noveltune Chapter 40, The Storyteller
Chapter 40, The Storyteller
"The mirror at midnight reflected a woman climbing out of a well, her hands cold and wet..."
Lin Zhou may not be good at anything else, but his storytelling ability is top-notch. He told the story of the midnight bell so vividly that anyone would be scared of the kind of vengeful ghost that could suddenly kill someone for no reason. Plus, there was no materialism education around at this time, and he told it so realistically that it must be true.
Few of the girls listening to the story were not trembling. Those with good brothers hid beside them, while those without good brothers huddled together with their best friends for warmth.
Just then, a cold wind blew through the sky, and dark clouds covered the sky again. As everyone knows, the clouds of falling snow are different from the clouds of a cloudy day; they are the kind of dark clouds that blot out the sun and make it impossible to distinguish between day and night.
This is indeed a disaster for flower viewing and snow appreciation, but for ghost stories, isn't it a miracle of timing...?
At this moment, Lin Zhou became more and more excited as he spoke, using the eerie wind to bring the terrifying atmosphere to its peak: "Suddenly, a sound came from upstairs, and a series of running sounds suddenly appeared in the empty room, like a puppy or a child."
"Ah~~~~"
The girls' screams were now deafening, and even Wanyan Hongliu was pale as she clung tightly to Lin Zhou's pants, refusing to let go.
The girl was terrified, but the man was much better in comparison. Although they were also scared by the vivid description, they couldn't resist the younger sister calling him "brother" this and "brother" that. Some of the bolder ones even pressed their whole bodies against him.
How many fancy words and phrases would it take to achieve this effect? Putting everything else aside, it's a great story, bro!
"When the group went down into the well, they found a mound of bones at the bottom. The woman in the well had been dead for many years. Then, someone remembered the case of murdering his wife years ago!"
At this point, Lin Zhou slammed the gavel, which was temporarily acting as a paperweight, onto the table with a loud bang: "This matter concerning the East ends here today."
"good!"
It's unclear who started it, but all the talented men in the room began to applaud Lin Zhou. Tea parties are supposed to be about tea and conversation, and people get tired of spending all day spouting literary praises. Now, suddenly, this extraordinary person has arrived, and the first thing he says is a captivating and dramatic story that is far more exciting than any street storyteller's tale.
Most importantly, his scare tactics had a remarkable effect; his previously reserved sister now threw herself into his arms.
"Young masters and ladies, I was invited by Princess Wanyan today to tell stories and tales for you. If you want to thank me, then thank Princess Wanyan for her generosity. I am just a performer who earns a living."
The spotlight immediately shifted from Lin Zhou to Hong Liu. Before she could react, someone had already approached her and started chatting.
Lin Zhou leaned against the side, picked up his water glass, took a sip, and rested for a bit. He watched as Hong Liu started chatting with people one after another, and he just smiled.
"Brother."
Just then, a voice came from beside Lin Zhou. He turned around and saw a young man of about twenty years old. He quickly put down his water glass and asked, "Young master, is there something you need?"
"I am Lu You from Shanyin, Yuezhou, courtesy name Wuguan. I was somewhat envious of this brother's eloquent words just now, and I would like to have a detailed conversation with him."
Who?
Lin Zhou was taken aback, then turned to stare at the young man beside him, scrutinizing him from head to toe: "Lu You?"
"Wu Guan..." Lu You cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and corrected him, "May I ask your name, brother?"
"Ah! Good heavens!" Lin Zhou almost had a stroke: "You're Lu You!"
"Wu Guan..." Lu You corrected again, his face showing a mixture of helplessness and surprise.
Good heavens, he's seen him alive... Lin Zhou looked Lu You up and down, front and back, and thought to himself, "That old bastard really tricked me back then!"
"My name is Lin Zhou, and as for my courtesy name... my family passed away before they had a chance to give me one. Aren't you Lu You, the great scholar? Could you help me choose a courtesy name?"
"Wu Guan..." Lu You corrected for the third time, somewhat resignedly, "Brother, in the customs of the Central Plains... it's like cursing your mother if peers address each other by their given names."
"Right, right, right!" Lin Zhou slapped his forehead. "I forgot about that. Don't be offended, I was just too excited to meet a super celebrity."
It's really not Lin Zhou's fault. What level was Lu You? He was a top-tier genius! There were many brilliant people in the Southern Song Dynasty, but those who were both brilliant and principled were Lu You and Xin Qiji.
Xin Qiji was nowhere to be seen at that moment, but Lu You was standing right in front of him.
