The sound of someone slamming the table caught the attention of the people in the teahouse.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as a newcomer, I kindly ask for your guidance. My surname is Tang, and you can call me Xiaotang," he introduced himself.
"I will tell you a story, and after listening, please give your evaluation, whether it's good or not."
A middle-aged man frowned and said, "The stories you mentioned lack excitement. If it's about love affairs, sect grudges, or rumors of martial arts masters, then don't bother."
Tang Xiaoyu smiled and replied, "You're right, sir. I don't like those kinds of stories either. I prefer the type that breaks conventions and lets the imagination soar."
"I have two stories here, or rather, two tales. One is 'The Creation of the World,' and the other is 'The Havoc in Heaven.'"
"Ladies and gentlemen, which one would you like to hear?"
The middle-aged man from earlier said, "Tell us 'The Havoc in Heaven.' The name alone sounds intriguing. If you tell it well, you'll be rewarded handsomely."
The others also expressed their interest in hearing 'The Havoc in Heaven.'
"Please pay close attention, everyone!"
"In a distant land overseas, there is a country called Aolai. It is situated near the sea, and within the sea, there is a mountain known as Huaguo Mountain. On that mountain, there is a stone, rumored to be a divine stone that fell to the mortal realm when the goddess Nüwa mended the heavens."
Tang Xiaoyu couldn't recall the original story precisely, but he conveyed the general idea.
However, it didn't affect the overall effect.
The middle-aged man was curious and asked, "Who is Nüwa?"
Someone beside him reminded, "Keep listening, you can ask questions later."
"Oh, right, right."
Lu Changchun also perked up his ears, listening attentively to Tang Xiaoyu's storytelling.
From Sun Wukong's apprenticeship and training, to borrowing weapons from the Dragon Palace, from borrowing the weapons to guarding the Peaches of Immortality Garden, all the way to the Jade Emperor's second attempt to capture Sun Wukong.
"To find out what happens next, please tune in to the next episode."
The same middle-aged man from earlier stood up directly and exclaimed, "What happens next? Continue the story!"
The rest of the people urged him to continue as well.
Tang Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Let's take a short break. I'll entertain you with a few tunes, and then I'll continue the story."
As soon as the people in the teahouse heard this, they shouted at the top of their lungs, "Great! This story is fantastic!"
Tang Xiaoyu thought to himself, "Are their reactions a bit slow?"
He gestured to Lu Changchun, who immediately understood.
Holding a tray made of branches, they went around collecting rewards.
The generosity of the customers surprised Tang Xiaoyu. Instead of small change or bits of silver, the least they gave were ten taels of silver ingots. The middle-aged man even threw three one-hundred-tael silver bills directly.
Tang Xiaoyu stepped down from the stage and signaled for Xiao Lian to take over.
When Xiao Lian went up, she greeted the audience graciously and began singing a song that she had sung many times before.
Soon, the patrons below started to lose interest, and Tang Xiaoyu quickly returned to the stage to save the situation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, why do we come to teahouses? Isn't it to relax, engage in casual conversations, and maintain a peaceful atmosphere?"
The middle-aged man stood up again and said, "Xiaotang is right. We were too abrupt. Let Xiaotang continue with a few more segments later."
"Yes, yes, let Xiaotang continue with a few more segments later."
Tang Xiaoyu really wanted to say to that middle-aged man, "You're everywhere."
"Alright then! Let me sing a song for all of you. If you like it, I'll go back and teach this young lady the songs I know, so she can sing them for you in the future."
"That sounds good."
"Give me a moment to prepare."
"Sure, take your time."
After a while of preparation, Tang Xiaoyu took the homemade microphone and stepped forward again.
The projection appeared, the music started, and Tang Xiaoyu said, "Hello, let me test the microphone."
"I'll sing a song called 'Exploring the Clearwater River' for all of you."
"Xiao Tang, you're amazing! With this thing you made, we can enjoy the scenery and drink tea while listening," someone exclaimed.
"Yes, Old Zhou is absolutely right!" another person chimed in.
Tang Xiaoyu was speechless. Can you guys please listen to me sing? Singing is my main profession.
"Peach leaves are sharp on the tips, willow leaves cover the sky,"
"In his position, the wise Lord Ming carefully listens to my words,"
"This matter happened at the Blue Indigo Factory in the west of the capital,"
"In the Firearm Battalion of the Blue Indigo Factory, there is a handsome man named Song Ah Lian,"
"The girl is called Dalian, with a beautiful and charming face,"
"These flowers are left unpicked, and the lute strings are left unplayed,"
This song, regardless of its melody or singing style, can easily make people hum along for a couple of lines. It is suitable for people of all ages.
