Chapter 3 — Long Hao's Birth, Ding Luck Awakens
The Breaking of the Night
The night fell heavy and suffocating. The blizzard outside had turned into a beast, slamming against the wooden walls of the hut.
Thud. Thud.
The wind sounded like fists beating against the door.
Inside, the oil lamp flickered low. Long Tan was awake, staring at the ceiling, calculating how many days of food were left.
Suddenly, a sound cut through the noise of the storm.
"Ah!"
It was a sharp, strangled gasp.
Long Tan turned his head instantly.
Su Lan was gripping the bedsheets. Her knuckles were white. Her body curled inward like a shrimp.
"Tan…" Her voice was tight with panic. "The baby… it hurts! It's different this time!"
Long Tan jumped from his stool. His heart hammered against his ribs.
"It's starting? Now?"
She nodded, sweat already beading on her forehead despite the cold room.
"It—hurts a lot… He is coming."
In the corner, a small head poked out from the blankets. Little San's eyes were wide with fear.
"Mother…?"
Long Tan forced himself to breathe. He could not panic. If he panicked, they would all die.
"San!" Long Tan's voice was sharp. "Get up. Now."
The boy scrambled out of bed, shivering.
"Keep the fire hot," Long Tan ordered. "Add all the wood we have. Boil the big pot of water. Do not stop. Can you do that?"
Little San saw the seriousness in his father's eyes. He nodded hard, grabbing a log.
"Yes, Father!"
The Dash Through Hell
"I am going for Midwife Liu. Hold on, Lan. Hold on!"
Long Tan grabbed his coat and threw open the door.
The wind hit him like a physical blow. Ice crystals slashed at his face.
He sprinted into the dark.
The snow was knee-deep. It felt like running through wet sand.
His lungs burned as if he were inhaling crushed glass.
His legs, weak from days of hunger, screamed in protest.
Run. Run. Run.
He reached the house at the end of the village and banged his fist against the wood.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Midwife Liu! Open up!"
The door opened a crack. An old woman with a wrinkled, sour face peered out, holding a candle. She looked annoyed.
"Who is it? It's the middle of the night."
"My wife—Su Lan—she's in labor!" Long Tan gasped, his chest heaving.
The old woman looked at the storm behind him. She scoffed.
"A winter birth in a blizzard? Too dangerous. I'm old. I might slip."
Long Tan grit his teeth. He knew this woman. She was greedy.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, cold piece of metal.
It was his last silver tael. The money he was saving for the tax.
He shoved it into her hand.
"One silver tael. Now."
The woman's eyes checked the money. She bit it to check if it was real.
"Fine," she grunted. She grabbed her leather bag. "Lead the way. But if she dies, it's not my fault."
Chaos Inside the Hut
When they returned, the hut was hot and smelled of iron and smoke.
Su Lan was screaming now. It was a raw, animal sound of pain.
She twisted on the bed, her face pale as a ghost.
Little San was by the stove, feeding wood into the fire. Tears streamed down his soot-covered face, but he didn't stop.
"Father! The water is boiling!"
"Good boy!" Long Tan shouted.
Midwife Liu pushed Long Tan aside roughly. She took charge immediately.
"You—useless man—cut some clean cloth!" she barked.
"You—move the stool closer!"
"Bring the hot water here! Don't spill it!"
Long Tan obeyed every order like a soldier. His hands shook as he cut strips of cloth from an old shirt.
He rushed to the bedside.
Su Lan grabbed his hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong. Her fingernails dug into his skin.
"Tan… I'm afraid…" she sobbed between breaths. "I don't have the strength…"
Long Tan wiped the sweat from her forehead with his sleeve. He felt helpless. He could hunt a wolf, but he couldn't fight this.
"You're strong," he whispered, bringing his face close to hers. "You are the strongest woman I know. Focus on me. Breathe."
The Pain and the Cry
Time lost its meaning. It could have been an hour; it could have been all night.
"I can see the head!" Midwife Liu shouted. "Push! Now, woman, push!"
