Shi Qian was fuming inside.

This statement is not very hurtful, but it is extremely insulting.

Was it his choice to be weak?

As a chinchilla beast, his innate strength started at the Foundation Establishment beginner level when he was born. But despite growing up to five years old, his body hadn’t changed much aside from becoming more fuller in appearance. In terms of strength, the situation was even more ridiculous—there had been absolutely no improvement.

His mama mouse who was tough enough to send her child out to train alone, always made sure he practiced diligently. She was not a short-sighted beast, after all. But whenever the original “mouse” attempted to cultivate, the dense spiritual energy entering his body caused excruciating pain in his meridians.

Born frail, with cultivation as an uphill battle, Shi Qian dared not push too hard, so his cultivation remained stagnant.

However, 1958 had mentioned that this beast body carried an exceptionally strong royal bloodline.

So, Shi Qian figured that his problem was similar to Long Ye’s—it was likely that his bloodline was too powerful for his physical constitution to handle, which caused blockages in his meridians, making cultivation agonizing.

After all, how could Long Aotian really have poor potential?

Long Ye, a man with dragon blood, was destined to be the ultimate Long Aotian. He just hadn’t yet discovered the challenges ahead. Once resolved, he would surely soar to greatness.

Shi Qian consoled himself with this thought—he, too, would one day become a legendary figure.

And so, he made a vow in his heart:

When Aotian becomes strong, let Aotian beat this guy up!

Fortunately, due to his bizarre “weakness,” the Golden Core cultivator lost interest in delving any deeper and let them go, withdrawing his spiritual power.

Long Ye sensed the spiritual power retreat and bowed his head, saying, “Thank you, Senior.”

He was incredibly polite, his tone sincere.

Shi Qian was genuinely surprised.

Aotian, showing humility? Who would’ve thought?

But it was a wise choice.

What’s wrong with playing it safe? Staying alive is the most important thing.

The Golden Core cultivator glanced at Long Ye, a slight ripple of emotion flashing in his eyes, but upon recalling the boy’s meager cultivation level, he dismissed the thought.

The cultivator retrieved a medicine bottle from his robes and tossed it to Long Ye.

Then, he flew away on his sword, leaving behind a faint echo.

“Hurry and leave. Don’t linger here too long.”

Long Ye held the bottle and turned to leave in another direction.

Once they had gone some distance, Shi Qian opened his eyes, rolled over, and sat up, exhaling deeply.

Long Ye patted his head. “Scared? Remember what I told you. If you don’t, things could get even scarier.”

Upon meeting Shi Qian, Long Ye had warned him twice: don’t get too close to people, and always hide your storage space. He truly was a responsible young man.

And every word was out of concern for Shi Qian’s well-being.

Understanding this, Shi Qian nodded obediently.

After resting for a bit, Shi Qian used his escape technique to take Long Ye further away, ensuring they put enough distance between them and the Golden Core cultivator.

Curious, Long Ye asked about the Five Elements Escape Technique. Shi Qian spent a while explaining that it could only be learned after reaching Foundation Establishment, causing the composed young man, who had remained calm even when facing a Golden Core cultivator, to visibly sulk.

“I’m seventeen this year. Although I officially started at five, I actually began cultivating when I was three…”

Walking along the empty path, Long Ye spoke softly about his past, sighing, “To this day, I’ve only reached Qi Refinement Level 5. By the time I reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll probably be in my thirties or forties.”

Shi Qian’s heart ached upon hearing this.

Starting cultivation at age three—was the world of cultivation really this cutthroat?

People only saw the meteoric rise of successful cultivators, but who ever noticed what came before?

Shi Qian had always viewed “Long Aotian” as the ultimate trope—dominating, flaunting his power, and surrounded by powerful companions. But now, hearing the self-pity in Long Ye’s voice, he realized that in front of him was a real person: Long Ye, not the stereotype of an invincible protagonist.

Climbing onto Long Ye’s shoulder, Shi Qian patted it gently. “Squeak squeak!”

Great talent is often born of hardship, while those born into luxury rarely achieve greatness.

Don’t be sad, brother—we’ll rise soon!

Although Long Ye couldn’t understand Shi Qian’s mouse chatter, he sensed the seriousness in the little creature’s pats on his shoulder.

