Wu Hao had married Wu Xinyi at the age of twenty-two, but their story had begun long before that.
Back when they were children, Wu Hao was gentle to a fault. His kindness made him a target, always used and pushed around by others. And every single time, only one person stepped in to protect him—Wu Xinyi, the daughter of the village head.
They grew up together, struggled together, and eventually built a life together.
But misfortune always followed Wu Xinyi.
Her mother had died years ago after rejecting the marriage proposal of an immortal. Their family lost their wealth, their reputation, even their safety. To survive, they had taken a massive debt—one hundred gold coins a month, an amount fatal for any ordinary family.
Wu Hao worked tirelessly.
He tried everything:
merchant work, odd jobs, crafting, trading… even the dream of becoming an immortal. But talent didn't favor him, and the cultivation path was far too expensive.
So he chose the most dangerous method to survive.
Hunting.
Not normal beasts—those were easy.
But Spirit Beasts… even a one-star 20% Spirit Beast could kill an ordinary human instantly.
Yet without them, he would never earn enough.
So Wu Hao learned their anatomy, their habits, their weaknesses.
He studied their movement patterns.
He built traps across the forest like a madman.
Every day he risked his life.
Sometimes he almost died.
Sometimes the beasts were too smart.
Sometimes he returned home covered in blood—but he always returned.
He hunted like this for twenty-five years, earning the title:
Strongest Mortal Hunter.
His reputation grew so much that even immortals began to acknowledge him. Through those connections, he eventually settled the debt. He was old now, but he had lived a full life.
His only regret was never having a child.
That's why the sudden pregnancy of Wu Xinyi had been… shocking.
But he never doubted her.
Not even once.
He believed something had happened beyond her control—and he simply accepted it. After four months, he had already embraced the unborn child as his.
He even started farming as a hobby, dreaming about the child's future.
Immortal?
Scholar?
Anything… anything his child wanted.
He would support it.
---
The Present
Wu Hao's wife looked at me with worry filling her eyes.
"You're awake," she said with relief.
I nodded.
"I told you many times not to overwork yourself," she scolded, even though her eyes betrayed her worry.
I understood her now. After receiving Wu Hao's memories, I could feel everything—the weight he carried, the exhaustion, the hope, the buried sadness.
I wasn't acting Wu Hao anymore.
I had become him.
"The temperature was hotter today," I said calmly. "I wasn't feeling well."
She nodded and went to make food.
I followed Wu Hao's routines for days, blending into his life.
But the date approached quickly.
The day of the birth.
Velora's doctors had predicted the time accurately. Wu Hao lived in Velora—twenty years in the past.
The moment we arrived at the hospital, I already knew something was wrong.
And then the news came.
Wu Xinyi had died in childbirth.
But the baby survived.
I felt nothing myself—but Wu Hao's body trembled violently, collapsing into grief so overwhelming that I lost control. Tears streamed uncontrollably as I felt the raw, brutal despair of a man losing the love of his life.
Ten minutes passed before he finally gained enough strength to walk toward the baby's bed.
A small girl lay there, crying softly.
Wu Hao picked her up with shaking hands.
She looked… exactly like her mother.
"You look so much like her…" he whispered.
"So your name will be Wu Xinyi."
But the moment the name left his lips—
Seven cultivators entered the room.
Core Formation realm.
I instantly understood everything.
The dates.
The name.
The resemblance.
The unnatural pregnancy.
This child was none other than Feng Xinyi, the girl I knew.
And her father…
was an immortal.
One of the seven men stepped forward.
"We're here to take the child. Hand her over peacefully, or we'll use force."
Wu Hao tightened his grip on the baby.
"I have connections with immortals," he said desperately. "I hope you'll leave me and my child alone."
The man laughed coldly.
"We know who you are—Strongest Mortal Hunter. But connections won't save you here."
And now there was no doubt.
Wu Hao couldn't win.
He couldn't escape.
He couldn't even fight.
But he still tried.
"I have three requests," Wu Hao said in a trembling voice.
They exchanged glances—and nodded.
"Speak."
"My first request… protect the child. And tell me who her father is."
"The child will be safe," the man replied. "As for her father—Feng Xiao, head of the Feng Clan."
The truth crushed Wu Hao completely.
His wife…
His child…
His entire future…
Everything was slipping away.
"My second request," Wu Hao continued, his voice cracking, "is that she keeps the name Xinyi… but you may change her surname."
They hesitated, then nodded.
"Accepted. The final request?"
Wu Hao's hands shook.
He breathed heavily.
Every word cost him pain.
"My final request… is to work as a servant in the Feng residence. I don't want anything else."
He wanted a chance.
A chance to watch his daughter grow…
Even if from afar.
The seven cultivators were stunned.
"…Accepted."
And just like that—
Wu Hao surrendered everything…
for the sake of a child who wasn't even his by blood,
but was his by heart.