Creation

However, the hotel owner was clearly not a typical France.

While every country certainly has people with different personalities, it would be foolish to label the entire population of a nation with the same traits. However, statistics can reveal the dominant personality characteristics.

For example, the France are generally quite rigid, not good at chatting or joking, and accustomed to communicating with simple language. They only pursue rigor when discussing official business, taking every detail into consideration. There is an urban legend that has not been debunked to this day: it is said that even after more than a hundred years of efficient use, their sewer systems still have small warehouses for storing spare parts within a 3-meter radius of aging parts. These warehouses are filled with spare parts wrapped in tarpaulin, kept as good as new, and ready to be replaced at any time.

For example, Germany are very laid-back. They admire the natural way of Daoist School, are used to being alone, do not like to cooperate in groups, do things slowly, hate being rushed, pursue individuality, and have no discipline. The whole country is filled with a leisurely atmosphere. Under the influence of Yin-Yang School, Germany women are generally petite and full of feminine softness.

For example, Russia are very timid. If they encounter wild animals in the wild, they will turn and run away immediately or find a place to hide. When fighting, they always prefer to dodge and avoid direct confrontation. They are all terrible fighters. However, under the influence of the Xiang Family, Russia women are mostly very sexy. They know how to do makeup and take care of themselves from a young age, and even middle-aged women have a charming figure.

For example, most Su Kingdom love peace. Their lives consist of only three things: farming, cooking, and practicing medicine. They dislike war and are also very united. They have the fewest records of internal strife among all countries. Because they are not good at military affairs, they have often been invaded by other countries in history.

"Sorry to have kept you listening to my rambling for so long. Most people don't really like chatting with others, so it's rare for me to be able to speak so freely."

"It's alright. I just enjoy listening to people talk about everyday things. It helps me understand the customs and traditions of a place better. Sometimes I hear interesting anecdotes, and I can even turn them into stories and publish them."

Si Ming is now a regular contributor to several travel magazines. He often takes photos, collects local stories, and writes travelogues about tourist attractions, which he submits to the magazines to earn money. After all, he enjoys traveling, not budget travel, and has no intention of selling himself along the way.

Now he's a minor celebrity in the industry, and a magazine even has a special food section dedicated to him, introducing the flavors of food from various regions.

Because he is very "frank" when introducing food, he will say it is bad if he thinks it is bad, even if it is a famous snack. Unlike other food programs, no matter what the taste is like, they always have to rack their brains to find some positive adjectives. They say that it is crisp and refreshing when it is obviously tough, and that it is delicious when it is obviously fishy. If they can't find any highlights, they will say that it contains the essence of traditional culture and is passed down from generation to generation.

Si Ming once said something that is widely circulated in the circle: local traditional food is usually made up because there is no other better food available. In order to fill their stomachs, they have to make do with what is available in the limited local resources, so most of them don't taste very good.

Although such remarks often cause controversy, they have also garnered him a large number of loyal fans. There are even some readers who are not interested in travel or food, but buy the magazine specifically to read his "sharp tongue".

Now, Si Ming's annual royalties are quite substantial, comparable to those of a high-level white-collar worker. He lives a very comfortable life, able to do what he loves while earning a living. This is probably the job that all working people want most. However, being constantly urged to submit his manuscripts is quite a headache for him.

"I won't bother you any longer. Here's your room key."

As Si Ming took the keys, his gaze swept past the television in the living room, his attention drawn to the news broadcast on it.

"... The 18th East Continent University Students Martial Arts League is about to begin. The first team to enter is the Eastern Splendor University team from Su State. Their Captain is Murong Qing, who is only twenty-one years old. According to the data, this is the first time Eastern Splendor University has appointed a sophomore as Captain."

"According to intelligence from various sources, Murong Qing's master is none other than the world-renowned 'Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens.' It is said that she was rescued by Yan Jinghong during a beast tide attack. Yan Jinghong was impressed by her talent and character, and thus made an exception to accept her as his disciple, making her his only disciple to date. Many Daoist School are optimistic about her performance in this competition."

The innkeeper noticed Si Ming's gaze and asked with a smile, "She's a martial artist from your country. Not only is her martial arts skill amazing, but she's also beautiful. That's truly rare. I remember someone posted a survey to rank the participating martial artists by looks, and this female martial artist named Murong Qing was in the top three. Do you know her?"

Si Ming shook his head and said, "How could we possibly know each other? We're from two completely different worlds."

Since discovering that this body cannot cultivate Internal Cultivation, he gave up his dream of becoming Grandmaster. Although he has been practicing external Cultivation Method and has achieved some success, he is at most a step ahead of his peers. Compared with those true geniuses, there is still a big gap. To reach the realm of entering the internal from the external, he will have to be at least thirty years old.

"Everyone has their own path to follow and can live a wonderful life. I gave up flying to the sky, but I also saw other beautiful scenery."

Si Ming smiled, a smile full of magnanimity and carefree spirit, but only those who knew him very well could detect a hint of regret hidden within it.

He took the keys, turned around and went upstairs, without looking at the television again.

As he just said, that's a completely different world for him now.

