A master of comedy!

Chapter 45 Master
Master Zhang Jixian of the Void and Tranquil Realm!
Upon hearing this somewhat familiar name, a flicker of emotion appeared in Zhou Sheng's eyes.

He recalled that even on Earth in his previous life, Master Zhang Jixian was a renowned figure in Taoism.

Among the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain throughout history, in terms of fame, besides the Ancestral Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master Xu Jing is probably the most well-known.

According to the Longhu Mountain rule of "establishing the eldest son over the youngest, and the legitimate son over the illegitimate son," Zhang Jixian's elder brother should have inherited the position of Celestial Master.

In the end, it was Zhang Jixian, who was only nine years old, who became the head of the Celestial Master's Mansion. None of the senior disciples objected, and they were all convinced.

There is only one reason: Zhang Jixian's talent is so extraordinary that it can be described as that of a reincarnated immortal.

He was born with extraordinary abilities. He did not speak until he was five years old. One day, he happened to hear a rooster crowing outside, and suddenly burst into laughter, reciting a poem.

"The rooster has five virtues: its comb and spurs never leave its body; it opens its mouth wide at dawn to wake people from their dreams."

The next day, he sat on a lotus flower, and everyone exclaimed in amazement, calling him a true immortal.

In the second year of Chongning reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, a flood occurred at the salt lake in Jiezhou. Zhang Jixian, who was only thirteen years old, "wrote an iron talisman and threw it into the lake. The angry thunder killed the dragon, and the salt tax returned to normal."

With a single iron talisman, the dragon was subdued and the flood was cured.

There are many similar records. Zhang Ji later had a disciple named Sa Shoujian, one of the Four Heavenly Masters in the Heavenly Court.

Sa Shoujian had a disciple named Wang Lingguan.

In his previous life, Zhou Sheng enjoyed collecting old objects, including various ancient books. He was an avid reader, studying Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and was particularly impressed by records with legendary elements.

However, these are records from a previous life. In this world where there are ghosts and gods and cultivation is possible, Master Xujing is undoubtedly even more extraordinary. According to his master, he is a grandmaster who has survived eight heavenly tribulations and is unparalleled throughout history.

However, because he tried to forcibly spy on the celestial realm, he was forced to ascend to immortality and disintegrate.

Did it begin with Huang Chao declaring himself emperor and establishing the Great Qi Dynasty...?

Zhou Sheng's heart stirred. This was precisely the crossroads where the histories of the two worlds took different paths. It was also at that time that the responses of the gods and Buddhas of the heavens to the human world gradually disappeared.

No wonder Judge Lu was so fearless, even daring to chop down the statue of Lord Ma.

"So, in order to survive the Ghost Festival two months from now, you need to improve your strength as soon as possible!"

Master's words pulled Zhou Sheng's mind back from the heavenly realm to the mortal world.

He nodded silently, not feeling too uneasy, because six days had passed since the last dose of medicine, and he would soon be able to take the mica formula for the second time!

His cultivation level will surely increase greatly by then. He will then use the Luoshu to calculate and restore the true formula for the immortal mica pill. After taking the pill a few times, he will probably be able to give Judge Lu a big "surprise" two months later during the Ghost Festival.

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"One cannot rush one's spiritual progress, but one must intensify one's efforts on stage."

Yu Zhensheng looked at his apprentice and said, "Your basic skills are already very solid. It's time to find you a solid foundation so you can officially take the stage and perform."

"Go on stage?"

Zhou Sheng was somewhat surprised. Hadn't his master said that a yin opera performer couldn't perform in an ordinary opera troupe? Otherwise, not only would it bring bad luck to the people in the troupe, but even the audience might suffer.

Yinxi (a type of Chinese opera) is different from ordinary opera. Although it also involves singing, reciting, acting, and fighting, it is performed for the dead.

Once the opera begins, it easily attracts the spirits of the dead, ghosts, and demons. If ordinary living people listen to such operas, they are likely to attract unclean things.

You might not notice anything while watching the opera, but when you get home you'll find there's an extra person there.

"Nonsense, of course they have to go on stage. A shaman who doesn't go on stage can only go so far in terms of skill. It's just that this stage..."

Yu Zhensheng gave his disciple a deep look and said meaningfully, "It's not that easy to climb."

Zhou Sheng's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling.

It seems that what Master meant by going on stage is definitely different from what he thought, and there are unknown dangers involved.

“There is a shortcut to martial arts called ‘stealing the secrets of heaven’, which is to practice martial arts on a cliff. In this way, your skills can improve by leaps and bounds. For us actors who perform yin opera, every time we go on stage, we are stealing the secrets of heaven.”

