Brother Wei explained that supplying blood to the brush was no different from offering one’s soul. The user could write a masterpiece in just a short time. However, the price he had to pay for this ability was his own life.

If the user didn’t offer the brush his blood, the side effects wouldn’t be that fierce. He would feel dizzy and lose his hair at most. As a consequence, the brush’s effect would be weaker, but the inspiration it provided could make a writer famous for many years. 

“Who is that big client of yours?” He told me a name, and I became overwhelmed at the discovery. It was indeed a famous webnovel author. 

I decided to take the brush with me. Brother Wei asked me to destroy the talisman I had him swallow, but I told him that he should repent for his sins first. If he wronged others again, I would use an even scarier method to deal with him.

If this scumbag lived in my grandpa’s time, his fellow otherworldly merchants would have closed the door and eradicated him already. Nevertheless, since we lived in a society governed by laws, I couldn’t just kill him. 

I returned to the other side of the parking lot to find Li Mazi, and was surprised to see him smoking a cigarette and chatting with the burly Northeastern man. They looked like they got along pretty well. 

“Little Brother Zhang, you’re back. Let me introduce my new friend to you,” called Li Mazi. 

The Northeastern man sniggered, “I had eyes, but I failed to see Mount Tai. Mr. Li here has told me about your business. Please forgive me if I accidentally offended you.” 

He told us that he owned a trading business but didn’t have much luck in his endeavors. He hoped that we could get him an otherworldly item that could change his fortune. I gave him my business card and asked him to come to my shop at his convenience. 

On the way back home, I told Li Mazi the story. He cursed, “Where’s his conscience? That’s not how you should earn your money!” 

After this statement, he began to joke, “I can’t believe that this broken brush costs around ten million renminbi. Little Brother Zhang, do you plan to see that author?” 

“Of course!” I nodded. 

I asked Li Mazi to return to the hostel with me. Meng Dongye was too weak to be left on his own, so we had to take him to the hospital.

Afterward, I returned to my antique shop. I closed the door and arranged a formation to cut the bond between Meng Dongye and the brush. Then, I sealed it for good. 

Since I kept the magic brush in my shop, the four writers' souls also came with it. However, as the plan of finishing their dropped novels was going well, their final wishes were granted. One after another, they left. I had to pay one hundred thousand renminbi as royalties to the substitutes. Despite this, I didn’t flinch at the loss.  

Meng Dongye recovered quickly. He came to visit me, thanking me for helping him when he was controlled. 

“How is your script coming along?” I asked. 

“I’m still writing. I can’t finish it as fast as before, but I can still receive a nice profit from it.” 

Fifteen days later, that famous webnovel author proactively contacted me. He hoped that I could sell him the brush and that we could negotiate the price. 

I set up an appointment with him. When I went to meet him, I took Li Mazi and Yin Xinyue with me. As he was a celebrity, we agreed to meet up secretly in a hotel. 

This author wrote masterpieces, and he was undeniably famous nation-wide. His novels received hundreds of millions of views, with several being adapted into large-scale online games. The more money he earned, the busier he became. Every day, he was occupied with socializing and shows. He soon became burnt out from his work and couldn’t write anymore. 

Except for ‘Jiang Yan has exhausted his talent,’ I couldn’t find any idiom that matched his situation well. 

“I hope that you will sell the magic brush to me.” 

I asked him, “Did you know that the otherworldly merchant who promised to sell this brush to you killed four other writers to achieve his goal?” 

“Did that really happen? I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.” The author had a regretful look on his face when he heard the news. 

“Those authors didn’t have a reputation like yours, but they were very hard-working! They also had big dreams, but this brush killed them. As long as you get this brush, you will use their talent to write your new novels and enjoy your readers’ praise. I’m sorry, but I can’t sell it to you. Money is valuable, but talent is priceless. What you work for is what you get. One day, when your time is over, you will have to face reality…”

The other party frowned. “I can tell that you want to raise the price. Tell me, how much do you want?” 

I sneered and put on the toughest act I’ve ever shown. With a crisp crack, I broke the magic brush into two pieces, throwing them onto the table in front of him. Li Mazi dropped his jaw in shock. 

I wiped my hands together. “This brush shouldn’t exist!” 

The other party was so enraged that his face turned purple. “You don’t know anything, but you’re so arrogant! Do you know the feeling of having needles pricking your back while you sit in front of your computer for the whole night, unable to type a word? Do you know how heart-breaking it is when your readers urge you to upload new chapters and curse you for being late? Do you really think that I want people to gossip that my prime time is over?!” 

Saying this, he clutched his head and started crying. 

In my eyes, this was karma. I checked the author’s Weibo before coming to the meeting. Every day, he showed off his lavish life. Opened a one-million-renminbi wine or bought a ten-million-renminbi desk. He had sunk himself in mundane pleasure and ignored reality. Ideas and inspiration would have to come from daily life, and a writer who locked himself in his ivory tower would be drained of all inspiration in no time. That year, although Jiang Yan had a smooth career and many remarkable pieces of literature, he had exhausted his talent when he reached the peak.

No matter how good or bad his life was, a writer should never forget his original intent. Only with this could he acquire unending inspiration. 

After we left the hotel, Li Mazi cursed me, “Why did you break that brush? It was worth ten million renminbi! If you got paid in cash, that pile would have been taller than you! Lately, you’ve become so noble that you’ve gone crazy!” 

“Haha, no. I’m not that noble.” 

I sniggered and withdrew the intact magic brush that was hidden in my pocket.

I wasn’t dumb. The brush I just broke was just a replica. I did that to kill the author’s hope. I would keep this brush until I found the most suitable buyer. 

Though, last night, I conducted a little experiment with the brush. The effects were extraordinary, and I was able to write a terrific love letter for Yin Xinyue. 

I decided to give her the letter, and she had tears in her eyes while reading it. “Brother Zhang, I can’t believe that you can write such a heart-touching love letter. I’m so touched.” 

“Actually, when I was young, I dreamed of becoming a writer, but I didn’t have the talent. If you are so moved by my letter, would you want to kiss me?” I said shamelessly. 

Yin Xinyue craned her neck forward and pecked my cheek. Seeing this, Li Mazi screamed, “Hey, could you mind your image in a public area?” 

“If you don’t like it, you can leave!” 

“All right, all right. I’m going home to see my wife. You guys, enjoy!” Li Mazi left in a rage. 

Yin Xinyue pulled my arms. “Honey, this case is done. Do you want to travel with me to relax for a while?” 

“I can’t. I told my old classmate that I would tell him what I’ve been through these past few years. My tales should provide him with some creative material.” 

“Okay, if he writes such a book, I will be his first reader!” Yin Xinyue was excited.