Chapter 488

Even An Shigeng behind Ji Yaohua, and An Yunshan, could not help but desire this token.

After all, once you possess this token, do you still need to rebel?

Could the Qinglong Society possibly refuse if you directly demanded to replace the current puppet Emperor of Great Song?

Therefore, after this, Ji Yaohua vanished.

Throughout Great Song's territory, whether the imperial authorities, Liushan Sect, or Gedamen Sect, all were searching for her.

Yet Ji Yaohua herself was searching for the Qinglong Society!

She did not become An Shigeng's spy willingly, so she wished to use the Dragon Head Token to regain her freedom.

The Qinglong Society is mysterious and Mo Ce; even the Three Imperial Dynasties struggle to find it.

Ji Yaohua was now alone, making it even harder.

After disguising herself, Ji Yaohua traveled southward.

One day, she arrived at a town—Qixia Town.

Days of evading capture had left her utterly exhausted.

In Qixia Town, there happened to be a Tongfu Inn.

After a slight sensing, she discovered every person in this inn possessed Wu Gong.

Reassured, she decided to stay temporarily at this inn.

The next morning, she heard a commotion in the inn's main hall.

Ji Yaohua originally had no intention of paying attention, but she faintly heard the words "Great Dragon Head."

Instantly, her sleepiness vanished; she redressed and calmly walked into the hall.

The hall was now packed with people, many gathered around the stairs.

A clean-shaven young man stood on a few steps, telling a story.

"It is said that Qiao Tangzhu delivered eighteen palms in succession, yet could not break through the ten-thousand-strong Qie Xue Army's formation."

"His true energy depleted, he was on the verge of death."

"The Great Dragon Head, located within the Sword Realm, sensed it in his heart."

"He casually pointed, splitting the Sword Realm, then pointed again."

"Countless sword intentions, under his guidance,"

"coalesced into a sword technique descending from the heavens."

"Can you guess the name of this sword?"

At this crucial moment, the storyteller deliberately held back.

"Speak! Speak! Bai Zhantang, you're being utterly unfair!"

"Exactly! Every time it gets to the critical part, you deliberately stall!"

The crowd below, engrossed in the tale, now found the storyteller Bai Zhantang withholding the climax.

Everyone erupted in protest.

Mo Xiaobei, carrying a copper tray, moved among the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my apologies."

"Big Brother Bai caught a chill last night while getting up to relieve himself—his throat is sore!"

Bai Zhantang cooperated with Mo Xiaobei by pretending to cough a few times.

"So, kind sirs and madams, show some mercy—give a little something so our Brother Bai can have a sip of tea."

Almost all martial world storytellers use this trick.

The audience grumbled but were not stingy.

Soon, the small copper tray was filled with copper coins.

Swoosh!

Just as Mo Xiaobei was delighted, a silver ingot flew in a graceful arc,

landing precisely in the center of the tray without disturbing the other coins.

"Wow… we've hit the jackpot."

That silver ingot weighed at least twenty taels; Mo Xiaobei's eyes lit up instantly.

The audience was equally astonished and turned to trace the source of the silver.

They saw a woman veiled in light gauze, escorted by a young, handsome martial hero.

The silver ingot had clearly been thrown by the martial hero.

"Enough! We've collected the money—continue your story! My… hey, my Young Lady enjoys listening."

The martial hero guided the woman to a quiet corner and sat down.

Bai Zhantang no longer held back—he continued his wild, exaggerated tale.

His praise turned Ximen Wudi's celestial sword into something as primordial as Pangu cleaving the heavens.

Added to this, he punctuated his storytelling with jokes and gestured wildly.

Soon, the entire inn hall was roaring with laughter and applause.

Ji Yaohua listened from above, her heart stirred by admiration for Ximen Wudi.

She noticed that the man and woman earlier were unusual.

The man, of course, possessed Wu Gong—not weak, at least not inferior to her.

The woman, though veiled in gauze, revealed no face.

Yet her graceful, alluring figure made even Ji Yaohua unable to resist glancing several times.

Thus, this woman was clearly a beauty not inferior to herself.

One whose Wu Gong was no weaker than her own, and one whose looks and figure were no less than her own.

Such a strange combination piqued Ji Yaohua's curiosity.

But she too was on the run now, and it was no time to invite trouble.

After listening to a stretch of Bai Zhantang's storytelling, she returned to her room still wanting more.

That stretch of storytelling lasted a full half a shichen.

It truly left Bai Zhantang's mouth parched and tongue scorched, smoke curling from his throat, before it finally wound to a slow end.

The audience had their fill, all settled their bills, then departed one by one.

Bai Zhantang took a rest, and after arranging lodgings for that strange pair of man and woman, he returned to his usual busy routine.

By noontime, a man with a strip of black cloth wrapped around his forehead walked in.

Behind him was the Seven Heroes Town's constable, Yan Xiaoliu.

"Shopkeeper Tong, Shopkeeper Tong."

Once inside, Yan Xiaoliu called out loudly as though they were old friends.

"The Shopkeeper went to Ten Li Shop. Whatever it is, just tell me."

Bai Zhantang came forward to greet him.

"This is the Jingcheng-arrived Senior Wuming, Senior Constable Ji."

Yan Xiaoliu pointed at the man, introducing him to Bai Zhantang.

"Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you."

Bai Zhantang's heart gave a sudden lurch—had the name of the Thief Sage finally spread after all?

"Senior Constable Ji has come here to track down a fugitive."

"Who have you put up here recently? Have you registered them?"

"Anyone without an official travel pass—have you reported it in time?"

Yan Xiaoliu put on airs and rattled off a whole speech, then leaned close to Bai Zhantang and said in a low voice,

"This one is a silver-badge Senior Constable of the Liushan Sect, much valued these days. Be careful how you handle him."

Bai Zhantang gave Yan Xiaoliu a reassuring look, then nodded and bowed with a thoroughly common-market manner.

At this moment the Scholar came out as well, holding the registration ledger, and spread it open,

"Senior Constable Ji, Senior Constable Yan, our Tongfu Inn is famous for ten li in every direction as a law-abiding establishment."

"Without an official travel pass, how would we dare let them stay?"

Yan Xiaoliu put on a show of looking it over.