Reality is always unpredictable. Those imaginative ideas about novels that Dao Chengyi never imagined could become a source of help have, in fact, become his most valuable asset.
I only watched the TV series for Journey to the West, and I only remember about 50 of the 81 tribulations. I only read the textbook for Dream of the Red Chamber, and I only remember the general plot of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I only remember the main characters of Water Margin.
If the Four Great Classical Novels are like this, then the others are even less so. Therefore, since I don't consider myself to have much literary talent or value, Dao Chengyi can only treat it as a process of practicing the local dialect and telling those children stories in vernacular Chinese.
Unexpectedly, these simple oral stories and poems caught the eye of others, not only bringing fame to a woman and saving her from being beaten to death by Zhao Er, but also providing her with an opportunity when she was considering expanding her reach to larger regions.
"What a cruel twist of fate!"
Touching the box of classic movies and TV dramas behind him, Dao Chengyi sighed. His conversation with Manager Mou Hong was short, and the other party was not in a hurry to take Dao Chengyi back to the city.
Instead, they made an agreement: the story would be written as a coherent whole, and he would come a week later to check its quality. If it passed inspection, the person could enter the city; if not…
He didn't know if he would die if he failed, but Cheng Yi was still willing to take the job. If it wasn't poetry, he could write novels! In his previous life, he hadn't read much else, but he had read a lot of novels. As long as he didn't pursue literary cultivation and just wanted to have fun, he could do it!
Of course, family members know their own affairs. Xiao Qingya's storytelling with poems was polished by someone. Dao Chengyi only gained Mandarin and literacy skills after transmigrating, but his writing may not meet the standards of this era.
Oh dear! What should we do then?
It's very simple! Just dig up graves and concoct Gu poisons!
Of course, he didn't dig now. After watching the manager leave, Dao Chengyi took the book box that the manager had generously sponsored and went to inquire about the family where a recently deceased old scholar was to be buried.
Of course, it's not about asking directly. Instead, you put the book box in a corner and put it into an insect container. As long as you take it out at the designated time, it can barely serve as a storage space.
He took out the Disguise Gu, a lump of something resembling mud. When applied to the face, it would slowly mimic the color of the skin. The position of facial features could be manually adjusted and embellished, a technique that utilizes the refraction of light.
As for his figure, he simply padded his clothes and had the Five Poison Gu steal a piece of clothing for him. That was it. He then blended back into the crowd.
He wandered around the town, mainly looking for any notorious martial artists or villains who were about to be punished, so that he could get rid of them all. The Human Gu was the most unprofitable Gu he had ever made.
Along the way, I found some book stalls, but the quality varied greatly. Some were counterfeit, while others were incomplete, with many books eaten by insects.
When asked if they had any complete ones, they just scoffed and said that if they really had complete ones, they wouldn't be selling them at a stall!
The opportune moment for the impoverished family to sell their ancestral books did not occur, but Dao Chengyi was not in a hurry. He dawdled and, under the watchful eyes of others who were about to beat him up, read the incomplete books several times, made notes, and then left.
Then I went straight to the bookstore to take a look. There were quite a few books, but most of them were biographies, annotations, and anecdotes. The novels were all serious stories about chivalrous heroes, demon hunters, and monster hunters.
"Do you have any martial arts manuals, shopkeeper?"
Based on the principle of service, even if it's just a casual atmosphere that doesn't seem like someone who would spend much money on books, the staff will still come up and accompany you.
"Of course we have them! From low-level martial arts like the Wild Fist, Black Tiger Three Blades, Iron Arm Skill, and Dragonfly Skimming Water, to the signature martial arts of famous sects, such as the Five Elements Fist of the Five Elements Sect, the Jade Sword Body Forging Technique of the Breaking Heaven Sword Sect, and the Demon Subduing Round Light Method of the Treasure Dragon Temple, we have them all!"
Dao Cheng was taken aback by the author's knowledgeable answer, which surprised him. Were these martial arts techniques with cool names the lowest-level skills from major sects? Could a bookstore really sell them?
"Those martial arts are not only genuine, but they are also considered top-notch even among those sects. However, it is an ironclad rule that martial artists must build a foundation of Dao. As for practicing these martial arts, it is fine to just dabble in them, but to go deeper, one can only seek guidance from a sect."
"Foundation of the Dao" is the official term; in a more literary way, it's a crude way of saying "planting flesh, cultivating flesh, and receiving flesh," and these martial arts are also used to select talented people from all over the world.
After inquiring about the prices and finding out that even the cheapest items cost tens of coins and there was no guarantee of success, while the famous sects required even more silver, Dao Chengyi found himself short of money.
"If you are interested in martial arts but are currently unable to practice, you might as well choose a copy of the Mysterious Female Heart Refining Mantra. It only costs three coins."
As Dao Chengyi was about to leave, the shopkeeper offered him a new option.
Why is it so cheap?
The thought that cheap things are no good flashed through my mind, after all, at three cents, a book probably wouldn't even break even, right? Or rather, there are probably even more limitations involved.
"Don't worry, this is a method passed down from the Daoist Master Xuanpin. It has existed since ancient times. It was created by the old Daoist Master Xuanpin to eliminate the chaos of demons and monsters in the world and to correct the suffering of alienation among all living beings. It can make a person's physique suitable for the Dao foundation. It was praised by Martial Saint Lu Chen as the foundation of all methods."
Not long ago, Bai Yi, a disciple of the Xuanpin Dao Sect, went directly to the capital to meet the Sage and declared this method an essential skill to learn. The reason it cost three coins was because it was for the Daoist Master's so-called "three giving birth to all things."
That sounded very nice, but since selling straw sandals cost more than three coins, Dao Chengyi bought a copy to take home and read, and also picked up a copy of the Mysterious Female Chronicle.
With the remaining money, Dao Cheng bought some scraps of braised meat and wanted to buy roast chicken, but he didn't have enough money, so he got up and went back home with his book box.
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