Chapter 863: Afterword on Completion

Afterword on Completion

Afterword on Completion

In Puluo Province, Fengyang City, at the Listening Rain Teahouse, the storyteller Yumian Shala took a sip of tea, gathered up his fan and handkerchief, picked up the gavel, and was about to begin his tale.

Li Banfeng, puffing out steam, came forward and roared angrily: "Before you start the book, get me out of the gramophone first!"

Zhao Xiaowan soothed him from the side: "Husband, if you truly want to come out, you can't do without a bit of machine oil."

Banfeng refused: "Absolutely no machine oil!"

Face-Not-Big chimed in to persuade: "Put on a little more oil, and maybe you'll slide right out."

Mu Yuejuan still didn't quite understand: "Seventh Uncle, how did you get stuck inside the gramophone?"

Li Banfeng snorted: "Can I really blame you? Your own skills were lacking, yet you kept pushing me to find a way out. There were moments when blood was shed, when sweat was poured out, when something precious was left behind—at such critical junctures, I had no choice but to go find my wife!"

Zhao Xiaowan poked Banfeng with a finger: "You have the nerve to say that—was what you left behind really blood and sweat?"

Banfeng snorted: "It was something precious, anyway!"

Zhao Xiaowan patted the gramophone's speaker: "Once you're out, you can push a cart and hawk goods for a living.

Li Banfeng shook the big speaker: "Leave the goods cart to the peddler."

The peddler looked around, noticed the Heavenly Maiden hadn't arrived yet, and waved his hands repeatedly: "I still have to be a Mountain God—leave the hawking business to you two lovebirds."

He Jiaqing was a little indignant: "Back then I thought I was the protagonist. Yumian Shala, I'm also a generation's overlord—a story of ruling the world and shaking all four corners. Don't you like that?"

Yumian Shala waved his fan and smiled: "Shaking the four corners is all well and good, but I prefer the warmth of the human world. I love the shaomai of Haichi Ridge, the newspapers of Black Stone Slope, the bookshop of Ink Fragrance Store, the general store of Medicine King Gully, and I also love Pants-Belt Ridge—"

One patron said with hot tears in his eyes: "I love it too!"

Another patron shouted: "Yumian Shala, we love your books—when you start a new one, you must let us know."

Yumian Shala rose once more, walked to the front of the stage, bowed deeply, and looked at all the patrons as he said:

"The Lord of Puluo began his book in October two years ago, and after twenty months it is now complete. All along the way, my dear readers have supported me, protected me, cherished me, helped me, and led me here to this day.

I know nothing at all—I am nothing but a storyteller. I truly don't know what fortune I cultivated in a past life to meet the finest readers in the world.

Please allow me to bow once more, my lords—thank you all for your deep affection and great kindness!"

One patron shouted: "Just remember that well—hurry up and start the book, we're all waiting!"

"Alright!" Yumian Shala struck the gavel with a slap. "Eleven Provinces, three thousand kingdoms, countless fine tales—my lords, wait just a moment, the book begins at once!"