The Contrast Pair in a 1990s Urban Village

My next story, Painting Skin to Ascend in the Cultivation World

Blurb:

When Mu Xiaoyue wakes up, she finds herself lying in a ten-square-meter rented room in a densely packed urban village. Her husband has bought some vegetables for fifty cents and is cooking at a three-square-meter stove set up on the balcony.

Two bowls of white rice and a plate of greens make up their entire meal.

With the power out, just eating one meal leaves both of them drenched in sweat.

If they don't change their lives, they'll still be crammed into this place even after their child starts school.

The elderly people who raised her back home are growing frailer, a child is on the way, and they can barely support themselves.

Poverty wears a couple down in every way. Damn it! This time, she's going to get rich.

Check out my upcoming story:

Title: Painting Skin to Ascend in the Cultivation World

Art student Lu Xiaoshuang transmigrates into a cultivation novel where everyone survives by "refining skin." Once you lose your own skin, you can never cultivate again.

Humans have a natural advantage: they are born with skin, but it can only sustain them for a hundred years.

As a minor character destined to be cannon fodder in a cultivation novel, the original owner was born with a beautiful, flawless skin. Unfortunately, the heroine wanted it.

The heroine, who is "devoted to the Dao and determined to defy the heavens," schemed to strip the original owner of her skin.

Wearing the original owner's skin, the heroine seeks immortality and the Dao, becomes everyone's darling, and ascends to immortality.

By contrast, the original owner, who survives with the help of secret medicines, becomes an ugly, skinless freak.

Without skin, she loses her chance to seek immortality at a cultivation sect, as well as her health. Plagued by illness and abused by others, she lives a life worse than death and quietly dies alone in a deserted hut.

Meanwhile, wearing her skin, the heroine advances again and again. She joins a sect and forms a core, then turns around and reaches the Nascent Soul stage. She enters a secret realm, and immortal artifacts and spiritual plants recognize her as their master. Before long, she's reached the Deity Transformation stage and become famous throughout the world!

After Lu Xiaoshuang transmigrates, she looks at her bloodied face. To stay alive, she can only try painting a skin for herself to wear.

With a flourish of her brush, a pretty little girl appears on the page. She drapes the skin over her body, and the next moment, her face looks completely normal.

Lu Xiaoshuang: !

Hey, with a pair of skilled hands, painting skin is a piece of cake!

But can someone tell her why this paper skin only lasts for a little while? And why can't it get wet?

The rain pours down. Soon her nose and face are all crooked. A friend passes by, cries, "A ghost!" and runs off in terror.

Lu Xiaoshuang: ...

To paint good skin, she has no choice but to seek out the juices of spirit plants and spirit beasts. With good skin, she'll be able to absorb spiritual energy even faster!

Wait, what if she paints a layer of skin on this alchemy furnace? And what if she paints a layer of skin on a spiritual artifact while it's being crafted?

These pills seem to have a high failure rate. Paint a layer of skin on them and toss them into the furnace!

When she opens it, every pill is perfectly round and plump. Whatever she paints is exactly what comes out!

Her friends watch as her skin absorbs spiritual energy like it's tangible and gather around her. "Xiaoshuang, could you paint one for me?"

Lu Xiaoshuang nods. "Sure!"

Her brush flows like water, and it's done in an instant.

But wait, why the heck did she paint the neighbor's Er Gouzi?

Lu Xiaoshuang rubs her chin, embarrassed, and clears her throat. "With my current skills, this is the only kind of skin I can paint! How about we make do with it for now?"

Her friend puts on the dog skin with a stiff expression. Then spiritual energy turns into rays of five-colored light and flows into their body on its own, whether they're walking, eating, or sleeping.

Damn, being Er Gouzi is amazing! Only a fool wouldn't want to be Er Gouzi.

Woof! Woof, woof!

Wait, the neighbor's Er Gouzi is chasing after them. Does he want a wife?

Help!!!

Theme: If no one in the world loves her, she'll love herself