A master of comedy!

Chapter 48 Phoenix on the Jade Terrace

The setting sun sank into the heart of the river, turning the thousand-mile stretch of Xunyang blood-red.

Xunyang, the first city of Jiangzhou, is named for its location north of the Xun River. It is nestled between mountains and water, boasting beautiful scenery such as Mount Lu and Poyang Lake, and is known as "the mountain is on the edge of the city, the city is on the edge of the water, and the water is in the city".

As dusk fell, the master and his apprentice walked along the cobblestone streets of this ancient city.

Zhou Sheng looked around curiously.

Wine flags fluttered askew, half-blown in the evening breeze. The paulownia wood pavilions along the street, weathered by time, had faded paint, yet the aroma of wine only grew stronger.

The dock was lined with masts, and merchant ships and fishing boats were crowded together. There were wealthy gentlemen dressed in fine clothes, selecting seafood and delicacies, and there were also laborers carrying sacks shirtless, with beads of sweat on their backs falling into the mud.

Suddenly, the sound of a courtesan's pipa drifted from a painted boat, the strings carrying the soft, melodious Wu dialect, causing the old man selling steamed buns on the shore to tremble.

Zhou Sheng observed the various scenes of life in the city, and heard all sorts of sounds around him.

There were songs sung by courtesans in pleasure boats and brothels, and curses from gamblers in entertainment districts.

There were sounds of people enjoying meat in restaurants, and also the sounds of beggars chewing and swallowing half a moldy cake in dark alleys.

Until a sudden burst of operatic singing erupted.

"I urge the king to drink wine and listen to the songs of Yu, to dispel his sorrows with graceful dances. The tyrannical Qin dynasty destroyed the land, and heroes rose up in war on all sides—"

Zhou Sheng suddenly raised his eyebrows, recognizing the classic opera "Farewell My Concubine".

The person was singing the role of Yu Ji. To be honest, their singing skills were quite average; their breath control was unstable, so they probably weren't professionals. But their singing style...

A wave of emotion surged within him.

Because Yu Ji's singing style broke the traditional slow rhythm of Qingyi, if he guessed correctly, the "fast long hammer" gong and drum beat should have been added here, greatly increasing the tension.

In terms of vocal style, it boldly incorporates the rapid vocal styles of local operas such as Chaozhou opera, creating a "fast but not abrupt" rhythm that contrasts with the "slow but not sluggish" drawn-out vocal style of Peking opera, making it more impactful.

This is by no means a layman's far-fetched explanation, but rather an ingenious innovation by an expert.

To dare to alter the famous opera "Farewell My Concubine" and to do so with such outstanding results demonstrates the profound skill this person possesses in opera, already displaying the demeanor of a master.

But when he turned around, he saw a madman.

The man was barely clothed, with disheveled hair and a protruding, fat belly, and was running barefoot wildly down the street.

While running, she sang the lyrics of Yu Ji from the opera "Farewell My Concubine".

The young women and wives on the street immediately covered their eyes in embarrassment and quickly hid to the side.

Zhou Sheng's pupils narrowed, his discerning eyes sharpened, and he saw a dense yin energy emanating from this madman. The three yang flames on his shoulders were already flickering and weak under the impact of the yin energy, and could be extinguished at any moment.

Did this person sleep in a mass grave overnight?

Even a mass grave wouldn't have such a heavy yin energy; is it possessed by a vengeful ghost?

Zhou Sheng channeled his magical power into his eyes, and his gaze instantly became exceptionally bright, penetrating all directions, allowing him to see through every wisp of yin energy on that person's body.

One, two, three...

Zhou Sheng was suddenly startled. The yin energy on this person's body actually came from different ghosts, numbering as many as a hundred or eighty!
Did he stir up trouble?
Fortunately, this person was only tainted by the yin energy of different ghosts, not being killed by a horde of ghosts; otherwise, he would not have survived until now.

"Isn't that Zhou Laosan?"

"He's had another episode. How many times has this happened?"

"It looks like he's really gotten himself into trouble, like he's possessed. Do you think he could have actually... gone to Juxianlou to watch a play?"

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense. How many people died in that fire at Juxianlou back then? The entire opera troupe couldn't even gather a single corpse!"

……

Hearing the whispers around him, Zhou Sheng's eyes flickered as he glanced at his master, who remained expressionless, and seemed to be deep in thought.

The next moment, the madman had almost reached the two of them.

Zhou Sheng stepped forward and, seeing that his master did not stop him, suddenly raised his eyes, and a large amount of magical power surged in, causing his round pupils to slightly turn into squares.

In an instant, his eyes shone like lightning, as if they were sharp swords that could pierce through everything, and he met the madman's eyes.

Boom!

The madman felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind, illuminating his dark sea of ​​consciousness, and he heard screams of agony.

With eyes as sharp as lightning, they can drive away evil and purify!
Then the madman suddenly stopped moving, and then collapsed with a thud, seemingly falling into a coma.

At this moment, the people chasing him arrived. They must have been his relatives. They quickly apologized to the passersby, put their clothes on him, and carried him away.

From beginning to end, Zhou Sheng didn't utter a sound and wasn't noticed by anyone, yet he had already helped that person dispel the yin energy on his body.

The ordinary Dharma Eye does not actually possess such power. Zhou Sheng added the Thunderous Wrathful Gaze technique from the Spirit Official Play to the ordinary Dharma Eye, which is why it has such astonishing power.

