Chapter 50: First Encounter With Tattoo Bro
Wu Xian was stunned in shock, “Glorious Evolution?”
“That’s right,” Zhang Mazi’s eyes lit up, “That sentence hit right into our leader’s heart, and now it’s become our ideology and slogan.”
“…” Wu Xian was amused yet helpless.
It was just a simple slogan, did they have to care so much?
No, the fact that they recognized this slogan so much already explained a lot.
“Don’t tell me you’re really doing some kind of life evolution?” Wu Xian asked cautiously.
Zhang Mazi neither confirmed nor denied, showing off the muscles on his arm to Wu Xian, “Isn’t what we’re doing a great evolution?”
Wu Xian was speechless for a moment.
As expected, those who do human modification are all “madmen”.
“From my observation, your powerful physical body power comes from spiritual substances, right?” Wu Xian probed.
“Of course,” Zhang Mazi nodded: “Just as the scroll painting’s power comes from spiritual pigments, why can’t we humans directly obtain power through spiritual substances?”
“The reasoning is sound, but putting spiritual substances into the human body, is that really okay?”
“Of course there will be problems, but all of this is worth it.”
A henchman nearby chimed in: “That’s right, at least it’s better than wasting this spiritual power and only being able to live in the trash heap.”
“What scroll painters can do, we can do too!”
“…”
Wu Xian’s expression stiffened, but he could understand.
As they said, people at the bottom have no future, even if they have spiritual energy cultivation ability.
Take himself for example, if he hadn’t transmigrated with memories from his previous life, he might now be struggling in the trash heap like Zhang Mazi and Zhao He.
“Why not save up some money and buy a scroll painting?” Wu Xian asked puzzled.
“Scroll painting?” Zhang Mazi sneered, “You might not believe it, but I’m still carrying loans for two scroll paintings to this day, luckily they’re almost paid off now.”
“Ah?” Wu Xian was surprised: “Then why don’t I see you using a scroll painting?”
“It shattered.”
Zhang Mazi spread his hands with a smile, seeming to have let it go.
Wu Xian was instantly speechless.
At this moment, he realized a key issue: scroll paintings can shatter, and for spirit tamers, they are a kind of consumable.
Excellent scroll paintings are fine, but those second- or third-rate ones aren’t as durable.
Like Zhao He’s 【 Demon Slaying Saber 】, which wasn’t shattered by Zhang Mazi?
Especially during the process of risking life in instances, a scroll painting shattering is just a small matter; preserving life is what’s important.
From a certain perspective, bottom-level people saving money to buy scroll paintings is more like a kind of “entrepreneurship”.
And what the outcome of entrepreneurship is, no need to say more.
If you add the premise of loans, it’s terrifying, too terrifying!
Of course, you can also choose not to “entrepreneur”, and just be an ordinary workhorse, but what if your little workhorse awakens spiritual energy cultivation talent?
Or, suddenly a dimensional leak happens?
The more Wu Xian thought, the more alarmed he became.
Unknowingly, they had arrived at the area where North Street District borders Shantytown, a place called Rat Alley District.
It’s a place where Shantytown people usually relax, with everything you could want, and an extremely high crime rate.
In one sentence: things may not be beautiful, but prices are definitely cheap.
The air was filled with the mixed stench of various odors, several pairs of big white legs passed by, and you could smell a pungent cheap perfume scent.
Wu Xian only felt uncomfortable all over, frowning deeply.
He didn’t like such places in his previous life, and naturally had no interest in this life.
“Yo~ newbie!” A skinny guy with a grinning face saw Wu Xian, his eyes gleaming, “Wanna play, little brother? Three-and-a-half star succubus, guaranteed to make you unable to stop.”
Zhang Mazi frowned and blocked the man, “Get lost, we brothers have serious business.”
“Oh, it’s Tattoo Brother’s people,” the skinny guy grinned teasingly: “With our relationship, you gotta leave this deal for me, right?”