Su Lan screamed, arching her back. Every vein in her neck stood out.
Little San covered his ears with his small hands, curling into a ball by the warm stove, terrified by his mother's pain.
"Push again! Harder! One last time!"
Su Lan gave a final, agonizing cry, and then collapsed back onto the pillow, gasping for air.
Silence filled the room for one second.
Long Tan held his breath. Is he alive?
Then—
"WAAAH!"
A sharp, clear, powerful cry pierced the air.
It was the sound of life.
Midwife Liu held up a small, slippery bundle.
"It's a boy," she muttered, wiping the baby with the warm cloth. "He's small, but he has strong lungs. Healthy."
Su Lan broke into sobs—not of pain, but of overwhelming relief.
Long Tan's vision blurred with tears. His legs finally gave out, and he knelt by the bed.
Little San peeked up, his eyes wide with wonder.
"That's… my brother?"
Long Tan nodded, his voice thick with emotion.
"Yes. That is your little brother."
Long Hao
The midwife finished cleaning the baby and wrapped him in the thickest blanket they owned. She handed him to Su Lan.
Su Lan looked exhausted. She looked ten years older than she had this morning. But her smile was beautiful.
"What shall we name him…?" she whispered, touching the baby's tiny cheek.
Long Tan looked at his newborn son.
The baby had a tuft of black hair and wrinkled red skin. He was fragile.
But he was warm. A miracle in the freezing winter.
Long Tan thought for a moment.
"Long Hao," he said firmly. "Hao means vast. Great. Limitless."
Su Lan repeated it, testing the sound.
"Long Hao…"
Little San crept closer and looked at the bundle. He poked the baby's hand gently.
"I will protect him, Father!" he declared. "I will catch rabbits for him!"
Long Tan ruffled Little San's hair.
"I know you will."
Ding Luck Awakens
Midwife Liu took her money and left into the storm.
The hut was quiet again.
Long Tan stood over the bed, looking down at his two sons and his sleeping wife.
He reached out and gently touched the newborn baby's forehead with his finger.
Pulse.
At the moment of contact, the world seemed to freeze.
A faint sound, like a temple bell, rang deep inside his mind.
Ding…
Long Tan stiffened. He looked around. No one else heard it.
Then, a small, translucent golden text floated in the air before his eyes.
It was clear. Sharp. Mechanical.
[Ding Luck System Activated]
Bloodline Member Added:
→ Long Hao (Second Son)
Ding Luck Begins Collecting.
Long Tan's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the text, afraid to blink in case it vanished.
Then, a new line appeared.
Reward Triggered by Second Son's Birth:
"Sun & Moon Refining Technique – Volume 1"
There was no explanation. No long list of rules. Just the reward.
Suddenly, information flooded into Long Tan's brain.
Images. Breathing patterns. Methods to absorb the energy of the sun and the moon to refine the body.
It was not a martial art. It was something... older. Something better.
Then, one final line of text appeared at the bottom:
Next Reward Condition:
→ Host must reach INNATE Realm.
The golden text slowly faded away into the air.
Long Tan stood frozen in the dim light.
His breath shook.
After two lives…
After waiting for years in poverty…
After the humiliation…
He finally had something.
He didn't have a cheat that gave him free points. He didn't have a cheat that made him invincible instantly.
But he had a technique.
A real chance to change his destiny.
He looked down at the sleeping baby, Long Hao.
Then at Little San.
Then at Su Lan.
This system… it was tied to his family. His children were his luck.
He leaned down and whispered so quietly that not even the wind could hear:
"Thank you… Hao."
Su Lan stirred in her sleep, opening one eye groggily.
"Tan? What did you say?"
Long Tan shook his head gently. He clenched his fist, feeling a new strength rising in his spirit.
"Nothing, Lan. Go to sleep."
He looked at the window where the storm was still raging.
"I just said… I am grateful."
Outside, the winter was still cold.
But inside, Long Tan finally had a path forward. The fire in the stove burned bright.