Becoming a saint begins with the infinite accumulation of destiny.

"Let's eat."

Liu Yun carried the food from the gray-black stove to the wooden table and greeted the guests.

"Um."

Chen Shisheng nodded, and the two ate their meal in silence.

It's called a meal, but it's actually just rice bran mixed with some kind of unknown bean, cooked together.

It has a little oil and salt added, so the taste isn't great, but it's very filling and is the most common food in this area.

"Shisheng..."

Liu Yun hesitated for a long time before finally putting her hand down and looking at Chen Shisheng with red eyes.

"Just sell me. Take the money, pay the taxes in a few days..."

Her voice choked as she spoke, and she could no longer continue, lowering her head and sobbing softly.

The family is on the verge of running out of food; even if they only eat two meals a day, they will soon be unable to survive.

A few days later, the Blackwater Gang would collect their taxes again. If they couldn't pay, they would both be captured by the Blackwater Gang and sold into slavery.

Selling one person at least offers a chance of survival; otherwise, both of them would probably be...

"I have other plans."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shisheng put down his bowl and offered words of comfort in a deep voice.

Having come to this world, he naturally wouldn't forget to use his knowledge from his previous life to make money.

Salt, iron, glass, and the like were state-run enterprises, which he couldn't interfere with due to the high risk.

Other businesses were also unable to be carried out due to a lack of capital and the fact that he was a military household member.

His status as a military household member restricted him to certain fixed professions; otherwise, he would be harassed by the government.

Once discovered, one would either have to pay a large sum of money to settle the matter, or be sent to the front lines as a soldier.

It's not too bad now, being able to come to the outer city as an apprentice. As far as Chen Shisheng knows, the previous military households were all farming outside the city, waiting for their fathers or brothers to die so that they could replenish their ranks.

"Don't worry, I'll keep things peaceful at home."

Chen Shisheng put away the bowls and chopsticks, and suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

He gave Liu Yun his wages for this period of time and told her to be very careful when going out to buy food, to travel with others, and not to go out alone.

"Yes. You also need to be careful. Don't get into fights with anyone outside, and run away if you encounter any trouble. Never be reckless."

Liu Yun wiped away her tears and nodded.

He knew Chen Shisheng had his own plans, but he was afraid and uneasy because he had seen Blackwater Gang members arresting people in recent days, which is why he said such things.

Silent all night.

Chen Shisheng and Liu Yun tidied up quickly and went to bed.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, a series of heart-wrenching wails suddenly erupted outside, the cries filled with sorrow and despair.

"No!! No... She's only twelve years old, she can't go on a pleasure boat!!"

"It's Aunt Zhao."

Liu Yun, dressed in thin white clothes, walked out of the inner room, her face pale.

She cautiously peeked out from the windowsill, secretly looking towards the source of the sound.

Chen Shisheng opened the door a crack and looked out sideways. Most of the nearby windows and doors were also like that, but no one went out.

Outside, Aunt Zhao, dressed in a blue cloth dress, was tightly embracing her two children, crying her heart out.

"Heroes of the Blackwater Gang, I beg you, I'll kowtow to you!"

"My son is only thirteen, he can't go..."

Aunt Zhao kept kowtowing to the burly man in black in front of her, her forehead split open and blood flowing down.

"Get lost!!"

The burly man in black kicked Aunt Zhao, sending her flying.

"mother!"

"mother!"

The two children tried to rush forward, but were grabbed by two other burly men in black.

The remaining seven or eight men, each with a curved sword at their waist and bulging muscles, scanned their surroundings with warning glances.

"Three days from now, you all better hand over your taxes!"

The bald man who was in the lead yelled at the surroundings and grabbed the boy.

"This kid... I'll personally deliver it to the higher-ups tomorrow morning."

The boy was so frightened that he trembled all over and didn't know what to do.

A cruel smile appeared on the bald man's狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face.

He then led his men away triumphantly, like jackals returning victorious after raiding the mountains.

The neighbors looked on blankly, seemingly used to this scene. No one went out to pay attention to Aunt Zhao on the ground, and they all silently closed the windows and doors.

