Helping You Choose

"Good!"

"Well said, here's a reward!"

Among the group of strangers, a man dressed like a young nobleman spoke out loudly.

The servant behind the young master heard his words and took out 100 wen to offer as a reward. The coins landed in a copper basin, producing a pleasant, ringing sound.

"Generous!"

Lin Zheyu exclaimed in admiration, putting even more effort into his storytelling.

This was a long-form story; logically, hearing just such a small segment shouldn't be enough to get someone excited enough to offer a reward.

However, Lin Zheyu didn't mind; as long as there was a reward, that was all that mattered.

"The story is quite interesting. This young storyteller is a talent to be able to write such a brilliant tale," the young nobleman said to his companion while eating a flaky pastry.

Sitting beside him was a delicate-looking woman with fair, rosy skin and bright, dark eyes that sparkled with intelligence.

The young nobleman listened to the story while explaining the character relationships to the woman.

Lu Qihui had come from Baohe City, where his family were wealthy merchants.

Due to the impact of the war, Lu Qihui's father worried that Baohe City would be implicated, so he had Lu Qihui and his uncle lead a portion of the clan to migrate to other cities.

When they passed through Songyi City, they entered the city to rest for a few days.

Lu Qihui was bored and wandered around, hearing a few people gathered in a restaurant discussing a story. Curious, he went over to listen for a while and became more addicted the more he heard.

He then specifically found a storyteller to recount the whole thing from the beginning for him.

That storyteller spoke for several days, but when it reached the most exciting part, the story ended.

Upon asking, Lu Qihui learned that this story wasn't finished yet and was being told daily at Bidan Tea House.

"That Huang Rong is truly an extraordinary woman."

Lu Zhenfang sighed, "Brother, when we hit the road in a few days, let's take this storyteller with us so he can tell us stories to pass the time."

"That's a great idea!"

Lu Qihui's eyes lit up: "If we could recruit such a talent into the Lu Mansion to tell us stories in his spare time, it would certainly add a lot of joy."

"Mm-hmm." Lu Zhenfang blinked her eyes; she was also completely captivated.

Happy times always pass quickly.

Amidst the reluctant gazes of the audience, Lin Zheyu picked up his gavel and struck it: "If you wish to know what happens next, please listen to the next installment."

"Ah?"

"It's over already?"

"One more segment, just one more!"

The audience made their routine clamor, and Lin Zheyu cupped his hands, preparing to step down.

Clack!

At that moment, hearing a crisp sound, Lu Qihui stood up, holding a silver ingot, and slammed it onto the table: "Sir, tell us one more segment; there is a reward."

As he spoke, he tossed the silver into the basin, producing a loud, metallic clang.

Oh ho, a big spender has arrived.

Seeing this, Lin Zheyu chuckled and walked back onto the storytelling stage: "Since you are all so enthusiastic, I shall tell one more segment!"

He had been storytelling for so long, and his first true "top donor" had finally appeared!

Clack!

The gavel struck, "Last time, we mentioned..."

Lu Qihui and Lu Zhenfang exchanged a glance and smiled.

Lu Qihui said with a smile: "This storyteller is indeed fond of money. It should be possible to persuade him to join us on our journey; it will just cost a bit more silver."

Lin Zheyu told another segment.

It wasn't until the sky began to darken that the audience left, still feeling unfulfilled.

Passing by the market, Lin Zheyu bought four catties of pork and some vegetables.

As his strength increased, his appetite grew larger, and his need for meat and medicinal supplements continued to rise.

On the street, along the path Lin Zheyu had to take to get home.

A sturdy figure leaned against a wall, boredly shaking his leg.

Seeing Lin Zheyu approach, the man glanced over sideways, his eyes filled with a scrutinizing expression.

"Jia Yanyong!"

Lin Zheyu's eyes narrowed slightly.

This guy was waiting here specifically, so it was obvious he had come for him.

What was his goal?

Lin Zheyu was puzzled.

He had reached a cooperation agreement with Jia Yanming, so the other party shouldn't be playing any more tricks.

