First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2503 – The Storyteller and Elder Weng

A year later, in a small city near the frontier of the Southern Flame Divine Continent, a venerable old man held a lantern aloft as he slowly strolled through the city streets.

From time to time, others called out to him in greeting.

“Going to listen to stories again, Elder Weng?”

“Tch. You spend your days listening to stories in teahouses, and your nights listening to music in brothels. Your life sure is enviable.”

Elder Weng was a long-established member of the community, and those who lived here were all familiar with the old moneybags.

They said his son was a powerful immortal of the sword, but no one knew if it was true or not. All they knew was that he was benevolent and amiable, and that he frequently gave money to those in need.

The only thing to criticize was that despite his advanced age, he was still quite amorous. He went to the brothel almost every night, rain or shine.

Practically every girl in the city’s brothels had spent a night of passion with him before.

Along the way, Elder Weng smiled and greeted everyone back. Soon, he’d arrived at the teahouse.

The proprietor was already waiting with freshly brewed tea and refreshments. When he saw Elder Weng, he even went up to the door to greet him.

Elder Weng took a seat, raised a cup of tea to his lips, and said, “What kind of stories do you have for us today?”

The proprietor flashed him a mysterious smile. “Today, we have a storyteller said to have mastered ten thousand tales. He’s got quite the smooth tongue. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

Elder Weng smiled. “Then I came at just the right time.”

Before long, a crowd watched as a storyteller walked over to the three-foot table at the center of the teahouse.

“This humble one is surnamed Jin, and my given name is Yu. This is my first time here, so I humbly request your patience.” Jin Yu introduced himself, then said, “Are there any stories in particular you’d like to hear? If so, go right ahead and ask. I’ll be sure to deliver them all, one by one.”

“Then tell us about Sword Venerate Su’s accomplishments! Do well, and I’ll reward you generously!” someone said. “If you can’t do it right, then hurry up and scram!”

The teahouse burst into laughter. They recognized the speaker. His name was Du Zhe, and he frequently came to listen to stories, but whenever he heard one he didn’t like, he’d slap the table, curse, and shout.

But when he heard a story he admired, he was never stingy with the teller.

Jin Yu smiled. “In that case, I’ll tell you about Sword Venerate Su and his allies’ glorious feats over the years, including a few I’m sure you’ve not heard about!”

The crowd’s curiosity was instantly piqued.

Only Elder Weng remained calm. He’d long since grown accustomed to the ways storytellers whet their listeners’ appetites, and he didn’t take it at all seriously.

“Let’s start with a year ago, and the fall of the Three Purities Daoist Court. On that day, Sword Venerate Su destroyed the God Domain’s balance of power, and days of bloodshed and upheaval followed.

“As I’m sure you all know, on that day, Sword Venerate Su borrowed the Qilin Trading Company’s hands to announce a list of bounties…”

But before he could continue, someone slammed the table. “Enough! Quit dragging things out. We know all of that already. Hurry up and get to the good stuff!”

This wasn’t the least bit polite. Even the other listeners were a bit displeased, as stories were all about the telling. Every good story needed a beginning, middle, and end.

Jin Yu laughed, not at all concerned, then continued. “It’s been just a year since the list of names was published, but six astonishing battles have taken place during that time.”

“Six?” someone exclaimed. “Wasn’t it supposed to be three?”

The others tilted their heads, too.

Over the past year, practically all of the stories the storytellers had told in the teahouse revolved around Sword Venerate Su.

It wasn’t that the storytellers’ skills were lacking, but that this was what the patrons wanted to hear. If they told anything else, no one would want to listen.

Thus, many of those present knew Su Yi’s accomplishments over the past year like they knew their own family trees. They were incomparably certain that Su Yi had done three shocking things over the past year.

None of them had anticipated that this new storyteller would insist he’d actually done six. This instantly piqued their curiosity.

“You can’t just make stuff up!” someone warned. “We don’t want to hear any nonsense!”

Jin Yu said with a laugh, “Just listen patiently, everyone.

“The first of these six great feats happened eleven months ago. Su Yi and a group of his old friends fought in the Ancient Nirvana Divine Continent, traversing ninety thousand miles to crush the Donghua Sword Pavilion before Linghong Mountain! Five Nine-Tribulation Master Gods perished!”

Everyone in the room had heard this tale many times over, but despite their impatience, they listened attentively. No one interrupted.

They couldn’t deny that this Jin Yu guy had quite the gift of gab. He pulled them right into the story, to the point that they felt almost as if they were really there. It was quite impressive.

“The second feat happened nine months ago. The Southern Flame Divine Continent’s ancient Wenren Family was destroyed in a grand battle on the shore of the Black Waters. Sword Venerate Su cut down sixteen of their Master Gods…

“The third feat happened eight months ago, in one of the God Domain’s thirty-six subsidiary worlds, the Northern Lake Realm. A bloody battle unfolded, and the founder of the Endless Ocean’s Spirit Vessel Yao Court, Master Golden Crane, was slain through the joint efforts of Yan Chizhen, Demon Accestor Treasure Leave, Demon Venerate Five Desires, and other unparalleled figures!”

