NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 8: It Seems This Human Hatchling is Growing Stronger.
Watching his mother and Sister Chunyan host a birthday celebration just for him, Xu Ming was deeply moved.
He tried hard not to cry, but perhaps due to the uncontrollable emotions of a baby, this grown man in spirit couldn't hold back and started bawling, "Waaah waaah!"
Naturally, Chen Suya and Chunyan didn't think their one-year-old child was crying out of gratitude. They assumed he might be uncomfortable and did their best to soothe him.
Xu Ming made up his mind then and there: he had to train hard and make his mother's life better!
While their current life was indeed free from material worries, and the First Madam Wang Feng hadn't interacted with his mother since his half-sister was weaned, making life relatively peaceful, Xu Ming still wanted to make a name for himself so that his mother could hold her head high.
From that day on, every night while his mother was asleep, Xu Ming would secretly climb out of bed and double down on his training. Push-ups, sit-ups, running laps around the room — he did it all. The moment his mother woke up, he'd immediately flop down onto the floor and pretend to be sleeping.
Sometimes, Chen Suya was puzzled as to why her son often ended up sleeping by the door. Could he be sleepwalking at such a young age? To test this theory, she tied a string to Xu Ming's arm when she slept.
But even this didn't stop him. Xu Ming simply switched to doing planks on the bed.
Half a year passed, and by the time Xu Ming turned a year and a half, he could already lift objects weighing 60 pounds.
However, Xu Ming still chose not to reveal his abilities. Despite being able to lift 60 pounds, he knew that any decently strong adult could easily overpower him — and this was a world of martial arts and cultivation, after all.
He decided to continue developing his strength in secret until he had the means to protect himself.
Through observation, Xu Ming also learned that although illegitimate sons were barred from participating in the civil examinations of the Dawu Kingdom, they were allowed to compete in the martial examinations at the age of fourteen. If he could earn recognition through the martial path, no one would dare look down on him again.
Another six months passed. At the age of two, Xu Ming could lift 100 pounds and even felt like he might be developing abs. The idea of a two-year-old having visible abs was so absurd that Xu Ming decided to ease up on his sit-ups for a while.
On his second birthday, the Xu and Ning households once again hosted a joint celebration. While it wasn't as grand as his first birthday, it was still a lively event — though, once again, it had little to do with Xu Ming.
Still, his mother and Chunyan made sure to celebrate with him.
His mother gifted him a set of handmade clothes, two identical sets of which were also given to Xu Xuenuo and Qin Qingwan.
Sister Chunyan attempted to give Xu Ming a gold bracelet, but his mother politely declined, deeming it too extravagant.
The First Madam of the Qin family sent a maid with a scroll of calligraphy and painting to celebrate Xu Ming's birthday. She apologized for being unable to come in person due to hosting guests.
The scroll was the work of a renowned artist, and although Chen Suya tried to refuse it repeatedly, she eventually had to accept.
Xu Ming thought highly of Lady Qin. A year ago, on the night of his first birthday, she had also sent a maid with a precious calligraphy brush.
The next day, Chunyan felt guilty for not giving Xu Ming anything and decided to gift him a gosling.
Xu Ming couldn't quite understand her thought process. Perhaps it was inspired by the painting Lady Qin had sent, which featured a goose.
The gosling grew up alongside Xu Ming, but unlike Xu Ming, it grew much faster.
By the time Xu Ming was two and a half, the goose had grown taller and larger than him in just six months.
One day, out of nowhere, the goose began chasing Xu Ming and biting him.
The problem? Despite being able to lift 100 pounds with ease, Xu Ming found himself completely outmatched by the goose!
What's more infuriating was that every time the goose defeated Xu Ming, it would climb onto his back, spread its wings wide, and let out a triumphant cry toward the sky, as if announcing its victory.
What kind of goose had Sister Chunyan even gifted him?
[You fought with the Tianxuan Goose. Agility +20, Strength +20, Combat Experience with Birds +20.]
The white goose strutted off with its head held high, huffing smugly.
Xu Ming stared blankly as these words popped up in his mind.
Tianxuan Goose? What the heck is that?
One day, when Chunyan came to visit, Xu Ming toddled over to her, tugging at her skirt with his chubby little hands, and asked in his babyish voice, "Sister Chunyan, what kind of goose did you give me?"
"What kind of goose?" Chunyan blinked, then scooped him up into her arms, letting him rest on her ample bosom. "It's just a random goose I bought at the market. Why?"
"Oh, nothing. It just seems to get better looking as it grows (and more arrogant)," Xu Ming replied, shaking his head.
"Hehe, as long as you like it, little master Ming'er. You're growing more handsome every day too," Chunyan giggled, kissing his cheek and pinching his soft little face.
Xu Ming was now certain—this Tianxuan Goose was no ordinary bird. Somehow, it must have ended up mixed in with a flock of regular goslings. Chunyan, with her absurdly good luck, had unknowingly bought it—like a protagonist stumbling upon a priceless treasure at a street market.
Regardless of how extraordinary this goose was, Xu Ming set a small goal for himself: within six months, he would defeat this goose.
After all, if he kept getting ridden like a horse by this bird, where would his dignity be?
[You fought with the Tianxuan Goose. Agility +20, Strength +20, Combat Experience with Birds +20.]
[You fought with the Tianxuan Goose. Agility +20, Strength +20, Combat Experience with Birds +20.]
[You fought with the Tianxuan Goose. Agility +20, Strength +20, Combat Experience with Birds +20.]
Every day after that, whenever his mother wasn't looking, Xu Ming would challenge the Tianxuan Goose to a fight. Sometimes, he even fought it multiple times a day.
Though Xu Ming lost every single time, each battle brought him significant attribute gains. He could feel the gap between him and the goose narrowing day by day.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, while the Tianxuan Goose managed to win again, it was left panting and drenched in sweat. For the first time, it seemed to sense that this human child was growing stronger. How was that possible?
The goose realized it couldn't keep slacking off. If it kept underestimating this tiny human and got defeated one day, wouldn't it have to become his subordinate?
From that day forward, every time Xu Ming was doing push-ups or lifting weights, the Tianxuan Goose could be seen running laps around the courtyard, starting its own disciplined training regimen.