radicalducati Page 52
Page 52
Xiaoye is detached from worldly affairs and possesses a body as pure as crystal, so this aspect is not a major problem for her.
She just silently complained to herself, "My brother is even more unorthodox than those heretics; even the most notorious heretics aren't as bad as him." Of course.
They could only mutter these complaints to themselves, not daring to say them aloud.
It was only then that Fu Hai learned that Bao Shu Zhai had sent over a sample copy of the author's treasured edition the day before. He returned to the front of the mountain, took the book, and flipped through it for a while.
It's not that bad, is it? After looking at it over and over, he finally thought, "It's pretty well written." But then again...
From this book, it's clear that Bao Shu Zhai has invested a lot of money. Both the cover and the pages are better than ordinary popular novels. Xia Yuelan said, "The person from Bao Shu Zhai who delivered the book said that starting today, your book will be distributed in bookstores all over the city, and it will also be promoted in markets along with other books."
"In addition, another batch will be delivered this afternoon and sold at our inn. There's just one thing she wants us to remember: every person who buys a book must say a sentence to her."
Fu Hai asked in confusion, "What did you say?"
Xia Yuelan said, "After you finish reading it, please be sure to recommend it to more people."
Before Fu Hai could speak, Xiao Ye clapped her hands beside him: "That's right... I've already watched it all!"
He rubbed his temples, unsure whether he should be happy or unhappy.
Fu Hai noticed that she was carrying a sword in her left hand.
The scabbard is inlaid with gemstones on both sides, and the hilt is decorated with red.
He was terrified that the woman would suddenly draw her sword, accuse him of disturbing her spiritual path, and then kill him with a single blow. But it seemed that the woman didn't recognize him.
I knew it! We're hundreds of miles apart, completely unrelated. How could I possibly harm her foundation? This garbage system is spouting nonsense!
The inn naturally wouldn't casually lead visitors to other guests' rooms.
It just so happened that Granny Fu was also there, so Fu Hai invited her to the first room of the Heavenly Palace and to tell the three girls in the upper room.
Before long, Zhu Xiuhui, Li Xiangtao, and Zhao Xiangmei rushed down. They were both surprised and delighted to see that it was indeed their senior sister. "Senior sister, you broke through so quickly?" Li Xiangtao rushed over, took her senior sister's hand, and jumped for joy.
"As expected of Senior Sister!" Zhao Xiangmei's eyes sparkled with admiration. "We thought you wouldn't arrive for at least two more days, but you broke through to the end so quickly. You're amazing!"
Second Junior Sister Zhu Xiuhui also moved over: "Senior Sister, you've come at the right time, the Lantern Festival here hasn't even started yet. Senior Sister, you're already at the middle rank, right? When will we be able to have your abilities? I'm so envious!"
Although she knew that her three junior sisters were sincere, Li Xianrui still blushed.
She had spoken so confidently and boasted so much before, but now she was stammering and didn't know what to do in front of her three junior sisters who were happy for her.
The three girls, Zhu Xiuhui, Li Xiangtao, and Zhao Xiangmei, were unaware of the truth and assumed that their senior sister had come to meet them after successfully breaking through to the middle rank.
Let's not even talk about the senior sister's absolute confidence before.
Just think about it, if the breakthrough really failed, who would be in the mood to come here to play?
Fu Hai had received a system message first and knew that the senior sister of the Painting Immortal Pavilion was probably in bad shape.
Looking closely, I saw that amidst the ecstatic praise of her three junior sisters, her pretty face was flushed, she opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know how to behave.
Could it be that I've really encountered some obstacles and failed to break through to the next realm? I really didn't do anything!
I didn't even recognize her before, okay?
However, he had just shown that he had heard a great deal about this Heavenly Master Sister of Baoxian Pavilion.
At this moment, he had no choice but to follow his three junior sisters and adopt an attitude of extreme admiration. Li Xianrui was originally a proud and arrogant person, and seeing her three junior sisters so happy...
Hearing their words, the young and handsome shopkeeper looked at her with admiration and amazement, as if she were a celestial being.
They couldn't bring themselves to say that they had failed to break through, or that their power had even declined because they had lost their Dao heart during the process of breaking through in seclusion. Under their hopeful gazes, they couldn't bring themselves to say such things.
