Dawn broke with the familiar crowing of roosters. It had been three days since I'd started waking up like this, my internal clock perfectly in sync with the rising sun. It felt refreshing, a stark contrast to my previous life's habits. Meditation had brought me a level of inner peace I never thought possible.

As I stood, my bones crackled, a testament to my growing strength. All the mortal meridians were open, leaving just two spirit meridians and one reincarnation meridian to unlock before I could start building my nexus, or Dantian – the reservoir and converter of natural energy into internal power. This process was standard, as outlined in the Sun Scriptures, which also detailed the creation of pseudo-meridians connecting body and spirit. Theoretically, there was no limit to the number I could create, but overdoing it would damage both body and soul.

Before I could start creating meridians, I had to open the three most difficult and dangerous ones first. Unlike the body meridians, which the Body Tune-Up aided, this process had to be done slowly to avoid, well, death.

Four days had passed in this village, and so far, nothing strange or supernatural had happened. It felt normal, but also a bit boring. I guess I was stuck in a slice-of-life world, and hopefully, I wouldn't get dragged into a cliché xianxia novel plot.

The sun was climbing higher when a knock on the door startled me. Yurou stood there, lantern in hand, a wide smile on her face, and a ceramic pot in her arms.

"Hey, good morning! Ready to learn how to cook?" she chirped.

Ugh, I'd forgotten she promised to teach me, and I hadn't expected it to be so soon. My fireplace was fixed, but I had no cooking utensils whatsoever.

"This early? My fireplace doesn't even have a cooking rack or any tools," I said, opening the door and inviting her in. She stepped inside but immediately frowned at the darkness.

"Why is it so dark and cold in here?" she asked, placing the ceramic pot near the fireplace. She then grabbed some firewood and lit it. I just watched silently, not needing to bother with fire since the Shroud of Power: Volcanic kept me warm.

"Where's your fire starter?" Yurou asked.

"I don't have one," I replied, scratching my head.

Yurou raised an eyebrow, looking displeased. "Gouzi didn't give you one?"

She then returned to her house to get a fire starter a few minutes later.

Once the fire was going, she explained that the ceramic pot she brought was a rice cooker. It was like a large bowl with two layers. The outer layer held water to protect the pot from direct flames, and the inner layer was used to cook the rice. This unique cooking method was probably due to the limited iron in this land.

Several minutes later, Yurou explained how to cook rice with her unique pot. It wasn't too difficult; I just had to be careful not to make the fire too big and damage the pot.

By the time we finished cooking, the sun was high in the sky.

Yurou explained that plowing the rice fields would take a week – seven days, the same as on Earth. I didn't dwell too long on the similarity between this world and Earth. The villagers had been working for three days before my arrival, and today marked the end of the plowing. After this, the fields would only need a few days of flooding. That meant tomorrow would bring a welcome reprieve from work.

There were a few things I wanted to do with that free time – first, of course, to work on improving my appetite. Second, to see if there might be a more efficient way to farm. Working in the fields with a hoe was relaxing, yes, but I remained a modern man accustomed to a certain level of convenience.

After tidying up the cooking area, I headed to the fields to complete my usual chores. As the sun reached its zenith, the plowing finished ahead of schedule – we were nearly done when I joined, after all. The workers gathered near the irrigation dam, watching as several men pried open a makeshift gate, allowing the river to rush into the flooded fields.

The feel of a hand on my shoulder startled me. I turned to see Gouzi grinning at me. "Hey, thanks for the hard work," he said, patting my shoulder firmly.

"No problem," I replied with a smile. "Happy to help."

Gouzi gazed out at the flooded rice fields. "The day after tomorrow, the fields will be ready for planting. Any plans for tomorrow?"

"I want to try out the blacksmith's tools in my place," I said. "I hope I can make something better than these wooden hoes."

"Wow, that would be incredible. The village chief was talking about how we used to have many iron tools," Gouzi said, "but they started breaking, and with no blacksmith to fix them… well, we have to ration what few remain. Buying new ones in the city is costly, and the trip is too dangerous to risk often."

