In the thirty-third year of the reign of Emperor Yonghe of the Great Wei, on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Fluffy snowflakes drifted from the sky, blanketing the streets and alleys of the capital in a dull, pure white.
The streets were sparsely populated; even the usually bustling Zhuque Street at the foot of the imperial city felt somewhat deserted.
However, to the east of Zhuque Street, across two districts, the residence of the Marquis of Wu'an was alive with the sound of firecrackers, bustling with activity.
"Master Tong, the esteemed County Magistrate of Changle, has arrived, bringing with him a pair of longevity locks and two hundred coins."
"Lord Liu, the Vice Minister of the Military, is here as well, presenting a renowned sword and a famous blade..."
Luxurious carriages rolled steadily along Fengtong Street, coming to a stop outside the mansion.
Thick cotton curtains were lifted from the carriage, and noblemen clad in splendid garments descended, guided into the mansion by the steward.
"Lord Liu, today is the first birthday banquet for the young masters of the Chen Marquis. I wonder which young master will manage to seize the right items during the grabbing ceremony."
"Master Yuan has the martial bloodline of the Chen and Zhou families; he will surely grasp the sword, the blade, and the seal, inheriting the legacy of martial arts."
"What about Master Yi?"
"Master Yi has commoner blood in him… His constitution is weak, so if he manages to grab a brush, that would be quite impressive."
"What if he ends up with a handkerchief or some food? We'll have to hold back our reactions to avoid disappointing the Marquis…"
...
---
At this moment, in the main hall of the Marquis's mansion.
More than ten square tables were arranged in a circular formation, with a few guests scattered around.
In the center, a carpet specially customized from the Western Continent spread across the floor, its red base embroidered with a few snow-white cranes.
Not far behind a folding screen, a beautiful woman draped in a snow-white fur coat, wearing a blue pleated skirt underneath, was carefully tucking the child's garment around the little one.
"Yi'er, be good; it's cold, and you can't catch a chill."
"Eya."
Chen Yi allowed his birth mother, Xia Wanwan, to adjust his clothing as he gazed with his black, gemstone-like eyes toward the outside of the folding screen.
A year had passed, and he had long since come to understand that he had traversed into another world.
This place was not like his previous life; it was a realm called the Tianyuan Continent.
Here, there were not only the halls of power and the martial world, filled with heroes and scholars, but also sects and academies, along with threats from demons and supernatural beings.
Fortunately, this time he had outpaced ninety-nine point nine percent of the little tadpoles and was reborn in the Marquis of Wu'an's household.
He no longer had to worry about food and expenses, nor did he have to fear the dangers posed by demons and strange creatures.
At that moment, from the hushed conversations of the guests outside, Chen Yi sensed that this first birthday banquet held special significance.
However, the voices were quiet, and he could only make out phrases like "grabbing ceremony," "sword and blade seal," and "martial arts."
"Never mind, I'll just aim for the sword and blade seal; it should be no problem."
Unable to decipher the situation further, Chen Yi decided to let it go.
With his ability to crawl ten laps around the room in half an hour, there was no doubt he could outpace the eldest in just ten seconds.
"Mother isn't asking you to grab the sword and blade; just don't let it be food, okay? That would be embarrassing," Xia Wanwan gently said, seemingly having overheard the guests' discussions.
Chen Yi blinked at her with a pure and adorable expression.
A smile spread across Xia Wanwan's face as she thought to herself that even if he grabbed food, it wouldn't matter; as long as Yi'er could live a safe and joyful life, that was enough.
"Wanwan, why aren't you with Wanyi and the others?"
At that moment, Marquis Chen Taiping of Wu'an, dressed in a pure white brocade robe, strode over.
"Dear husband," Xia Wanwan said as she stood and bowed, "Sister Wanyi is worried that the two children will get rowdy together."
"Yuan'er is indeed not as well-behaved as Yi'er; just now, he was teased by the second son of the Lao Tong family and ended up crying."
Hearing Chen Taiping's praise for Chen Yi, Xia Wanwan's face lit up with a smile.
