Chapter 183
Chapter 183
It was a pity. There were far too few interesting stories. Most tales were about the affections between men and women, or about political struggles and conspiracies, none of which Qiu Yao'er found entertaining. Her favorite stories were tales of slaughter and death. She could listen to those endlessly without growing tired. But such violent stories were too few. Even the new tales being written seemed to shy away from such themes. Eventually, she lowered her standards. She gave up on many of the elements she enjoyed and looked forward to the new stories from her handmaidens, but she had yet to find one that could satisfy her.
A few days ago, a handmaiden had told her a story called *Boundless Wind and Moon*. She had heard it was written by a nobleman's live-in son-in-law. Intrigued, she listened, only to find it was the most wretched tale imaginable. To write such a shameless story—she had immediately banished the woman who told it to latrine duty. It was a good thing the author wasn't there; otherwise, Qiu Yao'er would have slapped him across the face herself. He was just a man, after all; his death would be of no consequence.
“My lady, your nose is bleeding again.”
The handmaiden Lüyi, standing beside her, cried out in alarm. Qiu Yao'er felt a throbbing pain as if her eyes would burst, along with a wave of dizziness. She closed her eyes, wiped the blood from her nose with a finger, and flicked it away. The numerous droplets of blood burst into a mist upon leaving her fingertip, leaving not a single trace on her hand. It was a startling sight. An ordinary person who suffered frequent nosebleeds would have been terrified, but Qiu Yao'er thought nothing of it. Living brought her no joy, and she did not fear death.
“Who has come to tell stories today?”
Lüyi, the handmaiden attending her, answered.
“Four have come.”
Storyteller was an excellent position and the fastest way to rise through the ranks within the fortress. But Qiu Yao'er was a fickle person. After listening to a single story for four or five days, she would lose interest and have the storyteller transferred far away. The position was intensely competitive, and the turnover was incredibly high. To date, Qiu Yao'er had never listened to a story from the same person for more than ten days. Interesting stories were becoming scarcer; it seemed the well of tales was running dry.
“Let them enter!”
Four beautiful women entered to tell their stories. At last, Xu Qianqian saw Qiu Yao'er again, and once more, her heart pounded. Even as the she-devil lounged lazily in her chair, the curves of her body were so explosive! Compared to her, all other women’s figures seemed flat. Though Xu Qianqian was a woman herself, the sight of Qiu Yao'er's incredible body and beautiful face made her own heart race. She realized that every woman in the fortress not only revered Qiu Yao'er but also harbored feelings of affection for her. Qiu Yao'er had no interest in women, but women were interested in her.
The she-devil disliked speaking herself, so the handmaiden Lüyi stepped forward and looked down upon the four beauties. Lüyi held her chin high, carrying herself as if she were of a high station. Xu Qianqian was exceptionally beautiful, but in Lüyi's eyes, she was no different than air. It couldn't be helped. As the handmaiden who personally served the she-devil, her status here was the highest.
Moreover, she was the first girl Qiu Yao'er had ever saved. When Qiu Yao'er rescued Lüyi, she was only eight years old, and both her parents had died tragically before her eyes. Lüyi had been by Qiu Yao'er's side for thirteen years. Though Qiu Yao'er had never been particularly warm to her, she was still the person closest to her.
All the beauties envied and were jealous of Lüyi. Xu Qianqian deliberately glanced at Qiu Yao'er, trying to catch her eye, but there was no reaction. If Xu Qianqian's guess was correct, Qiu Yao'er had already forgotten her. A pang of sorrow and disappointment struck Xu Qianqian. But at that moment, Lüyi caught her trying to signal Qiu Yao'er. The handmaiden shot Xu Qianqian a piercing glare.
*How dare you look directly at the mistress? Who do you think you are? Do you have a death wish? With a seductive face like that, I can tell you're not a virtuous woman.*
Xu Qianqian vowed to herself.
*Lüyi, if I get the chance, I will kill you and take your place.*
Lüyi spoke coldly.
“Before you begin, each of you will state the title of your story, followed by a brief summary of no more than one hundred characters. Only the one with the most novel tale will remain to continue. Only one of the four will stay.”
Hearing the title and then a summary was a rather efficient method.
“The title of my story is *The Tale of Slaying Bandits*. It’s about a female hero whose parents are killed when she is young. She is taken in by a master of the martial world, grows up to become an supreme expert, and avenges her parents by killing their enemies.”
The first story was a classic sycophantic theme, likely concocted on the spot. Qiu Yao'er had heard at least a hundred stories just like it.
The second beauty spoke.
“The story I wish to tell is called *The Tale of a Heroic Daughter*. It is about a woman raised by a band of thieves, who nonetheless remains pure amidst the mire. She saves countless people, sweeps away the world's evil, and ultimately becomes a great heroine.”
