He tells stories, likely many of the guests here have heard him before,
He speaks of won, vibrant and alluring,
He speaks of n, each one a heroic figure.
He speaks of ghosts and monsters, enough to make your heart race...
The host lavishly praised the storyteller "Feng Moyan" with abandon,
The audience below, full of lively guests, whistled, cheered, and repeatedly called for Feng Moyan to take the stage.
Yun Ziliang said to Zhou Xuan, "Xiao Zhou, it seems you’ve t soone from your own circle. I feel like, despite all his bragging, when it cos to storytelling, he’s no match for you."
Zhao Wuya turned his head and asked Zhou Xuan, "Landlord, you can tell stories too?"
"Are you kidding ? Of course I’m a storyteller, Ya Zi."
Zhou Xuan chuckled,
While fighting the Liu God alongside Zhao Wuya, he had clearly demonstrated the Dream Generation technique of a storyteller, yet this Ya Zi seed to have forgotten about it.
Holding his wine cup, Zhou Xuan watched the stage with great interest. In his past life, he had been fond of listening to performances. Now, in Jing Country, though he had occasionally heard so tales by street storytellers, their skill level was rather lacking.
But this Feng Moyan, invited over from Bailen, surely must possess real talent.
"I wonder if he’s better than the master storytellers from my prior life."
Under the host’s unrelenting complints and the audience’s fervent calls, Feng Moyan finally stepped onto the stage.
"Now this stage presence—he has the air of a true master."
Zhou Xuan watched with rapt attention,
A storyteller’s first impression starts from their entrance,
Walking too quickly lacks grace; walking too slowly appears spiritless.
Neither fast nor slow, calm and composed—that sets the tone of mastery, offering the audience a sense of assurance and the impression that "This storyteller must have sothing worthwhile to say."
Among storytellers of the sa caliber, those with steadier stage presence often earn more applause and admiration.
"Master once said that voice, presence, form, and expression are all vital. This Feng Moyan, before even speaking, already shines in three aspects."
"Ladies and gentlen, I am Feng Moyan, the storyteller from Bailen. I thank those who know for your recognition.
Today, I’ll be telling an original story of mine,
A tale that, while untitled in style, does not lack significance. And this specific story certainly has its title: it’s called ’The Impostor.’"
Feng Moyan snapped the gavel against the table. His hoarse yet powerful voice opened the performance: "This story is ant to mock certain impostors among us.
What is false? What is true?
Most of those present are true individuals—their nas are real, their appearances are real, their physiques are real.
But so people—their nas are false, their appearances false, their physiques false.
Take a storyteller from Ping Shui Prefecture, for example. In my view, he is one such impostor.
This man’s surna is Zhou, and his given na is Xuan..."
"Zhou Xuan?"
Instantly, many in the audience pieced together the na Feng Moyan ntioned, arriving at "Zhou Xuan."
Yun Ziliang and Zhao Wuya both gazed at Zhou Xuan.
"Ping Shui Prefecture’s storyteller Zhou Xuan—could you get any more direct with your target?"
Being openly ridiculed didn’t anger Zhou Xuan; instead, he felt this storyteller carried quite the pedigree.
"Impostor? Well, oddly enough, that’s quite accurate."
Zhou Xuan’s na was indeed false, as were his physique and appearance—he was a man of a past life.
"Feng Moyan... Mr. Feng?"
The thought struck Zhou Xuan, and his right hand imdiately gripped his Bone Token, ready to crush it without hesitation.
Just as he exerted force, Feng Moyan on stage abruptly vanished, reappearing the next second in front of Zhou Xuan’s seat,
His folded fan stabbing toward Zhou Xuan’s throat.
But Zhou Xuan had also disappeared; Feng Moyan’s fan pierced the cushion of Zhou Xuan’s chair.
Zhou Xuan, anwhile, was now standing on the storytelling platform, gazing at Feng Moyan from afar with the Bone Token already crushed in his hand.
"Your reflexes are quick."
Feng Moyan stared at Zhou Xuan—no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how Zhou Xuan had evaded his lethal strike.
"Fortunately, my Perception is sharp now."
Zhou Xuan silently wiped his sweat; monts earlier, his heightened Perception had alerted him to danger, prompting him to use Divine Armor and teleport to the stage, dodging Feng Moyan’s fan.
One attack, one defense—the situation was fraught with peril.
"Boom!"
A burst of Dao Yan Fire appeared beside Zhou Xuan as the Painter tore through the space and stepped out.
"Young Master?"
"That storyteller tried to kill ; his na is Feng Moyan—could he be the infamous kidnapper ’Mr. Feng’?"
Upon hearing this, the Painter glanced at Feng Moyan, then reached into his chest and pulled out a Bone Token, declaring, "Bone Elder Association’s Divine Office is investigating. All unrelated individuals, leave at once."
The tropolitan city of Guling was where this was set; even the City God’s people in the audience assisted the Painter in dispersing the crowd. Their divine presence was minimal, but the Painter gestured towards them—they too should leave.
Zhou Xuan signaled Zhao Wuya to escort Yun Ziliang and the others out first.
The hall emptied,
Leaving only Feng Moyan, Zhou Xuan, and the Painter.
Just then,
Zhou Xuan felt the connection to his wrist tightening, heating up...
...
Zhou Family’s Troupe’s Ancestor Tree, under Zhou Lingyi’s activation, abruptly grew and expanded.
"Elder Yuan, I’ll send you to Mingjiang Prefecture."
Zhou Lingyi sketched a Daoist Talisman in mid-air and lightly pushed the talisman’s body, sending it into the Ancestor Tree.
The Ancestor Tree lowered two willow branches, grasped Yuan Buyu’s wrist firmly, and pulled—
Yuan Buyu’s figure disappeared without a trace,
Among Jing Country’s nine Ancestor Trees, each possessed unique abilities,
The Peach Blossom Ancestor Tree’s ability was "Empowernt," enabling Peng Sheng, empowered by it, to use an eight-incense Divine Image to face off against Peng Hou’s Heavenly Ghost Map.
The Ginkgo Ancestor Tree’s ability was "Imprisonnt," capable of creating a prison to lock away the Great Heavenly King.
The Willow Tree’s ability was "Tree Gate," able to send people to the location of its connected disciple.
It was precisely because of this ability that Zhou Lingyi dared to let Zhou Xuan head to Mingjiang Prefecture with ease.
"Brother, I’ve been here all along."
...
When Zhou Xuan’s wrist connection felt like a piece of red-hot iron, as if driven by so unseen will, he reflexively reached behind—
And pulled Yuan Buyu, a living person, right in front of him.
"Master?" Zhou Xuan’s emotions surged at the sight of Yuan Buyu.
"Good disciple, your master is here to help you."
"Are you the seven-incense storyteller from Ping Shui Prefecture?" the Painter asked.
"Painter, Lao Yuan greets you."
Yuan Buyu exchanged greetings with the Painter, then snapped open his folded fan with a sharp "clack," staring coldly at Feng Moyan as he said, "Brother Feng, two days ago, you specifically went to Ping Shui Prefecture saying soone wanted to kill my disciple. Never did I expect the one targeting my disciple... would be you."
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