A master of comedy!

Chapter 199 Ghost Festival

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival).

It is auspicious for bathing, demolishing houses, and burial; inauspicious for opening businesses and holding religious ceremonies.

Happy times are always short-lived. After his birthday, Zhou Sheng spent a few carefree days, even stopping his martial arts practice.

He accompanied Hongxian to catch frogs, accompanied Yaotai Feng to listen to operas and enjoy the scenery, accompanied Jinse to play the zither, and accompanied his master to play Go.

During this period, no one mentioned the matter of the master again, especially the three words "Ghost Festival," which they deliberately avoided.

No matter how much you try to avoid it, the Ghost Festival still arrives.

The inescapable fate of the ghost performer, the nightmare-like Ghost Festival performance, will descend upon him at midnight tonight.

But Zhou Sheng remained calm and composed, no different from usual, as if he had forgotten about this life-or-death matter.

"Here, candied fruit."

Zhou Sheng brought Hongxian to the market and generously bought her a large bag of candied fruit.

To his surprise, Hongxian didn't eat his favorite food; instead, she carefully hid it away.

"Have you stopped liking candied fruit lately?"

Zhou Sheng was somewhat surprised, because not only today, but also at the birthday banquet that night, this little guy had hidden all the candied fruit on the table.

It's like a hamster preparing for winter, which is very unusual.

"Hmph, that's a secret!"

Hongxian looked up and said.

Zhou Sheng could only smile helplessly and said, "Then what do you like to eat now? I'll buy you a lot so you can eat for a long, long time."

Hongxian pouted and said, "Big brother, don't be like this, I'm scared."

Do you feel like you might die?

Children often speak without thinking, but this punctured Zhou Sheng's feigned composure.

“I may not be able to come back, Hongxian. If I really die, you should stay with your sister Feng. She will take good care of you.”

Zhou Sheng knew in his heart that if he failed to complete his apprenticeship, his master would also die, because the fact that he was able to complete his apprenticeship three years later was a deal his master made with the ghosts and gods below at the cost of his life.

At that time, the only one Hongxian could rely on was Yaotai Feng.

"I don't want to follow Sister Feng, I want to follow Boss!"

Hongxian's voice even had a hint of crying: "Boss, if you die, I, I won't burn paper money for you, I'll turn into a dog and pee on your grave!"

She made the most vicious threats.

Zhou Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this, then burst into laughter and said, "Alright, I promise you, I will return safely."

Hongxian finally smiled broadly, but she held his hand tightly and refused to let go.

Zhou Sheng sighed inwardly.

This time was different from the siege of the general. Although that night was also dangerous, he was actually 80-90% confident because of Luo Shu.

However, this time, the things he could learn from the Ghostly Play of the Ghost Festival were very limited because the energy was still insufficient.

Having lost his God-like perspective, he can only rely on himself this time during the Ghost Festival.

After shopping around for a long time and buying a lot of things for Hongxian, the two returned home, only to find that the house was still empty.

For some reason, when he woke up this morning, Yaotai Feng and Jinse were gone, and his master was also gone, leaving only a note saying that he had gone to find his master's wife.

It was supposed to be the last day, but everyone had disappeared without a trace.

This left Zhou Sheng feeling somewhat uneasy.

Shaking his head, to prevent himself from having wild thoughts, he began to practice his skills, singing, reciting, acting, fighting, hand gestures, eye movements, body movements, and footwork, and also taught Hongxian a bit along the way.

Both the older and younger children were theater enthusiasts, and they quickly became engrossed in the performance, before evening arrived.

Zhou Sheng specially cooked a table of dishes, but by the time the food had gone cold, no one had returned.

He had no appetite at all, and even Hongxian didn't eat very happily, putting down her chopsticks after only seven bowls of rice.

"Red Thread, I told you, I'll be back safely. Don't worry so much you can't even eat—"

"No, it's because your cooking is bad, boss."

Zhou Sheng: "..." After cleaning up the dishes, he thoroughly cleaned the house and specially offered incense to the statue of the ancestral master, setting out the newly purchased offerings.

Then he returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and quietly waited for midnight to arrive.

But before long, there was a knock on the door.

He opened the door and looked surprised.

Under the moonlight, a tall, imposing man, eight feet tall with a long, crimson beard, came into view. He was clad in heavy armor and carried a gleaming Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

"Uncle Guan?"

Zhou Sheng never expected that he would meet Uncle Guan before he completed his apprenticeship.

Since Uncle Guan took over as the general of Ghost City, he has been so busy that he has never been seen. He went to Juxianlou several times but did not see him.

"Take it."

Guan Buping didn't speak, but simply handed the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand to Zhou Sheng.

It was clearly a divine weapon, its sharpness overwhelming, yet it somehow stirred up his cravings. The Yazi inside him raised its eyes excitedly, ready to pounce.

"Uncle Guan, what's wrong with you...?"

"Here you go, I hope this knife will be of some help to you."

"Uncle Guan, I can't accept this—"

"Stop talking nonsense, just throw it away if you don't want it."

After saying that, Guan Buping turned and left, decisively and cleanly.

"Uncle Guan, Hongying today..."

"She said she had prepared the costumes and would keep her promise when you came back. Until then, she would not see you to avoid distracting you."

Guan Buping paused, then snorted coldly and asked, "What exactly did you make Xiaofeng agree to?"

Zhou Sheng was startled upon hearing this, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He could only laugh it off.

However, the weight in my heart seemed to have quietly been lifted.

……

After leaving, Guan Buping did not go far. Instead, he stood quietly in front of the courtyard for a long time, and the look in his eyes gradually became lively and cunning.

He tore off his beard, stretched out his skin, and his whole body seemed to split open like a cicada shedding its shell.

Her eyes were like autumn water, and her black hair flew in the wind.

Her beautiful features made her seem like a lady straight out of a play, with exquisite eyebrows and eyes, a graceful figure, and a rare, heroic spirit.

"Phew, the things in the Skin-Painting Shop in this Ghost Market are good, but it's just too boring."

Her voice was clear and melodious, her pronunciation was accurate and even, and her tone was neither too warm nor too cold. This was a habit she developed from practicing singing and recitation skills since childhood.

The moonlight shone on that beautiful face, revealing her to be none other than Yao Tai Feng, the leading lady of Juxianlou and the top female performer in Jiangzhou.

She gazed at Zhou Sheng's room from afar, her eyes like still water. After a long while, she parted her red lips slightly and uttered a line of words.

"Boss Long, take care on your journey."

In the desolate and treacherous underworld, facing a near-death experience, this was all she could do.

……

Ghost town, formerly the general's mansion.

After a busy day, Guan Buping returned to his residence to practice his swordsmanship.

After becoming a great general, he became increasingly diligent in his cultivation. Xiao Huchen left behind many elite soldiers and generals, all of whom were proud and arrogant, but they were only temporarily subdued by him.

To completely subdue them, one must continuously improve one's martial arts skills and Taoist cultivation.

Boss Long's recommendation can only protect him temporarily. If he can't keep up, he will eventually be replaced by the city lord.

But he was dumbfounded when he opened the armory.

No, where's my family's heirloom sword?
……

(End of this chapter)