The day after the competition ended, for several consecutive days, the entire city was abuzz with discussions about it.

Of course, the most famous topic was the love-hate relationship between the competition champion, Tang Zifeng, and his scoundrel uncle.

Every day at the teahouses, storytellers would repeat this scene over and over again, yet the audience never seemed to tire of hearing it.

With a bang on the stage, the storyteller in a cool long robe began his narration.

“So, at the age of sixteen, the genius young man from the Tang family was framed by his uncle…”

The audience below spontaneously joined in, “Then he was cast out onto the streets, endured humiliation, and rose back to the peak. We’ve heard this so many times! Can we hear something new?”

Alright, it seems they’ve grown tired of it.

As a result, the storyteller paused for a moment and actually nodded. “Alright, let’s change it up.”

The storytelling market was too competitive; he needed to improve his skills even to have a meal.

After the competition, he had been pondering how to bring out some fresh ideas, and now his draft was ready.

Bang!

Another bang on the stage, the storyteller rolled up his sleeves and loudly proclaimed, “Today, we won’t talk about those two from the Tang family. Ah, enough of that. Let’s talk about the benefactor family of the competition champion, Tang Zifeng— the Qin family of Southern Ridge!”

On the first floor, a certain private room happened to have its window open, facing the storyteller on the ground floor.

The melodious voice with its ups and downs drifted up, occasionally accompanied by the sound of cracking melon seeds.

Qirong had a mouthful of melon seeds and moved his cheeks like a hamster.

After a while, he spat out the melon seeds into a bone plate.

This guy clearly didn’t know how to eat melon seeds; he just sucked up the sweetness.

Qin Ruqing clicked her tongue and commented, “What a waste!”

Qirong chuckled, “This storyteller is talking about how our Qin family has gained a prefix now,” he imitated, “the benefactor family of the competition champion, Tang Zifeng…”

Qin Ruqing spat out the melon seed shells calmly and explained, “It’s for popularity. Tang Zifeng is now a big name in Xiling City.”

“So, this Qin family, in Southern Ridge, is this!” The storyteller raised his thumb. “They heal illnesses and refine pills, they are a compassionate and kind family!”

“And at this moment, the genius Weapon refiner Tang Zifeng, who was just expelled from his family, crossed the Broken Vein Mountain with great difficulty, injured all over, and arrived at Southern Ridge.”

“Oh, Southern Ridge, it’s such a beautiful place with clear waters and green mountains. It’s not hot there, and I heard that the female cultivators are all gentle and beautiful! But unfortunately, the genius young man Tang Zifeng didn’t come here for sightseeing.

He came to escape the pursuit of his scoundrel uncle. Southern Ridge is remote; generally, if you want to sightsee, you go to North Ridge, but he naturally had to go the other way to save his life.”

“Tang Zifeng was seriously injured, so of course, he needed medicine to heal.

He went to the Qin family’s Elixir Pavilion. Unfortunately, he had no money on him.

This Qin family is a family with high medical ethics. The beautiful fairy managing the Pill Pavilion took pity on him when she saw a destitute young man often lingering at the entrance of the pavilion and gave him a few healing pills.”

“The beautiful fairy managing the Pill Pavilion?” Qirong was puzzled. “Sister Luwei, is this talking about you?”

Lu Wei hesitated slightly, her motion of peeling melon seeds also stopped. “No way, the one managing the Pill Pavilion is Third Elder. I just sit in the clinic; this must be fabricated.”

Qin Ruqing watched the two of them genuinely confused and couldn’t help but laugh.

This was an old trick of storytellers, inserting a bit of scandalous content into their narratives.

If Tang Zifeng were a female cultivator, then the lines would have to be changed to describe a tall, handsome, and robust young man.

The storyteller continued, “How could Tang Zifeng just receive kindness for nothing? Thinking of himself as an alchemist, he took out his very precious alchemy work, ah, it’s a bracelet with decorative properties, perfect on the hand of the beautiful female cultivator.”

Qin Ruqing: snort

“As a result, the beautiful female cultivator had discerning eyes, recognized that this bracelet was extraordinary, and reported it to the family.

The Qin family then invited specialized alchemists to study it. The alchemists were amazed, saying that this bracelet must have come from a master’s hands. Ah, they even wanted Tang Zifeng to be their master!”

Tang Zifeng: …

“This master might not have accepted in the end, but the Qin family took a liking to Tang Zifeng’s talent, so they invited him to become a high-ranking official in the family, later upgraded to a well-known guest elder.”

Qin Ruqing chuckled with narrowed eyes, nudging Tang Zifeng with his elbow. “So you were a high-ranking official in our family!”

Tang Zifeng didn’t even lift his eyelids, focused on meticulously peeling the melon seed shells without eating them.

Qin Ruqing raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Tang Zifeng replied, “Too much internal heat.”

Qirong was curious, “Hey, how did Big Brother Tang end up in our family back then?”

