In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
After the bitter winter, the capital city had transitioned into early summer, with the air now carrying a hint of humid heat.
However, the weather seemed to have no effect on the Marquis of Wu'an's estate. The pools and pavilions nestled among the courtyards were shaded by lush trees, and the luxury of readily available ice—something far beyond the reach of ordinary households—set them apart.
Meanwhile, Chen Yi, now a year and a half old, was starting to grow restless. Leaning against the table, he stared at the unchanging data on the glowing screen in front of him, scratching his head in frustration.
"How on earth am I supposed to earn more counterattack points?"
Half a year had passed, and everything—people and events—were changing.
Chen Yi had grown taller, his body gaining strength. Now, he could run and jump freely, having also undergone the ultimate evolution from babbling incoherently to cursing fluently.
Even the jade sword charm tied to his wrist, which was part of his grabbing ceremony (a traditional first-birthday ritual), had lost much of its original luster.
However, the Counterattack System remained utterly unchanged—not even the slightest improvement.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
Two young servants standing nearby instantly froze at the sound of Young Master Yi's outburst. They lowered their gaze and stared at the ground, doing their best to appear honest and dutiful.
No one could recall exactly when it started—perhaps around the time Young Master Yi first learned to speak—but crude remarks like this had become a regular occurrence.
At first, the servants found it amusing.
However, one day, Lady Xia overheard something similar by chance. From that point on, she began investigating secretly, determined to find out who had spoken such vulgar words. She even promised to give the offender a "proper reward."
Everyone knew that Lady Xia had undergone a drastic change after the grabbing ceremony. Her discipline towards Young Master Yi became unusually strict.
From minor matters like etiquette to major ones involving behavior and speech, everything had to align perfectly with the rigid rules of the Marquis estate. Not a single detail was overlooked in his education.
Even the servants lived in constant fear, worried that if they accidentally let a curse slip and Young Master Yi picked it up, they would earn themselves a beating.
"Madam."
At that moment, the two servants spotted Xia Wanwan approaching from afar and quickly bowed in respect.
Xia Wanwan glanced toward the pavilion, where Chen Yi sat obediently at the desk, appearing well-behaved. She lowered her voice and asked, "How long has Yi'er been sitting there like that?"
"One hour, Madam," one of the servants replied.
"Did he slack off at all during that time?"
"No, Madam."
Xia Wanwan nodded in satisfaction. She took a tray of fruit from the maid behind her and made her way toward the pavilion.
The two young servants exchanged a glance and let out a breath of relief.
"Yi'er, take a break and have some fruit," Xia Wanwan said gently.
"Are you saying I'm allowed to rest now, Mother?" Chen Yi sat upright, his back straight as a rod, and his small face serious as he asked.
Chen Yi had already heard the sound of footsteps the moment Xia Wanwan entered the courtyard, prompting him to sit up straight and assume a proper posture immediately.
"With Yi'er being so diligent and focused, of course you can take a break," Xia Wanwan said, gently stroking his head, her eyes soft with affection.
"Here, have some fruit."
"These are rare delicacies your Aunt Wan Yi brought back from her family. They're said to come from the Western Buddhist Kingdom and are extremely hard to find."
"Thank you, Mother."
Chen Yi accepted a fruit that resembled a mango and began eating it.
However, as he ate, a sigh formed in his heart.
Chen Yi understood the reason behind Xia Wanwan's change in behavior, but he didn't know how to explain it.
He certainly couldn't tell her that it was Aunt Wan Yi who first tried to sabotage his grabbing ceremony, prompting him to deliberately make Chen Yuan choose the drumstick.
Even if Xia Wanwan believed him to some extent, revealing the truth would only complicate things. Given how the entire Chen household now viewed Wan Yi, speaking out would be unwise—if the snake isn't killed, it might strike back.
Thus, Chen Yi harbored no resentment toward Xia Wanwan's strictness.
Though he had endured a few smacks with a feather duster that night, she only struck him twice before breaking down in tears, hugging him tightly as she sobbed.
To be honest, that scene not only soothed the anxiety Chen Yi had felt about being alone in a strange new world but also made him truly accept Xia Wanwan as his mother.
