The searing sunlight bathed the earth, making it seem as though everything was placed inside an oven, invisible waves of heat swirling around Wanbao Village under the harsh glare. Men in the village shouldered their burdens in the fields, their sweat glistening on their wheat-colored skin as it dripped to the ground.
Wanbao Village was a name distinctly unique from other villages.
As for why it was called Wanbao Village, the villagers found it hard to clarify, only hearing the older generation occasionally murmuring while sitting in front of their homes, gazing at the distant hills, "Our village has treasures, our village has treasures!"
However, as time passed, exactly what those treasures were nobody knew.
"In this day and age, if there really were treasures in the village, they would have been dug up long ago," Liu Hun wiped the sweat from his forehead, scattering it carelessly.
He watched the robust men laboring in the fields, his face expressionless. Liu Hun's ancestors had been Imperial Physicians serving the Court, and by all accounts, his family should have had no worries about food and clothing, no concerns about making ends meet.
Yet, it was precisely his lineage that had fallen on hard times, unable to even produce a presentable bowl.
Fortunately, he had read a few medical books in his youth and was able to treat minor illnesses, which sustained his livelihood.
Growing up orphaned, his home was merely next to his aging uncle's, and he was often coerced into chores under the guise of being a younger relative.
Otherwise, the money he'd earned from treating people over the years would have been enough to rebuild a modest bungalow.
The only small piece of land he owned had been cheaply seeded by his uncle who had purchased low-cost seeds from the market, forcing Liu Hun to plow and reseed several times.
"Snap!" The soil was turned over again, revealing large clumps of dirt.
Liu Hun vigorously shoved his hoe into the ground. With a "clang," the hoe seemed to strike something hard. Dropping the hoe, he crouched down, curiously digging through the soil with his hands, eager to see what it was.
"What's this?" Liu Hun picked up the object in his hand, intrigued. The pages, yellowed with age, emitted an ancient aura.
He glanced at the cover, murmuring a phrase, "Judgment reigning supreme, shining anew each day."
Staring at the yellowed book, Liu Hun couldn't help but wryly smile.
Was it possible that he had unearthed some Martial Arts Secret Manual in his field, a legacy of virtue left by his ancestors? Or perhaps learning it would allow him to vanquish demons and become the strongest in the world?
Liu Hun smiled helplessly. Although the village was named Wanbao Village, he didn't give much thought to this book. This place used to be inhabited by scholars, but after a few years of change, it had completely transformed.
It wasn't surprising anymore for many people to find books in the fields, much less himself.
Suddenly, the ancient book turned into a whiff of smoke and rushed into his forehead.
Liu Hun was startled and quickly began feeling his forehead with his hands. There was no pain or discomfort, just a sensation that something had entered his body.
As for what that something might be, he couldn't say.
"Hey, little Hun, you're here! Come and see this new dress I've bought!" A delicate voice called from afar. A woman in a dress patterned with large yellow flowers walked across the field. Her foot slipped on loose gravel, and with a "swish," the strap on her shoulder suddenly slid down, exposing a swath of white skin and soft shoulders.
"Ah!" The woman let out a shriek, grabbing her strap with one hand while hurriedly covering her front with the other, squatting down, "Did you... see anything?"
"I... I didn't see anything." Liu Hun, nervous, quickly turned his head away.
The middle-aged woman was Fen Ran, the village chief's wife, who was nearing forty, yet her figure was still stunningly voluptuous.
It could almost be said that no clothing could contain her full figure, just a quick blush across her pretty face already stirred up the hearts of many men.
Liu Hun had his eyes wide open and took a few glances, beautiful... she truly was beautiful.
Fen Ran, who was considerably shorter than him, knelt down on the ground. Though she covered her front with her hands, she could not hide the mature allure that a grown woman possesses.
Standing in front of her, Liu Hun felt an itch in his belly, the most primal nature of a man's hormones.
"You... stop looking! Help keep watch for me, and make sure no one sees me like this, if others see, they will gossip about you and me," Fen Ran urgently stomped her foot.
She didn't dare to stand up, nor did she dare expose all of herself in front of Liu Hun.
If her own man were standing in front of her, she would surely treat this place like a battlefield.
A woman in her forties is at the age of robust passions, and Liu Hun, with his handsome face and sturdy build, if he could toil in her hidden places, would surely let her experience the beauty of the twilight years.
Liu Hun nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay, I understand."
While saying so, he still cast furtive glances at Fen Ran.
Her soft, voluptuous form could incite endless fantasies, something many men in the village longed to possess.
Previously he did not know why a group of men gathered in front of the villager's house, now he understood that standing close was a different kind of bliss.
Fen Ran hurriedly changed out of one of her garments, putting the ripped strap aside.
With time pressing, she quickly changed into a newly bought dress when a scream suddenly ensued.
Hearing the scream, Liu Hun turned around to see Fen Ran kneeling down, her clothing binding her upper body and hands together, making them unable to open.
Under the naked eye, despite the glaring sunlight, nothing could obstruct Liu Hun's gaze.
Those perky features and impressive figure radiated the mature charm unique to a country woman.
Liu Hun took two steps forward, grabbing Fen Ran's dress, attempting to free her hands.
But... what he didn't expect was that just as he had freed her hands, Fen Ran grabbed his wrist in a hurry and said, "Someone's coming... quickly bury the torn clothes. If others see them, it's no joking matter."
"Okay, okay!" Liu Hun released his hands and watched as Fen Ran covered her upper body with her clothing.
But Fen Ran's skirt wasn't so easily removed; unable to perfectly cover the front, she hurriedly said, "Liu Hun, come over and help me, help me take off the clothing at the front."
Liu Hun swallowed, this being the first time he was in such close contact with a woman.
His hot fingers touched Fen Ran's skin, and a burning sensation emerged from his abdomen, making him feel like his blood was flowing too swiftly.
Fen Ran's body trembled, and as Liu Hun's fingers slid over her body, she felt as if thousands of fingers were kneading her body.
As Liu Hun slowly pulled down the clothing, sliding past those features, Fen Ran leaned forward, her body soft like cotton, tender and incredibly comforting.