"Praise life!"
Qi Lin watched as a horse-drawn carriage rumbled down the dusty road, then bent down and picked up a glinting gold soul coin that had slipped through a gap in the carriage floor.
With a gold soul coin, he could enjoy fine food, indulge in the pleasures of life, and even help renovate the luxurious countryside villa his family called home.
This was the Douluo Continent, in the Fanos Province of the Heaven Dou Empire, in a small village called Radish Village.
Qi Lin had been in this world for six years now. He had crossed over from Earth—of all things, because his wife once cosplayed Xiao Wu during one of their late-night "games." He'd joked that he wanted to try the real thing, and—just like that—he woke up in this new world.
But that was just how Qi Lin was. He'd always been lucky, and he'd always adapted. So when he arrived in Douluo Continent, he simply accepted it.
Even his name hadn't changed.
His family, however, had started out quite poor. Both parents had useless martial souls—his father's was a scythe, and his mother's was Blue Silver Grass. For generations, his ancestors had been impoverished farmers, scraping by on a patch of ancestral land.
Things began to change the moment Qi Lin was born.
When he was an infant and there wasn't enough milk, a limping doe literally wandered into their front yard.
When they lacked food, wild animals would somehow show up right outside the door—practically delivering themselves.
And whenever they were short on money, a soul coin of some kind—copper, silver, or gold—would always appear nearby the next day.
Eventually, this constant stream of miracles transformed their once-humble home into a small estate. Qi Lin's family quickly rose to become the wealthiest household in Radish Village.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Qi Lin strolled through the village. The villagers greeted him warmly, many hoping to get a bit of his luck to rub off on them.
After he passed, a few plain-dressed men gathered and sighed in envy.
"Some people really are just born lucky," one said.
"Right? The only thing we're missing is a son like him," said another.
"Maybe we should ask Qi Goudan how he managed to raise such a lucky kid."
Qi Goudan—that had been Qi Lin's father's name. But even he had grown embarrassed by it and, at his son's urging, changed it to Qi Tian.
When Qi Lin returned home, Qi Tian was lounging in the front yard, enjoying the evening breeze. The moment he saw his son, he pulled him aside with a conspiratorial grin.
Qi Tian looked like he was in his late twenties. Slightly chubby now, but his features still held a trace of the handsome young man he once was—a glow earned from the better life they now lived.
"Dad, what's going on?" Qi Lin asked, raising a brow at his father's sly expression.
Then came a line that nearly knocked him off his feet.
"Hey, son… you want a wife?" Qi Tian asked with a mischievous grin and a wink.
Qi Lin stared at him, mouth agape.
A long pause later, he finally gave his father a thumbs-up.
"Dad, you're something else. I'm only six, and you're already planning my marriage? So who's the lucky girl?"
He began mentally running through the possibilities—maybe one of the daughters of the wealthy merchants or minor nobles from Nuoding City?
Ever since the family struck it rich, Qi Tian had been eager to prove himself and started dabbling in small businesses—not just relying on his son's luck. Though he quickly hit setbacks, he took Qi Lin with him on his ventures at the boy's own request.
Qi Lin didn't want to be stuck in the village forever. He had been reborn in Douluo Continent, after all—of course he wanted to explore.
As expected, the family business inexplicably turned profitable again, and through it, Qi Lin met the daughters of several upper-class families in Nuoding.
Qi Tian chuckled, "I'm not saying you should marry her now. You can take your time—build a relationship first. Give it a few years."
In Douluo Continent, kids matured early—especially after awakening their martial souls. Getting engaged or even married at twelve or thirteen wasn't unusual.
Back when Qi Tian was young and poor, with a useless martial soul, he'd only managed to marry Qi Lin's mother because of his good looks and relentless persistence.
"The girl's really cute," Qi Tian added.
"How cute could she possibly be?" Qi Lin muttered. He wasn't exactly interested in little girls, no matter how adorable they were.
Qi Tian winked and led him into the house.
"You'll see. Your mom really likes her and wants to adopt her as a goddaughter. I'm just thinking a step ahead for you, that's all."
Inside, they found a gentle-looking woman—Qi Lin's mother, Xu Qian—holding hands with a little girl in a pink dress, descending the stairs.
Qi Lin froze the moment he saw the girl's familiar face and the scorpion-braid trailing down her back.
Xiao Wu?
She looked almost exactly like her anime counterpart—but somehow, even more adorable in real life.
Xu Qian smiled warmly.
"Welcome home, Xiao Lin! Come here, I want to introduce someone to you."
She looked down at the little girl beside her.
"This is Xiao Wu. Her parents were killed by soul beasts, and she has no family left. So I decided to take her in."
Qi Lin blinked in surprise.
'Was that part of the original story? Pretty sure it wasn't.'
Then Xu Qian turned to Xiao Wu and said gently, "Xiao Wu, this is Qi Lin. You should call him 'big brother' from now on."
Xiao Wu gave Qi Lin a quick once-over.
The boy had fair skin, a handsome face, and a gentle smile. Just one glance made her heart flutter.
But when Xu Qian told her to call him "big brother," her brows immediately scrunched together.
"Auntie Xu Qian… can I be the big sister instead? I don't want to be a little sister."
After all, in the Star Dou Great Forest, she had always been the leader.
Xu Qian laughed and tried to coax her gently.
"Be good, Xiao Wu. You just turned six, remember? Qi Lin is already six years and four months old."
Xiao Wu pouted. She wasn't thrilled, but in the end, she reluctantly said, "Big Brother Qi Lin…"
She really wanted to say she was actually a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast—but she couldn't risk revealing her identity.
And besides, Auntie Xu Qian was so warm and kind… and promised her an endless supply of carrots. So she decided to listen—for now.
But privately, she had her own plans.
She smiled sweetly at Qi Lin on the surface, but her tiny fists clenched behind her back.
In the world of soul beasts, power ruled all. Even here in the human world—she was determined to be the boss.