The next morning, three suns rose from the horizon of Qingyuan, and the ancient Ziyang Mansion, standing tall for thousands of years, was buzzing with traffic like it was the grand old capital of Da Shang.
The Qingyuan Sect was throwing a big shindig, and the excitement rivaled the old days when the place was a bustling metropolis.
Even the storyteller under the bridge had leveled up his game.
The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths ranking was up for grabs, and it seemed that throwing a bit of silver could get you on the list, as more and more people flocked to the bridge to hear some stand-up comedy.
“The list for this year is out! Our very own Mighty Husband with the golden tongue and Cold Fairy are naturally on it, no surprises there!”
“I heard there’s not just the Stunning Beauty List this time, but also the Jade Tree and Orchid List coming up.”
“Purely a bystander, but I bet Young Hero Li will snag the top spot.”
Huang Donglai was under the bridge, spitting bars and making waves with his storytelling skills.
At first, he might have been trying to rally support for Li Mo, but then he realized he genuinely enjoyed the limelight, and he had quite the talent for it.
Of course, even if Old Huang’s storytelling was top-notch, there were still skeptics.
“Talk big, I’ve seen Li Mo, he’s just average.”
“I’ve figured it out; this storyteller is just a Li fanboy.”
A guy from the Lingxi Gate scoffed, and his comment had a pinch of personal bias to it. He was sent to gather intel on Li Mo and had hoped this storyteller knew something—only to find it was all flattery.
So he turned to leave, but suddenly bumped into someone at the corner.
“Indeed.”
He jumped in surprise and looked up to see a sunny, handsome face.
“Li… Li Mo??”
“You can also call me Li, the average dude, Mo.”
Li Mo felt a bit melancholic; so much for Old Huang’s low profile, it seemed all the high notes were reserved for him.
His appearance stirred quite a commotion in the crowd.
Those who had been discussing and critiquing were suddenly hushed. Many roguish adventurers with weapons now greeted him politely.
You see, not being present is one thing.
But when the potential number one of the young talents—renowned for his divine craftsmanship—stands right in front of you, it’s a whole other story.
“When Young Hero Li appears, it’s like a dragon amongst men, a shining star!”
“During the Qingyuan Sect’s promotion ceremony, I hope you’ll toast with us!”
Facing the crowd’s flattery, Li Mo returned the gestures with a polite nod.
Before long, the storytelling booth under the bridge wrapped up its session.
“Brother Li, why are you out here all alone? No preparation for the betrothal feast?”
“Just helping Elder Qian buy some materials; can’t just keep munching on his dumplings.”
“Oh? So your lips are looking like that from eating dumplings?”
“Yup, dumpling burns.”
“?”
Huang Donglai looked at the red marks on his lips, thinking, clearly, that’s a bite mark! What kind of dumpling bites back?
Li Mo noticed he was on his own and asked, “Where’s Old Xiao?”
“Locked behind closed doors at the sect.”
“And Murong Xiao?”
“Off challenging his own weaknesses at the brothel.”
“Everyone’s busy with their own serious paths; why did you come down here to do stand-up?”
Li Mo asked, feeling exasperated as he walked.
“Hit a roadblock. Just thought I’d find some inspiration,” Huang Donglai sighed.
Old Huang, known for his steady approach, wouldn’t show his cards easily; in contrast, he was refreshingly honest with Li Mo.
Li Mo began to grasp the situation.
Old Huang’s martial style was quite unique.
Just look at the names of his moves: “Totally Unrecognizable Kick,” “Soft Tendons, Loose Palms”… the inspirations he drew from were definitely off the beaten path!
The approach was crooked, yet effective, leaving one open to unexpected counters.
—
This is a path no one has ventured down; he only made it this far by an unexpected lucky find—an odd pearl.
Now, he has explored all possible tactics he could think of, yet he still has no idea how to proceed inward.
“My talent was never remarkable; getting stuck in the third realm isn’t a surprise.”
Huang Donglai said with a tinge of regret.
“As for martial affairs, we’ll find a way eventually.”
According to Li Mo’s fate and perception, his destiny was never meant to be trapped in the third realm:
“… So, how does this relate to your storytelling?”
Huang Donglai fell silent for a moment, then shifted the subject:
“Brother Li, it seems we’ve got a Lingxi Gate fellow trailing us.”
“I know.”
“Not worried? Well, yeah, they’re probably here for intel; trying to deal with them might alert the wrong folks.”
“Not entirely; the Lingxi people have been having a rough time lately; just let them stew in it.”
“…..”
As they chatted, they made their way to the Ziyang Mansion’s gathering.
—
Meanwhile, at the East City Inn within Ziyang Mansion.
A group of straw-hat-wearing men sat in a quiet room, sipping tea as if waiting for something.
The leader, a middle-aged man in a blue robe, embroidered with purple lines and missing two fingers, lightly tapped the table with his index finger.
“Whoa…” A disciple suddenly gasped.
“What’s wrong?”
The middle-aged man opened his sleepy eyes, revealing one empty socket.
“Nothing, master; I just choked on some cold water…”
“Humph, you should be used to that by now.”
The Lingxi Gate master scoffed, and the disciples all chimed in:
“Yeah, what’s choking on cold water? I had breakfast this morning and found a bone shard in my rice!”
“I went to the temple to light some incense and lost my money pouch in the donation box; when I tried to get it back, I was mistaken for a thief and got beaten up.”
“That’s nothing; my stool actually had a nail; did I complain?”
“Dude, I thought you were just bleeding; good thing you didn’t think it was some other issue!”
“Enough!”
The master waved a hand, surveying his disciples with a comforting gaze:
“As the saying goes, ‘After the worst comes the best.’ Our bad luck means better fortune lies ahead. Taking small hits now will lead to greater blessings later; that’s the logic here.”
The disciples nodded earnestly.
Bang—
Suddenly, the door swung open with a bang, as if kicked.
“Hey, where is everyone? Were they taken away?”
A disciple who went out to scout came back, confusion plastered across his face.
Then he noticed the elite members of Lingxi Gate crawling out from under the table.
“Why didn’t you knock?”
“I thought the officials were raiding us for who knows what!”
“Wait, why are we hiding? We didn’t do anything illegal.”
“Guess it was a reflex…”
Lingxi Gate appeared to be a polite and upright establishment but had a penchant for shady practices behind closed doors.
“I slipped at the door…”
“Get to the point; what news did you gather?”
The middle-aged master settled back in his seat, shifting to a serious tone.
“Li Mo… he’s indeed incredibly handsome.”
“?”
