After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

The online storm continues to escalate.

The long article by the Jinghua Liyuan Society was published in less than half an hour.

Li Guochun's account posted a status update.

It consists of only two short sentences.

"What are rules? The greatest rule is one that the people can understand and listen to, and that makes them willing to go to the theater!"

"Working in isolation, putting on airs, will only squander all the knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors!"

This post caused a huge uproar in the opera world.

Xing Tieshan and Li Guochun.

These two are truly the titans of Chinese opera.

The two are equally prominent in the industry, and their students and friends are all over the country.

Now that these two bigwigs have personally entered the fray and are exchanging barbs from afar, online opinion has instantly split into two camps, arguing fiercely.

Amidst this uproar and media storm.

The Qilin Opera Troupe branch of Jinxiufang officially opened for business.

East Fourth Ring Road, Jinxiufang.

The cobblestone streets were bustling with people.

Two rows of flower baskets stretched from the street corner all the way to the front of the theater.

Tan Yunxiao, dressed in a crisp black long gown, stood at the door to greet guests.

His dark red face was covered in sweat, but his mouth was stretched almost to his ears, and he was smiling so brightly.

"Please come in! Watch your step! To get your ticket checked, go to the left!"

Inside the ancient courtyard, which is over 600 square meters.

The lobby on the first floor and the private rooms on the second floor were packed.

Backstage.

Jiang Yichen sat in front of the vanity mirror, while Meng Lingyu carefully helped him tighten his head.

"Third Senior Brother, there are so many people outside!"

Jiang Yichen in the mirror had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his base makeup was already done.

"It's good to have a lot of people. Today we're not only going to sing, but we're going to sing beautifully," Jiang Yichen said calmly.

He stood up, took the martial arts flag from his junior brother, and skillfully put it on.

A rapid drumbeat came from the front desk.

The auspicious time for the opening ceremony has arrived.

He picked up a long white waxwood spear and strode towards the entrance.

The curtain slowly rose.

Jiang Yichen, carrying a gun in one hand, walked steadily to the center of the stage.

The light shone on him.

The gold-embroidered banner gleamed brightly.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes sharp as knives.

The spear in his hand drew an arc in the air and came to a steady stop at his side.

A clean and crisp appearance.

A thunderous roar of applause erupted from the audience.

"good!"

"Jiang Shen is awesome!"

Jiang Yichen took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

The powerful singing voice instantly resonated throughout the opera house.

"The sound of war drums boomed, and gleaming armor shone brightly—"

"Running up and down, making a lot of noise—"

The classic "Picking the Chariot" is pronounced with extremely clear enunciation.

Every movement exudes the power of rigorous training.

This is a pure traditional martial arts play, where it all comes down to real skill.

The audience was deeply captivated by the highly engaging performance.

Just as Jiang Yichen was singing his climax and preparing to perform a difficult somersault,

Suddenly, from the left corner of the front row, an extremely shrill booing sound shattered the enthusiastic atmosphere.

"Whoa—"

"What rubbish is that singing?!"

The sound was played extremely loudly, instantly drowning out the accompanying erhu.

All eyes in the room turned to look at it.

In the corner sat a dozen or so men in plain clothes.

The leader was a thin, bony man, none other than Ma San, who had been kicked out of the opera troupe by Jiang Yichen.

Sometime during this period, this guy somehow ended up hanging out with the people from the Jinghua Drama Club.

They deliberately crossed their legs, loudly cracking sunflower seeds while pointing and gesturing at the stage.

"Your body is as limp as noodles, haven't you eaten?"

"His pronunciation is so unclear, yet he dares to open a theater troupe and make money?"

"This is an insult to our national heritage!"

They spoke very loudly, clearly there to cause trouble.

Some audience members immediately became angry.

"What are you doing! If you don't want to watch, get out!"

"You're deliberately causing trouble, aren't you!"

Ma San stood up, his face full of arrogance.

"What? You can't even criticize my singing?"

"The rule in the Peking Opera world is that if you sing badly, you have to applaud you! You laymen don't know anything!"

The men behind him also joined in the commotion, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Tan Yunxiao was so angry backstage that his eyes turned red.

