The Sense of Purpose Was Pretty Good

Upon receiving the message, Bai Qiuran and Bai Li immediately went to the village entrance.

The Storyteller was still there, weaving recent major events in the Jianghu into anecdotes and tales, which he told to the villagers in the form of storytelling. This time, however, he had a girl by his side helping him out.

Bai Li glanced at the girl's appearance and whispered to Bai Qiuran, "Master, look, although that girl is simply dressed, she is polite in her speech and manners. Her fingers are fair and without calluses, indicating she has hardly ever done housework. She must come from a wealthy family. To be able to help a storyteller, a wandering Jianghu(jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) man, woo such a girl, Third Master's Wife is quite something."

That is.

Bai Qiuran a little proud.

Bai Li glanced at him again.

"As expected of a woman who managed to win over her master in just a few decades, she's terrifyingly powerful."

What do you mean, kid?

Bai Qiuran raised her hand and smacked him on the head, then walked over with Bai Li, who was clutching his head.

"Ah, Brother Bai, and young friend Huai Li."

Upon seeing Bai Li and Bai Qiuran approaching, the Storyteller smiled with delight.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Bai Qiuran and said, "Brother Bai, you have truly done me a favor. Come, let me introduce you. This is my wife, Xiao Ling, and these two are the matchmakers who brought us together."

The girl, with a gentle and refined demeanor, bowed to the two of them. Although her appearance wasn't particularly stunning, she gave off a very comfortable feeling.

"No need for such formalities, I only did a small favor."

Bai Qiuran humbly replied, "It was your piety that moved the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable and the Matchmaking Celestial Maiden, thus gaining their protection."

"Yes, I had previously read the Records of the Blood's Delight Sect and always thought that Deity in this world were Evil Gods like the God of Blood Hatred. I never imagined that there were benevolent gods like the Matchmaking Celestial Maiden and the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable."

The Storyteller was deeply moved.

"I want to join the church. Do I need to write an application?"

"No need, no need. As long as you have faith in the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable in your heart, the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable will protect you, and the same goes for the Matchmaking Celestial Maiden."

Bai Qiuran paused, feigning some hesitation, and then said, "However, if you are willing, my friend, you could help me spread their faith to the world, so that these gods can benefit more people."

"Of course."

The Storyteller laughed heartily, clearly in a very good mood.

They chatted happily, so he simply packed up his stall and carried it in his basket. Then Bai Qiuran and Bai Li, "I'm in a good mood today, so let's call it a day. You two, come on, I'll treat you to a drink at Zui Xian Lou."

"Good."

The Storyteller, accompanied by his wife and Bai Li Bai Qiuran, entered the Zui Xian Lou, ordered a table near the railing, two jugs of fine wine, and a table full of delicious dishes, and began to greet the guests.

It seems that Bai Li has secretly drunk with Storyteller behind his parents' backs quite a bit in his life, because when they drink, the Storyteller still fills Bai Li's cup to the brim according to his own standards.

Bai Qiuran didn't bother with him. Although his body was only twelve years old, Bai Li's Souls was, after all, that of the First Immortal Emperor, and he knew his own limits.

As the four men drank and enjoyed themselves, the Storyteller, in high spirits, couldn't help but express his gratitude to the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable. Bai Li then cleverly steered the conversation towards how to effectively spread the faith of the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable.

"Well, in my humble opinion, I think we should proceed in two steps."

The Storyteller's face was flushed, but his speech remained clear.

"The first step, naturally, is to win over the Imperial Court. Because we clashed with the Blood's Delight Sect during the chaotic era of the Book of the Three Kingdoms, the Great Xia Imperial Family knows about them. The royal family is quite wary of those monsters and is sensitive to the control of faith. Therefore, if we want to grow stronger, we must first prevent the Imperial Court from labeling us as a cult."

"The second step is to spread the word about the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable in the Jianghu. Naturally, the first step is to make a name for oneself. The simplest way is to find a follower and win the Leaders through Sword Discussion Assembly."

"Actually, I've discussed this method with Huai Li before, but I still feel it's not perfect enough."

Bai Qiuran smacked his lips and said, "If we just wanted to win, we could just pick two people and they'd be able to beat those extraordinary people out of the world. But that won't do; it's too low-class. We're going there to spread our teachings, not just to watch the Sword Discussion Assembly. In fact, if we can recruit followers, we don't care who wins or loses the Sword Discussion Assembly."

"Brother, you are indeed farsighted."

The Storyteller was immediately embarrassed upon hearing this.

"It's ridiculous that I'm still speculating on your brother's thoughts from the perspective of a person in the world."

"You're too modest. The method you mentioned is actually the one Huai Li initially suggested to me. Although it's not very sophisticated, I have to admit it's effective."

Bai Qiuran and said, "Let's reserve our opinion on this plan for now, and think about whether there are any other options. I feel like I've had some Spiritual Sense these past two days."

"That's right, let's put the issues of the Jianghu aside for now."

Bai Li nodded.

"The most important factor is the Imperial Court. The Great Xia Imperial Family suffered greatly at the hands of the Blood's Delight Sect during the chaotic times, and now that it has only reached its second generation, I think they won't so easily accept the belief in a deity."

"This is indeed a difficult problem, but the hardest part is gaining the trust of the royal family."

The Storyteller replied, "However, I have a little rumor: next March, the current emperor will tour the south. He will visit Su Lake, and it seems that the Blood's Delight Sect is plotting to assassinate him there."

"A rat crossing the street dares to assassinate the current emperor?"

Bai Li thought for a moment.

Is there a traitor within the Imperial Court?

"Brother Huai Li truly has keen insight; he saw the crux of the problem at a glance."

The Storyteller smiled bitterly and said, "The Blood's Delight, the Blood's Delight, besides thirsting for blood, they also believe in human pleasure. Now the Son of Heaven is governing well, and it is a time of peace and prosperity. However, with the change of the old and the new, the new generation has not experienced the baptism of cruel chaos, they do not know the hardships of the people, nor the cruelty of war, so they are naturally prone to corruption. The pleasure faction took this opportunity to infiltrate the court."

"Yes, this is an opportunity. When the emperor is in danger, all we need to do is lend a hand, and gaining his trust will be a piece of cake."

Bai Li said solemnly, "Thank you. Intelligence work is indeed of paramount importance."

"Young brother Huai Li, there's no need for thanks."

The Storyteller bowed towards the direction of the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Venerable's shrine and said, "I now wish to spread the faith of him and those fairies to benefit people. To be honest, ever since the Matchmaking Celestial Maiden helped me successfully marry Xiao Ling, I've been filled with a sense of mission..."

"His sense of mission is alright."

Bai Qiuran laughed and said, "Then you're probably drunk."