Chapter 225: Telling the Tianzun's Story
Gao Yiye happily flipped through "the book she had published."
She was reading it, and so was Li Daoxuan.
With the new "Focus" ability, Li Daoxuan didn't even need a magnifying glass anymore. He simply "focused" on the book, and his view instantly zoomed in close. Tsk! This book is printed even better than 'The Yang Family Warriors.'
It turned out the woodblock carvers had worked on this book with an attitude of utmost reverence. Every cut was made with meticulous detail.
Gao Yiye's drawing skills were actually quite poor, with many flaws in her illustrations.
But that didn't matter. The woodblock carver's artistic skill far surpassed hers; he simply filled in the gaps.
If her line was crooked, he corrected it with ten precise strokes. If she drew Taoist Master Ma's face lopsided, he restored it to proper symmetry.
During the printing process, the printers worked with the utmost care, ensuring the ink didn't bleed or smudge.
The binding was flawless, not a single page misaligned.
Gao Yiye flipped through a few pages and was overjoyed. "Wow, it's so good! It's printed so well! Let's start selling it right away!"
San Shier interjected, "Before we start selling, there's something I must make clear."
Gao Yiye tilted her head. "What is it?"
San Shier spoke earnestly. "The Gao Village Publishing House wasn't funded with my private money. Its profits and losses are managed by the village treasury. And this book, 'The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons,' was not produced by the Tianzun's decree. Therefore, its costs cannot be covered by the village treasury."
Gao Yiye understood. San Shier had told her before that the woodblock carver's wages for this work would have to come from her.
Though largely symbolic, she should adhere to this rule. If she, as the Saintess, set a bad precedent by misusing village resources, others might follow suit, which would be a terrible outcome.
Gao Yiye nodded. "I understand. The materials for these two hundred copies, the woodblock carver's labor, all the associated costs… I am responsible for them."
San Shier nodded. "If not a single copy sells, you must reimburse the village treasury for the total cost from your own funds. If they sell, you can use the sales revenue to reimburse the treasury. Any remaining profit is your author's remuneration."
Gao Yiye blinked. "Oh? So if they all sell, I can actually earn money? That's called… remuneration?"
San Shier smiled. "It's standard practice for publishers to pay authors. It's already an established custom in the prosperous regions of Jiangnan. It's just rare here in this remote northern Shaanxi village for anyone to publish a book, so you haven't heard of it. Simply put, a successful book earns higher remuneration; an unsuccessful one earns little or none. For a self-funded publication like yours, if it doesn't sell, you lose money."
Now Gao Yiye fully understood. "I see!"
San Shier's smile held a hint of warning. "Remember this well, Saintess: if you play around and self-publish a book that doesn't sell, you will lose money."
Gao Yiye waved a hand dismissively. "I don't care about losing money! Alright, alright, enough lecturing. Let's start selling!"
San Shier shook his head with a wry smile. "Very well. Let's begin."
He directed the bookstore assistants to carry the two hundred copies of The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons to the shelves by the entrance. Once arranged, he sent two assistants to stand at the shop's doorway and shout, "New book at the publishing house! Brand new book!"
"New book?" Villagers strolling through the Gao Village commercial district perked up with interest, quickly gathering around.
At the front was the old village elder of Gao Village.
He spent his days selling bamboo goods at his stall in the commercial district, close to the bookstore, so he arrived swiftly.
Hearing of a new book, the old elder felt forty years younger. He practically leaped to the bookstore entrance, exclaiming, "Is it the third volume of 'The Yang Family Warriors'? Finally! I've been waiting!"
The assistants chuckled. "It's not 'The Yang Family Warriors.'"
"Eh?" The old elder's face fell with disappointment. "Then what is it? If it's not as good as 'The Yang Family Warriors,' I won't buy it."
The assistants wore strange expressions. "We dare not say if this book is good or not. You'd better see for yourself."
With that, one assistant held up a copy of The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons for the crowd to see.
Most of the village's literate residents were currently touring the new school, so the crowd at the door was entirely illiterate. Not a single person recognized the characters for the book's title.
However, the portrait of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun on the cover was instantly recognizable to all.
"Ah! Isn't that the Tianzun?"
"How bold!To draw the Tianzun on a picture-book!"
"How dare they?"
The assistants' expressions grew even more peculiar. "This book… was drawn by the Saintess herself. Its title is 'The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons.' Let me flip through a few pages; see for yourselves."
As they spoke, they opened the book.
The crowd stared intently and quickly understood the story: The Daoist Mystic Tianzun descends to the mortal world for leisure, sees a poor village, learns of bandits on the nearby mountain who come down to plunder, and then—with a single extended hand—SMACK… annihilates the bandits.
Seeing this, the old village elder couldn't help but cry out, "Ah! This… this is the story of our Gao Village! When the Tianzun first manifested, it happened just like this… This old man lacked the celestial affinity to see the Tianzun's hand; only little Yiye could see it. To think… the scene looked like this… Thank goodness Yiye drew it down!"
The old elder didn't wait for the assistant to turn more pages. He swiftly pulled out a handful of copper coins. "I must buy this book!"
Hearing this, the surrounding villagers had a sudden realization. "So buying this book lets you know the story of the Tianzun's first manifestation!"
"Buy it!"
"Even if I have to sell the pots and pans,I'm buying it!"
A frenzy erupted. In the blink of an eye, all two hundred copies were sold out.
Those who failed to get a copy erupted in anger at the bookstore entrance. "Are you kidding? Such an important book, and you printed so few?"
"Yeah!This is the Tianzun's story! Shouldn't you have printed more?"
The commotion alarmed the assistants, who hurriedly fetched San Shier. Even San Shier hadn't anticipated that Gao Yiye's playful, patchwork picture-book would sell so phenomenally.
Little did he know, what Gao Yiye had done was essentially "ride the wave of the Tianzun's IP popularity." Ancient people wouldn't understand such a concept.
Caught completely off guard, San Shier could only raise his hands placatingly. "Everyone, please calm down! The woodblocks are already carved. We'll print more immediately, right away! With the blocks ready, printing is fast. In two or three days, we'll have many, many more copies… I promise everyone will be able to buy one."
"Please,stop making a scene!"
(Fact: San Shier's explanation of author remuneration (潤筆費, runbi fei) reflects a real and vibrant late-Ming publishing economy, especially in Jiangnan. Successful authors could earn substantial income. The concept of "self-publishing" (自費出書) also existed, where scholars paid to have their works printed, hoping for sales or recognition. Gao Yiye's venture, while playful, inadvertently participates in this sophisticated literary marketplace.)
(Fact: The villagers' instant, emotional connection to the story—"This is OUR story!"—highlights the power of foundational myths. Every community, from a family to a nation, has its origin story. For Gao Village, the Tianzun's first intervention against bandits is that sacred, defining moment. Owning a physical record of it isn't just entertainment; it's an act of identity affirmation and communal bonding.)