Chapter 517 Part 1

Chapter 517 Part 1: The Returning Qiao Family Members (1)

"To understand this, we must start from the day of the fierce battle when strong reinforcements arrived alongside the Earth Sword Immortal…"

The Tide Listening Building is very well-informed.

The Long Life Gate had just ended, and it was clear that the Tide Listening Building had already received the news, even learning about Qiao Mu, who was hiding behind the scenes of this great battle.

To be exact, during the battle for the fall of Long Life Gate, Qiao Mu was far from being a key player; he was just watching from the sidelines.

At this moment, when he looked back, even if he did not take action, that great Elder would not kill him. It is likely that Long Life Gate could not withstand Xue Changhe, Earth Sword Immortal, and the ten thousand Immortal Slaying Army.

If there was any achievement to speak of, it was that he replaced the oil lamp in Xue Changhe’s hand, allowing Xue Changhe, who was bound by the invisible shackles of bloodline, to break free from his restraints and fully showcase his martial arts.

This was only told through the words of Storyteller Jiang Chen.

A member of the Qiao family, who was originally on the edge of the battlefield, had evidently become a more central figure.

"The original Immortal Slaying Army had an inseparable connection with the Qiao family members. Even Xue Changhe, who is now unmatched in martial arts, once entered Peach Blossom Villa in his youth…"

"And the mysterious strong support that appeared on the battlefield that day, though only giving a small display of their strength, clearly had the style of the Qiao family members from back then, making people wonder… could it be that the Qiao family members from that time have reappeared?"

When the gray-haired Jiang Chen said this, the crowd of wandering heroes below felt a bit confused.

"No, isn’t it true that Xue Changhe played a major role in the battle for the fall of Long Life Gate? I heard rumors that Xue Changhe killed the leader of the Long Life Gate, showcasing his peak skills."

"What mysterious strong support, what Qiao family member reappears, is this old man losing his mind? It’s clearly Xue Changhe’s deeds, but he keeps twisting it back to the Qiao family member?"

"Although the Qiao family member was once very powerful, they have all long passed away. Why bring them up now?"

Some traveling heroes were indeed feeling a bit uneasy.

This is Yan City, the closest city to Peach Blossom Villa. It can be said that the martial artists from the Yan City area of Nan Province grew up listening to the stories of the ancestors of the Qiao family.

When it comes to the stories of the Qiao family members, everyone knows them very well; they have heard them since childhood.

But no matter how famous their reputation was, it is now just tales from the past.

Moreover, the old storyteller of Tide Listening Building is also a famous figure in this area, with decades of storytelling experience. The only issue is that he is indeed quite old and loves to bring up old stories.

As for whether a Qiao family member really appeared on the battlefield in Dong Province, they subconsciously didn’t take it seriously.

The Qiao family members of the previous era were too incredible, enduring like no other, unstoppable in battle, making the Immortal Gate retreat, possessing a great deal of divine skills… all these facts together felt too unbelievable.

Just like a legendary story passed down through generations, everyone has heard of it, but young people often do not take it seriously.

When a member of the Qiao family returns, it feels like the return of the First Emperor. Many people have talked about it, but no one truly believes it.

"Elder Jiang is being a bit too hasty…" In one corner of the hall, two young storytellers shook their heads.

"What these martial artists want to hear are Xue Changhe’s deeds, or they are interested in the details of this battle…"

"Even if he wants to mention a member of the Qiao family, he is being too impatient; the audience has not yet gotten into the story, the atmosphere isn’t set, it feels a bit rushed."

They are still young, having only been in the Tide Listening Building for a few years. This time, they are judging from the perspective of storytelling techniques.

"After all, Elder Jiang is a pillar of our Tide Listening Building, and with Elder Jiang’s decades of experience as a storyteller, it should be more than this…"

Just then, a voice came from beside them:

"It really shouldn’t be like this; he just has not kept up with the times."

The speaker is an unremarkable middle-aged man with a faint horizontal line in the middle of his forehead.

This is not a wrinkle, but an unopened magical eye.

He is the other pillar of the Tide Listening Building’s factual faction, Clairvoyance.

The two young storytellers suddenly felt a bit anxious.

They had sharply criticized their senior from a technical perspective, but now they were being heard by Clairvoyance, who was even more senior than Elder Jiang, which made them feel a bit embarrassed.

"Don’t be embarrassed; what you said is not entirely wrong," Clairvoyance said.

"Jiang Chen’s approach, if placed in fifty years ago, would not be considered wrong."

"At that time, the Qiao family member was the brightest star among the Jiu Province, overshadowing even the Founding Emperor Yan, Xue Changhe, and Earth Sword Immortal."

"Though they were a group of people, they were united through the ages, like the brightest star."

"In the past, whenever a member of the Qiao family appeared in the storyteller’s words, it would definitely be the center of attention."

"But in today’s age, it is a time when many stars shine together, with no unparalleled hero who can sweep away all enemies alone… even the ‘Yanshen Great Taoist Lord’ has foes."

