I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Shen Mizi

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days have passed!

During these ten days, Duan Rong has been practicing his stances and painting, living a fulfilling life!

The prescription given by Elder Xiao truly works wonders!

Every day, Duan Rong practices his stances for nine whole hours, with no feeling of physical depletion and no mental fatigue.

And once it strikes 3 p.m., Duan Rong timely appears under the old locust tree opposite Huaying Building, preparing ink and painting for the young men and women who come to see him!

After ten days, his wallet has swelled, and his total assets have surpassed two thousand silver coins, gaining him some wealth.

However, while painting today, Duan Rong suddenly noticed that there were only eight people in line.

This was the first time since he began painting that there were vacancies!

This was certainly a signal indicating that it was time for him to relocate.

Xianggu County, after all, isn’t the internet of the past life; the city’s population is only three to four hundred thousand.

Among them, families able to spend ten silver coins on a painting are indeed very limited.

While painting, Duan Rong continuously contemplated his next move, and by the time he submitted his last painting, he had already made up his mind.

Duan Rong attached a sheet of rice paper to the board nailed onto the old locust tree, held his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote: For portrait queue, please go to the crooked neck willow tree opposite the herbal shop on West Main Street!

Originally, under the crooked neck willow tree was a wonton stall, but last month, the old man selling wontons caught a cold and couldn’t recover, and thus passed away.

So this spot was vacated!

Duan Rong happened to take advantage of it!

At 3 p.m., twilight was setting in, and the sunset in the west was red and ripe like a persimmon.

The tall and thin middle-aged attendant of the herbal shop had just finished attending to an important guest and spotted a silhouette, covered in various things, coming over in the sunset’s afterglow.

Duan Rong made his way to the herbal shop’s entrance, gave the tall middle-aged attendant a smile, flashing his bright white teeth.

Duan Rong frequently came here to buy medicine, and they had gradually become acquainted.

He had come to know that the tall middle-aged attendant was named Ma Chu, the most experienced attendant in the herbal shop.

Ma Chu initially thought Duan Rong intended to come into the herbal shop to buy medicine and thus waited at the entrance, preparing to welcome him in.

Unexpectedly, when Duan Rong reached the entrance, he swerved, went to the opposite crooked neck willow tree, and stopped.

At noon, Ma Chu had noticed a group of attendants and maids standing under the opposite crooked neck willow tree.

Initially, he thought it was some wealthy household training their servants, but it didn’t seem so on closer look. The attendants’ clothing varied widely, evidently not from a single household, so Ma Chu was puzzled.

Duan Rong reached the crooked neck willow tree, set up his easel, hung his satchel bag on a nearby branch, and then smiled at the people in line, taking out ten palm-sized wedge-shaped wooden tokens, handing them out to the people in line, saying: ”These wooden tokens have numbers. Now you have a number, you don’t need to wait here.”

”Just come back before 5 p.m., and as long as you have a number, you’ll get your painting regardless of the person!”

The maids and attendants who got the tokens instantly rejoiced, dispersing about six or seven from the queue immediately.

The token method was an idea Duan Rong had last night, and he made the ten tokens overnight, writing the numbers personally.

Ever since absorbing the Devouring Artifact Spirit, and harnessing the artistry from the graceful beauty of the Spring Palace and the slender scholar, his calligraphy had become quite distinctive and nuanced, difficult to imitate.

This token system, in the context of his past life’s words, is known as enhancing customer experience.

At twilight, Ma Chu stood in the hall of the herbal shop, across the street, watching Duan Rong tirelessly painting under the crooked neck willow tree, illuminated by the faint lantern light. He clicked his tongue slightly, saying: ”Although Xianggu County is small, it is truly a place blessed with talented people!”

Actually, Duan Rong had relocated his painting spot to the opposite of the herbal shop on West Main Street.

There was some thought behind this move.

He deeply understood the expense of medicinal supplements.

The herbal shop caters to a high-end clientele, who are precisely his business’s potential customer base.

Thus, he chose to set up his stand opposite the herbal shop, seizing the flow.

Moreover, West Main Street is the widest and busiest street in Xianggu County, hosting the largest herbal shop, the biggest silk store, the most prominent restaurant, along with Yuan Shun Escort Agency, the County Government Office, and Yunshui Bank’s branch, essentially Xianggu County’s Central Business District.

This street used to also host Xianggu County’s largest brothel—Chunzui Building. However, Huaying Building arose, and the Four Great Flower Shadows overshadowed Chunzui Building, leaving it utterly beaten, deserted daily.

The madam of Chunzui Building, after introspection, promptly remodeled, changing its name to Spring Breeze Inn.

Transforming from a madam of a brothel to the lady shopkeeper of Spring Breeze Inn.

And indeed, the business unexpectedly improved after the change.

This truly is about adapting under pressure and thriving with transformation!

Days after Duan Rong moved his stall to West Main Street.

One evening, Shen Mizi and her maid Qiu Hen were walking down West Main Street.

Shen Mizi held a long sword encased in a dark red snake skin scabbard, with a tassel sword pommel, her posture upright, footsteps light, while walking at a normal pace that made Qiu Hen almost sprint to keep up.

”Miss, slow down a bit, I can’t keep up!” Qiu Hen pouted, grumbled.

Shen Mizi was about to stop and scold Qiu Hen when she suddenly noticed a boy with short brown hair and a dark square face under the opposite crooked neck willow tree, intently focused on his painting.

Shen Mizi’s fair face showed a puzzled expression, her brows slightly furrowed, she asked: ”Qiu Hen, what’s happening over there?”

Qiu Hen, seeing Shen Mizi had finally halted, immediately stopped behind her, feeling some relief from the pain in her tight calves, and after glancing over, she laughed: ”He’s a painter, quite famous recently! All the young ladies and gentlemen from various estates line up for his paintings!”

”Really?” Shen Mizi’s clear eyes blinked, signaling disbelief.

”Miss, perhaps you could have a painting too...”

”Why bother with such things?” Shen Mizi, although a lady, had a firm mind and generally disliked miscellaneous matters.

”But...” Qiu Hen seemed to be weighing her words, paused briefly before saying: ”Miss, when you go to Taiyi Sect next year, you won’t be able to return to this Xianggu County easily. Having a painting could provide some solace to the master and madam if they miss you!”

Shen Mizi was slightly astonished and a bit embarrassed. She was naturally strong-willed and indeed indifferent about family, something Qiu Hen considered but she hadn’t.

”However, what is the skill level of this painter?”

”Ten silver coins per painting, and so many people queuing. His skills must be good!”

”Ten silver coins per painting?”

”Indeed.”

Shen Mizi was not unable to afford that sum; ten silver coins were not a big deal to her. Just finding a street painter selling at this price was unexpected for her.

”Then go ahead and queue up.” Shen Mizi glanced at Qiu Hen and said.

”It’ll have to be tomorrow then. This painter only does ten paintings a day, starts at 3 p.m., and stops at 5 p.m. No slots are left for today!”

”Only ten paintings?” Shen Mizi had never heard of such a thing, her beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise.

”This gentleman certainly maintains a grand posture!” At this moment, Shen Mizi indeed found herself intrigued by that seemingly unremarkable painter under the crooked neck willow tree.