Chapter 1: Winter’s Harsh Embrace

The vast expanse of Yunzhou and Feilei City.

A night of heavy snow transforms the dilapidated city into a glistening, icy fortress that sends a chill down your spine.

The overcast sky and cutting cold wind felt as if sharp blades were slicing through the bones.

Li Che tightened the threadbare cotton jacket around him, holding a carp frozen stiff in his hand—a fish he had paid dearly to procure in this bitter winter.

It was for his pregnant wife, to help nourish her.

Running a hand over his scruffy beard and exhaling a frosty puff of breath, Li Che braved the howling wind and crunching snow as he hastened down the wide streets of Feilei City towards home.

Having traversed this life for nineteen years, from the moment he was born to his current struggle as a poor laborer, Li Che had long abandoned the silly fantasy of possessing a miraculous advantage.

Skyscrapers and neon lights had become nothing more than a dream, a fading memory that could never be reclaimed.

This world, reminiscent of ancient times yet far more perilous, was plagued by natural disasters, human calamities, and rampant evil, making survival a daily battle for the common people.

Now resigned to his fate, Li Che only desired to keep his family safe and warm, to live a stable life in this new chapter.

Following family arrangements, he married at eighteen—a wedding filled with joy and celebration. Now, with his wife many months pregnant and on the verge of giving birth, time was of the essence.

Feilei City was enormous, divided into the Inner City and the Outer City. The Inner City was said to be home to noble families and government officials, with wider streets, luxurious living, and strict security.

Only those of status could enter the Inner City.

The Outer City, on the other hand, was where the hardworking common folk resided.

After walking several miles down the main road, Li Che turned into a narrow alley lined with rows of low, black-tiled, earthen houses.

His hurried steps on the soft, crunchy snow produced a series of creaks.

“Che, over here! Oh, you’ve finally come home from work!”

“Your wife is about to give birth—hurry back and check on her!”

“You’re about to become a father!”

From afar, familiar street neighbors who recognized Li Che started shouting as soon as they saw him.

At these words, Li Che’s heart skipped a beat.

Feeling a surge of anxiety, he quickened his pace and sprinted towards his Earthen House as fresh snowflakes danced in his wake.

By now the sky had dimmed. Standing before his creaky wooden door, Li Che heard the faint, pained cries of a woman and the brisk, encouraging words of the midwife from within.

“You’re back?”

Seated on an old wooden bench in the small courtyard outside, an elderly scholar clad in a worn cotton jacket under a tattered scholar’s robe puffed on a dry tobacco pipe.

This scholar was none other than Li Che’s uncle, Li Liang.

Since Li Che’s parents died of illness when he was eight, he had been raised by his uncle’s family, who had helped him grow up and provided much assistance when it came to married life and starting a family.

Puffing on his pipe, the old scholar reassured him, “Don’t worry, Lei A-Po is the best midwife for miles around, and little Zhang Ya will be just fine—mother and child will be safe.”

Now a father for the first time, Li Che naturally felt nervous.

Clutching the frozen carp, he paced back and forth in front of his Earthen House.

The old scholar grew slightly impatient, chiding, “You little brat, why are you pacing like that? A soon-to-be father should act his age!”

He added, “Why not put that frozen fish down for a moment?”

Li Che shot him a quick look but didn’t answer; although he still held onto the fish, his pacing finally came to a halt.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud newborn cry burst from inside!

Li Che’s eyes narrowed as if a vise had clamped down on his heart.

The old scholar, Li Liang, extinguished his pipe and stared longingly inside.

Then, a deep, rolling sound like distant thunder emanated from the darkened sky!

The sudden noise made the old scholar jump, muttering under his breath.

Instinctively, Li Che raised his head, catching a fleeting glimpse above—the sky seemed to shimmer with the image of a rolling thunder dragon.

Was this an omen at birth?

As if in a fantasy novel?

Without dwelling on it, Li Che hurried inside at the midwife’s call.

The hearth fire scattered the biting cold, offering a sliver of warmth inside.

Holding a bright red newborn, the midwife announced to Li Che, “Congratulations, Master Li! Your daughter is a precious little gem.”

