Xu Mu remembered clearly: back when his Strength reached 50 points, the system's interface had changed, marking his entry into the Early Internal Force stage.
Fifty points of strength — that was five times stronger than an average person.
And five times wasn't as simple as "being able to fight five men." Strength didn't stack that way.
For instance, if one adult's power was rated at 10, ten adults together didn't make 100. Each one was still a "10" — just more of them.
But fivefold strength? Against normal people, that was one punch, one knockout.
Xu Mu looked at Xu Shou. Perhaps his arrival in this world had caused deviations — maybe that's why there were now so many so-called "male leads."
Or perhaps, in the original storyline, Xu Shou already had power close to a martial artist's, but the Dragon King's sheer strength had overshadowed him.
"What is it?"
Xu Shou took out a cigarette, holding it between his lips as he noticed Xu Mu staring at him with a smile.
"I feel like you're hiding something deep," Xu Mu said.
"What do you mean?"
Xu Shou lit the cigarette with his lighter.
"Even though you're my old man, I barely know anything about your past."
Relying on the original Xu Mu's memories, he continued, "All these years, you've never once mentioned what my grandparents did."
"Them? They were farmers, of course." Xu Shou replied casually.
"Then what about Mom? How did she die?"
Xu Mu pressed on.
Xu Shou inhaled deeply, eyes on the night sky. "Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
"No reason."
Xu Mu shook his head.
Since his father didn't want to talk, he wouldn't force it. It was enough to know that the man before him was his father — and that he treated him well.
"I met an expert recently," Xu Mu suddenly said.
"Oh? And then?" Xu Shou turned toward him.
"He said I had decent talent and took me as his disciple — taught me a few techniques."
Xu Mu grinned. "I have a way to help you enter the Ancient Martial realm, old man."
At that, Xu Shou's eyes narrowed into slits. "No wonder you've changed so much lately… so you had a lucky encounter."
"Do you want to become a martial artist?" Xu Mu asked with a teasing smile.
"I… I'm already fifty."
Xu Shou shook his head, taking a few hard drags before exhaling. "At my age, even if I did, I'd never reach mastery. It's too late to become a true expert."
Xu Mu looked into his father's eyes — there was a faint trace of helplessness there.
He didn't know what had happened in the past, but one thing was certain: he'd make sure his father reached the top.
9 p.m.
Xu Mu drove Ye Tong and Ye Yu home.
On the way, he spotted a traditional-medicine shop.
After a moment's thought, he pulled over. "Wait here for a minute."
He went in, quickly ordering a list of herbs — all nourishing tonics. If he wanted to "enhance" Xu Shou later, this health-tonic pretext would work perfectly.
When Xu Mu returned to the car, Ye Tong looked at him with concern. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
"No, I just bought some kidney tonics — you know, to make tea with sometimes," he said with a grin.
Ye Tong's cheeks flushed red. She stared at him, voice trembling slightly. "You're… still taking that kind of tonic?"
She was dumbfounded. How strong do you need to get?
She almost wanted to tell him, Go find another woman — I really can't handle you anymore, big lord.
When they finally got home, Xu Mu told Ye Tong to rest.
He went straight to the kitchen. As a Master Grade chef, he deftly steamed and brewed the herbs.
Half an hour later, two thumb-sized pills sat in his palm.
One was black — roughly equivalent to a Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill. The other had a reddish tint, since he'd added wolfberries — for no real reason other than to make them look different.
Without a proper box, he grabbed a red plastic bag from the cabinet and dropped both pills inside.
Tomorrow, he'd give them to Xu Shou — claiming they were miraculous elixirs that could help him reach the Ancient Martial realm.
Everything prepared, Xu Mu was about to return to his room — when he saw Ye Yu standing silently at the kitchen door.
"What are you doing up? It's late."
"Brother-in-law, there's something I need to talk to you about."
Ye Yu's expression was serious.
"Go ahead."
Xu Mu slipped the plastic bag into his pocket and stepped out of the kitchen.
"That girl, Lu Xueyao… she likes you."
Ye Yu didn't want her sister to know about this, so Xu Mu was the only one she could talk to.
"She likes me? How do you know?"
"She told me herself. Said she doesn't care if you have a wife. As long as you agree, she's fine being your fifth or sixth concubine."
Even as Ye Yu repeated it, she found it unbelievable.
Xu Mu thought of Lu Xueyao — that girl who always talked about booking a hotel room with him — and found it completely in character.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Xu Mu asked.
"I want you to tell her clearly to stop bothering you," Ye Yu said firmly.
"Alright, I'll find time to talk to her."
Xu Mu smiled, patting Ye Yu gently on the head before heading upstairs.
Of course, he had no intention of doing that.
Lu Xueyao's Fate Points income was on par with Ye Tong's — he was in the middle of enhancing his power. Why would he cut off one of his richest sources?
Back in his room, he was about to sleep when Ye Tong suddenly grabbed his hand.
"I… my period just started."
Xu Mu blinked.
Now that she mentioned it, he realized — ever since he'd come to this world, he hadn't taken a single break. He'd even forgotten that women still had… those days.
"No problem. Get some rest tonight," he said gently, patting her arm.
[Favorability +30]
The text flashed above her head. Ye Tong looked apologetic. "You… did take the medicine earlier, right?"
"Medicine?"
Then it hit him — she must've thought the pills he made for his dad were for himself.
"You must feel uncomfortable now…"
As an adult, she'd read about these things — if a man took "that kind" of medicine and didn't… release, it could supposedly harm his body.
She felt guilty for not warning him earlier about her period.
"Don't worry. I didn't take it."
Watching her anxious expression, Xu Mu couldn't help but chuckle.
Ye Tong had this strangely adorable kind of sincerity.
Just as he closed his eyes—his body jolted.
Good grief, Ye Tong. Getting bolder, are we? Reaching straight into the bag, huh?
Early the next morning, Xu Mu got up.
As he stretched, his phone buzzed beside the pillow.
It was from his father.
"Dad? What's up? Why're you calling this early?"
"Come to the company. Now."
His father's voice on the other end was serious.