Morning broke over Willow Bend with the smell of wet ash and trampled earth. The bandits were gone, their bodies dragged to the outskirts for the crows — but Han Li's mind wasn't on the dead.
His traps had worked. Crude snares, sharpened stakes, and a few desperate tricks had turned the tide. Next time, they'd do more. Next time, he wouldn't just defend the village — he'd draw his prey in and break them.
Smoke curled from the blackened cart they'd left behind, a lazy ghost against the pale sky. To the villagers, it was the wreckage of a victory. To Han Li, it was bait — proof that Willow Bend was no longer an easy target.
He stood in the village square, shirt torn, ribs bound with a strip of rag. For the first time since waking in Lin Xun's body, the people didn't look past him. They looked to him.
Men nodded. Women offered shy smiles. Even the children, once quick to mock his limp and cough, whispered his name.
An old farmer stepped forward and grasped his forearm. "You saved us. We'd have been finished without you."
Han Li only smiled faintly. "I did what I could."
And I did it better than any of you expected.
By noon, the village had scraped together a feast. It wasn't much — boiled roots, salted radish, thin broth — but they insisted he sit at the head of the table in the communal hall. Laughter filled the air, but Han Li's mind was elsewhere.
The Heavenly Root Dao System's faint green text flickered in his vision:
> [Quest Complete: Defend Willow Bend]
200 EXP
3 Strength
4 Endurance
5 Charm
Passive Unlocked: Fertile Soil — Recovery speed doubled when tended by a compatible partner.
Han Li chuckled inwardly. "Compatible partner," huh? The system was as shameless as it was useful.
By nightfall, his hut was quiet again. He had just begun unwrapping the blood-stained cloth from his ribs when the door creaked open.
Mianhua stepped inside, carrying a steaming clay basin. Her hair was loose, tumbling over her shoulders, the lamplight catching on damp strands. She shut the door behind her.
"You'll tear it worse if you do it yourself," she murmured, kneeling beside him. "Let me."
He started to protest, but she was already dipping a cloth into the herbal mixture. The scent of crushed mint and bitter root filled the room.
Her fingers brushed his skin as she cleaned the wound, slow and careful. "You could have been killed," she said quietly.
"I wasn't."
"You risked your life for people who—" She stopped, biting her lip. "For people who didn't deserve you before last night."
Han Li met her gaze. "Some things are worth risking for."
Her hand stilled against his ribs, resting there a heartbeat too long. The system's glow sharpened.
> [Dual Cultivation Opportunity Detected]
Proceed? Y/N
Han Li's breath slowed. Power, pleasure, and faster cultivation — one word would grant all three. But he only gave a faint smile. "Another time."
Her cheeks warmed, and she lowered her gaze, finishing her work in silence. Yet her hands lingered as she bound the fresh cloth, her touch softer now, almost reluctant to leave him.
When she finally slipped out into the night, Han Li lay back, feeling the Fertile Soil passive hum through him. The ache in his muscles was already easing, his qi circulation smoother than before.
Outside, the village was still alive with the sound of repairs and laughter. But past the far fields, in the shadows of the treeline, something glinted in the moonlight — metal catching silver.
Not a villager.
The figure lingered for a moment, watching the huts, before vanishing into the forest.
The System pulsed one last time before Han Li could close his eyes:
> [Alert: Unknown Entity Approaching Village — Alignment Unknown]
Han Li's eyes narrowed. The bandits were broken — so who else would dare come this close?
He dressed quickly, stepping outside into the cold. The village's laughter muffled as he walked toward the edge of the fields, senses stretched thin.
Nothing. Only the sway of bare branches and the crunch of snow underfoot. But the metallic scent in the air… that was real. Fresh. Whoever it was, they were gone.
A shadow moved behind him.
Han Li turned, spear ready — and found Mianhua standing at the path's edge, lantern in hand.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," she said softly, glancing toward the trees. "Come. There's something we can do tonight that will help more than pacing in the dark."
Her eyes held his for a moment longer than necessary before she turned toward her hut. Against his better judgment, Han Li followed.