1: The portrait of the fox demon reveals the way to practice cultivation

Great Shang, Xuande twenty-fifth year.

Qingyi Alley.

A painting stall.

A gray-clothed couple, cradling a baby wrapped in blue silk cloth, sat on a dark red wooden square chair, smiling and sitting upright.

Opposite them, in front of a three-foot white xuan paper scroll, Gu Changsheng, dressed as a scholar in a green robe, stood with his hands on his hips, his gaze scrutinizing them.

He held a grayish-white wolf hair brush in his hand, dipping it in ink.

Ink wash painting has existed since ancient times.

Yet, next to the inkstone, there were several jars and pots, containing finely ground pigments mixed with rapeseed oil, creating a variety of colorful paints.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that besides the common ink wash paintings of flowers, birds, insects, and fish, the stall also sold many vibrant and lifelike oil paintings.

This was quite rare.

He moved.

The brush spread ink marks, moving like a Dragon and snake, instantly outlining lifelike portraits, then filling them with various colors from the jars, and a 'family photo' of the three was freshly produced.

At the same time, a subtle spiritual light entered Gu Changsheng's mind.

Lifespan + 3

Weaving experience + 5

Farming experience + 5

'Indeed, it's just more ordinary abilities…'

Gu Changsheng yawned, his eyes unperturbed.

He was a Transmigrator, in his previous life, he died from overwork in a dark studio rushing a sunflower painting, and Transmigrated into the body of a poor scholar in Great Shang.

The scholar's ancestors had once been prosperous, even producing generals, but by his generation, the family had long fallen into decline, and now even daily food was a problem.

Out of necessity, he returned to his old profession, selling paintings on the street to earn a living.

Who knew he would awaken the standard feature of a Transmigrator—a Golden Finger.

For every portrait he drew for a sentient being, he would gain one year of Lifespan and replicate one ability from that person.

If abilities overlapped, it would convert into experience growth.

"Oh! Mr. Gu's painting skills are becoming more and more exquisite; this nose, these eyes, they're so lifelike!"

"But the child only shows one face, so it saved a lot of ink and brushwork. Should the price be…"

The blue-clothed woman straightened up, her face wreathed in smiles, hinting at something.

"Sister Li, you're too kind," Gu Changsheng interrupted with a smile, extending his palm. "That will be three hundred copper coins."

A single portrait cost one hundred copper coins, so a family photo of three naturally cost three hundred copper coins.

Even for a baby, it was the same; there was no way to pay less.

Beside them, Li Dalang smiled awkwardly, pulling out a money pouch wrapped in layers of blue silk cloth from his in my arms, and took out the exact amount of broken silver.

"Mr. Gu, in three days it will be my son's full month celebration. You must honor us with your presence for a cup of wine then."

"Of course, we've been old neighbors for over ten years now."

'As long as they pay, I'll even come to sing a funeral dirge for you.'

Gu Changsheng silently grumbled in his heart.

He took the silver, rubbing its cool, smooth texture, and watched the couple's retreating figures. He happened to see Mrs. Li muttering curses under her breath and pinching Li Dalang's waist.

Shaking his head with a smile, he thought, and his attribute panel opened.

Name: Gu Changsheng

Remaining Lifespan: 63

Realm: None

Contemplation Method: None

Techniques: Spirit Eye Technique First Rank (45/100)

Skills: Painting Third Rank (55/400), Weaving Second Rank (45/200), Farming Second Rank (30/200), Medicine First Rank (35/100), Forging First Rank (75/100), Theft…

In the month since his Transmigration, those who came for portraits included people from all walks of life, with rural farmers being the most numerous.

Therefore, apart from his inherent Third Rank Painting skill, Weaving and Farming improved the fastest.

Who would have thought that Gu Changsheng, who had never spent a day in the fields, was actually an expert at tending crops?

His gaze shifted to his only technique — Spirit Eye Technique.

This was obtained from a wandering Daoist priest.

When using it, one needed to apply ox tears and cover their eyes with willow leaves for three breaths to open the Spirit Eye, allowing them to see things that ordinary people could not.

In the coldest days of winter, willow leaves were readily available.

Ox tears, however, were not easy to obtain.

