Novel Full Chapter 641 - Chapter 641: Chapter 400: Reunion
Chapter 641: Chapter 400: Reunion
Although Xu Yang wanted to pioneer an entirely new track for “Martial Arts live streaming,” he couldn’t simply put such a plan into action directly.
After all, having just experienced the Red Moon that occurs once every six hundred years the previous night, Xu Yang was still unclear about the attitude of the Federation authorities and the intensity of their oversight. If he were too conspicuous, it’s possible that he’d attract the scrutiny of the Federation authorities.
Currently, he didn’t possess enough strength to protect himself, and he really didn’t want to draw the attention of the Federation authorities.
Therefore, the track of Martial Arts live streaming couldn’t be launched directly. He needed to start shallow and go deeper gradually, expanding his influence as his strength increased.
Food broadcasting was a rather good path to take.
Sitting at the dining table, Xu Yang moved with steadiness, speed, and precision as he quickly brought food to his mouth. The entire process was smooth and fluid, presenting an indescribable sense of beauty.
Although this world had developed the anomaly of the Blue Star Federation, the rest of its progress hadn’t made any substantial leaps, and the timeline didn’t differ much from Earth as Xu Yang remembered it. It had reached the era where online industries were rising and offline industries were declining.
As a major sector of online industries, live streaming had long since become a key project in the network business.
Strong capital groups occupied the top, while various small businesses struggled for survival in the lower tiers, all scrambling for a piece of the pie.
Moreover, with the large population of Blue Star and various social issues already sharp enough offline, it was natural to turn to the online realm to compete for new markets and divide new interests.
Put simply, excessive population led to fierce competition.
So, being a broadcaster was not an easy job; the industry was severely insular, with the flooded drowning and the drought-stricken perishing.
All major live streaming platforms were engaged in malicious competition, poaching talents, creating stunts, and doing whatever it takes to get ahead. Some even dabbled in illegal activities, recruiting a large number of disgraced women for re-employment, leading to a chaotic and sordid free-for-all.
Some relied on looks, others on risqué content, some skirted the edge with physical allure, while others sought attention with sensationalism. There were also those who stood out because of their quality, creativity, and novel content…
In essence, to make a name for yourself in live streaming, you had to have something that set you apart.
Otherwise, you’d be indistinguishable from the many.
Food broadcasting was no exception. The market was mature and stable. How to eat, what to eat, from every angle and with all sorts of tricks—any conceivable gimmick had been done before by someone. The industry suffered from severe homogenization. Without capital for promotion, hype, and support, an ordinary person could only achieve modest fame at best.
Aspiring to break out of the circle?
Daydreaming!
So, by what means could Xu Yang carve out a bloody path for himself in this highly competitive food broadcasting industry?
Merely relying on the quantity?
Far from enough. The path of the “Big Stomach King” was not unique, so it was hard to stand out.
He had to add a twist of novelty!
Food broadcasting + Martial Arts?
Isn’t that novel?
By introducing an illogically large food intake and bringing in the concept of “Martial Arts,” he could indeed create a brand-new track and carve out a bloody path for himself in the fiercely competitive live streaming industry, shining above the rest.
Of course, the same old caveat applied: it’s best not to provoke the Federation authorities!
So for now, Xu Yang was just recording videos and hadn’t started live streaming yet.
Before gaining enough power to ensure his own safety, Xu Yang wouldn’t start broadcasting. The current recordings were merely stockpiled, ready to burst onto the market and quickly make a name for himself when the time was right.
This was a combination of quantity and creativity.
Besides, there was also quality to consider.
In the broadcasting world, there were many who sought attention with outlandish behavior, some even being reduced to internet clowns.
Xu Yang intended to become a broadcaster, but he couldn’t completely succumb to entertainment and worldly desires, as that would only diminish the sanctity and seriousness of Martial Arts, doing more harm than good to the spread of the Martial Arts Scripture, because normal people would certainly not imitate the behavior of internet clowns.
Therefore, he had to eat neatly and cleanly, even beautifully—there could be no eating like a wild boar digging around.
Fortunately, for him, this was not difficult.
Dish after dish, stack after stack, Xu Yang efficiently devoured huge quantities of food with precision.
If he were an ordinary person, such an appetite would certainly attract onlookers.
But Xu Yang was not ordinary; he had employed the Breath Concealing Skill from the Martial Arts Scripture to greatly reduce his presence.
Although he was just a common man now, so were the other patrons of this buffet restaurant, and they found it difficult to notice anything unusual about him.
In this way, not only did he avoid attracting attention, but he could also eat more, taking full advantage of the restaurant owner’s resources.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and before long it was evening. Xu Yang, with a stomach that showed no signs of bulging, packed up his electronic devices and left the buffet restaurant, content and satisfied, leaving behind the restaurant owner and a group of bewildered wait staff.
“That’s strange?”
“It wasn’t that busy today, so why did the food get consumed so quickly?”
“Go check if those bastards from the gyms nearby have come again.”
“Damn it, what was I thinking when I decided to open a buffet next to several gyms?”
“…”
After leaving the restaurant, Xu Yang found a coffee shop and connected to the internet to continue searching for the information he wanted.
Mere dietary supplementation was far from enough for Martial Arts Cultivation.
Pills were also needed to aid the process.
Thus, Xu Yang began comparing properties of medicinal substances online, preparing to concoct pills.
