Chapter 71 Seventy-One Cuts "Change your name immediately..."
After setting a goal, Luo Mingshu became very efficient. She spent a few days writing out the entire plan and then set off to find a literary consultant for the experience project.
Xie Changming originally wanted to go with her, but Luo Mingshu left him in Yingtian Palace to write control arrays. Even though there were other conspiracies yet to be uncovered, making money was still a priority.
The author of the novel "How Deep Are the Palace Walls?" is Yu Hanlu, an elder of the Yunyan Sect. This novel, adapted from her real experiences, has become a sensation in the cultivation world. Luo Mingshu wanted to invite her to guide the plot setting of her palace intrigue literature experience project, mainly because the plot of their exploration of the Misty Star Sea was too monotonous and far less dramatic than the novel "How Deep Are the Palace Walls?".
At this time, Yu Hanlu was cultivating. Ever since she was framed in the palace and thrown into a well, awakening her talent for cultivation, she deeply understood the importance of cultivation and thus became the cultivation scroll king in the Yunyan Sect.
"Luo Mingshu and Lu Yaoyao from the Yuling Sect? I've heard of the Yuling Sect and Luo Mingshu, but I need to cultivate and don't have time to talk to them. Tell them to come another day," Yu Hanlu said to the junior disciple from the Yunyan Sect who came to deliver the message.
"They said they're here to discuss a big project," the junior disciple whispered to Yu Hanlu. "They came in a purple-gold cloud-patterned boat; they look very wealthy."
"If you have money, that's fine too." Yu Hanlu couldn't resist the temptation of money and still came to see Luo Mingshu.
Upon seeing Yu Hanlu, Luo Mingshu immediately handed her his proposal: "Miss Yu, would you be interested in becoming our plot consultant?"
Yu Hanlu was a cultivator, so she could read text extremely quickly. She glanced at Luo Mingshu's plan and said calmly, "This idea is good. I also want to replicate the scene I saw in the mortal palace. However, when I revisited the place more than a hundred years later, it was already a ruin. Are you sure your Yingtian Palace can withstand the ravages of time?"
"It's a scene created within the Misty Star Sea; we didn't dismantle it," Luo Mingshu explained.
"This is so big, it's all yours. This should be a beginner scene, right?" Yu Hanlu exclaimed in surprise.
"The land I own with my teammates." Luo Mingshu took it as Yu Hanlu praising her.
“If it’s a building from the Misty Star Sea, it should be reliable and highly realistic.” Yu Hanlu nodded. “I can help you design the plot, as a way of remembering my past memories.”
"The cost here..." Luo Mingshu pondered the price. She was afraid that offering too low a price would tarnish Yu Hanlu's masterpiece, and she didn't want to spend too much money.
"Miss Luo, please speak." Yu Hanlu waited for Luo Mingshu's offer, after all, she herself was a highly sought-after celebrity.
After considering it for a moment, Luo Mingshu offered a price of eight million spirit stones, which was higher than Yu Hanlu's expected price, so the two hit it off immediately.
Their cooperation was temporarily confirmed. Using the Spirit Network, Luo Mingshu promoted her palace intrigue literature experience project extensively. With the participation of the author himself, many cultivators were interested in the project and started chatting about it in the Four Directions Water Mirror.
[Latest news from the cultivation world: In that place where the human realm, demon realm, and monster realm meet, there has actually been a place that supposedly allows people to experience the world from ancient stories?!]
Luo Mingshu had someone post the message on the Spirit Network, and she even spent some spirit stones to do so. To attract cultivators, prior publicity is essential. She had previously guided the Yu Ling Sect to do something similar.
Since the news was released at her own instruction, even though Luo Mingshu was using her main account, "[Beautiful 300-year-old with water spirit root, super easy to fool]", she didn't nitpick about the news.
The Spirit Network cultivators were chatting enthusiastically under this news article.
[Storyteller Fan #1: I heard the author of "How Deep Are the Palace Walls?" helped design the plot for this experience? I wonder if it can recreate the famous scene where the protagonist, framed by a treacherous concubine, falls into a mirror and awakens his cultivation talent.]