"Danshan, if you want to survive the Ghost Festival play two months from now, you need to experience the terror of going on stage beforehand."

After saying this, Yu Zhensheng silently repeated another sentence in his mind.

"I hope you won't blame your teacher for being heartless."

Zhou Sheng suddenly laughed, his voice steady and powerful, sounding more confident and composed than before.

"Master, as long as I can become stronger, I am not afraid of any hardship, fatigue, or danger!"

As the heavens move with strength, so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement. The Luo Shu may offer him a shortcut to heaven, but if he cannot undergo rigorous training and develop a truly strong heart, even with great skill, he cannot achieve the true path.

Zhou Sheng's vision never extended beyond the three-foot-wide stage; he harbored greater ambitions and higher aspirations.

Like the moon in the eternal blue sky.

He looked up at the bright moon in the night sky and the stars that had remained brilliant for millions of years, and his heart burned with passion.

Master said that Celestial Master Zhang Jixian was a grandmaster who had survived eight heavenly tribulations, which means that after passing the six trials, there was an even higher realm.

Perhaps it's as high as the bright moon...

Although the path of Yin Opera was dangerous, it gave him the qualifications to reach for the moon, so he was very grateful to the master who led him into the world.

The little boy who was about to starve to death was gently picked up by him, like a mayfly at the bottom of a well finally able to look up at the blue sky.

A brief silence fell over the temple; apart from the two people's breathing and the chirping of cicadas outside the window, there seemed to be no other sound.

Suddenly, Zhou Sheng's voice rang out.

"Master, you should have heard what the judge said, about the rebirth through a corpse—"

He seemed to have hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to bring up the topic.

His time travel was a secret he had never told anyone, but now that he could no longer hide it, he might as well tell the truth, rather than let the master and disciple develop a rift.

But before he could even get started, he was interrupted by his master's voice.

"I'm getting old, and my hearing isn't what it used to be. I didn't hear the judge's words clearly, and I'm not interested in them."

Yu Zhensheng closed his eyes, leaned against the pillar, and smiled nonchalantly.

"All I know is that you little brat have been a handful ever since you were five, and you're as stubborn as a mule, I can't get rid of you no matter what I do..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng felt relieved and leaned against the pillar, slowly closing his eyes.

"Master, why would you risk your own life to buy me three more years?"

This is the second time he has asked this question. Last time, his master said that Lu Bingyuan was lying and refused to admit it no matter what. This time, he can't say that the judge is also lying, can he?
"Heh, no wonder Lu Bingyuan and Lu Pan both have the surname Lu, they even lie the same way!"

"Don't think nonsense. I'd pay for your life, this annoying brat, with just three years' worth? Is my life so worthless? That's ridiculous!"

Zhou Sheng smiled slightly.

Yes, that's the real Master, that stubborn old man who's both smelly and inflexible.

He stopped speaking, his breathing gradually became calm and long, and after relaxing, fatigue and drowsiness suddenly surged over him like a tide.

First, he shot and killed Xie Daoren and the county magistrate's officials, then he sang the story of Zhong Kui fighting against the rampaging soldiers, then Wu Song's blood was spilled at the Mandarin Duck Tower, and finally he fled for most of the night while being chased by the judge.

Even with a body of iron, exhaustion was unbearable, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

Yu Zhensheng slowly opened his eyes, looked at his disciple's sleeping face, and wanted to say something, but suddenly reached out and slapped him across the face.

Seeing that the other party had no reaction, Yu Zhensheng was still not at ease, so he stretched out a finger to check Zhou Sheng's pulse. Only after finding that he was indeed asleep did he finally relax his vigilance.

His gaze softened little by little.

"When I first met you, you smelled like a dead person. Your yang energy was greatly depleted and your blood energy was exhausted. You were like a little clay figure that had been hollowed out. It would be difficult for you to even survive, let alone cultivate."

"It took three whole years of external application of medicinal oils and internal application of medicinal diets to help you recover your health, but it also made your start later than others."

He paused, then looked up at the moon, an indescribable emotion flowing in his eyes.

“My disciple Yu Zhensheng cannot suffer a loss.”

Since it's already three years late, let's help you win back three more years.

Dying in a ghost play means you're not skilled enough, but if you send your apprentice to the gates of hell unprepared, it means you're a bad teacher.

"You performed shady plays for Lao Xu because you wanted to have a clear conscience."

"I fought for you for three years, just so I could have a clear conscience."

……

　Thank you so much to that handsome guy for the 100-point reward! Sending you love!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)