Great Treason

Dongsheng Shenzhou was home to a dynasty known as the Great Tang Dynasty.

South of the Great Tang Dynasty stood a city built against the mountains, called Qingshan City.

On this very day, a figure suddenly descended from the heavens outside Qingshan City.

Had any mortal seen her, they would surely have mistaken it for a divine miracle, kneeling and worshiping endlessly as they proclaimed her an immortal descending to the mortal realm!

Upon closer inspection, that immortal turned out to be a woman, with a boy following behind her.

The woman was peerlessly beautiful, with skin like snow and an otherworldly bearing. As she walked through the mortal world, she seemed as though she did not belong in it.

The boy was extraordinary as well. He had delicate, handsome features and, despite being male, looked almost like a girl.

The two walked slowly into Qingshan City.

The woman's identity was even more extraordinary!

She was the creator of the ancient human race, one of the Six Sages of the Primordial World, Empress Nuwa, who presided over Wa Huang Palace!

However, ever since the Battle of the Gods, the Primordial World had nearly shattered. Fortunately, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had intervened and stabilized the foundations of heaven and earth.

Thus, Hongjun had issued a prohibition: after the Investiture of Gods, unless a great tribulation descended upon heaven and earth, Saints were forbidden from descending to the mortal realm without permission!

Yet now, Nuwa had quietly left Wa Huang Palace and appeared in the mortal world.

The Caiyun Boy beside her looked anxious. He glanced at Nuwa and could not help saying, "Empress, shouldn't we hurry? Otherwise, I'm afraid we'll miss the best part."

Nuwa frowned slightly when she heard this. Seeing Caiyun Boy's expression, she could not help feeling puzzled.

She asked, "What exactly is making you so anxious?"

Caiyun Boy's face immediately lit up with a smile.

It turned out that, because of Hongjun's order, Nuwa had lived in Wa Huang Palace for many years and had not set foot in the mortal world.

Caiyun Boy, however, had once secretly descended to the mortal realm while Nuwa was in secluded cultivation comprehending the Dao. Ever since then, he had been intensely interested in mortal affairs.

Now, he said with undisguised excitement, "Empress, there's a storyteller in Qingshan City whose tales are absolutely wonderful!"

"Storytelling?" Nuwa asked, slightly confused.

Caiyun Boy nodded and explained, "It means collecting strange happenings from all over, myths and legends, secrets of the martial world, and even anecdotes from ancient texts, then telling them to people. That's storytelling."

After hearing this, Nuwa gave a slight nod. Looking at Caiyun Boy's eager expression, she felt somewhat helpless.

She knew that she must have indulged the boy too much in the past, giving him the opportunity to secretly descend to the mortal realm once. That was why he had become like this.

At the same time, she also felt a little curious. What was so remarkable about that storyteller that he could attract Caiyun Boy?

Caiyun Boy had been formed from the colorful clouds between heaven and earth. What phenomenon in the world had he never heard of?

The more Nuwa thought about it, the more curious she became. What sort of person was that storyteller?

As for the stories the storyteller told, she was not particularly interested.

In her view, what in the world could compare with the magnificent experiences she had personally lived through?

Were the events she had experienced herself not far more captivating than stories told by others?

Nuwa sighed softly and murmured, "Forget it. I'll treat it as a little outing. I've lived in Wa Huang Palace for so many years. Going out once in a while shouldn't necessarily stir up any karma."

She gently shook her head. Before long, under Caiyun Boy's guidance, she arrived at an inn in Qingshan City.

The moment Caiyun Boy entered the tavern, he hurriedly grabbed a passerby and asked, "Has it started?"

The man, who had been stopped, replied with a smile, "You're here to listen to the storytelling, right? It's almost time, almost time. Look, everyone's arriving one after another."

Caiyun Boy nodded in agreement, then led Nuwa into the inn.

"Oh, Old Zhang, you're here early today!"

"The storytelling's about to begin. We had to come early to claim a good seat."

"Old Li! Didn't your wife drag you home yesterday? You actually dared to come again today?"

"Hehe, she went back to her parents' home today. I can finally enjoy some peace and quiet."

"Speaking of which, that gentleman's story yesterday was truly wonderful. I wonder where he heard all those strange tales?"

"Exactly. Even Zhang the Lame, who needs a cane and lives outside the city, hobbled all the way here."

As Nuwa listened to the people's idle chatter, she could not help growing somewhat interested. What exactly was so special about that storyteller that he could draw so many people here to listen?

Even Caiyun was filled with anticipation.

The two entered the inn, and Caiyun led Nuwa to sit in a seat near the front.

The inn was already packed with guests who had come to hear the storytelling. Almost every seat was occupied.

Fortunately, Caiyun had spoken with the innkeeper in advance yesterday and reserved two seats. Otherwise, even a great god of the Three Realms like Nuwa would have had to stand and listen.

They ordered some dried fruits and pastries, then brewed a pot of hot tea.

The two slowly sat down.

As soon as they took their seats, a handsome young man entered the inn and walked straight toward the storyteller's place.

The young man wore white robes and held a folding fan in his hand. His long hair was tied up with a band and hung casually down his back.

"What an elegant young master!"

Everyone thought this to themselves.

Most of these people had heard the recent discussions about the storyteller in Qingshan City and had come specially to investigate.