Though there are myriad paths to greatness, all leading to the same destination, there was common ground between worlds. The properties of basic herbs shouldn’t be too different, but when it came to something you’d consume yourself, it was better to be cautious. Otherwise, if you harmed yourself, you’d have to restart life, which, while not a big deal, was truly unnecessary.
…
Several days later, in Longhai City, at the medicinal herb market.
“How much is this ginseng?”
Approaching a stall, Xu Yang inspected a ginseng root and asked the vendor about the price.
“Young man, you’ve got a good eye.”
Looking at the youthful Xu Yang, the vendor’s eyes lit up, and he said repeatedly, “This is genuine wild ginseng, although it’s only twenty years old, it’s also hard to come by on the market. You seem like a lucky guy, eight thousand and it’s yours…”
“Eight hundred!”
Xu Yang didn’t even bother to look and said directly, “Cultivated by man, not even ten years, just eight hundred, take it or leave it?!”
“…”
The vendor fell silent, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, before finally shaking his head, “What are you talking about, young man? You want to buy my genuine wild ginseng for eight hundred? It has to be at least… Hey, don’t go, one thousand eight hundred, I’ll sell it to you for one thousand eight hundred!”
Ignoring the unscrupulous vendor’s shouting, Xu Yang turned to the next stall and noticed another ginseng, “How much are you selling this for?”
“…”
The vendor looked at him, then glanced at his fellow vendor next door, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Eight hundred!”
Xu Yang remained expressionless, “Six hundred, for ten!”
“…”
After another moment of silence, the vendor decisively packed up and handed ten cultivated wild ginseng plants to Xu Yang, “Take them!”
Xu Yang was straightforward, paying and taking the herbs, settling the deal.
At that moment…
“A-Jin?”
A cry of surprise came from behind.
Xu Yang turned around and saw a figure that was not exactly a stranger, but not very familiar either.
Zhou Xuan, and a girl he didn’t recognize.
“It really is you!”
Upon confirming it was indeed Xu Yang, Zhou Xuan immediately came over, “Where have you been these past few days? Why haven’t you returned to school or sent any messages? The instructor is so worried that they’re about to call the police.”
“Some family business.”
Xu Yang smiled and calmly said, “Please pass on a message for me, I won’t be attending school this term.”
“You’re not attending anymore?”
Zhou Xuan looked stunned, his brows deeply furrowed, “Is it because of Lu Xuemei?”
Xu Yang shook his head and chuckled, “I’ve taken up another interest.”
“This… alright then!”
Zhou Xuan showed hesitation on his face but didn’t ask further, only looking at the herbs in Xu Yang’s hands, “How come you’re at this herbal market?”
Xu Yang smiled, “Didn’t I mention it? I’ve taken up another interest. But what about you, since when are you interested in herbs?”
Caught by his question, Zhou Xuan suddenly realized and hurriedly introduced the girl next to him, “I forgot to introduce her, this is my girlfriend, Chen Yan. Her family runs a traditional Chinese medicine shop, so I came to buy some herbs with her today.”
Hearing this, the girl named Chen Yan also nodded at Xu Yang, “Hello, I’m Chen Yan, Zhou Xuan’s girlfriend!”
“Hello.”
Xu Yang nodded in greeting, then said, “I still have to buy some herbs, you guys…”
“Buying herbs?”
Before Chen Yan could speak, Zhou Xuan enthusiastically said, “Let’s go together then, Chen Yan’s family are traditional Chinese medicine experts, and she has many connections in this herbal market. Whatever herbs you want to buy, we can take you.”
“No need, just some common stuff.”
Xu Yang shook his head and turned towards a nearby stall, “How much for this sealwort?”
“Young man, you’ve got quite the eye. This here is pure wild Dahuang sealwort, seventy per pound, I’ll give you a good price…”
“Ten bucks!”
“…”
Zhou Xuan stood by, watching Xu Yang haggle with such force, and the vendor, though reluctant, still making the deal. He was somewhat dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
Even Chen Yan beside him looked on in astonishment.
Yet Xu Yang paid no mind, going from stall to stall and purchasing some more herbs, then, holding several bags, he turned to Zhou Xuan and said, “That’s it for me, you guys keep looking.”
“Oh, okay, sure, take care!”
Zhou Xuan finally came to his senses, somewhat awkwardly watching him leave.
After Xu Yang left, Chen Yan finally snapped out of it, looking at Zhou Xuan with a peculiar expression, “Is that the ‘lick dog’ from your dorm?”
Zhou Xuan was speechless, “What ‘lick dog’? Don’t say it so rudely.”
“I’m not the one who said it!”
Chen Yan rolled her eyes at him, “The thing with him and Lu Xuemei is pinned in the campus forum, and isn’t your instructor searching for him these days because they’re afraid he might do something desperate?”
“…”
Zhou Xuan was at a loss for words and could only offer a wry smile, “I don’t think he’s in that state of mind.”
“That seems true.”
Chen Yan nodded and looked in the direction he had left, “He seems quite knowledgeable about traditional Chinese medicine, the way he haggled was just like my grandfather. Could it be he’s also from a Chinese Medicine Family?”
“Who knows?”
Zhou Xuan shook his head and murmured, “But I feel like he has completely changed from before. Could this really be how a broken heart changes a person?”
…
With their surprise left behind, Xu Yang, carrying a large bag of herbs, hailed a taxi and went straight back to his home.