"I remember you wrote that poem, 'To repay the emperor's favor on the golden platform, I would wield the jade dragon and die for him.'"
Lu You pursed his lips: "That's Li He..."
"Right, right... I got it mixed up. You're the one who said, 'I knew all was vanity after death, but I grieve that I cannot see the unification of the nine provinces. When the royal army has pacified the Central Plains, do not forget to tell your grandfather at the family sacrifice.' That's it!"
After Lin Zhou finished speaking, Lu You tilted his head and squinted, scrutinizing him carefully from head to toe. After a long while, he finally spoke, "A fine poem, a rare and excellent one. It's a pity... it wasn't written by me."
"You wrote it!"
"no……"
"How could that be? I've memorized it to pieces, and you still want to punish me..." As Lin Zhou said this, a thought suddenly cleared in his mind...
It's true that Lu You wrote this poem, but that was Lu You at eighty-five years old, while the Lu You standing before him now is a twenty-year-old with a face full of collagen...
"Ah... I remembered it wrong." Lin Zhou scratched his head: "I mixed up the people."
Lu You nodded slightly, and then said nothing more. He kept pondering the line "But I grieve that I cannot see the unification of the nine provinces" in his mind. His emotions plummeted within seconds, and he had no interest in discussing his strange and wonderful overseas experiences with Lin Zhou.
"What a beautiful poem..." Lu You snapped out of his reverie, his gaze towards Lin Zhou now different: "Brother Lin, this poem has truly given me a wake-up call!"
After saying this, he turned and glanced at Wanyan Hongliu, who was standing not far away. He flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly, "Wu Guan disdains to associate with the Jurchens!"
After saying that, he walked away with his eyebrows raised and eyes wide open. Lin Zhou sighed behind him, but he couldn't stop the young Lu You from walking away.
"I'm afraid I've gotten myself into some trouble..." Lin Zhou pondered the scene from just now, and felt that it didn't seem like anything serious...
That's true. Artsy young people are all quite sentimental, and no one knows which words might hurt their sensitive hearts.
Overall, Lin Zhou's ghost story was indeed very effective in breaking the ice. Although Wanyan Hongliu was no longer the most popular person here, she was no longer a nobody sitting in the corner. Men would be too proud to talk to her, but women started to communicate with her.
Lin Zhou leaned against the side, watching the beautiful women on the scene, and found it rather amusing.
However, his peace and quiet did not last long. When night fell, those bastards started making a fuss again, insisting that Lin Zhou tell another scary story.
He could tell from the urgency in the eyes of these scoundrels that they were all men, and he knew them all too well. They were pulling this stunt at night, and even a fool could figure out what they were up to. It was just like taking a crush to a midnight movie.
Lin Zhou put down his chopsticks, coughed, and chuckled, "I am honored by your kind words, so I will tell you one story at a time."
After he finished speaking, he got up and went to the front. The woman who was playing the pipa gave him her seat, and he sat down with a teacup in his hand, coughing once.
"Today I'll tell you a story about a ghost letter." He coughed. "If you're scared, you can tell me; this one's quite frightening."
The people present were all young masters and ladies, and most of them were usually fearless. But at this moment, the whole room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, except for the crackling sound of the charcoal fire in the brazier.
The gavel slammed down, startling the girls around. Immediately, a kind-hearted man grabbed one of their soft, boneless hands and whispered, "Don't be afraid, little sister, your brother is here."
"Speaking of this ghost letter, it happened in the ancient capital of Jinling..."
The story unfolds by simply adapting the plot of a ghost call and serving it up, but Lin Zhou's exceptional talent in this area is undeniable. He can concoct lies with ease, and he is also adept at creating atmosphere. Every now and then, screams erupt in the room in rhythm with his story.
The emotional value was maximized, and the story now was far more terrifying than the one during the day, especially since the sound of clappers from patrolling the streets had already begun.
After the event, not to mention the girls, even the boys had mostly cold hands. When the event ended, Lin Zhou saw several of his younger brothers going to the outhouse together.
"You scared me to death!" Miss Hongliu walked up to him and glared at him resentfully. "How am I supposed to sleep tonight?!"
"I'm afraid you're not the only one who won't be able to sleep tonight." Lin Zhou looked at the trembling teenagers around him. "They haven't been exposed to enough of this; they're so frail."
But it has to be said that Lin Zhou became an instant sensation in this circle, and now half of the ladies' circles in Lin'an know about this young man with a lot of stories to tell.
To everyone's surprise, he made it onto the list of talented scholars in Lin'an the very next day...
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Sitting here typing with a fever feels so good! Remember to vote and tip, everyone! New book launch!