Chapter 1

At exactly 1 PM, Li Zian laid out a bamboo mat, set the fan to the lowest breeze setting, took off his flip-flops, and comfortably lay down.

The mosquito coil emitted a fragrant sandalwood smoke, which not only repelled mosquitoes but also calmed the mind.

He was a live-in son-in-law, and more specifically, a live-in son-in-law in a rural village.

But even as a rural live-in son-in-law, life should have a sense of ceremony.

His life philosophy was simple: go with the flow and be content with what he had.

A minute later, Li Zian's nostrils emitted a steady snore, a faint smile on his lips, clearly indicating he had fallen asleep.

In his dream, he turned into a fish, squatting motionless in the water, watching a water plant sway in front of him.

Knock, knock, knock!

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Li Zian heard it, but instead of getting up to open it, he turned over and faced away from the door.

"Zian, it's two o'clock, are you still sleeping?" It was the voice of his wife's grandmother, Lin Shengnan.

His wife, Yu Meilin, worked outside the village all year round and only returned for one day on Lin Shengnan's birthday. So, in this crescent village, the Yu family's ancestral home was occupied only by him and Lin Shengnan.

"Zian, the pond has run dry. In this hot weather, the fish will die without fresh water. Go and see what's wrong," Lin Shengnan urged.

Li Zian opened his sleepy eyes, yawned, and responded, "Okay, I'm coming."

He got up from the mat, put on his flip-flops, and opened the door.

At the door stood an elderly woman with white hair, holding a dragon-headed cane, looking frail but with a strong presence.

This elderly woman was Lin Shengnan.

Li Zian had been a live-in son-in-law in the Yu family for four years and had only met Yu Meilin five times: once at their wedding and once each year on Lin Shengnan's birthday. They hadn't even touched hands.

Yu Meilin would give Lin Shengnan money every year to cover household expenses. Li Zian had once suggested working with her, but she refused, only allowing him to grow some vegetables and grains for the family to eat and to take care of her grandmother.

Because of this, he was seen by the villagers as a man who lived off his wife.

He felt he was disgracing the reputation of men who lived off their wives.

Others who lived off their wives lived in luxury, driving expensive cars, wearing gold and silver, and enjoying a life of comfort, while he had to farm and take care of an old lady.

But he didn't care; he just wanted to live freely.

Their eyes met, and after two seconds, Lin Shengnan began to scold him, "Can't you be more ambitious? All you do is sleep and read useless books. Don't you want to have your own business?"

Li Zian paused for two seconds before responding, "What kind of business?"

Lin Shengnan was taken aback by this question and rolled her eyes.

A bitter feeling rose in Li Zian's heart.

Yu Meilin had left this old lady to him. If he went out to find a job or start a business, who would take care of her?

Over the past four years, the books he read were all useful—English, cooking, planting, carpentry, carving, and more. But being stuck in this mountain village, he had no chance to put them to use.

"Is the pond really dry?" Li Zian felt he needed to confirm.

Lin Shengnan waved her hand impatiently, "Forget it, talking about business with you is like playing the lute to a cow. Go and see what's wrong with the pond. If my fish die, I'll hold you responsible."

Li Zian yawned and walked to the backyard.

Lin Shengnan watched Li Zian's tall and slender back and sighed, "What good is being handsome? I shouldn't have married Meilin to this guy for the family's sake..."

Li Zian heard this but felt no emotional stir.

However, he agreed that he was handsome.

He believed that was why Yu Meilin had chosen him.

The nickname "Wu Yanzu of Crescent Village" wasn't given lightly; it was well-deserved.

The pond was in the back garden, home to some koi fish. Lin Shengnan often spent her free time in the pavilion by the pond, feeding the fish.

The pond was indeed dry.

Li Zian took a hoe and went out the back door, following the path by the stream.

The path was winding, stretching from the village entrance to the village exit.

Crescent Village was located in the northwest of Sichuan, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a valley in the middle shaped like a crescent, hence its name.

The source of the stream was at the tip of the crescent. According to legend, Zhang Fei, a general, led his troops to this place, and the soldiers were exhausted and needed water to cook. He shot an arrow, and a spring of water gushed out. Later generations called it Zhang Fei Spring, but it was also known as Crescent Spring. Some villagers called it Zhang Fei Spring, while others called it Crescent Spring, with no consensus.

The spring had flowed continuously all year round, and this was the first time it had run dry.

Under a large banyan tree, a few women were sitting, fanning themselves and cracking sunflower seeds. Some wore skirts and didn't close their legs, even using fans to blow air under their skirts. They didn't bother to clean up the shells, spitting them out carelessly.

The women chattered.

"Last night, my husband tried to unbutton my pants, and I kicked him off the bed. I want to buy a fifty-yuan lipstick, and he won't even buy it for me. He wants to do something? Dream on."

"My husband is so annoying. He lost over two hundred yuan playing mahjong for two yuan yesterday. Isn't that bad luck? He lost all the money for meat this month. He wants to eat meat? I won't even give him a hot bite of shit."

One woman noticed Li Zian walking by and whispered, "Isn't that Li Zian? It's rare to see him out, what a novelty."

"The Yu family's soft bread is enough to keep him full. Why is he out?"

"I heard he became a live-in son-in-law four years ago to raise money for his mother's medical treatment. Unfortunately, his wife is a curse. Not long after they got married, his mother passed away."

