When Ye Qingyun spoke of how the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan had recognized Guo Jing, the crowd burst into applause. And when they heard of Guo Jing bending his bow to shoot the giant eagles and being betrothed as the Golden Blade Prince Consort, they felt a thrill of pure excitement. None of the stories they had heard in the past had ever featured such refreshing, exhilarating twists. It was as if they had stumbled into a whole new world.
Without anyone noticing, the teahouse had filled to capacity. Many people gathered outside, pressing close to listen to the voice within, each one completely entranced.
"That young master, relying on his extraordinary martial arts, behaved lewdly toward Mu Nianci. Muyi stepped forward to stop him, but was instead wounded by the young master."
"Guo Jing, seeing this from beneath the ring, felt his sense of justice ignited. With a single kick, he soared light as a swallow onto the stage."
*Slap!*
"If you wish to know what happens next, please listen to the next installment!"
At this, Ye Qingyun stopped. He was truly exhausted. Looking at the sky, it was nearly dark. He had been talking for half the day without realizing it. His throat was parched. Fortunately, the shopkeeper hurried over with tea and snacks, allowing Ye Qingyun to catch his breath.
"Storytelling really isn't a job for just anyone," Ye Qingyun muttered to himself while drinking tea.
The audience was still craving more, but they did not press Ye Qingyun to continue. Having listened for the entire day, they were quite satisfied.
"This young master, will you come back tomorrow?"
"If you come back, I’ll be here early to wait for you."
"You must come back! I won't even know how to sleep tonight otherwise."
"I just want to know—is that young master a descendant of the Yang family?"
"If the descendants of the Guo and Yang families fight, who would be stronger?"
Ye Qingyun was caught between laughter and tears. If I come here every day, won't I end up actually becoming a professional storyteller? I don’t rely on this for a living; it was just a passing interest.
"Everyone, I won't be coming back tomorrow."
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd looked crestfallen.
"However, I will tell the entire story of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' to Old Mister Huang. From then on, Old Mister Huang will continue the story for you."
Hearing this, the crowd finally felt at ease. As long as they could continue to hear the story, it didn't matter who told it. Old Mister Huang was stunned, then looked at Ye Qingyun with gratitude. He hadn't expected Ye Qingyun to be so generous as to share the story of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" with him.
"Many thanks, Young Master!" Old Mister Huang bowed deeply. "May I ask how to address you?"
"My surname is Ye, Ye Qingyun. I live on Fuyun Mountain," Ye Qingyun replied.
"Young Master Ye, if you do not find this old man too aged, I would be honored to be friends across generations with you."
"That would be my honor, sir."
Ye Qingyun woke Damao and Rabbit, who had fallen asleep, and led them out of the teahouse. They had just rounded a corner when five people approached them. Leading the group was a young nobleman with red lips and white teeth, a delicate and handsome face, and a folding fan in his hand—a rather dashing figure. Behind him were four large men, clearly servants.
"Stop." The young nobleman blocked Ye Qingyun's path.
Ye Qingyun looked at him, puzzled. "Is there something you need?"
The nobleman smiled. "I really like your story. Come back with me. I want you to finish telling the entire story right now."
The tone was overbearing, leaving no room for refusal. Ye Qingyun eyed the nobleman. "Miss, I don't believe I know you. If you'll excuse me, I must be going."
The nobleman was stunned. "You could tell I was a woman disguised as a man?"
Ye Qingyun was speechless. "Miss, if you want to keep others from noticing, you should at least tighten that chest area."
The nobleman was taken aback by Ye Qingyun's words. He looked down at himself. *Oh!* He had truly forgotten. The nobleman, currently dressed as a man, felt his face flush slightly, though he did not seem to mind too much.
"Whether I am a man or a woman is irrelevant. What matters is that I want to continue listening to your story. As long as you tell it well and please me, I will reward you handsomely."
The way this was said made it sound as if he were bestowing a grand favor upon Ye Qingyun, as if it would be unthinkable for Ye Qingyun not to immediately kneel and kowtow in thanks.
Ye Qingyun had a strange expression. "Big sister, I am not a storyteller. If you want to hear stories, go back to the teahouse."
With that, Ye Qingyun picked up Rabbit and led Damao to leave.
"Stop!" the nobleman snapped coldly.
The four servants immediately surrounded them. Ye Qingyun was blocked on all sides with nowhere to go. The four servants looked vicious, deliberately cracking their knuckles as if to threaten him. They had already realized that Ye Qingyun was a mere mortal with no cultivation base whatsoever. Such a person could be crushed with a flick of their fingers.
Rabbit, held in Ye Qingyun's arms, gave a wink to Damao on the ground. Damao winked back. One rabbit and one dog—they seemed to be communicating.
"Should we strike?"
"Let's see how things go."
"Very well."
Rabbit remained docile, and Damao kept his lazy appearance. It was their owner, Ye Qingyun, who looked frightened by the situation. *Wasn't it said that people in this world were all very kind? How did I run into a bully so quickly?*
"You shouldn't mess around; I have connections," Ye Qingyun said earnestly.
