Chapter 88

Chapter 88

At the Ji Family Teahouse, Shen Yuan sat at the central storytelling platform. The teahouse was abuzz, the crowd cheering as he entered, eagerly waiting for him to lead them into the world of cultivation.

The storyteller's gavel acted like a mute switch. With its strike, the chatter in the teahouse fell silent.

Shen Yuan's clear and resonant voice ushered the listeners into a vibrant spring, a time of rebirth.

A sharp spring chill lingered. Daoist Yun Fan of the Qingxing Abbey, dressed in thin clothes, held a broom worn down halfway as he diligently swept the main hall.

Due to the war, all his elder masters and senior brothers had gone down the mountain to join the army. After the war subsided, not a single one returned.

Thus, another row of memorial tablets was added to the abbey.

Now, Yun Fan was the only one left alive in the Qingxing Abbey—a sixteen-year-old youth, frail and emaciated.

After finishing his usual sweeping and wiping the clay statue and memorial tablets in the main hall, Yun Fan, exhausted and hungry, collapsed at the feet of the statue and fell asleep.

In his dream, Yun Fan seemed to enter a strange place.

He found himself sitting on a cloud.

Looking down, he saw green mountains and clear waters, with birds flying beneath his feet.

Then, a steady voice spoke from across from him. "You need not guard the Qingxing Abbey any longer. Go down the mountain and make your own way in the world."

Yun Fan looked over and discovered a young man sitting there whom he hadn't noticed arrive.

The man was beardless, with refined, elegant features and an immortal's grace. He wore dark robes that seemed to shimmer with a starry, iridescent light. Long hair framed his temples, with loose black strands at his forehead swept behind his ears and fastened with a jet jade clasp.

Not recognizing the man, Yun Fan respectfully cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask who you are, sir? What place is this? And why am I here?"

The man said, "I am your Ancestral Master."

Hearing this, Yun Fan was stunned.

Legend had it that their Qingxing Abbey had existed for over a thousand years, named after their founding Ancestral Master, Qingxing.

Ancestral Master Qingxing was also the only one who had truly practiced cultivation, attained the Dao, ascended, and become an immortal.

Since then, the deity enshrined in their Qingxing Abbey had been their Ancestral Master Qingxing.

Yun Fan thought of the statue he wiped clean every day in the main hall. He simply couldn't reconcile that tall, imposing, bearded statue with its fierce, glaring expression to the elegant, refined, and ethereal immortal before him.

Immortal Qingxing saw through his junior disciple's thoughts at a glance. He sighed helplessly. "My true appearance is as you see. In earlier years, when the power of faith was strong, some junior disciples in the abbey harbored improper thoughts. I would often appear in their dreams to frighten them, hoping they would reform. They mistakenly believed that was my true face, passed it down through generations, and built me such a statue."

Yun Fan understood. He respectfully knelt and bowed. "Your junior disciple, Yun Fan, pays his respects to the Ancestral Master."

"Rise." With a slight movement of his fingertip, Immortal Qingxing made Yun Fan's body sit up involuntarily.

He brought up the matter again. "Now, the power of faith is thin and weak. I am about to fall into slumber and may never awaken again. Yun Fan, you need not guard the Qingxing Abbey any longer. Go down the mountain on your own."

Even though Immortal Qingxing didn't spell it out, Yun Fan understood that for an immortal to fall into eternal slumber was akin to death for a mortal.

He hadn't realized that even after becoming an immortal, one could still "die" due to certain reasons.

He shook his head. "Others may not have faith, but I do. Until the moment of my death, I will always have faith in the Ancestral Master."

"I was abandoned in the snow and picked up by my master. My master always told me he had a dream where the Ancestral Master told him there was a child outside the abbey, which is why he went to check. My master told me to always remember the Ancestral Master's kindness, and I have never dared forget for a moment."

"Please rest assured, Ancestral Master. Even if Yun Fan is alone in the Qingxing Abbey, I will take good care of myself and tend to the Ancestral Master's statue."

Immortal Qingxing let out a soft sigh. The sincere promise from this young junior disciple—to remain faithful and make offerings until death—stirred his long-dormant heart.

"Child, go and forge your own path to the clouds."

With a wave of Immortal Qingxing's hand, a golden light swiftly entered Yun Fan's body, and then Yun Fan lost consciousness.

Sitting alone on the cloud, Immortal Qingxing looked down at Yun Fan, who was asleep leaning against the statue's leg, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

No wonder the Heavenly Court always demanded they sever emotions and desires. Having accidentally developed a mortal affection and feeling a pang of pity for this sole remaining junior disciple, he had enlightened the boy's bone structure, enabling him to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate immortality.

When Yun Fan woke up, he felt a bit cold, but the chill was completely bearable, unlike the past when the cold would numb his limbs until he lost all sensation.

What was even more different was that his vision seemed clearer, his hearing reached farther, and he could discern more scents.

What was going on?

As he wondered, an ethereal voice echoed in Yun Fan's mind.

