"'Tian'... 'Tian'... 'Technique'... What does it mean?"
In front of the mirror, Xu Xuan was baffled, the characters really were similar, but did the two seem almost illiterate?
"Big Brother, could it be that there is an Immortal in the mirror speaking to us?" Li Qingquan said.
"It must be so, it must be!"
Li Qingshi held the mirror reverently, his tone sincere, "Immortal, this commoner is dull and doesn't understand the Immortal's intent. I will ask you to return first."
Seeing no response from the mirror, he bravely tucked it into his bosom.
Afterward, Li Qingshi looked fiercely at his brother and said, "Listen, if the news of the treasure gets out, we will have no place to be buried when we die. We must keep our mouths shut!"
"Yes, Big Brother." Li Qingquan naturally knew this was a great opportunity for their family to turn things around.
"When we go down the mountain later, don't bring back any game," Li Qingquan schemed for a moment and said.
The two brothers descended the mountain empty-handed.
"Useless! No good for anything, can't even set a trap! Can't hunt, what will you rely on to get a wife in the future?"
At the village entrance, Li Qingshi suddenly started berating his brother, drawing the attention of the old men and women at the entrance.
"Enough, Li family's eldest, go easy, what does a child know? Just teach him a few more times."
Just then, a rather decently dressed elder couldn't bear watching and advised.
"I've tried teaching to no avail." Li Qingshi was disheartened.
"Take it slowly." The elderly man stepped forward, helped Li Qingquan up, and patted the dust off him, "Teaching doesn't have to be with sticks and batons. The more you beat him, the worse he'll learn."
"Master speaks wisely, why not let him learn to read with you tomorrow? It would at least let him earn a living in the future."
This old man was the only literate person in the village, said to have kept accounts for someone in the city before retiring to his hometown.
Seeing the child who was just kicked over by Li Qingshi, Master Yang couldn't suppress his embarrassment and said, "Okay, as long as he's not freeloading."
"Who would dare eat and drink for free? Just command me as you please."
Li Qingshi said with a smile, then turned to his brother, "Aren't you going to thank Master Yang?"
Understanding his elder brother's intent, Li Qingquan pretended to be aggrieved and said, "Thank you, Master."
Xu Xuan quietly watched the scene nearby; clothing couldn't obstruct the mirror, which looked at the world around it from its own perspective.
He had thought to speak, but then decided it might be better to maintain a bit of mystery, especially since his voice wasn't particularly deep or mystical.
It was clearly that of a young person.
And what if the other party thought he had an accent?
In Xu Xuan's mind, some accents from his previous life that were hard to take seriously came to mind.
"Big Brother is calm, Second Brother is clever; both are not bad."
Xu Xuan continued to observe the world on the other side.
After waking from a sleep, he looked into the mirror again.
However, through the conversation between the two brothers, he discovered that three days had passed in the Mirror World. In these three days, Li Qingquan had purposely asked the Master about some characters, and by now, he had almost deciphered half of them.
"Three days? How many hours did I sleep last night?"
Xu Xuan stepped out of his room and saw that everyone at Pear Manor looked normal, which made him realize that the flow of time in that world might be different from this one.
"About one to ten?"
That should be the case.
Xu Xuan resumed his new cultivation practice and went with Li Hu in the afternoon to perform exorcisms for the nobles.
"Thank you for your teachings, Master. This is a token of our gratitude."
The butler of the wealthy family handed over a banknote worth fifty taels of silver and arranged a carriage to take them back.
"On the fifteenth of next month, you'll come with me to drive corpses," Li Hu suddenly said, "Remember the route, the buyer, and the way of dealing, as I'll hand it over to you when I'm unable to continue."
Smuggling was a capital offense, not like selling vegetables in the market. Without connections, even if you could refine salt, there wouldn't be a buyer to take the goods.
"Alright."
Xu Xuan had no objections.
Having freeloaded for so many years, it was only right to do some work.
Now that there was a clue in that world, he would slowly figure it out and eventually find a way out.
Five days later.
Fifty days had passed in the Mirror Realm.
In the back room of the Li Family, the two brothers prostrated themselves before the mirror on the table.
After more than a month of studying, they had basically mastered some common characters.
"O Mirror Immortal above, please accept your followers' bow!"
On the table, a wild boar leg and some drinks were offered.
On the other side, Xu Xuan's mind stirred.
The wild boar leg appeared on the table.
The believers' offerings could indeed be brought over.
"What a big wild boar leg." Xu Xuan remarked in amazement.
Perhaps the level of the Mirror Realm was higher than this side? Which is why the wild boars were relatively larger.
In the Mirror Realm, the wild boar leg disappeared, leaving the two brothers wide-eyed and speechless, shocked for a long time.
Li Qingshi was both reverent and excited.
Unwilling to be ordinary, faced with such a miraculous event, the first thing he thought was that he might have become different.
No matter if the Mirror Immortal was god or demon, as long as they were willing to take him, he was willing to pay any price.
What does he have to fear of loss when he's already at rock bottom?