The boy’s tone softened as he changed the subject. “But now, there’s no need to worry. I have you with me, Little Qian.”

The setting sun cast a golden hue, making the silhouette of the boy carrying a medicine basket seem even taller.

Long Ye asked curiously, “Little Qian, are you a Treasure-Hunting Mouse? I’ve read about them, but none were as good-looking as you.”

Of course.

Shi Qian thought smugly. After all, he was the specially customized, ultra-cute version from the Dimensional Bureau.

Initially, he wanted to be both cute and powerful—a double-buff combo. Unfortunately, his grand plan had only half succeeded so far.

“And I’ve heard that other Treasure-hunting Mouse find treasures by sniffing them out,” Long Ye continued, earnestly. “But I’ve never heard of one like you.”

Shi Qian nearly tripped.

He’d have to apologize later. Clearly, Treasure-hunting Mice were about to get some strange new reputation thanks to him.

But such small matters paled in comparison to saving the world. Wasn’t he here to stay undercover and complete his mission with Long Ye? Surely Long Ye, being the good guy he was, wouldn’t hold a grudge.

After convincing himself, Shi Qian pointed to a nearby tree with his paw.

Long Ye, intrigued, walked over.

Shi Qian plucked a leaf and handed it to him.

Long Ye took the leaf, looking a bit perplexed.

Shi Qian then plucked another leaf and gestured for him to compare the two.

Long Ye said, “This one’s bigger.”

Shi Qian glared at him.

Long Ye gave it another thought. “This one was lower on the tree, and the other one was higher. Maybe it means…?”

Shi Qian slapped his paw on his head and tossed a bunch of leaves at Long Ye. Grabbing a leaf, he pressed it to his chest and shot an arrogant, disdainful look at the other leaves.

“Oh! You’re the most special, Little Qian! You’re different from other Treasure-hunting Mouse ,” Long Ye said, feeling like he finally understood.

Shi Qian felt a headache coming on.

He had meant to say, “There are no two identical leaves in the world.”

This timeless piece of wisdom wasn’t for everyone, it seemed.

Rubbing his head, Shi Qian looked up again, changing tactics. He held out a leaf and motioned for Long Ye to fetch more leaves.

But no matter which leaf Long Ye picked, it was never the one Shi Qian wanted.

Because in this world, no two leaves are ever exactly the same.

Now it was Long Ye’s turn to feel a headache.

“This one doesn’t look great.”

“This one’s from the treetop, it’s red.”

“This one looks almost the same as the one you have.”

“…”

“Little Qian, what exactly are you looking for? Can’t we just come back another time?” Seeing that it was getting late, Long Ye tried to sidestep the issue.

Shi Qian frantically shook his head, ready to cling to the tree if necessary.

No way. This kind of life-or-death question? There’s no way I’m giving you another chance to ask it.

After nearly stripping a whole tree bare, the young boy finally had a realization through his frustration: “You’re trying to say that no two leaves are the same, right? Just like you and the other treasure-hunting mice, you’re all different.”

Shi Qian finally nodded in satisfaction.

Long Ye let out a huge sigh of relief, but from then on, he developed a slight fear of certain topics.

As for Shi Qian, he nestled into Long Ye’s clothes and promptly fell asleep.

Indeed, wisdom is gained through hardship—the harder it is, the deeper the understanding.

Shi Qian was confident this time. He had explained everything clearly, and Long Ye definitely wouldn’t ask why he was different from the other treasure-hunting mice ever again.

Shi Qian might not be able to solve why he was different from the others, but he could certainly stop anyone from asking.

Half-asleep, Shi Qian suddenly wore the shocked expression of a chinchilla.

He’d forgotten. Ever since the Golden Core cultivators arrived and he hid in Long Ye’s sleeve, he hadn’t smelled that deadly fragrance again.

Long Ye’s luck must be incredibly strong, able to shield him from even minor dangers like this.

And even though he was still a young boy, he handled situations with maturity.

If it were Shi Qian, at twenty-something, he’d still be arguing with his boss.

Thinking back to his idiot boss, Shi Qian actually felt a bit nostalgic. Arguing and fighting back was much more civilized compared to the constant life-or-death conflicts in the cultivation world.

