Chapter 11 …
The Traveling Troupe
The traveling troupe that had come to the Xianghang market had been performing in the open square for five days. Every day, after finishing his work, Jianling would go to watch their performances.
Even though it was the same opera and the same comedic sketches every day, it was still entertaining.
For Jianling, who had lived a lonely life on Heukam Island, all of this was fascinating and amusing.
“They say there’s a lot of fun in the world… and they’re right. I’m glad I came to the martial world, just as Grandma wished.”
Jianling listened to the comic storyteller with a satisfied expression.
“So, it was when Gongsun Chan of the Gu Yang Wu clan…”
“When he tried to cut through the waist of Gu Zunma Sword with the Huaiyue Wanmang technique.”
Ever since he was young, he had been called a prodigy by three people, and he even had the ‘Five-Star Memory’ ability, allowing him to recall a story he had heard just once.
Having heard this story five times already, it would not have been an exaggeration to say that Jianling had almost memorized it.
What Jianling said in excitement slightly embarrassed the storyteller.
“When he tried to cut Gu Zunma Sword’s waist with the Huaiyue Wanmang technique…”
“Gu Zunma Sword stepped back to the side following the Huailiu Xian Biao method, using the Yicheng Wuxiang technique…”
As Jianling went on to recite the next part, all eyes of the audience and the storyteller turned to him.
Jianling looked around, puzzled by why everyone was staring at him.
The storyteller regained his composure and continued the tale, only for Jianling to immediately speak the next part.
The storyteller, annoyed, asked Jianling,
“What comes next?”
Jianling blinked.
“You asked what comes next?”
“Gongsun Chan of the Gu Yang Wu clan gave up his waist and tried to strike Gu Zunma Sword’s heart, but unfortunately, he failed…”
The storyteller nodded and motioned for Jianling to step forward.
“Step out here?”
“Yes. Stand here and tell the story.”
“Me? Really?”
“Of course. It would be even better if you could act it out as well.”
Most people would hesitate, claiming they couldn’t do it, but not Jianling. He immediately stood up and walked forward.
The storyteller’s expression twisted slightly. He had expected Jianling to fail, so he had planned to scold him quietly while listening. But now that Jianling had come forward, he was a bit taken aback.
Still, he couldn’t go back on his word. Curious if Jianling really knew the story, he let him continue.
“Wounded in the waist, Gongsun Chan faced a crisis and continued the tough battle…”
Jianling, seemingly unaware of the storyteller’s position, was elated.
While recounting the story, he actually mimicked the sword techniques and movements, running across the stage, which amused the audience immensely.
The storyteller, sidelined, watched as Jianling’s performance outshone his own. Even his simple gestures and speech couldn’t compete with Jianling’s grand, dynamic movements.
“Ha ha ha! Ho ho ho!”
Seeing the crowd enjoy themselves made Jianling even more excited.
Even the members of the traveling troupe came out to watch him.
“Believing it’s the last move, Gongsun Chan closed his eyes, and like a beam of light from the ancient texts…”
Jianling shivered and mimicked striking downward with his arm vertically, portraying the moment of achieving a breakthrough.
Ziiiiiing!
The tent roof in the direction of Jianling’s mimic strike suddenly tore.
But no one inside, listening to Jianling’s story, noticed it.
When the story ended, the audience applauded.
“You could be a storyteller yourself. That was entertaining…”
People said Jianling was even more amusing than the storyteller, encouraging him.
The storyteller looked at Jianling with a jealous gaze.
When Jianling stepped off the stage, Wang Yi, the troupe leader, ran over, grabbed his hand, and asked,
“How do you tell stories so well?”
“It’s because the storyteller made it fun, so I could memorize it.”
Jianling credited the storyteller, though Wang Yi knew it wasn’t just that.
Once the crowd left, only the troupe members remained in the tent.
“Have you thought about working with our troupe?”
“With the troupe?”
“Yes, if you can create and tell stories like this…”
“Leader!”
The storyteller called Wang Yi over, showing he didn’t want his livelihood taken away.
“Do you really think an inexperienced youngster can create stories? He just repeats what he’s heard…”
He tried to assert that he was better than Jianling, but Wang Yi, seeing that Jianling could perform for less pay, was tempted to hire him anyway.
