Chapter 1: Rebirth in Poverty

I have been pretending to be ill for six days, taking this concoction made from gecko urine three times a day. It is truly... a torment

Zhang He picked her up, but he noticed that Zhang's mother had her eyes tightly closed, her complexion was dark and ashen, and her breath emitted a strange odor

Shh, do not disturb your brother, he is still resting

When he woke up, he found himself inhabiting the body of a commoner martial arts apprentice named Zhang He, who had just been nearly paralyzed by a wealthy and handsome bully at the martial arts academy. Faced with this situation of borrowing a corpse, he was initially very surprised, but after a calm analysis, he immediately accepted it with a sense of peace.

After a rustling sound, a series of "bang bang bang" noises could be heard coming from the courtyard. It was Zhang He’s mother preparing pickles for the small restaurant outside.

An ugly, entirely dark greenish-black six-legged insect fell from Zhang Mu's body to the ground, crawling menacingly towards Zhang He. Zhang He glanced at it and, without hesitation, crushed it underfoot.

The boy's gaze fell upon the black pancake held in Zhang Yu's small hand. He opened the pot, revealing a piece of yellowish white pancake and a small basin of vegetable porridge in the warm pot

The outer area serves as both the kitchen and dining room

"That is the meal left for you by mother, brother, you should eat it quickly," Zhang Yu said thoughtfully

The young boy obediently said: "Mother... dear, I am much better now, do not worry about me."

"Brother." Zhang Yu saw her brother come out and couldn't help but smile broadly, "You finally came out, hehe."

Zhang He is a tragic example, as the wealthy youths resent the commoner martial apprentices for occupying a large share of the body refining liquid in the Martial Apprentice Academy. This has resulted in the wealthy youths not having enough body refining liquid to use, leading to their dissatisfaction. They believe that allowing these worthless commoner martial apprentices to use the body refining liquid is the greatest waste of resources.

The young man harbored resentment in his heart. It was no wonder he was so resistant to the Martial Arts Academy. He was a commoner martial artist, and although the number of commoner martial artists was predominant in the academy, being numerous did not equate to being powerful. A group of commoner martial artists was ultimately bullied by a small handful of wealthy martial artists, leaving them at a loss.

The blood that is squeezed out is black

Leave the best food for myself ... The young man sighed deeply, "From now on, I am no longer Tang Yuan, but the son of man, Zhang He!"

If my skills were still intact, this little poison would be nothing more than a trivial matter! Zhang He, seeing the woman in a faint, felt a sense of helplessness for the first time. If his skills were still intact, he could easily dispel the poison with a simple exertion of energy, but now he found himself at a loss.

Mother!

... ...

Bang

"Gao'er, do you feel any better?" The woman set down the medicine bowl and reached out to check the boy's forehead.

Mother, how is my brother doing

I can't finish it, let's split it in half, go ahead and eat.

Zhang Yudon immediately broke into a smile, opened her mouth slightly, and took a bite of the yellowed white flour pancake: "Brother, it tastes really good"

Unfortunately, in the end, due to inherent physical shortcomings, he ultimately lost the opportunity to revive the glory of martial arts.

Where are you going, brother

Zhang He is a tragic example of a wealthy family's martial arts apprentice who was nearly paralyzed after being defeated in the training arena

"Brother, bugs! Bugs!" Zhang Yu suddenly exclaimed

The young boy pushed the white flatbread in front of Zhang Yu and said softly, "You can eat it."

Zhang He suddenly came to a halt; it was only then that he remembered that there was no money left at home. Otherwise, if he were not ill, he would not be staying at home, drinking that herbal remedy.

Wait, a sudden flash of inspiration struck my mind at https://www.hetushu.com

Mother has already eaten, you should eat now. By the way, it has been unsettled outside these past few days, so do not be too playful and keep running outside, do you understand?

The old wooden door creaked open with a "creak," and a middle-aged woman dressed in an apron carefully entered, holding a steaming black clay bowl.

Hmm

A pungent smell of medicine instantly filled the room

The matter of borrowing a corpse to return to life has many legends, and my own is no exception. Life is like coercion; if one cannot resist, then one should enjoy it.

A sudden dull sound came from outside, startling Zhang He. He dropped the pancake and immediately rushed out.

Tang Yuan is deceased, leaving only his son Zhang He.

The young man furrowed his brow slightly, feeling a genuine aversion to the medicine that emitted a pungent odor. However, he could not voice his objections, for every time he saw his mother's eager gaze, he could no longer summon the will to refuse.

By the well, Zhang He’s mother lay on the ground, motionless.

The young boy took out the white flatbreads and vegetable porridge. Seeing Zhang Yu swallowing his saliva secretly, and then glancing at the black flatbread in the child's hand, he unexpectedly felt a pang of bitterness in his heart

"Dear child, the food is in the pot, you can eat first," the woman said softly. "That piece of white bread from last night is reserved for your brother, do you understand?"

... ...

Without saying a word, the young boy tore the white flour pancake apart, then snatched the piece of black flour pancake from Zhang Yu's hand and stuffed it inside the white flour pancake

The young boy's ears perked up as he heard footsteps coming from outside, and his expression changed slightly. He immediately lay down in a flash, feigning a state of utter weakness.

