The Storyteller

In Seach of Freedom

"Yu Yan was the daughter of a small town official who ran errands for the local authority, so her postiion in life was not a powerful one, but it was respectable...." Bai Qian began with her very long story seeing as she wasn't sure how long Mo Yuan would be gone.

"Only she was not born with a beautiful face,  because according to the towns beauties, her face was the most hideous thing they had ever seen and no matter how much powder she put on her face, the local boys all dismissed her as a potential wife for those who were far luckier than she, after all she was merely a daughter of a lowly official, and without enough wealth to prepare a decent dowry, she wasn't worth looking at anyway."  

"But she refused to accept that she could not also find a wonderful and handsome husband for herself, despite the teasing from the other girls that she looked more like a bed pan seat than a damsel.  Their words were cruel and disheartening but she refused to give up."

"And it just so happened, that one day, a visiting street performer happened to appear in her small town where she found herself listening to a fanciful tale of a miracle potion that would give the owner everlasting beauty.  Not even old age would diminish her loveliness so long as her heart was good and kind and her body and mind chaste.  She also had to be courageous because in order to obtain this potion, one would have to climb the trecherous slopes of Kunlun Mountain and once there, she would be met on the highest peak by a Heavenly Golden Dragon that guarded the Celestial Heavens." Her soft voice spoke in awe as the memory of the actors vivid storytelling came back to her which she could still see in her mind.

"If she managed to make through the snow storms, trecherous bands of thieves that roamed the lower valleys freely in search of Immortal treasures, and the many beasts that  lived there, then her quest would only be three quarters of the way completed.  Because once she made it to a large Jade lake, then she would have to strip herself completely naked right there and purify her body in the waters magical healing powers before climbing the rest of the way naked... all the way to that Big Golden Dragon where she would then have to offer up her virginity."

"Even then, there was no guarantee that she would even survive this because everyone knows that the mighty Golden Dragons .... ahem.... sword....  is bigger than the most tallest and fattest giant in all the land." she exclaimed with a healthy dose of embarrassment, before quickly moving on.

"Though if she did survive, it was only then that she would be granted the opportunity to take the magical potion from its giant golden talons in exchange for one final offering.  If she wanted eternal beauty, then not only would she have to pledge an eternal bond to their War God who also happened to be that Golden Dragon, for the rest of her souls lifespan, no matter how many lives she lived, but the potion was really his semen."  She said before taking a deep breath having just completed the first part of the longest play ever written.

Listening quietly to her voice that Mo Yuan had attached himself to as he made his way through the mist, he faltered as her ridiculous story took flight.  In all his long life!   He had heard all manner of stories that the Mortals had written to honour their gods, even the War God, yet this was the first time he was hearing this one and not only was he unimpressed, but the vivid descriptions she had just given for his man part was so obscene he almost turned back to scold her.

But having almost made it to his barrier, all he could do was allow that voice to waffle on as he mentally prepared himself to pass through his barrier.  Beyond, were more mountains, several low lying valleys and beyond that, a fork in the river.   One led east while the other continued north and it was the latter that he would need to follow.  And though he was mind travelling, once he had passed through the barrier, it would be far easier to move at speed so long as he kept known landmarks in his sight along the way.