It was the final words Immortal Qingxing left for him.

"Your bone structure has been enlightened. You can now absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and cultivate immortality on your own. The cultivation method is hidden within the statue. Retrieve it and practice by yourself. After building your foundation, go to Wuliang Mountain to seek a master and learn the arts."

Yun Fan knew of Wuliang Mountain.

Though most people called it Wuliang Immortal Mountain.

It was a place that accepted those with spiritual roots to cultivate immortality. Those who could enter Wuliang Immortal Mountain were no longer ordinary mortals.

Yun Fan devoutly kowtowed to the statue. He would definitely not fail the Ancestral Master's deep affection. He would practice diligently, enter Wuliang Immortal Mountain, and restore the glory of their Qingxing Abbey!

As Shen Yuan's gavel fell, the teahouse patrons were still immersed in the story.

Their minds were filled with sitting on clouds, attaining the Dao and ascending, the power of faith, cultivation spiritual energy, immortal spiritual roots, Wuliang Immortal Mountain, building the foundation...

The world of cultivation was even more miraculous, inspiring infinite yearning.

These never-before-heard terms and unimaginable scenes, narrated one by one by Shen Yuan, made the patrons feel as if they were listening to a truly existing world of cultivation.

"President Shen, what are spiritual roots?"

"Registrar Shen, what is building the foundation? Does cultivating immortality involve building houses and laying foundations?"

"Storyteller Shen, how does one absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth? And what exactly is spiritual energy?"

Shen Yuan had many identities, so the patrons addressed him with various titles.

Shen Yuan patiently explained each of the patrons' questions one by one.

He explained spiritual roots, building the foundation, and spiritual energy in detail.

Upon learning that spiritual roots were linked to the five elements, the patrons found the world of cultivation even more realistic.

The same applied to spiritual energy. After the explanation, many patrons said they felt physically and mentally refreshed in places with beautiful landscapes.

Shen Yuan then said, "You can understand it as a place with excellent feng shui, an area abundant in spiritual energy."

When discussing cultivation stages such as Foundation Establishment, the patrons exclaimed in wonder.

So, it turned out that ascending to immortality was a step-by-step process—it was actually this difficult.

The process in between was extremely long, and in the end, one might not necessarily achieve enlightenment and ascend to immortality.

However, even if one didn’t truly succeed in ascending, the lifespan and magical powers possessed by cultivators were things for which mortals would give everything to obtain.

The chapter "The Path to Immortality" received even more enthusiastic tips than the previous two sessions.

Not only that, but the following day, even more people came, with many even standing outside.

People’s yearning and curiosity about cultivation, magical powers, and longevity were stronger than anything else.

...

After the Lantern Festival, Fan Qiuyuan and the owners of other jewelry shops came to see Shen Yuan to discuss jewelry production in detail.

For the time being, they decided to produce the complete set of jewelry for Lady Chu from "Love Between Human and Ghost," as well as the jewelry Zhao Yue wore while she was with the Zhao family in "The Swordsman."

This way, the jewelry for the ladies and young ladies of Qingyun County would all be covered. Additionally, the Fan family already had these materials, so there was no need to wait for sourcing, allowing production to proceed faster.

The Storytellers' Union had plenty of empty rooms and space, and Ji Xingwang had already set aside an area for the jewelry workshop. Each family sent craftsmen over, and each workstation in the room was separated by screens. Once one craftsman finished their part, they would pass it on to the next.

Not only did jewelry production begin, but the Liu family’s clothing production also started. The Liu family had already dyed a batch of purple fabric earlier, so the speed of making ready-made garments was much faster than that of jewelry.

In just a few days, Shen Yuan even received a set of finished garments personally delivered by the head of the Liu family.

It had to be said that the Liu family dyed their fabric excellently—evenly with no variation in color, and the material was smooth. It was unclear what they had added to it, but it even carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.

The design of Lady Chu’s garments was novel, defining the waist and fitting the figure while still maintaining an air of dignity and opulence.

Shen Yuan gave this set of clothes to Shen Anniang. When she tried it on, the younger children in the family gasped in astonishment, shouting that their aunt was so beautiful.

Shen Anniang was embarrassed and felt the fabric was too precious, so she quickly changed out of it and carefully stored it in her wardrobe.

As anticipated, the Liu family’s garments sold out quickly. Twenty sets were released for sale and were gone within fifteen minutes.

Even the purple fabric, a total of thirty bolts, was completely sold out in fifteen minutes.

The head of the Liu family beamed, smiling at everyone he met. As the saying goes, happiness brings vigor, and this was exactly the case.

It should be noted that the prices he set for the garments and each bolt of purple fabric were quite expensive.

Aimed at the upper echelons of Qingyun, he sold a set of finished garments for fifty taels of silver and a bolt of fabric for seventy taels.

The head of the Liu family was certain that there was no purple fabric in the entire prefecture—his family was the only one producing it, so he naturally set the price at the highest limit.