He understood that her actions that night weren't out of anger—it was mostly a performance for the onlookers.
So, studying and learning? That was a piece of cake for him.
After all, having a mother who genuinely cared for him was a blessing.
Of course, if there were ever a chance to slack off, he certainly wouldn't pass it up.
[Just past thirty, you have begun to shed the label of "waste." However, you are secretly harmed and mistakenly consume "Soft Bone Powder."]
[The poison is mild and has been absorbed. Counterattack Points +1]
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow as he noticed the information appearing on the glowing screen.
He was poisoned again? No, wait—his counterattack points had increased?!
"What's wrong? Is the fruit not to your liking?" Xia Wanwan noticed his unusual expression.
Chen Yi quickly turned his thoughts around, suppressing his joy at the system's activation. With a smile, he asked, "Mother, how much fruit do you have left?"
"There's only this much left, but Aunt Wan Yi said that if you like them, she can have her family send more."
Chen Yi felt a sense of relief wash over him.
From this perspective, it seemed that Wan Yi's target was only him, not Xia Wanwan.
Now he knew what to do.
"I really enjoy them! Next time, Mother, you can ask Aunt to send more."
"Of course," Xia Wanwan replied, completely trusting him.
…
…
After Xia Wanwan left, Chen Yi hurried to the study and pulled out a book on pharmacology to peruse.
[Soft Bone Powder: A poison that is not easily detectable.]
[Depending on the dosage, it can weaken martial artists below the sixth rank of the Return to Origin realm.]
[If the dosage is reduced, there will be no obvious symptoms. However, long-term use can lead to a weakened constitution and a high probability of becoming a eunuch, making it difficult to achieve greatness.]
Chen Yi closed the book, his expression grave.
While a weakened constitution was bad enough, the real issue was that it could prevent him from reaching his full potential!
How could Wan Yi's heart be so malicious?
"I thought that after the grabbing ceremony, she would lay low for a while, as the panel suggested—there should be a lull before the Foundation Establishment assessment."
"After all, Chen Yuan successfully obtained the jade knife from the Zhou family, which should have been a cause for celebration."
"Who would have thought that after one failed attempt, she would dare to act so quickly again?"
Chen Yi clenched his small fists, his gaze no longer innocent and naive, but cold and resolute.
After contemplating for a moment and suppressing his anger, he opened the glowing screen.
[Counterattack Points: 1/100]
"Secretly harming, poisoning, counterattacking…"
Chen Yi stared at the large number "1," his eyes growing brighter.
He had found a way to gain Counterattack Points!
"Counterattack, counterattack! No rise without adversity, right?"
While he understood this logic, Chen Yi couldn't help but feel that the need to endure hardships for improvement seemed… a bit twisted?
What would happen once he became the world's most formidable powerhouse, with no one daring to harm him? Would he have to actively seek out challenges for the sake of experiencing adversity? No, that didn't sound right—would he really have to create obstacles for himself?
"Damn, this system really doesn't treat me like an outsider."
After a moment of grumbling, a hint of helplessness crossed Chen Yi's small face.
He knew he couldn't blame the system for its "cruelty."
After all, according to a normal life trajectory, he would have been mocked for choosing food during the grabbing ceremony.
At least now, with the system, he had the ability to fight back.
This realization also led him to a strategy for dealing with Wan Yi—he could only "endure" and use her as a stepping stone for the time being.
However, Chen Yi had another question.
From the two poisoning attempts, it seemed that Wan Yi didn't intend to kill him; rather, she aimed to obstruct his martial arts progress.
The Greed-Eating Pill was meant to prevent him from choosing weapons like swords during the grabbing ceremony, which would hinder his physical enhancement.
The Soft Bone Powder aimed to weaken him, possibly to ensure he failed his Foundation Establishment at age three?
Chen Yi couldn't make sense of it.
As a bastard son, he had no claim to the title and wouldn't inherit much of the family fortune. Why would Wan Yi want to sabotage his martial arts development?
"There's probably more to this than meets the eye."
Chen Yi frowned, realizing he would need to pay closer attention to the information within the Marquis estate from now on.
"Truly, there are always villains plotting against me!"
(End of Chapter)