The next day, before opening, the Taihe Teahouse was already bustling with knocking sounds. When Uncle Fu opened the door, a swarm of people rushed in. Thanks to the successful debut yesterday and the buzz it created, the number of guests doubled today.
"Everyone, everyone, the storyteller isn't here yet—" someone shouted, "Less chatter, I'm here to reserve a seat for my master, let me go to the second floor!"
"Yes, yes, the second floor is closer and we can hear better, hurry up and take our money!"
Each person waved their silver, and Uncle Fu had no choice but to step aside. By early morning, the Taihe Teahouse was filled with customers—a sight Uncle Fu had never even dared to imagine before.
Jiang Ming woke up feeling refreshed. He reached for the "Investiture of the Gods" beside his pillow and, whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to see colorful energies swirling among the words. After a day of fruitless study yesterday, this ancient tome, which he had scavenged from the old market, was said to be a relic from a past era.
After tidying himself and having breakfast, he could already hear the commotion outside. This was a good sign; perhaps a hundred years from now, the storytelling profession would honor his name at the highest level! He quietly entered through the side door behind the screen.
Bang! The wooden board echoed, and everyone fell silent. This time, he was recounting the third and fourth chapters, where Ji Chang intervened with Daji, and the fox from Enzhou died at Daji's hands. The rivalry between Chong Heihu and Zheng Lun opened everyone's eyes.
The old man and young man from yesterday were also present, though they paid no attention. The old man sighed, "Su Hu is indeed loyal but trapped." The young man nodded, "Poor Daji." He was immediately scolded.
"The young lady's soul was devoured by the fox long ago. This monster took her form to confuse King Zhou and caused tremendous chaos—truly a beauty with a tragic fate. It is said in poetry: 'Strange winds surprise at Enzhou post, Su Hu whips his horse to extinguish the lights. The twenty-year-old beauty is now lost, mistaken for a demon as if born of blood.'"
As Jiang Ming's voice fell, many in the crowd cursed the demon, pitying Daji, who couldn't control her life or death and bore eternal disgrace. Others scorned the treacherous faces of Fei Zhong and You Hun, prompting some learned individuals to spit in disdain.
Meanwhile, more vulgar folk, upon hearing that King Zhou was infatuated with Daji and had not attended court for two months, couldn't help but imagine her beauty, thinking they must visit Chunfeng Building tonight to deal with those vixens!
With another bang of the wooden board, the audience suddenly fell silent again. However, many guests who hadn't heard the first two chapters urged Jiang Ming to recount them. Exhausted, he didn't want to lose customers and promised to tell them in the afternoon, which delighted everyone.
After resting for an hour at noon, Jiang Ming regained some energy and began recounting the first two chapters again. Many new listeners were already entranced.
After one session, the crowd dispersed, and Uncle Fu came to share the good news: today's earnings exceeded yesterday's by over four hundred taels. Everyone in the teahouse was overjoyed, and several attendants received bonuses.
But the young master of the Silver Rise Gambling House, Luo Tianlin, was furious: "That Jiang Ming is quite clever. If this continues, it will be hard to take the teahouse. Perhaps I should try my father's old methods…"
His eyes glinted with malice as he wove through the corridors of his mansion and entered a secret passage.
Below the passage were iron cages, surrounded by flickering white candles. Sensing human presence, the creatures inside began to stir, rattling the cages. Luo Tianlin took out a silver bell from his sleeve and gently shook it; the clear sound quieted the monsters.
Reaching an iron cage, he nodded to himself, "A ninth-grade power is enough to deal with that guy. We have no grudges, but it's a pity about holding onto treasures."
At Taihe Teahouse, Uncle Fu and the attendants were clearing the tables, while Jiang Ming had already finished dinner and retired for the night. After telling two sessions today, he felt drained but couldn't understand why storytelling was so exhausting.
Beside him lay the "Investiture of the Gods," and unbeknownst to Jiang Ming, colorful threads were flying from all directions in the Eastern Capital, weaving into the book. The source was the patrons who had listened to him earlier; now, under the hazy night, many were embracing their wives and concubines but were lost in thoughts of Daji, as recounted by Jiang Ming.
"Why are you so spirited today, my dear?"
"Hehe, dear wife, turn your head and don't speak."
Suddenly, the "Investiture of the Gods" flipped open by itself, landing on a page where the name Daji seemed to come alive, and an ethereal fox spirit began to take shape.
Suddenly, a soft sound came from the window. A hunched figure, resembling a spider, crawled along the courtyard wall, slowly approaching the window.
In the moonlight, its skeletal frame was visible, wrapped in thin skin, its face like a demon, with sharp fangs and claws. With a leap, it silently entered Jiang Ming's room.
The creature sniffed the air and stealthily approached Jiang Ming's bed, raising its claws to strike.
Suddenly, the rustling of leaves erupted as a whirlwind knocked over a nearby bookshelf.
With a crash, Jiang Ming woke up and opened his eyes to see the monster before him; he had no time to react as he threw the blanket over it.
Ripping sounds filled the room as the creature swiped its claws, tearing the blanket apart, scattering feathers everywhere, before quickly lunging at Jiang Ming.
Realizing he couldn't move forward and the wall was at his back, he felt despair: why was this monster targeting him?
Just then, the "Investiture of the Gods" beneath him suddenly emitted a golden light, causing the monster to hesitate, not daring to approach.
Jiang Ming felt a surge of hope—there might be a chance! He quickly grabbed the book, and a whirlwind of demonic wind materialized.
A black mist shot out from within.
"Your beauty is long lost, mistaking the demon for kin. Young master, it seems you have quite a big opinion of me, huh?"
A bewitching voice echoed as a woman stepped out of the black mist, appearing as if she were a celestial being descending from the heavens.
The sudden appearance of the woman momentarily stunned the creature, but its simple mind couldn't process much; it bared its sharp teeth and charged forward.
"What kind of monster is this? A corpse transformed into a demon."
Before Jiang Ming could speak, the woman exhaled a plume of black gas, instantly freezing the monster in place.
Watching the woman easily subdue the creature, Jiang Ming recalled the earlier lines of poetry and, in this moment, began to suspect:
The ancient demon queen, Daji?
Daji paid no mind to the small corpse demon; she merely took a few breaths and then looked at the "Investiture of the Gods" at Jiang Ming's feet.
"Ah! I never thought I would have a chance to return from death. Young master, what year and month is it tonight?"