Chapter 1

Name: Chen Mo

Life Points: 10 (the initial life points of a normal person, which can be reduced by natural disasters or accidents, and increased by a rise in status)

Fortune: 10 (the minimum fortune of a normal person; if fortune falls below this value, one's luck will continuously worsen)

Money: 7 wuzhu coins

Living Skills: Farming lv7, Manure Making lv6

Combat Skills: None

Leadership Skills: None

Scratching his head, Chen Mo used a branch to draw the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3... 9 on the ground. For the mysterious thing that appeared in his mind, Chen Mo didn't know what it was, but after three years of research and consulting his mother, he realized these were numbers. Above nine, they formed various combinations, such as 10 representing ten, 11 representing eleven, 20 representing twenty, and so on, infinitely.

For Chen Mo, who couldn't even read a single character, being able to figure out these things through asking around and his own thinking was already quite impressive.

However, he had seen the village accountant, Wu, use a different method for bookkeeping. When he told others about the things in his mind, no one believed him. Over time, Chen Mo stopped mentioning it. At nine years old, Chen Mo didn't understand much, but he gradually realized that the strange information in his mind might not be something everyone had.

After a long while, Chen Mo looked at the sky. The weeds in the field had been cleared, and the new fertilizer had been applied. He picked up his basket and walked back.

"Hey, Manure Boy is back!" When he returned to the village, he saw several farmers who had also finished their work and were greeting him.

"Manure Boy" was Chen Mo's nickname. Chen Mo was originally called Chen Ergou. Of course, he wasn't much older now. After discovering the mysterious things in his mind, Chen Mo felt different from others and began to resist this name. His mother, unable to persuade him, sought help from the family and got the name "Mo" for him.

Well, to speak of background, Chen Mo could be considered from a noble family. The Chen family of Huai Pu was quite famous, with ancestors who had held the rank of San Gong. Chen Gui, a well-known figure today, was Chen Mo's uncle by generation.

However, the relationship between the two families was distant. Although they were in the same clan, Chen Mo's branch traced back to Chen Qiu, the Grand Commandant, who was Chen Mo's grandfather Chen Qiong's elder brother. Chen Qiong was a concubine-born son and only reached the rank of county magistrate in his lifetime. After three generations, his father was not even recommended as a filial and clean official, and the collateral branch had little interaction with the main family. Even the name "Mo" felt like a favor, which made Chen Mo feel uncomfortable.

However, the name "Mo" was not widely accepted in the village; most people still called him Ergou or Manure Boy. The reason, his mother said, was related to manure.

Using dried manure to fertilize the fields to improve crop growth was not a secret. People had been using this method for a long time. Chen Mo didn't know how long, but from the time he could understand, he learned this method from his mother and the villagers.

After the mysterious things appeared in his mind, he would periodically receive information about farming or manure making. Around the age of six, when his mother fell ill from overwork, Chen Mo started working in the fields with the adults, carrying a small hoe and learning to farm. Every so often, the symbols behind the farming and manure making skills in his mind would change, and each change would bring new information.

At seven, Chen Mo began to try making manure on his own. Following the information in his mind, he collected a large amount of animal manure, dried and fermented it, and the resulting manure was different. That year, the Chen family's harvest increased by ten percent, despite Chen Mo's young age and lack of strength.

The following year, at eight, with improved living conditions and more strength from years of farming, Chen Mo produced more manure and worked the fields faster. The harvest increased by thirty percent compared to the previous year, and the Chen family's life improved. Chen Mo even used the grain to buy medicine for his mother.

However, due to his constant work with manure, even during the winter, Chen Mo would collect manure to prepare for the next year's farming, earning him the nickname "Manure Boy."

He didn't like the nickname. At first, Chen Mo would argue with others, but over time, he became numb to it. The name didn't matter as long as they could live well and his mother could enjoy some comfort.

"Uncle Zhang is back?" Seeing the farmer, Chen Mo's eyes lit up, and he ran over excitedly. "Uncle Zhang, tell me about the city!"

For Chen Mo, who had grown up in the village, the county town seemed distant and more curious. The doctor he had invited for his mother was from the county, but at the time, he was too worried about his mother's condition to remember much. He had heard that the city had everything, and people could eat chicken eggs every day. For Chen Mo, being able to eat chicken eggs every day was the life of a city dweller, and he was very eager to see the county town.

"It's just the same." Uncle Zhang, who was a neighbor, didn't go home after saying goodbye to his companions. He sat on a wooden stool at the door and said, "But recently, some immortals have come to the city, distributing talisman water. If you go tomorrow, you might meet them and get some talisman water for your mother. It might help her recover."

"Uncle Zhang, are there really immortals in the world?" Chen Mo looked at Uncle Zhang curiously.

"Of course." Uncle Zhang nodded. "Have you heard of the Great Virtuous Teacher? He should be considered an immortal."

The Great Virtuous Teacher was already famous when Chen Mo started to remember things, though he had never seen him. He had heard that the Great Virtuous Teacher could summon wind and rain and turn beans into soldiers. Hearing Uncle Zhang's words, he nodded. "The Great Virtuous Teacher is an immortal?"

"Of course." Uncle Zhang nodded matter-of-factly.

"The Great Virtuous Teacher is in Xiaqiu!?" Chen Mo's eyes suddenly lit up. If it was the Great Virtuous Teacher, perhaps he could know if the mysterious presence in his mind was an immortal.

"Of course not, the Great Virtuous Teacher is very busy." Uncle Zhang shook his head. "It's his disciple, Lei Gong, who is an immortal's disciple, so he's half an immortal."

Is an immortal's disciple also an immortal?

Chen Mo nodded in a daze. It seemed to make sense, but also didn't...

"Tomorrow, the village head will be going to the county on official business. You can ask him to take you along." Uncle Zhang smiled.

"Okay." Chen Mo's face lit up. "Thank you, Uncle Zhang. I'll go back now."

He was already eager to go to the county with the village head to see the immortals.

"Go ahead!" Uncle Zhang waved. Watching Chen Mo run back with his small basket, he sighed. Chen Mo's mother had lost her husband early and raised him alone, which was not easy. But now, most people in the village envied her for having such a sensible, capable, and smart son.

Thinking of his own son, who was only half a year older than Chen Mo but still spent his days robbing bird nests, Uncle Zhang suddenly felt the urge to go home and beat the little brat.

Look at Chen Mo, who started working in the fields at six, joined the adults at seven, and at nine, despite being called "Manure Boy," was already the main laborer in the family.

There was no comparison!

Uncle Zhang shook his head, stood up, and walked back home...