Zhang Mazi impatiently waved his hand, leading Wu Xian and the others away.
But Wu Xian was piqued with strong interest.
Holy crap, there really are succubus scroll paintings!
“Succubus scroll painting?” Wu Xian asked curiously.
“What, you don’t know?” Zhang Mazi looked puzzled.
What a joke, a young master from a wealthy family who hasn’t played with succubus scroll paintings?
Wu Xian shook his head, “First time coming to a place like this.”
“No wonder,” Zhang Mazi chuckled wryly, “Succubus scroll paintings level up by draining men’s essence, especially newbies like you—they’re a great tonic for succubi.”
“Oh oh.”
Wu Xian didn’t quite get it.
But honestly, he was quite curious what a succubus scroll painting looked like.
“Here we are,” Zhang Mazi stopped, “Behave once we’re inside.”
Wu Xian stared in shock at the small storefront—it was actually a small clinic.
Inside, there were a few patients being treated, and a bald youth in his thirties with pitch-black tattoos all over his body, covered in layered, modified tattoo marks.
“Hello, I’m Wu Xian.”
Though mentally prepared, he was still startled by the man’s appearance.
Looking at the overlapping tattoo marks on his body, was he really into “human scroll painting art”?
The bald tattoo brother grinned at him, “Lin Yang, this way please.”
Following Lin Yang to the back room of the clinic, they sat down.
“I heard Your Excellency is interested in our 【Glorious Evolution】?” Tattoo brother Lin Yang sized up Wu Xian, “Tsk tsk, rare to meet someone who appreciates my art.”
“Uh, no need for evolution,” Wu Xian eyed the tattoo brother curiously too, “Just purely curious.”
Hearing this, tattoo brother Lin Yang was visibly stunned.
“Are you implanting spiritual pigments into the human body via tattoos?” Wu Xian had a bellyful of questions, “How do you do it? Won’t that really kill people?”
“So the upper layer’s cops have finally noticed us?”
But the tattoo brother’s face darkened, his voice turning cold.
“Brother, you misunderstand, I’m not a cop,” Wu Xian hurriedly explained, “I’m just purely curious about your heaven-defying skills—hard to imagine how you perfectly integrate spiritual substances into the human body.”
Lin Yang was half-believing, “What’s this, Your Excellency knows spiritual substances too?”
“Somewhat.”
“Scroll painter?”
Lin Yang looked surprised.
“Sort of, just got my apprentice certificate.”
Wu Xian didn’t hide it—since they were exchanging knowledge, better to be open.
“Real or fake?” Lin Yang looked skeptical, “A noble scroll painter interested in my little tricks? Shouldn’t you scoff at it?”
“Why not?” Wu Xian was puzzled, “I think Your Excellency’s craft is amazing!”
Lin Yang still doubted, “Show me the certificate.”
Wu Xian calmly flashed his apprentice certificate; Lin Yang’s eyes lit up as he leaned in for a close look.
“Top student from the art studio, huh?” Lin Yang sighed with regret, “Shame I didn’t get in back then, or I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“Not from the art studio, more like a solo scroll painting student.” Wu Xian smiled lightly.
“Solo scroll painting student?” Lin Yang rolled his eyes wildly, waving dismissively: “Stop messing around~ I’ve self-taught scroll painting for years, it’s impossible—never seen anyone pass the cert that way.”
“Maybe I have talent.” Wu Xian joked.
“Really self-taught to pass?” Lin Yang stared in shock.
Wu Xian laughed: “You might not believe it, but I couldn’t even afford the art studio exam registration fee back then—didn’t even qualify.”
“Does that mean… I still have hope?”
Lin Yang’s eyes flickered, murmuring to himself, looking like he’d reignited his dreams and hopes.
Then, he grabbed Wu Xian’s hand earnestly, gaze sincere.
“Little brother~ teach me! Won’t do it for free—I’ll pay!”
