Who Said a Study Servant Can’t Win the Imperial Exam?

A short afternoon passed.

Cui Xian had once again successfully befriended-no, successfully connected with three Rich Boys.

Pei Mansion.

The bedroom of Young Master Pei Jian.

The four ‘talented scholars’ each held a folding fan, gracefully swaying it in front of their chests.

They looked quite dashing and refined, with an air of Great Talent-if one could overlook their slouching postures and pretentious mannerisms.

Cui Xian suppressed his laughter and solemnly spoke, “Big Brother, and the other three Great Talents of Nanyang, I have a problem and seek your assistance.”

What’s the purpose of acknowledging a Big Brother?

Naturally, it’s to ask for help!

Pei Jian, deeply immersed in the role, flicked his folding fan, almost sending it flying. He quickly steadied it, inwardly relieved, and outwardly calm, said, “Oh? What problem? Speak up, Big Brother will surely help you.”

Gao Qi, with his impatient nature, was particularly warm towards this new friend, Cui Xian. “Is someone bullying you? Xian, don’t worry, I’ll shout at the battalion commander’s place and gather dozens of good men to get justice for you!”

Zhuang Jin gave Gao Qi a sidelong glance, arrogantly pulling out a bulging purse from his chest. “Fighting is too crude, not fitting for our scholar demeanor. Xian, there’s no problem money can’t solve. How much do you need? Is fifty taels enough?”

Li Heyu guessed, “Xian, is your family building a house? Making furniture? Crafting jewelry? Opening a dye shop? Brewing wine? Or digging a well? Don’t worry, anything related to daily life, I can help you solve.”

See, this is the benefit of having Big Brothers!

When you have a problem, they genuinely help.

However, after listening, Cui Xian shook his head, “None of those. I… have conceived a storybook and wish to seek guidance from the four Great Talents today.”

Wha-what?

Writing a storybook?

The atmosphere in the bedroom suddenly froze.

Zhuang Jin couldn’t hold back, “Pfft.”

Moments later, under the condemning gazes of the other three Stinking Cobblers, he apologized and closed his mouth.

Pei Jian looked at Cui Xian, suppressing his laughter, and said, “Oh? You can write storybooks, that’s impressive. We happen to be free today, tell us, and we four scholars will give you some feedback.”

Though their studies were not profound, they were born into wealth and had seen much.

Writing a storybook isn’t easy.

Not to mention Cui Xian, a child who hasn’t begun formal studies.

Even talented Scholar Candidates and Provincial Graduate Lords, who can compose beautiful poetry and write Eight-legged Essays, may not necessarily be able to write storybooks.

Such a task requires talent.

But Pei Jian was a good Big Brother and didn’t want to discourage his Junior brother, so he chose to offer encouragement.

The other three realized and eagerly awaited Cui Xian’s storytelling.

Cui Xian feigned shyness and said, “My storybook is about a heroic tale of saving the world, titled ‘The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit.'”

If Mohoulo figurines and Clay Dolls were considered ‘figurines.’

Applying modern business thinking, if you want to sell ‘figurines’ like hotcakes in ancient times, standing out from the ordinary ones on the market, you first need to tell a blockbuster story.

Launch the storybook, turn it into a bestseller.

Cultivate a fanbase.

Then sell the ‘related figurines.’

This combination of strategies will surely work.

Not to mention making the Cui Family extremely wealthy, opening a ‘licensed figurine shop’ to generate continuous income is definitely feasible.

Never underestimate the purchasing power of fans from the anime world!

And the story Cui Xian chose is one that was wildly popular in the previous world, a martial arts animation loved by the 90s generation, centered around heroism and saving the world-

“The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit.”

An eight-year-old writing an animated storybook, it makes perfect sense.

Moreover, doing business is ultimately a ‘minor path.’

If he rashly drags the four elder brothers onto this venture, their parents are likely to have objections.

But with a different approach… four idle dandies jointly publishing a book!

A storybook is also a book!

Cui Xian is confident that once this book is published and becomes a hit, making money will be secondary.

The parents of the four elder brothers will definitely be so delighted that they’ll shout ‘our ancestors are smiling down on us’ and ‘my son has made something of himself.’

Helping the four dandies ‘find the right path,’ Cui Xian is bound to receive gratitude from their families!

And Cui Xian plans to use this opportunity to give the Cui Family a comprehensive upgrade in wealth, social status, and network connections.

To lift the Cui Family out of the remote and impoverished Hexi Village!

In the bedroom.

Upon hearing this peculiar storybook title, the four talented scholars exchanged glances but remained silent-

It seemed completely unpromising.

