Shengbing was a small village characterized by its dense population. It exuded an air of gloom and peril, nestled between the towering Wailing Mountain and the treacherous Icy Terrain in the west, north, and south.
To the east stretched vast plains, isolating the village from the rest of civilization, except for a distant coastal village located at the far end of the plains. Shengbing was rife with danger and inhabited by rogue criminals.
Every individual in Shengbing was inherently suspicious, but at first glance, one would not perceive the lurking perils.
Superficially, it appeared no different from any other ordinary village, with its inhabitants going about their daily lives much like any other community.
The weather in Shengbing was slightly colder due to the chilling winds blowing from the icy terrains and the wailing mountains. Consequently, the villagers dressed a little more heavily than the average person would.
"Today, let's have a serving each of egg-fried noodles," Xuan Yi ordered, feeling slightly more generous towards Tian Wei, he decided to treat him to something more than plain vegetable noodles.
"Can you imagine? All the taxes they're imposing will drive the average family to the streets," voiced one of the mercenaries at a nearby table. The speaker happened to be the tallest and largest among them.
"The Zhao family has always been tough on the people, but this time they've gone too far. Where do they get the audacity? Aren't they afraid of a rebellion?" continued the tall individual.
"I've heard that some strange individuals visited the village. Rumor has it that a conflict of god-like proportions broke out. Whatever is happening, it must be beyond the control of the Zhao family," added a second voice, belonging to a person of medium stature.
"It involves two major clans from the north. I don't have all the details, but reliable sources suggest that some young masters from these clans were fighting over a certain Miss Zhao. Apparently, one of the powerful sects called Yu, or something similar, discovered her extraordinary rare talent. They struck a deal with the Zhao family to arrange her marriage to someone from the Yu clan. This Miss Zhao possesses an incredible ability that could shift the delicate power balance between these two clans if nurtured properly. However, the other clan got wind of this talent and came to claim her as well," interjected the shortest person.
"Are you referring to Qing Fu? I've heard her name too, from a reliable source who witnessed the fight," replied the second person.
"Yes, that's her. Her name had momentarily slipped my mind," the shortest person agreed, and then continued to explain, "This other clan, their name remains a mystery as it was not revealed. However, they dispatched two disciples from their sect, one of them being the young master of their clan. These two masters cunningly disguised themselves as members of the Yu clan."
"Such a thing happened!" exclaimed the tall person and the second person simultaneously.
"But it gets even more intricate. The Zhao family, realizing the true value of Qing Fu and the fact that two powerful clans were vying for her, decided to break their initial betrothal agreement with the Yu clan and exchange her like a merchandise to the highest bidder among these two major clans. However, before they could execute their plan, the imposters from the Yu clan caught them off guard while attempting to secretly whisk Qing Fu out of town. With no other choice, the Zhao family had to hand over Qing Fu to the imposters, unaware of their true identity," continued the short person, unravelling the mystery to his captivated audience.
"Ah! It sounds like something you'd only read about in legends," remarked the second person, shaking his head in astonishment.
"It gets even more complicated. Qing Fu, smitten by the imposter young master from the Yu clan, immediately eloped with him to get married as soon as possible," the short person continued.
"How many lavish gifts did those wealthy Yu imposters present to the Zhao family? They are, after all, the second great clan," wondered the tall person.
"Well, it seems that these imposters not only deceived others but also turned out to be quite stingy. Not a single coin was paid to the Zhao family. In fact, they made Qing Fu herself pay for the meal they had at the local establishment," the short person replied, showcasing his knowledge of the situation.
"Huh!" exclaimed everyone at the table, surprised by the audacity of the imposters.
"Why didn't the Zhao family protest?" questioned the tall person.
"Why are you always this stupid?" the short person shouted. "How could they protest when faced with the apparent might of the 'Yu clan'? Moreover, the 'Yu clan' caught them red-handed while trying to sneak Qing Fu out of the village. The 'Yu clan' was already furious, and the Zhao family couldn't afford to provoke them any further until the dust settled."
Even Xuan Yi, who was thoroughly engrossed in the story, had to acknowledge the remarkable creativity of the rumor-monger. This person must be a distinguished storyteller indeed.
"It is indeed a tragic turn of events. But let's continue with the story. As they eloped on the road, guess who suddenly appeared?" the short person continued, building suspense.
"The true Yu clan?" the tallest person guessed, leaning in closer along with the other person, eager to hear how the conflict unfolded.
"Exactly. The true Yu young master immediately recognized Qing Fu. After all, they were originally promised to each other through the agreement with the Zhao family. So the true Yu clan demanded that Qing Fu be returned to them. However, the Yu imposters were unwilling to let go of the prize they had come so close to obtaining. The food was next to their mouth they wouldn't let it be snatched. And thus, a fight broke out between them," explained the short person, capturing their attention.
"The Yu imposters were well-prepared for the confrontation. They possessed mysterious techniques and weapons that overwhelmed the true Yu clan. They even went as far as killing many villagers and showed no hesitation in destroying more property and taking more lives. Besides, they had used some strange power to make Qing Fu smitten by them. Faced with such underhanded methods, the true Yu clan reluctantly decided to temporarily cease the fight. They were left empty-handed, without Qing Fu whom they had come to retrieve, and to add insult to injury, they were defeated. Feeling humiliated, they turned their anger towards the Zhao clan," the short man concluded, pausing for dramatic effect.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. These Yu imposters are not to be underestimated. But how did they manage to deceive the Zhao family? If the Zhao's had recognized them, wouldn't they have immediately alerted the true Yu clan about the imposters?" pondered the tallest person aloud, his curiosity piqued.
"It wouldn't have made a difference if the Zhao family had recognized the imposters. The true Yu clan wouldn't have received the message in time to be fully prepared. Besides, these imposters not only stole but also learned the secret techniques of the Yu clan to complete the perfect disguise. They were surely well-equipped to handle any challenges from the Zhao clan," explained the short person, his frustration evident.
"It is indeed a sad state of affairs we live in. Even our humble village of Shengbing seems more honorable compared to the underhanded methods employed by these Yu imposters," lamented the second person, sharing in the sentiment.
"I still don't understand how all of this is connected to the heavy taxes imposed on the people by the village," the tallest person admitted, still a bit perplexed.
"You are quite slow for someone of your size," the short person snapped in irritation. "The Yu clan demanded compensation for their losses and imposed fines or perhaps a tribute on the Zhao. The Zhao family, in turn, taxed the people to recover those losses. Let me tell you, these two imposters from the Yu clan are despicable. They not only enticed Qing Fu but also violated and left her for dead. It appears that they had no interest in her martial talent but were only driven by their desire to abuse her and snatch her away from the true Yu clan, who were originally betrothed to her."
Having heard and enjoyed the story, Xuan Yi burst into laughter before standing up and heading towards the table where the three individuals were seated.
He looked deeply into the eyes of each person, starting with the tallest and eventually fixing his gaze on the short person who had been weaving the captivating tale.
Tian Wei simply sipped his tea.
**
[Hello reader, I apologize if the grammar seems a little confusing. I have used, in this and the next chapter, the pronouns "they/their/them" instead of specific gender pronouns because I didn't want to decide the gender of the three characters in this context (the tall, second, and short person).
Please remember to leave your thoughts and vote.
And thank you for sticking with me this far. It gets better- I have intense scenes planned up.
]