As Xue Wen was pondering over the strange phenomenon inside his body, he sat quietly for a moment, fingers tapping lightly on the wooden table.
His brows furrowed as he tried to recall every scrap of memory left behind by the former Xue Wen.
The images flickered in his mind like fragments of broken glass, but eventually they began to form a clear picture. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Marrow Essence!" he whispered with shock, his voice trembling.
"This energy… it's definitely Marrow Essence."
His breathing quickened as he pieced everything together.
A Bonebearer's entire cultivation revolved around absorbing Marrow Essence from marrow-rich objects, rare beast bones, or the marrow stones painstakingly harvested from the earth.
Ordinary people could never touch such resources unless they belonged to powerful clans or sects.
Yet here he was, eating nothing but normal food, and somehow his body converted it into pure Marrow Essence.
It was unheard of. Impossible. And yet—his canines pulsed faintly with heat, as though confirming his discovery.
Without another second of hesitation, he jumped to his feet and dashed to the kitchen.
His movements were so hurried that the chair behind him nearly toppled over.
He lifted the lid of the clay pot where the leftover meat broth sat steaming faintly, and his heart leapt with excitement.
"There's still more!"
He ladled a full bowl and sat down, greedily devouring the broth and tearing at the chunks of meat as though he hadn't eaten for days.
The warm liquid slid down his throat, filling his stomach with comforting heat.
And then, just as he hoped, the strange energy appeared once again, surging toward his teeth like a tide before seeping deeper into his bones.
A wide grin spread across his face, his eyes sparkling with elation. "It's true. My body is converting everything I eat into Marrow Essence. According to the old memories, people spend years searching for marrow objects to strengthen their bones, but I… I can just eat!"
He leaned back, chest rising and falling rapidly as the realization sank in. "This is a blessing beyond heaven. If others found out about this, they would go mad. With this ability, my cultivation speed could surpass even the so-called geniuses of this clan."
Just as he was reveling in his discovery, the sound of footsteps approached softly from the hallway.
Xue Wen turned his head, only to see Ding Mei standing there.
She wore a light blue robe that clung delicately to her frame, the fabric damp from the bath.
A towel was draped over her shoulders, her long dark hair still dripping with droplets that clung to her skin like crystals.
Her cheeks, however, were as red as the evening sun.
The moment their eyes met, she fidgeted nervously, lowering her gaze.
Then, to his shock, she quickly dropped to her knees, her forehead almost touching the ground.
"I am sorry, dear…" she said softly, her voice trembling. "I… I didn't mean to do that earlier…" She was referring to the bath incident, the moment of panic when she had thrown the mug of water at him.
Xue Wen's heart softened instantly. He hurried over and gently lifted her by the shoulders. "No, no, it was my mistake. I should have knocked first. Don't blame yourself."
Seeing her flustered appearance made his chest tighten painfully. She was such a good woman, caring, gentle, and far too forgiving.
His predecessor had treated her cruelly for an entire year, ignoring her, humiliating her, never offering her even the simplest kindness.
And yet here she was, still bowing her head to apologize for something so trivial.
The shame burned inside him.
She bit her lip and turned her face away, clearly overwhelmed, but Xue Wen only chuckled awkwardly to lighten the atmosphere.
After a moment's hesitation, he walked to a small cabinet in the corner of the room and returned with a little leather pouch in his hand.
"Here," he said, placing five small red beads into her palms. The crimson marbles gleamed faintly, releasing a soft marrow aura. "Use these to buy new robes and anything else you need."
Her eyes widened in shock.
She quickly tried to return them, shaking her head desperately. "No! I can't accept this. These are yours, husband. You need them for cultivation."
Xue Wen stepped back instantly, refusing to take them.
His expression was firm, yet his voice was gentle. "So you won't listen to me?"
Ding Mei's entire face turned red as she clutched the beads nervously. "It's not that… it's just… I don't need so much. You're the one who must grow stronger."
Xue Wen smiled warmly and reached out to pat her head, his touch light and reassuring. "You're a Bonebearer as well. You need to cultivate too. And besides, I'll be heading out to buy a few things I need. While I'm gone, use these properly, alright?"
He gave her no chance to argue further, quickly moving toward the door.
Before she could gather the courage to say anything more, the door closed behind him, leaving her alone in the quiet room.
Ding Mei stood still, staring at the beads in her hand.
Her fingers curled tightly around them, and slowly, tears welled up in her eyes.
"…Maybe… I am not a Jinx after all," she whispered, her lips trembling.
A fragile yet radiant smile spread across her face, the first genuine smile she had shown in a long time.
Then, as if remembering the morning incident, her face turned crimson all over again.
She buried her cheeks in her palms, her heart racing wildly.
With a squeak, she leapt onto the sofa, hugging a pillow tightly and kicking her legs in the air like a girl caught in a dream.
For the first time in years, her heart felt light. She was happy. Truly happy.
After getting out of the room Xue Wen was in his garden. The Ding Clan gave them a small house in the corner of their mention, in front of the house was a small garden with various flowers and a small pond.
The atmosphere was serene, "The patriarch really treats his daughter well." He was satisfied.
"I need to go buy some stuff to experiment with my new power, like what it's my limits and what foods give me power and what doesn't." He nodded and started walking towards the main mansion of the Ding Clan.