Unofficial History, Must Be Wild

The rain fell in a steady drizzle during the Qingming Festival, and travelers on the road felt their spirits wither away.

Zhao Linchuan, Yan Lingji, and Bibi Dong arrived at a remote village called Big Willow Village amidst this misty, rain-swept landscape.

Because Bibi Dong needed to enter seclusion to break through her bottleneck, the three of them rented a small farmhouse courtyard and settled in temporarily.

During the time Zhao Linchuan and his companions stayed in Big Willow Village, something called a "newspaper," pushed forward with all of Qian Xunji's might, had already spread like an invisible giant net, quietly covering nearly one-tenth of the Douluo Continent.

From the bustling Heaven Dou City to remote border towns, and from the mansions of high-ranking officials to the tea stalls of common folk, those sheets of paper filled with ink were spreading at an astonishing speed.

For the first time, people discovered that they could know the major events of the world without ever stepping out of their doors.

In this regard, the Two Great Empires unexpectedly offered no obstruction whatsoever.

In fact, because newspapers could efficiently convey government decrees and keep the authorities informed of public sentiment, both sides even cooperated with Spirit Hall's efforts in a rare display of harmony.

After all, rather than letting the common people spread rumors by word of mouth, it was better to have black and white evidence set in stone.

They could not refuse this "convenience."

The common people were also exceptionally welcoming of the newspapers; the price of one copper soul coin was no more than the cost of a bowl of coarse tea, yet it could buy news of all the major and minor events in the world—why wouldn't they want that?

Soon after, perhaps out of a desire to grab attention and generate buzz, some "little genius" published a piece of unofficial history in the paper.

Once that article was published, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

The content of the article was jaw-dropping:

It claimed that the current "Clear Sky Twin Stars" were not actually the sons of the current Clear Sky Sect Master, Tang Zhen, but were the biological flesh and blood of the former Sect Master, Tang Chen.

Furthermore, Tang Zhen and his brothers were not Tang Chen's offspring, but rather the descendants of Tang Chen's younger brother.

The article even listed quite a few "pieces of evidence" with a serious air.

For instance, why did Tang Chen pass the title of "Clear Sky Douluo" to Tang Hao across a generation, rather than to his own son, Tang Zhen?

Why were Tang Zhen and his brothers' cultivation talents merely mediocre, while the "Clear Sky Twin Stars" brothers possessed such shockingly high talent?

Was there some unspeakable secret hidden within all of this?

Once this topic emerged, it immediately drew widespread attention and discussion across the entire continent.

On street corners and after tea, people talked of nothing else.

Some slapped the table in applause, saying the article was written with sound logic and evidence.

Others scoffed, calling it a fabrication meant to smear a person's reputation.

Most people simply held a spectator's mentality, happy to watch the drama unfold.

Even bolder storytellers sensed a business opportunity in it.

They quickly concocted a sensational story about "Tang Chen knocking on his daughter-in-law's door at night" and began performing it in teahouses and taverns across every major city.

The story was woven with such vivid detail and lifelike flair that it seemed as if they had witnessed it themselves; the guests were enthralled, and tips poured in like flowing water.

In no time, the storytellers were filling their pockets, and their peers, green with envy, scrambled to follow suit.

Thus, various versions of "Clear Sky Sect Secrets" sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, each one more bizarre and scandalous than the last.

The Clear Sky Sect was furious. As the head of the Upper Three Sects and the number one sect in the world, when had they ever suffered such humiliation?

Tang Zhen personally stepped forward and approached the Two Great Empires, demanding that they purge the storytellers spreading "rumors" and severely punish the newspapers that published the articles.

To this, the Two Great Empires were polite and agreeable on the surface, promising everything, but behind the scenes, they merely went through the motions, making a lot of noise but taking little action, eventually letting the matter slide.

After all, the current prestige of the Clear Sky Sect was too high—so high that it kept the Two Great Empires awake at night.

Since Spirit Hall was willing to step in and suppress them, the Two Great Empires were overjoyed; why would they pass up such a golden opportunity?

Besides, what the articles said wasn't entirely without reason.

What if it were actually true?

And so, the storytellers continued to hold forth in the teahouses, the gossip columns in the newspapers remained lively, and the Clear Sky Sect's rage was like a fist striking cotton—there was nowhere for it to land.

For a time, the entire Clear Sky Sect fell into a "Tang-style syndrome," with eyes bloodshot and breath coming in heavy, bovine gasps.

Tang Hao, being young and hot-blooded, was absolutely livid, threatening to smash Spirit Hall to pieces and make those rumor-mongers pay the price.

Although Tang Zhen was more composed, his face, dark enough to drip water, was enough to show the fury burning within him.

On this day, the sky was clear and crisp, and the spring rain that had persisted for days finally stopped.

Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the clouds, warming the earth.

The air was filled with the fragrance of soil and grass, and the leaves, washed by the rain, shone with a vibrant green.

Inside the farmhouse courtyard, Zhao Linchuan and Yan Lingji were sitting around a stone mill.

Spread out on the mill were several newspapers that Zhao Linchuan had brought back from a nearby large city early that morning.

"Hee hee hee..."

Yan Lingji couldn't help but giggle, pointing at the article about the Clear Sky Sect in the paper, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

"Who on earth wrote this article?"

"Isn't this just slapping the Clear Sky Sect in the face with the sole of a shoe in front of everyone?"

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, steadied her breathing, and continued.

"If Tang Zhen doesn't find an opportunity to prove his bloodline connection to the 'Clear Sky Twin Stars,' I'm afraid he won't be able to hold his head up for the rest of his life."

"Most people wouldn't have the guts to fabricate stories about the Clear Sky Sect."

Zhao Linchuan couldn't help but chuckle as well, leaning back in his chair with a cup of hot tea in his hand and a mischievous smile on his lips.

"In my opinion, it's eighty percent likely that Qian Xunji is behind this."

"Even those storytellers were all arranged by him."

"What are you two laughing at?"

Bibi Dong walked out of the room, her face flushed with a healthy glow.

She was wearing a light cyan dress today, her hair tied simply behind her head, making her look exceptionally fresh and elegant.

She walked over to the two of them and curiously leaned in to look at the newspaper on the stone mill.

"Huh? What is this?"

"This is a newspaper." Zhao Linchuan handed her the copy in his hand and pointed to the article that had caused such an uproar. "Take a look and you'll know what we're laughing about."

"Let this Saintess have a look..." Bibi Dong took the newspaper and began to examine it carefully.

Her gaze drifted between the lines; at first, she frowned slightly, then the corners of her mouth began to twitch upward, and finally, she couldn't hold it back any longer and burst into laughter with a "Pfft!"

"Hahaha--!"

She laughed until she doubled over, one hand bracing herself against the stone mill while the other slapped her thigh, tears nearly streaming from her eyes.

"Which 'historian' came up with this unofficial history?"

"It's so well-fabricated, with a beginning and an end, it sounds just like the truth."

"Maybe it is the truth?" Zhao Linchuan said cheerfully. "You have no idea; the outside world is going absolutely crazy over this."

"They've even made up a story about 'Tang Chen knocking on his daughter-in-law's door at night.' Those storytellers are all recounting it with such vivid enthusiasm, it's livelier than the New Year."