But oxen have spiritual awareness; when facing life and death, their emotions fluctuate, and they will also shed tears.

Following this line of thought, Gu Changsheng sought them out at the slaughterhouse for a good while, finally managing to collect a jar from Butcher Hu, who was dealing with a boiling pot.

Of course, he paid a hundred large coins for it.

However, after using it, apart from a slight coolness in his eyes, his vision remained completely unchanged.

Mountains were still mountains, and water was still water.

It wasn't until he looked at his own dilapidated bed that he saw wisps of black Qi.

His face instantly turned pale, and the lingering memories in this body flashed through his mind.

On a dark and windy night, a beautiful female ghost floated in, casually untying her silk robe, revealing her beautiful body.

By the time he opened his eyes at dawn, filth had flowed all over the ground beneath his crotch.

The original body had actually been drained of its primordial Yang by the female ghost and died.

Truly, he 'died of pleasure'.

After opening his Spirit Eye, for several days, Gu Changsheng dared not approach his home. Only after the Yin Qi dissipated and he was certain the female ghost would not return, did he go back to live in his house.

The Great Shang dynasty had a continuous reign of over two hundred years, and in the late stages of land annexation, the common people suffered greatly.

News often came of demons appearing in certain areas, black Qi obscuring the sun, devouring all living beings in a region.

Or of flying Sword Cultivators slaying Essence Spirits and evil spirits that had taken human form.

'How strange, after all these days, why haven't I encountered a single demon or a Cultivator…'

Taking advantage of being alone, Gu Changsheng slumped in the wicker chair, rocking back and forth.

Demons and Cultivators were different from ordinary mortals; perhaps he could obtain a Cultivation method in one go.

At this moment, a sweet, cloying scent of powder wafted into his nostrils, and two women in blue and pink silk robes appeared before him.

Their silk robes were thin and transparent, revealing much of their fair shoulders. The women had pretty faces, made up with cosmetics, but their brows revealed a hint of a worldly demeanor.

The white fan in their hands had the large characters 'Hundred Flowers Brothel' written on its front.

This was the largest pleasure district in the county.

As soon as the two appeared, they immediately attracted the gaze of many men, and faintly, there were women cursing them as 'seductive foxes'.

Customers had arrived.

Gu Changsheng instantly perked up.

"Mr. Gu, I heard you are skilled in the art of painting, and the people in your paintings seem as if they could step out of them.

Please draw a portrait for each of my sisters and me to hang at this month's Courtesan Competition, to seek a prize."

"Haha, no problem.

Both young ladies are as beautiful as Heavenly Immortals; with a fine portrait, I estimate this month's Courtesan title will surely belong to the two of you."

Gu Changsheng was not exaggerating.

Like in the imperial palaces of his previous life, some talented concubines had to curry favor with painters, for a good painting increased their chances of being chosen by the emperor.

This was the power of publicity.

It applied equally well in a brothel.

He spread the ink, benefiting from his previous life's continuous black market work, his rapid painting skill reaching its peak.

A moment later, the two portraits were complete.

The familiar spiritual light entered his mind.

Lifespan + 2

Jade-Faced Fox Contemplation Method (Yellow Rank) * 1

Fox Shadow Technique * 1

A huge gain! A Cultivation method appeared!

"Marvelous.

This painting is even better than what the rumors say."

The pink-robed woman took the scroll, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and with a lift of her hand, a silver ingot with snowflake patterns appeared on the painting stall.

It was estimated to be over ten taels, enough for an ordinary family of three for a year's expenses.

"Mr. Gu, if you have time, you can come to the Hundred Flowers Brothel for a visit.

My sister and I will surely sweep the floor to welcome you."

"Haha, no problem. I will definitely visit another day to test the young ladies' depths."

Watching the two women's retreating figures, Gu Changsheng's expression gradually grew cold. He quietly reached into the hidden compartment of the painting stall and grabbed a bottle of ox tears.

'Ordinary people wouldn't know any techniques…'

Opening his eyes, which had been wiped with willow leaves, he looked closely and saw no women in silk robes at all; they were clearly two large foxes, one pink and one blue, wearing human clothes.

Their two long tails swept back and forth on the ground, like two large feather dusters.

How strange, they really were two fox Essence Spirits.