A strange look appeared in Gu Sheng's eyes. He had thought the "good place" Gu Erniu mentioned would be something else, and had even wondered if honest, simple Brother Erniu had such a side to him. Never had he expected it to be a place for listening to storytelling.
Seeing Gu Sheng's stunned expression, Gu Erniu gave a teasing grin.
"What did you think it was? You're so young, yet your mind's already wandering. Your sister-in-law and I are very close, you know."
With a laugh, he deftly took out two copper coins and handed them to an attendant nearby. After receiving two bowls of tea, he found a wooden stump and sat down.
"Every time I come into town, I have to listen for a while. You can learn quite a lot."
The tea was bitter, but no one cared.
Everyone listened with rapt attention.
The storyteller was an elderly man in a long robe, faded white from washing, but his voice was forceful and resonant.
"During the previous dynasty, demons ran rampant, the court fell into disorder, and the people suffered bitterly. Our dynasty's founding ancestor slew the demon dragon and rose in rebellion, gathering thirty-six Heavenly Fiend generals beneath his banner..."
Before he could finish,
a wave of dissatisfied voices immediately rose below.
"Old Mr. Zhang, we've heard this part eight times if not ten. If you try to fob us off like this again today, we'll go listen to Old Li instead!"
Old Mr. Zhang looked embarrassed and hurriedly cupped his hands in apology.
"Everyone, everyone, don't be impatient. This is merely an appetizer. We'll get to today's main story right away!"
He wiped away a cold sweat inwardly. The storytelling business was becoming harder and harder.
He only had so many stories in his belly. If he spilled them all at once, no one would come back later. Those listeners were even more heartless than brothel patrons.
But if he did not offer any real substance, the competition among storytellers was fierce.
He had to strike the right balance.
Seeing that there were many people today, Old Mr. Zhang pondered for a moment, slapped the dark wooden clapper in his hand, and shouted:
"Today, hear the tale of General Qin suppressing the Yunzhou rebellion and taking the enemy leader's head amidst ten thousand troops!"
"Good! That's the one we want!"
The listeners' eyes lit up, and Gu Sheng became interested as well.
"A few months ago, Yunzhou suffered a great drought. For a thousand miles, the land was scorched bare. Not a single grain was harvested, and all living things suffered..."
"His Majesty, in his mercy, allocated funds for disaster relief and even sent officials personally to Yunzhou to demonstrate imperial grace. This calamity should have passed safely."
"But who could have known!"
"Some wicked men took the opportunity to stir up trouble in secret. The governor of Yunzhou was careless for a moment and allowed them to exploit the opening. They coerced the ignorant masses until they formed a force, then began attacking government offices on a grand scale, causing a catastrophe beyond measure!"
"Do you know who these wicked men were?"
Old Mr. Zhang paused deliberately.
Gu Erniu, sitting beside him, could not wait any longer and shouted loudly:
"Who were they? Who?"
"Good sir, do not rush. These wicked men were no ordinary people. They belonged to a mysterious organization known as the Fire Worship Cult. Not only was every one of them highly skilled in martial arts, but their behavior was also bizarre beyond reason."
"The Fire Worship Cult worships a sinister fire god. Do you know that anyone wishing to join the cult must endure forty-nine days beneath the scorching sun? They are so cruel even to themselves. One can only imagine how vicious these wicked men are!"
"Gasp!!"
The audience collectively sucked in a breath.
"Forty-nine days under the blazing sun? If they don't die, aren't they no different from demons?"
"That's far too terrifying!"
"With such wicked men causing chaos behind the scenes in Yunzhou, no wonder such a monstrous disaster occurred. Those fiends truly deserve to die!"
Gu Sheng's eyes were shaken as well.
Though he knew the storyteller had likely exaggerated, this so-called Fire Worship Cult was certainly no benevolent organization.
In chaotic times, when the people had nothing to place their faith in, it was the perfect soil for cults to grow.
He quietly raised his guard.
Old Mr. Zhang's voice became impassioned:
"Everyone, do not worry!"
"Though the wicked men of the Fire Worship Cult were cruel and vicious, our dynasty has ruled and suppressed the thirteen provinces for centuries. How could such wicked men possibly comprehend its might? His Majesty was enraged, and General Flying Thunder, Qin Leiyu, led his army through the night to arrive!"