[Storyteller Fan #2: I still think it's more impactful when, many years later, Miss Yu returns to the palace to see the emperor she once admired, now an old man.]
Luo Mingshu actually found a thousand-year-old turtle demon in the demon realm to play the emperor, and she arranged all the necessary plot details.
[Storyteller Enthusiast #3: Moreover, this scene was created by the Misty Star Sea. But if the rules of the Misty Star Sea can be replicated inside, then how powerful must the array that maintains its operation be? Even if the immortals from heaven came, they probably wouldn't be able to create such an array, right?]
In fact, even Xie Changming spent several days creating such an array. This was not entirely to support Luo Mingshu's personal hobby. The plan that Luo Mingshu wrote was very detailed and also had business opportunities. The Demon Realm did need some sources of income, and no one would mind being richer.
The discussion on the square water mirror continues.
[Storyteller Enthusiast #4: By the way, we've been discussing this for so long, where did that 300-year-old beauty with super-easy-to-scam water spirit root who always comes here to argue go?]
[Storyteller Enthusiast #5: Yeah, it feels a bit strange not seeing her argue.]
Luo Mingshu couldn't possibly contradict herself; she also needed to make money.
But after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she never expected to see such a person.
[A beautiful 200-year-old woman with a fire spirit root and plenty of money: What a terrible project! The idea is so naive. Do you even know who designs the formation that keeps it running? Even celestial lords don't have the ability to oversee every detail and completely replicate the rules of the Misty Star Sea. Anyone who spends spirit stones to experience this is a sucker!]
The replies below even carried a hint of nostalgia.
[Watching the Show, Cultivator #1: Is this a super gullible alt account of a beautiful 300-year-old woman with a water-elemental root?]
[Watching the show, cultivator number two: Haha, your spirit network name is quite memorable!]
[Cultivator Number Three, spectator: I haven't seen you argue for days, I kind of miss you. Luckily you're here. The familiar Four Directions Water Mirror still has that same feel to it.]
Luo Mingshu never expected that someone would copy her name for the spiritual network. Moreover, she had worked diligently for so many years, and today she finally received a compliment, only to have it stolen by someone else. How could she tolerate this?
So she switched to her alternate account and, continuing the scamming style of that alternate account, replied below.
【Shushu is so beautiful: QAQ】
【Shushu is so beautiful: Idiot, what idiotic nonsense are you spouting?】
[Shushu is so beautiful: Don't clones have their own creativity? What are they copying on the Spirit Network? Did they skip life by a hundred years and thus neglect brain development?]
【Shushu is so beautiful: QWQ.】
Luo Mingshu wouldn't allow anyone to plagiarize her spiritual network name, so she contacted the junior disciple of the Water Mirror Sect who was in charge of receiving clients.
[Shushu is super beautiful: Now! Immediately! Right now! In my name, as a VIP member of the Four Directions Water Mirror who has renewed my membership for a thousand years, please help me find out who that beautiful 200-year-old woman with a fire spirit root and money is.]
[Humble Water Mirror Sect Customer Service: Miss Luo, we respect the privacy of cultivators here. If you have this need, you can track the other party yourself through the Spirit Network.]
[Shushu is so beautiful: She copied my online name so blatantly.]
[Humble Water Mirror Sect Customer Service: It's like this, Miss Luo, there are over a thousand cultivators on the Spirit Network named xx Super Beautiful.]
[Humble Water Mirror Sect Customer Service: Please rate this junior disciple's service.]
【Shushu is so beautiful: Zero points.】
She decided to confront the other party in person on the Spirit Network, but before she could make a move, Xie Changming followed her there.
[Anonymous monk (192cm tall): ?]
[Anonymous monk (192cm tall): .]
He bombarded the other party with a barrage of messages, causing the cultivator who copied Luo Mingshu's spiritual network name to nearly have his spiritual consciousness overwhelmed by the continuous spiritual network messages.
"Who is this person?" Fan Qing pressed her temples. She didn't have Luo Mingshu's powerful divine sense, so she was suffering from a terrible headache from being bombarded with Xie Changming's messages. "Such a fast message speed, are there such powerful figures on the Four Directions Water Mirror?"
