Jinling City, which was under the plum rain, was filled with an ancient charm.
There was no steel jungle, nor was there an endless stream of horses and carriages. Sun Mo strolled leisurely. He could see alleys and alleys, green-clothed maids, and graceful young ladies wearing veils as they entered a cosmetics shop.
He couldn't smell the aroma of braised chicken, nor could he smell the fragrance of meat skewers. Instead, he could hear the shouts of wealthy customers calling for the waiters to serve wine.
Sun Mo chewed on a vegetarian bun and stepped on the slippery limestone road. He brushed past a vendor who was selling tanghulu and walked into a bookstore called the Reading Veranda.
Because it was raining, there were very few customers in the store. There was only an old man sitting on a wooden chair, leisurely reading a book. There was a cup of tea beside him, but it had long lost its heat.
The bookstore was very big, and it was filled with tall and heavy bookshelves made of locust wood. Even with Sun Mo's tall stature, he had to tiptoe to reach the books on the top shelf.
After casually strolling around, Sun Mo fell in love with this bookstore.
The books on the bookshelves were categorized and arranged very neatly, resembling a military formation. When Sun Mo entered, he saw that the books here could be borrowed, and it only cost one copper coin per day.
Usually, books that had been borrowed would have some stains on them. However, there were no stains on the books in this bookstore. This meant that the owner was very protective of the books and had solemnly warned those who wanted to borrow them.
Sun Mo didn't like to go out. Other than playing games, his usual hobbies were reading novels. Hence, he felt a sense of familiarity when he saw a bookstore here.
There were many types of books, including stories, poems, and essays. However, the first book Sun Mo picked up was a novel.
[Nine Provinces Immortal Slayer Legend], signed by an old man from the mountains. There were over ten sets of it, filling up half the bookshelf. This should be the bestseller in Tang Country.
Sun Mo flipped through it. The name was domineering, and the plot was heavy. It was written about the love and hatred between sects. The style of the book was also very grand. No wonder it could be placed here.
In Middle-Earth Nine Provinces, the art of printing was still at the stage of movable type printing. Hence, knowledge wasn't widely spread. In this era, the number of people who could read and write was still a minority.
"Che, if it's of this standard, I can write it too."
Sun Mo took a few glances and put it back.
"Why? Not satisfied? "
It was unknown when, but the old man on the wooden chair stood at the side. When he saw Sun Mo putting the [Nine Provinces Immortal Slayer Legend] back, he couldn't help but ask, "This is a bestseller that has been trending in Jinling for the past year. Young people love to read it."
"Hehe!"
Sun Mo avoided the topic. This old man was clearly a fan of this book. If he said something wrong, a dispute might arise.
The old man carefully tidied up the bookshelves that Sun Mo had flipped through and sat back on his chair. About half an hour later, he saw Sun Mo returning with the in his hands. He couldn't help but feel happy.
"I thought you didn't like it?"
The old man raised his eyebrows. His meaning was self-evident. Although his words were ugly, his body was very honest. Didn't he still want to rent it?
"Yes, I don't like it, but I really don't have any books to borrow, so I can only make do with it."
Sun Mo had a helpless look on his face. The novels in Middle-Earth were still stuck at the stage of immortal heroes and ghosts. How could such a monotonous theme satisfy Sun Mo's appetite?
Hearing the word 'not bad', the old man's eyes widened, and his beard puffed up in anger. "Then why don't you write a book and let me see what 'not good' means!"
"Have you read Transformers before?"
Sun Mo teased.
The old man had a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Have you read Dragonball before?"
The old man continued to be dumbfounded.
"Then you haven't read Journey to the West before?"
Sun Mo's bad taste flared up.
"You must be talking nonsense, right? I can be considered to have read a lot of books. Why haven't I heard of these books you mentioned before? "
The old man felt depressed and stared at Sun Mo suspiciously. He didn't expect this guy to be so good at lying despite his delicate features.
"That's because you haven't read enough books."
Sun Mo had a serious look on his face, but he was laughing so hard in his stomach that he was about to roll over. But after that, he felt disappointed. (Sigh, I won't be able to read them in the future.)
The old man's face turned black. However, he, who loved books as much as his life, endured his anger and asked in a low voice, "Where did you read these books?"
"I wrote them myself!"
Sun Mo didn't dare to speak recklessly anymore. As someone from another world, if it wasn't for the fact that he was forced by the old man's words, he wouldn't have said these names. It was because leaking information might bring him trouble.
"You..."
The old man was so angry that he lifted his hand, preparing to give Sun Mo a ruthless slap. Sun Mo had clearly piqued his interest, but in the end, Sun Mo told him that he had made it up. How detestable.
"One copper coin per day, right?"
Sun Mo took out money.
"En."
The old man nodded and helped Sun Mo handle the rental procedures. However, in his mind, he was recalling the three names Sun Mo had mentioned before. Putting aside that Transformers of unknown origin, Dragonball and Journey to the West, just the names alone sounded very interesting. Hence, he couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what Journey to the West is about?"
Sun Mo smiled and shook his head.
"If you have a finished manuscript, I can pay to purchase it!"
The old man had read too many books before. Hence, it was too difficult to find a book that suited him but he hadn't read it before. This was simply torture to a person who viewed books as his life.
"How much money?"
