Chapter Seven: Acrobatic Art

In her previous life, Le Piaopiao was a master of craftsmanship. Whether it was jewelry, clothes, shoes, or bags, she could replicate them and add her own design inspiration to make them even more beautiful. With her meticulous craftsmanship and high-quality materials, her online store thrived, making her a wealthy shut-in.

Now, despite the scarcity of materials, she could still sketch out designs. Whether it was hairpins, bracelets, rings, necklaces, combs, brooches, or other items, the village girls watched in delight and almost instantly developed a sense of admiration for her. Even so, no one suspected how a foolish girl could suddenly become like this; they all believed it was a natural talent.

The villagers were indeed all quite simple-minded.

However, she underestimated Huai the ironsmith. In her opinion, an ironsmith making jewelry was like Zhang Fei wielding a sewing needle. But she never expected that this unusual person, who looked like a scholar and had crafted all the farming tools in the village, would actually follow her designs and spend three days completing them. They weren't exactly exquisite, but they weren't bad either. For the village girls who considered chopsticks stuck in their hair as hairpins and a piece of floral cloth or a fresh flower as elaborate attire, these were true works of art.

Le Piaopiao designed an owl-shaped pendant for herself. The body of the owl was a black-and-white heart-shaped stone, about the size of a quail egg. The head was made of brass with carved patterns, using the melted copper from Xiaoyilang's kettle. The eyes were two red beans picked from a strange tree in the mountains. Le Piaopiao added red silk tassels to the bottom, and it actually looked... quite nice.

Zimo, the village beauty, wanted a similar design for her bracelet, except the wristband was made of leather. When Village Chief Xia Ningfeng saw them, he stamped his feet and exclaimed, "Why did you make two night owls? They're so unlucky!"

Furthermore, she had heard from "Shiniang" Feng Jiu that the Taoist sect had six arts: alchemy, charm-making, artifact crafting, array formation, spirit communication, and incantation. She didn't know about the other five, but Huai the ironsmith was obviously a genius in artifact crafting. He could forge jewelry in an ironsmith's forge. Wasn't it a waste of such control and skill?

With the winter solstice passing and only fifteen days left until the New Year, the village was desolate and barren. Le Piaopiao couldn't help but start thinking about ways to improve the villagers' lives. Publicly, it would benefit everyone; privately... she would always find ways to live comfortably wherever she went.

The village was so poor that cutting back on expenses was out of the question; any further reductions would lead to starvation. None of the villagers were at the Foundation Establishment stage, and even those who were could only intermittently practice abstinence from food. Only those at the Golden Core stage could completely abandon mortal sustenance. Therefore, while the villagers believed they were on the path to cultivating immortality, Le Piaopiao felt they had deviated far from it.

Thus, the only solution was to increase income.

However, it was winter, and nothing could be planted. It was too late to raise poultry or livestock, so they had to rely on themselves.

Doing manual labor? Everyone knew it was impossible to find work around the New Year.

Robbing the rich to give to the poor? No, such organized criminal activities required skill and coordination. The untrained villagers, who were all so simple-minded, could never handle it. What if they were all caught and had to spend the New Year in jail?

After much thought, in this moment of universal celebration, organizing entertainment activities seemed the most reliable option, with great potential for earning money.

"Acrobatics?" When Le Piaopiao proposed this idea at the village assembly, Village Chief Xia was very surprised.

Her three masters sat on the side with downcast eyes. They weren't shocked because they had heard Le Piaopiao's whimsical ideas before. Instead, they felt a bit ashamed. After Piaopiao became smart, she often had terrifying ideas. They felt they hadn't educated or cared for her well. They felt guilty towards Piaopiao, themselves, and the entire village.

"It's acrobatic art," Le Piaopiao corrected.

The village was very democratic. With only thirty people, they would gather in the ancestral hall to discuss matters and then vote by raising hands, with the minority obeying the majority.

"But we are cultivators," Tian Youjia objected with a frown, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Although we are hidden cultivators among the common people, how can we engage in activities that entertain ordinary folk? And perform on the streets? No, I object." She was the wealthiest person in the village, able to wear new clothes and afford melon seeds and candies for the New Year. This was because she had inherited a medical skill from her ancestors, and people from nearby villages would occasionally seek her treatment, paying her fees.

"Don't rush to object. Let me explain my reasoning," Le Piaopiao said, waving her hand confidently.

Everyone quieted down.

"Since my consciousness returned, I've listened to my three masters' explanations and roughly understand what cultivation is," Le Piaopiao said solemnly. "I know that only by successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment stage can one extend their lifespan to over three hundred years. Otherwise, even at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, one's lifespan is only a hundred years. But our village has never had a Foundation Establishment cultivator, right?"

