The system had never once revealed its true name, but Han Xuan had long given it one of his own— Investment-Lineage System.
A simple name, but accurate enough.
In essence, whenever his wives became pregnant, the system would trigger something it called the Investment Phase, prompting him to offer treasures, pills, weapons, materials—anything of value to the unborn child.
What he invested determined everything about the child's future: their spiritual root, physique, and even what kinds of cultivation art they would be suited for.
Ten years ago, when one of his wives, Shui Lanyue, first became pregnant, Han Xuan had been painfully poor. Back then, the only noteworthy treasures he owned were: an incomplete sword manual, Seven Star Sword Art, a single top-grade Rank 1 spiritual sword, and 5,000 spirit coins he had scraped together over years of brewing wine.
Those were the only things he was able to invest.
Yet despite the humble offering, his son was born with a special physique— Seven Star Sword Body.
In the entire Azurewood Province, cultivators who possessed any kind of special physique could be counted on one hand. Many sects went decades without encountering even one.
Although a special physique did not directly raise one's cultivation speed the way a high spiritual root would, its value lay elsewhere— in the innate abilities it granted.
Some physiques enhanced survivability; some granted incredible affinity toward certain elements; others awakened unique combat talents, increased comprehension, or provided powerful supporting abilities.
A special physique was like a hidden treasure buried within the bloodline, its potential limited only by how far its possessor could take it.
The Seven Star Sword Body, in particular, was a sword cultivator's dream.
Its bearer was naturally compatible with starforce sword qi, possessed frightening intuition toward sword arts, and had the potential to unleash sevenfold combat resonance at higher realms. Even at birth, Han Xuan's son radiated a faint, sharp aura—like a sword waiting to be unsheathed.
Unfortunately, perhaps because his investment back then had been too meager, the child's spiritual root was only Rank 3.
Still far better than Han Xuan's own pitiful Rank 1, but undeniably a shackle on such a brilliant physique.
Even so, when his son was born, the system had showered Han Xuan with rich rewards:cultivation manuals, spirit beast eggs, spiritual weapons.
That day, Han Xuan had nearly cried from joy.
From then on, he put in heroic effort to have another child. Truly heroic effort.If "trying for a baby" were a cultivation technique, he would have mastered it.
But Heaven was heartless.
Even with all the… dedication he poured into the matter, his luck seemed to dry up completely. Not a single additional pregnancy for ten years.
His wives were so moved and perhaps a bit pitying that they even suggested he marry another woman for the sake of the lineage.
But how could it be so easy?
What woman would choose to marry a poor tavern-owner with a weak cultivation base? And one who already had two wives and a son at that?
Especially now, when he had even offended the Chen Family and was struggling just to keep his tavern open.
As for the idea of marrying a mortal woman…
Han Xuan rejected it without hesitation.
Mortals were too fragile—too easily broken by the harshness of the cultivation world. Their lives burned bright but far too short.
He had already lived through the pain of such a loss. His own mother, a mortal woman, had died during childbirth. He had no memories of her at all; only his father's quiet grief remained in the fragments of his earliest years.
He would never willingly put another woman through that risk.
More importantly, a child's spiritual root is largely inherited from the parents.
If one parent were mortal, the chances of the child being born with any spiritual root at all were abysmally low. And even if the heavens granted a sliver of luck, the resulting spiritual root would likely be extremely poor.
Han Xuan himself was the perfect example.
His father had possessed a Rank 2 spiritual root, decent enough for a stable cultivation path. His mother had been entirely mortal.
The outcome—Han Xuan was born with a Rank 1 spiritual root, the lowest possible grade.
This was no coincidence. It was lineage.
Thus, if he ever took another wife, he needed to be careful. His children must not inherit the same disadvantages he had suffered.
They deserved a future brighter than the narrow path he himself had walked before he awakened his golden finger.
He was just about to take a step down the quiet street when a crisp chime echoed inside his mind.
A glowing notification surfaced before his eyes.
[Congratulations, your wife, Shui Huoyan, is pregnant with twins.]
[Investment Phase has begun.]
[Please prepare the treasures.]
Han Xuan froze mid-stride.
For a moment, his expression went blank—unable to process the words. Then disbelief flickered across his face… followed by overwhelming joy.
"Huoyan… is pregnant? Twins?"
His voice trembled.
Ten years of disappointment. Ten years of trying. Ten years of waiting for that one miracle.
And now—not one child, but two.
Han Xuan spun around and bolted toward the outskirts of the market. He didn't even bother reading the rest of the system prompts.
His heart slammed wildly in his chest. Not from panic—but from sheer, unrestrained excitement.
He didn't even stop to close the tavern sign properly.
Baobao croaked in surprise from his shoulder as Han Xuan sprinted through the dim lantern-lit streets like a madman.
His home lay beyond the market—on Five Paths Mountain.