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"All the more reason to learn blacksmithing, I guess," I said, a wry smile touching my lips. "I'll give it my best shot."

Gouzi chuckled. "Are you hungry? Let's have lunch together. My wife is cooking meat today." He visibly salivated at the thought.

After lunch, Gouzi gave me a proper tour of the village, pointing out the various houses. I had expected as much when I first arrived, so while late, the tour was still appreciated. Gouzi was good company, and he introduced me to many of the villagers. Their warm welcome helped me feel like I was slowly joining this community.

We finally stopped at my house. "Well, I'll take my leave now. Still have other things to see to."

"Alright," I said. "Take care."

Gouzi grinned widely. "Don't worry, you'll figure out the blacksmithing. You seem like a clever sort."

His confidence was a mystery to me, but I returned his smile nonetheless. "Thanks. Don't get your hopes up too high, though."

Gouzi turned and walked away. I stood there for a time, looking at the flooded rice fields. They were simple people, but hardworking and friendly. I was glad to be here, a part of their community.

The sun dipped towards the horizon, bathing the land in a warm, orange glow. Soon, the sun will set and the world will be shrouded in darkness. Before that, I want to visit the river once again. An irresistible pull drew me toward the river, a yearning to witness the twilight transformation of the landscape – a daily spectacle that never ceased to amaze me.

I retraced my steps from the previous day, only to be met with a scene both foreign and mesmerizing. Gone were the vibrant hues of dawn, replaced by the soft, golden tones of dusk that painted the world in a breathtaking panorama. The setting sun's tranquility washed over me, an unspoken invitation to pause and savor the natural beauty.

As I neared the river, its roar intensified – a stark contrast to the gentle murmur of yesterday. Reaching the riverbank, the reason for the change became clear. The once crystalline water was now a murky brown, a testament to the torrential downpour the village had endured. The river had become a raging torrent, carrying silt and soil in its wake. The water level had risen drastically, submerging half the rocks that had lined the bank just a day prior.

Despite the dramatic change, I was relieved to see the iron ore deposit still partially exposed. Instead of the usual orange-tinted pool teeming with iron bacteria, only a thick layer of muddy sediment remained. I approached, carefully scanning for new rocks with the telltale rust-colored stains that spoke of iron content. Only a few exhibited promising signs.

Determined, I gathered some promising head-sized rocks and piled them near my previous processing spot. With a heave, I began smashing them together, reducing them to more easily worked fragments. It was surprisingly easy, the weight of the rocks almost insignificant in my hands. Since my earlier mishap, where a rock had exploded and sent shards flying, I'd learned to apply force cautiously, mindful of avoiding injury to myself or the villagers.

Once satisfied with the size of my fragments, I used the Shroud of Power to conjure a makeshift cloth to collect the iron-rich pieces. I had so many that I had to dig a pit to store the excess, a precaution against a future downpour washing my hard-earned materials away.

My bundle of iron ore secured, I returned to the hut filled with both satisfaction and anticipation. My mind raced, calculating the iron yield and envisioning the possibilities it held.

Upon reaching the hut, I immediately placed my bundle beside the furnace-like structure meant for smelting. A quick inspection, however, revealed its disrepair. With renewed purpose, I retrieved bricks from behind the hut to replace the damaged ones.

As I began to work, a glaring oversight struck me. Unlike the hearth, a smelter needed more than just bricks – it required clay to fill the gaps. Without hesitation, I fashioned another cloth and set out to gather the necessary material. The village, thankfully, had abundant and easily accessible clay deposits. I returned with a generous amount, my hands and clothes bearing the evidence of my labor.

With the clay in hand, I resumed work on the smelter. By the time I finished, I was caked in mud and clay. The Shroud of Power proved invaluable, effortlessly removing the grime as if I'd never been dirtied at all.

With the clay still needing time to harden, the smelter was unusable. I settled into my usual meditation spot, Though my focus wasn't on opening new meridians, I could still use my internal energy to deepen my understanding of the next one in my path. A sense of accomplishment washed over me as the day ended, leaving me eager to see what tomorrow held.