A master of comedy!

Chapter 94 Hong Fu's Night Escape
After returning home, Zhou Sheng slept, practiced his voice, and did his exercises as usual.

Interestingly, even though the sun was high in the sky, Master still hadn't gotten up, and only woke up leisurely at lunchtime.

The dark circles under his eyes and his dull white hair made it look as if a demon had drained his life force.

"Master, you went to the ghost market again?"

Yu Zhensheng coughed and said, "This time is different."

"Different? Could it be that it's not the same one as last time?"

Zhou Sheng frowned, beginning to suspect that his master had somehow blossomed into a ghost, fallen into a brothel in the ghost market, and been bewitched by the female ghosts.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhensheng was both angry and amused. He reached out and slapped him, saying, "This time I'm doing it willingly."

Zhou Sheng's eyes suddenly looked strange.

So you were forced last time?
Yu Zhensheng was unaware of his disciple's wicked thoughts and simply sighed softly.

"I only went to ask about the progress, but I didn't expect... Sigh, it's hardest to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman. You'd better thank her properly in the future."

Zhou Sheng was completely confused.

Your carefree and romantic life is none of my business.

"To make that thing for you, she emptied out all her reserves and even used up six drops of her essence blood, which is equivalent to thirty years of cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng was immediately startled. Thirty years of cultivation?
"Master, what on earth could have caused your wife to make such a huge sacrifice?"

Yes, Master also made a great sacrifice. His body, which had just been restored, was visibly hollowed out.

Yu Zhensheng smiled mysteriously and said lightly, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said. It should be ready before you graduate. Consider it a graduation gift I have prepared for you."

He spoke of things that couldn't be said, yet his gaze shifted slightly, his eyebrows arched, and his mustache trembled slightly, as if the answer was about to be revealed, waiting for his disciple to continue asking.

Zhou Sheng simply said "oh" and then said nothing more.

Yu Zhensheng silently plucked a beard hair, and after a long while, he suppressed the urge to confide and show off.

"By the way, Master, something happened at Juxianlou last night..."

Zhou Sheng recounted the scene from last night where Wu Song fought the tiger.

Yu Zhensheng paused, his hand holding the chopsticks still, his expression solemn.

"The tiger was indeed a vicious tiger, so we killed it. But from today onwards, whenever you go to Xiaofengdu, take that snowflake-patterned iron ring knife with you."

Zhou Sheng raised his sharp eyebrows slightly and asked, "Master, will that general take action against Juxianlou?"

"will not."

Yu Zhensheng said bluntly, "Juxianlou will be fine, but you should be careful, kid."

"As far as I know, that general is a warrior at heart, and he might be tempted by you. His strength is terrifying, and you are no match for him!"

Seeing his master's solemn expression, Zhou Sheng couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master, what is the background of that great general, and what level of cultivation does he possess?"

"His origins are probably only known to the city lord, but he must be someone of great importance. When he first appeared, he tore apart and swallowed several powerful demons who dominated the region. In the past hundred years, he has killed countless powerful enemies."

After a pause, Yu Zhensheng read a passage aloud.

"A dragon-swallowing blade, a tiger that bites dragons, its might shakes Jiangzhou for three thousand miles, and it traverses twelve cities in the north and south."

"Some say that he was once a god of war on the battlefield and a ghost hero after death. In the past hundred years, he has successively wiped out the four ghost kings of Xiaofengdu. In the end, he became the only one who could suppress him except for the city lord."

"However, the city lord is in seclusion year-round, rarely seen, so it's not wrong to say that he is the overlord of Xiaofengdu in name only."

After listening to his master's story, Zhou Sheng recalled the scene of his first meeting with the general.

Armored soldiers stood like a forest, and war chariots resembled tigers.

That blood-red cloak, billowing in the wind, burned through half the night sky like flames.

"Of course, don't be afraid. That general values ​​talent. If he discovers your skill, he might even want to recruit you as a general."

"But you must not get involved in his mess. Over the years, he has been recruiting soldiers and sharpening his sword. His ambitions are probably not small."

