Chapter 3

"That's not right! The Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique doesn't seem to need internal force—it's driven by sword intent."

"The stronger the sword intent, the greater the power unleashed in a single slash."

"Then with my beginner-level Heavenly Art standard, am I strong or weak in the jianghu?"

The more Jiang Sishui thought about it, the tighter his brow furrowed—his own knowledge was still far too scant!

He felt as if he had just transmigrated here; aside from the Four Books and Five Classics, he knew nothing at all, and had no understanding of this world whatsoever.

"A scholar is good for nothing"—this saying isn't entirely correct, but it does hold a certain truth.

"I need to find a place to gather some information; I can't afford to be deaf and blind."

Jiang Sishui immediately rose and went out the door.

Stepping over the threshold, he stood in the small courtyard and looked up at the sky.

In truth, he had many questions in his heart.

For example—

Why did the imagined Fictional World become real, and even merge together?

Why did he come here? And why did he obtain something like the "Diary System"?

Was it an accident? Or was some existence secretly interfering and influencing things?

He had become the legendary transmigrator and obtained the protagonist's template—was it pure luck? Or was there something special about him?

And so on, and so on—many, many questions.

He couldn't work any of them out.

But he also understood that thinking more would yield no results.

Right now he had nothing; the system was his greatest reliance, so naturally he had to utilize it to the fullest.

Even if someone were scheming against him, he had no power to resist. Better to enjoy himself first, gobble up every benefit within reach, and deal with future matters later.

Besides, maybe he was overthinking it?

What if he really was a lucky fellow?

If he abandoned the system out of paranoid suspicion, only to discover in the end there was no plot or scheme at all, the regret would be too late.

To give up eating for fear of choking—people would laugh their teeth off!

"I'm far too suspicious. Thinking about this now is simply borrowing trouble."

Jiang Sishui murmured a line, then suddenly felt his chest open wide, his mind clearing at once.

"Drink today while the wine is here; tomorrow's sorrows wait for tomorrow. Jianghu, I'm coming! Beauties, I'm coming!"

(Note 1: Actually, the system has no schemes or calculations involved; this work is lighthearted in tone, but this bit of inner monologue cannot be omitted.)

(Note 2: This book will not deliberately suppress the protagonist's realm.)

(Note 3: A new book sets sail—hope everyone gives plenty of support, toss in some bookmarks, flowers, and evaluation votes~).

003. Wang Yuyan Is Stupefied After Reading the Diary

What Jiang Sishui didn't know was that, the moment his pen touched paper, copies of the diary were appearing one by one beside the fairies, holy maidens, witches, and enchantresses he had spoken of.

Suzhou, Taihu, Shanzhuang.

Wang Yuyan walked into her fragrant boudoir. She had just been in the Langzhongxichun studying the martial arts manuals her father had left behind, and at this moment her mind and body were weary; she only wanted a good rest.

But just as she reached the bedside, her gaze sharpened slightly.

On that exquisite embroidered bed, a book bound in jade-white as if carved from mutton-fat jade lay conspicuously.

"This is…" Wang Yuyan's eyes showed puzzlement.

She could clearly remember that before going out today, there had been nothing like this on the bed.

"Could it be something Mother sent?"

Wang Yuyan guessed inwardly as she reached out and picked up that jade-white book.

On the cover, a line of characters was conspicuously written—

Jiang Sishui's Diary Copy (Exclusive to Wang Yuyan).

Wang Yuyan was instantly taken aback.

Diary?

What is a diary? Does it mean a daily record?

Encountering the new term for the first time, Wang Yuyan didn't grasp its meaning and could only parse the literal characters to understand it.

But then—who is Jiang Sishui?

Why would a copy of his diary appear on her embroidered bed in her boudoir?

Why was her name even written on it, saying it belonged exclusively to her?

Wang Yuyan ran through her mind and confirmed she didn't know anyone named Jiang Sishui, which only deepened her puzzlement.

Her fair hands turned the pages as she thought to seek answers from this diary.

Just the opening alone made Wang Yuyan freeze once more.

Awakening past-life memories?

Transmigration?

Golden finger?

What on earth are all these?!

Wang Yuyan knit her moth-brow brows, feeling it was all rather baffling.

She instinctively felt this was the ramblings of that fellow called Jiang Sishui, but seeing his words were logically ordered and clearly phrased, he didn't seem to be suffering from madness or delusions.

Wang Yuyan couldn't help falling into deep thought.

Suddenly, her fingers inadvertently touched the two characters "transmigration" on the page.

Beside that text, the definition of "transmigration" immediately appeared.

"Eh?"

Wang Yuyan gave a startled exclamation, looked closely, and then understood.

"So this is what transmigration means. This person actually says he comes from another world. Could there really be many worlds in existence?"

At this, Wang Yuyan found it somewhat impossible to comprehend.

After all, from childhood to adulthood, under the watchful eye of her mother Li Qingluo, she had never stepped beyond the inner or outer gates of the house.

For a teenage Miss who had never even left the Mantis Shanzhuang, the notion of worlds was far, far too distant.

Shaking her head and deciding not to dwell on things she could not verify, Wang Yuyan touched her fingertip to the three characters "Golden Finger" once more.

Seeing the definition of "Golden Finger," she finally understood: "So that's what it means—not an actual golden finger. Sigh, what good fortune and luck he has."

"If Cousin could also have such a 'Golden Finger,' he should be able to realize his great ambition of restoring the kingdom, right?"

Wang Yuyan let out a soft sigh, a somewhat dazed look in her eyes carrying a trace of longing and quiet grievance.

When she saw Jiang Sishui say it was a Comprehensive Martial Arts World, even someone as gentle and serene as Wang Yuyan could not help turning pale with shock.

From the definitions the diary provided, she already knew what Wu Xia novels, Wu Xia dramas, and Wu Xia films meant.

And precisely because of this, she was so stunned.

"This world actually exists within someone else's imagination? Could I too be fictional?"

Wang Yuyan stared blankly for a moment, then reached out and pinched her own cheek—the touch was utterly real, with not the slightest sense of falsehood.

"How could that be..." Wang Yuyan simply could not bring herself to believe it.

Yet the diary was so miraculous that she did not dare dismiss it entirely.

"I am a character from 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,' and this world might actually merge in so many Wu Xia Works?"

The more Wang Yuyan read, the more alarmed she became. Suddenly she let out a soft "Ah!": "Chu Chu Liuxiang! Is that the Bandit Chief Chu Chu Liuxiang? He's actually the protagonist of a storybook."

"Northern Nether Divine Art, Lingbo Weixue, Five Greats' Divine Art... I've never even heard of these Wu Gong. But for this person to keep them in mind like this, they must be very powerful, right?"

"Cousin did something as foolish as 'picking up a sesame seed and dropping a watermelon'? Nonsense! When did Cousin ever..."

Seeing the disparaging remarks about Murong Fu in the diary, Wang Yuyan grew a little angry, but the words of protest had only just left her mouth halfway when her voice abruptly cut off.

That was right—the Murong family's "Star-Shifting" was incomparably subtle, a supreme martial art, yet Murong Fu had let it go to waste, instead spending his thoughts on a mishmash of assorted martial arts.

Was this not picking up a sesame seed and dropping a watermelon?

Wang Yuyan was instantly left speechless.

"This person actually even knows about such things—could everything he says be true, and am I really fictional?"

Shaking her head, Wang Yuyan stopped overthinking and continued reading.

"Xianxia World, Xuanhuan World, Primordial World... so the higher Tiered Worlds are actually that terrifying? Could those mythological tales all be true?"

"Eh? He doesn't know that I can also see the diary?"