Five Paths Mountain was a spiritual mountain located just outside Blueleaf Market and belonged to the Clearwind Sect, the ruling sect of Blueleaf County and several surrounding regions.
Clearwind Sect stood tall as a mid-tier righteous sect, its foundation supported by multiple Golden Core elders. Though not on the same level as the great sects of Azurewood Province, it commanded considerable influence across the entire region.
Its lands extended far and wide, containing numerous spiritual mountains. Most of these were leased to cultivators for a yearly fee.
Five Paths Mountain was one such place—ranked low with only a Rank 1 spiritual vein, but still a treasure for casual cultivators who had no backing.
The mountain was currently shared by five households, each led by a cultivator skilled in a different field: talisman crafting, alchemy, refining spiritual weapons, formations, and, of course, wine brewing.
Han Xuan had lived there since the day he was born. When his father passed away, the rental rights naturally transferred to him.
Soon, Han Xuan arrived at the foot of Five Paths Mountain. Even in his frenzy, he paused just long enough to catch his breath before rushing toward a particular cave abode entrance nestled between two ancient spiritwood trees.
A faint, shimmering membrane of light stretched across the entrance. It was a formation barrier that protected his cave abode.
Han Xuan reached into his robe and pulled out a thin jade token.
He pressed the token against the barrier.
Buzz—
The formation rippled like disturbed water before parting down the middle. A door-shaped opening gracefully peeled open, granting him passage.
Baobao croaked proudly, as if announcing their arrival.
Without hesitation, Han Xuan stepped through.
Inside, a narrow but well-trodden path stretched before him, winding gently through two small spiritual plant fields. One field was filled with neat rows of spiritual wheat, swaying slightly despite the still air; the other held carefully tended spiritual herbs glowing faintly under the night sky.
This was home.
He followed the path, the soft crunch of gravel beneath his boots grounding him even as his heart finally calmed down. Blue jade stone steps led upward, smooth from generations of use. Small lanterns hung along the sides, but tonight their glow was faint—overpowered by clusters of fireflies drifting lazily in the warm evening air.
A warm, familiar tranquility wrapped around him.
He climbed the last of the steps and approached the wooden door, its frame polished clean despite its age.
He didn't give himself time to hesitate.
He slid the door open and stepped inside. He called, "I'm home~"
The sound of his declaration echoed softly through the house, chased by the faint scent of medicinal herbs and warm broth lingering in the air.
"Welcome home, husband~"
A soft, melodious voice drifted through the entryway.
Standing there was a beautiful woman in a flowing blue gown. She wore no makeup at all, yet her features were as pure and luminous as polished jade, her presence calming the heart like spring water.
A warm smile instantly spread across Han Xuan's face. Even the heaviness he'd carried from an entire day of empty tables and slow sales melted away without a trace.
"Lanyue~" Han Xuan murmured, reaching out to gently caress her silky black hair.
Shui Lanyue leaned slightly into his touch, a gentle blush blooming across her cheeks. She said sweetly, "Husband, you must be tired. I have prepared a warm bath and dinner for you."
"Thank you as always, Lanyue." Han Xuan's smile deepened before he asked, "Where are Huoyan and Qixing?"
"Huoyan has been refining pills all day, so she rested early," Lanyue replied softly, "As for Qixing, he was practicing in the backyard the last time I checked."
"…It's been hard for Huoyan." Han Xuan let out a quiet sigh.
Shui Huoyan, his second wife, was an alchemist.
Normally, she would refine only a limited set of pills each day. But ever since misfortune struck and business plummeted, she had pushed herself to make more pills to sell to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, trying to ease the family's financial pressure.
She was probably still unaware that she was now pregnant—pregnant with twins.
Han Xuan felt a tightness in his chest.
He needed to tell her soon… and make sure she rested properly.
Alchemy wasn't just exhausting; it carried spiritual strain. Something going wrong now would be disastrous.
"If only I had the same skill as Huoyan," Shui Lanyue murmured quietly. Her gaze lowered with a hint of self-blame, "She wouldn't have to work so hard alone."
"How could you say that, Lanyue?" Han Xuan gently took her delicate hands into his, "You've been tending all the spiritual herbs in the fields day after day. Without you, how could Huoyan refine pills? How could I brew wine? In terms of contribution, you are no less than either of us."
Shui Lanyue bit her lip lightly, her eyes softening.
Though she lacked any particular talent for alchemy or wine brewing, she was a spiritual plant cultivator—one with remarkable sensitivity toward spiritual herbs. Thanks entirely to her efforts, even after their main supplier vanished, Han Xuan had never run out of the precious ingredients he needed to keep brewing his signature wines.
Huoyan also relied on her to cultivate rare medicinal herbs.
Not only that, but Lanyue handled every aspect of the household with quiet dedication—cleaning, repairs, collecting water, managing expenses, caring for their child.
She was the pillar of their home in her own way.
The silent backbone.
In truth, she was the biggest contributor of all.