Zhou Sheng, however, seemed lost in thought. The tiger he kept was called "Chewing Dragon," and the knife in his hand was called "Swallowing Dragon." This general clearly had a grudge against dragons.

And isn't the greatest true dragon in this world...?

The Great Xuanjiang Mountain?

If it were Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, then everything would make sense.

After finishing his meal, Yu Zhensheng couldn't stop yawning and prepared to go back to catch up on his sleep. As he walked to the door, he seemed to suddenly remember something and gave a word of advice.

"By the way, if you really encounter the Great General, don't reveal my name, otherwise... you might get killed."

Zhou Sheng was taken aback, then gave a bitter smile.

After all this talk, it seems you have an old grudge against this general.

……

Practice, practice, and more practice!

Singing, reciting, acting, and fighting—these are the core elements of Yinxi (a type of Chinese opera), and also where Zhou Sheng (a performer) puts in the most effort.

Secondly, it involves strengthening muscles and bones, cultivating qi and blood, and practicing guiding exercises once in the morning and once in the evening.

After hearing about the general's story, he felt a bit more pressure. There were too many strong people in the world. If he didn't work hard to cultivate himself, how could he rise to the top and enjoy the pleasures of life?

To his surprise, with continuous hard training, the residual medicinal power hidden in his muscles, bones, and flesh seemed to be activated, allowing his cultivation to make some progress again.

He exhaled wind and mist, and a faint rumble of thunder seemed to emanate from his chest, like a divine dragon in the clouds. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and his divine radiance shone forth.

A moment later, it seemed to hibernate like a tortoise or snake, lying dormant in three feet of frost, its mystical aura concealed.

Under the moonlight, every inch of his skin seemed to glow with a jade-like hue, as if he were wearing cloud-patterned armor.

One day's work is equivalent to more than a month's work!

Lü Zu's mica formula was indeed miraculous. After taking it, traces of medicinal power remained hidden deep within one's bones and blood, which could only be activated by those with unwavering will and an iron will.

If one becomes complacent, arrogant, and negligent after taking the medicine, neglecting one's cultivation, the medicinal effects will gradually be lost and wasted.

Perhaps this was a test deliberately left behind by Lü Zu.

While medicine may be a shortcut on the path of cultivation, if one's heart is not firm in seeking the Tao, it will be difficult to fully utilize the effects of the mica formula.

After quickly packing up, Zhou Sheng set off for Xiao Fengdu with a lantern in hand. Of course, he also followed his master's instructions and brought the precious sword from his opera box.

However, they did not encounter any great generals along the way; it was unusually quiet.

The city gate was eerily quiet and deserted.

Yao Tai Feng did not wait for him here today.

He touched the white chiffon cloak he was wearing, feeling a strange sense of loss for some reason, then shook his head and smiled.

It's just walking this road alone, why are you being so dramatic?
A moment later, as he stepped into the gate of Juxianlou, a pebble suddenly fell from the sky and landed right at his feet.

He looked up and saw a beautiful figure standing in front of the screen window on the second floor.

She seemed to have just taken a bath; her dark, flowing hair cascaded down to her waist, still slightly damp, making her pretty and beautiful face even more radiant.

She kept gesturing, pointing to Zhou Sheng's feet.

Zhou Sheng then noticed that there was a white cloth wrapped around the stone. When he unwrapped it, he saw that there were elegant and spirited characters.

"Hongxian couldn't resist the temptation of the candied fruit and betrayed me, saying that I had instructed her to steal the costume."

“Master has punished me by confining me to my quarters, but it’s okay. After you finish listening to Master’s opera performance, I’ll climb over the back wall and we’ll go to the ghost market together.”

Finally, I drew a little figure climbing over the wall, marked it in the courtyard on the east wall, and even drew the escape route with a red arrow.

Zhou Sheng could even picture the smug and excited smile on her pretty face as she drew those patterns.

Could this play be... "The Night Flight of Hong Fu"?
　Thank you Mu Lishui for the generous donation of 100 points! Sending you love!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)