Moreover, he had often seen Jia Yanyong coming to Bidan Tea House to listen to stories lately, and he seemed to enjoy them quite a bit.

Lin Zheyu's mind raced as he came to a stop three meters away from Jia Yanyong.

"Brother Yong, are you waiting here specifically for me?" Lin Zheyu asked aloud.

"That's right."

Jia Yanyong chuckled, "Our gang leader thinks the stories you tell are quite interesting and would like to invite you to the Flying Rainbow Gang to tell stories tomorrow morning."

"Tell a few more segments then; listening to so little each day is unsatisfying."

"That's easy to say."

"I wonder how much silver your gang leader intends to pay? My appearance fee isn't cheap," Lin Zheyu asked.

As one of the three major gangs in Songyi City, the Flying Rainbow Gang had a vast number of members.

If possible, he still didn't want to offend them.

"It's your honor to tell stories for our gang leader, and you still want to charge money?"

"These streets are all under the protection of our Flying Rainbow Gang; it's already generous of us not to charge you a protection fee."

Jia Yanyong curled his lip.

He reached out and cracked his knuckles, his tone carrying a hint of a threat.

His features were fierce, and his sturdy build paired with a vicious expression created a strong sense of oppression, giving off the vibe that he was not someone to be trifled with.

"Then I am very sorry, but I have things to do tomorrow morning."

"If your gang leader wants to listen to stories, he can come to Bidan Tea House tomorrow afternoon."

Lin Zheyu refused.

Wanting to listen to stories without paying? Were they planning to get a free ride?

Lin Zheyu hated freeloaders the most.

"You don't think that just because you apprenticed under Liang Song, you can ignore our Flying Rainbow Gang, do you?"

Jia Yanyong said, a trace of mockery on his face.

His brother had asked him about Liang Song before, inquiring if Liang Song was someone to be messed with, which was how Jia Yanyong found out that Lin Zheyu had become Liang Song's apprentice.

If this were over a decade ago, when Liang Song was in his prime, the Flying Rainbow Gang would have had to show him some respect.

But Liang Song was old and decrepit now, and he had a lame leg; how much of his strength could he possibly have left?

"I don't mean that at all, I just really have things to do tomorrow morning."

Lin Zheyu said in an indifferent tone.

Seeing Lin Zheyu's attitude, Jia Yanyong let out a cold sneer.

"My brother asked me to teach you a lesson a long time ago, but then you started cooperating with him, so there was no opportunity."

"Now that the gang leader wants to invite you to tell stories, I didn't expect you to be so unappreciative."

"Since you don't know what's good for you, then I'll let you taste some bitterness. As long as you have a mouth, you can still tell stories; breaking a few limbs won't be a big deal."

Jia Yanyong walked toward Lin Zheyu step by step.

That sturdy body, paired with his fierce appearance, gave off a tremendous sense of pressure.

"Do you want to do this here?"

"There are people coming and going here; as long as I shout a few times, the government officials will be here soon," Lin Zheyu said calmly, showing no fear.

"The government?"

"Haha, so what if they catch me? It's just a matter of spending some money. I can smooth over even a loss of life, let alone just breaking a few of your bones."

Jia Yanyong said dismissively.

He walked toward Lin Zheyu step by step.

He loosened his neck and cracked his knuckles loudly.

His face wore a cold sneer, filled with a mix of disdain and mockery.

He had seen plenty of people like Lin Zheyu; they started off tough, but most of them became obedient after a good beating.

"I'll give you one more chance."

"Are you going to go to the Flying Rainbow Gang to tell stories voluntarily tomorrow morning, or should I teach you a lesson and have someone carry you there?" Jia Yanyong said.

"What if I choose neither?"

"Neither?"

"Then I'll make the choice for you!"

Jia Yanyong said indifferently.

He had studied martial arts for over a decade; although his skills were not refined, those years of tempering had allowed his strength to barely break through to the Bone Forging realm.

After joining the Flying Rainbow Gang, he had experienced gang battles both large and small.

Relying on a sturdy physique and a ruthless, fearless fighting style, he had carved out quite a reputation for himself.