Another attempt at flattery. Qiu Yao'er had heard at least fifty stories of that nature.
The third beauty spoke.
“The story I wish to tell is *The Female Top Scholar*. It is about a family with a worthless son, but whose daughter is born with a genius-level talent for martial arts. She disguises herself as a man, takes the military examination, and becomes the top scholar. In the end, she achieves great merit, is appointed as a feudal lord, and becomes a general.”
At that, a slight glimmer appeared in Qiu Yao'er's eyes. The third beauty's story sounded somewhat interesting. The moment Lüyi saw the look in her mistress's eyes, she understood her intent and mentally selected the third beauty as the storyteller. Xu Qianqian's heart began to race.
*I didn't realize the competition for storyteller was this fierce. The story Shen Lang wrote is brilliant, but its title is plain. *Journey to the West* is a fine title, but to capture Qiu Yao'er's attention, I need something powerful that will grab her instantly.*
Finally, Xu Qianqian spoke.
“The title of the story I wish to tell is *The Buddha Must Be Annihilated*!”
In that instant, Qiu Yao'er's eyes flew wide open.
*What a domineering name.*
Xu Qianqian continued.
“Heaven and Earth, as parents, birthed a single stone. After countless eons, the stone cracked open, and a monkey emerged. It is a story of how this monkey, after growing up, learns the art of seventy-two transformations, rides a somersault cloud one hundred and eight thousand li through the air, slays gods, annihilates buddhas, and thrashes the Jade Emperor.”
In that moment, the she-devil Qiu Yao'er shot up from her seat.
*This is definitely an interesting story! So novel, so audacious! I've never heard of a story like this in my life.*
Lüyi sensed that things were not going as planned and immediately interjected.
“The third one will stay. The rest of you, leave.”
She tried to use her authority to suppress Xu Qianqian. But Qiu Yao'er, who usually couldn't be bothered to speak, unexpectedly opened her mouth.
“No, the last one stays. I will hear *The Buddha Must Be Annihilated*.”
The other three beauties left the room, crestfallen.
*We spent so long racking our brains for today's presentation, only to lose to that wench. But Xu Qianqian, don't get too smug. The mistress loves novelty. That stone monkey story is new, but she'll be bored of it in four or five days.*
Qiu Yao'er hated to be disturbed when listening to a story and always listened with intense focus. She even had incense lit to enhance the atmosphere for storytelling.
At last, Xu Qianqian officially began her tale. A moment ago, she had intentionally exaggerated the title and summary. Having put out the immediate fire, it was now time to recount the story Shen Lang had written with masterful flair.
“As the poem goes: Before chaos was divided, heaven and earth were a muddle. In that vast emptiness, no man could be seen. After Pangu broke the primal chaos, creation began, and the clear and the turbid were separated. It covered and supported all living things, hoping they would become benevolent, and illuminated the principles of all creation, that all might achieve goodness. If you wish to know the profound workings of creation, you must read *The Record of the Journey to the West and the Dispelling of Tribulations*.”
This was the opening of *Journey to the West*, its background introduction. The tale, beginning with the birth of the universe, possessed a vast and magnificent scope. This part was similar to the opening of *Shrouding the Heavens*, which began with nine dragons pulling a coffin. But such prose was esoteric, difficult to understand, and dry.
As she spoke, Xu Qianqian glanced worriedly at Qiu Yao'er. She was concerned that Qiu Yao'er's level of education was too low for her to understand the story she had begun. But her fears were unfounded. Qiu Yao'er was listening with rapt attention, her pupils slightly dilated. In her mind, she was picturing a grand and fantastical universe. Qiu Yao'er may not have liked to read, but her literary appreciation was exceptionally high. Some people in the world are simply born geniuses, without needing to learn.
Xu Qianqian thought Qiu Yao'er's sharp and captivating eyes were like stars. She had never seen such beautiful eyes in her life—domineering, profound, and possessing a feminine beauty. Her eyes could ensnare anyone. But they were also abnormally bloodshot, a painful sight to behold.
“Continue.”
Qiu Yao'er urged.
“Ah, yes!”
Xu Qianqian continued her story. Qiu Yao'er's eyes widened further, as if unwilling to miss a single word, and her posture grew even more attentive. When Xu Qianqian reached the middle of her narration, Qiu Yao'er even poured her a cup of tea, telling her to wet her throat. It was an unprecedented event. Overwhelmed by the honor, Xu Qianqian was both delighted and surprised, and she deliberately slowed her pace.
Of course, this wasn't so Qiu Yao'er could listen more closely, but to buy time. The manuscript she had received from Shen Lang was about fifty thousand characters long. If she read too quickly, she would finish in two or three days, and the story would be cut short. For now, she had to stretch about seven or eight thousand characters over four hours.