If it doesn't concern you, don't meddle; nobody has the time or inclination to care about other people's business.

"Aunt Zhao..."

Chen Shisheng sighed softly.

In this world, with bandits blocking the way from the outside and gangs running rampant from within, there is simply no way for ordinary people to survive.

"Aunt Zhao's husband went to fill a vacancy at the front lines, and it seems he's likely dead. They haven't even paid last month's taxes, so the Blackwater Gang..."

Liu Yun sighed. Aunt Zhao had borrowed a needle from her just yesterday, but who would have thought she would suffer such a misfortune today.

The Blackwater Gang is essentially an outsourced agency of the government. This entire area is under their jurisdiction, including the conscription of soldiers. Their power is so great that no one dares to provoke them.

"Open the door!"

Just then, a rapid knocking sounded at the door, along with the voice of the bald man from before.

Chen Shisheng's expression changed, and he gestured for Liu Yun to come inside before opening the door.

The bald, burly man stared at him with hostility, his eyes seemingly casually scanning Chen Shisheng up and down, before licking his lips.

Behind him stood seven or eight burly men in black, forming a human wall that blocked the entrance.

"Your troops have suffered casualties; remember to fill the vacancies in three days!"

He gave Chen Shisheng a sinister look, then led his men away again.

After he left, Liu Yun came out of the inner room, tears streaming down her face, sobbing uncontrollably:

"Brother Ayun..."

Ayun is Chen Shisheng's older brother.

Liu Yun had heard everything that was happening outside just now; people had died at the front!

This means that either Brother Ayun or Old Man Ayun died in battle.

Not only that, Chen Shisheng also had to fill a vacancy and go to the front lines to serve as a soldier.

Chen Shisheng stood to the side, his expression slightly somber.

Not long after.

After breakfast, he hurried out the door.

They walked in the opposite direction from the clothing store.

Soon, Chen Shisheng crossed several streets and arrived at a somewhat dilapidated gray bookstore.

The bookstore owner, a middle-aged man, was yawning as he moved the door panel aside, preparing to open for business.

Above it is a plaque with black background and red characters that reads "Jingcheng Bookstore".

Without hesitation, Chen Shisheng immediately stepped into the store.

"Hey! Brother Chen, you're here early today."

The middle-aged man clearly knew Chen Shisheng; he put down what he was carrying and greeted him warmly.

"Boss Liu."

Chen Shisheng nodded in response.

The middle-aged man was named Liu Fan. It is said that he had passed the imperial examination for the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) before the collapse of the Dayuan Dynasty.

Later, the imperial court fell, and the country was in chaos and disorder. So he returned to his hometown and opened a bookstore to make a living.

"The book is good; sales have been extremely high in recent days."

Liu Fan approached and whispered excitedly.

"So, my share..."

"Of course, of course! A total of three hundred and fifty copies were sold... As agreed, I'll give you three taels and five mace of silver, how about that?"

"Can."

Chen Shisheng nodded, accepted the silver, and felt a little more at ease.

The idea of ​​writing this book was a good business deal that Chen Shisheng came up with.

I came here to learn the written language of this world, and I happened to discover that the comic book business was quite good.

"Finally, I can enjoy the benefits of time travel."

Chen Shisheng chuckled self-deprecatingly.

With the blessing of being "skillful," he became quick-witted and soon learned the language of this world.

Now that he has money, his future plans can continue.

First, renounce your military household status!

Once Chen Shisheng set his goal, he immediately turned to leave. He still had to go to work at the clothing store and couldn't afford to be late.

But Liu Fan stopped him, his face slightly flushed, and whispered:

"The 'Fairy's Cultivation' series is extremely popular. Mr. Chen... would you be interested in publishing another book?"

We'll talk about it later.

Chen Shisheng thought about it and neither refused nor agreed.

The main issue is that he needs to figure out how to resolve his identity so that he can continue living in the city.

Moreover, there were no martial arts schools or similar places to learn skills in the city, so he had to find a new way out and make plans for the future.

"If there's going to be any follow-up, you'll have to get to me first!"

As I walked out of the shop, I heard Liu Fan's persistent shouts from behind.