C1 To be Reborn as a Son-in-law.

Lin Yun's consciousness crept back slowly, and with it, his bright, lucid eyes fluttered open. "Am I dead?" he murmured.

An experienced and exceptional surgeon, Lin Yun's last memory before blacking out was of him operating on a patient. Then, without warning, a violent shake had sent the ceiling crashing down, and darkness had swallowed him whole.

Upon awakening, Lin Yun was engulfed by aches and weakness throughout his body. Propping himself up with his arms, he managed to sit up with great effort.

He scanned the room. Sunlight filtered through the aged windowpanes, casting a glow on the worn wooden table adorned with pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. Uneven floor tiles and an oil lamp close to empty added to the room's decrepitude. Even the blanket draped over him was patched. The room exuded an air of poverty.

As Lin Yun took in the classical yet rundown surroundings, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Where am I?" he asked aloud.

His gaze then fell upon a tarnished bronze mirror. Reflected in it was a slender, fair-faced young man—no more than eighteen, yet with a pallor to his skin. Staring at the unfamiliar reflection, Lin Yun's confusion deepened. "Is that really me?"

Suddenly, a clattering noise drew his attention to the doorway, where a fifteen-year-old girl in threadbare linen stood, her eyes wide with astonishment. She rushed to his side, her eyes brimming with tears. "Young Master, you've finally awakened! I feared you'd never open your eyes again. Please, Young Master, don't leave me all alone."

Lin Yun's mind raced with questions. "Why is she calling me 'Young Master'?" But as the girl drew nearer, he could see her more clearly—a frail figure with straw-like yellow hair that spoke of malnutrition. Most striking was the large black birthmark that marred her left cheek—an unsightly blemish.

Yet, inexplicably, Lin Yun felt a surge of comfort and familiarity wash over him at the sight of her face.

"The system has detected the host's awakening. Commencing binding now," an almost mechanical voice echoed in Lin Yun's mind. A fierce electric current jolted through him, as if he were being cast into the depths of hell, his entire body wracked with pain.

His head throbbed most intensely, as if on the verge of splitting apart. Lin Yun let out an agonized cry.

Meng, the maid, was startled and called out in alarm, "Young Master! What's happening to you?"

"Memory integration complete. System binding successful," the voice announced after a brief interval.

The pain subsided, and Lin Yun became aware of new memories—ones that were not his own. He looked at Meng again, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Meng, I'm alright. Please, step outside for a moment."

Though Meng hesitated, worried, she eventually acquiesced to Lin Yun's steady gaze and left the room, leaving him to his solitude.

In her absence, a screen materialized before Lin Yun, resembling a holographic projection, displaying the "Stats Bar".

Host: Lin Yun

Title: None

Psychic Force: 1.3

Refinable Pills: None

Points: 100 (Initial Points)

Authority: Pillheart Hall (Marrow Cleansing Pill, Green Spirit Pill, Bone Forging Pill)

"System Notification: Within Pillheart Hall, you may learn to refine various pills. Points will be deducted based on the pill type."

Lin Yun stared, dumbfounded. "Is this the system?" he whispered to himself. Could this be the fabled System Stats Bar?

He had journeyed across time and space, seamlessly absorbing all the memories of this body's former inhabitant. As fate would have it, the body's original owner was also named Lin Yun.

Yet, this Lin Yun was more than met the eye, his identity and past far from ordinary. He was once a scholar from Little Liang Village who, despite a decade of diligent study, had failed to achieve any notable success, leaving him perpetually disheartened. But everything changed for him a year ago when, quite unexpectedly, he became the husband of the Mystic Moon Sect's sect master—a sect renowned for its influence in the region.

The sect master was not only a woman but also a renowned beauty.

Joining the Mystic Moon Sect as a lowly son-in-law marked a pivotal moment in his life. He had met his wife just once, yet he had fallen deeply in love with the stunning woman.

But realistically, how could someone of his standing ever hope to win the love of the Mystic Moon Sect's sect master?

Since Qin Yutong, his wife, had him brought into the sect, their encounters were few and far between, and intimacy was out of the question. Their marriage was in name only.

Lin Yun was acutely aware of his humble place in the world. Qin Yutong had never shown him any real consideration, likely using their marriage as a means to fend off other suitors. Nonetheless, a mere glimpse of Qin Yutong from a distance was enough to content him.

