Chapter 381: Keeping the Appointment

"Ancient Treasury of Opera Arts, Nameless Actor..."

Seeing the last line, the image of the beautiful young man immediately surfaced in Chen Ling’s mind, along with the scene of the other three traveling together at the inn.

It struck his mind like a thunderclap!

"It’s them... So it was them??"

"No wonder. At the time, Willow Town had clearly been sealed off by the [Circle], yet they still chose to enter, and it just happened to be a group of four... So, they had seen through my disguise all along?"

Chen Ling recalled the conversation between the beautiful young man and the woman in green—it was that very conversation that pointed out he had grasped the [Fate-Weaving] skill!

At the time, he thought it was just a coincidence, but thinking back carefully now, every word the young man said seemed to have a double meaning... Were they deliberately guiding him?

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Ling’s mind. He looked at the invitation in his hand and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

"Plum Blossom K said that Master would be able to find me... Sure enough."

Chen Ling muttered to himself.

Chen Ling had triggered a series of troubles in his active search for the sect, and the process had been incredibly tortuous. Yet, when he looked back, he found that the people he was looking for had been by his side all along... The mystery of it was beyond words.

He had just killed Lin Xi and the other two and was being targeted by [Floating Life Painting], and this invitation arrived in his hands... The timing was just too coincidental.

So, what did this invitation mean?

Chen Ling examined the invitation carefully a few more times. He couldn't determine the intentions of the sect members for the moment, but based on his impression of the Chou (Clown) role, they likely wouldn't harm him... But what about the others? The Clown's inexplicable murderous intent had already made Chen Ling vigilant, and he couldn't help but hesitate now.

"...Whatever, there’s no better option anyway." Chen Ling sighed.

He was currently being hunted by [Floating Life Painting]. He could either rot away waiting for death within the [Circle] or go to the appointment to see what they were actually planning... Comparing the risks, Chen Ling chose the latter.

He solemnly tucked the invitation into his sleeve, identified the direction, and walked straight toward the east.

……

Lead-gray clouds covered the sky over Willow Town, moving slowly with the whistling cold wind.

In the dim, lightless alley, Li Qingshan’s clothes fluttered in the wind. He walked to his front door, shielding himself against the wind, and pushed it open.

"Whew..." Li Qingshan let out a long breath. "Looks like it’s going to pour."

With the walls blocking the wind, it was a bit calmer in the courtyard, but many fallen leaves were still dancing wildly in the wind above the eaves, making a rustling sound.

"Qingshan... close the doors and windows!" the old woman’s voice came from inside.

"Coming, Grandma!"

Li Qingshan hurriedly gathered all the drying clothes, shut the doors and windows tightly, and even fed the chickens and the dog before ducking inside just as the first raindrops began to fall.

He sat on a wooden stool and wiped away his sweat, looking quite exhausted.

"Qingshan... there’s another letter for you."

"Huh? Another one?"

The old woman seemed to remember something. She took an item out of a drawer and tremblingly handed it to Li Qingshan. "Just now... a child delivered it... said you must go... seems to be... some kind of... performance?"

The old woman waved her hand. "I’m old, my ears aren't what they used to be... see for yourself."

With that, the old woman leaned on her cane and walked toward her bedroom alone.

Li Qingshan sat in the room, puzzled, and carefully examined the object in his hand. It looked like an invitation. After opening it, he found a letterhead printed with the Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou face masks.

"Respected Mr. Li Qingshan, the Ancient Treasury of Opera Arts sincerely invites you..."

Li Qingshan’s gaze scanned downward.

By the time he finished reading the entire content, deep confusion appeared in his eyes.

"Ancient Treasury of Opera Arts...?"

Li Qingshan had heard of the fourteen Divine Ancient Treasuries before... especially the Ancient Treasury of Opera Arts, which was revered as a legend among the gods within the Red Dust Realm. According to rumors, stepping onto the Opera Divine Path granted one a thousand-changing yet beautiful appearance. For those chasing fame and success, this was an irresistible temptation.

Even those already-famous superstars dreamed of entering it to find a way to stay forever young. Some even paid high prices to hire possessors of Divine Paths from outside the realm, willing to risk their lives crossing the Gray Realm outside the borders to reach the Ancient Treasury, hoping to change their destiny.

But right now, the invitation in Li Qingshan’s hand actually had the words "Ancient Treasury of Opera Arts" written on it?

"Is it a prank? Or..." Li Qingshan hesitated.

From Li Qingshan’s perspective, this kind of invitation was as absurd as the "I am Qin Shi Huang, transfer me 50" scam messages from before the Great Catastrophe. The Ancient Treasury of Opera Arts was unreachable, and those rumored to have stepped onto the Opera Divine Path were few and far between. How could such an invitation appear, specifically naming him, Li Qingshan, to watch a performance?

Rumble—

Faint thunder rolled from the black sky, and the rain outside grew heavier.

Seeing the harsh, stormy weather outside, Li Qingshan let out a long sigh, tossed the invitation onto the table, and turned to walk into the inner room...

In this kind of weather, any normal person would choose to lie down at home and rest, or have a nice sleep. Who would brave such wind and rain to go to a wasteland to look for a performance that couldn't possibly exist?

Just as Li Qingshan was about to step into the room, his foot hovered in mid-air.

He stood there like a statue, the image of the red-clad Chen Ling tearing off his own face flashing through his mind. The room was so quiet that only the sound of rain hitting the roof tiles remained.

Li Qingshan’s hands clenched involuntarily.

"Forget it... what’s the harm in going to see?"

Li Qingshan turned abruptly, grabbed the invitation from the table, picked up the oil-paper umbrella in the corner, opened it, and disappeared into the end of the street, braving the wind and rain.

He was going to keep the appointment... an appointment that might not even exist.

And this appointment would change his life.

……

"Ahead, that’s Willow Town."

Beyond the ink-black clouds, two figures walked from the direction of the Red Dust Main City and stopped before a desolate forest.

"Do we really need both of us to deal with a Third-Order kid?"

"Don’t underestimate him. He managed to counter-kill three Architects under the [Circle] blockade and even nearly deceived the Main City..."

"Just some clever little tricks. In the face of absolute realm power, they are useless... With both of us Fifth-Order experts working together, even if he grew wings, he couldn't fly out of Willow Town." One of them snorted coldly.

"Don’t underestimate the enemy."

Just then, a third figure emerged from the depths of the woods.

It was a white-haired old man leaning on a cane carved with wood grain. He looked like he had trouble even walking, but the moment the other two saw his face, their expressions changed in shock, and they spoke in surprise:

"Elder He? You came personally? That’s not necessary..."

"Not necessary?"

The old man narrowed his eyes and looked gloomily toward Willow Town.

"Facing the [Heart 6] of the Twilight Society, who once assassinated the Aurora Monarch and single-handedly caused the collapse of the Aurora Realm... it never hurts to be extra prepared."