Chapter 1: A Late Bloomer

Zheng State, Qingfeng Prefecture.

Qingmu County.

The Li Residence.

The night was deep.

At the third watch, Wei Tu, timing his biological clock perfectly, rubbed his sleepy eyes and rolled off the earthen kang. Feeling his way through the darkness, he threw on an outer garment and walked to the stables outside to light a lamp and begin mixing feed for the horses.

The scent of hay and beans, mixed with the sound of a chicken egg being crushed, filled the air. The half-grown black horse in the stable let out a cheerful snort and nudged Wei Tu’s coarse cloth tunic.

"When will this horse-feeding life ever end? To think I was once a modern man..."

"It’s hard to get ahead."

Wei Tu sat on the bluestone outside the stable, fished a dry tobacco pipe from his waist, stuffed some sun-dried tobacco leaves into the brass bowl, lit it with a piece of fire paper, and took a few puffs.

As two plumes of thick smoke drifted from his nostrils, he leaned comfortably against the earthen wall, his eyes half-closed.

Back in the modern world, because his family had been strict, he never touched tobacco or alcohol, let alone the dry tobacco the older generation smoked.

But now, he liked it.

For no other reason than this.

This stuff relieved fatigue.

After smoking, most of his exhaustion would dissipate.

After waiting a moment, seeing that the black horse had finished its feed, Wei Tu tapped his pipe against his soft-soled shoes a few times, then brushed the dust off his backside, preparing to wash up and sleep.

A horse won't get fat without night grass.

The Li family’s horses needed to be fed once at the third watch, so he never dared to sleep soundly before then.

If he ruined a good horse, he would definitely face the wrath of Master Li.

Drawing a bucket of sweet, cool water from the well, Wei Tu drank a few mouthfuls to fill the void in his stomach, then lifted the bucket and poured it over his bare torso, enjoying the sensation of the chill seeping down to his tailbone.

Soon, strips of grime were rubbed off his body and fell to the ground.

"Am I really this old? I’m only seventeen, yet I look like a man in his thirties."

When he crouched down to wash his legs, Wei Tu caught a clear reflection of his current face in the muddy water of the wooden basin, illuminated by the stable lamp.

His face was dark and tanned, his forehead etched with wrinkles no person his age should have, and combined with the gray hairs at his temples, he looked quite aged.

Only through those clear, black-and-white eyes could one barely tell he was still a youth.

However, just then—

The face in the water basin shifted. Wei Tu’s appearance grew even older, transforming from a weathered youth into a truly elderly man of sixty with withered skin and crane-white hair.

Seeing this, Wei Tu stumbled back in fright. After a long while, he touched his face and pulled up the wet hair hanging to his shoulders; seeing it was still black, he finally felt relieved.

"Did I see wrong?"

Wei Tu was suspicious. He drew another basin of clear water and looked into it.

The reflection showed his current appearance exactly.

But after a moment, just like before, his face changed again.

The withered, white-haired old man who resembled him appeared once more.

This time, Wei Tu did not retreat in fear, but carefully observed the "unusual" sight in the water.

A few breaths later.

The water rippled.

A golden-purple light appeared between the brows of the withered old man, shining brilliantly.

At the same time, a golden light began to flicker between Wei Tu’s own brows.

A golden seal, carved with the words "Great Talent Matures Late," abruptly appeared in his mind.

"The 'Great Talent Matures Late' destiny?"

Wei Tu was stunned.

In his past life, he had loved reading xianxia and supernatural novels since he was a child.

He knew that in traditional culture, there was the concept of "destiny."

A destiny, ordained by the heavens, determined a person's life—whether they would be rich or noble, poor or lowly.

The destiny that had appeared in his mind, glowing with golden-purple light, was undoubtedly a legendary, top-tier destiny.

It was just a pity that this destiny was "Great Talent Matures Late," which seemed unlikely to improve his current impoverished situation.

