Chapter Fourteen: Repaying With One’s Life

"Is this spice very expensive?" Xiao Nan rummaged through his memories, trying hard to recall, but found he had no concept of it at all.

It seemed the original Xiao Nan never paid attention to such matters; relevant knowledge simply couldn’t be found. Helpless, he had to turn to his younger sister for guidance.

The little girl’s round eyes darted mischievously—her words held a hint of precocious wisdom. Children like her often possessed a clever spirit, knowing a bit more than most. Asking her, though it would reveal his lack of common knowledge, likely wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

"Sigh..." Xiao Bei shook her head, her eyes full of the look that said, "You know nothing, ignorance is bliss." The expression made Xiao Nan feel a surge of irritation—this little creature was truly something.

"You know why Qin Shuang is a celebrated figure in Yuanjiang Prefecture? She’s courted by the top universities in the Capital and Heluo, both eager to recruit her—not simply because her family is wealthy and can provide abundant resources. The Divine Essence Incense, a second-grade spiritual fragrance, is worth over a million for a small piece. We could never afford it. Even with her high status in the Qin family, Qin Shuang doesn’t have much for herself. She finds it barely enough for her own use, yet she gave you some—quite a favor, isn’t it?"

The little girl smiled like a fox who’d stolen a chicken, her eyes curling into crescents. After her laughter, she sighed, "If I had that many resources, with my talent, I could have been recruited early into the Capital’s academy. Of course, if it were you, it wouldn’t work... Clumsy as you are, you can’t even master basic sword forms."

Xiao Nan finally understood.

Mother and daughter were simply too proud to accept charity.

If only they’d said so earlier—he himself was thick-skinned and cared little for such things.

A pity for those three fine pieces of incense.

He looked up, seeing Tan Qiuyi’s figure already disappearing into the distance, feeling a pang of regret.

Ignoring the little girl’s self-praise and disparagement, he realized that with her explanation, his memories were gradually connecting, bit by bit recalling more.

To be specially recruited by the Capital’s top martial academy, Qin Shuang must possess extraordinary martial talent—not simply wealth and resources.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be the only one in Yuanjiang Prefecture with such an opportunity.

There were plenty at school who were wealthy and influential, even some families who spared no expense to place their hopes in their children, feeding them supplements as if it were their daily bread, risking ruin.

And yet, those students—far from being specially recruited, struggled even to enter an ordinary martial university.

Like Li Shaohua from the Li family, whose talent was said to be astonishing. The Li family’s power in Yuanjiang was nearly equal to the Qin family, surely lacking nothing in resources.

But Li Shaohua, loudly declaring his intent to enroll in East Sea University, inspired little confidence.

East Sea University and the Capital Academy were among the empire’s four preeminent martial institutions, their graduates achieving greatness.

If a county-level city produced one student admitted to such a top academy in a year, it was already remarkable.

This, Xiao Nan understood well.

"Alright, Xiao Bei has the best talent—better even than Qin Shuang." Having learned much from his sister, he was in good spirits, reaching out to tousle her soft, black hair, praising her casually.

The sensation was quite pleasant.

Xiao Bei, straightforward in her thoughts and without guile, never suspected her brother might have changed.

Xiao Nan felt it necessary to cultivate a good relationship with her, to ask more about the details, lest he make a fool of himself too often in the future.

"I knew you wouldn’t believe me." Xiao Bei tilted her head to evade his hand, replying with disdain, "If I weren’t under fifteen and unable to undergo the spiritual forging to awaken my potential and vital energy, I’d have taken the exam long ago, just to show you."

Such confidence!

Xiao Nan knew that with social reforms and the promotion of martial arts, the status of martial artists had greatly risen. Some families, eager for their children to excel, forced early training in hopes of getting ahead.

Everyone hoped their child would achieve a spiritual breakthrough before eighteen, honing their bodies to the utmost...

Thus, before their bodies matured, children underwent harsh physical training and spiritual exercises.

It turned out to be short-sighted.

Initially, they surpassed their peers, but upon reaching adulthood, many issues emerged.

Some suffered from mental disorders. Others had skeletal displacements, muscular atrophy...

Regret came too late.

In light of this, the martial theory experts at Wenxin Pavilion held a press conference, urging all: before age fifteen, do not engage in spiritual visualization or body forging. Such practices are detrimental.

So now, in academic streams, prodigies might skip ahead, entering university early. In martial arts, however, it’s only heard of students being held back.

These repeat students linger in school, hoping to strengthen their vitality, so even if they can't enter the elite academies, a regular martial university would suffice.

After all, the martial knowledge and opportunities found in university far surpass those available in society.

In Xiao Nan’s memory, he’d never heard of anyone entering a martial university at fifteen or sixteen.

Their bodies weren’t fully developed, their vitality insufficient—no university would accept them.

So, Xiao Bei’s wish to prove her extraordinary talent would require another year or two; no wonder she was so frustrated.

"Xiao Bei, why hasn’t the Qin family called off the engagement? I mean, our family seems so much less than theirs."

It wasn’t strange for Xiao Nan to wonder. For a prominent family heir to marry into an ordinary household—there was something odd about it.

Mother Tan Qiuyi’s refusal to accept Qin Shuang’s gifts likely wasn’t just pride or inferiority; there were deeper considerations.

This world was ever pragmatic; what you gain, you must repay.

Many ordinary families, lacking resources, sold themselves to wealthy houses for martial training, losing all autonomy.

A lifetime spent fighting, obeying orders, like servants.

You can’t just take someone’s kindness and walk away, regardless of their approval. From the outset, you put yourself at a disadvantage.

Small favors can be accepted; great debts cannot.

Some might say, take the favor now and repay later. But plainly, Tan Qiuyi had no confidence in her son.

It was laughable—neither spirit nor vitality nor coordination; how could he ever achieve greatness, let alone repay the favor owed to a peerless woman?

With what? His life?

...

Xiao Nan simply couldn’t figure it out.

This marriage was truly baffling.

Granted, he was handsome, but who would want a decorative pillow for a husband?

In every world, matching families is not an empty phrase—the saying that dragons do not dwell with snakes is well-known, and its widespread wisdom is not without reason.

The Qin and Xiao families simply didn’t belong together.

"You don’t know?" The girl’s eyes flashed with confusion as she studied her brother, eyebrows knitting with worry.

She stood on tiptoe, raising her palm to feel Xiao Nan’s forehead.

He saw she couldn’t reach, puzzled, but bent his head for her to touch.

"Did you get feverish and lose your senses?" she muttered.

"How could you say that? These family matters—I can’t remember everything," Xiao Nan replied, his face darkening.

His original self should have known about his fiancée, yet for some reason, he was completely unaware.

Was it that the previous Xiao Nan, resentful of the engagement, chose to forget?

What a trap.

Fortunately, he hadn’t mentioned his hospital stay to the family, or the girl would surely think he’d been beaten into stupidity.

"Oh!" Xiao Bei looked unconvinced, but didn’t pursue it, instead explaining carefully.

"Our family was never lacking—Father became a sixth-grade martial artist before thirty, known as Yuanjiang Prefecture’s most promising candidate for the master realm breakthrough. If he hadn’t disappeared during the empire’s expedition to the other world, we might even be better off than the Qin family now. You’ll see—when Father returns, many will come seeking favor."

Xiao Bei clenched her little fist, full of confidence.

It seemed she and Tan Qiuyi never accepted that Xiao Zhenjiang had died in the other world. They simply regarded him as missing, waiting for his return.

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