"...As the words left his mouth, everything happened in the blink of an eye. I saw Qin Wuxiang shake his form, revealing his True Manifestation of the Dharma, suddenly transforming into a monstrous fiend with the astonishing stature of five hundred feet tall, with eight heads and sixteen arms!"
"Each head was as large as a house! A single stomp shook the four gates of the city! With one breath, he flipped the entire county government on its head!"
Jade Pot Pavilion.
The teahouse was full to the brim, with people even crowding around the entrance.
Some vendors had even abandoned their stalls, tying on aprons and tip-toeing to take a peek inside.
On the stage in the center of the main hall, a storyteller sporting a mustache was fluently narrating:
"Comparatively, General Chen's heart did not waver, his hands did not shake, he scoffed: 'If heaven had not given birth to me, Chen Jinyan, the Sword Way would be eternal as the longest night. Strike with the sabre!'"
"That sword strike, breathtaking through the ages, crushing even the Heavenly Immortals!"
"That sword strike, spanning across the heavens, before which all things bow..."
Snap!
The Gavel struck.
The storyteller picked up his teacup, moistening his throat.
"If you wish to know what happens next, please stay tuned for the following part."
The audience below was utterly captivated, and just as they reached the climax, the abrupt stop made it terribly uncomfortable, as if hanging in suspense.
"Why don't you finish the story?"
"You old man, are you purposely leaving us hanging?"
"That's outright unfilial!"
"Cursed be the family of one who leaves a story unfinished!"
Faced with the surrounding curses and trash-talk, the storyteller was entirely composed, stroking his mustache, his eyes slightly closed, as if deaf to the world.
If one didn't even have this much psychological resilience, then what kind of storyteller are they?
In this line of work, the fee for tea is merely trivial; the main income relies on tips.
First, one would tell part of the tale for free, piquing the listeners' interest, and then abruptly stop just as everyone is engrossed...
Want to keep listening?
Then it depends on whether the strength of the tips suffices.
Although being scolded is the norm, earning money is, after all, not shameful!
Thud!
At that moment, a silver light descended from the second floor, falling onto the stage, rolling "clattering" to the storyteller's feet.
The storyteller looked down, his eyes instantly lighting up.
Wow, fifty taels of Longheng Treasure Silver!
Such a generous donor, it seems that today is a day of great fortune for this old man!
The storyteller picked up the silver, tucking it into his sleeve, smiling as he said: "Since the gentleman wishes to hear more, then I will continue the story, picking up from where we left off..."
"There's no need, just answer me two questions."
A somewhat hoarse voice came from upstairs: "Are you certain Qin Wuxiang is dead?"
The storyteller nodded: "Of course, the news has already spread, who in the streets does not know? Just yesterday afternoon, the Heavenly Demon List was updated—Tenth Sky Demon Qin Wuxiang has been officially removed!"
The Heavenly Demon List has always been publicly accessible, allowing anyone to look up the relevant information.
Be it Jianghu swordsmen or Sect disciples, as long as they capture or slay a demon on the list and present them to the Capital City Government Office, after verification they can receive a handsome reward!
Being removed from the list signifies that the court has already confirmed the identity and verified the truth.
The person upstairs was silent for a moment, then asked: "Second question, who is General Chen?"
The storyteller was taken aback, soon followed by enlightenment: "You must be from out of town, right? There aren't many Chen family households in Tiandu City."
"The one who killed Qin Wuxiang, is no other than the son of Lord Imperial Censor, the Sky Scale Guard Commander Chen Mo, styled Jinyan."
"It's said that he is a Sixth-rank Transcendent Warrior, possessing strength comparable to the top ten heroes. However, the Cloud Top Ranking has not been updated yet, so no one can be certain..."
"Do you want to know anything else? This old man can offer a few more questions as a bonus."
The storyteller was very enthusiastic.
Thinking to himself: If I can make this wealthy patron happy, maybe he'll tip a few dozen taels, and I can live comfortably for a few more years!
After waiting for a long while, there was no response.
Just as he was puzzled, suddenly, insulting complaints arose from below:
"Old man, what are you mumbling to yourself? Are you going to continue or not?"
"Mumbling to myself?"
The storyteller suddenly realized, and hurriedly reached into his sleeve.
The treasure silver that had felt heavy just moments ago now weighed nothing, and when he squeezed, it crumpled; it turned out to be paper offering ingots meant for the deceased!
"Thief!"
"How dare you use ghost money to deceive me, this old man wishes you..."
The storyteller ran out of breath, his face turned purple, and he fell over sideways onto the stage.
"Ah!"
"He's dead!"
A burst of exclamations broke out, sending the teahouse into chaos, with people collapsing and tumbling over each other...
Outside, a figure wrapped in a black robe slowly walked away.
His face was covered in a thin mist, making it indistinct.
"Chen Mo..."
...
Chen Mansion.
Inside the training room, Chen Mo sat cross-legged, with the attribute panel displayed in front of him:
Name: Chen Mo
Title: Fierce Ghost Slayer
Realm: Sixth-rank Transcendence Realm
Cultivation Technique: Mixed Element Body Refining Technique – Mastery
Martial Arts:
Blazing Eight Slashes – Mastery
Sleeve Green Dragon – Beginner (55/200)
Wind and Thunder Release – Small Success (0/100)
Divine Skills:
Soul Capturing – Elementary (0/1)
True Spirit: 151
...
The trip to Tongling County was quite fruitful.
Besides True Spirit, the title, and Divine Skills, the battle with the Faceless Demon also led him to a deeper understanding of the Sword Way.
"Hide the aura, conceal the blade within the body."
"In the instant of drawing the blade out, infusing Life Essence within, seemingly causing some kind of transformation..."
Remembering the soul-shaking roar, akin to a living entity, the Azure Dragon Saber Intent, Chen Mo vaguely felt that he had touched on something. However, when trying to grasp it, it was as elusive as a reflection in water, vanishing without a trace.
"Is this what Daoist Charm is?"
"Pity, it seems I'm still a bit short..."
"There's no need for distress as my realm is still not high enough."
Chen Mo didn't dwell on it excessively.
Understanding the Dao requires the right opportunity.
Besides, even if he can't perceive it, as long as his True Spirit is maximized, he can still step into the realm of Mastery.
"Just touching upon a hint of the Daoist Charm has brought me immense benefits."
"The progress of Sleeve Green Dragon has increased by nearly 50 points; it's hard to estimate how much painstaking practice this equates to."