"I don't want milk anymore!"
Li Pingcan waved his chubby little hands in refusal.
With Moonlight Microbeams upgraded to LV2, he wasn't lacking nutrition and was exceptionally robust. Given the scarcity of resources in ancient tis, breastfeeding actually hard his gentle mother Lady Qin's health. He wanted his dear mother to live a long life.
Unaware of her youngest son's thoughts, Lady Qin felt sowhat troubled and planned to discuss it with her husband when he returned.
"Ping'an, play with your little brother at ho. Mother needs to go out."
"Okay!" Li Ping'an responded loudly, placing the chessboard their father Li Rongzhou had made onto the bed with enthusiasm. "Little brother, let's play chess!"
Li Pingcan gave Li Ping'an an exasperated look.
His two brothers were quite different - the eldest was straightforward and strong as a young ox, showing so talent in martial arts. The second brother displayed greater interest in literature and mathematics, being clever and proud yet overly sensitive.
Li Ping'an continued excitedly: "The rules are simple - connect five stones of the sa color in a row to win. I'll give you a five... no, four stone advantage."
Seriously? You actually want to play chess with a one-year-old?
Ignoring the childish challenge, Li Pingcan focused on improving his skills.
Having set his goals, he needed to work diligently. After much consideration, becoming a Druid seed his best path to transcend social classes through cultivation.
This ant leveling up, earning money, studying, practicing martial arts, and improving his family's social status - becoming an official would be ideal.
However, in this dynasty, only those with spiritual roots could beco officials. No matter how outstanding one's literary or martial achievents were, commoners could only beco clerks at best.
"Why would immortals want to be officials?"
This puzzled Li Pingcan. Shouldn't immortals abstain from worldly affairs to focus on cultivation and longevity?
But such information remained beyond his current reach. Overthinking was pointless.
Li Pingcan decided to practice three skills: [Animal Speech], [Dance of the Wind], and [Thorn Whip].
Animal Speech provided crucial external information and was worth leveling up. Dance of the Wind manipulated elents - while currently only creating breezes, what if he could summon gales? That would be overwhelming against ordinary people.
Accumulating elental insight might even unlock [Fire Control], allowing him to create powerful gunpowder or ignite fires remotely - potentially effective even against martial artists.
Thorn Whip, his only offensive skill at LV3, now extended two ters with dense barbs - perfect for ambushes.
Skill practice required gradual progression.
He cast [Animal Speech] on a raven under the eaves. Instantly, its harsh "caw" transford into human speech:
"Caw! Hate... scary big bird!"
Without engaging, Li Pingcan ended the spell and continued practicing on the sa raven.
"Caw! strong! Choose !"
Oh? A mating-season raven.
"Caw! Food! Food here!"
So this thief ate Mother's mulberries last ti!
"Caw! Like... shiny gold stone!"
Li Pingcan paused mid-spell-cancel.
Gold? If the raven could describe it, it must have seen so sowhere!
Excited, he poked Li Ping'an's arm: "Brother, mulberries."
"Want mulberries? Stay put, I'll get so." Li Ping'an set down his pieces and dashed out.
Seizing this "lure the tiger from the mountain" opportunity, Li Pingcan asked the raven: "Where did you see gold?"
The raven cocked its head, finally focusing on the tiny human. In all its bird-life, it had never t a human who spoke bird language! Fascinating!
Li Pingcan simplified: "Gold. Location. Want."
The raven hopped excitedly: "Caw! No give!"
"I'll pay! Give good fruit!"
Hearing Li Ping'an's returning footsteps, Li Pingcan shut his mouth and tossed a mulberry upward.
"Flap flap!"
"What was that?"
Li Ping'an gasped as a large raven swooped down, snatched the mulberry basket, and flew off triumphantly.
Li Pingcan stared dumbfounded.
That damn bird just robbed us! Where's justice? Where's law?
Thieving raven! Shaless rogue!
And you didn't even tell where the gold is!
"Bad raven!" Li Ping'an fud, comforting his seemingly tearful brother: "Don't cry! We have more mulberries!"
That's not why I'm crying!
When Li Ping'an proudly presented freshly mashed mulberry juice with expectant eyes, Li Pingcan took a sip - instantly puckering his face and really crying this ti.
Ouch!
Mulberry juice is seriously sour!
........
Humans wouldn't be defeated by birds.
For days, Li Pingcan strategized how to extract information from the raven.
Extre asures like binding it with Thorn Whip for "interrogation" proved futile - the raven only felt instinctive fear without comprehension.
If force failed, bribery remained.
He diligently fed it berries to build rapport.
A Druid's natural affinity worked wonders. Despite initial fear from the "torture," the raven gradually ward to Li Pingcan's sugary tactics.
Obtaining the "gold stone" location was now just a matter of ti.
........
"Can'er made a new friend."
At noon, Li Rongzhou watched his youngest interact with the raven, still amazed.
After days observing the harmless, intelligent bird, he stopped interfering.
Rumors said children with "immortal potential" displayed unique talents young.
"Maybe Can'er has spiritual roots?"
Delighted but discreet, Li Rongzhou subtly concealed his son's peculiarity.
Touched by his father's acceptance, Li Pingcan felt relieved. His intentional hints at uniqueness had been t with understanding rather than alienation.
In this era, individual strength was limited - lasting success required family trust.
........
"Stand like pines, sit like bells, sink energy to your dantian!"
That afternoon, Li Rongzhou trained his sons' stances in the courtyard.
Though lacking spiritual roots, Li Pingfu showed martial talent - childhood training could secure his future.
Sweating profusely yet determined, he maintained his stance stubbornly.
Li Ping'an fared worse - his slender fra couldn't last half an incense ti, so Li Rongzhou treated it rely as exercise.
Li Pingcan curiously observed the basics, being too young for formal training.
With an adult's mind, he morized everything instantly. As a Druid, he even noticed differences between his father's and brother's techniques.
"Different breathing rhythms!"
Li Rongzhou practiced the Crane Style from Pine Crane Dojo, imitating white cranes with complete internal thods. However, dojo rules forbade teaching core techniques without permission - a martial artist's taboo.
"If imitating animals enables martial arts, my Druidic connection to nature far surpasses crude mimicry!"
Li Pingcan reasoned that while immortality remained distant, martial arts could be his shortcut. His "mana pool" linked to vitality - perhaps martial training could accelerate his progress.
"Thwack!"
A stone hit roof tiles.
Looking up, Li Pingcan saw his father teaching slingshot techniques.
First-tir Li Pingfu adored the ox-tendon slingshot. Mimicking his father's posture, he drew it taut and launched a stone like an arrow thirty paces away.
"Crash!"
The tile shattered on impact.
"Excellent shot!"
Li Rongzhou bead - his eldest was truly a natural martial prodigy!
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