They were inevitably surprised to see that the storyteller was so young.

At his age, what kind of moving stories could he tell?

Su Yang looked at the audience filling the hall, and a trace of delight rose in his heart.

There were far more listeners today than there had been a few days ago. It seemed that he was gradually gaining some fame in Qingshan City!

Su Yang had originally been the son of a wealthy merchant in the Great Tang Dynasty. Unfortunately, his family had declined and both his parents had passed away, forcing him to wander all the way to Qingshan City.

Just when he had reached the end of his rope, he unexpectedly awakened a system!

This mechanism granted rewards through storytelling!

Thus, he could obtain all kinds of unexpected surprises!

Within this inn, Su Yang possessed almost absolute protection.

The system's power permeated the entire space of the inn. Even if a Saint personally arrived, they could not harm him in the slightest.

It was precisely because of this that he had decided to embark on his cultivation journey as a storyteller.

He gently picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip to moisten his throat before slowly setting it down again.

"Smack!"

The storytelling block struck the table with a sharp crack, and the entire hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone knew that the good show was about to begin.

Su Yang slowly began, "Within that endless chaos, the cold pierced to the bone and darkness shrouded everything. Nine enormous dragon corpses dragged a Bronze Coffin, standing motionless throughout eternity..."

Whoosh...

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the audience froze, their faces filled with astonishment!

"Within that endless chaos, the cold pierced to the bone and darkness shrouded everything. Nine enormous dragon corpses dragged a Bronze Coffin, standing motionless throughout eternity..."

As soon as the words fell, they exploded like thunder. Countless listeners felt enormous waves surge in their hearts, as though they had personally witnessed nine colossal dragon corpses dragging an ancient Bronze Coffin through the unfathomably deep chaos, floating silently in the void...

Su Yang's words seemed to conceal a soul-shaking power, making the listeners feel as though they were there, as though they had been plunged into that cold, dark chaos!

After hearing this, everyone could not help feeling a surge of admiration for Su Yang's courage!

"Did I hear that right? He said dragons were dead as soon as he opened his mouth!"

"Good heavens, this young man is incredibly bold! Isn't he afraid of the Dragon Clan's wrath?"

"What if the Dragon King hears this and, in anger, refuses to send rain to Qingshan City?"

"The Dragon Clan are divine beings who control wind and rain. What right do mortals have to discuss them recklessly? This boy truly fears nothing under heaven. His courage is higher than the mountains!"

"Dragon King! Please hear clearly that we weren't the ones who said this. It was that storyteller! If you intend to punish someone, please don't implicate us!"

"Great Dragon King, please spare Qingshan City. If a severe drought comes, how are common folk like us supposed to survive?"

In the Primordial World, humanity's reverence for the immortals and gods could be said to be deeply rooted!

No—to be precise, it was a fear that came from the very depths of their hearts!

Ordinary legends mostly described how immortals and gods protected the mortal world and bestowed blessings upon it.

Yet this young man had actually declared that dragons were dead the moment he opened his mouth!

Everyone knew that the Dragon Clan were Supreme Beings who controlled wind and rain! He had immediately claimed that nine dragons had all died—and had even been dragged along by a coffin?

In everyone's eyes, this was nothing short of Great Treason!

In a corner of the inn, an old man with completely white hair and beard showed shock on his face upon hearing these words.

His eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at Su Yang and secretly marveled, "How does this brat dare to be so bold?"

The mortal world had revered and feared the gods since ancient times. Although immortals and gods were rarely seen, they occasionally appeared in the mortal realm. For that reason, no one dared show them the slightest disrespect.

This old man's respect for immortals and gods did not come from ordinary reasons. It was because he himself was one of them!

As it turned out, this man was none other than the City God of Qingshan City!

The position of City God might not be supreme, but it was certainly not insignificant. It was the most honored mid-level divine office in a city, governing the city's fate and wielding immense authority.

Yet now, after hearing Su Yang tell the story, even the City God of Qingshan City felt shaken.

Why? Because he knew exactly what status the Dragon Clan held in the Primordial World!

At the same time, a flicker of surprise also crossed Nuwa's eyes when she heard Su Yang's words.

The Dragon Clan was no ordinary race. In ancient times, they had been among the supreme rulers of the Primordial World.

Even Empress Nuwa had never witnessed the Dragon Clan at the height of its glory.

Although the Dragon Clan had now declined, it still ruled the Four Seas and commanded the world's waterways. They held the position of water gods and could not be underestimated!

Even though the Dragon Clan was no longer as glorious as it had once been, every dragon possessed strength no weaker than that of a True Immortal from the moment it reached adulthood. Coupled with bodies comparable to Acquired Spiritual Treasures, what kind of powerhouse could kill nine true dragons in one breath?

"Why are you all so nervous? The Dragon Clan is no longer what it used to be. If they dare punish Qingshan City, the Celestial Court certainly won't stand by and do nothing."

"They have no authority to punish us on their own. Unless the Celestial Court gives the order, they wouldn't dare reduce Qingshan City's rainfall by even a single drop!"

The City God beside them nodded slightly after hearing this, feeling that the words made sense.

The Dragon Clan was indeed far weaker than before. Moreover, in the Celestial Court, quite a few mighty figures' mounts were true dragons!