"Well then, husband, please remind Sister Wanyi to keep a close eye on Yuan'er."
"Hmm." Chen Taiping gently pinched Chen Yi's cheek, pulling it slightly.
"Little Yi'er, don't follow your older brother's example; you mustn't be naughty and make your mother angry."
Chen Yi rolled his eyes in pain and turned his head away, ignoring him.
His easygoing father was nothing like Xia Wanwan's gentle demeanor; at times he acted like an immature child, while at other times he could be very imposing.
Especially when he was angry, he was downright terrifying.
"Hey, is this little brat complaining about me?"
"Who told you to bully Yi'er?" Xia Wanwan chided playfully.
"Of course it's my right to bully my son; it's only natural..."
Chen Taiping grumbled in annoyance before pulling a small medicine bottle from his sleeve.
"This is a pill that Wanyi prepared for Yi'er. It will make him interested in shiny objects during the grabbing ceremony, so don't forget to give it to him."
"Such a pill exists?" Xia Wanwan asked curiously as she took the bottle.
"Hmm," Chen Taiping nodded. "It's a formula developed by the pharmacist from Wanyi's family, and it works quite well."
"As long as Yi'er successfully grabs a sword or blade during the ceremony and wears it for two years, his constitution will improve significantly, making his future foundation more solid."
"So that's how it is."
Only now did Chen Yi understand the purpose of the grabbing ceremony.
However, he didn't quite grasp why such a wonderful thing had to be obtained through this ritual. Why not just give each child one directly?
"Thank you, dear husband," Xia Wanwan said softly. "And please extend my thanks to Sister Wanyi as well."
"We're family; no need for formalities,"
Chen Taiping reassured her. He glanced toward the entrance and added, "You keep an eye on Yi'er for now. The King of Northern border should be arriving soon, so I'll go greet him at the door."
"Take care, dear husband."
Once Chen Taiping walked away, Xia Wanwan's brows furrowed slightly as she let out a sigh.
"Now I owe her another favor…"
Chen Yi blinked, understanding his mother's feelings at this moment.
The "Sister Wanyi" that Xia Wanwan referred to was named Zhou Wanyi, the legitimate wife of Marquis Chen Taiping of Wu'an.
Not only was she the mistress of the marquis's household, but the Zhou family, like the Chen family, also held the title of marquis in the Great Wei Dynasty.
She could be described as a wealthy and noble lady.
In contrast, Xia Wanwan came from a modest scholarly family in Northern Zhili.
The reason she was able to marry into the marquis's household was due to a twist of fate when she saved the severely injured Chen Taiping.
Therefore, when it came to background and resources, Xia Wanwan could not compare with Zhou Wanyi. This was also the reason she had always been cautious and never overstepped her bounds within the marquis's residence.
In fact, not only Xia Wanwan, but even Chen Yi, the illegitimate son, faced differential treatment because of this.
For instance, when it came to food, clothing, and other necessities, his older brother Chen Yuan was afforded a higher status than him.
However, with the memories of his past life, Chen Yi saw through it all.
Birth background was merely the beginning of one's life story; his future would depend largely on his own efforts.
After a moment of silence, Xia Wanwan recalled Chen Taiping's instructions and took out a pill the size of a mung bean, carefully placing it into Chen Yi's mouth.
It melted instantly.
Even before Chen Yi could fully react, the pill had already been swallowed and was in his stomach.
No choice.
Although he could distinguish between swords and blades without the pill, who could forget that he was still just a baby?
Seeing him swallow it, Xia Wanwan gently stroked his forehead. "Yi'er, debts of gratitude must be repaid. Your mother lacks the means, so it will be up to you in the future."
Chen Yi reached out his tiny hand to touch her face. Unable to speak, he could only offer comfort in this way.
Xia Wanwan smiled warmly and gently held his small hand.
"Your mother is fine; as long as Yi'er can grow up, that is better than anything else."
"Eya eya."
"Mm, I believe Yi'er will become a warrior like your father."
