Chapter 348: Storyteller

Chapter 348: The Storyteller

Li Huowang raised his head and saw a black pigeon perched above him, gazing down with cold eyes. It was Tuoba Danqing’s messenger bird.

When Li Huowang tore the letter from its leg and read its contents, he abandoned even his meal and turned toward the door without delay.

He never imagined that the Keeper would still be in Yinling City! Not only had he not left, but he had specifically requested to meet him—a chance indeed.

What surprised Li Huowang most was that the meeting place was not some grand hall or luxurious chamber, but rather a modest study, simple in appearance.

It seemed entirely unlike Tuoba Danqing's ostentatious ways.

As soon as he stepped inside, Li Huowang’s attention was immediately drawn to a withered tongue.

It was a human tongue, dried and shriveled, its base nailed into a rotting piece of wood shaped like a wish-fulfilling jewel using a coffin nail.

At the sight of it, Li Huowang recalled instantly—it was one of the magical artifacts that Tuoba Danqing had boasted about, made from a heart-soul tongue.

He took a slow breath in, then exhaled gently, and bowed respectfully to the white-faced eunuch who sat counting beads at his desk.

“Greetings, Keeper.”

“Heh heh heh~ We’re not in the palace anymore; we’re family here—why all this formality? Please, sit, sit.”

Following the Keeper’s gesture, Li Huowang noticed a cup of tea already prepared on the side table beside him.

But Li Huowang did not sit. Instead, he came straight to the point.

“May I ask, Keeper, what business brings you to seek my presence?”

He remembered how that eunuch had ridden away in such panic, yet now sat calmly and composed. Something must have happened that he didn’t know about.

“Oh ho ho~ No rush, no rush. Heard you're quite capable, eh?”

Being scrutinized by an old eunuch made Li Huowang feel uneasy all over.

“Hong Da said three of them fought you alone—and yet you escaped? To make you just a minor Renwu... really a waste of talent.”

Li Huowang didn’t take it as praise, but instead felt his heart tighten. “Keeper, please speak plainly.”

“Alright, since you’re direct, so am I. You’ve probably guessed what I used to do, haven’t you?”

Seeing Li Huowang stand silent, the Keeper continued:

“That’s right. This time, my mission is to retrieve the Heart Turmoil hidden in the Buddha Bone Temple. But this mission has failed. What should I do now?”

“Going back to face punishment won’t cut it. So we must make up for it!”

The Keeper suddenly stood from his seat. “Let me tell you something—I’m not just talking about a routine task. This one is serious. We can’t afford to mess it up again!”

With that, he drove his finger into the redwood desk, carving a line across its surface.

“If we don’t complete this task, every single person along this line might lose their position!”

After hearing all this, Li Huowang finally understood.

“Keeper, are you saying… we go find another Heart Turmoil to deliver?”

“Smart! That’s exactly the kind of talent our Celestial Observing Bureau needs!” The Keeper’s round face broke into a smile.

“Don’t worry where the Heart Turmoil comes from. If they want it, we give it to them. Only this time, the one we’re after isn’t dead like the last one—we’re going after a living one.”

Hearing that, Li Huowang’s heartbeat quickened.

“A living Heart Turmoil? Is it similar to the living Heart Soul I possess?”

For some reason, even though he didn’t know the name of this Heart Turmoil, a faint sympathy stirred within him.

Just as Li Huowang was contemplating, the Keeper’s words struck him like a thunderclap.

“I understand, this isn’t a proper assignment from the Bureau, no reward, and dealing with a living Heart Turmoil is dangerous. If you don’t want to go, I’ll understand.”

“But I heard from Danqing that you’ve always wanted to see the texts on the Way of Forgetting in the Four Treasuries. If you handle this job well, I’ll risk being demoted to personally memorize those texts for you!”

Li Huowang breathed heavily. One was a mysterious Heart Turmoil he’d never met, the other was information that could free him from his own Heart Soul. The choice seemed clear.

Li Huowang bowed once more to the Keeper.

“Yes, Keeper!”

Seeing Li Huowang agree, the Keeper smiled like a blooming flower. He could only appeal to him now. A rogue like him wouldn’t listen to threats. If forced, it might backfire. Fortunately, he had agreed, giving the plan a better chance.

Looking at the eunuch before him, Li Huowang felt a flicker of curiosity.

“Keeper, back at the Buddha Bone Temple, our Heart Turmoil was intercepted. Won’t that person come again?”

“What is his background? Daring to steal from our Celestial Observing Bureau?”

Hearing this, the Keeper shrugged indifferently.

“The Heart Turmoil isn’t like anything else—it’s enough with just one. Zhuge Yuan won’t try to take it again. If two—alive and dead—Heart Turmoils were combined, he’d suffer enough.”

“And besides, you can rest easy. The Way of Forgetting has suffered a loss recently, and until a new one rises, they won’t stir up trouble again.”

“So aside from the living Heart Turmoil, there’s nothing else to fear.”

The Keeper chuckled and patted Li Huowang on the shoulder, but Li Huowang frowned slightly.

After all that talk, the Keeper ignored his question completely. He still couldn’t judge whether Zhuge Yuan was friend or foe.

“Keeper, what is Zhuge Yuan’s background? He’s strange. I fear I may encounter him again someday. Please advise me further.”

Li Huowang lifted his head and looked directly into the Keeper’s eyes, filled with determination and resolve.

Since the Keeper had asked for his help, now was the time to ask—he might not get another chance.

Hearing Li Huowang’s earnest tone, the Keeper couldn’t pretend not to hear. He sighed deeply.

“I’d rather not mention this man—it brings bad luck. Since you insist, I’ll tell you.”

“Do you know his nickname? Everyone calls him the Storyteller.”

The Keeper settled back into his chair, fingering his jade ring.

“He’s odd. Though dressed like a scholar, he never pursued official titles. Instead, he loves telling stories in crowded places.”

“But what he tells isn’t romance or tales of generals going to war. He only tells history.”

“History?” Li Huowang blinked.

“Yes, history—but not real history. His own invented history. He claims that nine hundred years ago, Qi State had no internal chaos, and the Great Qi Emperor unified the land. Today, the new emperor of Great Qi ascends the throne, under the era name 'Yinghui,' with auspicious signs descending from heaven—birds gather to honor the young ruler, and red light shines in the halls.”

“It’s nonsense! If Great Qi hadn’t fallen into chaos, where would the current Great Li come from? Where would the Four Qi come from?”