I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 274 Building Momentum, Genius

The haunting of the old garden in Xishi has been a story in Tianjin for two or three decades. Every night, people passing by the old garden can hear noises coming from inside.

But there are always those who don't believe in superstition who enter the theater. Those who are strong and have plenty of yang energy can go in during the day and come out unscathed, but those who are weak will fall seriously ill even if they go in during the day. Some even go insane and spend their days singing incoherent opera lyrics.

As time went on, the theater was filled with the sounds of zithers, Zhong Kui shouting to catch ghosts, and occasionally young women crying and nuns striking wooden fish.

This theater is like a 'sound-swallowing beast'; anything or anyone related to sound seems to be unable to escape its gaping maw.

In Tianjin's largest teahouse, Guo Dongyang was telling stories.

"The story I'm about to tell isn't a fabricated tale from a storybook, nor is it a baseless fabrication or baseless nonsense. It's a true story that happened right here in Tianjin!"

Tianjin is a lively city, and Guo Dongyang is the top storyteller. Now, whenever he appears, the tea drinkers in the teahouse can sit outside.

Xu Qing sat in a private room on the second floor. In front of him, Liu Su'e, the owner of the shop, was eating snacks in small bites.

She looked like she was starving when she was at the theater, but she had been learning opera since elementary school, and that etiquette and manners were ingrained in her very being.

She never showed her teeth when she spoke or smiled, and ate slowly and deliberately. Even when she was extremely hungry, she never did anything out of line.

Xu Qing watched Liu Su'e eat, and her small, delicate eating manner was somewhat similar to Xuan Yu's.

Elegant and serene.

At this moment, in the teahouse lobby, Guo Dongyang, following Xu Qing's instructions, began to recount the past of the haunted house in the West Market.

"There's an old theater in the western part of Tianjin that's been eerily strange for twenty years! Every night around midnight, the sounds of opera singing would spontaneously emerge from the theater, like willow catkins rustling in the wind or the wailing of ghosts and wolves, scaring the local residents so much that they dared not go out at night."

Guo Dongyang recounted every detail, from the origins of the theater to the old story of Master Shan renting it out, buying Xiao Si'er for the night, and inviting guests to watch the opera.

"So it turns out, it's the work of a group of wronged ghosts! At the birthday banquet years ago, an entire opera troupe was poisoned and died. These people were filled with resentment and their obsessions were not yet resolved, so they stayed in the opera house and wouldn't leave. Over the decades, many monks and Taoist priests from the government and local gentry have been invited to perform rituals, but who knew that the opera house was too yin and ghostly, and no one could drive them away!"

At this point, Guo Dongyang suddenly changed the subject:

"But just the other day, something strange happened! A woman in a flowery shirt came to Linjiang County."

"What is a Huashan? A Huashan is someone who is proficient in singing, reciting, acting, and fighting, and can sing all the roles of Qingyi, Huadan, and Daomadan. In the industry, the most difficult roles to portray are Yu Ji's fierceness and Xue Xiangling's elegance, and only a Huashan can truly bring these two roles to life."

In the private room, Liu Su'e stopped eating. Why did the storyteller's tale sound so familiar?
Below, Guo Dongyang was still outputting.

"The person who came to the West Market Theater today is more than just a clown; he's the top dog in the clown world! A celestial being among famous actors! A divine being!"

Guo Dongyang took a sip of tea, glanced around, and used the moment to soothe his throat to create an atmosphere.

When the teahouse was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, Guo Dongyang began to speak: "In the dead of night, when even ghosts shiver, that woman in the flowery shirt walked alone, carrying her costume box, into the eerie old theater."

"She didn't perform any rituals or chant any spells. First, she respectfully lit three sticks of incense in front of the abandoned stage. As the smoke curled upwards, her manhood came to an end—"

Dear predecessors, dust to dust, ashes to ashes. No matter how well you sang while you were alive, you are gone now. The gongs and drums of this world, the infatuated onlookers, are no longer relevant to you! You who must depart, please depart.

"The moment Hua Shan finished speaking, the sound of the Overlord returning to camp came from the stage!"

"When the black mist on the stage dissipated, a person was revealed. It was none other than the troupe leader of the opera troupe who died unjustly in the opera house twenty years ago—the big shot of Jinmen Lixiangyuan! His specialty in life was playing Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu!"

Guo Dongyang cleared his throat and continued speaking:
"That tyrant said: Young man, do you think we can just leave because you say so? Who do you think you are? Don't think you're so great just because you've been performing for a few years!"

"The woman in the floral dress wasn't angry. She adopted the composed demeanor of a court lady and said—"

Senior, please calm down! I know you are all reluctant to part with this stage and with all those who love opera. How about this: let's follow the rules of the opera world, let's see who's the best on stage, and have a proper competition!
If my singing skills are superior to those of you seniors, then please rest in peace and let this garden be quiet again! If my skills are lacking and I cannot compare to you all…

Guo Dongyang slammed his fan on the table and said, "This garden is my home. Do with me as you please!"

