Xu Shou's expression turned grave. He gave his arm a light swing and said in a low voice, "I really do feel my body changing."
"Hmph! That's just psychological," Xu Ningbing snorted. She felt ridiculous for even entertaining Xu Mu's nonsense. As if he could really push someone into the Ancient Martial realm.
She turned to leave and had just grasped the doorknob when Xu Mu's words froze her in place.
"Old man, be honest—are your meridians damaged?"
"You… how do you know?" Xu Shou's face drained. He had never told anyone that secret.
"My pill isn't the problem. If you didn't step into the Ancient Martial stage, your body must be," Xu Mu said, taking a red pill from the plastic bag. "Good thing I planned ahead. Take this."
He'd originally meant to use the red pill to keep boosting Xu Shou's strength, but that wouldn't work now. Spending 100 Fate Points to repair his father's meridians was a no-brainer.
"Kid, you're starting to scare me," Xu Shou said, taking the pill himself and popping it into his mouth.
Ningbing walked back in. From his expression, it didn't look like he was pretending. Besides, a man like Xu Shou wouldn't be bored enough to play make-believe with Xu Mu.
As soon as Xu Mu saw his father swallow, he burned 100 Fate Points to mend the meridians.
Black text flashed before his eyes:
[Meridian repair complete]
[Detected target's physical stats at the human limit]
[Opening cultivation talent panel]
Name: Xu Shou
Role: Chairman, Jiang City Xu Group
Favorability: (Maxed)
Fate Level: 2 (Max 10)
Xu Mu opened the detailed stats:
Realm: Early Internal Force
Physique: 45
Spirit: 20
He exhaled in relief—success. His remaining Fate Points had dropped to 40, but fixing his father's meridians was worth far more.
Meanwhile, Xu Shou's face tightened further as a familiar power began to circulate. He could hardly believe it. Years ago, he'd been crippled—cut off from the Ancient Martial path and reduced to a complete broken. Failing to protect his wife had been his greatest pain for twenty years. And now, with a single pill from his son, his meridians were healed.
"Are you two playing house?" Ningbing rolled her eyes.
But the words had barely left her lips when she stared, stunned: Xu Shou lifted one hand, pinched the edge of his solid wood desk, and gripped it off the floor.
That desk—solid timber she'd bought for him—weighed at least three hundred jin. He wasn't lifting from underneath; he'd raised it purely with grip strength.
Could it be… her father had really stepped into the Ancient Martial realm?
"Kid, where did you get that red pill?" Xu Shou set the desk down, still unable to calm himself. His son kept exceeding every expectation.
"A senior gave it to me," Xu Mu answered casually. "Said it could save my life at a critical moment—regrow and renew meridians."
"Something that precious—you shouldn't have given it to me!" Xu Shou sighed. If he'd known, he wouldn't have taken it.
"If not you, then who? You're my old man. My life's greatest wish is 'father soars like a dragon while I slack off happily,'" Xu Mu grinned. "I'm heading back."
Ningbing was dumbfounded. She glanced at Xu Shou and blurted, "Dad… don't tell me—"
"It's true. I'm sure of it," Xu Shou nodded. He had been an ancient martial artist, after all.
Seeing Xu Mu leave, Ningbing hurried after him. "Xu Mu, that pill… do you have any more?"
"No. Didn't I just say the heavenly herbs and treasures were used up?" Xu Mu shot her a look, amused. Just like in the story, she dreamed of entering the Ancient Martial realm.
He opened the door and ignored her. Aren't you usually icy? Then stop chasing me.
"Dad, I'm going too," Ningbing called back, then left the office to catch up with Xu Mu.
Xu Shou didn't even register her words. He was lost in his own world. He walked to the bookshelf and stared at the woman in the photo, falling into deep thought.
"I'm already fifty… do I still have a chance?" he whispered, clenching his fist.
Outside, Ningbing caught up at the elevator. Feeling a bit awkward, she took the initiative. "Xu Mu, what exactly are those heavenly herbs and treasures? If I can help you find them, could you make a pill for me too?"
"Heavenly herbs are chance encounters; you don't just 'find' them," Xu Mu smiled. "And refining them is troublesome. Still… you're my sister."
Her heart softened a little. Since childhood, she'd looked down on him as the shame of the Xu family. Lately, she was realizing she might have been wrong.
[Favorability +10]
Xu Mu couldn't help smiling—she'd never added ten points in one go before. He texted her a list of rare herbs. With Pharmaceutical Mastery, he knew which ones could boost someone into the Ancient Martial path. Everything he sent was legitimate; if she truly found them, there was a decent chance she could step across even without his refining.
"Alright, I've saved them. Do you have pictures? Names alone are hard to search," she asked.
"I'll hand-draw them when I get time. They only appear in ancient texts," he said as the elevator arrived. She got off one floor down; he returned to his office.
Inside, yesterday's book he'd shattered with Hidden Force still littered the floor. He called Meng Wanyue over.
"President Xu, did you need me?" she asked.
"Have cleaning come sweep this up," he said, pointing to the paper shreds.
"I'll do it. I'm free anyway," she said, grabbing a broom and bending to sweep.
Xu Mu watched her, thinking how to keep raising her Favorability.
"By the way, President Xu," Meng Wanyue suddenly looked up.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Just now—the Dragon King called me," she said.
Xu Mu's face hardened at once.