On the other side, Xu Xuan took out a thin booklet, the Chenzhou Talisman Method Initial Explanation.
There are eight spells within, with the foundational one being the Calming Charm; it is said that one who masters this charm can comprehend the way of drawing talismans.
These include the Bleeding Stopping Talisman, Stomachache Relief Talisman, Hunting Talisman, Detoxification Talisman, Fire Summoning Talisman, Fishing and Hunting Divine Bait, as well as the most essential Corpse Driving Talisman and Corpse Preserving Talisman.
"Perhaps I can establish a channel for others to make offerings to me, and in turn, I bestow rewards upon them," Xu Xuan suddenly conceived an idea.
By trading to acquire the resources necessary for his cultivation.
He planned to send over the Chenzhou Talisman Method to see if it was possible for cultivation.
If cultivation was possible on the other side, it would mean that the other world's level was high, and it would also prove that the Chenzhou spell was usable, it's just a problem with this world.
Of course, a wild boar's leg would not be enough to exchange for all talisman techniques.
What if the spells are false and cannot be practiced by the other party?
Only the lack of sincerity from the other party could be blamed then.
"That settles it, first create a nest; only then can big fish be caught."
At that moment, text slowly emerged within the mirror.
"Honour the exalted Immortal, and receive my rewards!"
Text appeared on the mirror, Xu Xuan tried to make it as simple to understand as possible.
Afterwards, a secret technique emerged in the mirror.
The Fishing and Hunting Divine Bait Technique.
This wasn't a talisman technique, but rather akin to a trick. Take a bowl of morning dew and mix it with earthworms and finely chopped meat, then cover it and place it in a jar, bow thrice to it every day, and after nine days, take it out, and the divine bait is ready.
Use it to fish or place it in traps. Big game is assured to be caught.
This spell differs from talisman techniques—it's not about personal cultivation, but about the world. If that world has mystical powers, this technique will be effective.
"Quick, write it down."
Li Qingquan hastily grabbed paper and pen and took note of everything, whether he recognized it or not.
Meanwhile, Xu Xuan broadly outlined the rules.
Weapons, cultivation techniques, elixirs, resources, all can be used as offerings. The more precious the offered items, the more valuable the rewards will be.
The two brothers bowed in thanks once more.
"We thank the Mirror Immortal for the generous rewards."
Not until the text in the mirror vanished did the two slowly rise to their feet.
By then, the younger brother also roughly understood the technique.
"This is a method for fishing and hunting, we're bound to capture game with it."
With this spell, their livelihood was guaranteed.
Li Qingshi said to his brother, "You are the smarter one, you'll practice the spells first. I will use this technique to hunt and trade the goods in Qingshan Township's market."
In terms of intellect, he couldn't compare with his brother, and in terms of sociability, his brother couldn't compare with him.
Only by working together could they have a chance to protect themselves in the world.
A month later.
Dusk, Qingshan.
"Roar!!"
A tiger's roar echoed through the woods as a white tiger leaped out of the bushes, its nose twitching as it slowly headed toward a patch of grass.
Bang!
Suddenly, the ground beneath the white tiger gave way, and it fell into a trap where a clamp inside caught its hind leg.
"Aoowww!!"
The white tiger struggled fiercely, on the verge of escaping the trap.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Three arrows in quick succession struck deep into the white tiger's forehead, and it dropped dead on the spot, with blood spilling all around.
Li Qingshi emerged from the bushes, exclaiming with excitement, "Indeed, we were sure to catch game! The whole tiger could be exchanged for a set of city residences, no, must sell it in batches, so as not to arouse suspicion."
If the Black River Gang in the city caught wind of this, he wouldn't even get a taste of the soup.
"Selling in batches isn't safe either, the village head and Black River Gang are both watching..."
In the village, news spread if any household had a bit more meat than usual.
"I need stronger power!"
Li Qingshi's eyes gleamed with determination.
But what to exchange for it?
More of the same techniques would not enhance his abilities in the slightest.
He absolutely needed a stronger secret technique.
"Items, cultivation techniques, treasures... If I offer the Family Inherited Divine Arrow Technique and the white tiger, I should be able to exchange for a cultivation method."
The Li Family's inherited divine arrow technique was a rudimentary martial art, through diet and moving qi with flesh, one could reach the pinnacle of human strength, having the power of five hundred catties and unblinking far-sight.
In the Martial Forest, it could be considered that of a high-skill level, enough to lead as a small gang leader in the Black River Gang, but against the mysterious Immortals, it was far from sufficient.
Of course, due to the lack of proper diet, Li Qingshi had not fully mastered it.
"With the divine bait method, I can hunt for meat to practice martial arts, and with the cultivation technique, dedicated cultivation will allow me to have the power to protect myself."
Indeed, Li Qingshi went to the back house, offered up the book illustrating the divine arrow method along with the butchered and seasoned cuts of white tiger meat, and recited the newly learned prayer.
"Mirror Immortal above all, boundless are the worlds in all directions. With my offerings at hand, I request guidance from the Immortal!"