He suddenly rolled up his sleeves, ready to rush out.

"That son of a bitch Ma San, I'll cripple him today!"

It took several junior disciples a lot of effort to finally pull him back.

"Brother, calm down! It's opening day, we can't start a fight!"

On the stage.

Jiang Yichen's movements did not falter in the slightest and he was not disturbed.

His gaze swept coldly over Ma San and the others.

He thrust out his spear with a sudden, sharp screech as it cut through the air.

His footwork was unpredictable, and he executed several difficult spins in succession.

He landed steadily, his breathing completely calm.

He continued singing, his voice even higher than before!

"Seeing a flock of banners fluttering—"

"Even the dust and grime roar—"

"I'm just waiting to unleash my power and annihilate you all!"

Upon seeing this, the audience immediately erupted in even louder applause, trying to drown out the noise from the group.

But Ma San and his men were clearly prepared.

Seeing that booing was useless, they simply stood up, took out the prepared crumpled paper and fruit peels from their pockets, and threw them directly onto the stage.

"Get out of here!"

"Stop making a fool of yourself here!"

A crumpled piece of paper flew past Jiang Yichen's shoulder.

Jiang Yichen stopped what he was doing.

He held a gun in one hand, stood in front of the stage, and looked down at Ma San and the others.

His eyes revealed an undisguised coldness.

Do they really think Jiang Yichen is made of clay?

He was about to speak.

Suddenly, a series of steady footsteps came from the direction of the backstage exit.

The footsteps weren't heavy, but they carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

Immediately afterwards, a loud voice rang out inside the theater.

"I'd like to see who dares to make him get out of there today!"

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Everyone turned to look at the exit.

Li Guochun was wearing a dark gray coarse cloth gown, with his hands behind his back.

He stood ramrod straight and strode all the way to the stage.

Although the old man had a full head of white hair, his eyes were very sharp.

Gong Changge followed behind Li Guochun, his face ashen.

When Ma San and the others below the stage saw the person who came out, their arrogance instantly froze.

The members of the Jinghua Pear Garden Society had lost their earlier imposing manner and didn't dare to even breathe loudly.

They never expected this.

Li Guochun, who has been retired for several years and rarely appears in public, actually took the stage today!

Li Guochun walked up to Jiang Yichen and patted him on the shoulder.

Jiang Yichen bowed slightly.

"Grandmaster."

Li Guochun nodded, turned to look at the audience, and fixed his gaze on Ma San and the few people from the Jinghua Pear Garden Society.

"Knock them down? Throw things at them?"

"Is this how Xing Tieshan taught you manners?"

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Who do you think you are, to presume to point fingers here!"

"The 'Picking the Chariot' piece you just performed was clear and precise, with solid movements. What part of it didn't conform to the rules?"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Li Guochun raised his hand and pressed it down, and the entire room fell silent again.

He looked at the troublemakers.

"Go back and tell Xing Tieshan."

"If he thinks the Qilin Opera Troupe has broken the rules, let him come to me himself."

"Sending such lowly people like you to disgust people is a disgrace to the Jinghua Pear Garden Society!"

These words left Ma San and the others speechless.

The old man then turned to face the audience.

"Everyone."

"I am Li Guochun, and I have been retired for many years."

"Looking at this room full of young people today, I'm so happy!"

"This shows that our traditional opera is not outdated! It has successors!"

"Today, this old man will also sing a song for everyone!"

These words caused the entire audience to erupt in cheers!

Gong Changge, standing nearby, grew anxious: "Teacher, your health..."

Li Guochun waved his hand, interrupting him. "I'm not so old that I can't even open my voice anymore."

He looked at Jiang Yichen.

"Hey kid, can you play the erhu?"

Jiang Yichen nodded: "Yes."

"Okay, you accompany me with the music."

Jiang Yichen turned and walked to the band area, took the jinghu from the musician, and sat down in the chair.

He tested the tone and looked up at Li Guochun in the center of the stage.

Li Guochun casually tucked the hem of his coarse cloth gown into his belt and struck a pose.

His cloudy eyes instantly became bright and piercing!