Shen Yuan did not split the profits with the Liu family on a 70-30 basis. Since the materials and research were all handled by the Liu family, and the production and sales were also their responsibility, after much discussion, they finally settled on a 40-60 split.

Shen Yuan was to take 40%, and the Liu family would take 60%.

The head of the Liu family was worried that the artist who drew the portraits might disagree with this arrangement and kept asking Shen Yuan if he could meet them. Shen Yuan simply told him not to worry, as his attitude reflected that of the artist.

Reassured by Shen Yuan’s guarantee, the head of the Liu family put his mind at rest.

As soon as the Liu family’s garments and fabric sold out, they delivered Shen Yuan’s share of the silver.

A total of 1,240 taels of silver was delivered to the Storytellers' Union by two Liu family servants carrying it in a chest.

All the profits from authorized sales of the various stories were entered into the Union's ledgers, temporarily managed by Ji Xingwang.

Shen Yuan thought that Ji Xingwang already had too much on his plate, and things would only get busier later, so he needed to hire a dedicated bookkeeper.

This was a worry for Shen Yuan.

Having no leads or prospects for a bookkeeper, the owners of teahouses and tea shops from neighboring counties arrived in Qingyun County first.

They all came for "Love Between Human and Ghost" and "The Swordsman."

They all wanted to obtain the storytelling rights for these two stories.

They were all in the trade and were well aware of what happened with the Chen and Xu family teahouses. Not wanting to repeat the same mistakes, they were exceptionally cooperative.

Based on the tips from Qingyun County’s tea shops, with six storytelling sessions a day and an average of twenty taels in tips per day—not to mention the additional income from food and tea—they could earn over 7,000 taels a year.

As for teahouses, it went without saying. Even excluding the Ji family teahouse, just the Liu and Xu family teahouses earned more than double what the tea shops did.

In the end, teahouses paid 1,500 taels per year for the unedited version of the storytelling rights.

Tea shops paid 800 taels per year for the edited version.

News of neighboring counties’ teahouses and tea shops successfully obtaining storytelling rights spread quickly. With people specifically monitoring these developments, teahouses and tea shops from other counties in the prefecture also sent representatives.

For nearly half a month, the Storytellers' Union was bustling with visitors, and Ji Xingwang’s hands grew tired from collecting money.

Shen Yuan wasn’t much better off. He had to prepare the stories for these establishments. In an era without printing technology, everything had to be copied by hand.

Time was tight, and the task was heavy. Everyone wanted to get the stories as soon as possible to start earning money. Shen Yuan enlisted Ji Ping'an, Guo Mingchen, Xu Kangfu, the literate members of the Civil Blade Faction led by Li Baozhu, and even Shen Xi—around twenty people in total—to help him copy the books.

As a result, the escort agency’s business also boomed, with piles of bamboo scrolls transported cartload after cartload to various counties.

What’s more, with paper, he only needed to carve one set of printing blocks, apply ink, and print a page at a time. He could even sell complete sets externally.

He wondered how the papermaking was progressing, as he hadn’t received any further news about it.

Shen Yuan didn’t feel comfortable asking, but he still hoped that paper could spread quickly throughout Wu Country so he could enjoy some conveniences.

Thinking that Xie Yulin’s side would still take some time to produce the paper, Shen Yuan was surprised when, the very next day, he found a familiar exquisite wooden box on the desk in his room when he returned home in the evening.

Opening it, he saw the finished paper inside.

There were two types: one harder and one softer.

The harder type resembled later-generation Xuan paper, while the softer type resembled straw paper.

Shen Yuan was more excited to see the straw paper than the Xuan paper. He stared at it for a while before realizing that the guards Xie Yulin had assigned to him apparently hadn’t truly withdrawn.

Late at night, Shen Yuan didn’t sleep but sat in the courtyard.

He called out Ding Shiliu’s name several times, but no one appeared, so he simply sat there.

Eventually, he fell asleep sitting there and was awakened by a push.

Shen Yuan opened his eyes drowsily, and when he saw who it was, his sleepiness faded. “Ding Shiliu, so you’re still here after all.”

The guard Ding Shiliu bowed his head. “The Lord said the personnel have been halved, and we are to keep a greater distance from Young Master Shen.”

Shen Yuan understood. So that's why no one showed up when he called earlier.

"Didn't I say not to send me things anymore?"

Shen Yuan revealed the wooden box in his arms. Ding Shiliu glanced at it and said, "This was made using the method provided by Young Master Shen, so it doesn't count as a gift from the Lord."

Shen Yuan chuckled, "Well, you've got me there. But could you give me more of that straw paper? The more you can spare, the better."

Ding Shiliu looked puzzled, not knowing what "straw paper" was. When Shen Yuan opened the wooden box and pointed to the softer paper, he replied, "This paper isn't suitable for writing; the one beside it is better."

Shen Yuan nodded, "Thanks for the heads-up, but I have another use for it. I want to use it as toilet paper."

Ding Shiliu was stunned for a moment before it clicked; it was indeed a good choice.

"I'll immediately send someone back to report the use of this soft paper to the Lord."