"Young Master, what are you laughing at?" the old Storyteller asked, clearly dissatisfied.
Quinn Ye quickly shook his head.
"Nothing. Please continue, sir."
The old man withdrew his gaze and went back to his story.
But after listening for a while longer, Quinn couldn't help it.
Pfft.
He laughed out loud again.
The old Storyteller glared at him once more.
The other guests in the teahouse also turned to glare at Quinn angrily.
"Hey kid! We were just getting into it. Why are you causing trouble?" a man stood up and shouted.
Quinn ignored the man and looked straight at the Storyteller.
"Old sir, you've been telling this same story for many years, haven't you?"
The Storyteller paused.
"What do you mean, Young Master? I have told this story for decades. Every time, the audience listens with relish. I do not understand why you keep laughing."
"Do you find my storytelling ridiculous?"
Quinn waved his hand.
"No, no. It's not that your storytelling is ridiculous. It's just that this story... is too outdated. It's cliché."
Hearing this, the old man sneered.
"Heh. I have been a Storyteller for thirty years. The story of 'The Azure Sword Hero' has been loved by everyone since it first came out. It has endured for years. Why do you say it is outdated?"
The other guests also started criticizing Quinn.
"Where did this kid come from? How dare he call 'The Azure Sword Hero' outdated?"
"Such a classic story will be popular even after a hundred years!"
"A brat with no hair on his lip, speaking nonsense. I wonder how his parents raised him."
Seeing so many people supporting him, the old Storyteller became even more smug.
"Young man, apologize to me right now, and I will let this matter pass."
He wanted Quinn to admit his mistake.
Quinn didn't want to argue at first.
But if you're going to rely on your age to bully people, then I can't tolerate it.
"Why should I apologize? Did I say anything wrong? Your story is old, cliché, and boring."
"I could tell a better story than that."
As soon as these words came out, the Storyteller laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! I have been telling stories for so many years, but I have never seen such an arrogant young man!"
"Good! Good! Today, this old man will yield the stage to you."
"Come, come! Let me hear what kind of story you, an arrogant brat, can tell!"
The Storyteller walked off the stage directly.
Quinn didn't back down.
"If I tell it, I tell it. Don't blame me if I steal your rice bowl (livelihood)."
The old man sneered contemptuously.
"I, Old Man Huang, have been eating from this bowl for thirty years. If you can steal my livelihood, I will kowtow to you three times on the spot!"
Quinn stared at Old Man Huang.
"You said it yourself."
"I said it."
"Did everyone hear that?"
"All the guests here are witnesses!"
Old Man Huang was full of confidence. He didn't believe for a second that Quinn could tell a better story.
Are you kidding?
Storytelling looks simple, but it's incredibly difficult.
Old Man Huang practiced this craft for thirty years, inheriting it from his father. He was from a family of Storytellers.
Which Storyteller didn't polish their skills for decades?
"Let's see what this kid can do."
"Young people these days really don't know the height of the heavens."
"He's going to end up apologizing to Old Man Huang with his tail between his legs."
The guests were all waiting to watch a good show.
Quinn stood on the stage, calm and composed.
He picked up the gavel (awakening block).
Whack!
A crisp sound echoed through the hall. He certainly had the posture of a professional.
"Today, I, Quinn Ye, will tell you a story."
"However, the story I am about to tell... none of you have ever heard before."
"This story is called—The Legend of the Condor Heroes!"
Everyone paused.
The Legend of the Condor Heroes?
They really hadn't heard of it.
And the name... sounded kind of unique.
Old Man Huang curled his lip. "Nonsense."
Quinn smiled slightly and began.
"Hundreds of years ago, there was a dynasty called the Southern Song. It was a time of war and crisis, with foreign invaders encroaching on the land."
"Our story begins in those turbulent times."
"On this day, wind and snow filled the sky. A Daoist priest walked through the snow and passed by a place called Ox Village..."
At first, the crowd listened with disdain.
But as they listened, everyone gradually became entranced.
Especially when they heard about the tragedy befalling the families of Yang Tiexin and Guo Xiaotian, many people slammed their tables in anger.
"That Wanyan Honglie is truly hateful!"
"Damn villain!"
"I hate that Qiu Chuji didn't kill him!"
Old Man Huang was dumbfounded.
He didn't expect Quinn's story to be so fascinating.
Just the opening segment had already completely captivated the audience.
Seeing this, Quinn smiled internally.
I may not be a Storyteller, but the library in my head is vast as the ocean. I could tell stories for a hundred years and not finish.
He continued telling the story of the Condor Heroes.
He spoke all the way to the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan battling Qiu Chuji at the Drunken Immortal Inn, and then the two sides making a bet to find the descendants of the Guo and Yang families.
"It is said that the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan traveled all the way to the vast northern desert."
"Finally, in the desert, they found a child. He was indeed the descendant of the Guo and Yang families!"
WHACK!!!
Quinn suddenly slammed the gavel again, startling the entranced audience.
"If you want to know what happens next..."
"Please listen to the next chapter!"
With that, Quinn cupped his fists to the crowd.
Everyone woke up from the dream instantly.
"Why did you stop?"
"Keep going!"
"Who is the child the Seven Freaks found?"
"Is it Guo Xiaotian's son? Or Yang Tiexin's son?"
"Hurry up and continue!"
The crowd was extremely dissatisfied.
Just when they were getting to the good part, he cut it off? Who could stand that?
Quinn smiled.
"Everyone, I am not a Storyteller."
Everyone froze.
Then they remembered.
The real Storyteller, Old Man Huang, was still standing in the back.
They all turned around.
Old Man Huang looked defeated, as if his soul had left his body.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But he couldn't get a word out.
He was deeply shaken by Quinn's story.
Compared to The Legend of the Condor Heroes, his so-called Azure Sword Hero really was... old toothless garbage.
There was no comparison.
That was a real story.
Suddenly, Old Man Huang burst into tears.
"For so many years... I have been a frog in a well!"
Quinn scratched his head.
Why is he crying?
He was about to step down when a middle-aged man rushed up to the stage and bowed deeply to Quinn.
"Young Master, I am the Manager of this teahouse. Could I ask you to continue telling the story for our guests?"