Just as his master said, after his eyesight was opened, his eye skills, which he had practiced diligently since childhood, finally had a real place to be used.

"Master, the opera he just sang—"

"The play was well adapted, but it couldn't stop our hunger. We've walked for so long, let's go to a restaurant first."

Yu Zhensheng strode forward, showing no signs of his leg ailment, and seemed very familiar with his surroundings, as if he had lived in Xunyang City for a long time. Soon, the two arrived at a grand restaurant.

He spent a few coins to order a sumptuous meal, with more than a dozen dishes, a good mix of meat and vegetables, and a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

Zhou Sheng was already starving, so he ate with gusto, devouring the chickens like a whirlwind, practically chewing up the bones and swallowing them whole.

The master remained as refined as ever, sipping a pot of Lushan Yunwu tea and eating slowly and deliberately avoiding the dishes that Zhou Sheng loved most. Only after Zhou Sheng had finished eating did he leisurely put down his chopsticks.

Elegant, composed, and possessing an extraordinary demeanor.

At this moment, he and Yu Zhensheng, the sharp and domineering sorcerer who pointed a gun at the judge, seemed to be two completely different people.

"After eating so much greasy food, you should try some Lushan Yunwu tea, which is the best way to cleanse your palate."

Yu Zhensheng poured a cup of tea for his apprentice, gazing at the green foam, a trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

"When it comes to tea-making skills, if that girl is second, no one in the entire Jiangzhou would dare to claim to be first. After all these years, I really miss that taste."

Zhou Sheng looked up and asked curiously, "Is Master referring to my senior sister?"

He's becoming increasingly curious about that senior sister. According to her master, besides being a great opera singer, she also has an exceptional tea-making skill.

He had a vague idea that the mysterious senior sister was probably a master of Yin Opera who had successfully completed her apprenticeship and might even be able to work independently with her own troupe.

That's why my master brought me to Xunyang, wanting me to perform on stage in my senior sister's opera troupe.

Yu Zhensheng merely glanced at Zhou Sheng, smiled, and remained silent.

Just then, with the sound of the gavel, the storyteller in the tavern began his tale, recounting the Chu-Han Contention and the story of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang.

Storytellers are skilled with their mouths and can also perform some ventriloquism, imitating the neighing of warhorses or the sounds of clashing weapons.

The speech was full of twists and turns, and was delivered with great passion and fervor.

"In the Chu-Han Contention, Xiang Yu was ambushed from all sides. The Wujiang River was cold, the Chu songs were mournful, eight thousand soldiers perished, leaving only Xiang Yu alone on horseback, his battle robe stained with blood..."

"This Yu Meiren, with her disheveled hair and tearful eyes, is holding a Qingfeng sword in her arms. Gentlemen, why do you think she came with a sword?"

The gavel strikes!
"It turns out that Yu Ji knew all along that the situation was hopeless, and she even wanted to dance one last song for Xiang Yu, before the sword flashed around her neck..."

"Truly, even now, the Wujiang River weeps, still carrying the fragrance of the beauty's sword!"

At this point, the storyteller tapped the copper bowl lightly to signal the end, and then a little girl of seven or eight years old went around asking for tips from everyone, carrying a worn-out bowl.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Sheng was somewhat moved, and thought of Uncle Xu and Cuicui.

So he took one or two taels of silver and put it in the basin.

In an instant, the little girl's eyes lit up, and an unstoppable smile spread across her sallow face as she bowed repeatedly.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"You're welcome. You earn your living with your skills, and you deserve it."

Zhou Sheng helped her up, patted her head, and said, word by word.

The little girl was taken aback, her eyes seeming somewhat touched.

At this moment, the old storyteller bowed to Zhou Sheng and said with a smile, "Sir, you flatter me. I am very grateful. Now, sir, is there a story you would like to hear? I will tell it to you now."

Zhou Sheng thought for a moment and said, "Please tell me, sir, which actress in the opera troupe of Xunyang City sings the best role as Yu Ji?"

The storyteller paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Young master, do you want to hear a play? Then you've come to the right person!"

"There are three actresses in Xunyang City who are good at singing the role of Yu Ji. They are Wan Yunyan from Sihai Troupe, whose figure is superb; Shui Linglong from Yumanlou Troupe, whose singing is the best; and Xinghua Tian from Thirty Li Pu in the west of the city, who is good at sword dancing. These three are all masters, each with their own strengths!"

"Any more?"

Zhou Sheng continued to ask.

"besides……"

The storyteller pondered for a moment, then his lips trembled slightly, as if he had thought of something.

"I did think of a place, but unfortunately it was burned to the ground long ago. What a pity for the person inside."

At this point, he sighed and said, "If Lady Feng were still alive, those three people I just mentioned would probably never dare to sing the role of Yu Ji in their entire lives."

A flicker of emotion crossed Zhou Sheng's eyes as he continued, "Is there no one in the entire Xunyang City who can compare?"

"Hehe, let alone Xunyang City, back then, no one in the entire Jiangzhou could compare to it!"

"what is her name?"

The storyteller's eyes revealed nostalgia and respect, and his voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was not at peace.

"She is none other than the number one dan (female impersonator) of Jiangzhou eighteen years ago, the towering white jade pillar and the purple-gold beam spanning the sea of ​​Juxianlou—Yaotai Feng!"

……

(End of this chapter)