Chapter 362: Heaven's Will

"The wind today is quite boisterous."

A figure wearing theatrical robes sat on a rocking chair, facing the wind-swept earth, and couldn't help but sigh.

Behind him, several figures were busy tidying up the benches under the stage. Hearing this, the minor role asked in confusion:

"Master, the wind is fine today. Wasn't it stronger the past two days?"

"Hmph, can you youngsters understand the profound meaning of your master?" The figure in theatrical robes swayed slowly on the rocking chair. "At my level, every word and sentence contains the principles of heaven and earth. It can be said that every word is a pearl of wisdom. The profound meaning within... that is something many people exhaust their whole lives to..."

"Master, lift your feet." The young man in white beside him held a broom and said earnestly.

Master: ...

While helplessly lifting his feet into mid-air and leaning back on the rocking chair, he continued, "Ruyu, when your master is explaining the principles of heaven and earth, don't interrupt next time. After all, I rarely tell these things to outsiders. If you could comprehend even a little bit of it, then..."

"Understood, Master." The young man called Ruyu nodded seriously. "You can put your feet down now."

"...Alright."

"Senior Brother, I've finished tidying up here." The minor role clapped his hands and walked over. "Do you need my help?"

"No need, I've finished sweeping too."

"Come to think of it, only two audience members came today... and they didn't seem to have any spiritual roots; they fell asleep in less than five minutes."

"I told you long ago that we should prepare some snacks for them. Maybe that would have kept them awake a little longer?"

"...Senior Brother, we can barely afford to eat ourselves. Where would we get the money to buy them snacks?" The minor role shook his head helplessly.

"..." The Senior Brother in white fell silent.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Old Four, do you think... performing 'breaking a boulder on the chest' could make money?"

The minor role looked him up and down. "Senior Brother, you should forget about that physique of yours... How about we let Third Senior Brother do it?"

In the distance, a tall figure paused slightly, silently smoothed his sleeves, turned his back to the others, and replied in a cold and dignified manner:

"Hmph, pandering to the crowd... I will not associate with you lot."

The Senior Brother and the minor role sighed heavily.

"No matter. If they don't have spiritual roots, they don't have them. Even if we held their eyelids open to make them watch the whole thing, it would be useless. You just need to perform well; as for the rest, just follow Heaven's will." The master on the rocking chair spoke unhurriedly.

The few looked at each other and bowed their heads, responding: "Yes."

The sun slanted westward, and the distant town was already filled with cooking smoke. This desolate land, which no one cared about, was gradually shrouded in darkness.

"I'll go check the props one last time. We have to perform again tomorrow, it would be troublesome if anything went missing." The minor role glanced at the messy stage and turned to walk behind it.

The Senior Brother in white stood by the rocking chair, watching the sunset gradually sink below the horizon, and spoke softly:

"Master, are we still performing here tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"But in this town, I don't think anyone will come to watch anymore, right?"

"I said, everything depends on fate... Perhaps it's not that there are no fated people in this town, but that the timing hasn't arrived yet?"

"..." The Senior Brother in white was silent for a moment. "Are you sure it's not because you're too lazy to move the stage?"

The master trembled slightly and glared at him. "Hmph, Ruyu, Ruyu, what kind of talk is that? Am I such a lazy person in your heart?"

The Senior Brother in white nodded seriously: "Yes, after all, whenever we are working, you are always just watching the fun from the side."

"You, you, you..."

The master was so angry that the hand fanning him sped up slightly, the wind blowing his hair. "Your master calls this 'resting while others work.' Besides, isn't not moving the stage for your own good? Moving it back and forth is so tiring... Say no more, we must perform three shows here, unless Heaven's will drives us away."

The Senior Brother in white nodded helplessly. Just as he was about to leave, the minor role came running over in a hurry!

"Master! It's bad!"

"What's the matter, why are you so panicked..."

"Someone seems to have reported us for illegal performance. There are city inspectors... no, police officers coming this way!!"

"What?!"

The master sat up from the rocking chair with a start. "I knew that audience member this afternoon was acting suspicious; I could tell at a glance that nothing good would come of it!"

"Quick! Quickly pack up the stage! We're retreating!! Don't leave a single thing behind!"

Senior Brother: ???

"Master, didn't you say..."

"Stop talking! If we get caught, we'll have to pay a fine! Quick! Go help!"

The three disciples hurriedly dragged the stage equipment and fled the wilderness overnight, like a street food stall being chased by city inspectors. They ran wildly for several kilometers before stopping, covered in sweat, in a deserted corner.

"Master... where are we going next?" The minor role wiped the sweat from his forehead and couldn't help but ask.

The master patted the dust off his theatrical robes, looked toward a certain direction, and after a long time, smiled helplessly.

"Heaven's will is like this..."

"What?"

"Let's go, we're going to Liu Town."

"Liu Town? That place is so far away, it's almost across half the domain... Why go there?"

The corners of the master's mouth rose slightly.

"Naturally, because there's a good show to watch."

……

The sunset gradually sank into the earth. Along the dim riverbank, a hand suddenly emerged from the water, gripping a protruding stone tightly.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

The umbrella painter's wet hair emerged from the water, gasping for air, his face deathly pale.

He gritted his teeth and rose from the water bit by bit, lying on the shore like a dead fish. A gentle breeze brushed along the bank, willow branches danced lightly above him, and the street was so quiet that only his gasping and coughing remained.

"Number 031, Lin Xi, please reply if you receive this!"

"Lin Xi!! Please reply if you receive this!"

"Are you still alive, Lin Xi?"

Successive voices came from the walkie-talkie in his pocket, sounding intermittent after being soaked in the water.

Lin Xi lay on the ground, taking a long while to pull it out, and spoke weakly:

"...I'm still alive."

"The Level 4 support you requested has arrived. Please confirm if the enemy is dead?"

The scene from just moments ago flashed through Lin Xi's mind, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. He held the walkie-talkie and cursed:

"...Him? He wasn't even killed in the middle of the ink thunder, and I was almost shaken to death by the aftermath... Luckily, I fell into the river and escaped with the current..."

"Damn it, he couldn't be killed even with that strike! What kind of monster is he?!!"