As Shi Qian dozed off, he seemed to drift into a dream.

In the dream, he returned to the modern world, where the country had buried him as a national hero in a martyrs’ cemetery.

Spring had come, and children lined up to lay flowers at his grave, whispering their secrets to him.

“Big brother, you’re a hero. Thank you!”

“Thanks, but I’d rather you tell me I’m handsome. ‘Hero’ is fine too, I guess.”

Heroes must be handsome, right?

In the dream, Shi Qian mischievously reached out from the photo on his gravestone and pinched one of the children’s cheeks.

Instead of scaring the child, it was something they proudly bragged about at kindergarten, making the cemetery unusually lively that spring.

The neighbor in the adjacent grave pretended to be annoyed by the noise, but always paid close attention when children were around.

Tsk, men.

Gradually, the scenes of the dream faded, replaced by clearer, more real-world sounds.

“Half a pound of soy sauce!”

“Cheap spirit rice for sale!”

“Scam! I want my money back!”

Shi Qian opened his eyes, poking his head out from under Long Ye’s clothes. He saw a new world, one that retained a hint of traditional charm but was also filled with a mystical atmosphere, bustling with people. The figure demanding a refund seemed oddly familiar.

“Squeak?” Shi Qian was confused.

Where were they now?

Long Ye seemed to understand and replied, “We’ve arrived at the town. This is the east market, full of stalls and shops. It’s much livelier here.”

East market? That’s where Long Ye’s fiancée’s family lives.

Shi Qian rolled his eyes and, yawning lazily, retreated back into his spot.

After escaping from Jiutian Peak and running around with Long Ye, his small body was exhausted.

Tired.

Long Ye didn’t disturb him and continued walking, eventually stopping in front of a grand house.

Two imposing stone lions flanked a wide, red, iron-studded gate. Above it, a plaque reading “Li Mansion” hung high. Tall walls concealed the whitewashed walls and black-tiled pavilions inside, creating an impressive sight.

The cultivation world was vast, and the towns were prosperous. Families residing here with abundant resources lived better than countless wealthy households in the mortal realm.

Long Ye approached the gate, smiling, and greeted, “Uncle Li, I’m here to see Qing Qian. Could you please call her for me?”

As the future son-in-law of the Li family, even though his fiancée was only a daughter from a side branch, Uncle Li usually wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

But today, Uncle Li glanced at Long Ye and curtly replied, “Miss Qing Qian isn’t home.”

“Where did she go?” Long Ye asked.

Uncle Li shook his head. “How would I, an old man, know?”

“Then I’ll come back another time. Could you please let her know I have something good for her? She can come to my house if she likes.” Long Ye thought of the spiritual ginseng brimming with spiritual energy, his face lighting up with excitement.

The ginseng would surely be good for Uncle Li’s health. If he recovered, Qing Qian wouldn’t have to worry about being ostracized by her family.

After saying this, Long Ye tactfully handed over a few spirit beads to Uncle Li.

Uncle Li accepted them and nodded. “Alright, I’ll be sure to pass the message along.”

As the gatekeeper, Uncle Li had his integrity. He would pass the message on, but what happened after that wasn’t his concern.

Watching the cheerful young man leave, Uncle Li sighed inwardly.

Like Uncle Li, Shi Qian, the “wise mouse,” did the same.

Except Shi Qian knew more than Uncle Li. Long Aotian’s engagement being canceled meant his rise to power was imminent. This engagement had to be broken!

Oblivious to all this, Long Ye happily left the Li mansion’s gate.

Outside a nearby spirit plant shop, a person’s ears twitched as they spotted Long Ye walking by. They quickly turned away and slipped inside the shop.

As Long Ye passed the shop, the person’s gaze lingered, muttering to themselves, “Something good that even the Golden Core elder couldn’t sense?”

Not far away, Long Ming was also watching Long Ye. Hearing those words, he followed the man’s gaze and realized they were both looking at Long Ye.

Golden Core?

Something even a Golden Core master couldn’t detect—did Long Ye really possess such luck?

Why? Long Ming’s heart surged with jealousy and resentment, turning into unspoken envy.