“There are powerful cultivators in the lower realms,” her system explained to her. “But I think your strategy of changing the name of the Spirit Network was right. The one on the Four Directions Water Mirror, [Shushu Chaomei Ya], should be her. She’s already furious with you.”
"Hmph, that '300-year-old beauty with water spirit root is super easy to fool' is also her. Is she creating so many alternate accounts to attract everyone's attention on the Spirit Network and steal the limelight?" Fan Qing maliciously speculated about Luo Mingshu.
Of course, her guess was correct. Luo Mingshu became a contrarian just to get attention. She would get very excited if someone argued with her.
Seeing that Xie Changming had helped her drive the other away, Luo Mingshu lost a chance to fight back, so she turned her attention to Xie Changming.
[Shushu is so beautiful: QAQ!]
[Shushu is super beautiful: I was scolding her, what are you getting involved for? Just because you have strong divine sense, high cultivation, and are you the king of kings of the Four Directions Water Mirror?]
[Shushu is so beautiful: Do your symbols have the same soul as the words I typed by hand?]
Xie Changming wouldn't argue with her, so he obediently sent a message—
[Anonymous monk (192cm tall): Hmm.]
[Anonymous monk (192cm tall): Stop arguing.]
【Shushu is so beautiful: ?】Can you please be a little more arrogant online? Show some of that attitude of calling a beautiful woman three hundred years old and saying she's so easily fooled.
As a result, the original thread that had generated so many replies, "[Beautiful 200-year-old woman with fire spirit root and money]", was no longer noticed. Instead, the interaction between "[Shushu is so easy to fool]" and "[Anonymous cultivator (192cm tall)]" attracted everyone's attention.
Because Luo Mingshu's online name is so cute, it's easy to imagine a fairy-like image. In addition, she always remembers her fairy persona before cursing, adding a cute and weak expression. Therefore, her cursing style is called "Fairy Cursing Style".
Her brief interaction with the anonymous cultivator has surprisingly captivated many netizens. The anonymous cultivator was once unbeatable on the Spirit Network, even defeating the well-known online troll, "Beautiful 300-Year-Old Water Spirit Root Super Easy to Foole." However, he eventually succumbed to the charms of "Shushu Super Beautiful," sparking countless speculations among netizens.
Other people on the Four-Sided Water Mirror spoke up and discussed the matter.
[Microscope No. 1: I always thought that the beautiful 300-year-old woman with a water-elemental root was easy to fool and that the anonymous cultivator was a couple, after all, there are very few warriors who can subdue the well-known trolls on the Spirit Network.]
[Microscope No. 2: I used to be into rabid dogs biting each other; now I'm into fairies taming vicious dogs.]
[Microscope No. 3: Just who is this incredibly beautiful Shushu, that she can get an anonymous cultivator to insult people on her behalf and speak to her so politely?]
It would have been better if she hadn't read these discussions, because Luo Mingshu got angry as soon as she did, because they even said that her "300-year-old beauty with water spirit root is super easy to fool" was a mad dog?
Xie Changming is a dog, but she can't be a dog! Luo Mingshu was about to switch to her main account to curse them, but then she remembered the annoying "Beautiful 200-year-old Fire Spirit Root Rich". This person was obviously after her, and using such a low-class method with a fake account.
Although this method was despicable, it was enough to make her furious. She tried to contact the Four Directions Water Mirror but couldn't change the other party's name.
When Luo Mingshu gets competitive, her creativity is limitless. She thought of how some cultivators could use the Spirit Network to locate others—like that clingy dog, Gou Xie Changming. So, if her divine sense was strong enough, she could force the other party to change their name through the Spirit Network. After all, strength is paramount in the cultivation world, and it's the same on the Spirit Network.
The Spirit Network actually offers a high degree of freedom; even the Water Mirror Sect doesn't impose many restrictions on cultivators' authority.
Without hesitation, Luo Mingshu, who had been overseeing the construction of Yingtianfu for some time, went to find Xie Changming.