However, there was one person who took a different path, successfully refining the essence of books into a physical form, reaching the final step of becoming a saint.

Zhang He looked at his mother's swollen hand, his expression exceptionally grim. On the back of her hand, there were two small wounds, clearly indicating that she had been bitten by a highly venomous creature, which was undoubtedly related to that small insect from earlier.

In the modern world, after centuries of impact from technological civilization, martial arts have declined, and people have become increasingly reliant on machinery, casting aside the martial arts cultivation methods passed down from our ancestors. Only a small group of individuals continues to struggle, steadfastly upholding the last remnants of this heritage

Zhang He glanced at his mother's expression, then he lifted her eyelid and gasped, "How could she be poisoned!" He immediately supported his mother onto his back and carried her into the house

Zhang He felt a tightness in his heart and immediately ran over. Behind him, Zhang Yu also hurried out. Upon seeing their mother collapsed on the ground, she burst into tears and followed Zhang He over.

The boy's face twitched as he hesitated over whether to drink. The woman urged, "Just drink it quickly; once you do, you'll feel better and can return to the Wutong Academy."

"Brother, how is mother?" Zhang Yu asked, sobbing.

Without a silver needle, he found an embroidery needle and pricked several times at the crucial acupoints on his mother's bitten arm, then pierced the wrist to squeeze out the blood

The decline of martial arts, along with the legends of breaking through the void and achieving sanctity in the flesh, has long since become a tale in the realm of xianxia novels

"Little sister, you stay at home and take care of mother! I will be back soon!" Zhang He shouldered the family's backpack and packed in some jars and containers for making pickles. He touched the dozen or so copper coins he had saved up on his body and then directly stepped out the door

This poisonous creature is indeed formidable! Zhang He is the most skilled poison master in the Tang Sect, and he can immediately discern the potency of toxins and their characteristics. Upon seeing this situation, he couldn't help but be startled, realizing that if things continued this way, his mother would surely face grave danger.

A rumbling sound emanated from his stomach as the young man climbed out of bed, revealing a grotesque black birthmark on his forehead, exceedingly ugly. He dressed himself and pushed the door open.

Having long forgotten the love of a mother, he once again felt the affection of his mother, which made him feel somewhat unusual

This is Zhang He's younger sister, named Zhang Yu. She is only seven years old this year, and she looks as delicate and lovely as a porcelain doll.

For this mother, his emotions are complex. Being reincarnated into this young boy was something he had never anticipated. In the six days since he awoke, the woman has been by his side, caring for him day and night. Although he speaks very little, he can still sense her selfless love for him.

"Little sister, do not worry; mother will be fine," Zhang He comforted. "You stay here with mother while I go find a carriage to take her to the clinic."

This youth is undoubtedly Tang Yuan. He has achieved the state of a saint in physical form, and is merely one step away from reaching it. However, due to a congenital disability, he ultimately could not withstand the force of the breakthrough at the final moment, resulting in his death and the dissolution of his path

The young boy took a deep breath, broke apart the black flatbread, and crumbs scattered across the table. He stuffed a piece of the black bread into his mouth, and a rough, hard-to-swallow sensation spread from his mouth.

In a simple room, a slender youth slowly opens his eyes

Brother, there is no money at home, and the people at the clinic refuse to treat us

A clear voice of a young girl came from outside the door

The family's livelihood relies entirely on the mother supporting it by making pickles for a small restaurant

"Little sister, you stay here and take care of mother," Zhang He wiped his sweat. This method of drawing blood can only alleviate the urgent need to relieve the eyes, but it cannot cure the severe poison within the body

However, the yard is clean and tidy, with no grass or weeds. Where could this thing have come from

He silently recited in his heart that the unusual feeling he had earlier finally dissipated after this thought was determined, replaced instead by resolve

Oh. The girl obediently agreed, whispering, "Mother, I am hungry."

"Rest for a while, and then get up to eat something; only after eating can one have the strength." The woman smiled as she saw the young man finish his drink, adjusted the quilt, and then picked up the bowl and went out

On a low table, a little girl dressed in tattered clothes, with two horn-like braids, is struggling to bite into the black cake in her hand. In front of her, there is a bowl of thin vegetable porridge.

Hmm. The little girl replied, "Mother, are you not going to eat?"

He is Tang Yuan, the modern successor of the Tang Sect

The woman smiled slightly: "It seems that this medicine is indeed effective, and that wandering physician did not deceive me. Come, He Er, drink this bowl of medicine."

A look of distress flashed across the boy's eyes

The wealthy families' martial apprentices united to oppose the commoners' martial apprentices, while simultaneously suppressing them in various aspects

"No, brother, I am unwell. This is for you. I cannot eat it." Although Zhang Yu was tempted, she sensibly shook her head.

Absolutely at the level of a film emperor

"Hurry and take your medicine," the woman urged again. She brought over the bowl of medicine, in which floated a layer of murky substance, making it impossible to discern what it was. A strange odor wafted up from it.

He had no choice but to take the medicine bowl and drink it all in one go

Return to the Martial Arts Academy? Do I have to continue being bullied by those wealthy young masters?

Zhang's mother on the bed was breathing increasingly rapidly, and her dark complexion had already taken on a hint of a morbid flush.