Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

"This humble servant, Old Zhang, has finished speaking for all of you. Now that the story is told, let's call it a day."

He banged on the pear wood board for a while, then brought out a plate.

Some onlookers took out two or three coins and put them into the wooden plate, instantly earning sixty or seventy coins.

Old Zhang thanked him and put the copper coins back into his bag.

At this point, someone expressed dissatisfaction:

"Bah! It's all just childish nonsense, no fun at all. What kind of storyteller did Guanhelou hire? Don't waste our time."

"Haha, that's right, we're not hairless babies."

"Old Zhang, stories can be made up, but news is about truth and falsehood. Is there anything new happening in the martial arts world?"

"If not, then go down. Wouldn't it be more pleasant to have Miss Yan'er play a piece on the zither than watching this old geezer spout nonsense?"

"Ha!~"

Some people started to chime in, and the first floor began to get noisy and chaotic, with boos gradually rising.

Whether they were martial arts practitioners, merchants from the north and south, or ordinary people stopping by for a rest, they all liked to learn about the latest news in the martial arts world from storytellers.

Therefore, in addition to telling stories, storytellers also spread rumors and gossip.

Skilled and well-informed storytellers are regulars in theaters, brothels, inns, and teahouses, and they never lack tips.

Old Zhang was so angry he turned red in the face.

He jumped onto the stage, struck the small jie drum, and the wooden board resounded again:

"Dear readers, don't think I'm deceiving you. I do have some information, but I'm afraid it might frighten you if I tell you."

Seeing his serious demeanor, everyone quieted down considerably.

Some of the more impatient ones slammed their weapons on the table and said, "Speak up! I'm not easily intimidated. If the information is false, I'll smash up your Guanhelou's reputation!"

Some people took it seriously, and the crowd became interested. Many people leaned over the railing, eager to see what major event was happening in the martial arts world.

The gaunt old man didn't mind and chuckled lightly.

"Are you all aware that a few days ago, Penglai issued a decree ordering its sect leader to search for a young man throughout the martial world?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd at Guanhelou erupted in uproar, instantly becoming a commotion.

In the martial arts world, the sect leader's order is similar to an official announcement, serving to mobilize disciples and announce the sect's decisions to the martial arts world. It is not issued lightly unless it is a major decision.

Moreover, Penglai is no ordinary small sect; the things that happen there must be significant.

It should be noted that more than 30 years have passed since Penglai last issued a leadership order, when Penglai Haifengzi challenged Sima Xiangtian to a duel in the Bohai Sea.

Both issued a command at the same time, declaring that regardless of life or death, no disciple of their sect should seek revenge, and that the world should bear witness to this.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuan on the second floor composed himself and also perked up his ears.

"How is that possible!"

"What abilities does this boy possess that warrant a sect leader appointment from Penglai?"

The man who had just cursed Old Man Zhang changed his tune and raised his voice, "Shut up, everyone, and listen to Mr. Zhang explain in detail."

Looking at the anxious expressions on everyone's faces, Old Zhang took a sip of tea and said smugly:

"This nameless youth is incredibly skilled. I heard that he has already mastered solid internal energy before he was even fifteen years old. Ten days ago, he sneaked into Penglai to steal the 'Heavenly King Heart-Nourishing Needle' energy cultivation method and ambushed and killed the Penglai disciples who were tracking him."

"Rumor has it that Yan Bo, the eldest disciple of the Penglai Sect Leader, and Song Kuan and Feng Chi, disciples of the third and fourth branches, were all killed, and the inner disciples were slaughtered, leaving corpses strewn all over the ground."

Old Zhang kept emphasizing:

"It is said that the head of Penglai was so angry that he vomited blood. He considered it a great humiliation and immediately issued a decree that anyone who confesses to a crime can be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold, and anyone who kills a corpse in the martial world and offers it as a disciple can enter the inner sect."

"To all fellow martial artists who assisted in the capture, I will forever remember this kindness. If you ever need my help, I will go through fire and water for you."

"hiss!"

Some people gasped in shock.

He's under fifteen and has already killed more than ten people, including the sect leader's eldest disciple. What a ruthless and monstrous young man!

"It is said that a junior sister from the Juechen lineage, along with Yan Bo and the others, pursued this fiend and was nearly violated and humiliated by him."

