A master of comedy!

Chapter 60 Incense Money

"After defeating General Zhang He in the Six Harmonies Spear Battle, they then sought out the Second Emperor's mother, Liu Shan. Suddenly, a sound of weeping was heard from within..."

On stage, Yao Taifeng played the role of Zhao Yun in drag, singing the dragon and tiger songs as a woman. Not only did it not feel out of place, but it also brought out Zhao Zilong's handsome and heroic spirit to the fullest.

Clad in white robes and wielding a silver spear, with phoenix eyes gleaming with power, his dance was dazzling, like a torrential rain of pear blossoms.

She killed more than fifty of Cao Cao's generals in succession with her spear. With her silver spear in hand, she galloped across the battlefield, charging in and out of the enemy ranks seven times, with almost no one able to withstand her.

For a moment, it truly felt like Zhao Zilong had been reborn; the resemblance was almost uncanny.

A hint of appreciation, and even more so, a hint of curiosity, appeared in Zhou Sheng's eyes.

Such superb marksmanship is not just a sham; it is genuine skill, a true ability to kill enemies on the battlefield.

Yao Taifeng was not only a master of opera, but also an expert in martial arts.

Who taught her these skills?
After breaking through the siege of Changban, she held the young master in her arms. Her Confucian helmet fell off during the fierce battle, and her long, black hair was disheveled, like a splash of ink on a startled swan.

But the murderous aura between his brows only intensified, and his eyes became even brighter.

Her silver armor cracked, her black hair danced; her daughter's loyalty shines through the ages.

For some reason, a line of poetry came to Zhou Sheng's mind: Yao Tai Feng's portrayal of Zhao Yun not only demonstrated profound skill but also her own unique style.

A perfect blend of strength and gentleness, displaying heroic spirit.

He not only saw Zhao Yun, but also vaguely saw many other figures, such as Hua Mulan, Fan Lihua, and Mu Guiying...

The top female impersonator in Jiangzhou truly lives up to her reputation.

Zhou Sheng stared intently at the stage. Although there were many actors, each with their own strengths, some were destined to shine brightly as soon as they stepped onto the stage.

Yao Taifeng was undoubtedly that kind of person; when she sang, Zhou Sheng could hardly take his eyes off her.

"Does it look good?"

A voice rang in his ears. It turned out that his master had walked up to him at some point, with a half-smile on his face.

"nice."

I was talking about the play.

"What else could it be but a play?"

Zhou Sheng looked at his master with a surprised expression.

Yu Zhensheng was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and smiled.

He was initially worried that his disciple, being young and impetuous, might be tempted by such a beautiful woman as Yao Tai Feng, so he wanted to give him a heads-up.

In retrospect, this apprentice was also a theater fanatic, and he had worried unnecessarily.

"The battle at Jinshatan was fought under a cold moon; seven sons went and six returned. The loyal souls remain in Tianbo Mansion, but the dream of iron horses and icy rivers is now shattered."

Yu Zhensheng first softly recited a line from a play, then sighed, "Three generations of generals are taboo in Taoism. This girl is a descendant of the Yang family generals and has extremely high talent, but unfortunately she was born at the wrong time and suffered a calamity."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng was startled, suddenly recalling the other person's self-introduction when they first met.

"The Phoenix of Yaotai, Yang Hongying".

"Over the years, the only song she has never sung is 'The Generals of the Yang Family,' because she feels that she has disgraced her ancestors. When you talk to her about opera in the future, be careful to avoid this point."

Yu Zhensheng gave his instructions.

Zhou Sheng nodded, taking a deep look at the figure on the stage whose spear moved like a dragon, crisscrossing the stage.

What circumstances led a descendant of the Yang family to choose to perform in opera?
"Alright, that's enough for today. We're leaving now."

"Walk?"

Zhou Sheng was somewhat surprised and said, "Master, I had an appointment with Boss Feng to exchange ideas about opera singing—"

"There's no rush. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I have something to do today, so I need to leave early."