In the private room of the teahouse, Boss Liu finally stopped doubting. She had originally thought that the storyteller was talking about her embarrassing experience of going hungry in the theater, but now it seemed that he was not talking about her at all.

In the hall, Guo Dongyang continued his narration according to the script:

Once the woman in the flowery shirt said those words, there was no turning back.

The troupe leader, who was pretending to be a tyrant, was about to laugh at the young man's ignorance when he saw the man in the flowery shirt concentrate, exhale, and speak:
"Eee-ya!"

"Well! The moment this expert opened his mouth and started singing, the old troupe leader immediately stopped laughing."

"The woman in the floral dress stood at attention and sang her heart out, displaying the composure of a leading lady. Her recitation was clear and resonant, full of charm, making one feel comfortable just listening to her! In the blink of an eye, she imitated the young female lead, her movements and gestures were incredibly lifelike, and even her eyes and brows were full of drama, as if she were a live-action actor!"
Suddenly, she kicked open the box containing her costume with her small foot. Inside were a martial arts actress's riding whip, a general's sword and spear, and a bow for shooting swallows!

"In that instant, it was as if there were thousands of troops on the stage, with the dancers in colorful clothes wielding swords, spears, bows, and horses with effortless skill, fully displaying the heroic spirit of the female warriors!"

"Finally, she hunched over and staggered, delivering a poignant and melancholic performance in the style of an old woman, conveying the sorrow and grief of countless lifetimes!"

Before the opera troupe leader playing the overlord had even finished, he was so frightened that he took three steps back. Looking around at the shadowy figures and ghostly singing, he was completely dumbfounded.

Looking at the entire troupe, who is a match for the beautiful young woman in the front dress?
The resentment and obsession that these ghostly figures had accumulated over decades were completely suppressed by this woman's unparalleled singing skills!

"But the really weird stuff is yet to come," Guo Dongyang said nervously. "Ever since that night, no one in that run-down park in the West Market has heard ghosts singing in the middle of the night anymore!"

"Why do you think that is? It's because they were willing to accept defeat! These opera ghosts, though fierce, were all performers in the opera world in their previous lives, valuing their promises and skills more than their own lives! Since they were inferior in skill, they all willingly accepted their fate, released their resentment, and entered the cycle of reincarnation, heading towards their next life!"

Some of the tea drinkers below were so engrossed in listening that they couldn't help but ask who this person in the floral shirt was.

"You mean that big shot in the flowery shirt? I actually know him, because I witnessed it with my own eyes!"

"Who is it that keeps only saying half a sentence? Be careful, or your son might be born without an anus!"

Guo Dongyang pursed his lips and kept everyone in suspense: "Have you ever heard of the Peking Opera troupe in Linjiang County?"

Old Guo chuckled and said, "That woman in the flowery shirt is none other than Liu Su'e, the star performer of the new opera house in Linjiang County!" Huh? Who? Me?
Inside the private room, Mr. Liu, the person involved, looked completely bewildered.

Is she still trapped in the psychic realm, or is she suffering from lingering effects? Why is she experiencing auditory hallucinations?

"Brother Xu, your storyteller friend," Liu Su'e wanted to ask, whether he had drunk fake wine or was possessed by a ghost, as he was spouting nonsense.

Xu Qing was prepared: "Boss Liu, do you still remember what I said at the theater a couple of days ago, that I had something to ask of you?"

"This matter is somewhat related to the book that Brother Dongyang mentioned today."

At that moment, Xu Qing told the story of how his shop was about to hold its anniversary celebration, where he would invite a theatrical troupe to perform as a way to give back to the people of Tianjin.

"Everyone is used to those old plays, but I've recently created a few new ones. One of them is called 'Eight Banners Opening Up the Territory and Guarding the Mountains and Rivers,' which is a play for the Eight Banners Marshals; another is a play called 'Protecting the Infant' for the Baosheng Temple on Ziyun Mountain and the Goddess Baosheng; and the last one is 'The Cat God' for the Guardian Deity."

Xu Qing had Guo Dongyang create momentum specifically for these three acts.

The Cangyi Clan uses despicable methods, disregards morality and etiquette, and preaches heretical ideas daily to bewitch the people and swindle them out of their offerings.

Xu Qing disapproved of their behavior, so he decided to stop holding back.

Cangyi Group is a group of charlatans who bewitch people, but Xu Qing's plays are factual performances. As long as they are performed well enough, once the people who have benefited from them spread the word, who in the whole of Tianjin will still remember the evil god 'Yinshi Fawang' who has never done anything of substance?

"Brother Xu can also compose opera scores and write opera lyrics?"

Liu Su'e blinked, her eyes wide with surprise.

Xu Qing took out the lyrics and music score he had already written from his bosom and said, "I am a funeral director, so I often encounter people setting up stages to perform funeral plays at their homes. I have heard about it a lot, so it is reasonable that I have some knowledge of it."

Liu Su'e didn't pay much attention at first, but when she took the script and saw the lyrics, she was instantly captivated.

"Holding the register of the Nine Heavens and controlling the universe, guarding the palace and influencing the mortal world!"

