Although Ning County is not large, its geographical location is excellent. It is one of the main towns northward to Kyoto, which is an important reason for its prosperity. Another important reason is that there are several large-scale shops here, and their backbones are very strong. Some of them are wealthy businessmen, while others are powerful officials. With these people, the economy here can be stable and sustainable.

But prosperity has its dark side. Casinos, black markets, auction houses, brothels and other places of debauchery are all present in Ning County, and they are very open. Local officials dare not offend their backers, so they also go along with them.

However, these bigwigs are smart people who operate these activities secretly. Of course, they do not want to bring Ning County down, but actively maintain the security here to prevent outsiders from causing trouble. Therefore, it will definitely not affect the prosperity of this place, and on the surface it is a thriving scene.

"Su Ji Teahouse" is not the only teahouse in Ning County, but it is the most famous one. However, the reason for its fame is not because the tea here is delicious, but because there is a storyteller here who tells different stories of the Jianghu and some other experiences every day. This makes some people who have never seen the world, yearn for the Jianghu and have a strong curiosity, always can't help coming to the teahouse to drink tea and hope to enjoy the earful.

It's almost noon now, and the weather is getting hotter and hotter. However, the Su Ji Tea House is still bustling with people from all walks of life. The seats are already full, and even the pillars are standing empty.

From the outside, the Su Ji Tea House looks more ancient and rustic than other large tea houses, without flashy decoration or appearance. The interior of the tea house is also simple and comfortable. The tea house is divided into two floors, with a wide lower floor and a narrower upper floor. The middle of the building is very spacious, with a storytelling stage located here.

"Pa!"

Suddenly, a loud sound of the gavel was heard, and the teahouse immediately became quiet. The storyteller said slowly, "What I am going to talk about today is a real event that happened not long ago." He looked around and asked, "I think everyone has heard of Qi Yi Zhai, right? Of course, if you haven't heard of it, it's not your fault."

"Why?" someone asked suddenly.

The storyteller teased the man, "Because your money is all in your wife's hands, can you go somewhere else?"

After the words were finished, everyone laughed.

The man blushed with shame and said angrily, "Don't talk nonsense."

The storyteller didn't continue to tease. He straightened his voice and said, "Qi Yi Zhai is the largest treasure shop here, and it is also backed up by the wealthy Mr. Zhao in Jiangnan. In theory, a place like this is usually too dangerous for ordinary people to enter, let alone causing trouble."

Seeing that everyone around him nodded, the storyteller continued, "But, someone not only caused trouble, but also smashed the courtyard of Qi Yi Zhai."

"Oh, it's true that what is said outside is true. Quickly... tell us what happened at that time." One person stood up suddenly and shouted anxiously.

Waving his fan slowly, the storyteller said, "Yes, of course the rumors are true, and it was done by a twelve or thirteen-year-old teenager."

"What? Are you kidding? Are the guards of Qi Yi Zhai fake?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Yeah, it can't be true! I heard those guards are very powerful. They can fight several people at once. How could they possibly lose to a little kid?"

"Yeah, yeah~~" The crowd cheered.

"Pa!" There was another sound of the gavel, and the audience fell silent again.

"You think those Qi Yi Zhai guards are powerful? You may not have knowledge, but you should have some common sense. There are countless people in the martial arts world who are more powerful than those guards by ten times or even hundred times. Not to mention those who are disciples of martial arts families. Do you understand?"

Seeing that many people looked puzzled, the storyteller said angrily, "Ignorant! If you don't believe it, you can go and ask around in Qi Yi Zhai. But I think they won't have the face to tell you."

An audience member asked curiously, "So, the child is a disciple of a martial arts family."

"Of course." The storyteller raised his eyebrows and looked proud, as if he were talking about himself.

He continued, "It is said that the owner of Qi Yi Zhai saw that the boy was young and wanted to swindle him. When he failed, he wanted to use force. He thought that with the backing of the Jiangnan Zhao family, he would be very powerful. This time, he finally hit a nail on the head. As a result, all the guards were defeated and lay on the ground crying... At this time, the elders of the Jiangnan Zhao family came out."

After taking a sip, the storyteller continued, "This elder is very powerful. He is already a highly skilled master in the martial arts world and is also well-known. Most experts cannot keep up with him. But the teenager is also very powerful. They fought for more than three hundred rounds, from the courtyard to the back hall, and then from the back hall to the courtyard. It was truly chaotic..."

The storyteller talked non-stop, fully exercising his imagination and creativity. He spoke like a fountain of flowers and rainbows, with frequent gestures, as if he had seen it with his own eyes. People could not help but admire his eloquence and confidence.

...

After all, the old is still the wiser. In the end, the elders of the Zhao family were slightly better than the young man. "After a pause, he said," But the young man was also extremely powerful. Although his skills were not as profound as those of the elders of the Zhao family, his moves were varied and changeable. Therefore, the elders of the Zhao family could do nothing about him, so they let him go.

"Pa!"

The sound of the gavel was heard again, and the storyteller said, "Okay, the story is over, the tea is finished, and today is over. Please come early tomorrow, viewers. Next time I will tell the story of "The Thief and the Black Widow", hahaha --" He laughed and left in a very dashing way, leaving these people to ponder.

This storyteller was none other than Su Ji Chahouse owner Su Fanghao.

In the corner, Yue Fan let out a long sigh, "Mr. Wan is right, it seems that rumors are not always reliable."

Just as he turned around, Yue Fan suddenly froze and muttered, "I didn't expect him to be here. This is interesting."

Yue Fan looked across the table and saw a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy shouting and gesturing, obviously a regular customer here. A few people sat next to him, also shouting and gesturing with him, presumably his companions.

This person was called Wang Chong, the little tyrant of Liu Shui Village, who loved to fight and cause trouble, was unruly and unlearned, and often got into fights and disturbances in the city...

Since being beaten by Yue Fan, he had been constantly causing trouble for Yue Fan and Xiaoya... Of course, Yue Fan had always been too lazy to deal with it.

...

Compared to the front hall of the teahouse, the backyard was much more quiet.

"I've never met a young person who doesn't like the hustle and bustle before. Haha..."

With a big laugh, Su Fanghao walked into the backyard and sat down under the vine tree, looking particularly leisurely.

Under the tree, Yue Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, "My father told me about the last thing. Thank you for your kindness, Su grandfather."

Su Fanghao waved his hand and said, "It's a small thing, nothing big. And your father didn't ask for it."

Yue Fan said seriously, "But my father brought back your good wishes."

Su Fanghao smiled and said, "Although we haven't known each other for long, you give me a special feeling, like we are bosom friends."

Yue Fan played with his head and said bitterly, "At least, we look similar from above."

"I didn't expect that your head would be completely white in just a few days. Everything is so unpredictable. Sigh~~~" With a sigh, Su Fanghao turned around and asked, "Were you the one who rushed into Qi Yi Zhai a few days ago? Child... you've suffered!"

"It's okay, at least... I'm living well now."

After chatting about daily life for a while, Yue Fan saw that it was already late in the day, so he bid farewell to Su Fanghao and left.