Nalan Yanran (Please recommend)

Outside the Xiao Family

After bringing Xiao Yan back, Lin Qingyun did not choose to return to his own home. Instead, he started wandering along the main street.

The streets outside the Xiao Family all belonged to the Xiao Family. There were medicine shops on both sides of the road, as well as stores selling weapons, but even more of them were all kinds of eateries and restaurants.

Almost every eatery and restaurant in sight was packed with people, bustling with noise and excitement.

If this had been a few years ago, it would never have been this lively.

Lin Qingyun still remembered that three years ago, when he had made such a suggestion, it had drawn opposition from many people.

After all, to cultivators, the desire for good food could be ignored.

But with the Fourth Elder's repeated support, they still opened a shop selling breakfast, and he did not disappoint. In just a few months, it bore fruit, bringing in several hundred gold coins every day.

With such high returns, naturally, a craze for opening breakfast shops began to sweep through the Xiao Family.

From time to time, Lin Qingyun looked over the shops on both sides, as if he were inspecting them.

Outside the shops, the workers standing there also saw Lin Qingyun.

Naturally, they began greeting him one after another.

Amid one call of "Brother Yun" after another, Lin Qingyun gradually walked to a relatively quiet place. Although this was also a lively part of the street, the people passing through would unconsciously slow their steps.

From time to time, pedestrians would glance at the notice boards placed by the entrances, then walk into the lofty, high-end teahouses on either side.

What was written on the notice boards was naturally not the names of teas or dishes.

Instead, it was a story formed from line after line of small characters.

"Many years ago, in Sacred Soul Village outside Wutan City, there was a girl named Xiao Wu. She was innocent and lively, bright and adorable... There was also a youth named Xiao San. The two grew up together as childhood sweethearts... Until, one day, a powerful expert passed by and discovered Xiao Wu's extraordinary talent."

"The expert wanted to take Xiao Wu away. Xiao Wu was very unwilling. She hoped the expert would also take Xiao San away. But the expert shook his head and said Xiao San was merely a useless fool who cultivated slowly."

"Xiao Wu was still taken away by the expert. Xiao San was heartbroken. He swore that he would work hard to cultivate and go find Xiao Wu."

The story introduction ended there.

Quite a few pedestrians saw this, their curiosity thoroughly hooked, only to see a line left below.

"...Several years later, Xiao San walked out of Sacred Soul Village. Before leaving, he split open a mountain with one sword strike, which later became Beheading Mountain outside Wutan City."

"To know what happened next, please enter the Tea House and listen. It only costs ten coins to hear the full story and all the causes and consequences."

Seeing this,

quite a few pedestrians were instantly stunned.

"Damn, that's so wicked. How can they not finish the introduction?"

"A new story really is different. It feels so hot-blooded!"

Before long, quite a few people had gathered in front of the notice board, sighing and commenting one after another.

Then, under Lin Qingyun's smiling gaze, they walked into the Tea House.

Through the windows, one could naturally see that inside the bright Tea House, every seat was filled. A Storyteller stood on the high platform, spittle flying as he spoke with passion and fervor.

And the people below the platform had fallen silent, each of them craning their necks, unbearably curious.

"Food is the first necessity of the people, but people can't go without a bit of fun either."

Lin Qingyun chuckled inwardly.

Now, the Xiao Family's restaurants had opened all across the city. Their days were getting better and better, and they were making money hand over fist.

But Lin Qingyun had also discovered a problem. Many people had nothing to do besides cultivating and eating.

He had thought about tourism, but there was nothing around Wutan City worth developing. Building an amusement park was even more unrealistic.

In the end, he thought of storytellers from ancient times.

Since there was a Storyteller, there naturally had to be stories.

So he made up a Douluo Continent in the Battle Through the Heavens version... perfect.

In any case, it was all nonsense, and the storyline was set in an extremely distant era. As long as it was hot-blooded enough, it was enough to attract people.

You thought it ended just like that!

Of course not.

The Tea House sold tea. When you listened to storytelling and got thirsty, you had to drink tea, right? Three coins for a cup of tea! Hungry from listening? Sunflower seeds, three coins. Peanuts, five coins.

In short, every money-making idea that could be derived from listening to storytelling had been put to use.

"Hmph, who made this up? What a complete mess of a story."

At that moment, Lin Qingyun suddenly heard a slightly displeased voice come over.

He turned around and looked closely, only to see a young woman. The woman was about the same age as him. He could not see her face, but from her back alone, one would definitely think she was an extremely beautiful woman.

Hanging from the young woman's delicate earlobes were green jade pendants. As they swayed slightly, they gave off a crisp sound, abruptly revealing a touch of nobility...

And on the cuff of the woman's flowing cloud-and-sunset robe, there was an embroidered pattern of clouds and a silver sword.

Beside the woman, there was also a young man. On his cuff, there was likewise an embroidered pattern of clouds and a silver sword. Clearly, they came from the same place.

"Nalan Yanran? Why has she come so early?"

Lin Qingyun looked at the young woman, somewhat surprised.

Although he had never seen her before, and had only seen her back, just from her attire and that unique noble aura, Lin Qingyun determined that this woman was none other than Xiao Yan's fiancée, Nalan Yanran.

Thinking of this, Lin Qingyun walked over and said lazily,

"Miss, what's wrong with this story?"

The voice came from behind her. Nalan Yanran turned around and looked at the youth who was about her age, unable to help frowning slightly.

"Hey, who are you, brat? What's it got to do with you?"

Instead, the young man beside her stepped straight forward, looking at Lin Qingyun with disdain as he spoke in a somewhat arrogant tone.

