Chapter 569: The Locking of the Unicorn Pouch

"Who is singing?"

"I read in the paper that they only invited one famous opera singer. Why is there another act at the end?"

"You have to admit... this person’s voice is so beautiful, completely different from that old man earlier."

"It’s like night and day, isn't it?"

"No accompaniment, singing purely a cappella at this level... there can't be many people in the main city who can do that, right?"

"Damn it, why can't we see inside? I really want to know what kind of person can sing with a voice like that... I feel like he shouldn't be very old."

“……”

The singing from the manor made the crowd, who had intended to leave, stop in their tracks. They gazed at the manor shrouded in mist, seemingly forgetting for a moment that they were still standing in the rain.

At this moment, it was as if the only thing left in the world was the melodious operatic voice.

……

"Brother Lin... and you said you couldn't sing opera?"

In the shadows of the corridor, Li Qingshan watched the red figure on stage, shock appearing in his eyes.

Even Li Qingshan, who had been exposed to opera since childhood, was stunned by Chen Ling’s singing. Having heard so many operas, he could be almost certain that no living "Dan" actor could sing better than Chen Ling!

"If only Brother Zhou and the others were here... if they heard Brother Lin’s performance, they would surely regain their confidence in the path of opera, right?"

Li Qingshan thought of the few opera performers who had once shared his hardships and were still struggling under the crushing contracts of the Beidou Consortium, and he let out a long sigh.

He bowed his head in silent prayer, praying that everything would go as Chen Ling wished—to destroy those unjust contracts and return freedom to everyone.

On the stage, Chen Ling caught a glimpse of Li Qingshan in his peripheral vision and continued to sing melodiously in the rain:

"Are there only the wealthy in this world?

There are also those who harbor hunger and cold,

There are also those who weep and wail in frustration.

The person inside the sedan plays a different tune,

There must be hidden feelings in the tide of the heart..."

……

Creak—creak...

Crisp sounds echoed from the blood-red cocoon. In the deathly silent office, Chong Qi stared fixedly at the cocoon wrapping Mu Chunsheng, so tense he could barely breathe.

In front of the cocoon, the black-robed Six-Claws and Feijia both curled their lips into a smile.

"It succeeded..."

Click!

With the final soft sound, a pair of fair, flawless arms broke out from the blood-red cocoon!

Immediately after, those hands grabbed the sides of the cocoon and tore it open with force. Blood-colored fragments fell like rain across the office, and a brand-new body stepped out slowly...

He stepped naked over the corpse that was now nothing but bones, his feet stained with blood as he walked across the floor. He stopped before the closed curtains, looked down at his own youthful hands, and his lips curled upward involuntarily.

"It’s done... I’m really healed... Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

The long-ailing man cast aside the crutches that had supported him for half his life, gaining a new birth from the remains of his own corpse... His laughter was incessant, his desire like a prairie fire, burning on and on.

The pitter-patter of rain hit the window, and the faint sound of opera drifted in from outside:

"Hearing the tragic sound, my heart is like a mortar,

Why do fellow travelers wail so loudly?

Could it be that the husband is too ugly to match the bride's beauty?

Could it be a forced marriage, a crow occupying a phoenix nest..."

……

"I'm dead, I'm dead..."

"I shouldn't have gotten involved in this!"

"When those two spies approached me, I should have just refused! Kicked them out the door... and now look, I helped them bridge the gap for my uncle, and now I'm going to get myself dragged into it too!!"

"As soon as those two arrived, the [Floating Life Painting] arrived too, and Mu Haowen is dead... how much longer can I keep my life?"

In the next room, Li Ruohong paced frantically like an ant on a hot pan, wishing he could slap himself twice right then and there.

The faint operatic singing echoed outside the window, making Li Ruohong even more agitated. He slammed the window open and cursed:

"Sing, sing, sing, what the hell are you singing?? These opera singers are so annoying..."

The singing outside the window grew louder, as if laughing, or perhaps carrying a hint of mockery:

"The fool’s questioning is too sloppy,

It’s hard to avoid suspicion in the heart.

You shouldn't show off your pride in front of others,

You shouldn't waste words and ramble on..."

……

At the edge of the crowd in the venue, the Chief’s nerves were completely frayed, his eyes searching the surroundings constantly.

He frowned, muttering:

"Damn it, [Heart 6]... where exactly did he go?"

"No, this guy can change his face; he might have already taken on a new identity and blended into the crowd..."

The Chief’s gaze was like a sickle, scraping across the guests one by one, as if trying to find even the slightest hint of inconsistency in them...

His eyes fell on the red figure on stage several times, only to subconsciously look away, continuing his desperate search through the crowd.

If one were to find someone in this venue who absolutely could not be [Heart 6], that person would have to be the Jinghong Pavilion opera singer "Lin Yan"... therefore, the target must be hiding off-stage!

On the stage soaked by rain, red sleeves fluttered lightly.

Chen Ling looked down at the Chief pacing below with a smile, his voice melodious and graceful, like celestial music:

"...This is what makes life so unpredictable~

Never expected a reunion today.

Looking back, the prosperity is like a dream,

A thread of my remaining life is cast into the raging waves."

……

This piece, "The Locking of the Unicorn Pouch," tells the story of a young heiress who, on her wedding day, gives a pouch filled with jewels to a poor woman. Years later, after an accident, the heiress falls into hardship and is saved by that same poor woman. It reflects on the mysterious and fickle nature of human destiny, as if some existence in the dark is arranging everything.

Chen Ling chose this song on a whim. Although the lyrics tell a story, it seemed to resonate with everything happening right now, so he sang it.

The heavy rain poured over Chen Ling’s figure, clear droplets rolling down his black hair. The opera robe, already soaked through, danced on the stage like a fluttering red butterfly, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

Looking from below, the figure in red is in the play.

Looking from the stage, aren't all the living beings in this rain also in the play?

Water sleeves rise, water sleeves fall; the threads of fate are woven in the dance of the red figure. In the reflection of those wet eyes on stage, the curtain of a grand play falls with his performance, only to slowly rise again...

The singing had stopped, but the crowd had yet to recover from the stunning performance. The world was quiet, save for the soft sound of rain hitting the eaves and the lingering echo of the final operatic notes in the sky.

"Performance, concluded."

On stage, the corners of the red-clad opera singer’s mouth curled up slightly. His soaked robe slowly opened its arms, as if to embrace the sky.

A whisper, audible only to himself, sounded at the same time:

"Performance... beginning."

……

Inside a gorgeous and exquisite gift box.

On the surface of a bomb lying silent in the darkness, a handwritten note moved without wind.

——【The Actor takes his bow, a grand display of fireworks】.