Upon encountering these memories, Lin Yun couldn't help but lament, "He loved without pride. He deserved a better fate."

Indeed, he was correct. Lin Yun, who had hoped for a tranquil existence within the Mystic Moon Sect, had contracted a mysterious illness three months prior. His health steadily deteriorated until today, when he succumbed to death.

Thus, Lin Yun's spirit had claimed this new vessel.

"So, I've inherited a dead man's body. That explains the lack of strength," Lin Yun mused with a wry smile. "What terrible luck. I narrowly avoid one disaster, only to face death again?"

As his vitality waned, Lin Yun sensed that his time was running short.

"System Alert: High levels of toxins detected in your body. Immediate self-treatment is advised."

"System Alert: The Green Spirit Pill can neutralize all poisons."

Lin Yun's eyes darted to the stats bar, where he indeed found an item labeled Green Spirit Pill, with a note indicating a cost of 30 points to learn to refine it.

Unsure of how he came to possess the 100 points at his disposal, Lin Yun was nevertheless prepared to spend whatever was necessary to preserve his life—even if it meant parting with all 300 points.

"I must master the method to concoct the Green Spirit Pill without delay!" Lin Yun resolved.

"Thirty points successfully deducted. You have learned the method of refining the Green Spirit Pill."

Following the system's synthetic tone, a burst of white light materialized a verdant pill in his palm, exuding a refreshing herbal scent.

Without hesitation, Lin Yun swallowed the antidote. A soothing coolness emanated from his abdomen, rapidly enveloping him. Dark vapors, presumably the toxins, wafted from his body.

Time lost meaning as he basked in a newfound sense of clarity and vigor, the weakness that once plagued him now a distant memory.

No longer on the brink of death, Lin Yun revisited his stats bar to discover it had undergone intriguing changes.

Host: Lin Yun

Title: Grade-one Spirit Alchemist

Psychic Force: 1.3

Refinable Pills: Green Spirit Pill

Points: 70

Authority: Pillheart Hall (Marrow Cleansing Pill, Bone Forging Pill, Essence Cultivating Pill)

As Lin Yun observed the changes to his title on the stats bar, he couldn't contain his astonishment. "Have I truly become a Grade-one Spirit Alchemist?" He was well aware of what a Spirit Alchemist was. Despite the original host being a destitute scholar, Lin Yun had learned much since joining the Mystic Moon Sect.

In the Kyushu Continent, beyond ordinary individuals like the original host, there existed two distinct groups. One was the martial cultivators, who harnessed energy to develop their Elementary Force using their mortal forms. Lin Yun wasn't surprised by the existence of martial cultivators; he was quite familiar with the concept from the novels he read in his previous life.

The other group was that of the Spirit Alchemists, as mentioned on the stats bar. These individuals wielded their psychic force to concoct a variety of miraculous pills, a privilege granted to only a select few.

The scarcity of Spirit Alchemists lent an air of prestige to their profession. Every powerful entity sought to enlist them, for a single Spirit Alchemist could exponentially enhance the training pace and combat prowess of their disciples. An unspoken rule on the Kyushu Continent stated that a faction without a formidable Spirit Alchemist was doomed to obscurity, never to rise to prominence.

Lost in thought, Lin Yun mused, "Have I ascended to the esteemed rank of Spirit Alchemist?"

Suddenly, the sound of clattering dishes broke the silence outside.

An irate voice bellowed, "You dare to thieve from the pill room! I'm reporting you to the Law Enforcement Hall this instant—they'll break your legs for this!"

Through her sobs, Meng pleaded, "Ms. Hongxiu, the Young Master is on death's door. I implored the pill room for these medicines. They're to save the Young Master's life."

Lin Yun's expression darkened as he heard this.

"How dare you make excuses!" came another shout.

A resounding slap left a vivid red mark on Meng's face.

Stepping out of his room, Lin Yun witnessed the scene unfold before him, his eyes blazing with fury.

Meng sat helplessly on the floor, her gaze fixed on the shattered bowl, a symbol of her despair. Towering over her was the elegantly dressed but cruel-looking maid, Hongxiu.

Lin Yun recognized her from the original host's memories. Hongxiu was the personal attendant to Lu Tianyu, an Inner Sect disciple of the Mystic Moon Sect. Within the sect, Lin Yun held a lowly position as a son-in-law, and his servant Meng was frequently tormented by others. Hongxiu, in particular, relished in bullying Meng more than anyone else.

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