Chapter 384: Sheng and Jing

A few minutes later, the three stopped in front of a devastated bridge arch.

"It’s our people." The figure wearing the black headscarf saw the corpses of Lin Xi and Old Lu, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"This is the last location where [Heart 6] appeared." Elder He turned his head to look at the other [Floating Life Painting] member standing behind him. "Image-Tracing, find him."

The man nodded slightly, pulled a drawing board from his back and set it on the ground, then took out a pencil and began to draw rapidly on the ruins.

As his pen touched the paper, a domain spread to the surroundings. His eyes clearly reflected every detail of the surroundings. In the reflection of his pupils, the world was like an inverted illustration, rapidly tracing back to the past!

His drawing movements were extremely fast, and with just a few strokes, he outlined a scene... It was on a narrow staircase, a blood-stained hand piercing through the chest of the Maple Ghost, Old Lu standing opposite him in a daze, and in the center of the picture, a young man wearing a bright red opera robe smiling like a devil;

The second scene was Lin Xi standing under the bridge arch holding an umbrella, two Old Lus passing through the bottom of the bridge one after another, and the entire umbrella surface bursting with bright light, submerging the second Old Lu;

The third scene was a figure in blood-stained clothes clutching Lin Xi’s throat, a smudge of ink blooming on Lin Xi’s chest, his eyes full of unwillingness and anger...

Seeing these three sketch scenes, Elder He’s gaze was icy cold.

"What a good scheme." Elder He snorted coldly. "As expected of the guy who turned the Aurora Realm upside down, cunning and insidious, he could actually incite them to kill each other so easily."

"Even if he is skilled in scheming, his own strength is a weakness... As long as we can find his location, it will be easy for us to kill him." The figure wearing the black headscarf beside him also said coldly.

"He thinks his disguise is seamless, but unfortunately, there are many mysterious paths in the world, and there is always a way to break it. My [Image-Tracing] is his natural enemy..." The young man who was drawing said lightly.

"Give me one minute, and I will be able to see through all his layouts and disguises. He can't run."

As he tore off a new canvas, the pencil began to outline rapidly again. It was the scene of Chen Ling walking in the alley, looking for the performance venue.

Chen Ling would never have imagined that there was someone in this world who could use this method to spy on his whereabouts. If he had really chosen to go back with Li Qingshan at that time, he would likely have been surrounded and killed within minutes... The identity of a distant relative was like a joke in front of this path.

"This picture should be him looking for a place to hide... But looking at the direction he left, it seems there is no place to hide?" the figure with the black headscarf asked, puzzled.

"It’s okay, in the next one, I will be able to lock onto his current location!" the young man of the [Image-Tracing] path said confidently.

He tore off the canvas and was about to put his pen to it, but his hand paused in mid-air.

"What’s wrong?" his companion asked, puzzled.

"...Strange." The young man scratched his head, confused. "I seem to... can’t track his image anymore?"

"How is that possible? With the [Circle] there, he can’t possibly escape Willow Town. Where in Willow Town could escape your backtracking?"

"I don't know either, but... but I just can't track him anymore. He seems to have left the range of my skill."

Hearing this, Elder He’s expression turned gloomy. Just as he was about to say something, the young man’s face turned pale in an instant, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, stumbling to the ground.

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

His companion was shocked and immediately helped him up.

The young man sat blankly on the ruins, as if he hadn't heard his companion’s question, but kept looking around, as if searching for something.

"You... did you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

"...Opera singing."

His pupils gradually dilated, and he muttered to himself, "It seems... someone is singing opera?"

……

"The dragon and tiger fight on the battlefield,

Both sides engage and set up camp.

First entering the Central Plains with no general to block,

Let me gallop as the war drums rise!"

……”

On the crude stage, a tall figure wearing a golden crown and magnificent armor struck a pose and stepped forward steadily. The singing voice was thick and far-reaching, full of dominance.

Offstage, Chen Ling asked in a low voice:

"Who is this?"

"Wushu, a martial Flower-Face... that is, the Jing role among the Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou." Li Qingshan explained to him at the right time.

Chen Ling nodded. According to the sect members who had appeared so far, the Second Senior Sister Plum Blossom K, the Fourth Senior Brother Mo role, the Fifth Senior Brother Chou role... these five senior brothers and sisters might just correspond to the five roles of Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou. In other words, the one singing on stage now was the Third Senior Brother?

This Wushu sang alone on stage for a long time, probably talking about how powerful he was and that no one could stop him from breaking into the Central Plains. After singing a passage, a figure bowed and ran onto the stage to talk to him, saying that someone named Niu Gao had arrived, and then the two confronted each other on stage.

Although Chen Ling knew a little about opera, he wasn't proficient in it. This passage left him confused. If his intuition hadn't told him that this opera might not be that simple, he probably would have fallen asleep by now... just like when he and Chen Yan first came to watch an opera.

On the contrary, Li Qingshan, who was beside him, was watching with great interest, almost unable to help but clap and cheer.

As the plot on stage progressed, a young man with a face like jade appeared. His eyes were like bright stars, his eyebrows were divided into eight colors, his nose was like a hanging gall, and his lips were like painted cinnabar; as soon as he appeared, everything around him seemed to dim. Even Chen Ling, who was about to fall asleep, subconsciously regained his spirit when he saw his appearance.

"Who is this again?"

"He is Gao Chong, the one who will block the carriage later." Li Qingshan added, "He is the Sheng role."

Sheng role... First Senior Brother?

Chen Ling looked at the man carefully. He was wearing white clothes and silver armor, holding a gold-chiseled tiger-head spear, and his momentum was on par with Wushu beside him.

After a long passage of recitation, Gao Chong on stage suddenly sang:

"...A row of flags waving, horns roaring in the smoke and dust, I shall destroy these bastards in one battle!"

As the words fell, he suddenly threw the gold-chiseled tiger-head spear in his hand. At this moment, a hurricane suddenly erupted from his palm, whistling across the field!

Whoosh—!!

The gold-chiseled tiger-head spear left his palm and vanished instantly without a trace.

This sudden hurricane made the clothes of Chen Ling and Li Qingshan offstage flutter. Chen Ling’s sleepiness was also instantly swept away. He looked at Gao Chong on the stage in astonishment, disbelief appearing in his eyes.

Just now, Gao Chong’s movement range wasn't large, but even with just a casual wave, such earth-shattering power erupted... Even Chen Ling, who possessed the [Secret Pupil], couldn't see his movements clearly just now.

"Just now... what happened?" Li Qingshan beside him rubbed his eyes and asked blankly.

"He... where is the spear in his hand?"