"All right, Sister, what story do you want to hear?"
Qian Ningshuang leaned her head back and looked at Qian Renxue, who was playing with her hair.
"I want to hear the Sun Wukong story you didn't finish last time!"
The moment Tian Yao heard that Qian Ningshuang was going to tell a story, she immediately tossed Hu Liena out of her mind. She had always loved the stories Qian Ningshuang told.
"Let's pick another one. Have some pity on Sister Xue—I've heard that story already. Didn't you say in your letter that you'd tell me a story about unification when I came back? Tell that one."
Qian Renxue looked at Tian Yao with an apologetic expression.
It was not that she was being unreasonable and trying to compete with a little girl for the right to choose the story. It was simply that Qian Ningshuang's stories were not just full of childish charm; some of them also contained lessons that inspired her.
She had very little time to stay by Qian Ningshuang's side now, so naturally, she had to seize every chance to hear one.
And it was about unification, no less. How could she not be interested? Spirit Hall had been seeking unification for who knew how many years!
"A new story is fine too. Hurry up and tell it."
Tian Yao looked indifferent. As long as Qian Ningshuang was the one telling it, she would listen.
"Then let's go with that one. Let me think... This is a story about unification, a story of three nations fighting one another for the sake of unification."
"In a distant land, there was a nation with a long history and vast territory. But its current state was not very good..."
Qian Ningshuang slipped out of Qian Renxue's embrace and slowly began recounting the history of the Three Kingdoms from her previous life in the Zhonghua Family.
She had long wanted to tell Romance of the Three Kingdoms to Qian Renxue and some of the people in Spirit Hall. Her reason for wanting to tell these Douluo natives about Romance of the Three Kingdoms was simple.
Whether it was Shrek's side or Spirit Hall's side in the original novel, all the major characters seemed to know nothing beyond improving their strength, falling in love, and holding grudges.
Ah, I love her—him—so much. I'll die for her—for him. Boohoo, if we weren't enemies, I'd definitely find a way to keep you by my side.
Meow meow meow? As a little rabbit of the Zhonghua Family in her previous life, Qian Ningshuang had not found anything particularly wrong when she first read the book. But after graduating from university and reading it again, her mind had been filled with nothing but question marks.
A group of people standing at the pinnacle of power in the entire world, and that was all they had in their heads? What about political ideals? What about social development?
Don't brush it off by saying it was a feudal society. Even the ancients knew to pursue a world of Great Harmony. What was the difference between people whose minds contained only love and hatred and monkeys that only knew how to mate?
Oh, that was a little insulting to monkeys. Once monkeys became monkey kings, they at least knew to consider their tribe. At the very least, monkeys knew how to fight for power and profit.
Of course, demanding ideals from a webnovel was being a bit too nitpicky. It was a webnovel—being satisfying was all that mattered.
But the problem was that Qian Ningshuang had transmigrated.
Since she was already in this world, she naturally could not tolerate having pig teammates around her whose minds contained nothing but love and hatred.
Those pig teammates might not only drag her down; they were damn unpleasant to look at!
So ever since she had been able to run and jump, Qian Ningshuang had tirelessly worked to put a little more substance into the heads of the people around her in Spirit Hall.
At the very least, they should stop obsessing over romantic entanglements. They needed broader horizons and a bigger picture!
Qian Ningshuang's bargain-bin sister, Qian Renxue, was the highest priority of all!
If her brain had been even slightly more normal in the original novel, how could that source of all evil, Tang San, have caused so much bullshit later on?
And in Qian Ningshuang's view, Romance of the Three Kingdoms was perfectly suited to educating Qian Renxue.
Scumbags, hypocrites, lunatics, and idealists took the stage one after another. It covered political struggles, the art of war, and even historical education!
As for whether telling such a story would make others wonder how a little girl like her knew so much, and then question her origins—
Qian Ningshuang did not care. She had never tried to hide the fact that she knew a great deal.
Time slowly passed amid Qian Ningshuang's storytelling.
At dusk, outside Star Dou Forest, a small town appeared before the group.
"After Cao Cao eliminated Yuan Shao and unified the north, he led his army south, intending to unify the entire nation."
Romance of the Three Kingdoms naturally could not be finished in a single day.
Qian Ningshuang had started telling it in the morning, and by now, she had only just reached the period before the Battle of Red Cliffs.
"All right, Shuang'er, stop for now. We're about to reach Star Dou Town."
Tian'e spoke up and halted Qian Ningshuang's storytelling.
At the same time, he inwardly marveled at how wonderful this story called Romance of the Three Kingdoms was. It was as though such a nation had truly existed, and such a group of people had truly slaughtered one another for their own interests and ambitions.