"Now, martial arts practitioners from the two routes and five prefectures of Jingdong are searching for this person. The Kuangfeng Sect and the Iron Fist Gang, which are on good terms with Penglai, have sent people to participate in the search, determined to capture this scoundrel."

"Pfft!~"

Gao Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and almost spat out half a mouthful of wine onto the table.

Fine, fine, stealing the secret manual, tracking down the victim, and humiliating the junior sister?

He never expected Penglai to be so shameless, not afraid of exposing the murder of his family members, but instead going to great lengths to frame him.

Judging from their actions, Penglai intends to use its power to intimidate him and destroy him.

Fortunately, I was smart enough not to stay at JD.com's two stations.

The diners at Guanhelou remained silent.

The extraordinary skills of Penglai are in this young man's possession. Even if he doesn't care about material things, it would still be a huge temptation for a martial arts enthusiast who has no way to learn.

In the world of martial arts, people chase after nothing more than three things: fame, gold and silver, and martial arts skills.

If we catch him, we can have all three.

Many people were already excited, but regretted not knowing what the person looked like. Some even took swords and guns and left the restaurant, wanting to go to the two prefectures to join in the fun.

Upon receiving the news, many people readily took out their bronze coins and tossed them into the wooden tray.

Old Zhang was very pleased with himself and, while the iron was hot, dropped a few more pieces of news, but they were all unimportant gossip about the martial arts world.

The only thing that caught Gao Yuan's attention was the news that the prefect of Xuzhou had been assassinated by the Zoroastrians, which enraged the imperial court, which then established a five-county border patrol system in Xuzhou and ordered the Imperial Guard to suppress the assassination attempt.

At this point, the purpose of Tan Qing and his gang's infiltration of Xuzhou became clear.

But Zoroastrianism's roots are not in Xuzhou, so why would they risk coming all this way to kill a high-ranking official of the imperial court?

Xu Rong was an official in Pingjiang Prefecture, but was transferred to Xuzhou...

His letter reporting the activities of Zoroastrians...

Taking all these factors into account, Gao Yuan felt that things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface.

Forget it, I'm too lazy to think about their nonsense. Whatever their motives, as long as they don't cause me trouble, that's fine.

End of Shen Shi (3-5 PM).

Gao Yuan met the wine tavern and left directly.

Now that news of Penglai has reached Jingzhao Prefecture, it is no longer advisable to stay here any longer.

The "shit pot" that Penglai threw at him was a bit too big.

Who knows if there are any powerful gangs on Yongxingjun Road that have connections with Penglai? And looking at the "eager" look on everyone's faces in the restaurant, he didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest.

He probably wouldn't be able to escape if he were surrounded and beaten.

If one or two more martial arts masters or grandmasters were to be attracted, it would be uncertain whether they could save their lives.

Stepping out of the Crane Viewing Tower, he pondered for a moment, then turned south and headed towards Wheat Straw Lane.

"Nanshanxiang" was a teahouse opened by Ma Wude. At that time, in addition to working as a tea transporter in southern Yunnan, Ma Wude also operated some teahouses in Dazhou Prefecture.

A few days ago, Lao Ma finished transporting tea from Henan Prefecture and ran into Gao Yuan in Baoling County. The two chatted for a while.

Old Ma admired Gao Yuan's insightful views and, being wealthy and hospitable himself, wanted to invite him to his home, but Gao Yuan politely declined.

As for why I thought of Lao Ma at this moment, the main reason is that Lao Ma's "net worth has increased many times" and he needs someone to help cover for him.

Gao Yuan strolled along the main street, asking around for directions to the place Ma Wude had told him about, and after turning several corners, he finally arrived at Maijie Lane.

After walking about ten steps and turning a corner, "Nanshanxiang" was right in front of him. Gao Yuan glanced at the beggar across the street and suddenly thought of the scarred-faced boy who had begged with him in Teng County.

If it weren't for Sanlang's care, he probably would have died long ago.

I just hope that good people will be rewarded, and that there won't be any famine years. I hope that Sanlang won't have to go out begging anymore.

Composing himself, Gao Yuan was about to step into the teahouse when a man of ordinary appearance but slightly plump figure greeted him with a smile.