Chapter 90

"Damn! Cliffhanger dog!"

"How hateful! Every time it gets to the critical moment, it cuts off, making me feel like I'm on the verge of death and rebirth. The next twelve hours feel like an eternity!"

"Shameless masked man, how hateful! In three days, I've spent fifteen contribution points from my estate, and every day I'm tormented by these cliffhangers, feeling like my heart is being scratched by a cat, itchy and unbearable..."

These days, the most explosive news in Qicheng was the sudden appearance of the "Yang Family Generals" storytelling. Many people who had obtained the Phantom Stone Slates had shown them in various public places, and ordinary citizens had also been fortunate enough to see the Phantom versions of the storytelling, falling into a feverish state of book chasing, unable to extricate themselves.

Every day, everyone eagerly awaited the fixed storytelling time for the new episode of "Yang Family Generals," becoming more anxious as the time approached.

Listening was like being in a trance, and after listening, the aftertaste was endless. Recalling the plot made their hearts ache, and they were filled with unease, laughing, scolding, and cursing, unable to extricate themselves from the world of "Yang Family Generals."

Then came endless emptiness, waiting, cursing the masked storyteller, blaming him for saying too little each day and for the disgusting cliffhangers. It was already the sixth episode, and Lady She's uproar at the execution ground had not yet reached a conclusion. General Yang Jieye, along with Yang Liulang and Yang Qilang, were kneeling on the execution ground, waiting to be beheaded, while Lady She, with the old and young of the Yang family, was trying to rescue them but was at a loss.

What would happen next?

Would General Yang Jieye and the two children die?

Who would resolve this wrongful case?

Damn, the story was cut off!

Now, the story could be cut off, but the crowd outside Taishang Tower never stopped. One by one, they came to curse the masked storyteller. Over time, more and more people gathered, and they began to collectively condemn the masked storyteller.

These ordinary citizens causing trouble could be easily driven away by the martial guards of Taishang Tower. Discussing the plot of "Yang Family Generals" at the entrance of Taishang Tower was fine, but attacking the masked storyteller was not allowed.

This person was now the cash cow of Taishang Tower. The number of people coming to listen in person was increasing every day, and the most recent session had already reached eight hundred people. Taishang Tower had requisitioned three entire floors, but it was still too crowded, so they had to limit the number of people entering. It was said that one had to have an invitation to enter, and the invitation was hard to come by in Qicheng. The five contribution points for the ticket fee would likely rise in just a few days!

Additionally, the progress of the free Phantom Stone Slates given to each guest lagged behind the live storytelling. After six episodes on-site, the Stone Slates only had up to the fifth episode. It was said that after the sixth episode, the speed of the Stone Slates would slow down even more, leaving those ordinary people who had been lured in with no way to live.

At the Martial Academy of the County School, the students, apart from their scheduled classes, discussed most about how to listen to the live "Yang Family Generals" storytelling. An anonymous invitation was now being hyped to thirty-five contribution points per day. In other words, to listen to one day of live storytelling, one had to spend at least forty contribution points, which was an astronomical price!

"Heavens! The price of the anonymous invitation has risen again, thirty-five for one day!" A second-level soldier complained to his friend, frowning and spitting in anger.

His friend consoled him, "Old Three, watching the Phantom Stone Slates can also stir the martial soul. Why do you have to listen to the live performance?"

The second-level soldier replied helplessly, "But it has been calculated that the effect of listening to 'Yang Family Generals' live is ten times that of watching the Phantom Stone Slates! Anyone listening to 'Yang Family Generals' will only have one chance to be stirred. How should I choose?"

"But the cost of forty contribution points per day is too high. Ten days would be four hundred contribution points. Do you know how many episodes 'Yang Family Generals' will have before it ends? And have you noticed its slogan? It praises the bravery of great women and promotes the spirit of sacrifice for the country. Female martial artists will have a better effect after being stirred, and they can go crazy, but for us, it's not worth it to be so crazy!"

"Second Brother, I know! But the spring hunt is about to start, and I don't want to miss any opportunity to improve my strength. Think about it, if your competitors, who are at your level, all go to improve, and you don't, what will the gap be like in twenty days? Who knows?"

"Alright, I have three hundred contribution points left. I'll lend them to you..."

Such conversations were happening all the time at the Martial Academy, with at least half of the second-level soldiers and third-level warriors trying to find ways to listen to the live performance.

On the sixth day, a shocking piece of news spread through the Martial Academy. Wen Xin Yue, a first-level learner from Hong County, had broken through her martial soul restriction in just four days, miraculously becoming a second-level soldier. It was said that the key to her breakthrough was listening to the live "Yang Family Generals" storytelling every day and repeatedly watching the Phantom Stone Slates, which greatly enhanced her martial soul's resonance!

This news completely ignited "Yang Family Generals," making it extremely important in the hearts of thousands of students and teachers at the County School.

...

Buzz, buzz, buzz...

Yue Heng's private Fuxi Wenpan began to flash and ring. He lifted his head, couldn't help but rub his sore spine, and twisted his body a few times, making his bones crack. He must have been sitting still for a long time.

