Across two lifetimes, both inside and outside a book, Zhao Yiqiu was so broke she was nearly eating dirt.
She never expected that after a visit to the King of Hell, not only would she be sent back, she'd also be given a storybook.
Then he said "kindly": "There aren't any good scripts left. Instead of being born with a silver spoon, make your own fortune. Here's the book. Figure it out yourself."
Fine.
Zhao Yiqiu took the book and left. But when she arrived in its world, she discovered that not only had the male and female leads yet to be born, neither had their parents' generation.
To get herself a powerful ally, she had no choice but to gather qi and embark on the path of cultivation, extending her lifespan while she waited for the child of destiny to appear.
But what if she was still broke while waiting?
Students were the easiest to make money from, so she might as well join a sect.
What if the sect elders had bad tempers and kept making her do extra training?
Her senior sister could teach the class instead!
What if she couldn't get her talismans right?
Her junior sister could write them for her! She could even throw in a free drawing tutorial!
What if the fasting pills tasted awful and the elders kept a close eye on her?
Her junior brother could bring them instead. He was the fastest sword-flyer in Tianyun Sect, and the braised pork he'd bring up from the foot of the mountain would still be hot.
So she ate one fasting pill over the course of three meals, sold talismans, and branched out into classes and healing. After two hundred years, the great-great-great-grandparents of the male and female leads were finally born!
For once, Zhao Yiqiu used a teleportation array to appear at their location. Besides a swaddled infant, she also saw a beautiful young man covered in blood.
The young man saw her and slowly lifted his pale fingertips. His lips moved slightly, as if he had something to say.
Zhao Yiqiu cautiously took two steps back. After a brief silence, she spoke softly.
"Fellow cultivator, a consultation costs two hundred, treatment costs one thousand, and full recovery costs five thousand. Credit is available, payable within a year.
Which would you like?"
The young man's pale fingertips fell limply.
Holding the swaddled infant, Zhao Yiqiu added,
"Actually, we also offer funeral services. Keeping vigil costs two thousand, and funeral wailing costs five thousand. You can pay yourself or have a relative pay. You..."
The young man closed his eyes for good.
Theme: Now is the time to strive
