Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

The early summer wind, carrying its heat, swept through Qing Shi Village, accompanied by the incessant chirping of cicadas.

Lin Chen's courtyard was filled with newly harvested mint leaves drying in the sun. Bamboo mats were spread out, and the dark green grass leaves emitted a faint fragrance.

He sat under the eaves, holding a piece of fine linen in his hand, slowly and deliberately sealing medicine packets.

His movements were skillful and his dosage precise; the amount of medicine in each packet was exactly the same—this was the optimal dosage that Doubao had calibrated for him; any more would be a waste, and any less would be insufficient.

During this period, his business became increasingly successful. The sales volume of the general store in Blackstone Town steadily increased, the Soul Master Supplies Store's Soul Master products also gained a good reputation, and the mint leaves and calming grass in the half-acre herb field behind the mountain were growing well. The raw materials were basically self-sufficient, and the costs were reduced significantly.

The number of gold soul coins in his pocket was increasing, and he had accumulated more than fifty.

This is an absolute fortune for a six-year-old child in a border village.

Lin Chen had always understood the principle that a tall tree catches the wind.

Therefore, he always kept a low profile, choosing to buy and sell goods in the early morning or evening, rarely attracting attention.

They still wear ordinary coarse cloth clothes, and their food, clothing, and daily necessities are not much different from those of ordinary villagers; they never flaunt their wealth.

Even so, trouble still came knocking.

That afternoon, Lin Chen had just returned from town and was stopped by two people at the village entrance.

They were two idle men from the village, Zhao Da and Zhao Er. They were brothers who had both awakened their martial souls. Zhao Da was a level 12, one-ring soul master with the martial soul Iron Shovel, while Zhao Er was a level 10 soul warrior who had not yet obtained a soul ring.

The two men neither farmed nor went up the mountain; they just loafed around the village, occasionally extorting money from the villagers. Everyone in the village was afraid of them.

Lin Chen paused slightly, then stood calmly in place.

"Hey kid, stop right there." Zhao Da, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, squinted at him. "I heard you've been doing business in town lately, making quite a bit of money, huh?"

Zhao Er chimed in, "Brother, I bet this kid's been going to town every day; he's definitely made a fortune. In our village, everyone has to pay protection money to do business, right?"

  

Lin Chen calmly swept his gaze over the two of them and thought to himself, "Doubao, analyze their state, personality, and behavior patterns, and provide the best solution."

Low-intensity analysis initiated.

Zhao Da: Level 12, 1-ring Soul Master, Martial Soul: Iron Shovel, Strength type. He is greedy, a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong. He is wary of the town's Martial Soul Hall deacon and dares not commit any major crimes. He recently incurred gambling debts and urgently needs money.

Zhao Er: Level 10 Soul Master, no Soul Rings, impulsive and brainless, always listens to Zhao Da.

Response plan simulation is underway...

Optimal solution: Make appropriate concessions, give a small amount of money under the guise of "monthly filial piety", and at the same time subtly mention the cooperative relationship with the town's grocery store, implying that you have stable channels and are not helpless, which satisfies the other party's greed while preventing the other party from taking advantage of you.

Throughout the process, he maintained a gentle demeanor, avoided escalating conflicts, and refrained from revealing his true financial resources.

Risk assessment: Zero conflict, 97% probability of acceptance from the other party, and less than 10% probability of subsequent harassment.

The plan took shape instantly. The entire simulation process took less than three seconds and consumed almost no mental energy—this kind of low-intensity daily simulation was now commonplace for Lin Chen.

Lin Chen was confident, and with a touch of appropriate restraint on his face, he said, "Brothers, you're too kind. I'm just doing a small business to earn some money for food."

As he spoke, he pulled out two silver soul coins from his pocket and handed them over, saying, "Here's some money, brothers. Please take it and have a drink. I hope you'll look out for me in the future when I do business."

Two silver soul coins—not a lot, but not a little either. For an ordinary villager, it's a considerable sum; for these two idlers, it's enough to gamble for a few days and have a few drinks.

Zhao Da's eyes lit up, and he reached out to take the money. He weighed it in his hand, and the fierce look on his face eased a little. He had originally thought that this orphan was dirt poor and that he would be lucky to scrape together a few copper coins, but he didn't expect him to give away two silver soul coins right away.

"Alright, you're not bad at all." Zhao Da snorted, putting on an older brother's air. "From now on, if anything happens in the village, just say Zhao Da's name, and no one will dare to cause you trouble."

"Thank you, brother." Lin Chen bowed slightly, adopting a very humble posture. "I still have work to do, so I'll head back now."

"Let's go, let's go." Zhao Da waved his hand, his attention already focused on the silver soul coins in his hand. He pulled Zhao Er towards the tavern, muttering, "Let's go, let's go drink."

Lin Chen watched the two figures walk away, his eyes calm and unwavering, before turning and heading towards his own courtyard.

Back in the courtyard, after closing the door, he thought to himself, "Assess the potential risks."