The left hand holds a mother bottle that bestows blessings and prosperity; the right hand holds a ruyi scepter that protects children and grandchildren.

When Liu Su'e saw the wicked first wife harming others, causing the second daughter-in-law's childbirth to become critical, the lines from the play about the Goddess of Childbirth appearing in time:

"The blooming and withering of flowers is determined by Heaven, but how can the distress of a mother and the danger of her child be determined by Heaven?"
"Take my willow-leaf nectar cup, to stabilize her fetus, and to protect her soul!"

Behind them were the cries of newborns, and scenes of the Goddess of Childbirth punishing evildoers and bestowing blessings upon the second daughter.

This is the first act of the play. There are four or five more acts with completely different plots. The key is that these plots are interconnected and do not seem fabricated. It is as if these events really happened outside the play.

Looking at the lyrics of "Cat God" and "Eight Banners Opening Up the Territory and Guarding the Mountains and Rivers," the former is as brilliant as "Protecting the Infant," while the latter, written for the Eight Banners Marshals, is quite factual at the beginning, but the lyrics of the Eight Banners Marshals transforming into door gods to intimidate villains are somewhat superficial.

Even so, in today's context, those are still extremely brilliant lines from a play.

"Brother Xu, are you planning to have me perform these operas?"

Xu Qing pondered for a moment and said, "You can sing 'The Story of Protecting the Infant' and 'The Cat God,' but I'll take on the role of the Eight Banners Marshal!"

"Brother Xu can sing opera?"

Xu Qing said helplessly, "We'll have to put them to the test eventually. I can't be like that troupe leader who doesn't treat people like human beings."

Over the years, Xu Qing has performed rituals to help tens of thousands of corpses pass on, including several renowned figures from the Peking Opera world. In addition, with Qing Luo from the Tianxin Sect and the two fellow disciples, the fake Overlord, it wouldn't be difficult for him to impersonate the Eight Banners Marshal.

As the two were talking, Guo Dongyang, who was in his sixties, came up to the second floor, panting heavily.

"Brother Xu, let's continue this play for a few more days. Once the news of the West Market Theater's reconstruction has spread far and wide, everyone in Tianjin will know Boss Liu's name!"

Xu Qing cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you for your help, Brother Guo. I would appreciate it if you could provide another message in a couple of days."

"what news?"

"Half a month later, on July 7th, at Caishikou in Linjiang County, Boss Liu and a group of big names from the Peking Opera world gave a free performance. In addition to famous old plays such as Farewell My Concubine and The Lock of the Jade Bracelet, three new plays were also performed."

After explaining everything, Xu Qing handed a few talismans to Guo Dongyang before leaving the teahouse.

"Brother Guo, this is a talisman I obtained from a temple. It can ward off disasters and bring good fortune. I hope you will wear it close to your body and stay healthy at all times."

Xu Qing looked at the people around her, such as Wang Lingyuan and Guo Dongyang, getting older little by little, and felt a little melancholy.

These people are already old and unable to enter the path or cultivate the esoteric Taoist methods. Moreover, we are currently in a time of great turbidity and evil, and there are very few people who practice the true methods. Xu Qing knows mostly evil and demonic methods, which cannot be passed on to ordinary people.

Even if he were willing to teach, others might not be able to cultivate it.

In order to find disciples with outstanding talent, the Heavenly Master's Mansion had to carry a mirror and walk through the streets and alleys of various states and prefectures to reflect their own image. In the past hundred years, they have only accepted seven true disciples and one prodigy.

"The Celestial Master's Mansion judges a person's aptitude by the number of their 'shadows.' Two shadows are not enough to be considered a true disciple. Only those with three or more shadows can be valued by the Celestial Master. I wonder how many shadows the old Celestial Master who oversees the Celestial Master's Mansion has."

Xu Qing had a deep understanding of the traditional culture within the Celestial Master's Mansion. The three shadows of Ling Yangzi were because he gambled with Jin Luo of the Heavenly Heart Sect and caused the death of his parents. Li Heyi, on the other hand, had two shadows because he didn't get to eat the baked buns and candies, so he falsely accused his mother of being innocent and caused her death.

There are countless harmful people in the world, but it is rare to find a 'genius' who can increase their talent for cultivation by harming their relatives and severing their worldly ties.

"This Celestial Master's Mansion claims to cultivate the orthodox Dharma, but its actions are nothing like those of a proper sect. It's a pity that although I follow the middle way, the Dharma I cultivate is not the orthodox way."

Xu Qing sighed inwardly. All he could do was give away some pills and talismans so that his old friends could live a life free from illness and disaster. As for anything more, he was powerless to do so.

On the way back to Linjiang County, Xu Qing rented a carriage. Along the way, besides occasionally discussing the arrangement of the anniversary opera with Boss Liu, he also subtly inquired whether Boss Liu had ever been in contact with shamans or sorcerers before.

Liu Su'e's shadow was different from that of ordinary people. In Xu Qing's opinion, without the reflection of that willow tree, she might not have been able to survive in the Netherworld.

(End of this chapter)