It was unclear how Xia Wanwan interpreted that from his cooing.
However, it wasn't long before Chen Yi could no longer smile.
To be precise, he was hungry!
The sudden sensation of hunger caused a sharp pain in his abdomen, and the lingering ache made his whole body tremble slightly.
"That pill must have had a problem!"
In an instant, Chen Yi figured everything out. The effect of the pill wasn't to make him interested in shiny objects; rather, it was to increase his appetite.
The goal was to have him choose food during the grabbing ceremony?
Or perhaps it was meant to make him withdraw from the ceremony altogether?
At the same time, Chen Yi suspected who was behind this scheme—Madam Zhou Wanyi!
Although the pill had come from Chen Taiping, it was Zhou Wanyi who had given it to him.
Only something she provided would go unguarded by his father.
"Is she really so bold as to poison me like this, not afraid that I'll shout it out?"
Chen Yi endured the hunger while rapidly contemplating in his mind.
"What should I do now? Should I shout or not?"
"Or should I first get something to eat to fill my stomach?"
"The grabbing ceremony is about to start, and I…"
Just then, a translucent screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Host detected to have been secretly harmed by consuming the "Gluttony Pill." Toxicity is low, has been absorbed. Reversal system initializing...]
As this information appeared, Chen Yi felt the sense of hunger rapidly dissipating, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But before he could start analyzing the screen, new content materialized.
**[At one year old, during the grabbing ceremony, you were secretly harmed by the Gluttony Pill, leading to a significant increase in appetite, causing you to grab a chicken leg during the ceremony. Not only did you become the subject of ridicule, earning the title of "Foodie," but you also missed the best opportunity for cleansing your marrow and strengthening your veins.]**
**[At three years old, during foundation building, you were assessed as subpar, with no hope in martial arts, resulting in a halving of your resource usage.]**
[At ten, you resolved to focus on your studies, only to develop a strange condition that made you fall asleep whenever you tried to read, leading to your expulsion from the academy.]
[At twenty, during your coming-of-age ceremony, your fiancée broke off the engagement, humiliating you and resulting in your removal from the Chen family lineage.]
[You were left with only the title of "Waste."]
[At twenty-five, you suffered verbal humiliation from your older brother Chen Yuan, leaving you despondent.]
[Now at thirty, your birth mother, Chen Xia, has passed away, and you have endured countless hardships...**]
Chen Yi gazed at the content on the screen, taking a deep breath.
"This is my life?"
It was a tale filled with deceit and humiliation—being framed, broken off from an engagement, and cast out of his home; the word "tragic" hardly did it justice.
[Host's life trajectory meets the criteria. Reward: Late Bloomer (Talent)]
[Name: Chen Yi]
[Age: 30]
[Cultivation Level: None]
[Talent: Late Bloomer — The older the bones, the faster the cultivation speed.]
[Reversal Points: 100/100]
"This Late Bloomer talent, based on bone age, seems to have no short-term benefits," Chen Yi mused.
"After all, I'm currently... 30?!"
He looked at the screen, then at his own tiny arms and legs, unable to suppress his astonishment.
"Did the system make a mistake?"
"I'm only one year old! One year old!"
However, the screen showed no signs of acknowledging his protests.
[Consuming Reversal Points, initiating Reversal Task — Thirty years in Hexi, thirty years in Hedong; do not underestimate a middle-aged man in poverty! Please return to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, defeat Chen Yuan, and avenge the humiliation from that year!]
Reward: Introduction to Swordsmanship.]
[Note: Since Chen Yuan has already reached the Sixth Rank Gu Yuan Realm, the host is given a one-year deadline for the task.
Failure to complete the task or exceeding the deadline will result in the host experiencing an even more tragic life!]
Seeing this, Chen Yi stared blankly for a moment and couldn't help but utter:
"Come on!"
"This garbage system definitely showed up too early!"
"I'm only one year old! What use is this Late Bloomer talent to me?"
"Do I really have to defeat Chen Yuan, who's in the Gu Yuan Realm? I…"
(End of this chapter)