Liu Jingtong, seeing this, didn't even look up and smiled, "Let's go, let's go. I'm sure over a thousand people are waiting for your seventh episode!"

Yue Heng said apologetically, "Mr. Liu, I'm still in the critical stage of researching the array, and I'm still trying to make money. You won't blame me for being distracted, will you?"

Liu Jingtong continued carving with his knife, "Of course not, on the contrary, I think it greatly benefits your cultivation! I heard you've earned a lot of contribution points, enough to buy the materials you need for your array research, right?"

Yue Heng smiled proudly, tidied up a bit, and left the third floor area, getting into Lei Fatty's carriage.

Lei Fatty handed him a bottle of honey from a hundred flowers to soothe his throat and drove the carriage down the mountain, saying casually, "There's one good thing and one bad thing. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"Let's hear the good news first!" Yue Heng didn't even think, taking a sip of the honey to soothe his throat.

"Wen Xin Yue became the first self-breakthrough first-level learner at the Martial Academy. I specifically asked her, and she said that 'Teacher's Words' and 'Child Poem' had a particularly strong effect on her. This time, the resonance from 'Yang Family Generals' was the biggest help in her breakthrough. The credit goes to you, and she asked me to thank you!" Lei Fatty couldn't stop laughing, almost crashing the carriage into a tree.

Cough, cough, cough!

Yue Heng almost choked on the honey, feeling embarrassed, "I always appear in a mask, how could she recognize me?"

Lei Fatty laughed heartily, "She knows you well, thinking about you day and night! Last time when you wore a mask to tell 'Teacher's Words,' didn't I recognize you right away?"

Yue Heng could only blame himself for being too thin and recognizable, and his voice, which familiar people could quickly identify.

"Little Brother Yue, you've truly done a great deed this time. Almost all the students have improved this year, and your articles have played a significant role! Wen Girl's breakthrough today is not a coincidence; tomorrow, more outstanding students will break through, which is inevitable!" Lei Fatty, who rarely spoke seriously, praised Yue Heng, making him feel embarrassed.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this. What's the bad news?" Yue Heng felt his face burning.

Lei Fatty reined in his smile, looking at Yue Heng strangely, "You must stay calm, don't be anxious. Mr. Hu informed me that the top beauty you know is leaving today."

"What!"

Yue Heng was shocked, feeling dazed, almost hitting his head on the carriage.

"Is Miss Su leaving? Why? Could it be because my storytelling at Taishang Tower disturbed her? But..." Yue Heng couldn't continue, some things he couldn't say to Lei Fatty.

From Su Weiwei, he could sense a faint affection, but he hadn't dared to think about anything deeper between them. He had promised to tell her a story every day, but later, due to the public storytelling, he changed it to sending a Phantom Stone Slate every day. They hadn't been able to sit together and chat since the first day they met.

Now, hearing that she was leaving, Yue Heng's heart couldn't remain calm.

"No, I can't let her leave like this. After parting in Hong County, I thought I would never see her again in this life. But she was willing to spend a fortune to send me a gift, and we could meet again. I can't miss her a second time! But... but... what can I do to keep her?"

Yue Heng's face was full of pain. He felt a bitter helplessness for the first time, a self-inflicted pain. Not cherishing the person in front of him, when the real separation came, his heart would ache unbearably.

"Hurry up, Brother Lei, I have to stop her. If I don't tell her some things, I might never have the chance again!" Yue Heng urged anxiously.

Lei Fatty sensed something was wrong and advised, "Little Brother Yue, don't get too excited. Listen to your big brother. Miss Su is Mr. Hu's honored guest, and there's no binding relationship between them. If Miss Su wants to leave, Mr. Hu can't stop her, but he definitely has a way to keep her until the storytelling ends. So you still have a chance. Didn't you hear that I didn't say she has already left?"

Yue Heng's face improved, realizing he had been too hasty.

"Then, Little Brother, you're so talented, think of a way to win her heart. After you finish the storytelling, you can confess, and maybe she'll stay one more night, achieving a good outcome, hehe!" Lei Fatty laughed lewdly, making Yue Heng feel both amused and embarrassed.

There's still some time!

Yue Heng tried to calm down and think of ways to keep Su Weiwei.

But his heart couldn't settle, and he was a bit dazed when the carriage stopped. He wasn't even sure how he entered the backstage through the side door.

Mr. Hu, seeing the situation, felt something was wrong. Lei Fatty reassured him several times and applied some refreshing essential oils under Yue Heng's nose, finally bringing him back to his senses. He had to deal with "Yang Family Generals" first, and Mr. Hu would delay Su Weiwei.

Yue Heng put on his mask, came to his stage, and couldn't help but look up at the fourth floor.

In the direction of Su Weiwei, no one appeared. Yue Heng sighed inwardly, forced himself to focus, and struck the wooden block, beginning the seventh episode of "Yang Family Generals" — "Retreating the Liao Army and the Emperor's Personal Expedition."

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