After transmigrating to Douluo, Ji Feng had hit the jackpot: zero innate soul power and the trash martial soul, Genshin Impact.
Some might ask, "Uncle, what kind of martial soul is this Genshin Impact?"
This Genshin Impact martial soul was quite something. Once he awakened it, Ji Feng only had to call out "Genshin Impact, launch!" to play Genshin Impact inside his head anytime, anywhere, and pass the time. Granted, it was a version with no Primogems to pull characters, and every event that gave away characters had been canceled.
In other words, he could only play as the male protagonist, Aether.
What a blast. He could enjoy all of Genshin Impact with just Aether.
At most, he could try out other characters in certain character trial quests.
And this version inside his head never updated. After so many years, he was long since sick of it.
What use did this martial soul have besides killing time? Absolutely fuck all, of course. Here on our Douluo Continent, that was how martial souls with zero innate soul power worked.
This already counted as an exceptional performance.
"Everyone else gets a cheat when they transmigrate. Where's mine?"
At that thought, sorrow welled up in Ji Feng's heart. He sighed, but all he could do was pick up his pen and keep writing.
On the Douluo Continent, he earned his living with his pen.
He had authored "I Fix Pipes at Spirit Hall," an uplifting story about a middle-aged man who went to Spirit Hall to fix the plumbing, discovered that the Supreme Pontiff was away and only the Holy Maiden remained, then eagerly lent a hand by clearing her pipes.
Unfortunately, because of that criminal power, Spirit Hall, the book could not be sold through legitimate channels.
After making his name with one book, Ji Feng kept up the momentum, writing "I Fix Pipes at Clear Sky Sect," "I Fix Pipes at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," "I Fix Pipes at Sea God Island," and "I Fix Pipes at..." - in short, it was all about fixing pipes.
Plenty of people complained that he was reheating cold leftovers, but what else was he supposed to do? Push his creative boundaries for them? Come on, he was already writing porn.
The pipe-fixing series shot him to fame. From then on, he hid his head and tucked away his tail like a rat scurrying across the street, never daring to expose his identity. Even collecting his royalties required hiring runners from the Speed Clan at a steep price.
Worth mentioning was that Bibi Dong, Spirit Hall's new Holy Maiden, had recently risen to prominence. Riding its mother's coattails, "I Fix Pipes at Spirit Hall" had enjoyed another burst of popularity.
Thank you, Bibi Dong! Dong'er is so cute~
Thinking of Bibi Dong, however, Ji Feng sighed again. Who came to Douluo without wanting to build a harem and take in every woman?
Yet here he was, writing porn.
He put down his pen, pulled his coat snug around him, and went out for some air.
He was already in his twenties, but he never bothered with his appearance. Scruffy stubble, drooping eyelids, and a pair of lifeless, dead-fish eyes gave him a distinctly weathered look, like a man of around thirty.
Fortunately, his good looks still held the line, making him seem mature rather than sleazy.
He was currently living in a fairly remote town. After writing that sort of thing and having it sell so well, he would never dare stay in a big city like Heaven Dou City or Spirit City. Just thinking about it felt dangerous.
It was afternoon. The town stood near a soul beast forest, and plenty of mercenaries set up stalls here to sell herbs, soul beast materials, metal ore, materials scavenged from ruins, and the like.
"What's that?"
Ji Feng narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance, hardly daring to believe what he saw.
There was no mistaking it. That was-a yellow exclamation mark floating in midair!?
The surreal sight left Ji Feng utterly stunned, followed immediately by wild joy. Was Genshin Impact finally about to launch?!
According to the game's mechanics, anyone with an exclamation mark over their head was an NPC who could give out quests. Completing those quests would earn rewards-Primogems!
Primogems would let him pull! Whether he gained the abilities of Genshin Impact characters or summoned the characters themselves, his life would be turned upside down!
Who would keep writing porn when they could use cheats?!
Ji Feng suppressed his wild excitement and walked over slowly, putting on a calm air. The person beneath the exclamation mark was a blue-haired woman selling herbs.
She looked around twenty, with blue hair falling to her waist, its pale shade carrying a faint, dreamlike quality.
She had a gentle bearing and exquisite features. Her nose was delicately straight, her lips softly colored. Though she wore no makeup, she was countless times prettier than the heavily made-up streamers Ji Feng had seen in his previous life.
She was tall, with straight shoulders and a waist so slender a hand could barely encircle it, yet her curves were rounded and shapely, graceful and full. Even her plain, light-colored dress could not conceal her noble, dignified air, though there was nothing sharp about her. Instead, she radiated a gentle tranquility, as if she had no quarrel with the world.
