Early the next morning, Shuangshuang took the Purple Gold Coins and headed to Yan City, the nearest city to Wujia Town. In this world, cities are classified into different levels, divided into four ranks and a super-grade city.
Super-grade cities are the capitals of nations, while other cities are classified into four ranks from First Rank to fourth-rank.
The ranking of a city is determined by a special envoy sent by the court, based on factors such as population size, city area, and the construction quality of buildings and streets.
Yan City is a third-rank city, very well constructed, with city walls reaching a height of four zhang! Truly breathtaking!
Standing at the base, looking up, the entire city wall is extremely majestic. Its overwhelming height gives a sense of oppression, as the entire wall is built with enormous blue stones.
The city walls of Yan City are not only extremely tall but also quite wide, capable of allowing armies to march and horses to run. Such a city wall would be difficult to construct even in modern society, yet it poses no challenge for people of this era.
Transporting massive blue stones with spatial items, and employing various mysterious techniques, city walls of a major city can be built in merely a month.
However, the greatest function of such a magnificent and fortress-like city wall is not defense against enemies but purely for visual appeal.
Walking atop these grand walls are not soldiers, but various merchants and sightseeing platforms overlooking the surrounding scenery.
There are no guards at the city gates, allowing free entry and exit without any entrance fee. The city gates are extraordinarily large and remain open year-round.
In this world, if battles were to occur, the combat prowess of Xuan Masters and Great Xuan Masters would not be something a city wall could withstand. It’s no wonder these walls have become mere decorations.
After entering, Shuangshuang also took the opportunity to tour the city walls. The walls were bustling with rows of vendors selling food and amusement, especially a row of food stalls near the scenic view platform.
These food stalls are kept very clean, offering a variety of delicacies. Upon seeing these food stalls, Shuangshuang couldn’t resist going over.
One stall was selling buns, their delicious aroma spreading far and wide, though priced dearly at twenty copper coins each. However, they were quite large, as big as a fist, with stuffing made of pure Mutated Beast Meat.
Shuangshuang ate four large buns made from different Mutated Beast Meat, followed by a bowl of wonton, a bowl of glutinous rice balls, and a bowl of spicy noodles with plenty of meat.
Finally, carrying a large bunch of skewers made from Mutated Beast Meat, she admired the scenery from the viewing platform, occasionally indulging in a bowl of sour and spicy fish noodles and a serving of iced pear syrup, finally leaving satisfied.
Though she indulged herself with food and drink, Shuangshuang didn’t come to Yan City just for leisure. She came to buy Memory Stones, which have uses similar to cameras.
The images they project are as clear as real people, and the storage duration of images varies according to the size of the Memory Stone.
Memory Stones are of no use for cultivation and are produced in abundance; their selling price is relatively cheap compared to the various Magic Artifacts and Magic Treasures used by Xuan Masters.
For only five Gold Coins, one can purchase a Memory Stone capable of recording an image for an hour.
The advantage of the Memory Stone is that it can replace cameras for filming, and it offers high definition. The disadvantage is the inability to edit or produce post-production, requiring excellent acting skills to ensure a one-take, without any fake props.
Although Wujia Town is quite prosperous, it doesn’t have Memory Stones; hence, Shuangshuang came to Yan City and went straight to Duobao Pavilion, a place frequented by Xuan Masters, to purchase Memory Stones directly.
Indeed, the first thing Shuangshuang wanted to do after storytelling was filming, producing movies and TV dramas. If done well, it could be far more profitable than storytelling. In any world, entertainment is a lucrative business.
Shuangshuang used two Purple Gold Coins to buy a large bagful of Memory Stones, which weighed her down so much that she seemed to disappear beneath them, appearing as if the bag had grown legs while walking on the road.
With a large bag of Memory Stones carried on her back, Shuangshuang left Yan City and returned to the Hundred Families Village, storing away the Memory Stones and taking a breath of relief. The equipment was acquired, now only actors were needed.
............
On the east side of Wujia Town, there is a theater, home to the best opera troupe in the town. Ji Yuzhe was once the biggest star in the troupe.
He began learning opera from the troupe leader when he was very young, personally taught and groomed by the leader.
Ji Yuzhe had a strong talent for opera. Among so many children learning opera, he was the fastest in learning singing, speaking, acting, and acrobatics. He could perform on stage by the age of ten and became the biggest star in the troupe at thirteen.
Unfortunately, Ji Yuzhe is now eighteen, and during his voice-changing period, he was sabotaged and consumed something he shouldn’t have, ruining his voice, and now he can no longer sing.
Without the ability to perform, Ji Yuzhe had no income. Those who once flattered him now turn their faces and mock him for being unable to go on stage, allowing him to fully experience the harsh realities of the world.
Today, Ji Yuzhe went to the troupe leader, wanting to borrow some money. When Ji Yuzhe was vastly popular, because the leader was his mentor, he didn’t charge much for his performances.
As a result, Ji Yuzhe didn’t save much over the years, thinking he’d never be short of money since every time he performed, he’d receive abundant rewards.
Thus, Ji Yuzhe never cared about money, but he never expected his voice would fail one day, preventing him from performing on stage and earning money.
Without his vocal abilities to earn income, Ji Yuzhe’s current life is very tough. He originally didn’t want to ask for help because he sensed a change in the leader’s attitude towards him.
However, there was no choice. Ji Yuzhe had fallen ill in the past two days, with his stomach causing such intense pain daily that he wished he could faint from it. The pain was unbearable.
But he had no money to see a doctor and could only turn to the leader for a loan. As a result, he didn’t even get to see the leader’s face before being ridiculed and pushed out by the troupe members.
Ji Yuzhe knew it was the leader’s intention because he had seen the leader’s silhouette inside, who had little interest in hiding. Ji Yuzhe’s pride wouldn’t allow him to cling on and beg for money from the leader, so he had to leave.
Holding his stomach, enduring the wrenching pain, Ji Yuzhe managed to walk a few steps before he couldn’t help but lean against the wall and squat down, trying to relieve the agony in his stomach.
Cold sweat trickled down from his forehead, and Ji Yuzhe couldn’t help but bite his lip tightly— the pain was excruciating!
"Brother Ji, Brother Ji, how are you? Are you okay? Are you sick? Hold on, Brother Ji, I’ll take you to the medical clinic immediately."