li Yao's response.
Li Yao, on the other hand, glanced at the two of them, taking in the joy shining in their eyes. He let out a quiet sigh, knowing very well the weight of their expectations settled on his shoulders.
"Enroll in the demonic cult academy? Nah."