When Xiaolian heard the name Dalian, her body trembled.
Tang Xiaoyu didn't change the lyrics inside, confusing everyone and letting them imagine their own story.
This song tells the story of a pair of lovers who died for their love.
Whether it evokes sympathy or regret depends on personal opinion, but this song is catchy.
As Tang Xiaoyu was still singing, some people were already humming along with the melody by following the subtitles.
Especially the most active middle-aged man, they called him Old Zhou.
"Sister Dalian, wait for me, your sixth brother,"
"The autumn rain falls continuously, frost descends on the Clearwater River,"
"What a pair of passionate lovers, they jumped into the river together,"
When Tang Xiaoyu finished singing, the people below shouted in unison, "Great, great!"
And they started throwing money at Tang Xiaoyu.
Tang Xiaoyu was speechless and helpless. "Everyone, am I supposed to pick up the money or continue with the next performance?"
Old Zhou stood up again and said, "Unexpectedly, unexpectedly, you should place the money-collecting item in front, and we'll throw it in."
"That's right, that's right."
Tang Xiaoyu was about to say, "Can you guys really throw accurately?" but then she realized that this was a world of cultivation, so she immediately understood.
"Xiao Tang, I really like this song. Sing it two more times, so I can learn," Old Zhou said.
Others also echoed, "Yes, Xiao Tang, sing it two more times, so we can learn."
After speaking, Old Zhou took the lead in throwing money into Lu Changchun's plate, which was instantly filled.
Tang Xiaoyu expressed that the audience is like family, and their desires must be satisfied.
"Do you dare to say no? Alright, I'll sing it two more times."
However, what Tang Xiaoyu didn't expect was that her solo turned into a chorus.
Instantly, the voices in the teahouse grew louder, attracting the attention of passersby on the street.
When Wang Ziyan and the others arrived at the teahouse, they saw Tang Xiaoyu leading a group of people singing there.
"Senior Brother, do you see who that is?"
"Second Senior Uncle? What is he doing here?"
"Oh my! What's so surprising about it? That old man just likes to come to places like this."
Who is Second Senior Uncle? It's Old Zhou. If Tang Xiaoyu were to mention his full name, he would definitely ask about his relationship with Tang Xiaoxue.
This area of tens of thousands of miles falls within the jurisdiction of the Qingyun Sword Sect, and Baihu City is the closest city to the Qingyun Sword Sect.
Given the temperament of these elders from the Qingyun Sword Sect, it's easy to understand why Second Senior Uncle, who is the second elder, would appear here.
The group of people didn't go forward to pay their respects, fearing that Second Senior Uncle would scold them. Instead, they found a table and sat down.
After everyone finished singing together, Tang Xiaoyu glanced at Old Zhou and came up with a plan [Damn it, I'm going to make a fool out of you today].
"Everyone sang very well. So, I'd like to invite a guest to come up and perform for us."
Tang Xiaoyu was about to choose Old Zhou when she saw him swiftly running out and saying, "I'll do it, I'll do it."
The people below laughed and said, "Old Zhou, can you handle it? If you can't, let us do it."
"If I can't, then you definitely can't."
"Xiao Tang, give me what you have in your hand, and I'll sing."
Tang Xiaoyu expressed, "Is there something I shouldn't say?!"
"Then, Old Zhou, it's your turn!"
Old Zhou imitated Tang Xiaoyu's manner and said, "I'll sing 'Talking About the Clear Water River' for everyone."
The people below gave face to Old Zhou and applauded one after another, praising him.
As soon as he started singing, Tang Xiaoyu felt that Old Zhou's singing was really good because his voice was particularly suitable for this song.
"Great!" Tang Xiaoyu led the applause.
The people below followed suit, especially Wang Ziyan and her friends who applauded the most vigorously.
Old Zhou was now feeling a bit intoxicated; he really liked this feeling.
After the song was finished, Old Zhou bowed to the crowd, saying, "I've made a fool of myself, I've made a fool of myself."
"Old Zhou, we didn't expect that! You sing so well!"
Old Zhou became modest and said, "It's all thanks to everyone's support. I apologize for any offense caused."
Tang Xiaoyu returned to the stage and asked, "How was Old Zhou's singing?"
"Great!"
"In the future, if anyone wants to sing, they can come up anytime. It's not interesting to just listen to one or two of us singing. It's more fun when everyone participates," Tang Xiaoyu said, with Old Zhou echoing her words.
"For those who want peace and quiet, they can go back and meditate and cultivate! That's definitely quiet."
"Haha!" Everyone burst into laughter.
Afterward, Tang Xiaoyu continued talking about causing a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace.