Chapter 96: Adaptation

The White-Armed Demon Ape replied honestly: “It’s a poem, apparently a ‘Demon-Sweeping Poem’ composed by the Prophet Lu Fang.”

The Golden-Haired Ape King snorted coldly. “How arrogant!”

Though the demonic clans were far from the Zhou in the southern frontier, their intelligence network was sharp, especially regarding every move of the Prophet Lu Fang, foretold by the Sage King Wanshu.

These Demon Kings had certainly heard of the Demon-Sweeping Poem—a manifest-level verse that shamed their kind.

The White-Eyed Tiger King grinned wickedly. “Ape King, your scheme is brilliant. Now not only has the Zhou Emperor been enraged, but the Demon Emperor and the Three Elders won’t tolerate these humans either.”

The Ape King grinned. “Even if the Zhou Emperor agrees to a marriage alliance, do you think the demonic clans won’t wage war on humans? I know for a fact that before this, the Demon Emperor sent envoys to secretly negotiate with the barbarians of the northern frontier.”

“Otherwise, why would the Demon Emperor and the Three Elders have agreed to my scheme of humiliating the Zhou Emperor through a marriage alliance?”

“I merely took advantage of the current tide.”

The White-Eyed Tiger King nodded in agreement. “True. With the Zhou growing stronger each year, if we don’t strike now while we can, it’ll only get harder to fight later.”

…

Large snowflakes fell like goose feathers, turning the capital city silver-white; the snow on the roads was crushed by carriages, emitting a crunching sound.

The popularity of the Zhou Literary Gazette had made tea houses and similar businesses wildly popular.

Normally, there were few patrons early in the morning, but now everyone who bought the Zhou Literary Gazette would deliberately come to tea houses to gather friends and discuss the refined text “Three Kingdoms: An Evolution.”

No storyteller was needed to warm up the crowd—each person spat as they argued over the plot and characters of “Three Kingdoms: An Evolution.”

“I’m furious! In the latest seventy-seventh chapter of ‘Three Kingdoms: An Evolution,’ how could Guan Yun Chang be written to die?”

“Is that true?”

“I don’t even know what to say—how could a man of such loyalty and righteousness be killed? It’s too hateful.”

“Come on, I think the Marquis of Literary Crown wrote it well—it wasn’t arbitrary. I used to think it was wrong when he killed Lin Daiyu in ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ but after so long, I now feel her death is heartbreaking.”

“That’s true, but it’s still such a pity—such a loyal and righteous man ending up like this.”

“Dream of the Red Chamber” came first, and many deaths in it left people deeply sorrowful.

Now that “Three Kingdoms: An Evolution” had killed Guan Yun Chang, people’s reactions weren’t nearly as intense.

At most, they’d complain a little, but all agreed “Three Kingdoms: An Evolution” was a fine book—a refined tale worth reading once in a lifetime.

The Marquis of Literary Crown’s mansion.

The study.

Lu Fang handed the completed manuscript to He Zixuan; since entering the Lesser Upper Realm, the updates of “Three Kingdoms: An Evolution” had been painfully slow.

Sometimes two chapters a day, sometimes only one.

He Zixuan glanced at the manuscript and chuckled bitterly. “You’ve written up to chapter ninety-five—now we won’t have to worry about running out of content.”

Lu Fang nodded. “I’ll use this free time to finish ‘Three Kingdoms: An Evolution’ as quickly as possible.”

He Zixuan hesitated, then said: “The refined text ‘Three Kingdoms: An Evolution’ has received an excellent response—almost no one dislikes it. Are you really only writing one hundred twenty chapters? Why not write slowly? I’d be fine if you wrote it for your whole life.”

Lu Fang shook his head. The original only had one hundred twenty chapters. He wished he could write for a lifetime, but his strength didn’t allow it.

Besides, he was eager to finish “Three Kingdoms: An Evolution” quickly—there’d be rewards waiting, and those were his trump cards.

He Zixuan sighed. “Do as you wish.”

Lu Fang suddenly asked: “Brother He, want to make some silver taels?”

He Zixuan grinned, leaned in conspiratorially, and lowered his voice:

“Marquis, what’s your idea? You’re really something—such a brilliant business concept, why give it to the Shen family?”

Lu Fang smiled wryly. “It’s not that I’m giving it to the Shens—I’m just saying that, aside from the imperial court, only the Shen family is best suited to spread the Zhou Literary Gazette.”

He did have some personal motives.

If he directly raised the business section with the Zhou Emperor,

he’d likely face harassment from Xiao family’s disciples and old associates—how long would it take for the Zhou Literary Gazette to spread across the nineteen provinces then?

But if Shen Kangbo acted, the goal could be achieved in half a year.

That meant, within these six months, Lu Fang’s literary qi would undergo a qualitative transformation.

Combined with the enhancement from the Ink-Color Flower, he believed his own strength would also transform qualitatively within half a year.

Lu Fang smiled and said:

“I have an idea—I want to adapt ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ ‘Nie Xiaoqian,’ and ‘Three Kingdoms: An Evolution’ into performances. I’ll provide the silver and the general concept; you provide the labor.”

“Then get the Minister of Literature to persuade His Majesty to support it. Profits: four-tenths to the court, two-tenths to you, four-tenths to me. What do you say?”

“Adapt them?” He Zixuan gasped. “You mean like theatrical scripts?”

“Something like that—but with more innovation,” Lu Fang said confidently, laying out his detailed plan.

It was essentially copying the TV drama model from his past life, plus “creating stars” and touring for profit—this way, Lu Fang could earn silver, and the court’s treasury could gain more too.

That would make funding for the northern and southern frontiers more abundant.

It would also expand the influence of his refined texts.

In short, it was pure profit—and he had the means.

“Marquis, I truly admire you—this idea is brilliant! Yes, yes, I agree. Tell me, what’s the first step?”

He Zixuan said eagerly.

Lu Fang paused, thinking.

“First, go speak to His Majesty and gauge his reaction. If he supports it, we begin. Aren’t there courtesans and actors everywhere? Find those who match the physical appearances of the characters in the refined texts and buy them.”

“Don’t let word leak out—otherwise, buying them will be harder, or someone might sabotage us.”

“Then send me their portraits—I’ll choose. After training them, we can begin performances.”

He Zixuan clapped his hands in delight, chuckled slyly, wearing an expression of “I understand.”

You understand what?

Lu Fang rolled his eyes. “Enough. We’ll communicate details via voice talismans.”

“Voice talismans? I’ll go to His Majesty right away to sound him out.”

He Zixuan hurried off.

Lu Fang watched him leave, then sat on the study’s bed and thought. The Lu family already had some savings, plus the emperor’s gifts of gold, silver, and jewels, and the income from his refined text royalties.

His silver was more than enough to fund the adaptation of his refined texts.

Not to mention, when he left Wuyincheng, the Shen family’s patriarch had given him a storage pouch containing two thousand five hundred mid-grade Wanda Stones.

With all this confirmed, Lu Fang lay back comfortably, silently reciting the Ink Brush Book Realm three times. Within moments, he appeared upon the Ink Land.

The Book Spirit Yan Chixia bowed. “Master.”

Lu Fang nodded with a smile. Since leaving the Lesser Upper Realm, with no realm restrictions, his Book Spirit’s cultivation had instantly risen to Sixth Rank, Second Stage—and had awakened the Great Expansion Sword Art: Thousand Swords.