As if sensing Wei Tu’s thoughts, the golden seal flared with light, transforming into two lines of text that floated in his mind.

「Destiny: Great Talent Matures Late.」

「Attribute: Unyielding perseverance, success is inevitable.」

"Unyielding perseverance, success is inevitable..."

Wei Tu’s mouth twitched.

"Success is inevitable" was far too vague, and if he only "matured late" when he was seventy or eighty, it would be useless.

By old age, his teeth would be gone; even if he were famous or wealthy, he wouldn't even be able to chew meat.

Let alone enjoying the pleasures of life.

"Since there is a destiny, then... are there also the legendary immortals? Those who are immortal, wandering the Northern Sea in the morning and the Cangwu Mountains by dusk."

Wei Tu felt a secret thrill.

If this world allowed for cultivation and attaining the Dao, then his "Great Talent Matures Late" destiny would not be a burden, but a supreme treasure.

"Although Qingfeng Prefecture has no immortals who open mountains to take disciples, there are martial artists who open schools to teach martial arts..."

"These martial artists rely on the vigor of their youth to be brave and fierce, but once they grow old, hidden injuries emerge, and they often die suddenly. Very few live to the age of sixty..."

"However, martial arts techniques are not all about fighting and killing; there is no lack of longevity-cultivating arts that can extend one's life."

"Those who practice longevity arts, avoiding reckless fighting, often live to be seventy or eighty. The 'Miraculous Response Immortal' recorded in books practiced longevity arts and lived to be over a hundred."

Thinking of this, Wei Tu made up his mind to first find an opportunity to practice a longevity art, and then seek out an immortal’s cave to apprentice and pursue immortality.

With the blessing of the "Great Talent Matures Late" destiny, as long as he practiced the longevity art with perseverance, it would surely yield its intended effects in his later years.

With a longer lifespan, his chances of attaining the Dao would increase.

As for martial combat techniques, the world was currently at peace, so they were of little use. Of course, if the opportunity arose, Wei Tu would not hesitate to learn them.

Previously, he hadn't practiced martial arts not only because "the pen is poor and the sword is expensive," but for three other reasons.

First, martial arts are difficult; without the corresponding natural talent, it is hard to achieve anything.

He chose longevity arts because they are easy to pick up and have a low barrier to entry.

Second, martial strength is limited. A martial artist who can take on ten men is already considered a local powerhouse.

Taking on a hundred or a thousand is the stuff of legends.

Third, martial artists live on the edge of a blade; most are idle, unruly people who rarely meet a good end.

The martial artists of Qingfeng Prefecture were mostly swordsmen, wielding Hengshan blades forged in Hengshan Town—farmers when they dismounted, bandits when they mounted.

"Tomorrow, I'll go find my second aunt. She is a concubine of Master Huang, and the Huang residence hires martial artists as guards. Maybe they have a longevity art..."

Returning to the kang, Wei Tu suppressed the excitement of discovering his "golden finger." After tossing and turning a few times, he finally fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion.

Morning.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Wei Tu got up to feed the horses and picked up a broom to sweep the Li residence courtyard.

When the masters were about to wake up, he went to the kitchen to help the cook light the fire and prepare meals.

Feeding the horses and helping with chores around the courtyard was his daily work.

In the fifteenth year of Qing'an, six years ago, his father, Wei Bao, had sold him to the Li residence as a servant, a tenant slave.

Fortunately, after years of hard work, Wei Tu had learned horse-rearing skills from Old Liu, the stableman, and successfully promoted from a tenant slave to the new stableman of the Li residence.

As for Old Liu, he had died of old age the year before.

Tenant slaves and stablemen might both be servants, but the former were worked to death with bitter, exhausting labor and no wages.

As a skilled worker, the stableman received a monthly wage and ate from the same kitchen as the masters.

It was just that the food was a bit worse.

The masters ate meat, while Wei Tu ate soups and stews with a bit of grease.