“I’m not planning to be a storyteller. Do martial arts masters have nothing better to do than become storytellers?”
For a moment, the two adults were stunned.
“Martial arts master?”
“Yes. I just think the storyteller’s story is fun, but I don’t want to be a storyteller myself. Besides, Grandma Zenmo said men should have grand ambitions, so I’ll live that way too.”
“Grandma Zenmo?”
“Yes! The one who raised me. She said if you mention Zenmo Yakbing, all martial artists would know. I guess you two don’t know.”
At the mention of Zenmo Yakbing, the troupe members blinked in surprise.
“Could it really be the Zenmo Yakbing who disappeared from the martial world fifty years ago?”
“Of course. Not just Grandma Zenmo, but Grandpa Golog and Grandpa Ghost as well.”
Wang Yi narrowed his eyes.
“You learned martial arts from the great master Gologma Chae Chunam, Ghost Master Gu Yeongcheol, and Zenmo Yakbing?”
“Yes.”
The troupe nodded, convinced Jianling was lying.
“I see. A master shouldn’t become a storyteller.”
“Exactly. That’s why I don’t plan to be one. I’ll soon travel across the Central Plains.”
“Very well. You may go.”
Jianling left the tent.
“Good-looking, but a bit off in flavor, it seems,” said the storyteller.
“Yes, looks delicate like a woman,” replied another.
“They say handsome psychopaths are good liars. Didn’t you know?”
Whoosh!
At that moment, a gust of wind caused the tent to tilt.
“Whoa!”
Crash!
The tent fell to one side, and everyone inside was knocked over by its weight.
“You fools! I told you not to skimp on construction!”
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the damage to the tent was unavoidable.
“Hurry! Set up the tent again, or there’ll be no business tonight!”
Meanwhile, in Xianghang:
Gae Geolgae bowed in front of Leng Yuesol.
He was slightly surprised to hear she had appeared in Xianghang, thinking the former head of the Moonlight Sect wouldn’t appear in such a remote place.
Upon confirmation that it really was Leng Yuesol, he followed her to see if she might be involved in the affairs of Wangak Mountain Hideout.
“Why have you been following me?”
“Something unfortunate has occurred recently.”
“Unfortunate?”
“Yes. The Wangak Mountain Hideout was annihilated by a master of the ‘inner sect.’”
The word “annihilation” naturally drew his attention.
Information has grades: some must be hidden, some shared. The matter of Wangak Mountain Hideout wasn’t top-secret. The focus was whether it was a new inner sect master or one already in the world.
“If it was a petty quarrel, a righteous person wouldn’t annihilate them, just reprimand them. Their annihilation suggests it was done by an inner sect master, which we’re currently investigating.”
He couldn’t tell her he had been following her out of suspicion.
“So Wangak Mountain Hideout—aren’t they the green forest bandits on Wangak Mountain?”
“Yes.”
“And they were annihilated?”
“All of them reportedly died from internal injuries inflicted by inner sect techniques. When we learned that the Master was in Xianghang, we thought perhaps she was tracking the perpetrator…”
It might be a misunderstanding, but from their perspective, it made sense.
“I am here on personal business. Don’t worry about me.”
“As you wish.”
“Also, it seems you are watching the Jiangnan Trade House. Why?”
“Before the annihilation of Wangak Mountain Hideout…”
Gae Geolgae told her everything he knew. Leng Yuesol’s expression slightly changed—there could be bloodshed in the household of the girl she intended to take as a disciple.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. Currently, the Bulsan Hideout’s bandits are also investigating this. They will attack the Jiangnan Trade House regardless—they believe their property was stolen.”
It made sense from the bandits’ perspective.
“So, the fact that they’re still monitoring the trade house means they haven’t found the perpetrator of Wangak Mountain Hideout’s annihilation?”
“Yes. It’s still unclear. Unless the perpetrator shows themselves again, they probably won’t be found.”
Information about the perpetrator must not be shared. Even if disclosed, it requires authorization.
“Regrettable, but I’ll take Aseol back to the sect first.”
With nothing more to attend to, Leng Yuesol left. After she departed, Gae Geolgae narrowed his eyes.
“Although they claim to be a minor faction, the Moonlight Sect is close to the righteous sect, so it’s unlikely. I must report this to my superiors first.
