"People from beyond the realm can't live for ten thousand years, let alone us."

The young cashier pursed her lips and asked curiously, "Grandpa, do you know that tourist who was listening to your story?"

"I don't know him, but he's a Martial Artist, at least Seventh Grade," the blind storyteller said.

"Hah. A mere Seventh Grade Grandmaster doesn't even have the right to know about the world beyond, yet he talks about guarding Hua Country for ten thousand years..." The young cashier rolled her eyes dramatically. "He couldn't guard Chang'an City for even a second."

The blind storyteller raised his arm. "It's time to go."

The young cashier hurried over to support him. "Grandpa, how much longer can the truth about the world beyond be hidden? This veneer of a peaceful and prosperous era has been maintained for three hundred years. We..."

"Unless every last Watchman and Night Watchman is dead, the secret will remain sealed. It's enough that we are the ones to bear this burden," the storyteller muttered.

The young cashier sighed. Then why do you still come here to tell stories? Telling the stories of those who have already died to this crowd of ordinary people. They'll spend their whole lives thinking they're just stories and never believe they're real.

As if he could read her thoughts, he chuckled. "Knowing so much, it'd be suffocating not to say it out loud."

"Pfft."

She laughed too.

"It feels much better to say it out loud. That way, I don't have to worry about anyone forgetting them. It doesn't matter if people die. What matters is that someone remembers their silent sacrifices," the storyteller murmured to himself.

...

At the entrance of Yuhua Alley, the rain had cleared. The light of the setting sun spilled down, illuminating the earth.

"Xu Lai, slow down! I won't hit you anymore," Ruan Tang said, out of breath. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked absolutely captivating.

Her seductive tone and gaze, combined with the heaving peaks beneath her clothes, made Xu Lai raise an eyebrow. This woman... is she trying to tempt me? Yes, definitely!

"I promised your sister I wouldn't go to any love hotels. Lady Ruan, please, have some self-respect," Xu Lai said sternly.

Ruan Tang was completely bewildered. What on earth was Xu Lai talking about? How did this lead to hotels?

She glared at him. "If you say one more ridiculous thing, believe me, I'll tear you to shreds!"

"You want to tear my clothes off?" Xu Lai feigned a look of horror.

A few passersby brushed past them, shooting them strange looks, while some of the women simply smiled knowingly.

Ruan Tang was so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into and disappear.

She clapped a hand over Xu Lai's mouth and hurried out of Yuhua Alley. Once they were in a deserted area, she said angrily, "What you just said..."

"I was wrong just now," Xu Lai said softly.

"What did you do wrong!"

"I was wrong to say it out loud."

Xu Lai's tone was complicated. "A great man once said, 'When you cannot refuse, you must learn to endure.'"

Ruan Tang finally exploded. "Xu Lai!"

"Xu Lai!?"

A familiar voice called out from not far away.

Looking toward the sound, they saw it was Xu Yaoyao. She was holding a man's arm at a street corner a few dozen meters away, waving excitedly. "Ruan Tang!"

Ruan Tang was a little surprised. "Yaoyao, you're..."

"I'm out shopping with my boyfriend. You two as well?" Xu Yaoyao asked with a beaming smile.

"Yeah," Ruan Tang replied happily.

"Let me introduce you! This is Liu Beiming. He's the deputy director of Hangcheng's Third People's Hospital, a genuine medical Ph.D., and he comes from the renowned Liu Family of traditional medicine!" As Xu Yaoyao made the introduction, Liu Beiming's eyes filled with pride.

Unlike the typical wealthy families, the Liu Family was a lineage of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners stretching back three hundred years. Their ancestors had even produced a medical sage on par with Sun Simiao, giving them an incredibly high standing in the world of Xinglin. They were a monumental force in the history of traditional Chinese medicine that could not be ignored.

Ruan Tang sized up the man beside her best friend and nodded to herself. He was handsome and seemed decent enough.

She smiled faintly. "Hello, Dr. Liu. This is my husband, Xu Lai. He's also a doctor, though he works as a school doctor."

"A school doctor? Which school?" Xu Yaoyao was surprised; she truly never imagined Xu Lai was also a doctor.

Before Ruan Tang could answer, Liu Beiming interjected coolly, "A school doctor who can't even perform a simple surgical procedure and only hands out band-aids? Can you even call that a doctor? It's just a position for appearances."

Clearly, Liu Beiming had a major problem with school doctors and didn't mince his words.

"Uh... Ruan Tang, Xu Lai, please don't get the wrong idea. Bei Ming is just brutally direct. He doesn't mean any harm by it," Xu Yaoyao said, her expression awkward.

"It's fine," Xu Lai replied with an easygoing smile.

Ruan Tang, however, pulled her best friend's arm and whispered, "Your boyfriend's words are a bit out of line."

"I'm so, so sorry. He's just completely tactless. Please, for my sake, forgive him?" Xu Yaoyao clasped her hands together, her eyes pleading pitifully.

Ruan Tang fell silent.

"Let me treat you guys to dinner," Xu Yaoyao offered.

"Yaoyao, I didn't come to the East Sea to have dinner with strangers. I came to see my mentor," Liu Beiming said, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Shut up," Xu Yaoyao snapped. "Say one more word and you can go straight back to Hangcheng. We're done!"

Liu Beiming panicked. This was his first love. Both of their families had already met, and they were about to discuss a wedding date. How could she just call it off like that?

He was about to say something, but seeing Xu Yaoyao's furious expression, he quickly shut his mouth.

He sighed inwardly. I guess I'll just have to invite my professor to join us. I hope he won't mind an extra person.

Although Ruan Tang wanted to refuse the dinner invitation, under Xu Yaoyao's expectant gaze, she found she could only agree.

「Meteor Song」

It was a specialty restaurant with a peculiar name. The owner had spared no expense, hiring chefs from all eight of Hua Country's major culinary traditions. Here, as long as you were willing to pay, you could have any dish you desired.

Inside the private room, Ruan Tang teased her best friend, "You really went all out for an apology, didn't you?"

"Why would I hold back with you?" Xu Yaoyao rolled her eyes. "Honestly, my boyfriend took a half-day off, but it wasn't to spend time with me. He found out his doctoral advisor from university recently started working here in the East Sea, so he rushed over, hoping to have a meal with him."

"So you were afraid you'd be bored, and that's why you forced me and Xu Lai to stay?" Ruan Tang asked, dark lines appearing on her forehead.

"Hey! Tangtang, that hurts! We're practically sisters. I just wanted to catch up," Xu Yaoyao said, feigning offense.

"Hah. Women."

"Hee hee, give us a kiss."

"..."

Ruan Tang's expression darkened as she pushed away her overly affectionate friend.

Meanwhile, Liu Beiming put on his Bluetooth headset. "Everyone, could you please be quiet for a moment? I need to call my professor," he said.

He was much more polite this time, clearly having been given an earful by Xu Yaoyao on the way over.

However, when Liu Beiming placed the call, he was met with a busy signal. His call had been rejected!

"Your professor isn't coming?" Xu Yaoyao turned to ask.

"He might be busy. I'll call again in a couple of minutes."

But his call two minutes later was again met with the busy tone.

The atmosphere grew a little awkward.

Liu Beiming was grateful he was wearing the headset so the others couldn't know his professor was snubbing him so blatantly.

So, under his girlfriend's questioning gaze, the stubborn man tried again, this time with a WeChat video call.

This time, the call connected.

An impatient voice came through the earpiece. "What's with all the calls? Don't you know how annoying this is?"

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