Yet, they didn’t dampen the mood and listened attentively.

Cui Xian’s youthful voice slowly resonated within the room.

“Once upon a time, there was a picturesque mountain forest known as Zhangjiajie. The birds and beasts lived in harmony, and the streams flowed gently. But a great fire plunged the peaceful forest into unprecedented danger…”

“It turns out someone deliberately set the fire! It was the Evil Cult’s leader, Black Heart Tiger, returning after fifty years, leading his followers to burn the mountain, aiming to capture the forest spirit beast, Jade Qilin¹, and drink its blood to enhance his inner power and dominate the martial world!”

“To protect the forest, fifty years ago, Rainbow Cat’s father, along with Blue Rabbit’s mother and five others, united the Seven Swords to defeat Black Heart Tiger, but the Seven Swords were also left either injured or disabled.”

At first, the four talented scholars listened indifferently.

But after hearing just the beginning, they were stunned.

It seemed… there was something intriguing here?

Gao Qi, who was most fond of such martial arts fantasy storybooks, couldn’t help but ask, “Seven Swords?”

Cui Xian smiled and said, “They are seven renowned divine swords: the first is Long Rainbow, the second is Ice Soul, the third is Purple Cloud, the fourth is Rain Flower, the fifth is Thunderbolt, the sixth is Green Light, and the seventh is Whirlwind.”

Upon hearing the names of these seven divine swords, the four talented scholars’ expressions became serious.

They sounded impressive!

Pei Jian was already starting to anticipate, urging, “Continue, continue.”

On the day the forest was set ablaze, the Evil Cult launched a full-scale attack. In a fierce battle, Rainbow Cat’s father ultimately sacrificed himself heroically, overwhelmed by the enemy’s numbers.

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jin slammed the table, “Damn Black Heart Tiger!”

Rainbow Cat, consumed by grief, resolved to fulfill his father’s dying wish. To restore peace to the forest and uphold justice for all, he decided to wield the Rainbow Sword and ride the Jade Qilin down the mountain to find the other wielders of the Six Swords. Together, they would unite the Seven Swords to defeat Black Heart Tiger and eradicate the Evil Cult. Thus began the saga of Hero Rainbow Cat and his conflict with the Evil Cult…

Li Heyu sat up straight, his expression tense, “You must win, Hero Rainbow Cat!”

Yet, the Evil Cult had many minions. On his descent from the mountain, Rainbow Cat encountered Bull Whirlwind and Pig Wujie, who led their black-clad men to besiege him. Forced onto a cliff, Rainbow Cat maneuvered skillfully, nearly breaking free. But unexpectedly, Black Heart Tiger arrived with his followers! Outnumbered, Rainbow Cat was struck by several arrows and fell off the cliff…

Gasp!

At this point, the four young scholars turned pale, drawing sharp breaths.

They were fully immersed in the story, genuinely concerned for the safety of the protagonist, Hero Rainbow Cat.

Cui Xian narrated while observing the expressions of the four youths, secretly amused.

In his previous life, when he was young and watched “The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit,” his expression was even more anxious and worried than theirs.

Throughout decades of animated works from his past life, not a single protagonist’s character design could compare to Rainbow Cat!

The essence of heroism was vividly embodied in Rainbow Cat!

In his previous life, this animated series was broadcast simultaneously on over five hundred television stations worldwide, achieving explosive viewership. The accompanying bestselling book sold over fifteen million copies.

Such outstanding success was astonishing.

The martial arts fantasy story was grounded in reality yet easy to understand.

Moreover, “The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit” featured a plot full of twists and turns, a complete world setting, and vivid, remarkable characters.

Publishing it in ancient times wouldn’t feel out of place and would possess the same potential for explosive popularity.

Just observing the eager expressions of the four talented scholars before him revealed a glimpse of its potential!

Once the book was released, he would first earn a wave of royalties to cultivate a fanbase, then sell the official merchandise… No, open a Seven Heroes themed experience store!

All the boys and girls in Nanyang would likely go ‘crazy’!

Cui Xian’s eyes shone brightly, feeling as if he could see a stream of silver coins rushing toward him.

The four talented scholars also had bright eyes, eagerly urging, “And then? What happens next? Keep going!”

Footnote:

Qilin(麒麟): The Qilin is a mythical creature from ancient Chinese legends, often regarded as a symbol of good fortune and peace. Its appearance typically combines features from various animals, generally described as having the head of a dragon, antlers of a deer, body of a horse, and tail of an ox, with its entire body covered in scales.