As he spoke, Yu Zhensheng pulled Zhou Sheng away.

"Fifth Master, are you leaving already? Xiao Feng said she'd brew you and Boss Long a pot of the finest Yunwu tea after the show and after you've taken off your makeup..."

Master Guan rose to see them off and tried to persuade them to stay.

"Let's drink again next time. My apprentice just died recently. I'll take him to see some old friends in the city and find him a place to stay."

"I see. Then please wait a moment." Master Guan paused, then took out a money pouch from his pocket, poured out dozens of copper coins, and handed them all to Zhou Sheng.

"Boss Long, this is the incense money you deserve for your performance. Please accept it and don't think it's too little."

Zhou Sheng seemed to smell the scent of incense from a temple, and his palm felt slightly warm when he touched the copper coin.

He wanted to refuse, but his master stopped him with a look.

"Thank you very much, Master Guan."

"Just call me Uncle Guan."

Master Guan smiled nonchalantly, and then personally escorted them out of the backstage area.

Little Red Line waved her arms and called out reluctantly, "Boss, remember to come back and see me!"

"Red Thread isn't greedy; all it needs are a hundred candies!"

……

The two hurriedly walked out of the backstage area and left Juxianlou through another passage.

The master pulled him along quickly. As soon as they stepped across the threshold, the noisy sounds behind them immediately disappeared. It was pitch black and quiet all around, and not even a cicada could be heard.

After walking a few steps, Zhou Sheng looked back and saw only a gate that was faintly visible in the mist and night.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Through the mist, two figures walked toward the gate of Juxianlou. They were armed and clad in armor. Although their faces were obscured, their fierce aura startled Zhou Sheng, who was several feet away.

They resemble the rampaging soldiers of the underworld, yet there seems to be something different about them.

"Master, is Juxianlou in danger?"

Zhou Sheng was a little anxious. Although it had only been one night, the people at Juxianlou had already left a good impression on him.

"Don't worry, Juxianlou is safe, but if we don't leave soon, we'll both be in danger."

Upon hearing his master's words, Zhou Sheng immediately understood that the reason his master was in such a hurry to leave was to escape those two monstrous ghosts.

“They are the ghost soldiers from Little Fengdu. Your killing of the tyrant has alerted them, and they must have come to investigate this matter.”

"investigation?"

"Heh, do you really think you can just go on a killing spree in this ghost town? There are rules in Xiaofeng, otherwise, with Yaotai Feng and Master Guan's skills, why would they keep tolerating this?"

Zhou Sheng suddenly realized, and he said that Yao Taifeng was so skilled that even if she couldn't kill the bully on stage, she could still assassinate him after the show ended.

It turns out they were wary of the ghostly soldiers here.

"Master, wouldn't it cause them trouble if I acted rashly?"

Yu Zhensheng tapped him and teased, "What's wrong? Now you're getting anxious? You were really impressive when you shot that arrow."

"But you're quite clever, kid. You knew how to lure that bully into a trap, making it his mistake. That way, you can still manage to get away with it."

"Do I need to explain?"

Yu Zhensheng laughed and pointed to the copper coins in his hand, saying, "Your intervention is not as effective as these."

Looking at those strange copper coins, Zhou Sheng recalled that his master had once taken out a string of coins when he was at the home of Granny Cui in Qinggu County.

Originally, the sorceress Cui was determined not to ask about rice, but she immediately wavered when she saw this kind of money.

"Master, what exactly is this money?"

Zhou Sheng could sense that these copper coins seemed to contain some kind of strange power, which was definitely not ordinary.

"This is called incense money, which is the hard currency among ghosts and gods. It is also used in the ghost market of Little Fengdu."

"As the saying goes, money can make the devil turn the millstone, which is exactly what this incense money is all about."

"If you have enough money for incense offerings, you can even donate to become a god in the underworld."

After a pause, Yu Zhensheng let out a deep sigh, whether with emotion or sarcasm.

"Wealth can even move the gods..."

(End of this chapter)