"General Qin was a true god descended to earth! The wicked men had coerced no fewer than a million commoners, yet General Qin was wreathed in lightning, like a war god incarnate. With one strike, he tore through ten thousand enemies and took the enemy leader's head from amidst the army!"
"Flying lightning, peerless spear god—those words were made for General Qin."
"The moment General Qin arrived, those wicked men threw down their armor and fled. Each one was so terrified that piss and shit streamed down their legs. The so-called rebel army was reduced to dust in an instant..."
Old Mr. Zhang spoke without pause, occasionally adding details from the battlefield that drew constant cries of amazement from the crowd.
Afterward, he turned to General Qin's private life: some young lady from a prominent family had sent him embroidered mandarin ducks, some princess had requested an imperial marriage decree, and so on. Gu Erniu's eyes shone as he listened, repeatedly crying out in delight.
As for Gu Sheng,
his attention was no longer on the story.
How could an ordinary storyteller possibly know so many inside details? He had most likely heard things from refugees, then exaggerated and embellished them himself.
But the Fire Worship Cult and this General Flying Thunder were probably real.
I wonder what level General Flying Thunder has reached in martial arts.
Wreathed in lightning, taking the enemy leader's head amid ten thousand troops—even if there had been exaggeration, it might not have been entirely false. It was hard to imagine what realm could grant such extraordinary power.
After satisfying the crowd, Old Mr. Zhang began telling stories and legends he had spoken of before.
Some were myths and biographies, while others were tales of martial artists from around Canghe County who had made their names.
For instance, Yan Heng, the "Autumn Water Sword"; Zhao Honglie, the "Black Sand Palm"; and Gu Sheng even heard Gu Jingang's name—Gu Jingang, the "Iron Fist King Kong"!
He found this quite interesting and silently committed their names to memory.
Time passed quickly.
Old Mr. Zhang slapped the wooden clapper and announced the end of the day's session, then slowly departed beneath the crowd's lingering gazes.
Gu Erniu smacked his lips, still not fully recovered, seemingly immersed in all the marvels the storyteller had described.
Only after a long while did he sigh:
"To live a life as splendid as that would mean this trip through the world had not been in vain!"
Gu Sheng nodded in agreement.
Why did these people enjoy listening to stories, if not because it was a way to experience life through someone else's eyes?
Gu Erniu and the others could almost see their futures with the naked eye, so they chose this way to comfort themselves. But Gu Sheng's future had only just begun.
Looking at the utterly different Canghe County before him, he silently thought:
Gu Family Village is only my starting point. Canghe County is as well. One day, I will live freely and unrestrained, following my heart wherever it leads!
The next day.
Early in the morning, Gu Erniu took Gu Sheng to deal with the pelts and medicinal herbs they had brought. The previous night, Gu Renxu had quietly told Gu Sheng that they would stay no longer than two days, so the two of them had to hurry.
Before long, they stopped in front of a pavilion with the three words "Mingyu Hall" written above its entrance.
Mingyu Hall was the property of one of the great clans in the city. It had weapons and medicinal powders of every kind, while also dealing in purchases and pawned goods. It was honest, fair, and highly reputable.
Its buying prices were slightly lower, but it was safe.
After considering it the night before, Gu Sheng had told Gu Erniu about hunting the Silver Fox.
Only after his initial shock did Gu Erniu realize that Gu Sheng had caught the Silver Fox. No wonder no one had been able to find it, no matter how hard they searched. He could not help but marvel even more at Gu Sheng's low-key nature. If anyone else had caught the Silver Fox, they would have begun boasting everywhere long ago.
Still, he only felt envy, not jealousy. Instead, he was happy for Gu Sheng. After all, Gu Sheng had saved his life.
Since Gu Sheng intended to sell the Silver Fox pelt, they had ultimately chosen Mingyu Hall.
As they entered the building, an attendant hurried over to greet them.
"Are you two here to sell pelts and medicinal herbs?"
"That's right."
Gu Erniu gave him a look, and Gu Sheng said calmly:
"We have a fine pelt to sell. Please ask your manager to come out."
A deal worth dozens of taels was certainly not a small one.
The attendant was observant. Seeing how calm and composed the two were, he quickly invited them into a side room to sit. After offering an apology, he went to the rear hall to fetch the manager.
Before you continue