Chapter 65: First Update

Cheng Mengqiu was handsome to begin with, and after makeup, he looked even more radiant. Onstage, he had always played young male roles, but he was also skilled at fight scenes, because he was still a third-level Qi Refining cultivator. If he had not truly loved opera, he would never have stayed all this time with the Xingsheng Troupe, which was declining by the day.

While putting on his makeup, he heard the troupe leader sighing at length, but he did not take it seriously. After all, this was not the first day the Xingsheng Troupe had failed to sell tickets. These days, having someone pay to invite them over was already quite good. Even if there was no audience, the money was enough to keep the Xingsheng Troupe going for a while longer.

Cheng Mengqiu checked his makeup in the mirror and even laughed. “Didn’t they say the City Lord of Zhaoge is extremely rich? How about I go seduce him and ask him to hire our whole troupe?”

As soon as he said this, someone across from him who was also putting on makeup burst out laughing. “Never mind whether the troupe leader would agree. Even if he did, would the City Lord even take a fancy to you?”

Cheng Mengqiu was instantly a little unhappy. “I’m a fine-looking man. If I deliver myself to his door for free, no money needed, could he really hold back from eating me up?”

The person across from him immediately made a retching expression, making Cheng Mengqiu so angry he wanted to go hit him. Just as they were making a ruckus, the martial lead walked past. “Keep it down. Big Sister Bai is upset!”

Cheng Mengqiu and the others immediately lowered their voices. Big Sister Bai’s name was Bai Mengzhen. In the past, she had been the pillar of the troupe. When she was at her most glorious, many people bought tickets and entered the theater garden specifically for her. There was not an empty seat below the stage, and reward money and silk flowers were tossed all over the stage.

Later, for reasons unknown, Bai Mengzhen fell in love with a man from out of town. But that man had ill intentions. At first, he was sweet-tongued and attentive in every way. Before two months had passed, he began disdaining Bai Mengzhen, disdaining her for being an ordinary person with no cultivation, then disdaining her for being older and not as fresh and tender as a young girl. In the end, he even started criticizing Bai Mengzhen’s stage presence and singing style, belittling her until she was worthless.

The problem was that this person was also quite seasoned when it came to opera. Every time, his words sounded reasonable and well-founded. After Bai Mengzhen spent some time with him, she gradually began to lose her ease onstage. This was no good thing. Some people began to feel that Bai Mengzhen’s skill was not as strong as before, and the audience slowly dwindled too.

This originally would not have been anything major. If she corrected herself in time, she could naturally win back her old customers’ hearts. But before long, the Xingsheng Troupe’s stage was smashed. A crowd of unfamiliar customers sat below the stage and wantonly mocked and ridiculed Bai Mengzhen, even throwing rotten eggs onto the stage.

With a smack, that foul-smelling egg smashed against Bai Mengzhen’s forehead, and shattered her as a person along with it.

Bai Mengzhen’s spirit was ruined, and she never dared go onstage again.

Once Bai Mengzhen could not take the stage, the Xingsheng Troupe’s other female-role performers could not support the troupe. And precisely at this time, their rival, the Baihua Troupe, rose to great popularity with a beautiful qingyi performer.

In the eyes of everyone in the Xingsheng Troupe, that qingyi from the Baihua Troupe was far inferior to their own Big Sister Bai. Whether in figure, stage presence, or singing style, she was more than a notch below. Unfortunately, she really was beautiful, and just like that, she stole all of Bai Mengzhen’s limelight.

“Listening to opera means listening to opera. If they don’t listen and just look at that face, what use is that? They might as well go to a brothel!” Troupe Leader Jiang went to watch several performances at the Baihua Troupe, and when he returned, he was furious enough for his hair to stand on end.

It turned out that the man who had seduced Bai Mengzhen was actually the young owner of the Baihua Troupe!

In order to smash the Xingsheng Troupe’s signboard, they had actually used such a filthy trick! Troupe Leader Jiang could not swallow his anger and fought with the people of the Baihua Troupe. After the fight, he did vent his anger, but the people of the Baihua Troupe spread word everywhere, saying the Xingsheng Troupe was morally corrupt and, out of jealousy over the Baihua Troupe’s good business, had come to their door to beat people up.

They had no evidence of the Baihua Troupe’s scheme, but many people had personally witnessed Troupe Leader Jiang going to their door and beating people. From then on, the Xingsheng Troupe’s reputation was ruined, and its business plummeted.

Every time he thought of these past events, Cheng Mengqiu hated them so much his teeth itched. He whispered, “Are we letting Big Sister Bai go onstage later? Can she do it?”