He mumbled a few words in response, but inside he was already filled with shame and indignation, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
At the same time, an inexplicable rage arose within him, and he wanted to find the guy who wrote "The Young Hero's Adventures" as soon as possible and tear that bastard to pieces. He was too infuriating!
Chapter 97 "I don't know!"
Li Xianrui's chest heaved involuntarily, unable to suppress her anger. Who could have imagined that reading a novel would actually cause her to lose her Daoist resolve?
Zhu Xiuhui said, "Senior sister, why don't you stay with us? Their rooms here are quite spacious..."
“No need!” Li Xianrui looked at the innkeeper, who seemed a little younger than herself. “Do you have any superior rooms available?” Fu Hai quickly replied, “Yes! Yes!”
Without even asking the price, Li Xianrui took out ten taels of silver and said, "I want a room." Fu Hai was overjoyed and went to the counter to register and get a number.
In the backyard, junior sister Xia Yuelan hopped over like a lively rabbit: "Sister Qiu Ying... Ah, Shi Ke, you're still here. Do you need any help here? If not, I'll take Xiao Ye to the city for a stroll."
Fu Hai originally intended for Qiu Ying to lead the senior disciple of the Jade City Mountain Painting Immortal Pavilion upstairs, but upon seeing Yue Lan approaching, he said, "Junior Sister, you've come at just the right time! Please take our distinguished guest to Room Number Two of the Heavenly Class first."
He saw that Li Xianrui came alone, unlike her three junior sisters who came with their maids and servants.
So he said, "If Miss Xianrui needs anything, please feel free to ask my junior sister." Li Xianrui nodded slightly and walked with her three junior sisters towards the opposite staircase. On the way, she casually asked, "Why do people in this inn also address each other as senior and junior brothers and sisters?"
Li Chuntao spoke frankly: "Their Little Cangshan Mountain, just like our Yucheng Mountain, is a sect officially recognized by the government. It was originally called the Dragon Claw Sect, but there weren't many people there. Later, they opened a martial arts school here called the Dragon Claw Martial Arts School."
"It's probably because all the slightly more powerful martial arts have been lost, and no one even comes to the martial arts school anymore, so they turned the Dragon Claw Martial Arts School into this Dragon Claw Inn. It's quite a large inn for a place like this."
Li Xianrui said, "I see!"
The Mysterious Flower Blooming Jade Technique she cultivated was a sixth-grade martial art. Although she had encountered an accident this time and failed to successfully enter the sixth realm, she was quite annoyed. She regretted that she had to read that book before going into seclusion.
But when I think about how others were originally from prestigious sects, yet they couldn't even keep their martial arts schools afloat, I imagine that their sects probably only have one or two sets of ninth-grade martial arts techniques, which are just lower-grade techniques that barely make it into the ninth grade.
Compared to that, I felt a little better. I was just about to step onto the balcony.
"Boss! Our shop owner asked me to deliver these books: sixty copies of 'The Young Hero's Adventures in Heaven', along with some other books, making a total of one hundred. Please accept them and leave me a note; I need to take them back."
Li Xianrui turned around and saw a person enter the inn, carry out stacks of books, and place them on the counter.
At this moment, all she could think about was finding the author of this book. Even though it meant killing someone.
But to kill someone over a novel is really not that far-fetched.
But slapping him twice to get his mind clear is absolutely necessary. So he turned around and walked towards the counter.
Zhu Xiuhui, Li Xiangtao, and Zhao Xiangmei, the three girls, didn't know why their senior sister suddenly turned back, but they still followed her back.
Li Xianrui saw that the sixty copies of "The Young Hero's Adventures" stacked on the counter were indeed identical to the ones she had obtained on Jade City Mountain in terms of cover and workmanship.
So he looked at the deliveryman: "Young man..."
The deliveryman saw that her clothes were gorgeous, all made of silk and satin, and knew that if she was not a daughter of an official, she must be a daughter of a wealthy family.
Not daring to be hasty: "What do you need, young lady?" "Are you from Baoshuzhai?"
"That's right!"
Li Xianrui picked up a copy of "The Young Hero's Adventures" and glanced at him: "Do you know who the author of this book is, and where he lives?"
Fu Hai and Qiu Ying, who were standing nearby, were surprised that this distinguished guest in the upper room had suddenly turned around to ask this question. They both looked at her at the same time.
However, the deliveryman, though sent by Baoshuzhai, genuinely didn't know. He was just a deliveryman.
