In the early morning, Wanmin Restaurant was bustling with noise.
A dockworker was holding a Spicy Meat Wowohead in one hand and an open novel in the other, so absorbed in his reading that he didn't even notice the soup dripping onto his lapel.
"Hey, Old Zhang, what are you reading that's so exciting?" a coworker at the same table leaned over.
"It's incredible!" Old Zhang suddenly slapped his thigh, startling the surrounding diners. "This book says that Caretaker of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Consultant Zhongli, is actually the Geo Dragon King in disguise! You know, that knowledgeable consultant who drinks tea and watches plays!"
"Pfft—cough cough!" A young scholar drinking porridge nearby was choked. After catching his breath, he waved his hand dismissively. "Absurd. How could Mr. Zhongli be a Dragon King? Who is the author of this book? It couldn't be Mr. Lovia again, could it?"
"It's not Mr. Lovia, and the writing style isn't quite like Mr. Lovia's either," Old Zhang replied. "The author is a Fictional Historian. He's probably some unknown little author. It seems like it's been on the shelves for a long time; I only bought it because I was bored."
The young scholar was puzzled: "What is a Fictional Historian? Isn't that just a 'Nonsense Historian'?"
"But it's vividly detailed!" Old Zhang argued, pointing at the pages. "Look, even Lord Ningguang and the Conqueror of Demons are in here! It even says that Azhdaha was actually wronged and is Mr. Zhongli's old brother! This plot is more exciting than the storyteller's tales!"
After that, the topic quickly spread beyond the contents of the book.
Some thought it was purely a fantasy story designed to grab attention and laughed it off. Others were half-believing, feeling that there's no smoke without fire, and began to recall whether Mr. Zhongli had any "non-human" behaviors in his daily life.
Some were even more worried about whether there was really some "The Wicked Dragon" lurking in Liyue Harbor.
For a time, the small breakfast stall was filled with arguments about the Dragon King, Zhongli, and Liyue's history.
However, it was limited to just that.
The works of our Fictional Historian currently do not have a wide range of distribution and have little influence.
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In the afternoon, at a tea stall on the wharf, several resting workers sat together, listening to Old Zhang read the most exciting climactic battle segment from the book.
"...Zhongli stepped forward, and a massive rock pillar rose from the ground, forcefully blocking that devastating blow! He said calmly: 'This is... the Heavenly Principle!'"
"Good!" Hearing this, a burly dockworker couldn't help but cheer, then lowered his voice. "But where did this book put our Lord of Geo? Even his archenemy has appeared, so why hasn't the Lord of Geo appeared? Since it's all fictional, couldn't they write that our Lord of Geo actually faked his death? Then give us a super plot twist!"
"Yeah, why did Consultant Zhongli become the Dragon King? And Azhdaha became a good guy? This... this is completely different from the stories we heard when we were kids."
A slightly older sailor nearby took a puff from his pipe, squinted, and said, "It's just a story, just listen to it. But don't you think it's strange? There seems to have been some movement at the General Affairs Department recently, and Nantianmen was blocked off a while ago. Could something really be happening?"
"No way, right?" another person chimed in. "If there really was a Dragon King among us, and he was a consultant of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, that would be incredible! But this book is really well-written, and Old Zhang's storytelling is very interesting—much more interesting than those cliché wuxia novels!"
The content of the book continued to ferment through word of mouth. Its bold setting and familiar characters successfully created a small cultural shock among the ordinary people of Liyue.
Although many people didn't believe it, it didn't stop them from discussing topics like "what if Mr. Zhongli really was the Dragon King" with great interest.
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Inside Xingqiu's study at the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
Unlike the liveliness of the marketplace, Xingqiu, the Second Young Master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, had a more complex attitude toward this book.
He held the book, leaning on a soft couch by the window, having already read it twice. The shadows of bamboo swayed outside the window, reflecting on his thoughtful face.
"Marvelous..." Xingqiu whispered to himself, his fingertips lightly tapping the pages. "It uses characters we are familiar with, yet constructs an entirely different story. Placing Mr. Zhongli at the center of the storm and overturning traditional perceptions—this concept itself is extremely bold."
As a successor of the Guhua Clan and a veteran novel enthusiast, Xingqiu keenly captured the literary innovations in this book.
It was no longer limited to the traditional opposition between immortals and demons or chivalrous grievances, but instead introduced more complex themes such as 'identity displacement,' 'crisis of trust,' and 'historical injustice.'
Although the writing style still carried the unique elegant heritage of Liyue novels, the narrative pace and dialogue design were more brisk and full of tension.
It even... carried a trace of Mr. Lovia's shadow. Was it an illusion?
Xingqiu shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Not only was the pseudonym different, but the core style also varied. Lovia's writing was more restrained, while this 'Fictional Historian' was much more flamboyant.
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