Literacy

Fang Zhixing asked excitedly, "Old Wang, will the Village Chief teach me cultivation techniques? Are there any conditions?"

Wang Yitong thought for a moment and replied, "From what I know of the Village Chief, as long as you can win his favor, forget martial arts manuals—even the women he keeps, he'd let you have some fun with them."

Fang Zhixing's thoughts stirred. He asked, "Does the Village Chief have any particular preferences?"

Wang Yitong waved his hand. "I know what you're thinking, brother—play to his tastes. That would normally work very well, but water bandits are running rampant right now. Our town is hanging by a thread. The Village Chief is weighed down with worry and fear over this; he doesn't even dare go out for pleasure anymore."

His expression turned solemn. "So, I suggest you help the Village Chief shoulder more of his worries and solve more of his problems."

Hearing this, Fang Zhixing's expression flickered uncertainly. He asked, "Isn't Little Clear River Market Town extremely remote? Would those river bandits really attack here?"

Wang Yitong answered, "You don't know the situation. Because of all kinds of natural and man-made disasters, refugees are everywhere. They cannot fill their stomachs, their bellies gnawing with hunger, and they could rise up in revolt at any moment.

Those river bandits have taken advantage of this, actively gathering refugees and turning them into water bandits. They rob travelers along the Eighteen Waterways and every tributary, and their momentum is immense.

Not long ago, several towns downstream from us were looted one after another."

Fang Zhixing understood.

He had not expected those river bandits to have some brains, actually knowing how to mobilize refugees for zero-cost shopping sprees.

Given the current situation, the river bandits had clearly built up overwhelming momentum and were unstoppable. Unless the imperial court deployed its naval forces, no one would likely be able to deal with them.

With Fang Zhixing's little bit of strength, how big a storm could he possibly stir up?

Help shoulder worries and solve problems, my ass!

This concubine cannot do it.jpg

Fang Zhixing could not help asking, "Brother Wang, your family's inherited cultivation technique..."

Wang Yitong was instantly speechless. Just moments ago, he had been calling him Old Wang, yet in the blink of an eye he was calling him Brother Wang. That face-changing speed was fucking fast.

"Don't get any ideas about my family's inherited cultivation technique."

He waved his hand righteously. "To tell you the truth, my family's technique was lost long ago. I only know the first level; I do not have the subsequent parts either. However, the Village Chief has already given me the second level of the technique, on the condition that I serve him for ten years. I cannot leave during that time, nor may I pass it on to anyone else."

Fang Zhixing understood and sighed. "I get it. There are no pies that fall from the sky."

After dinner, Fang Zhixing sat in a chair with his eyes closed, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Skinny Dog transmitted his voice, "What are you thinking about?"

Fang Zhixing replied, "I'm thinking about how exactly to get a cultivation technique from Luo Kegong."

Skinny Dog stood up. "Do you even need to think about something like that? As the saying goes: 'The Dharma is not lightly passed on, the Way is not sold cheaply; teachers do not seek out students, and doctors do not knock on doors!'

"If you do not pay a sufficient price, why would he give you a cultivation technique? Freeloading is impossible!"

Fang Zhixing seemed not to hear him and continued on his own, "The best plan is to do as Old Wang said. The worst plan is to steal it."

"Steal?"

Skinny Dog flatly disapproved. "You dare steal something from a powerful clan? You're courting death!"

Fang Zhixing did not care. "Luo Kegong is a fool. What if I handle everything without a drop of water getting through, and he never realizes the cultivation technique was stolen?"

Skinny Dog asked, "How can you make sure not a drop of water gets through?"

Fang Zhixing replied, "Simple. Find the cultivation technique first, then copy it down. Wouldn't that do it?"

Skinny Dog questioned, "Never mind how you would find the cultivation technique—how the fuck are you going to copy it when you can't read?"

The corners of Fang Zhixing's mouth rose. "This is the Village Chief's residence. There are plenty of people here who can read. I can learn anytime."

Skinny Dog could not help glancing at Fang Zhixing's system panel.

[Literacy · Full-Level Requirements:

1. Read a dictionary 10 times (Incomplete)]

That afternoon!

Fang Zhixing took the tattered book he had picked up and went to find Wang Yitong. Smiling, he said, "Brother Wang, you can read, right?"

Wang Yitong immediately looked full of pride and said smugly, "When I was young, my father taught me how to read and write."

Fang Zhixing promptly took out the tattered book and asked, "Take a look. What book is this?"

"Oh, this is an introductory dictionary."

Wang Yitong recognized it at a glance. "When schoolchildren learn to read and recognize characters, they generally start with this dictionary."

Fang Zhixing asked, "Do you know every character in this dictionary?"

Wang Yitong laughed heartily. "Of course. When I was young, I was a famous prodigy in town."

Fang Zhixing was overjoyed and quickly said, "Could you teach me?"

Wang Yitong froze, then hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, no! Let me tell you, studying is harder than practicing martial arts, especially at your age. It'll be even harder for you to learn. Besides, I'm not good with words—I won't be able to teach you."

Fang Zhixing had expected this. He pulled out a handful of copper coins and said seriously, "Teach me for one month, and I'll give you one thousand large coins!"

"One thousand large coins? Really?" Wang Yitong was greatly startled.

Fang Zhixing said with utmost seriousness, "I'll pay first. You teach afterward."

Wang Yitong took a deep breath and smiled sincerely. "I could tell at a glance that Brother Fang is an incomparably brilliant talent. You will definitely be able to learn it!"

After that, he opened the dictionary and began teaching Fang Zhixing, character by character, how each one was pronounced and what each one meant.

Fang Zhixing listened carefully. He took out a chicken tail feather, dipped it in some wet mud ash, and used pinyin to mark the pronunciations.

A dictionary recorded more than thirty thousand characters.

Wang Yitong taught around three thousand characters each day. It took him twelve days to teach the entire dictionary through once.

Fang Zhixing also read through it once.

[1. Read a dictionary 10 times (1/10)]

"Mm, that's enough. I can study on my own from here." Fang Zhixing took back the tattered book.

"What? You'll study by yourself?"

Wang Yitong looked utterly baffled. "I only taught you once, and you remembered it all?"

Fang Zhixing nodded. "More or less. If I come across something I don't remember, I'll ask you again."

Wang Yitong's face was filled with disbelief.

Honestly, that was more than thirty thousand characters. Even if someone studied with complete focus for two or three years, they might not necessarily learn them all.

Fang Zhixing shut himself in and devoted himself to reading, going through the book again and again.

Four days quickly passed.

[1. Read a dictionary 10 times (Complete)]

[Literacy · Full-Level requirements fulfilled. Upgrade?]

"Upgrade!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Zhixing made his choice.

In an instant, he felt as though his head had swelled by a full circle. Pain split his skull.

A vast amount of writing flooded into his mind. Like a sponge drinking water, he rapidly absorbed and contained it all.

A moment later, Fang Zhixing slowly opened his eyes, his forehead covered in sweat droplets the size of beans.

Then he casually flipped open a page of the dictionary and swept his gaze across it.

Every character entered his sight, and he could read them all without the slightest obstacle.

"Finally!"

Fang Zhixing's mood instantly soared. The trouble of being illiterate had finally been solved once and for all.