"Do you know where the Yu family's money comes from? I heard his wife earns it by selling herself outside, saying she's working. What a lie."

"You think Li Zian is so handsome, why would he marry a prostitute? If his parents knew, they would be so angry they'd spit blood."

"Who cares about a little green on his head? Look how well he lives."

"What little green? It's a whole field of green."

"A man who lives off his wife and a prostitute, how fitting."

"Hehehe..."

As Li Zian approached, the women quickly shut their mouths.

"Zian, where are you going?" one woman greeted him.

Li Zian glanced at the women. The one who spoke was Ma Xiaorong, the wife of the village thug Chen Gang. She was known for her sharp tongue and love of gossip. Most of the rumors in the village came from her. He disliked her and, pretending not to hear her, continued walking.

Ma Xiaorong felt insulted and, before Li Zian walked away, said sarcastically, "If my wife earned money by selling herself, I'd rather die than face the shame."

The women giggled.

Li Zian's expression turned cold.

Ma Xiaorong added, "Everyone in the village knows your wife is a prostitute. She says she's working, what a joke."

Li Zian suddenly turned around, walked up to her, and said coldly, "What did you say? Say it again!"

Ma Xiaorong put her hands on her hips, pointed at Li Zian, and said aggressively, "So what if your wife is a prostitute? I don't believe you'd dare hit me. If you touch me, my husband will kill you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Zian slapped her.

Slap!

A sharp sound echoed, and five finger marks instantly appeared on Ma Xiaorong's cheek. She instinctively covered her face and shouted, "You, you dared to hit me!"

Li Zian backhanded her on the other cheek.

Ma Xiaorong was stunned, her mouth open but no words coming out.

In Crescent Village, she had always been the one who bullied others, thanks to her husband Chen Gang. No one dared to bully her. But now, a man she looked down on, a man who lived off his wife, had dared to hit her in public, and not just once, but twice!

Li Zian's eyes glinted with a menacing light, "I warn you, if I hear you spreading rumors about my wife again, I'll beat you up!"

He could tolerate being called a man who lived off his wife, but he couldn't tolerate his wife being called a prostitute. He would fight back, even if it meant a bloody battle.

You dare to say it, I dare to hit you, no matter who you are!

"I'll fight you to the death!" Ma Xiaorong's emotions exploded, and she reached out to grab Li Zian's hair.

Li Zian kicked her in the abdomen.

Ma Xiaorong fell to the ground, her abdomen in pain, curling up like a shrimp.

"Hey, we're all neighbors, is it really necessary?" an older woman tried to mediate.

"Zian, apologize to Sister Ma," another woman said.

Li Zian turned and walked away without a word.

The women were like slop, stinking and repulsive.

"Wait, you soft bread, my husband isn't someone to mess with!" Ma Xiaorong shouted.

Li Zian ignored her, left the path, climbed up the hill, and reached the source of the stream.

The source of the stream was at the base of a cliff, a pool of water. The pool was full, but no water was gushing from the spring, suggesting it was blocked.

Li Zian examined it closely, but the spring was in the middle of the pool, about two meters deep, making it hard to see. He took off his shorts and shirt and entered the water, wading towards the spring. When he reached the spring, he dove in and swam towards it. Upon reaching the spring, he finally saw what was blocking it.

It was a round object, covered in green patina, looking like a bronze artifact with symbols and patterns, but they were unclear.

"How did this get in the spring?" Li Zian was curious and reached to pull it out.

The object was firmly stuck, and he couldn't remove it after a few attempts. His fingers were scraped and bleeding, the red blood staining the object and the clear water.

Just as he was about to return to the surface for air, the bronze object suddenly trembled, and the symbols and patterns emitted a greenish glow. More bizarrely, the blood in the water was sucked into the object.

The blood from Li Zian's wound flowed out like water from a hose!

Lack of oxygen and blood loss made Li Zian panic. He pushed off the rocks at the bottom of the pool and swam upwards. As he did, the bronze object was dislodged and the blocked water surged out, giving him a boost.

Splash!

Li Zian surfaced, gasping for air, but still felt dizzy. He swam to the shore, lay down to catch his breath, and then examined the object he had retrieved.

It was a small incense burner, not bronze but a bronze-colored jade, slightly smaller than his fist.

How did this end up in the spring?

Before Li Zian could figure it out, the incense burner emitted a puff of green smoke, which headed straight for his nostrils. He instinctively held his breath, but the smoke still entered his nose.

The smoke entered his body, and Li Zian stiffened, then his legs gave out, and he fell onto the grass by the pool.

Li Zian thought he had been poisoned and struggled to get up, but his limbs were weak, and his consciousness was fading.

In a daze, a white-bearded old man appeared before him, speaking to him.

"I am Ji Da, a sorcerer from the Western Zhou Dynasty. Due to my laziness, I never passed on my knowledge. As I approach the end of my life, I deeply regret it. I sealed my knowledge in this Lazy Incense Burner, waiting for a worthy successor. You awakened the burner with your blood, chosen by the spirit of the burner, and thus, you are my destined successor. I will pass on my knowledge to you..."

What was happening?

Li Zian was bewildered.

But this was beyond his control. As the old man, Ji Da, spoke, Li Zian's mind filled with symbols, patterns, and strange, incomprehensible things.

His mind grew increasingly hazy, and he eventually lost consciousness.