A smile of pure joy lit up Li Che’s face as he awkwardly fumbled with the frozen carp, stuttering, “Thank you… thank you…”

After expressing his gratitude to the midwife, he finally discarded the fish.

With trembling hands, he carefully cradled his newborn and examined her closely.

It was as if an inexplicable bond surged between them—even though her wrinkled skin didn’t reveal much of her beauty at birth.

Yet, to Li Che, this little one was the most beautiful child in the entire world.

Because she was his daughter!

Just as Li Che was lost in the wonder of his daughter’s gaze,

a sudden, surreal vision flashed before his eyes—a barren expanse split open, with jagged stones and crumbling earth, from which a vibrant, emerald sprout shot upward.

Within moments, it had grown into a towering tree, its branches lush and full.

“What is this…?”

Li Che looked on, bewildered.

Then, as the tree’s countless leaves trembled, they seemed to reflect a scene: the very moment outside his Earthen House when he heard the cries of his newborn daughter.

In an instant, this image coalesced into a crystal-clear, iridescent fruit nestled among the branches.

……

【A Precious Daughter, A Fated Bond】

【A Beloved Birth, The Dao Tree Bears Fruit】

【Your Daughter Is Safe—You’ve Earned a Dao Fruit】

……

Snapping back to reality, Li Che realized that his daughter’s wails were still echoing.

“Darling, let me see our daughter…”

A feeble voice came from his pale, delicate wife in bed. Hurriedly, Li Che moved closer, carefully cradling the baby.

“Look, sweetheart—our little one!”

A radiant smile spread across Li Che’s face, his heart brimming with joy.

The Dao Fruit and such were the last things on his mind now; his entire world revolved around his wife and daughter.

His wife, Zhang Ya—his other half, had chosen to risk everything in this chaotic world by placing her trust in him.

“Darling, our baby’s nose is so much like yours—so perfect!” Zhang Ya, though frail, beamed as she gently pinched her daughter’s small nose.

With tender eyes, Li Che asked, “My dear, does it hurt?”

Zhang Ya pressed her pale lips together and replied with a soft, joyful laugh, “No, it doesn’t hurt at all—I’m happy.”

“Honey, what should we name our child?”

Zhang Ya inquired hopefully, though her eyes drifted past Li Che towards her uncle, the old scholar standing at the doorway.

Li Che caught a glimpse of his uncle’s frowning brows and noted he wasn’t about to compete for naming rights with any flowery rhetoric.

Understanding his uncle’s unspoken thoughts, Li Che paid him no mind.

Clasping his wife’s cold hand, he murmured softly, “I’ve been thinking about this for some time now.”

“This harsh winter calls for a little warmth. Let’s name her Li Nuanxi…”

“Warm like the spark of dawn, dispelling pain and misfortune, so she may grow up safe and happy.”

Li Che’s gentle voice filled the room.

Zhang Ya’s face lit up with delight, “Nuanxi—what a beautiful name…”

Hearing her name, the little one in Zhang Ya’s arms seemed to calm, breaking into a tender smile.

But moments later, she burst into loud cries once again.

The midwife quickly rushed over, “The baby is hungry—time for a feed…”

Hearing this, Li Che and the old scholar hurriedly stepped out of the Earthen House.

……

……

In the courtyard, soft snowflakes drifted down like goose feathers.

A biting chill rose as the depths of winter set in.

Yet, Li Che’s smile never faded; the joy of fatherhood had kindled a fierce protective instinct for his wife and child.

However, the old scholar seemed troubled as he resumed puffing on his dry tobacco.

Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Li Che said, “Uncle, put it out—the baby is here.”

With a sigh, the old scholar stubbed out his pipe, muttering, “It’s just a little girl. Why fuss about it? Our Li family…”

Li Che couldn’t help but laugh, “Whether she’s a boy or a girl…does it really matter?”

“Our Li family is destined for greatness—there’s a dynasty to uphold!”

The old scholar’s age-old bias for sons was hard to shake, and he grumbled under his breath without further comment.

Li Che shook his head, saying nothing more.

He picked up the ice-cold carp and headed to the kitchen to prepare a steaming bowl of carp tofu soup for his wife.

During the simmering of the fish soup,

Li Che finally settled down to study the mysterious Dao Fruit that had appeared with his daughter’s birth.