The Performance

Li Huowang, with the help of the others, managed to talk Jinshan Zhao down from his rage. As for the excuse he had fabricated, whether the old man believed it or not was anyone’s guess.

“Elder, since we’re heading the same way, why don’t we travel together? If we run into any trouble on the road, we can look out for each other.”

Hearing Li Huowang’s words, and recalling the bandit corpses from before, Jinshan Zhao hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

“Alright. I was just worried about being snatched by a tiger walking alone. There’s safety in numbers.”

“But, Master, as they say, ‘Respect the old and extend it to others’—I’m already past my prime. If you hit me like that again, I’ll be headed for the coffin.”

“Of course not. I was being reckless.”

Seeing that he had agreed, Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t trying to cling to this strange old man out of friendliness. No, he was afraid that this man had already recognized him and would report him to someone on the road. With the man by his side, he could keep an eye on everything.

The town was bustling with people, and their painted faces immediately drew attention. Many stopped, pointing at Li Huowang and his group with curiosity.

Did they also recognize us as people from Siqi?

The thought came and went. Lü Zhuangyuan and his troupe weren’t from Siqi, and they didn’t sing Siqi operas. There was no way anyone would jump to that conclusion.

Still, the crowd’s reaction gave Li Huowang an idea. If a group posing as a traveling opera troupe refused to perform, it would raise even more suspicion.

After a moment’s thought, he came up with a plan. “Troupe Master Lü, since we’re an opera troupe, let’s set up a stage and start. It looks like these people are waiting for a show.”

If you’re going to play a part, you have to play it to the hilt.

Hearing this, the stooped Lü Zhuangyuan nodded quickly. “Hurry it up! Didn’t you hear the young Daoist? Find a spot and set up the stage,” he said to the other members of the Lü troupe.

“Ah… Dad, I’m exhausted. We just got out of that bandit den. Haven’t we sung enough in there? Let’s rest a bit first…”

Lü Zhuangyuan shot a glance at Li Huowang, then raised his pipe and gave his son a sharp rap on the head.

“When I tell you to sing, you sing! Stop yapping! You can talk back when you’re my father!”

There were no trees or bamboo poles around, so they couldn’t build a proper stage. They found a broken-down wall and draped a large red cloth over it. That was it. The cart was led behind the wall to serve as a backstage area.

It was crude, but the townsfolk weren’t picky. Seeing that there was a show, they crowded around.

Li Huowang knew he couldn’t just stand idly by. “Everyone, go help. Remember our cover—we’re an opera troupe now. Once this is over, we’ll go to an inn and rest.”

His words got everyone except Jinshan Zhao moving. They couldn’t help with the singing or playing, so they just did grunt work, but it still made things much easier for the Lü family troupe.

Lü Juren, dressed in black, stepped onto the stage with a raised blade. The buzzing crowd gradually fell silent. There was no applause, but everyone’s eyes were filled with curiosity. Although the Later Shu region favored Nuo opera, this showed they weren’t averse to other forms.

Dong-qiang! Dong-qiang-qiang!

As the Lü family troupe’s music began, Lü Juren launched into his aria.

“I come down from the mountain by order! Dong-qiang! For the wronged, I draw my blade and aid!”

Li Huowang scanned the audience with his keen senses, searching for any potential threats. After a long moment, he found nothing worth noting except for a pickpocket working the crowd. He also noticed Jinshan Zhao watching the performance with rapt attention.

“Senior Li, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to give you that bamboo slip earlier. I just…”

The hesitant voice came from behind him. It was Chun Xiaoman. Li Huowang held up a hand to cut her off.

“I know. You’re still reeling from being sold off by your own family, and you feel unsafe. But the Thousand Greats Record is no good. That thing is sinister.”

“If you use it wrong, it’ll cost you your life.”

“Then how are you able to use it, Senior Li?”

“I…” Li Huowang ran his hand over the smooth surface of the Record, a bitter smile spreading across his face. “I’m used to it.”

“I was a bit harsh earlier. Don’t hold it against me. That’s just my temper. Bear with it.”

He took out the Daoist bell and handed it to Chun Xiaoman.

“Use this instead. It costs you some yang life every time, but it’s safer than the Record.”

Chun Xiaoman took the bell, staring at it in shock. She knew its power after traveling with them for so long. He was actually giving this to her.

The resentment in her heart vanished without a trace. She wanted to say something, but in the end, it all condensed into a single sentence. “Thank you, Senior Li.”

Li Huowang sighed. In truth, he hadn’t wanted to give up any of these things. It wasn’t selfishness. Everything in this mad world was so dangerous; gaining something always meant paying a price.

As he began instructing Chun Xiaoman on how to use the bell, an unexpected commotion broke out. It wasn’t an enemy attack.

On the stage, Lü Juren was in a strange state. He was manic, clearly lost in his performance. Even Li Huowang, who knew little of opera, could tell the lyrics were wrong.

“Rouge and powder are a bewitching draught! A lotus face is a hook to drag you to death! Those little golden lotuses? A vile demon! That willow-waist? A rope to trip your horse! Those amorous eyes force me to don a green hat!

A pair of jade-white wrists lies under a thousand pillows! A touch of vermillion is chewed by ten thousand guests!

Who cares if he’s Zhang, Wang, Li, or Zhao! On the mandarin-duck pillow, I call out ‘Jiaojiao!’”

When he finished the final verse, his wife Luo Juan, who had been banging the gong, lifted it and smashed it onto the stage with bitter fury. Weeping, she rushed toward the backstage area.

Bang.

For a moment, both on stage and off, it was silent. Then, the audience erupted. Applause and shouts of approval filled the air.

“Bravo! That was good!”

“Sing another one! Give us another!”

“This is way better than Nuo opera! What kind of opera is this?”

“Have that little gong-banger come back on stage! The young master here will reward you handsomely!”

Copper coins, bits of silver, and even some snacks littered the ground. It was the most the Lü Family Troupe had ever earned in all their years of performing.