The story also somewhat resembled the current situation on the continent. Several forces were likewise going back and forth, openly and secretly struggling against one another. The people of the major factions simply were not as calculating as the characters in the story. After all, in Douluo, as long as one's fist was big enough, any scheme was nothing but clouds in the sky.
But then again, Spirit Hall did not possess the strength to truly stand above everything. At least, Tian'e believed so. Spirit Hall had attempted unification several times throughout history, only to fail for inexplicable reasons. That could only be attributed to insufficient strength.
Therefore, some of the schemes in the story were not unusable. Once they returned, he would try mobilizing the power of the Worship Hall.
"Grandpa Tian, are we there already? Didn't the book say it would take around two days?"
Qian Ningshuang asked curiously as she pulled open the carriage door. Tian'e did not answer. Walter merely pointed at the horses pulling the carriage.
Looking at the two horses with a patch of scales on their heads, Qian Ningshuang suddenly understood.
Qian Renxue had carried her into the carriage that morning, so she had not noticed the horses pulling it. The two days mentioned in the book referred to the travel speed of ordinary horses, and these two horses, which were clearly Spirit Beasts, obviously did not fall into that category.
"We'll enter Star Dou Town and rest for the night first. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you into Star Dou Forest to obtain your Spirit Ring."
As he spoke, the group had already entered the town.
"Greetings, my lord!"
Outside a small building that was rather imposing compared to the other structures in town, two guards standing by the entrance immediately dropped to one knee after recognizing the token in Walter's hand. Their voices carried a trace of awe.
"Find somewhere to settle the carriage."
Walter and Tian'e did not even spare the two guards a glance. After casually giving the order, they led the three juniors straight into the building.
After entering, Qian Ningshuang curiously examined the interior of this Spirit Hall outpost outside Star Dou Forest.
How should she put it? As the first warning point for humanity against attacks by the Spirit Beasts within Star Dou Forest, the town was also a supply station for Spirit Masters of all kinds entering Star Dou Forest.
By all logic, Spirit Hall's outpost in the town ought to have been some kind of military fortress. Yet all Qian Ningshuang saw was an utterly ordinary hall.
Several Spirit Hall staff members who had been gathered together chatting in the hall immediately dispersed when they saw unfamiliar people enter, watching the group warily.
One burly middle-aged man stepped forward. After cautiously sizing up Tian'e and Walter at the front, he cupped his hands.
"May I ask what business you two elders have here? Why did you enter Spirit Hall without being announced by the guards?"
It seemed that although this outpost was not a military fortress, the Spirit Masters stationed here were of quite good quality! Qian Ningshuang's eyes lit up.
The positions of those staff members allowed them to strike immediately if Tian'e and the others made any suspicious move, while ensuring they would not obstruct one another.
Seeing this, Tian'e remained expressionless, while Walter once again took out the token he had shown the guards outside and waved it around.
"Greetings, my lord! I acted out of duty and may have offended you. Please forgive me."
Upon seeing the token, the staff members dropped to one knee just like the guards outside.
"It's fine. I understand. Go call the person in charge here."
After hearing Walter's order, the middle-aged Spirit Master who had stepped forward immediately rose and headed to the second floor.
Shortly afterward, a slender old man came down from the second floor. Judging from his attire, he appeared to be a Platinum Bishop at the rank of Spirit Douluo. Upon clearly seeing Tian'e and Walter's faces, the Platinum Bishop wore a respectful expression as well.
"This subordinate greets Golden Crocodile, and Death God."
Clearly, this Platinum Bishop had met Tian'e and Walter before.
"Rise, Pullman. First, arrange food and lodging for us."
Tian'e glanced at this Platinum Bishop from the High Priest faction and gave the order blandly.
"Yes, please follow this subordinate."
Pullman replied respectfully, then began leading them toward the second floor.
"Are you two here this time to hunt Spirit Rings? May I ask if there is anything this subordinate can help with?"
After reaching the second floor, Pullman curiously glanced at the three girls behind the two Title Douluo. With this lineup, they could only be here to hunt Spirit Rings for juniors.
He just did not know how high the status of these three was, for them to trouble an Elder and a High Priest to personally help them.
"There truly is something we need you for this time. Walter and I have not been to Star Dou Forest in a long time, so the locations of the various Spirit Beast clans have surely changed."
"It would be my honor. Please feel free to give any order if there is anything you need from this subordinate."
When he heard that they truly needed his help, joy surfaced on Pullman's face. This was an order from a High Priest! In the past, he had not even had a way to serve a High Priest.
"First, get us something to eat. After resting for the night, you'll accompany us into Star Dou Forest tomorrow morning."
"Yes, this subordinate shall take his leave."
Before you continue