Everyone lowered their heads, feeling ashamed and sad. Progress within the Qi Condensation stage was somewhat achievable for the less talented villagers, but breaking through to the next level was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"Therefore, to increase our cultivation time, which is our lifespan, we need to refine our bodies and maintain them in optimal condition. That requires good food and drink."

"Food contains impurities, and eating too much is detrimental to cultivation," Tian Youjia said, acting like the village doctor.

"Who says food contains impurities? Everything in the world has a spirit, and all things rely on spiritual energy to nourish them. Even the weakest spiritual energy, if accumulated over time, can lead us to the great path," Le Piaopiao said confidently, having anticipated the opposition and prepared her arguments. "Furthermore, we have a spiritual vein beneath our feet, making the grain we grow unique. That's why the imperial palace requests our tribute. Regarding the impurities in food, we just need to discard the bad and keep the good, treating them differently. Don't we also refine and purify the energy we absorb?"

"That's true," Zimo interjected. "My father always says eating too much is bad, but I feel more energetic and seem to cultivate better when I'm full."

"Exactly," Le Piaopiao agreed. "Also, why do deities descend to the mortal world to face trials? Why do powerful cultivators enter society? How can one cultivate a strong spirit without experiencing the world? Without the enlightenment of a strong spirit, how can one progress?" After finishing, she observed the villagers' reactions.

All the villagers, including her three masters, were stunned. Although her words were somewhat exaggerated, aimed at persuading the villagers to earn money, they were not without reason. Everyone knew that ascetic cultivation led to slow progress, and that cultivating the mind was as important as cultivating the body. However, due to their poor talent, they were racing against time, afraid of not reaching the Foundation Establishment stage before they died. Thus, apart from their daily labor to protect this land with a spiritual vein, they had no time to interact with others. It was an obvious truth that no one had thought of.

After a long silence, Village Chief Xia sighed, "Piaopiao truly has a clear mind like a polished stone. Her words have awakened us from our dreams."

So, had she successfully persuaded everyone? Le Piaopiao was secretly pleased but didn't show it, maintaining a solemn expression as if she still had a long way to go. Only after everyone agreed with her viewpoint did she reveal the specific implementation plan.

Master Wu Ji was strong and muscular, performing the feat of breaking a large stone with his chest.

Master Feng Jiu was as light as a swallow, graceful and elegant, walking on a tightrope.

Master [name not provided] had a profound and mysterious demeanor, with neat and skillful movements, performing magic tricks.

Village Chief Xia would walk on stilts, Tian Youjia would offer pulse diagnosis for a penny, Huai the Scholar would sell some ordinary farming tools, and the other village girls and villagers would be divided into groups to assist in various performances, while a few people stayed behind to guard the village...

Everything was set.

After discussing and agreeing, the villagers started preparing the next day. Although they were friendly and usually exchanged cultivation experiences, they had never practiced together as a group. For a moment, there was a bustling atmosphere, filled with vitality. This made everyone even more enthusiastic and focused.

On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Le Piaopiao led the team to the marketplace in Tongchuan, the imperial capital, where acrobatic performances were held, similar to the Tianqiao in old Beijing or the Sanbuguan area in old Tianjin. After paying the venue fee, they performed as they had practiced.

The villagers were hidden cultivators with little contact with outsiders, so they felt nervous and shy in crowded places. Therefore, Le Piaopiao had to step up and energetically attract spectators, introduce the performances, and liven up the atmosphere.

She had never performed acrobatics in her previous life, but she had learned a few tricks from TV and did a surprisingly good job. The villagers' performances were rare in this world and attracted many people. Coupled with Le Piaopiao's flexible pricing, accepting not only money but also New Year's goods, they earned a great deal over the three days. They had enough food, supplies, and even firecrackers. It seemed they could enjoy a comfortable New Year and leisurely await the spring planting season.

Le Piaopiao was so happy she felt like floating. Seeing that the next day was the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the start of the New Year celebrations, she decided to stop performing. After all, from that day on, people would be busy with their own families and wouldn't come to watch the performances.

As she was telling everyone to pack up, she suddenly felt like someone was watching her. It was a sudden feeling, hard to explain how she noticed, but she could feel several sharp gazes.

Looking up at the gate tower at the entrance of the marketplace, she saw a dark blob, resembling a bird but with such remarkable camouflage that it blended into the roof tiles. It was hardly noticeable unless one looked closely. Even then, because the bird was huddled into a ball and was far away, it wasn't clear.

Looking closer, she saw a man standing nearby, seemingly an ordinary spectator, but his eyes were constantly scanning her.