A Story, and a Plan
Red Dust Domain.
The pattering rain rolled down along the eaves, like translucent bead curtains dancing with the wind.
At the corner of the street, the main door of an old Theater House was slowly pushed open...
"Sigh..."
"It's a rainy day again."
A figure in green clothes shook his head and said regretfully, "It seems, not many custors will co again today."
"Mister Li, then are we still Singing today?" A servant boy walked behind the person in green and asked softly.
"Sing, of course we have to Sing."
Li Qingshan turned around, smiling as he poked the servant boy's forehead with his fingertip, "If we don't Sing, what will I use to pay your wages? Even if only one custor cos and we only collect one tea fee, it's still good."
The servant boy looked at Li Qingshan's departing back and couldn't help muttering:
"With such heavy rain... I'm afraid not a single custor will co."
Although he said that, he still obediently began to clean up the Stage, wipe the tables and chairs, and after tidying everything up, took an "Open for Business" sign and hung it at the door.
The rain fell drip-drop into the water vat outside the door. On the entire street, there weren't even a few pedestrians. Even if soone occasionally passed by, no one would spare an extra glance at this old Theater House.
The servant boy hawked for a few sentences, but still couldn't change the current situation. When his voice grew hoarse, he sat on the threshold, propped up his head, and stared blankly at the rain.
A mont later,
A burst of Opera Vocals sounded from the Stage.
"Yang Zongbao hurriedly passes down general orders on horseback, the three armies each listen carefully and clearly."
"Xiao Tianzuo has laid out the Heavenly Gate Great Array, wanting to seize my Song Dynasty's splendid dragon court."
"Those who advance will all be rewarded, military law is rciless to those who retreat..."
Li Qingshan had already stood on the Stage, wearing a bound-towel helt with two long pheasant tails inserted on top, looking heroic and upright. Wearing Silver Armor and carrying four General's Banners on his back, he looked exactly like a young general.
Even though the seats Off Stage were completely empty, Li Qingshan still perford and sang opera with all his might, as if he had completely imrsed himself in the Role of "Yang Zongbao". Every movent and action restored his True Self.
His Opera Vocals echoed in the rainy street. Passing pedestrians would occasionally look up and glance inside. The servant boy imdiately stood up and said with an accompanying smile:
"Oh, hello! The rain outside is heavy. How about coming in to listen to the opera, and drink so tea to warm your body along the way?"
"Today is the shop's one-year anniversary, all tea fees are 50% off!"
"Mister Li is our Red Dust Domain's opera master. Listening to him Sing a few segnts is definitely worth the ticket price!"
"Hey, hey hey don't leave..."
"Mister Li Sings once every hour, it's really a bargain..."
"..."
These passing pedestrians seed uninterested in opera. Upon hearing that they had to pay a tea fee to go in and listen, they directly turned around and left. The servant boy tried to solicit custors for a long ti, but still didn't get a single one.
He looked at the empty street in the rain and couldn't help letting out a long sigh.
Just at this mont,
A figure holding a Red Paper Umbrella walked through the curtain of rain and headed straight for the Theater House.
The servant boy, who was sitting on the threshold and about to give up, saw soone stop in front of the Theater House. He imdiately stood up wanting to say sothing, but after seeing the other party's black and red Theatrical Robe, his whole person froze in place.
"You are..." the servant boy asked sowhat uncertainly.
"To listen to the opera."
Chen Ling indifferently dropped these words and stepped into the Theater House.
The servant boy looked at the figure naturally walking into the Theater House, and warning bells couldn't help ringing loudly in his heart. A Thespian entering a Theater House to listen to opera? Who would believe that... Could this be soone coming to pick a fight and smash the venue?
"This Mister, to listen to the opera in our Theater House, there is a tea fee..."
Before the servant boy finished speaking, a bank note fluttered lightly into his palm.
"Is it enough?"
He said without turning his head.
After seeing clearly the amount on it, the servant boy directly stayed in place.
"This..." The servant boy rubbed his eyes, looked at the bank note for a while, and then looked at Chen Ling for a while. His face imdiately piled up with smiles, "Enough, enough! More than enough... Please have a seat, I'll go brew tea for you right away!!"
Under the servant boy's guidance, Chen Ling directly sat in the very center seat of the first row.
Li Qingshan, who was performing on the Stage, also saw this figure wearing a red and black Theatrical Robe, and felt sowhat confused... But when he saw clearly that face, his heart fiercely shook.
Even so, his Performance didn't pause in the slightest. Instead, he continued to Sing the last segnt to the end, then quietly stood properly, and respectfully bowed to the Audience Off Stage for the curtain call...
A mont later,
A burst of crisp applause rang out from the first row.
Chen Ling smiled as he looked at Li Qingshan On Stage, not stingy with his applause at all. Seeing this, Li Qingshan bowed deeply once again, and then turned to return behind the scenes.
A few minutes later, Li Qingshan changed into green clothes and walked out from behind the curtain.
"Student Li Qingshan greets Mister."
Off Stage, Li Qingshan respectfully bowed to Chen Ling.
"You still rember ?" Chen Ling smiled.
"Of course." Li Qingshan said sternly, "Five years ago, if you hadn't brought your theatrical troupe to the suburbs of the Red Dust Domain and set up a stage to sing opera, how could I have had a feeling in my heart and embarked on the Path of the Actor..."
"It's just a pity that back then, when I awoke from my epiphany, you and your theatrical troupe had already left."
"Later, I inquired from many sources and found that you only sent an invitation to alone... That play was probably also sung specifically for alone."
"After that, I have always been looking for you. I didn't expect to actually et you here today."
Li Qingshan paused for a mont.
He looked at the few strands of pale hair at Chen Ling's temples, and that face revealing exhaustion, and softly added a sentence:
"But after so many years have passed... Mister seems to have experienced many vicissitudes."
Chen Ling was stunned.
He then let out a helpless light chuckle:
"Mhm... just the grinding of the years."
"You guided onto the Path of the Actor. By rights, I should call you Teacher... In a bit, when the tea arrives, I will make up for the disciple's bow to thank you for your grace of guidance back then."
Li Qingshan looked at Chen Ling, every word sincere and earnest.
Chen Ling couldn't help laughing:
"There's no need for the disciple's bow... I guided you onto the Path of the Actor because I have another request."
"Please speak, Mister." Li Qingshan sat down beside Chen Ling, earnestly looking into his eyes, "As long as Qingshan can do it, I will definitely not decline."
"Your [True Self Performance], what rank is it at now?"
"Mister, I am already at the seventh rank."
"Seventh rank... It's about enough."
Chen Ling pondered for a long ti, and finally made up his mind, his eyes gazing fixedly at Li Qingshan.
The rain gradually intensified. Massive and dense raindrops fell on the eaves of the Theater House, making a sound akin to roaring, as if completely isolating this Theater House from the outside world.
"Li Qingshan."
"I have a story, and a plan..."
Chen Ling lightly brushed his sleeve robe. Three items appeared out of thin air and were placed on the small table between him and Li Qingshan.
"You..."
"Do you want to listen?"
Li Qingshan was stunned. For so reason, when Chen Ling said this sentence, he vaguely felt that sothing was quietly operating in the unseen world.
He looked down at the tabletop, and the outlines of the three items entered his eyes.
A thick Script;
A Handgun shimring with mysterious faint light;
And...
A Playing Card.
——[Six of Hearts].
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