Qin Ruqing secretly pinched a small handful of melon seeds from the pile Tang Zifeng had peeled, swiftly stuffed them into his mouth, and said without blinking, “He first hooked up by slipping a note himself, and then I asked the Zhang family to bring him over! Moreover, he didn’t exaggerate his story like the storyteller did. He was quite comfortable; in Zhang’s family, he was also an honored guest elder and even wanted to manage Zhang’s family’s Pill Pavilion.”

The famous Pill Pavilion manager story resurfaced, and Tang Zifeng silently pushed the plate of peeled melon seeds toward Qin Ruqing, successfully shutting her up.

After drinking two pots of tea, when the storyteller began to tell the love story between Tang Zifeng and the beautiful female cultivator from the Qin family, Qin Ruqing clapped her hands, stood up, and said:

“We should go. If the Tang family still sends someone to invite you today, let’s go. After all, they’ve come three times already, and I heard they’ve caught Tang Biao.”

Since the end of the competition, the Tang family had been catching Tang Biao while simultaneously inviting Tang Zifeng back to discuss family matters.

They even sent elder-level figures twice before.

But Qin Ruqing said not to rush.

“Laughable! Back then, that bunch of idiots kicked you out of the family. Now that they see you’re famous and useful, they want to invite you back. They’re so used to it, why not come three or four times!”

Now it was the third visit from the Tang family.

Besides the Tang family, people from the Fifth Inn where Qin Ruqing lived also continuously visited.

Those aristocratic families who wanted to cooperate were one thing, but there were two more special cases.

One was the manager of the gambling den.

Qin Ruqing had won big during the competition, raking in an exceptional amount.

Normally, with such a large sum, the gambling den would find ways to delay payment, but instead, not only did they generously pay up promptly, but the manager personally delivered the money to Qin Ruqing.

Apparently, they had learned that the extravagant spender that day was from the Qin family, which included the now-famous Tang Zifeng.

The other visitor was a young man who had come specifically to thank Qin Ruqing.

Thanks to her guidance, he had managed to record all sixty-eight numbered commemorative stones afterwards.

Feng’s elder, Tang Chen, appeared at the inn’s entrance, looking as if he were waiting for someone.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered it was indeed Tang Chen, the Clan Leader of the Tang family.

“Well, this time they’re giving face; the patriarch himself has come.”

Upon seeing their group, Tang Chen’s eyes brightened.

He first glanced at Tang Zifeng and couldn’t help but call out, “Zifeng…”

Seeing him silent, his expression grew solemn.

He turned to Qin Ruqing and bowed, “Elder Qin, the Qin family is honored guests of our Tang family. It’s not appropriate for us to stay in an inn for long. Why not come to our Tang residence? Even if you don’t favor our Tang family, we can at least offer a banquet to show our respect.”

With Tang Chen, the Clan Leader of the prestigious Tang family, speaking in such a manner, it was indeed a great show of respect for Qin Ruqing.

Qin Ruqing smiled and glanced at Tang Zifeng before saying, “Clan Leader Tang, there’s no need to be so polite. Whether we go to the Tang residence or not isn’t about us; it’s about Tang Zifeng.”

Tang Chen sighed and turned to Tang Zifeng again after a while. “Zifeng, you must have some concern about the family regarding Tang Biao’s matter. He was personally captured by me yesterday. Naturally, I need to consult you on how to handle it.”

Tang Zifeng remained silent for a moment before speaking, “Clan Leader, you misunderstand. I don’t hold any grudge against the family. Since Tang Biao has been captured, and I have some words to say to him, I’ll go back.”

Tang Chen brightened up, “Good, good, let’s go. Elder Qin, please lead the way!”

The gates of the prestigious Tang family opened wide, welcoming Qin Ruqing and her entourage with the highest honors.

During the banquet, they formally discussed the issue of how to handle Tang Biao.

Tang Chen spoke seriously, “Tang Biao’s first offense is plagiarism, a major taboo in the alchemy community.

Later, he framed and killed his fellow clansmen, which is fratricide.

Lastly, he openly fled during the Refining Competition, damaging the family’s reputation.

These three offenses combined warrant fifty strikes of the cane and stripping of his surname, permanently banishing him from our territory according to our family rules.”

Upon hearing this, Qirong was genuinely surprised.

To him, this punishment seemed severe enough.

Stripping of the surname and permanent banishment from the territory meant not only exclusion from the family but also from the entire city of Xiling.

However, considering Tang Biao’s crimes, it seemed fitting.

Liu Wei, who was most familiar with the rules of the Qin family, silently pondered.

If someone from the Qin family committed such serious offenses, they would likely face a similar punishment.

Fifty strikes of the cane wasn’t an ordinary wooden cane but made from a specially crafted metal that appeared small but weighed a thousand pounds.

Fifty strikes could sever muscles and tendons, leaving even an immortal cultivator partially disabled.