Seeing that Li Huowang did not even glance at him, Big Teapot tactfully withdrew with the young man.
"One serving of Auspicious Fruit, one serving of Begonia Cake. Daoist, please enjoy. If the tea runs out, just call out."
Li Huowang lifted his teacup and took a light sip, continuing to listen to the storyteller onstage spout nonsense.
"Just look at Great Sage Zhuge, standing atop Youdu City's walls, suddenly shaking the Dragon Subduing Mace in his hand and glaring with both eyes! 'Hey!'"
"Then look at those rat-like scoundrels from the Dharma Sect. They fell in swaths like wheat in a field. Guess what? They were scared to death alive!"
As the tale reached its climax, cheers immediately erupted throughout the teahouse, and some wealthier patrons even tossed reward money onto the stage.
"Heh, how interesting. A storyteller had actually been written into someone else's story."
Hearing those words, Li Huowang turned toward his left. A black-bearded middle-aged man sat there. "You know Zhuge Yuan?"
"Of course. I'm from Great Qi." As he spoke, he raised his empty teacup. "Big Teapot!"
"Coming~! Hold steady~~"
As the long tea spout extended from the second floor, a stream of tea poured down through the air, landing steadily in the man's cup—neither too much nor too little, exactly eight-tenths full.
"You knew him, yet you could still listen to this?"
"Ah, I've got nothing better to do. All my relatives are dead, and there's nowhere to pay New Year's calls, so I came here to hear some stories and ease the boredom. Look, there were probably other people from Great Qi in this teahouse too."
Li Huowang looked around the teahouse and nodded in understanding. "Though this fellow made up his stories, Zhuge Yuan really did save Great Qi."
"Ah, who knew?