"In today’s age, the once famous members of the Qiao family are no longer the hottest figures in the stories, replaced by One Sage, One Ancestor, Five Peerless Ones, and other extraordinary heroes like the Immortal Slaying Army and Peach Blossom Villa…"

"They want to hear about Xue Changhe, yet you insist on talking about the Qiao family member…" Clairvoyance lowered her voice slightly and said slowly:

"Are you afraid that the world will forget?"

"However, talking about this may not have the desired effect in today’s age."

Clairvoyance was indeed correct.

At this moment, the voices of the wanderers in the hall had gradually started to rise.

Jiang Chen was not an unknown person, but rather a well-known storyteller in the Tide Listening Building. Moreover, due to his old age, even if the wanderers felt a bit dissatisfied, most of them would keep it to themselves.

But today, this past unhappiness has become clear for all to see.

"Clearly, Millennium Master Xue Changhe killed the leader of Long Life Gate, so why is there credit given to a member of the Qiao family, especially a ‘mysterious person’ suspected to be from the Qiao family?"

"Old man, listen to my advice: don’t blame everything on the Qiao family members…"

"Millennium Master Xue Changhe can already kill the leader of the Immortal Sect; could he really be worse than the Qiao family members of old? It is only right that the present is better than the past."

"Not only Millennium Master Xue Changhe, but also the other great warriors of Jiu Province are undoubtedly as strong."

The thrill of battle has always been loved by martial artists, just as it was hundreds of years ago during the story of Tide Listening Building’s storyteller All-known Man.

Someone brought it up and started the discussion, and immediately others joined in.

Some people counted one by one the great figures of Jiu Province’s martial arts today, bringing up One Sage, One Ancestor, and Five Peerless Ones.

"Tell me, do these renowned figures of today’s Jiu Province martial world, these great pillars, truly compare unfavorably to the Qiao family members of the past?"

"This—–"

Since ancient times, the battles of Guan Gong against Qin Qiong, Zhang Fei against Yue Fei, and the racing of Red Hare with the horse mistress have always been timeless topics of discussion that span across time and even different worlds.

About fifty years ago, the martial arts in Jiu Province underwent a great transformation, which naturally became a hot topic for everyone.

"This can’t be true, can it? The Qiao family is known as the family of martial ancestors," someone hesitated.

Yan City is near Peach Blossom Villa, and even though the Qiao family members are now considered legends, many people still believe in them.

But some shook their heads, "The title of martial ancestor does not refer to the person with the highest martial skills."

The name of the martial ancestor is not a title given by any emperor, but a respectful term widely recognized in the martial arts community.

Some people call Master Qiao Xin of Peach Blossom Villa a martial arts grandmaster, while others refer to the unbeatable Qiao Shuangtu and Qiao Yao as martial arts grandmasters, comparing them to the masters of Immortal Gate.

Others call the ancestors of the Qiao family grandmasters… According to Qiao Xin and other Qiao family members from back then, the Qiao family possesses many divine skills that were actually passed down from their ancestors.

Different opinions do not agree, and the name of the martial ancestor often does not refer only to a specific member of the Qiao family, but broadly to the Qiao family’s martial arts that established Peach Blossom Villa and spread top-tier skills to the outside world.

"In Jiu Province, the martial world has always had a tradition of respecting the ancient. In the old martial world, the Shaolin skills regard Bodhidharma as the ancestor, and other martial arts also honor famous generals from previous dynasties as their ancestors."

"Have you ever seen a storyteller who compares contemporary heroes to the skills of Bodhidharma?"

Once this statement was made, many people agreed and supported it.

They do not deny the achievements of the Qiao family members.

However, the breakthroughs in martial arts in Jiu Province over the past fifty years are evident to all, and it is only natural that many of them lean towards the towering pillars of contemporary martial arts.

"That is indeed reasonable." As everyone listened, they felt it made sense.

"Martial artists from the previous era were limited by their time, but that does not mean they were weak."

"Martial arts are progressing, like rising water lifting a boat, and today’s boat is naturally taller."

Everyone knows that Lu Bu cannot withstand the machine spear’s attack. In front of a machine spear, all martial artists are equal, but this does not mean that ancient heroes are mere names.

The discussions became lively, as young martial artists eagerly recounted tales, like precious treasures.

"The undead demon king who cannot be killed, according to the well-informed storyteller from Tide Listening Building, must be called the one and only demon king in the world. He has returned to the ancient lineage, transformed into the Jingwei Divine Bird, with limitless potential."

"The Wuji Empress has reached the peak of her martial skills. She no longer needs weapons; her fists and kicks can rival the most powerful weapons, and water and fire cannot harm her."

"And then there is the Human Flying Immortal, Qiao Feixian, whose divine power is astonishing, and his weapon is quite rare—a halberd used by battlefield warriors, wielded with incredible skill."

"As for Xue Changhe, there is no need to mention him. In today’s Jiu Province, there are two great Immortal Gates, and he has personally slain an Immortal Sect Leader…"