The Storyteller Says None of This Is True

A small teahouse opened in Suiyuan Town. It had a storyteller who specialized in tales of legend. He said that three thousand years ago, the road to Heaven had not yet been severed. Humanity and immortals each had their own paths, and demons, monsters, ghosts, and spirits all had their own places in the world. His favorite story was about a swordsman. He told of the swordsman's wild, arrogant early years, when he thought he was second to none. Then he told of the turbulent, difficult years that followed, when one man and one sword became the backbone of humanity. The story was so captivating that many people believed it was true. They kept asking whether the swordsman in the tale had really existed. The storyteller waved his hand, took a sip of tea, and said none of it was true. Until someone dug up the swordsman's life story and name in unofficial histories and strange tales. Storyteller: None of this is true! You have to believe me! Listeners: We did, and look where that got us! Mainly focused on the top. Strange tales and unofficial-history vignettes interwoven with a little bit of reality, with little romance. Theme: Carry the baggage of the past on your back, and walk the road ahead.