Chapter 534: Martial Arts and Reading (Seeking Subscriptions)

Several months later.

On Taize Lake.

Aaron held a fishing rod, having switched from netting and spearing fish to angling.

After all, his fishing skills were too poor, so he could only compensate with other methods.

Fishing is a task of patience, and Aaron gradually became fascinated by this feeling.

"If I bought some tea, boiled it on the deck to sip while fishing... that would be quite leisurely and carefree..."

Just as he was daydreaming, Aaron suddenly felt his vision go black.

Lao Yutou was in his forties, which was already an absolute advanced age in this era; he had an impressive red, bulbous nose and hair that was half-black and half-white. After gulping down his Burning Knife, he asked casually: "Have you seen Laili Liu lately? I checked with others and realized I haven't seen him for a long time..."

He put away the fishing rod, returned to the cabin, and opened the rice jar, only to find the rice was almost gone.

"No, change it to Old Yellow Wine."

Aaron ordered a bowl of Yellow Wine and sipped it slowly.

'The martial arts world of the rivers and lakes, however, is real. The "Golden Fish Gang" I've seen can barely be counted as a member of the rivers and lakes...'

Lao Yutou pulled out his long-stemmed pipe from his waist and puffed on it one mouthful after another. He had a habit when drinking: he liked to down the Burning Knife in one gulp, then take a puff of his pipe, and eat a broad bean.

Aaron took out his money pouch and took out the copper coins one by one, counting them.

Could his descendants live as long as he did?

Xiao Chu sucked his teeth: "They say scholars love this kind of style... It's just a pity... I didn't get to see the true face of "Bai Mudan"."

Aaron revealed a look of confusion, picked up his dish, and sat next to Lao Yutou: "Wasn't Laili Liu at the gambling den or the brothel?"

Aaron knew three of them, namely "Lao Yutou" and the father and son "Lao Chutou".

According to the principle of self-preservation, the more crowded a place is, the more likely trouble is to occur; Aaron clearly would not go to any banquet.

"My goal was not set wrong; I should just keep a low profile while becoming stronger..."

But as Aaron looked at the fishing rod that had fallen onto the deck, he understood that it was real and true!

He had connected to his "main body" for an instant!

Although it was only for a brief moment, the short exchange of information made Aaron understand a great deal.

'Practicing martial arts is too expensive, which I don't want for now, but learning to read and write is something I should start preparing for...'

Then, a certain majestic figure appeared before Aaron's eyes.

'And... although there are Legendary tales of seeking immortals and asking about the Tao, no one has ever seen a real "immortal"... nor has anyone seen ghosts or gods with their own eyes!'

He thought for a moment and reached an answer: "Is a day in heaven equal to a year on earth just like this? Has the time flow difference between the two worlds reached such a terrifying degree?"

"Lately? No..."

He was, after all, different from Fang Yu; some changes could start from subtle details and gradually make people accustomed to and accepting of them.

"Sigh... after all, we are all suffering people; if I can look after them, I should help. Who doesn't have their unlucky times?"

"Oh?"

'So... is this a martial arts world?'

"Who told them to be so popular right now... those who come and go are all famous scholars. What is a famous scholar? Even the Prefect has to be polite to her. It is said that there are even literati writing poems for "Bai Mudan", praising her for being as pure as ice and jade and for not fearing the powerful..."

The weather was fine.

This was all of the young Fang Yu's savings, a large part of which was his marriage fund... prepared for taking a wife and having children in the future to carry on the family line.

The waiter at the counter greeted him politely: "The usual?"

As for carrying on the family line or whatever?

Aaron still headed to "Sanshui Wharf" before dawn, enduring the double exploitation of the government and the gangs. After selling his catch, he went to "Yuyang Restaurant" first.

Noise reached his ears, like chaotic gibberish.

After all, the average life expectancy in ancient times was short; being over twenty was already considered an older youth...

"Fang Yu..."

'It is said that there are Wuguan in Taize Prefecture City, as well as places that teach people to read and write...'

"That is a pity, drink, drink!"

The next day.

Lao Chutou's son next to him spat: "Maybe he was hacked to death by the gambling den for cheating..."

Lao Chutou's son, "Xiao Chu", was seventeen or eighteen, the same age as Fang Yu, and said with a sense of mutual sympathy: "Also... that stage, it's big and spacious... They say Young Master Liu wanted to invite the most popular Flower Courtesan, "Bai Mudan", to perform, but he was rejected..."

Aaron took another sip of Yellow Wine, listening to the other patrons chatting.

However, Aaron naturally had no such thoughts.

"Ayu is here again?"

Although it was extremely blurry, that feeling of chaos and order coexisting, emitting a Weird aura, made Aaron directly confirm that it was his main body!

An instant later, all illusions and auditory hallucinations disappeared, as if everything Aaron had seen and heard before was just an illusion.

His location was Taize Lake, under the jurisdiction of Taize Prefecture, and above Taize Prefecture was the Lin Kingdom...

"Ayu, it's a real pity you didn't go to Master Liu's birthday banquet... That flowing banquet, braised pork, glistening with oil, and white rice that you could eat until full!"

He was draped in a black robe, and from beneath the robe, it seemed as if countless writhing things surged forth, turning into a haze...

Having come to this world for a few months, he had roughly figured out the general situation.

And it was quite interesting that "Bai Mudan", a mere famous courtesan, dared not give face to the local bully.

Aaron suddenly remembered one thing: "I held the Ritual a few months ago... and after such a long time, the main body's reply has only just arrived... what kind of divine lag is this?"

As for more, the poor folks in the countryside have limited knowledge; not knowing is normal.

Zzz!

After all, the rice bag was heavy, so it wasn't convenient to buy rice and then go eat and drink.

"At the same time, because this world is too closed off and the energy level is too high... it is impossible to form a temporary channel for Spirituality, so support from the main body is out of the question... wait!"

"I have to go to the market tomorrow to buy rice... hmm, my entire fortune is only ninety copper coins left..."

Aaron shook his head.

It wasn't even certain who would be burning incense at whose grave when the time came!

Aaron slowly sipped his Old Yellow Wine: "So Bai Mudan is fine too?"

Rather than saving money to take a wife, it would be better to eat it myself to supplement my nutrition.

"Pah... that scoundrel still owes me ten copper coins."

'It's just that... the martial arts practitioners here aren't called people of the Martial Arts World or wandering knights, but "Martial Masters"! It is said there are even some rankings of the martial world, martial arts leaderboards, and the like...'

At this moment, several people Fishing nearby also greeted him with a smile.

"And... this Ritual is completely useless; it is fundamentally unable to form a channel to allow the Spirituality from the main body to arrive... It seems that in the future, I must use the Ritual as little as possible unless necessary, otherwise who knows when this delayed response might arrive... If it happens during a life-or-death struggle, wouldn't it cost me my life?"

'Let's set a small goal first... learn one thousand common characters within three years, so I don't have to be illiterate anymore...'

(End of chapter)