The old beggar's eyes gleamed sharply, then he chuckled and said, "Since you don't have any other treasures on you, and I feel a certain affinity with you, it'd be a real shame if someone with your physique didn't cultivate. Let's trade, then."
As he spoke, he quickly shoved the cultivation manual into Chen Sheng's hands and casually took the golden glazed bead in return.
"Old beggar's got high hopes for you."
The beggar grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, and said nothing more. He turned and slipped into a nearby alley, finding a corner to lie down and rest.
"Leader, could it be a scam? What kind of good stuff could a beggar possibly have? What if the manual is fake?" someone said, frowning in doubt.
"I don't think so," a brawny man replied. "I once heard that Liu Bao had a manual just like this. The paper is the same—very unusual. Liu Bao snatched it from a commoner, and many people saw it. I saw it too. The paper can't be mistaken."
"Should we go back and rob that old beggar? He might have more treasures on him," someone else suggested, eyes gleaming with greed.
"No need. That old beggar's probably not an ordinary person. No point in stirring up trouble," Chen Sheng said, putting a stop to it.
"The Undying Sutra of a Hundred Calamities"Chen Sheng stared at the manual in his hand, his whole body trembling. In his heart, he was shouting:
Finally, my luck has turned. With a cultivation technique in hand, no beast or monster can stop me—I'll slaughter them all and have them for dinner. I knew it, I really am blessed with great fortune. There's no way I'll die so easily.
Chen Sheng could feel it—his time had come.
Trading a broken bead for a cultivation manual? No matter how you look at it, it was a huge gain. This was the beginning of his path to strength.
He didn't plan to leave immediately either.
Though dangerous, Lushan City was still relatively safe. The threat of death might always be present, but compared to the outside world, it was still a haven. At least it gave him a place to stay, to cultivate in peace, to truly become stronger. Only with strength could he pursue his ambitions.
In the shadows, the old beggar watched Chen Sheng preparing to settle down in the city. A cryptic glint flashed through his eyes. Grinning, he muttered to himself, "Tsk tsk, Chen Sheng... What a destiny you carry—born to be a shit-stirrer. You can't escape it. Wherever you go, the winds of change follow. But what's missing is a real wild card. If that one shows up too... now that would be something."
With a chuckle, he lay down and started snoring.
Another week passed.
At night, the sky outside was pitch dark. Thick clouds covered the moon, blocking out its light, making the night even deeper and more obscure.
But in Xuanhuang Village, it was a completely different scene.
Masses of villagers gathered in various places across the village, faces lit with wonder and joy.
Streetlights—no one knew when they'd been installed—had appeared throughout the village. As night fell, these column-like lamps lit up with dazzling brilliance. White light banished the darkness, making it as bright as day. Even a needle on the ground could be spotted easily.
There was no difference from daylight.
Everything was clear: the streets, the houses—everything.
Compared to the old days of using torches or bonfires, the brightness was hundreds of times better.
The entire village, all the way to the city walls, was illuminated by these lights. Especially the lighthouses on the walls—they shone over large areas outside the village. Nighttime beast attacks? Impossible. The moment they approached, they'd be seen.
People marveled at the miraculous Enlightenment Lamps with awe and pride.
Excited discussions buzzed everywhere:
"These are the Enlightenment Lamps! I heard they were personally invented by Master Lu, head of the Heavenly Works Pavilion. Compared to these, oil lamps should be thrown into the latrine. The Enlightenment Lamps light up huge areas with uniform brightness—no weak spots."
"I've seen the Qinhuai River lit all night long before, praised as the sleepless river of lights. But it's nothing compared to this. Under these lamps, it's like daytime. Unbelievable. I heard it's a fusion of cultivation and craftsmanship. Master Lu was even awarded merit points by the village chief for this invention."
"This is amazing. With the Enlightenment Lamps, we can work at night just like during the day. We'll save so much time and keep building things."
"In the past, we could've done business at night too. It wouldn't be any worse than the daytime. I bet the village will be lively even after dark now. No more sleeping early just to save oil. Even the old imperial cities never had this. Yet we do."
The villagers felt immense pride in Xuanhuang Village. A strong sense of belonging grew in their hearts.
And that sense of belonging united everyone. They saw the village as their one and only home in this new world.
This unity was the will of the people.
And the people's will was the foundation of destiny.
With this unity, the Fortune Pool of the village surged. The waters nearly overflowed, forming a cloud of luck above it that continued to grow.
Under the lights, people chatted and laughed after a long day's work. Men approached women, some even hinting at their feelings in secret.
Though survival was still the main struggle, attraction between the sexes was an unstoppable force.
Many young men and women had grown close during these days—and even begun developing feelings.
Yi Tianxing had said before: in this new world, former family and loved ones were separated, likely never to meet again. Everyone was starting anew. If fate allowed one to reunite with old kin, it was a heavenly blessing. If not, there was no need to grieve—everyone had their own destiny.
This was a new world. A new order had begun.
Even those who once had families or children could start fresh—marry again, have children again. Xuanhuang Village recognized new marriages and encouraged people to form new families and build a shared home.
The drive to reproduce and pass on the bloodline was ingrained in the human race.
After so many days, everyone understood—the chances of ever seeing their old families again were slim to none. Starting new lives and families in this world was no longer hard to accept.
In this new world, men wanted to pass on their lineage; women wanted safety and companionship.
So feelings naturally developed.
In Yi Tianxing's residence, Enlightenment Lamps had long been in use.
Two lamps hung at the gate, more stood around the courtyard, lighting the area brightly.
Inside every room, there were Enlightenment Lamps too.
They were used wherever possible.
Yi Tianxing walked to Cai Yan's door and knocked.
"You're here, Brother Yi," Cai Yan said, opening the door and seeing a bowl of Three-Delicacy Blood Congee in his hands. Warmth flickered in her eyes.
"I saw you hadn't gone to bed, so I had Lai He make a bowl of blood congee. You like it. It's good for warming the stomach at night," Yi Tianxing said with a smile, walking in with her.
"Mhm," Cai Yan nodded, not bothering with formal thanks—there was no need between them anymore.
Inside, a desk was covered with pristine white paper, brushes, and inkstones. Several pages were already covered in writing.
"You're practicing calligraphy?" Yi Tianxing asked.
"No, I'm copying books," Cai Yan shook her head. "I've noticed the village lacks books. And with more children now, it's a shame if people can't even read. You've encouraged everyone to cultivate, and they're all becoming cultivators. But if they can't read, it's a huge waste."
"I read most of the books my father collected. I remember them all. Now that we have white paper, I asked for some so I can write them out again—just in case they're forgotten forever."
She had always had this idea. Now that the conditions allowed, she wanted to make it happen.
Yi Tianxing was shaken, then overjoyed. He recalled her background—how she had been gifted with an extraordinary memory since childhood and read all her father's collected books.
Many of those texts were ancient and lost in modern times.
Now, there was a chance to recover them. This held immense value for Xuanhuang Village.
Civilization was written in books. Books were the crystallization of wisdom. Each one held precious knowledge.
What Xuanhuang Village needed now was the inheritance of knowledge.
But without books, it would all be in vain.
If Cai Yan could transcribe large volumes of ancient texts, it would be a monumental contribution to the growth of the village.
This was the inheritance of civilization.
"Excellent—truly excellent. What you're doing, Zhao Ji, is an unparalleled contribution to the village. To be able to pass on the wisdom of the ancients—this is a monumental blessing. I'll place your transcribed books in the Scripture Pavilion for everyone to read."