The martial lead said, “She definitely has to go onstage, and she’s willing to. It just depends on whether she can get past this hurdle.”

Cheng Mengqiu thought, in any case, there were only a few people in the audience. Big Sister Bai should be able to hold on.

By now, Bai Mengzhen had finished putting on her makeup. She clenched her fists. The moment she closed her eyes, all she saw were those hideous faces… But when she thought that there would not be many people below the stage, the countless hesitations and sorrows in her heart were pressed down.

There’s no one anyway. There’s no one anyway…

Holding on to this thought, they went onstage—only to be struck dumb.

Below the stage, there was a sea of people, bustling and lively, with more bobbing heads constantly surging over. The flames in the fire basins within the valley leapt high. Every time the firelight flickered, Bai Mengzhen’s heartbeat skipped a beat.

Her entire body stiffened like wood. She turned her head to look at the curtain handler, her lips barely able to make a sound. “Didn’t they say there was no one?”

On both sides of the stage, gongs and drums rang out thunderously. Bai Mengzhen’s voice was like a droplet beneath the tide. Before it could reach anyone, it evaporated clean away.

Naturally, the curtain handler could not hear her question either. He was puzzled too. How was it that before nightfall, there had been no one before the stage, but after night fell, groups of people had surged over as if they had all arranged it in advance?

It was also because they had just arrived and did not know. Zhaoge was carrying out massive construction, and manpower was lacking everywhere. During the day, every person in the valley, no matter male or female, old or young, had their own work to do. Even if their tasks were relatively easy, no one would skip work and run out to play. Besides, this was an opera troupe the City Lord had specially invited for them. The performance would only begin after nightfall. If they went early, they would not get to see anything anyway, so naturally they were reluctant to abandon their wages just to come join the fun.

But once work ended, it was different. Zhaoge had always worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. Night was every resident’s rest time. Once the sky darkened, the anticipation in everyone’s heart could no longer be suppressed, and they came over in groups. That was what created such a grand scene.

And at this very moment, Bai Mengzhen looked at the bobbing heads below. Her feet seemed to have grown nails, and she could not step forward.

The curtain handler heard the sound of the gongs and drums quiet down, yet Big Sister Bai was still planted there motionless. He was anxious too. There were so many audience members! This was a rare opportunity for their Xingsheng Troupe!

So the curtain handler could no longer care about anything else. From an angle the audience could not see, he pushed Bai Mengzhen out. The next moment, the curtain fell, and Bai Mengzhen stumbled into the audience’s view.

The lanterns on the stage shone on her face. Her exquisite makeup and the lighting made her features look like fine white porcelain.

The familiar music began. Bai Mengzhen’s steps were chaotic for quite a while before she finally came to a stop.

This was an enormous mistake. If an old opera fan familiar with this play had seen it, they would definitely have already begun discussing it.

Bai Mengzhen’s heart was in panic. She dared even less to look down. The lyrics she had recited thousands upon thousands of times were stuck in her throat, and no matter what, she could not spit them out.

The moment Troupe Leader Jiang saw that something was wrong, he immediately began making adjustments.

A moment later, the music suddenly turned sharply. The rhythm shifted from relaxed to urgent, and the drumbeats came in wave after wave, as if symbolizing the protagonist’s frantic inner turmoil.

At the beginning of the play Five Evil Mountain Gods, the original scene showed the beautiful heroine going out in spring for an excursion, only to be noticed and abducted by the evil mountain gods. The opening rhythm was relaxed, and the music light, leading the audience into the heroine’s joyful inner world.

However, when Bai Mengzhen came onstage, she had made a mistake. Her uneasy expression and disordered steps did not fit the scene of a woman going out on a spring outing at all, so Troupe Leader Jiang urgently changed the music.

This piece of music was called Night Fog Locks the Deep Forest, and accompanied the heroine’s escape scene.

Troupe Leader Jiang watched nervously from the side. Fortunately, Bai Mengzhen was only panicked, not out of her senses. As soon as the music changed, she immediately understood the troupe leader’s arrangement, so her singing changed accordingly. She even adapted a small section on the spot, making the entire lyrics fit the present scene better.

And her panicked, uneasy appearance happened to suit the situation at this moment exactly, immediately allowing the audience to understand her current plight, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

Below the stage, Granny Hao’s family had managed to grab a seat near the middle of the back row. This position gave the clearest view. As soon as the protagonist came out, she was drawn in.

Why was she stumbling and panicking like that? Oh, so she was being hunted down!