The nobleman smiled slightly. "Do you know who I am?"
Ye Qingyun shook his head.
"It doesn't matter if you don't. Come with me. I only want to hear you tell stories; I won't harm you. Take him away." The nobleman waved a hand.
"Let's go." The four servants glared at Ye Qingyun.
Ye Qingyun sighed. He was outnumbered and thought it better not to resist. Thus, he followed them. Before long, he saw a very luxurious carriage. Sitting on the carriage was a middle-aged man, seemingly the coachman.
"Young Master, you have returned." The middle-aged man bowed respectfully upon seeing the nobleman.
"Yes. I brought back a storyteller; he can entertain me on the road." The nobleman stepped into the carriage.
The middle-aged man glanced at Ye Qingyun. Seeing he had no cultivation, he didn't pay him much mind. "Get in." The four servants shoved Ye Qingyun onto the carriage.
"My dog!" Ye Qingyun said quickly.
"Forget about the dog," one of the servants laughed.
"No, I can go, but I must bring my dog!" Ye Qingyun was firm this time, not yielding an inch.
"Let the dog get on, too," the nobleman’s voice came from inside.
Damao climbed on, but he had to stay outside the carriage with the middle-aged coachman. Ye Qingyun entered the carriage, where the nobleman was sitting, leisurely eating grapes.
"You're a grown man—why are you carrying a rabbit?" the nobleman asked, glancing at the rabbit in Ye Qingyun's arms with a laugh.
Rabbit cursed inwardly, *If it weren't for the fact that I like to keep a low profile, I would have slapped all of you into the dirt already.*
"You're a young lady—why do you like dressing as a man and gallivanting about?" Ye Qingyun said dismissively.
The nobleman looked at him in surprise, not expecting this seemingly weak young man to have such a sharp tongue.
"Young Master, we are departing," the coachman’s voice came from outside.
"Let’s go," the nobleman replied. The carriage began to move.
Ye Qingyun looked puzzled. "Where are you taking me?"
"You don't need to know."
*...* Ye Qingyun thought, *I’ve been forcibly dragged onto this carriage, and you won't even tell me where we're going? What if you sell me off?*
"You aren't bandits, are you?" Ye Qingyun asked tentatively.
The nobleman chuckled. "If I were a bandit, you’d be dead by now." He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and rinsed it with a cup of tea. "Enough. Start telling the story of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' again."
Ye Qingyun shook his head. "If you don't tell me where we're going, I won't tell the story."
The nobleman narrowed his eyes. "You dare make demands of me?"
Ye Qingyun put on an air of "a scholar can be killed, but not humiliated."
"Fine, I can tell you. But once I tell you, I'm afraid I won't be able to let you live." As he spoke, a dangerous look appeared on the nobleman's face.
"Then never mind, don't tell me," Ye Qingyun said, waving his hands quickly.
At this moment, Ye Qingyun was truly weak, pathetic, and helpless.
"Heh, you're smart enough."
Ye Qingyun began to continue the story of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." The nobleman listened with rapt attention. The carriage swayed as it left the market. Ye Qingyun glanced out the window and realized they were heading east. Fuyun Mountain was to the west of the market, meaning he was getting further and further from his home.
*If I had known, I wouldn't have gone down the mountain to wander around. What am I supposed to do now?* Ye Qingyun lamented inwardly.
Soon, Ye Qingyun reached the part where Guo Jing and Huang Rong meet Hong Qigong, and Hong Qigong teaches Guo Jing the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. The nobleman seemed particularly interested in this part, sitting upright and staring at Ye Qingyun without blinking. He was listening intently.
"This Guo Jing is such a fool—how is he so lucky to receive the teachings of a master from beyond the world?" the nobleman couldn't help but remark.
Ye Qingyun paused slightly and smiled. "Though Guo Jing is dull, his heart is pure and innocent. He treats others with sincerity and possesses a sense of chivalry. Hong Qigong has a keen eye for character, so it is only natural that they would come together."
The nobleman nodded. "You are right." He couldn't help but relate it to himself. "I wonder if this journey to seek a master will be as smooth as it was for Guo Jing in the story?"
Before they knew it, the night had grown deep. The nobleman was still full of spirit, but Ye Qingyun couldn't take it. He wasn't a cultivator; he needed to sleep early and rise early every day. The exhaustion of staying up late made him dizzy.
"Big sister, can you let me go?" Ye Qingyun pleaded.
"No. And do I look that old? Why do you call me 'big sister'?" the nobleman said with dissatisfaction.
Ye Qingyun looked bitter. "Then let me rest for a while. I'm too tired."
Seeing Ye Qingyun's sleepy face, the nobleman didn't force him further. "Fine, you may sleep for a while. But behave yourself—don't move around, or I'll chop off your hands and feet."
Ye Qingyun quickly leaned against the side and closed his eyes, racking his brain while he rested, trying to figure out how to escape. Outside the carriage, the middle-aged coachman’s expression suddenly changed.
"Young Miss, it seems we have encountered a demon beast!"