"Su Tao, have you forgotten what the elder said? Outside, we must maintain the bearing of a great sect," Nalan Yanran said in an extremely cool tone.

Then she turned her head and glanced at Lin Qingyun again, saying, "This story is obviously made up. It merely hooks people's curiosity, but in truth, it is boring to the extreme!"

"You haven't gone in to listen, so how would you know it is boring to the extreme?" Lin Qingyun said.

"In this story, that Xiao San has no cultivation talent, yet later it says he cut a mountain apart with one sword strike. This is simply nonsense!"

Nalan Yanran smiled and said, "A person with no cultivation talent would have a hard time even becoming a Dou Zhe, let alone a Dou Shi. How is this story not made up?"

"However, the feelings between Xiao Wu and Xiao San truly are moving!" Nalan Yanran added another sentence.

Hearing this, Lin Qingyun smiled.

Girls were girls. They were all the same.

"So?"

Lin Qingyun said unhurriedly, "Didn't you say you don't believe it? Why not go in and listen? Maybe then you'll know the causes and consequences. You can also listen and find out whether Xiao Wu and Xiao San end up together in the end."

If I don't fleece you properly today, then my surname isn't Lin.

Seeing that the young woman seemed tempted, Lin Qingyun thought to himself.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Let me remind you, today is the last day. After today, this story won't be told anymore."

After saying that, Lin Qingyun turned and left.

"It really is the last day?"

Nalan Yanran was startled. She looked at Lin Qingyun's back, hesitating as if she wanted to ask something.

Just then, Lin Qingyun suddenly turned around.

"I've heard this story before, so I highly recommend it. In the end, Xiao Wu and Xiao San..."

Lin Qingyun did not finish speaking before he left directly.

"Junior Brother Su, since we're already here, why don't we go in and take a look? What do you think?" After thinking for a while, Nalan Yanran looked at the young man beside her and said.

"Of course, Senior Sister. I'll go find seats right away!" Su Tao's originally somewhat unhappy face turned excited in an instant.

He was just like a complete lackey as he walked into the Tea House.

Lin Qingyun did not simply leave just like that. He said he would do it, and he was still very trustworthy.

After circling around in a big loop, he entered through the back door of the Tea House and brought a worker upstairs.

"See that man and woman over there?" Standing in a small room at the very top floor, Lin Qingyun pointed through the window to a quiet spot on the second floor.

A man and a woman were sitting there.

Naturally, they were Nalan Yanran and Su Tao.

"I see them, Brother Yun. Did they offend you?" the worker said very respectfully.

"Of course, but it's enough to fleece them hard!"

"Make sure you handle it properly!"

Lin Qingyun patted the worker's shoulder and said solemnly.

"Don't worry, Brother Yun. Leave it to me!"

The worker glanced at the man and woman, patted his chest, and said.

"Good!"

Lin Qingyun nodded in satisfaction.

At the same time, he silently muttered in his heart, Xiao Yanzi! This is all your brother can do to help you!

Three days later.

The morning sunlight shone in through the window.

"Brother Yun, we should go!"

Bang, bang!

There was constant knocking, along with a young man's clear voice.

"I know! I know!"

Lin Qingyun sat up from the bed, stretched lazily, and washed up briefly before opening the door.

Outside the door stood a boy and a girl. The boy was naturally Xiao Yan, while the young girl was Xiao Xun'er.

Lin Qingyun had long since become used to this kind of pairing. After all, every year's test was like this.

"Brother Yun, looks like you've been cultivating really hard these past few days!"

Seeing that Lin Qingyun still looked half-asleep, Xiao Yan could not help sighing with emotion.

The formerly lazy Brother Yun was actually gone for real.

"Mm-hmm! Let's go!"

Lin Qingyun yawned and said.

They followed the small path all the way east.

Along the way, they could always see many boys and girls walking in twos and threes toward the same place.

Of course, they could also see some adults. After all, this annual test was something they looked forward to greatly when it came to the results of the children's cultivation.

By now, Lin Qingyun had more or less woken up as well. The dull silence of the three-person group made him a little unused to it.

After all, with Xiao Xun'er present, he could not be as carefree and crude as usual when talking with Xiao Yan.

Suddenly, Lin Qingyun seemed to think of something and said, "Did you hear about that big incident a few days ago?"

"You mean the matter with the Misty Cloud Sect's chief disciple, Nalan Yanran!"

Xiao Yan turned to look at Lin Qingyun and said.

That matter had caused a huge commotion. It had become known to every household in Wutan City.

"Sigh, the dignified chief disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect actually skipped out on the bill. It really makes one sigh!" Lin Qingyun let out a long sigh.

"Mm-hmm!"

Xiao Yan also nodded in great agreement.

"And in the end, it was only because an elder from the Misty Cloud Sect came forward that the matter was settled. I heard from the old man that they seemed to have compensated over ten thousand gold coins."

Lin Qingyun added another sentence.

Just like that, chatting on and off, they reached the end of the small path.

At the end of the small path was an enormous circular plaza. It was all paved with large slabs of granite and was extremely sturdy.

At the very front of the plaza, there was a raised stone platform about half a zhang above the ground.

On the stone platform, a black stone tablet about one zhang tall stood there quietly.

The Demon Stone Tablet!

This day had finally come!

Lin Qingyun murmured.

P.S. The reason Nalan Yanran was written in ahead of time here is that the author also had considerations.

In the original work, Nalan Yanran appeared the day after Xiao Yan finished his test, which means she had already arrived in Wutan City very early on.

P.S. Dear readers, if you think this is pretty good, please cast your precious vote.