Sun Mo's eyes brightened. The money he was spending now was his main body's savings. He didn't have much money to begin with. In addition, the salary of an intern teacher was very low. Sun Mo could foresee that for a relatively long period of time in the future, he would have to live a frugal life.
If he were to get into a relationship and have a girlfriend, he wouldn't be able to make ends meet. Thinking about it, he wouldn't even have the money to go out for a meal to improve his life.
"200 taels of silver!"
The old man stated his price.
Sun Mo shook his head.
"Why? You feel that it's too little? "
The old man knocked on the table. "100 taels of silver is enough for a family of three to live comfortably for a year. Brat, don't be too greedy."
"What's the market rate for publishing a book?"
Sun Mo mentally mused. (If I were to sell the manuscript of Journey to the West to you for 200 taels of silver, I'd be a fool.)
"Hehe!" The old man laughed in contempt. "Young man, live your life well. Don't dream."
The Middle-Earth Nine Provinces were still in the feudal era. The productivity was low, and the printing and papermaking techniques were backward. Hence, publishing a book was destined to be an extremely extravagant thing.
Sun Mo turned and left.
"Alright, I'll satisfy you." The old man compromised. "I'll help you publish 300 books. If we lose money, count it on me. If we earn money, I'll give it all to you."
"1,000 books!"
Sun Mo demanded an exorbitant price. Some of his colleagues had published reference books before. 1,000 books was considered a pretty good result back then.
"It's too much. I can't do it without money!"
The old man rejected three times. He didn't wish to be extorted.
Sun Mo stared at the old man and activated Divine Sight.
'Zheng Qingfang, retired three years ago and became a wealthy man. He loves books as much as his life. Seventh level of the divine force realm.'
'His bodily functions are severely damaged. He was once invaded by poison and has some hidden ailments.'
'Note: The Zheng Clan's style is strict. If he falls, you can rest assured and help him up. There's no need to worry about being extorted.'
Sun Mo browsed through the data that appeared beside the old man. Wasn't it just a normal retirement of an official? He didn't expect this old man who opened a bookstore to have been an official before. He definitely didn't lack money.
Zheng Qingfang could be considered to have experienced great storms in the imperial court. But when he was stared at by Sun Mo, he suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was like there were some ants crawling on his body.
"Alright, 500 books. I can't go any higher."
Zheng Qingfang compromised and surveyed Sun Mo in passing.
Sun Mo was wearing a light blue long robe that had been washed clean. Coupled with his handsome face and upright figure, he exuded an indifferent and elegant disposition. When his lips were pursed, there seemed to be an undetectable arc, giving off a feeling of calmness.
In Zheng Qingfang's life, he had seen many young people with outstanding dispositions. This fellow could be considered quite outstanding among them.
"1,000 books."
Sun Mo refused to budge no matter what.
"Sure, but I want to admire your wooden blade."
Zheng Qingfang's gaze landed on Sun Mo's waist. There was a wooden blade made of black sandalwood there.
Sun Mo shrugged and turned to leave. (What a joke. The Grand Universe Formless Divine Art is inscribed on it. It's a peerless-grade saint-tier cultivation art. How can I let you take a look?)
However, this old man's eyes were really sharp. He saw the most valuable item on Sun Mo with a single glance.
"Brat, no matter what you say, it's useless. Show me the manuscript first. If it's interesting, I'll go all out and print 1,000 books for you."
Zheng Qingfang called out. After Sun Mo's figure disappeared from the door, he returned to the wooden chair. However, when he read the novel in his hands again, it was already boring. His mind was filled with the names' Dragonball 'and' Journey to the West '.
"What kind of story is it exactly?"
Zheng Qingfang felt as if there was a cat scratching at his chest, causing his heart to itch unbearably.
After Sun Mo bought a few osmanthus cakes, he boarded a small boat and went sightseeing along the Qinhuai River.
The wooden blade was casually inserted into his belt. It wasn't expensive, but after the Grand Universe Formless Divine Art was inscribed on it, it couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as before.
Although Sun Mo was already familiar with this cultivation art, who knew if there were any hidden contents? Moreover, these words were written in a flamboyant style, clearly coming from the hands of a famous calligrapher. It would be a pity to destroy it, but Sun Mo was worried that he would lose it if he left it in his dorm. Hence, he could only bring it along with him.
The Tang Empire didn't forbid swords and blades, but they did forbid bows and crossbows. If one were to possess one, they would definitely be arrested and locked up in jail for a few days.
Sun Mo wasn't used to carrying a sword or a blade. Moreover, a blade would weigh 7 to 8 jin at the very least. It was truly troublesome. The weight of this wooden blade was just right, so Sun Mo decided to bring it along for self-defense.
After offering an incense stick at the Spirit King Temple, Sun Mo returned to school. When he passed by a street corner, he saw a skinny girl. She was hugging a small bag tightly and was sitting under the roof to avoid the rain.
The girl was about 13 or 14 years old and had a pure appearance. However, she was currently filled with disappointment.
"A young girl with no home to return to?"
As a teacher, Sun Mo was very sensitive to such lonely children. It was because there had been cases of students running away from home in the school he was in.
Sun Mo gazed at her and activated Divine Sight.
'Lu Zhiruo, 14 years old, penniless, in a state of severe hunger.'
Upon seeing this fragrant name, Sun Mo silently praised in his heart.
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