A chill ran down Lang Lin's spine. Eat me instead? What kind of nonsense is that?!
It sounded like chewing on mashed pumpkin pulp—disgusting beyond words.
Still, mixed in with the strange remarks were many words of encouragement, telling him to keep going. Of course, that was exactly what most writers longed for.
Though Lang Lin wasn't a professional author, he too craved encouragement. Motivation was what kept a writer going. Imagine posting more than twenty chapters, only to get zero comments while the view count climbed—what would that mean? It meant there were silent readers who refused to leave feedback. In such cases, weaker authors often abandoned their works outright. After all, if no one commented, why keep writing?
Then those same silent readers would open forum threads, asking why their favorite novel suddenly vanished—yet never realizing that they themselves were the reason. Without encouragement, where would an author find the strength to continue?
Of course, that only applied to free web novels. In the case of paid works, comments weren't always a guarantee of sales. Many aspiring authors had broken their backs producing handmade books based purely on comment counts, only to be met with disappointment.
But for Lang Lin, things were different.
Some comments recommended the most popular e-book platform, the number one site in the industry.
It was called Star E-Books, the undisputed leader in digital publishing.
Lang Lin clicked the link and browsed. The platform was neatly organized, offering books across countless genres. Prices weren't much lower than physical copies, either—because if the gap was too wide, who would bother buying print editions at all?
He quickly signed up, filling in his ID number and credit card information. With that, he was ready to sell e-books.
Sounds easy, right?
But that was only the first step. The true challenge lay in the work itself: the cover had to be eye-catching, the blurb enticing, and the author's name carried weight.
Fortunately, Lang Lin had no reason to worry. He already had a strong fanbase. Once his e-book went live, he was confident it would earn him more than any publishing deal ever could.
After all, buying digital books was simple. No waiting for shipping—just a few clicks, and readers could start instantly on the app.
And the platform's security guaranteed his work would be protected.
Drinking a glass of juice, Lang Lin uploaded his file for review. It was the same PDF he had sent to the printers—already polished and complete.
All he could do now was wait for approval. Not that he was worried about rejection.
He set the price at 75 yuan, twenty yuan cheaper than the printed edition. After subtracting the platform's 10-yuan fee, he would earn 65 yuan per sale. Payments would be transferred monthly, directly into his bank account.
Compared to handmade publishing, this was far more convenient. For a moment, he considered abandoning print altogether to focus solely on digital. But he quickly dismissed the thought—there were still plenty of readers who wanted physical books.
How could he deny them?
Closing his laptop, Lang Lin stretched. He noticed that even now, multiple publishers were still trying to contact him, hoping to sign him despite his decision to self-publish.
He smirked. Of course they want me. A popular book like this would be a prize for any house.
But he wasn't interested. What truly occupied his mind was the Underwater Breathing Technique—a cultivation method that gathered qi to temper the body.
If it worked, he believed it could even heal his crippled legs.
He prayed silently.
He knew the theory, but theory was nothing without practice.
It was time to try.
He put on his shoes and stepped outside. In the yard, Zhang Bao was still cleaning, while the little rabbit slept soundly atop the table.
Lang Lin shook his head. Being a beast really is the good life. Eat and sleep, nothing more.
Behind the house, the night forest was dark, alive with insect sounds. Most were grasshoppers. He remembered the taste from his childhood—his foster father had fried them with spices and eaten them with wine. The flavor had been savory and crisp. Even now, just recalling it made him swallow hungrily, despite the heavy meal he had eaten earlier.
The dim light of his phone barely lit the way, but Lang Lin didn't need it. Having grown up here, he could walk the trail to the well with his eyes closed.
"At last." He peered into the water. Though the day had been hot, the mountain night was bitterly cold.
After making sure no one was around, he stripped off his clothes and plunged into the well.
"Cold as hell!" he gasped, forcing himself to endure as his body shivered violently. He shut his eyes and sank deeper.
The technique required full immersion—the entire body, head included—while gathering qi through the sensation of breathing underwater.
Before diving, he had taken a deep breath, enough to hold for ten seconds.
For an ordinary person, that was nothing. But for someone as frail as him, ten seconds was already remarkable.
He wasn't breathing normally. Instead, he focused all awareness on his nose, not inhaling or exhaling, only sensing.
The first step of the Underwater Breathing Technique was to gather qi.
Whether or not he fully understood the theory, what mattered now was feeling the flow of qi within the water.
Forest water was pure—far more so than the polluted streams of the city.
Lang Lin concentrated. No bubbles escaped his nose. His face twisted into a grimace.
Gasp! He shot to the surface, gulping air. His face was pale, but his eyes gleamed with determination.
"What was that feeling…?" Of course, no one succeeded on the first try. Even geniuses needed time.
"I have to try again."
He steadied his breath and sank once more.
This time, it came a little easier.
The sensation returned to the tip of his nose, his face tightening as if in pain.
And then—the water around him shifted. For a fleeting instant, it felt like translucent worms burrowed into his nostrils.
But they weren't worms—they were streams of pure water qi.
Crack, crack!
His bones creaked as just one strand entered him.
His body trembled, his lips curling in agony, his eyes shut tight.
"Argh!!" Lang Lin burst from the water, screaming hoarsely. His voice sounded strange, ragged—not like his own—before gradually returning to normal.
His bones continued to vibrate. Pain lanced through him, and dark, filthy liquid oozed from his pores.
"What…?" He was stunned. Two attempts, and already he had managed to draw qi into his body. Not enough to call it a true stage of qi gathering, but it was something.
Just a single strand of water qi—but it was proof.
"The pain, the stench…" He grimaced, his skin reeking as if he hadn't bathed in decades. The odor made him want to vomit.
"So this is the path of power in this world—endless pain, repaid with strength."
Clenching his fists, Lang Lin felt pride well within him. It was only a small beginning, but it was the first step on the road to cultivation.
"I need to gather even more qi."
He scrubbed himself clean in the water. The well made it easy—just a few strokes and the filth was gone.
The moonlight bathed his thin, naked frame. His once-dull skin now seemed subtly transformed, shimmering faintly as he swam.
The lone figure in the quiet night, glowing beneath the silver moonlight, marked the birth of a new resolve.