This time, the entire teahouse was in uproar. This was their first time hearing about this.

Even Elder Weng, who’d been sitting there leisurely listening to Jin Yu’s tale, instantly looked attentive.

Jin Yu described the whole battle with such extraordinary eloquence that everyone there felt as if they’d participated in that bloody battle personally. Just hearing it was enough to make their nerves taut. The brutality of it all made their hearts jump with fright.

Some of them couldn’t help but gasp. Others clenched their fists, chills coursing down their spines.

All of their expressions shifted as they found themselves utterly immersed in his retelling of this grand battle.

When the story ended, everyone in the teahouse reacted as if awakening from a dream. They let out long pent-up breaths, then exploded into uproar, like a pot blowing off its lid. The commotion was so loud that it seemed it might blow the roof off completely.

“What a story!”

“Sword Venerate Su is incredible!”

“So, Master Golden Crane is already dead!”

Elder Weng frowned. “Are you sure you aren’t just making stuff up?”

Jin Yu laughed bitterly. “How could a humble storyteller on the lowest echelons of society dare to fabricate tales of the deaths of Nine-Tribulation Master Gods?”

“Oh?” said Elder Weng. He took a golden ticket out of his sleeve, then passed it to Jin Yu. “Keep talking.”

Jin Yu clasped his fist in gratitude, then continued, “The fourth of these great feats happened six months ago. The founder of the Endless Ocean’s Divine Billows Palace, the Divine Billows Yao Monarch, died a brutal death in a spacetime forbidden zone in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.

“Sword Venerate Su cut him down himself, and they say he went on to destroy the entire spacetime forbidden zone.

“The fifth of these feats happened three months ago. Sword Venerate Su found the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains hidden in the Ruins of Supreme Obscurity!”

The whole crowd was in uproar once more. Everyone was astonished.

The Western Paradise Spirit Mountains were a ruling faction, the greatest Buddhist sect beneath the heavens. They’d gone into hiding a year ago.

Who’d have dared imagine that this mighty orthodoxy had hidden itself in the Ruins of Supreme Obscurity?

Elder Weng had only just raised his teacup to his lips when his eyes widened in shock.

“Alas, by the time Sword Venerate Su found their hiding place, they’d already evacuated, so no grand battle took place.”

Everyone inexplicably sighed in relief.

The fall of the Three Purities Daoist Court had already rewritten the God Domain’s balance of power. If the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains fell too… Who knew what would happen?

It wasn’t that they were on the Western Paradise Spirit Mountain’s side, but that if the world descended into upheaval, low-level figures like them would suffer the brunt of it.

“And the sixth feat…” said Jin Yu, pausing to sweep his gaze across the room, “happened just a month ago. Sword Venerate Su found Old Man Providence, the founder of the Divine Court of Providence. The two of them fought an unparalleled battle over Blue Firmament Ridge!”

“In the end, Old Man Providence fled with heavy injuries!”

Yet another round of uproar ensued.

Old Man Providence was an unparalleled strategist with far-reaching abilities, a mysterious, elusive figure, yet not even he was a match for Sword Venerate Su!

The crowd hadn’t heard anything about this, either. Soon, all of them were discussing it.

Having finished his tale, the storyteller, Jin Yu, took a sip of tea and silently departed.

Elder Weng glanced at him, then rose to follow him out the door.

The streets were bustling with carts and human traffic, but there was no sign of the storyteller anywhere.

Elder Weng’s brow furrowed. He looked around, and his expression shifted. There’s something off about that storyteller’s identity!”

Elder Weng was instantly solemn. Given his abilities, he could easily sense everything happening in the city. No one could escape his notice.

But it was as if the storyteller, Jin Yu, had evaporated into thin air. He’d instantly vanished without a trace!

When something strange happens, there’s always an explanation. I’ve got to move somewhere else! Outwardly, Elder Weng’s expression remained the same. He just walked out of the city, as leisurely as before.

Along the way, no small number of people called out in greeting.

“Elder Weng, are you going to the brothel to hear them sing again?”

“Haha, I wonder what lucky lass will receive your patronage tonight!”

Some of them used ambiguous language to tease him.

Elder Weng smiled at each of them in turn, but he said nothing. He didn’t act as if he were on his way to the brothel; he was headed toward his residence.

“Why aren’t you headed to the brothel to hear the music tonight?” a calm voice suddenly echoed through Elder Weng’s ears.

Elder Weng stiffened, then abruptly stopped in his tracks. His expression filled with unprecedented solemnity, and the pupils of his turbid eyes constricted until they were the size of needletips!

“Try anything, anything at all, and I guarantee you’ll die an unsightly death.”

A tall, upright figure appeared before Elder Weng.

This new arrival was a young man in blue, bathed by the light of the heavens, a hint of a smile on his face as he looked at Elder Weng.

“How… How did you find me?” Elder Weng said darkly, staring intently at the man in blue. His voice was full of indescribable solemnity and bewilderment.

“When the wind blows, it leaves its vestiges. When geese pass, they leave behind their calls,” laughed the man in blue. “With the whole world at my fingertips, finding you wasn’t difficult at all, Ol’ Severed Heavens.”