Most devastating of all was the bright yellow exclamation mark floating above her head, blinking as though it were beckoning to Ji Feng.
Ji Feng did not know her.
But Ji Feng had read the novel. Among the major characters who could appear at this point in time, who else could be selling herbs here alone with long blue hair but the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin?!
If someone with an exclamation mark over their head isn't a major character from the original Douluo novel, I'll eat shit!
I must! Help her immediately!
Ji Feng immediately felt his kind, helpful nature kick in!
I have to get those Primogems right now!
No! I have to help Ah Yin right now!
He casually moved closer to Ah Yin, sneaking looks at her while considering how to chat her up-no, how to make a good impression so he could help her.
How should I open?! I've got it. This is when I say, "Miss Ah Yin, you wouldn't want your identity as a soul beast exposed, would you?"
Ji Feng was raring to try.
Meanwhile, although Ah Yin was tending her stall, she was very sensitive to people's gazes. The Blue Silver Emperor's perception was inherently stronger than an ordinary person's. She lifted her head slightly, and a single glance was enough to notice Ji Feng staring at her with naked desire.
It made her uncomfortable, but Ah Yin was already used to it.
She knew that lustful gaze all too well, driven by the lower half of the body, as though its owner wanted to devour her.
Naturally, she also knew how to handle it.
Ah Yin looked back with a smile. Then six soul rings-two yellow, two purple, and two black-quietly appeared beside her feet, and a trace of a Soul Emperor's oppressive aura pressed toward Ji Feng.
Fuck, a Soul Emperor!
Was Ah Yin a support type or a control type again? No! Even if she were a food type, a Soul Emperor could string me up and beat me to death countless times. Her type doesn't matter!
Ji Feng stumbled in fright. Pretending nothing had happened, he rotated his ankle. Ah Yin's Soul Emperor cultivation had instantly brought him back to his senses.
That Japanese-style opening probably wouldn't survive Ah Yin's iron fist. Better be nice!
Compared with that Japanese approach, a more harmonious, friendly way of communicating with Ah Yin was clearly the way to go.
No problem. I've always been a pacifist!
Acting as though nothing had happened, Ji Feng slowly approached Ah Yin's stall. She sat on the ground, her long, jade-white legs crossed and resting elegantly before her.
Ah Yin smiled on the surface, but inwardly she was rather speechless at this man's refusal to give up his lecherous intentions.
Looking up at him from below, Ah Yin's beautiful eyes, clear as autumn waters, held a faint trace of disdain. Still wearing a gentle, slight smile, she asked, "Sir, would you like all the medicinal herbs here wrapped up?"
Is this Ah Yin's quest? Ji Feng considered it. He was not short on money, so he simply waved a hand. "I'll take them!"
"Of course. That'll be sixty Gold Soul Coins, please." Ah Yin smiled sweetly, looking kind and innocent.
Ji Feng's hand froze as he reached for his money. "Wait, are these herbs made of gold? You want sixty Gold Soul Coins for this little pile?!"
I'm rich, not a sucker! Ji Feng grumbled inwardly. Ah Yin had seemed so kind in the original story, yet here she was, gouging him!
Isn't this just bullying an honest man?!
Even Shrek Academy, Douluo's infamous rip-off establishment, only charged ten Gold Soul Coins to register. What Ah Yin was asking would let him register at Shrek six times!
Ji Feng gave the herbs a quick once-over. They were fairly rare, so he could value them at ten Gold Soul Coins. Adding another two for the enhanced properties from her nourishment as the Blue Silver Emperor brought the total to twelve Gold Soul Coins at most-a reasonably fair market price.
Twelve Gold Soul Coins already amounted to several years of expenses for an ordinary family. Soul masters, however, truly stood above the common masses, so twelve Gold Soul Coins was not prohibitively expensive. Of course, a normal soul master would not buy out an entire stall and make a sucker of themselves.
As for sixty Gold Soul Coins, that price was already enough to buy a shop in a small town like this.
"Hmph! Don't you know perfectly well why it's so expensive?" Ah Yin puffed out her cheeks and gave a dainty snort.
Ji Feng was speechless. "Is it wrong for a man to like pretty women? Besides, one look at you makes the price five times higher?! You're worth more than gold!"
"Oh, you actually know what these herbs cost." Ah Yin looked a little surprised, then changed her tune. "All right, I can sell them to you for twelve Gold Soul Coins. I only quoted a high price because I thought you didn't need these herbs at all and were just here to chat me up."
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