Chapter 1875: A Story, and a Plan

Red Dust Domain.

Drizzling rain rolled down the eaves, like transparent beaded curtains dancing with the wind.

At the corner of the street, the door of an old theater was pushed open slowly...

"Sigh..."

"It's a rainy day again."

A figure in green shook his head and said regretfully, "It seems there won't be many guests today either."

"Mr. Li, are we still going to sing today?" A servant walked behind the green-clad figure and asked softly.

"Sing, of course we must sing."

Li Qingshan turned around, smiling as he poked the servant's forehead with his fingertip. "If we don't sing, how will I pay your wages? Even if only one guest comes and we only collect one tea fee, it's still good."

The servant looked at Li Qingshan's departing back and couldn't help but mutter:

"With such heavy rain... I'm afraid not a single guest will come."

Although he said that, he obediently started to tidy up the stage, wipe the tables and chairs, and after getting everything ready, took an "Open for Business" sign and hung it at the door.

Rainwater dripped into the water vat outside the door. There were hardly any pedestrians on the entire street, and even if someone passed by occasionally, no one would spare a second glance at this old theater.

The servant called out a few times, but it didn't change the situation. When his throat went hoarse, he sat on the threshold, propping his head up and staring at the rain in a daze.

A moment later,

a theatrical tune rang out from the stage.

"Yang Zongbao is busy passing orders on horseback, the three armies listen clearly one by one."

"Xiao Tianzuo has set up the Heavenly Gate Array, wanting to seize my Song Dynasty's magnificent dragon throne."

"Those who advance will all be rewarded, those who retreat will find no mercy in military law..."

Li Qingshan was already standing on the stage, wearing a helmet with two long pheasant tails, heroic and upright, dressed in silver armor, with four command flags on his back—a perfect image of a young general.

Even though the seats below were empty, Li Qingshan still performed and sang with all his might, as if he had completely entered the role of "Yang Zongbao," every move and gesture restoring his true self.

His singing echoed in the rainy street. Occasionally, passersby would look inside, and the servant would immediately stand up, smiling and saying:

"Oh, hello! It's raining hard outside. Why not come in to listen to the opera and have some tea to warm up?"

"Today is our first anniversary, tea fees are all half price!"

"Mr. Li is a master of opera here in Red Dust. Listening to him sing a few segments is definitely worth the ticket price!"

"Hey, hey, don't go..."

"Mr. Li sings every hour, it's really a great deal..."

“……”

These passersby seemed uninterested in opera, and upon hearing that there was a tea fee to listen, they turned and left immediately. The servant tried to solicit customers for a long time, but still, not a single guest came.

He looked at the empty street in the rain and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Just then,

a figure holding a red paper umbrella walked through the rain, heading straight for the theater.

The servant, who had almost given up while sitting on the threshold, saw someone stop in front of the theater and immediately stood up to say something, but upon seeing the black and red theatrical robe, he froze in place.

"You are..." the servant asked uncertainly.

"To listen to the opera."

Chen Ling threw out two words indifferently and stepped into the theater.

The servant watched the figure walk naturally into the theater, and alarm bells rang in his heart. An actor coming into a theater to listen to opera? Who would believe that... Could this be someone coming to cause trouble or challenge the house?

"Sir, listening to opera in our theater requires a tea fee..."

Before the servant could finish, a banknote fell lightly into his palm.

"Is that enough?"

He said without looking back.

After seeing the amount on it, the servant was stunned.

"This..." The servant rubbed his eyes, looked at the banknote, then at Chen Ling, and his face immediately filled with smiles. "Enough, enough! More than enough... Please, have a seat, I'll go brew your tea right away!!"

Guided by the servant, Chen Ling sat directly in the middle of the first row.

Li Qingshan, who was performing on stage, also saw this figure in the black and red theatrical robe and felt some doubt... But when he saw the face clearly, his heart shook violently.

Even so, his performance did not pause for a second. He continued to sing the final segment, then stood quietly and bowed respectfully to the audience below...

A moment later,

a burst of crisp applause rang out from the first row.

Chen Ling looked at Li Qingshan on stage with a smile, not stinting on his applause. Seeing this, Li Qingshan bowed deeply once more, then turned and went backstage.

A few minutes later, Li Qingshan changed into green clothes and walked out from behind the curtain.

"Student Li Qingshan greets the Master."

Below the stage, Li Qingshan bowed respectfully to Chen Ling.

"You still remember me?" Chen Ling smiled.

"Of course," Li Qingshan said solemnly. "Five years ago, if you hadn't brought your troupe to the outskirts of the Red Dust Domain to set up a stage and sing, how would I have had an epiphany and embarked on the Theater God-Dao..."

"It's just a pity that when I woke up from that epiphany, you and your troupe had already left."

"Later, I inquired in many places and found that you had only sent an invitation to me... That opera was probably sung specifically for me alone."

"Since then, I have been looking for you. I didn't expect to meet you here today."

Li Qingshan paused for a moment.

He looked at the few strands of gray hair at Chen Ling's temples and his weary face, and added softly:

"But after so many years... Master seems to have aged quite a bit."

Chen Ling was startled.

Then he laughed helplessly:

"Yeah... time just wears people down."

"You guided me onto the Theater God-Dao, so by rights, I should call you Master... Later, when the tea comes, I will perform the formal greeting to thank you for your guidance back then."

Li Qingshan looked at Chen Ling, every word sincere.

Chen Ling laughed dumbly:

"The formal greeting is unnecessary... I guided you onto the Theater God-Dao for another purpose."

"Please speak, Master." Li Qingshan sat down beside Chen Ling and looked into his eyes earnestly. "As long as Qingshan can do it, I will not refuse."

"What stage has your 【True Self Performance】 reached now?"

"Master, I am at the seventh stage."

"Seventh stage... that's about right."

Chen Ling pondered for a long time before finally making up his mind, his eyes fixed on Li Qingshan.

The rain grew heavier, and large, dense raindrops fell on the eaves of the theater, making a sound like a roar, as if completely isolating this theater from the outside world.

"Li Qingshan."

"I have a story, and a plan..."

Chen Ling brushed his sleeves, and three items appeared out of thin air, placed on the small table between him and Li Qingshan.

"Do you..."

"want to hear it?"

Li Qingshan was startled. For some reason, when Chen Ling said this, he vaguely felt that something in the dark was quietly turning.

He looked down at the table, and the outlines of the three items entered his eyes.

A thick script;

a revolver shimmering with a mysterious faint light;

and...

a playing card.

——【Heart 6】.