Chapter 22: Reborn Master Writer 14

Mu Yin looked at the flood of questions below. Naturally, most of these were from people who had started several months ago. While body techniques were easy to pick up, mastering them was no simple task. Because she hadn't responded publicly, they had begun to research them on their own.

As more and more people took up body techniques, her animated series saw a massive surge in popularity, becoming the most acclaimed show in years. Her work was subjected to all sorts of analysis, and her metrics climbed steadily. A month ago, she had even reached the bottom of the "God-tier" rankings, with a clear upward trend.

It could be said that she had completely eclipsed the original female lead; at the very least, it would take the latter years to catch up. Mu Yin could sense the tremors in the original plotline, though it had not yet fully collapsed.

After all, being a top-tier writer didn't necessarily mean reaching the absolute peak, and as everyone knew, art is subjective. Therefore, she decided she might as well dismantle this entertainment-driven society entirely. Surely, these body techniques would attract the attention of those in power by now.

Indeed, that was the case. "What is this 'Shen Mu'? Where did they pop up from?"

"According to our records, this Shen Mu was originally an ordinary college student majoring in manga. She started writing, then published her manga and anime. Suddenly, she mandated that anyone auditioning for her film and television adaptations must be proficient in body techniques to even qualify. Perhaps she knew the techniques were genuine and was spreading them intentionally."

"Later, Shen Mu graduated early and passed the Explorer’s assessment with ease. Since then, she has gone on two solo hunts. The first time, she spent two months in the wild, venturing into undeveloped zones. The second time, she spent five months in the Dark Forest to the southwest, returning with over 300 unknown plant species and 30 types of animals."

"It seems this person has a very clear agenda. Has she discovered something she wants to change?"

"Based on her alone? While these body techniques are quite impressive, what can they really do? At most, they just improve the physical fitness of the average person."

"What I’m more concerned about is whether the other cultivation methods mentioned are real."

"How could they be real? We have our own myths and legends, but look at those Taoist priests and monks—do they look like people with actual abilities?"

Among the upper echelons, there were believers and skeptics alike, but they eventually reached a consensus: they needed to apprehend Mu Yin.

***

Mu Yin was unaware of the high-level decision. Over the past five months, her transformation had been significant. She had checked her current body and found no spiritual roots—or rather, they were below a level of 30, which was effectively negligible.

Consequently, she spent these five months collecting various medicinal herbs and researching a formula for medicinal baths suitable for body cultivation. She had been practicing body cultivation techniques and was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator. She had no intention of promoting the entire path of immortality in this world; after all, this world’s primary trajectory was meant to be technological, with special abilities manifesting as superpowers.

As long as she retrieved the Source Stone, this world would undergo a true resurgence of spiritual energy. At that time, the chances of those who had practiced her body techniques awakening superpowers would increase significantly, providing them with a safeguard against future crises.

The resurgence of spiritual energy was both an opportunity and a crisis. However, she couldn't leave the Source Stone sealed just because of the danger, essentially turning the world into a farm for delicacies to be harvested by alien species. That was exactly what she saw the original leads as—food for the aliens. Hadn't the previous protagonists died early?

If they were truly the protagonists, how could they have such short lives? How could they fall into such accidents? One had to realize that the "protagonist halo" was a genuine protective force. The law of "the protagonist never dies" was real, unless it was a tragedy, in which case they would only die at the very end. Of course, there was one exception: horror stories dominated by ghosts, where they were already spirits from the start.

Therefore, the original generation of protagonists must have been killed by aliens, their souls stolen and consumed as food. Regarding the disasters that might befall this world, Mu Yin could only lay the groundwork for them beforehand; she could not simply stand by and do nothing.

This time, Mu Yin planned to rest for a few days and spend time with her family. They had grown accustomed to her occasional disappearances and were satisfied as long as she was safe. Moreover, with her manga and anime now wildly successful, she had a substantial income, so they didn't worry about her financial state.

That day, the family gathered together to celebrate Father Li’s 50th birthday, which had been the day before. They were in the living room, chatting casually, when the conversation drifted to the subject of marriage for the two siblings. Mu Yin was still young at 21, but Li Xing was already 27. "Ah Xing," their mother asked, "when are you going to bring a girlfriend home?"

"Mom, I don't have a girlfriend," Li Xing replied, surprised by the shift in topic.

"If you don't have one, go find one! How old are you now? Are you planning to stay single forever?" Mother Li immediately launched into a series of marriage-pressuring tactics. Mu Yin slipped away early, fearing that if Mother Li got into the habit of nagging, she might be dragged into the crossfire.

She stepped out onto the balcony to catch a breeze. It was a crisp autumn night—hot during the day, but cool after dark. Suddenly, she felt a jolt of alarm, a sense of impending crisis. She frowned, her fingers twitching instinctively. She had learned a bit of divination, though not enough for major events; it was mostly effective for minor omens.

***

For instance, this time, she calculated a bit and gathered some information. She realized someone was coming for her. While she couldn't pinpoint exactly who, it didn't take much to guess—her anime had finally caught the attention of those in power.

She had known this was inevitable. However, the current problem was that she had forgotten about her parents and brother. How could she ensure they wouldn't be used as hostages against her?

After a moment of thought, Mu Yin decided to go with them and see how the situation unfolded. With her current Foundation Establishment strength, she shouldn't be easily controlled. Having made a rough estimate of her own power versus theirs, she made her decision and walked back into the living room.

"Mom, Dad, I have an urgent matter to attend to and have to leave for a while. By the way, these three jade pendants are talismans I requested from a temple. Please wear them and don't take them off." Mu Yin handed over three jade charms she had inscribed herself; the jade was actually one of the world's energy stones.

Once she had deciphered the energy structure of the stones, she had inscribed several talismans, including three for protection. She had originally planned to give them away only when she was about to leave, but now she had to do it early.

"In such a rush?" Mother Li stood up, following Mu Yin toward the door, looking worried. "Is something wrong?"

"No, don't worry," Mu Yin shook her head. "Just make sure you keep the pendants on. I'm leaving now."