My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

"In the fifth layer of the Immortal Realm, the Xiantian World, ancient beasts emerged, causing countless deaths and the destruction of numerous sects overnight!" "Ancient beasts were invincible even in the Imperial Realm!" *Clap!* The storyteller slammed the table, signaling to the audience that the climax was coming. "Just as the Xiantian World was about to face its greatest calamity, the Bright Temple Divine Son happened to pass by. He unleashed brilliant light with his divine powers and engaged the ancient beast in battle." "That battle was so fierce that it darkened the skies and blocked out the sun and moon. For a full forty-nine days, the mountains and rivers were flattened by the clash between one person and one beast." "In the end, the Bright Clan Divine Son's superior skills prevailed, subduing and capturing the ancient beast, saving all living beings!" The storyteller finished, clearing his throat. The Immortal Realm cultivators in the audience clapped and cheered. In the Immortal Realm, this style of storytelling was rare. Most people wouldn't dare to recount tales involving the Seven Great Houses, let alone those involving the Bright Clan Divine Son. Therefore, the audience was particularly engrossed. Many Immortal Realm cultivators even gave spirit stones as tips, showing their generosity. Regardless of the truth of the tales, they were mainly interested in hearing the stories. "After the tale of the Bright Clan Divine Son, let me tell you about the Cloud Clan Goddess, Feng Ruoxue." "Facing the Seven Great Houses of the Immortal Realm with just a single sword, she was the only one to do so throughout history! Feng Ruoxue fought on behalf of her close friend, the Snow Clan Saintess, retrieving what belonged to the Snow Clan Saintess from the Seven Great Houses, but was never seen again." "On that day, snow fell across the ninth layer of the Immortal Realm, with strong winds that seemed to weep, as if a woman was crying…" As the storyteller changed stories, his voice and emotions varied, filled with detailed nuances. After telling Feng Ruoxue's story, many female cultivators in the audience were moved to tears by her deep emotions and noble character. Some even quietly cursed the Seven Great Houses of the Immortal Realm. Of course, these murmurs were very faint and went unnoticed. The words from a tavern, even if heard by the Seven Great Houses, wouldn't be taken seriously. In the midst of the crowd, only Gu Lan and Mu Yuyan listened intently to the storyteller. Especially Mu Yuyan, who possessed the fragmented memories of the Snow Clan Saintess, recognized that the storyteller's account was not entirely fabricated. She immediately turned her gaze to the storyteller, only to be surprised to find that he looked exactly like the storyteller previously employed by Gu Tavern. Mu Yuyan promptly shared this discovery with Gu Lan. "It's him!" "His aura hasn't changed!" Gu Lan looked at the storyteller, also surprised. He had met this storyteller a few times before, as the storyteller had once recited books written by Gu Lan with great skill. However, for some unknown reason, the storyteller had resigned from Gu Tavern later on. Encountering an old acquaintance in the Immortal Realm was quite a surprise for Gu Lan. The storyteller continued to narrate several stories about prominent figures in the Immortal Realm, all of which were vivid and captivating, as if he had witnessed them firsthand. When the storytelling concluded, the audience was still immersed in the stories, unable to extricate themselves. "Mr. Zhuge, long time no see." At this moment, Gu Lan approached the storyteller and greeted him. Though they had only met once, Gu Lan remembered his name: Zhuge Qingyun. Perhaps inspired by the phrase "With favorable winds, I ascend to the azure skies," the name left a lasting impression on him. "Mr. Gu!" Zhuge Qingyun was momentarily stunned upon seeing Gu Lan but quickly wore a broad smile. He immediately began conversing with Gu Lan. "I didn't expect Mr. Zhuge to have come to the Immortal Realm; it's truly unexpected!" "Back then, having you work as a storyteller at the teahouse was indeed a waste of your talents." "Oh, not at all! Not at all!" Hearing Gu Lan's praise, Zhuge Qingyun waved his hand repeatedly, modestly saying, "I am just an ordinary storyteller, a wandering figure in the Jianghu. Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!" He then explained why he had come to the Immortal Realm. He revealed that he never stayed in one place for too long. After spending some time in Jing Nation, he left and went to the East Sea, where he encountered a young man who gave him a wooden token. Through the token, he received a mysterious inheritance related to storytelling and unexpectedly found himself transported to the Immortal Realm, leading to his current opportunity. "I am truly not suited for cultivation. Despite being in the Immortal Realm for many years, I am still only at the early King Stage. I have also depleted my savings from years of storytelling." "Recently, I resumed my old profession and have been working as a storyteller in the Immortal Realm. This place's taverns are quite dull, but I manage to make a living from storytelling." Zhuge Qingyun remained humble in his speech. Gu Lan was surprised to learn of his tumultuous journey. The mention of the East Sea young man made him think of Chen Feng. If it was related to that individual, Zhuge Qingyun's experiences would make sense. Even without using divination techniques, Gu Lan could see that Zhuge Qingyun was only at the King Stage. If he were concealing his strength, it would only mean that his abilities were higher than Gu Lan's. Regardless of the situation, Gu Lan saw no malice in him and was pleasantly surprised to meet an old friend. He invited Zhuge Qingyun to have a cup of spiritual tea. "I must accept graciously; thank you, Mr. Gu." Zhuge Qingyun expressed his gratitude and then followed Gu Lan. Upon meeting Mu Yuyan, he didn't seem to recognize her as the Empress of Jing Nation and simply greeted her as a friend's wife. The three of them enjoyed tea together, with the spiritual tea provided by Gu Lan being of the imperial quality he had received as a reward from the system. The rich spiritual energy of the tea allowed Zhuge Qingyun to break through his long-standing bottleneck, reaching the mid King Stage. In gratitude to Gu Lan and Mu Yuyan, Zhuge Qingyun shared nearly everything he knew about the Immortal Realm and other forces involved in the Great Competition of All Clans. This information was gleaned from his travels and was as reliable as his judgment could make it—though not guaranteed to be 100% accurate, it was at least 90% true. "Mr. Gu's noble kindness has allowed me to make a living back then and break through my cultivation today. All thanks to you." After finishing the tea, Zhuge Qingyun stood up and took out an item from his pocket. "This is a seed, given to me by that young man from the East Sea along with the wooden token." "During my time in the Immortal Realm, I haven't been able to uncover its secret. It might just be an ordinary seed." "Meeting an old friend in a foreign land is truly rare." "I present this seed to you, Mr. Gu, as a token of our bond. May we meet again by chance in the future!" With that, he placed the seed before Gu Lan and, with a casual wave, bid farewell. An itinerant life was not the final destination for someone like him.