Follow-up risk assessment:

1.赵大兄弟大概率会每月来索要一次「孝敬」，金额维持在1-2枚银魂币，也有大概率会起贪念增加到3-4枚。

2. They will not delve into our assets; both are lazy and lack the patience.

3. The probability of our financial resources being leaked is extremely low.

Recommended solution: Provide two Silver Soul Coins per month to maintain the status quo until we leave Bluestone Village.

The cost is extremely low, saving a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Hmm," Lin Chen replied, not taking it to heart.

Two silver soul coins were nothing to him.

Using this small amount of money to get rid of trouble and avoid conflict is the most cost-effective deal.

His current core objective is to awaken and cultivate his martial spirit. There's no need for him to get entangled with such low-level characters. It would be a waste of time and energy, and it would also easily expose his trump cards.

Being patient and patient is not cowardice; it is the lowest-cost survival strategy.

However, after this incident, Lin Chen became more vigilant.

He sped up the process of sorting out his assets, exchanging most of his money for bearer banknotes, which he kept hidden close to his body, leaving only a small amount of change in the yard.

Herbal medicines and finished medicine packets were also transferred to the town in batches and stored in the backyard warehouse of the grocery store, instead of being transported to the village to reduce the possibility of exposure.

A few days later, Zhao Er came again, saying he was there to "collect the monthly fee".

Lin Chen readily gave him two silver soul coins and politely saw him off. Zhao Er took the money and left happily, thinking the child was sensible, and didn't deliberately cause any trouble afterward.

Seeing that Brother Zhao hadn't made things difficult for Lin Chen, the villagers no longer dared to bully the orphan.

Unwittingly, this saved a lot of trouble.

Life continued peacefully. Lin Chen managed his business while also recuperating, and practiced meditation daily to strengthen his mental fortitude.

His mental strength increased rapidly. Perhaps due to the transmigrator's soul, coupled with Doubao's scientific method of tempering the spirit, in just a few months, his mental strength limit nearly doubled compared to when he first transmigrated.

Now, low-intensity analysis is barely noticeable; even moderate-intensity simulations can last for more than ten minutes.

However, the depletion of mental energy is still very real.

That day, Lin Chen was tending to the medicinal herb field on the back mountain and took the opportunity to test the analytical range of Doubao.

"Doubao, analyze the types, medicinal properties, and age of all plants in this area."

[Command received. Large-scale plant analysis initiated, range 1000 meters, estimated to consume light to moderate mental energy.]

A cool sensation spread, and information about plants within a kilometer radius continuously flooded into my mind.

The species, year, medicinal properties, and distribution location are all clearly marked. Common wild grasses and vegetables, herbs that are decades old, and even a few low-grade herbs that are less than a hundred years old are all clearly labeled.

But at the same time, a slight dizziness followed. It felt like my head was getting heavy after reading for an hour straight.

[Analysis complete. This analysis identified 127 plant species, of which 36 can be used medicinally, 11 can be cultivated into economic crops, and 3 are low-level soul materials.]

Lin Chen held his forehead for a few seconds before the dizziness gradually subsided.

Analyzing a range of one kilometer is quite taxing. With his current mental strength, he can only sustain this level of analysis two or three times a day at most.

However, this efficiency is already astonishing enough. With such a wide range of plant identification capabilities, his advantage in medicinal harvesting and cultivation is something that ordinary people can never match.

After the test, he walked back along the mountain path, and when he passed a thicket of bushes, he suddenly stopped.

"Doubao, in the analysis just now, there was a hundred-year-old Dewdrop Grass here?"

Yes. There is a 100-year-old Dew-Gathering Grass in the bushes 30 meters ahead. It has mild medicinal properties and can be used for body-tempering baths to nourish the meridians. Its current market value is approximately 1 Gold Soul Coin.

Lin Chen's eyes brightened slightly.

Dewdrop Grass is a low-level body-tempering herb. A hundred-year-old one is just right for his current age. It is mild and non-irritating, and can be used to improve his meridians in advance.

He walked over, parted the bushes, and sure enough, he saw a small, pale blue grass with dew on its leaves, growing in a crack in the rock, about a hundred years old.

It was carefully dug out, its roots still covered in soil, completely intact.

"Perfect, I'll go back and make a body-tempering formula." Lin Chen put the Dew-Gathering Grass into the bamboo basket, in a good mood.

Back in the courtyard, he immediately had Doubao use the Dew-Gathering Grass, combined with several common herbs, to devise a gentle body-tempering formula suitable for the current stage.

The derivation of the body-tempering prescription has been completed.

Formula: Centennial Dewdrop, Three-Leaf Warm Vine, Red Flower Grass

Efficacy: Gently nourishes the meridians, improves blockages, and enhances the efficiency of soul power transmission. Suitable for unawakened or low-level soul masters aged 6-10.

Instructions for use: Soak in boiling water for 50 minutes each time, once every three days.

Precautions: The medicine is mild, has no side effects, and can be used long-term.