It's important to understand that not everyone in this world is literate; many people haven't attended school. Compulsory education, something taken for granted in another world, doesn't exist in this one.
Even in a bookstore like Baoshuzhai, only a few positions such as typesetting and engraving are filled by literate scholars. The printing craftsmen might not even be literate, let alone the delivery people.
Furthermore, there are certain rules and regulations governing such matters.
Although novelists were among the Hundred Schools of Thought, among the various social classes, scholars who sold their writings and painters who sold their paintings were considered part of the middle nine classes, and their status was not lowly.
However, since the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were originally refined pursuits for high-ranking officials, nobles, and famous scholars, using them to make money would seem somewhat vulgar. If the author was originally a scholar without official rank or a student who had not yet achieved fame, then becoming famous through novels or paintings would be considered an achievement.
However, some scholars from impoverished families, or those whose social standing had declined, secretly made money this way, not wanting anyone to know, as they felt it would lower their status. So, don't say that person didn't know.
Even if they really knew, they would absolutely not dare to say it without their master's permission. The deliveryman hurriedly bowed to Li Xianrui and said, "This humble servant does not know!"
"I'm just a deliveryman at the bookstore. The madam specifically ordered that sixty books be delivered to this inn, and some more be sent over as well, so I came."
Li Xianrui glanced at the young shopkeeper beside her, somewhat puzzled. Delivering books to bookstores, educational institutions, and poetry and art circles was considered normal.
Sending books to the inn to sell? She had never seen anything like it before. However, Madam Langyue didn't really expect to sell many books at the inn.
The main thing is, wasn't this novel written by the innkeeper? Since the inn is a business, she just put some of these books up for sale as a bonus. If you sell them, you keep the money; if you don't, you can keep them as a keepsake.
Bookstores would certainly not reveal the author's identity to outsiders, but some scholars were extremely proud to have their books published, and would naturally boast about them to their relatives and friends after obtaining them.
Even if acquaintances don't read books, they might buy one from one shop or another out of respect, which adds up to a considerable income. After all, these days...
The books are actually quite expensive.
Li Xianrui wondered why Baoshuzhai was sending books to the inn.
She couldn't help but sized up this handsome young man, who had a scholarly air about him and was both the head of an inn and the leader of a declining sect. Fu Hai felt a chill creep into his heart as she looked at him.
He began to understand what was going on with the girl's "loss of moral compass".
Li Xianrui pondered, "I've heard that Little Diancang Mountain, like my Jade City Mountain, is a righteous sect in the martial arts world. I was unaware of this before, which is truly disrespectful. May I ask your esteemed name, young master?"
"I wouldn't dare! I am... cough, I am Fu Hai!"
"Does Young Master Fu know who the author of 'The Young Hero's Adventures in Heaven' is?" "I don't know!"
Chapter 98 You're doomed! The young lady is here to fight you.
Fu Hai looked completely innocent, as if he truly knew nothing about it.
At this moment, he dared not speak too loudly. He whispered, "Has Miss Xianrui read this book?"
Li Xianrui touched the cover of the book in her hand, her expression blank: "I did have Nang pre-order a copy before, and it was delivered to the mountain before I finished reading it."
Seeing how interested their senior sister was in the novel, Zhu Xiuhui, Li Xiangtao, and Zhao Xiangmei also became curious. Their senior sister was a renowned talented woman in their Painting Immortal Pavilion, and they all admired her greatly.
They couldn't help but pick up a copy: "Senior sister, is this book good? If it is, I'll buy a copy and take a look."
"Ah! New Wuxia... What does that mean? Wuxia is wuxia, what does 'new wuxia' mean? Does this book create its own genre? Senior sister, tell me, how well is it written?"
"I remember, Senior Sister is always quite picky. She'd just throw away any novel that's even slightly bad. If it makes you think about it and ask who wrote it, it's either extremely good or incredibly bad. Senior Sister, if it's really good, I'd like to buy a copy and take a look?"
The chatter of these three junior sisters made the inn's lobby seem much brighter.
Fu Hai cautiously looked at Li Xianrui and said carefully, "I haven't read this book either. It just so happens that I'm quite familiar with Madam Langyue, and she sent it over to us to help sell it."
"I wonder if Miss Xianrui thinks this novel might be of interest? If you think it's really not good, I might as well have it sent back?" Sister Qiu Ying and Xia Yuelan, who had bounced back again, looked at him together.
You haven't seen it? Haha!