At this moment, Xie Changming was doing the accounting. He couldn't quite figure out the income of the Demon Realm during this period. He had no concept of money and knew nothing about business. The only one who had some knowledge in this area was his protector Wen Yu—of course, Wen Yu had learned it from his online lover, Shui Qingnian.
After going through so many layers, the prosperity of the Demon Realm is actually largely thanks to Shui Qingnian.
Luo Mingshu walked into Xie Changming's courtyard, glanced at the ledger in his hand that was automatically calculating, and offered a precise suggestion: "There is an expense that is too high. You need to check if the people below are embezzling funds."
Xie Changming pursed his lips, his tone indifferent: "Probably not, the Demon Clan naturally..."
"The humans residing in the Demon Realm are in charge of that." Luo Mingshu squinted at the small print. "Never mind, give it to me, I'll take a look for you."
Xie Changming delivered the ledger containing a wealth of confidential data about the Demon Realm to Luo Mingshu.
Luo Mingshu casually flipped through and marked the documents, finding the key items—it was almost a natural talent of hers. While looking at the accounts, she could still strike up a conversation with Xie Changming: "What kind of magic did you use to find my location through the spirit network?"
“It’s a variant of the search spell.” Xie Changming tapped the table with his fingers, somewhat guilty. “Its operating principle is similar to your Soul-Summoning Bell.”
Luo Mingshu was straightforward: "Teach me."
She now treats Xie Changming almost like one of her own, so asking him for advice on a spell or two is no big deal.
Besides, didn't she also teach him to swim? This is called reciprocity and mutual learning.
Xie Changming didn't ask Luo Mingshu what she wanted to do. He simply raised his hand and demonstrated the spell in front of Luo Mingshu. With his strength, even if he deliberately slowed down the casting speed, it would be difficult for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators to see the mysteries hidden in his spell.
But Luo Mingshu actually understood that the matching in the Misty Star Sea wouldn't be wrong. She hadn't fully advanced yet, and at this moment she was able to keep up with Xie Changming's pace.
Luo Mingshu noted down how to cast the spell, intending to use it to directly change the other party's nickname on the Spirit Network.
"Looking for someone?" Xie Changming asked Luo Mingshu after she had learned the technique.
"Find the person first, then do some things." Luo Mingshu felt very relaxed next to Xie Changming; she even thought she was still in her own little courtyard.
The chair in this spot in her courtyard was a swing, so Luo Mingshu naturally fell backward. Before she could realize that she wasn't sitting on the swing, Xie Changming caught her, and she fell onto his chest.
Xie Changming caught her in his arms, preventing her from losing her balance and falling to the ground. Luo Mingshu looked up at his handsome jawline and said, "How about we add a chair with a backrest here?"
Xie Changming was quick to suggest: "Why don't we just add a swing?"
Luo Mingshu felt her head was very heavy, stuck to Xie Changming, and she couldn't lift it up.
Xie Changming didn't rush her, and just half-held her like that.
Luo Mingshu scrambled for a while before finally sitting up straight. Her gaze shifted downwards, and she saw his tail again—fluffy, black, and wagging cautiously at her.
She suspected she might be some kind of tail trap.
Luo Mingshu suddenly had a whimsical idea and said, "Are you the only one in the Demon Realm with such a little wolf tail?"
"As far as I know, I'm the only one in the Demon Realm whose original form is a wolf." Xie Changming said this with a hint of pride.
"If it's a wolf demon from the Demon Realm, wouldn't their tails be better than yours, in terms of feel, fluffiness, etc." Luo Mingshu asked with an academic curiosity.
"No, mine is the best." Xie Changming seemed to be trying to prove something, so he swept his tail directly in front of Luo Mingshu. "You can touch it again."
Luo Mingshu achieved her goal, and she excitedly touched Xie Changming's tail. A feeling of happiness welled up inside her. Yes, this was the feeling; it felt so good.
Xie Changming's tail was held in her hand, his body stiffened, and then the tip of his tail trembled slightly. Luo Mingshu scratched the tip of his tail.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Like any dog, his tail was sensitive. He raised his hand and pressed down on Luo Mingshu's wrist: "Alright, that's enough."