The deduction process went smoothly and consumed little energy. After all, it was just a low-level prescription, nothing to Doubao.

Lin Chen went to town that day and bought all the necessary herbs. That evening, he boiled a large pot of water, put the herbs in to extract the medicinal juice, poured it into a wooden tub, took off his clothes, and sat inside.

The warm medicinal liquid enveloped my body, and a faint scent of herbs and plants filled the air.

A gentle medicinal power seeped into the skin and flowed into the meridians, warm and comforting. The originally delicate and congested meridians felt as if they had been soaked in warm water, and they stretched slightly, providing an indescribable sense of comfort.

Lin Chen closed his eyes and meditated, guiding the medicinal power to slowly nourish his meridians.

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from the wooden tub, his skin tinged with a faint pink, and he exuded a sense of ease.

"How's the result?" he asked.

[Initial Body Tempering Effect Assessment: Meridian blockage improved by 12%, resilience increased by 5%, and soul power conduction efficiency slightly improved. With continued practice, the meridian status can be optimized to a superior level for its age group before martial soul awakening.]

Lin Chen was very satisfied.

Little by little, he accumulated wealth and optimized his approach step by step – that was his path.

From that day on, he took a medicinal bath every three days, and his physical condition steadily improved.

His originally thin body gradually became stronger, his strength increased significantly, and his reactions became more agile.

The day of Martial Soul Awakening is drawing ever closer.

The village has already started issuing notices that the Spirit Hall's Awakening Masters will arrive in half a month, and each child who awakens will have to pay a basic fee of three gold spirit coins.

Many families are pooling their money, after all, three gold soul coins are not a small amount for ordinary farmers. But everyone is still willing to contribute, in case their child awakens a good martial soul and has soul power, then the whole family will be able to turn their lives around.

Lin Chen had already prepared the money; three gold soul coins were more than enough.

He even prepared a lot of herbs to temper his body and stabilize his soul, intending to use them when he awakened, in order to minimize the impact of awakening on his body and solidify his foundation.

That evening, Lin Chen had just finished his medicinal bath and was wiping himself down in the yard.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the gate.

He frowned slightly, put on his clothes, and went to open the door.

Standing outside the door was the village head, an elderly man in his fifties, followed by two teenagers, both from the village.

"Lin boy," Muramasa began, his tone a little awkward, "I have something to tell you. These two kids are poor and can't afford the awakening fee. You see, you've made some money in your business recently, could you lend them some? They'll definitely pay you back when they're successful."

Lin Chen's gaze calmly swept over the two children and the parents hiding behind them, and he instantly understood.

Someone must have seen that he was usually generous and could talk to Brother Zhao, so they assumed he was rich and persuaded the village head to borrow money.

It's said to be a loan, but there's a high probability it won't be returned. Moral blackmail, coupled with the village head's influence, makes it difficult for most people to refuse.

"Doubao, devise a response plan."

[Solution: Gently refuse, plead poverty and weakness, emphasizing that the business capital was all covered by the town's boss, and that you are just running errands for a meager living, unable to come up with any extra money. Maintain a polite attitude, avoiding any room for moral blackmail, while also preventing a confrontation.]

Lin Chen knew what was going on, and a troubled look appeared on his face as he said to Muramasa, "Grandpa Muramasa, it's not that I don't want to lend you money, it's just that I really don't have much. The owner of the general store in town lent me the capital for my business. I just run errands and collect herbs to earn a little money for food. I usually only have a few copper coins on hand. Three gold soul coins are too much, I really can't come up with them."

As he spoke, he stepped aside to make way for the doorway, saying, "If you don't believe me, come inside and see. There's nothing in this house; I really don't have any spare money."

Muramasa glanced inside and saw that the house was indeed bare, with nothing of value except some herbs.

He knew it was unreasonable to borrow money, but he was persuaded by others to give it a try.

"I see..." Muramasa sighed, a little disappointed. "Alright, never mind then. Let's think of another way."

"I'm sorry, Grandpa Muramasa." Lin Chen said apologetically.

Muramasa waved his hand and left with his men.

As soon as the door closed, the apology on Lin Chen's face vanished, and he returned to his calm state.

He knew better than anyone that lending money was out of the question. He understood the saying, "A small favor is appreciated, but a large one breeds resentment."

If you borrow from one person today, ten or eight more will come to borrow from you tomorrow. If you don't lend to them, they'll become your enemies, and the trouble will be endless.

He had originally planned to leave Qing Shi Village gradually after awakening, so there was no need to make friends or enemies in the village.

Maintaining distance and keeping a low profile is the safest option.

As night deepened, the courtyard quieted down.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the straw mat, closing his eyes in meditation. Within his spiritual sea, Doubao quietly operated, silently recording his physical data and optimizing his awakening plan.

There are fifteen days left until the awakening of the Martial Soul.

All preparations are complete.

He was waiting for that day.

Even if it's Blue Silver Grass, he wants to show the world what kind of sharpness this weed they despise can grow in his hands.