Zheng Kingdom, Qingfeng Prefecture, Qingmu County.
The night was deep and quiet.
At the third watch of the night {1}, Wei Tu, precise with his biological clock, rubbed his groggy eyes, rolled off the earthen bed, and, feeling his way in the dark, threw on a coat. He walked to the stables, lit a lamp, and began preparing feed for the horses.
The scents of hay and beans mingled with the sound of broken eggs, as the half-grown black horse in the stable let out a cheerful snort and nudged Wei Tu's rough coat.
"When will this horse-feeding duty ever end? Even though I'm a modern person...
"It's tough to make a name for oneself."
Wei Tu sat on a stone slab outside the stable, took out a dry tobacco pipe from his waist, stuffed some dried tobacco leaves into the brass bowl, and lit it with a piece of fire paper. He took a few puffs, releasing thick smoke through his nostrils, and leaned back against the earthen wall, half-closing his eyes.
Back in the modern world, he had abstained from smoking and drinking due to strict family discipline, let alone the old-fashioned dry tobacco.
The tobacco helped him unwind, alleviating much of his fatigue.
After a while, seeing that the black horse had finished its feed, Wei Tu tapped the pipe against his soft satin shoes to knock off the ashes, dusted off the dirt from his pants, and prepared to wash up and go to bed.
Without night-time grazing, horses don't grow fat.
The Li family's horses required feeding at the third watch, so he couldn’t afford to sleep too soundly before then. If he neglected the horses, he would definitely face the consequences from Master Li.
He drew a bucket of cool, refreshing well water, drank a few sips to fill his stomach, then poured the remaining water over his bare torso, enjoying the coolness that seeped through to his very core.
Soon, strips of dirt were scraped off his body and fell to the ground.
"Am I really this old? I’m only seventeen, but I look like someone in their thirties."
While washing his legs in the yellow muddy water of the basin, Wei Tu used the stable's light to clearly see his current appearance.
Skin with a dark complexion, numerous wrinkles on his forehead that were unusual for his age, and grey hair at his temples, he appeared quite aged.
Only his pair of clear, bright eyes hinted at his youth.
However, at that moment—
The reflection in the water changed. Wei Tu’s appearance grew even older, shifting from a youthful look to that of a frail, elderly man with wrinkled skin and thinning hair.
Seeing this, Wei Tu took a few steps back in fright. After a moment, he touched his face and pulled back his damp hair. Seeing it was still black, he felt somewhat reassured.
"Did I just imagine that?"
Wei Tu, puzzled, drew another basin of clean water and looked at its surface again.
The image reflected was identical to his current appearance.
But after a moment, his appearance changed once more.
This time, Wei Tu did not retreat. Instead, he observed the unusual sight in the water closely.
After a few breaths, the water surface rippled.
A golden-purple light appeared on the elder's forehead, shining brightly.
At the same time, a golden light began to flicker on Wei Tu's own forehead.
A golden seal inscribed with [Late Bloomer] abruptly appeared in his mind.
“[Late Bloomer] fate?” {2}
Wei Tu was momentarily stunned.
In his previous life, he had always enjoyed reading novels about immortals and martial arts, and he knew that traditional culture spoke of fate.
Fate, as it was believed, determined one's entire life—whether one would be rich or poor, noble or peasant.
The fate appearing in his mind now, with its golden-purple hue, was undoubtedly a legendary top-tier fate.
Unfortunately, this [Late Bloomer] fate seemed unlikely to improve his current impoverished situation.
As if sensing Wei Tu's thoughts, the golden seal's light intensified and transformed into two lines of text floating in his mind:
[Attributes: Steadfast and unyielding, destined to achieve success]
"Steadfast and unyielding, destined to achieve success..."
Wei Tu's mouth twitched.
The phrase "destined to achieve success" was rather vague about the time taken, and being a [Late Bloomer] at the age of 70 or 80 would be of little use.
In old age, even if he were renowned and wealthy, his physical condition might prevent him from enjoying any of the fruits of success. Moreover, indulging in worldly pleasures would be out of reach.
"Since there is fate, could there also be legendary immortals? Immortals who live forever, travelling from the North Sea at dawn to Mount Cangwu at twilight?"
Wei Tu felt a surge of excitement.
If this world allowed for cultivation and transcendence, then his [Late Bloomer] fate could turn from a mere trifle into a supreme treasure.
"Qingfeng Prefecture might not have immortals who take disciples, but it does have martial artists who open schools and take apprentices to teach martial arts....
"These martial artists, in their youth, rely on their bravery and fierceness, but as they age, they often suffer from accumulated injuries and die young. Few live to the age of sixty.
"However, martial arts are not solely about combat. There are also health-preservation techniques that can extend life.
"Practicing health-preservation techniques and avoiding reckless fighting can extend one's life into old age. For instance, Master Miaoying in the books practiced health-preservation techniques and lived over a hundred years."
With this thought, Wei Tu resolved to first seek out opportunities to practice health-preservation techniques and then look for immortal cave abodes to seek guidance from an immortal.
With the support of his [Late Bloomer] fate, as long as he persistently practiced health-preservation techniques, they would surely yield their intended effects in his later years.
A longer lifespan would increase his chances of finding immortals and attaining immortality.
As for martial arts combat techniques, they were of little use in the current peaceful times. Nevertheless, if the opportunity arose, Wei Tu would still study them.
He had avoided practicing martial arts for several reasons aside from his impoverished situation.
Martial arts were difficult, and without the proper aptitude, success was hard to achieve. Health-preservation techniques, on the other hand, were easier to learn and had lower entry barriers.
Secondly, martial prowess has its limits; a person who can defeat ten opponents is already considered a strong martial artist, while those who can defeat a hundred or a thousand are legendary figures.
Thirdly, martial artists often lead precarious lives and face a grim fate.
Most martial artists in Qingfeng Prefecture are swordsmen, wielding the Heishan Blade forged in Heishan, working as farmers by day and bandits by night. {3}
"Tomorrow, I will first seek out my second aunt. She is Lord Huang’s concubine, and the Huang household employs martial artists as guards. They might have health-preservation techniques..."
Returning to the earthen bed, Wei Tu suppressed his excitement after discovering his ‘golden finger’, tossing and turning until he finally fell into a deep sleep due to exhaustion.
Wei Tu got up to feed the horses and picked up a broom to clean the courtyard of the Li residence.
When the master of the house was about to rise, he went to the kitchen to help the cook start the fire and prepare breakfast.
Feeding the horses and helping around the courtyard constituted his daily work.
Six years ago, in the fifteenth year of the Qing'an era, his father, Wei Bao, sold him to the Li residence as a servant or a tenant labourer.
Fortunately, after years of hard work, Wei Tu learned horse-rearing skills from Old Liu, the stableman, and successfully transitioned from a tenant labourer to the Li residence’s new stableman.
As for Old Liu, he passed away last year.
Although both tenant labourers and stablemen were servants, the former endured harsher conditions with no wages and were often exploited.
Stable masters, being skilled workers, received monthly wages and shared meals with the master, though their food was somewhat less lavish.
While the masters eat meat, the stablemen only get soups and dishes with meat bits.
_________________________________________