Xie Changming retracted his tail, and Luo Mingshu rubbed her hands together, still feeling unsatisfied: "You're so stingy. Other dog demons and wolf demons in the Demon Realm must be very generous."
"No." Xie Changming raised his hand to tuck a stray hair behind Luo Mingshu's ear and looked at her intently. "I will definitely be the most generous."
“You’re the stingiest one,” Luo Mingshu said in a low voice. “I just touched you with my tail and you’re already demanding interest. I don’t even earn as much as you do.”
“You’ve touched me many times before, this time was just me getting my revenge,” Xie Changming said matter-of-factly.
"I'm going back to practice my spells." Luo Mingshu stood up and said goodbye to Xie Changming.
Xie Changming wanted to stay with her, so he reached out and grabbed her wrist: "You can practice here too."
"Then you're not allowed to wag your tail to distract me," Luo Mingshu warned.
Xie Changming thought to himself that this was not something he could control, but he still nodded and left Luo Mingshu behind.
Luo Mingshu activated the spiritual network and logged into her alternate account, 【Shushu is super beautiful】. Then she found 【Beautiful 200-year-old with fire spiritual root and money】 and chose to communicate with her through divine sense.
The first step in casting this spell is to be able to communicate with the other person through their thoughts.
The other side reacted quickly, like a coward who curses someone on the internet and then runs away.
[Shushu is so beautiful! Sorry, this 200-year-old beauty with a fire spirit root and plenty of money declined to communicate with you telepathically.]
Luo Mingshu was not discouraged. She planned to try again, but at that moment, the number one bully of the Spirit Network provided technical guidance.
"It can be forcibly added. The principle is to use the spiritual network's mental attack." Xie Changming had done this before, so he had some experience. He remembered that when he first started using the spiritual network, he accidentally deleted a sucker because his mental power was too strong. As for what that sucker's name was, he didn't seem to remember.
Luo Mingshu never expected that the Spirit Network could be used in this way. As expected, newcomers who have only recently come into contact with the Spirit Network are more creative. After Xie Changming's guidance, she learned it on her own and quickly used her powerful divine sense to force the other party to communicate with her divine sense.
Fan Qing had never seen anything like this before. She only felt a powerful divine sense approaching, like a mountain, seemingly trying to force its way into her sea of consciousness.
"System—help—give me divine support! Luo Mingshu is trying to force a connection with me through the spiritual network. I can't let her find out that I'm targeting her. It's better to carry out the plan from the shadows." Fan Qing couldn't hold on any longer, raised her hand to touch her ruby earring, and pleaded with the system for help.
"Okay, host, I will give you strong support. Please merge your divine sense with my primordial spirit, and we will unite against the enemy." This system was surprisingly obedient.
This person and the system colluded and worked together seamlessly, making Lu Yaoyao and her system seem like two great enemies.
The system hidden in the ruby earring is also the primordial spirit of an immortal. The two combine and press against Luo Mingshu.
Luo Mingshu was jolted back by the divine sense and staggered backward, but she did not give up her divine sense attack and forcefully withstood the combined resistance of the opponent's divine sense.
She also transferred the force of her recoil to her own body; she should have fallen several feet backward, and the way she fell must have looked rather unsightly.
But Xie Changming caught her, holding her in his arms. He was about to give Luo Mingshu spiritual support, but she raised her hand to stop him. Small. Piano. Tidying.
"I'll see what they're capable of," Luo Mingshu said through gritted teeth. "Today, she absolutely has to change the name of her Spirit Network, you idiot."
With a sudden burst of power, she also mobilized a deeper level of divine consciousness. The reason why the Yinglong had not advanced was not because they lacked power, but because their power was buried deep within their bodies.
The two spiritual senses were locked in a stalemate through the spiritual network until the very last moment, when Luo Mingshu suddenly opened her eyes wide.
She gathered her strength and overthrew her opponent in one fell swoop, and she also changed the name of "Beautiful 200-year-old Fire Spirit Root Rich" to something else.
The name of the spirit network, "[Two Roots]", appeared on Fan Qing's spirit network interface.
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