Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Mid-Stage Nascent Soul
“Pah, pah!”
The woman hurriedly stood up, pulled on her pants, and fastened her belt, spitting out the wet, slightly foul-tasting mud that had gotten into her mouth. Then, with anger blazing in her eyes, she demanded, “Damn you! Who are you, and why did you sneak up on me?”
Ye Bufan coughed weakly. “Cough, cough! Where... where is this place?”
He felt a bit feeble, his eyes darting around. Yet, the essence of a man remains unchanged at any time. His gaze shifted several times before settling on the woman.
In her haste, she hadn’t dressed properly, and now it looked like she was wearing a crop top. A sliver of her slender waist was exposed—smooth, fair, and delicate skin that invited an almost irresistible urge to embrace.
At that moment, a sixth sense of danger flashed through Ye Bufan’s mind. He barely managed to avert his eyes and caught sight of a brick-like stone hurtling swiftly toward his forehead.
“Ah, wait! What are you doing with that brick?”
With his peripheral vision, he spotted the dangerous stone coming at him fast.
“Pervert! What are you staring at?”
“I’m just looking, that’s all.”
“Pervert! Stop that.”
“Ah, wait, I’m sorry.”
...
The woman’s name was Chu Rou’er. Her family ran an escort agency, and today she was accompanying her father on a mission.
She had an oval face, large eyes bright with spirit, well-defined features, and raven-black hair tied in a ponytail. Standing about 1.73 meters tall, she was the picture of a martial artist—well-proportioned, slender yet curvy in all the right places.
Perhaps from fatigue, she paused.
“Because of you, my clothes are all dirty! Pay me compensation!”
Ye Bufan replied, “Ah, I have no money.”
He had just been resurrected and possessed nothing.
“Sorry, miss, I’m truly penniless right now—completely empty-handed.”
“But I do have another ‘long thing’—if you want, I could offer that as compensation.”
He thought his teasing would go over her head, but to his surprise, she understood perfectly.
Quickly, she shielded her chest, then hesitated, covering herself below as well, yet it still felt vulnerable above.
Uneasy, she asked Ye Bufan sharply, then lifted her leg and kicked him fiercely.
“Ah!... Ah!” echoed through the air.
Ye Bufan was sent flying over ten meters by the kick.
Chu Rou’er was shocked by her own strength and hurried over to check on him.
Though naive, she was kindhearted.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, I’m… fine, I guess.”
Seeing Ye Bufan struggling to stand, she felt a pang of guilt.
In truth, Ye Bufan was starving; his stomach was empty, leaving him weak.
---
“I didn’t mean it! You were just looking at me so lecherously!” she said.
Ye Bufan weakly retorted, “I call it admiration—don’t you know what that means? What’s lecherous looking?”
“I don’t care. You can’t look at me like that. And where exactly did you come from? Tell me!”
Ye Bufan glanced at the somewhat clueless woman and suddenly chuckled inwardly.
“Let me tell you a story—want to hear it?”
“What kind of story? If it makes me happy, I might consider forgiving you, hmph.”
Ye Bufan began:
“There was a very cute little white rabbit lost in the forest. It saw a little black rabbit and asked, ‘Brother Black Rabbit, brother Black Rabbit, I’m lost in the big forest. How can I get out?’
“The black rabbit asked, ‘Do you want to know?’
“The white rabbit said, ‘Yes.’
“The black rabbit said, ‘If you want to know, you have to make me comfortable first.’
“The white rabbit had no choice but to let the black rabbit feel comfortable.
“Then the black rabbit told the white rabbit the way out.
“The white rabbit happily hopped along, but soon got lost again and met a little gray rabbit.
“It asked the gray rabbit the same question.
“The gray rabbit said, ‘Do you want to know?’
“The white rabbit said, ‘Yes.’
“The gray rabbit said, ‘If you want to know, you have to make me comfortable first.’
“The white rabbit again had no choice but to comply.
“The gray rabbit told the white rabbit the way out,
“And finally, the white rabbit escaped the forest.
“But then, the white rabbit realized it was pregnant!”
Ye Bufan looked at Chu Rou’er and asked, “Guess what color the little rabbits were?”
Chu Rou’er asked, “What color?”
Ye Bufan teased, “Want to know?”
She nodded.
He grinned, “If you want to know, you have to make me comfortable first!”
Chu Rou’er’s face immediately flushed red. Yet, glancing at Ye Bufan’s lewd and arrogant expression, a volcanic temper was about to erupt.
Ye Bufan saw she was about to lose it and quickly added, “Wait! Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m hurt and hungry. I just want you to help me get some food and find a doctor!”
“Ah! No—no!” echoed again.
“You pervert!” she scolded.
The commotion caught the attention of Chu Xiong, who was waiting nearby for his daughter.
“Rou’er, what’s going on?”
---
Half an hour later.
Ye Bufan was munching on steamed buns and drinking water.
“Slow down, young man. No rush,” Chu Xiong advised.
Ye Bufan said, “Thanks, Head Chu, for taking me in. Don’t worry—I’m strong. I’ll work for free for six months to compensate Miss Chu for her losses.”
Chu Xiong smiled, “It’s nothing. In the martial world, people help each other out. When you reach the city ahead, you can make your own arrangements.”
Chu Rou’er snorted, “Hmph! You should be thanking my father. Without us taking you in, you’d have starved here.”
Ye Bufan reassured, “Don’t worry, I really am strong. I just need a bit of time.”
No one at the escort agency paid much attention.
Though still weak, there were no extra carts available, so he walked behind the group.
At dusk, in a makeshift camp, Ye Bufan leaned against a tree.
He needed to check the system first.
[System Panel Activated]
As he thought, information appeared naturally.
[System Information]
Host: Ye Bufan
Lifespan: 66 years
Cultivation Level: Mortal
System Function: Offspring Enhancement Level One (Details)
Enhancement Success Rate: 90%
System Shop: Not Activated
System Upgrade: 0/100 million Energy
Offspring Cultivation Feedback Points: Available for Claim
“Claim!”
Without hesitation, he claimed the cultivation points.
[Claim Successful]
[Current Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Stage One
Current Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Stage Three
Qi Refining Complete
Foundation Establishment Stage One
Foundation Establishment Complete
Golden Core Stage One
Golden Core Complete
...
Nascent Soul Stage Five]
Watching his cultivation surge rapidly up to Nascent Soul Stage Five felt exhilarating.
He could clearly sense energy flowing into his body, pale blue glowing light swimming through him.
It swept along his extraordinary meridians, cleansing his muscles and settling into his dantian, forming a small, continuously spinning vortex. At its center was a dark, glossy dot, surrounded by faint interwoven white and yellow radiance.