Listening more carefully, her singing was gentle and plaintive, with a slight tremor. Ah, she must be so scared she was about to cry. Poor child.

As Granny Hao slowly kept watching, she was drawn in by the protagonist’s white-porcelain skin and willow-branch figure. From her lyrics, Granny Hao learned that this was the story of an innocent girl abducted by a mountain yao. Fury rose in her heart, because back then, her whole family had also been abducted and sold as slaves while on the road to seek shelter with relatives.

“Those damned mountain yao! And they still dare call themselves mountain gods? Pah! They’re staining the reputation of true immortals!” Granny Hao was so absorbed in the performance that she could not help cursing the yao.

There were many, many audience members just as absorbed as Granny Hao. There was not much entertainment in the valley, and watching opera was something new to them. Some people who had never watched opera before were stunned.

Heavens, such things existed in the world? The girl was so pitiful, and the mountain yao so hateful…

“Mother, her clothes are so pretty! I want to wear them too!” A little girl pointed at the protagonist’s clothes onstage, her face full of longing.

Onstage, although the beginning had been somewhat rough, Bai Mengzhen had sung opera for many years after all, and her foundation was still there. She gradually began to enter her best state. When she sang to the point where the mountain yao appeared and she was about to be seized, something suddenly flew up from below the stage, struck the corner of her skirt, then fell to the ground with a thud.

Bai Mengzhen’s face turned deathly pale. That unbearable memory churned before her eyes again. Her body stiffened, yet her gaze could not help falling on the source of the sound.

It was a copper coin. It spun on the floor a few times with a rolling clatter, then finally stopped in front of her shoe.

It was reward money, not a stone or a rotten egg.

Bai Mengzhen’s gaze froze for an instant. Like a wooden puppet, she forgot the rules and glanced down toward the audience.

Below the stage, face after face was looking up at her. There were men and women, old and young. Some had faces full of excitement, some had enchanted eyes, some showed admiration, and some were still applauding…

No one lowered their head to talk with a companion. No one left midway. Even more, no one showed disdain or contempt… As if she were not an actress past her prime. As if she had returned to those days when her glory had been unrivaled.

Bai Mengzhen stared blankly for a moment. Then the bronze gong rang out with a tremendous sound! It jolted her muddled three souls and seven spirits back into her body, and also shattered the fog that had locked her in place until it dispersed without a trace, revealing a bright vista after the dark willows and blooming flowers.

Opposite her, the “mountain monster” was laughing wickedly. Bai Mengzhen swung the horsewhip in her hand, striking the “mountain monster” until it staggered back, as though she had also struck down the shadow shrouding her heart…

…

There was a thud! The musician’s playing went off by one beat, like a judge’s startling block, jolting the assembled ministers in the hall awake from that harmonious, joy-filled dream of singing praises and lauding virtue.

The assembled ministers were silent for an instant. All of them heard a bad omen in Chi Yixuan’s phrase “modest contribution.”

Seeing that the Crown Prince remained silent, the prime minister could only say, “The Perfected One speaks with utmost reason. If we are able to contribute, we will naturally not shirk our duty. It is only that the national treasury is empty. Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice!”

These words sounded nice, but their meaning was obvious. They wanted Chi Yixuan to take responsibility for everything. In any case, this Perfected One had always had a bodhisattva’s heart. Since he had even fed tens of thousands of human sacrifice slaves, surely he would not care if these people ate a few more mouthfuls.

Chi Yixuan still had a smile on his face. “No matter. I am a great philanthropist. Since I can open my mouth and ask, it must be something you can accomplish. You must also know how difficult it is to repair a spiritual vein. To repair Phoenix City’s spiritual vein will consume no small amount of spiritual power. Although I am willing to help with this matter, the people of my Zhaoge still have to rely on me, so I can only trouble you to help a little more.”

The assembled ministers hurriedly said that this was only right.

Chi Yixuan said, “First, pass legislation abolishing all slave status. From today onward, slaves are not permitted within the borders of Donglai Kingdom, and human sacrifices are not permitted.”

As soon as these words fell, Crown Prince Pei Xianyu looked at him in surprise, and the assembled ministers also showed astonishment. They thought, he truly is a great philanthropist.

“What? Is there some difficulty?”

The Perfected One seated above asked patiently. After hesitating for a moment, the assembled ministers below shook their heads one after another. Compared to some slaves, the spiritual vein that could increase cultivation was the true priority.

Little did they know that the intention of this “bodhisattva” before them had only just revealed the tip of the iceberg.

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