Volume Three: Fallen Petals Are Not Heartless Things

Chapter Eighty Creation

How can I make money?

Si Ming felt like he was back in Chapter Six, forced to consider the issue of making a living.

After the organizers of the Youth Martial Arts Tournament learned of his Lian Buqi, they promptly disqualified him from the competition. Although Si Ming himself did not regret it and would make the same choice even if he had to do it all over again, Yan Jinghong had said that if he did not win the championship, he would be punished accordingly.

The punishment was the cancellation of funding subsidies from the Mohist Academy of Science, which caused his income to drop from the level of a white-collar worker to a basic monthly welfare guarantee, equivalent to a god-level online writer falling to the point of receiving welfare.

It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Since Si Ming had experienced the satisfaction of replenishing his vital energy with a single Six-Transformation Bear and Snake Pill every month, he naturally didn't want to live a pitiful life of tightening his belt again.

"What can I do? In my past life, I studied network engineering in college, but computers weren't even widespread in this world, let alone the internet. Besides, after graduating from college, I just took the civil service exam to coast along, and later I got a teaching certificate and became a middle school teacher. I haven't used any of my professional knowledge at all; I've forgotten almost everything."

Even if Si Ming still remembered his professional knowledge, it wouldn't be of any use. There was no English in this world, and computer programming languages were not based on English. The professional knowledge he learned in his previous life would be completely useless.

"Am I going to go back to music? I don't think it's a long-term solution. I don't have the professional knowledge, and the skills I learn by talent will always be superficial, and I'll easily give myself away."

More importantly, Si Ming no longer wanted to plagiarize. At first, he couldn't even practice martial arts because he was broke, so he had to compromise with reality and abandon his integrity. But now, his body is full of energy, and he has the "Blazing Yang Battle Art" as a way out. Even if he is broke, it will only slow down his cultivation progress, but it won't make him lose hope. Plagiarizing again would be against his conscience.

Although Si Ming doesn't have a moral fastidious streak and wouldn't do anything to maintain his dignity by starving to death—he wouldn't mind competing with stray dogs for food if he really became a beggar—since he's currently well-off, he naturally won't do anything against his moral conscience. After all, moral boundaries tend to lower with each transgression, and if he does this too often, one day he'll definitely become someone who can shamelessly plagiarize others' work for profit without feeling any remorse.

On a moral level, Si Ming never thought highly of himself and didn't believe he could resist temptation, so the best way was not to try it.

As for copying a song and sending it to Ying Zhou, he didn't feel any guilt. Anyway, the composer's name was written as the author's name from his previous life. He neither sought profit nor fame, so there was no need to put a shackle on himself. Moreover, his goal in this life was to become Grandmaster. Music was a secondary matter, and he had no interest in making any achievements in it.

"So writing novels is the only way to make money with zero cost? That's the only relatively easy way to achieve it."

In his Si Ming worked in a low-paying government agency. His job was simply to manage documents, and he spent his days drinking tea, surfing the internet, and browsing forums. Of course, his salary was pitifully low, barely enough to make ends meet. Later, at the urging of a friend, he started writing novels online to earn some extra money, which resulted in him making quite a bit of money for online shopping.

"Why not just plagiarize ourselves? The supernatural city theme should offer readers something new in this world saturated with martial arts novels... maybe?"

Si Ming wasn't very confident about this. After all, there were School of Fiction in this world who made a living from writing novels. There was no reason for them to be rigid-minded, castrated, and unimaginative wastes. He had rejected the idea of publishing in print based on this very point.

However, the current situation is very different from when he first transmigrated. He still has some savings and is not in a hurry to use the money. It doesn't matter if he fails; he can treat it as a trial run to accumulate experience.

Without hesitation, Si Ming picked up the manuscript and started writing. He didn't intend to create any new works; he simply copied a novel he had written in his previous life verbatim.

The novel is titled "Ghosts and Gods Metropolis," and it is set in a world where everyone has the potential to awaken into a superhuman, with an awakening rate of about one percent. Ordinary people who do not awaken superhuman abilities are called "powerless people." Because this world is frequently invaded by mutated creatures, the superhumans have formed a League of Legends to protect their home and fight against monsters.

The protagonist follows the typical tropes of popular tropes: he is an incompetent person without any superpowers. He yearns to become a hero, but is taught a harsh lesson by reality. However, the protagonist does not give up on his ideals and stands up to fight against monsters with the abilities of an ordinary person. Even though he is covered in wounds in every battle, often suffers ridicule from people with superpowers, and is misunderstood by his friends and family, he still does not give up.

During a battle with a powerful monster, the protagonist suffered a fatal injury and fell into a coma. However, he unexpectedly obtained a spiritual treasure trove containing countless martial arts manuals, including various Internal Cultivation, lightness skills, fist techniques, and Swordsmanship techniques. From then on, through diligent training, he gained immense power and was mistakenly believed to have awakened a superpower that enhanced his physical abilities.

The early part of the novel is basically a classic storyline where the protagonist levels up through cultivation, defeats monsters, earns the respect of his peers and the hearts of beautiful women, and incidentally humiliates his rivals.