Chapter 383: Life and Purity

A few minutes later, the three stopped in front of a ruined bridge underpass.

“They’re our people,” the figure wearing a black headscarf murmured, narrowing their eyes as they saw Lin Xi and Old Lu’s bodies.

“This is where Six of Hearts was last seen,” Elder He said, turning to look at another Fleeting Life Painting member standing behind him. “Shadow Capture, find him.”

The person nodded slightly, pulled a drawing board from their back, set it on the ground, then took out a pencil and quickly began sketching the ruins. As he put pencil to paper, a domain spread out around him. His eyes clearly reflected every detail of the surroundings; in the reflection of his pupils, the world was like an illustration playing in reverse, rapidly tracing back into the past.

His drawing movements were extremely fast. In just a few strokes, he sketched a scene: on a narrow staircase, a blood-stained hand pierced Feng Gui’s chest, Old Lu was dumbfounded across from him, and in the very center of the image, a young man in a large red opera robe smiled like a demon.

The second image showed Lin Xi standing under the bridge underpass with an umbrella, two Old Lus passing under the bridge one after another, and countless umbrella surfaces bursting forth with intense light, engulfing the second Old Lu.

The third image was of a figure in blood-red robes strangling Lin Xi; a patch of ink stained Lin Xi’s chest, and his eyes were filled with resentment and anger.

Seeing these three quick sketches, Elder He’s gaze became extremely cold.

“What a cunning scheme,” Elder He snorted coldly. “He’s truly the one who overturned the Aurora Domain—cunning and sinister, able to so casually incite them to kill each other.”

“No matter how good he is at scheming, his own strength is a weakness,” the figure wearing a black headscarf beside them also said coldly. “As long as we can find his location, it will be easy to kill him.”

“He thinks his disguise is flawless, but unfortunately, there are many mysterious paths in the world, and there’s always a way to break through them. My Shadow Capture is his natural enemy…” the person who was drawing said calmly. “Give me one minute, and I’ll see through all his plans and disguises. He can’t escape.”

As he tore off a new canvas, the pencil rapidly sketched again, showing Chen Ling walking through an alleyway, looking for a performance venue. Chen Ling would never have imagined that someone in this world could use such a method to uncover his whereabouts. If he had really chosen to go back with Li Qingshan then, he would likely have been encircled and killed within minutes. His so-called distant relative identity would have been a joke in the face of this path.

“This drawing shows him looking for a hiding place…” the figure wearing a black headscarf asked, puzzled. “But judging by the direction he’s heading, it seems there’s nowhere to hide?”

“No problem,” the young man of the Shadow Capture path said confidently. “With the next drawing, I’ll pinpoint his current location!”

He tore off the canvas, but just as he was about to put pencil to paper, his hand stopped in mid-air.

“What’s wrong?” his companion beside him asked, puzzled.

“…Strange,” the young man said, scratching his head in confusion. “I… I can’t seem to trace his image anymore?”

“How is that possible? With the circle in place, there’s no way he could escape Willow Town. Where in Willow Town could he escape your retrospection?”

“I don’t know either,” the young man replied, “but… but I just can’t trace him anymore. He seems to have already left the range of my ability.”

Hearing this, Elder He’s expression darkened. He was about to say something when the young man’s face suddenly turned pale, he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, and stumbled to the ground.

“Hey! Are you alright?!”

His companion beside him was instantly alarmed and immediately helped him up.

The young man sat dazedly on the ruins, as if he hadn’t heard his companion’s questions. Instead, he continuously looked around, as if searching for something.

“Did you… did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“…Opera music.”

His pupils gradually dilated, and he murmured to himself, “It sounds like… someone is performing opera?”

“Dragons and tigers vie on the battlefield,Two armies meet, encampments set.Into the Central Plains, no general can stand,I ride freely as war drums sound!”

On the crude stage, a tall figure wearing a golden crown and splendid armor struck a pose and steadily moved forward. His singing was deep and resonant, full of dominance.

Below the stage, Chen Ling asked in a low voice:

“Who is that?”

“Wuzhu, a ‘painted face’ character,” Li Qingshan explained to him at the opportune moment, “meaning, the Jing role among Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou.”

Chen Ling nodded. Judging by the sect members who had appeared so far—Second Senior Sister Queen of Clubs, Fourth Senior Brother Mo, Fifth Senior Brother Chou—these five senior disciples likely corresponded to the five roles of Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou. So, the one performing on stage now was Third Senior Brother?

Wuzhu sang alone on stage for a long time, presumably boasting about his power and how no one could stop him from entering the Central Plains. After finishing a section, a figure bowed and ran onto the stage, conversed with him, saying that someone named Niu Gao had arrived, and then the two confronted each other on stage.

Chen Ling didn’t understand opera, nor did he know much history, so this part left him utterly confused. If his intuition hadn’t told him that this play might not be so simple, he probably would have fallen asleep by now, just like the first time he and Chen Yan watched an opera.

On the other hand, Li Qingshan beside him watched with great interest, almost unable to resist clapping and cheering.

As the plot on stage continued to advance, a youth with a face like polished jade appeared, his eyes like bright stars, eyebrows perfectly arched, nose prominent, and lips like painted cinnabar. The moment he appeared, everything around him seemed to dim; even Chen Ling, who was about to fall asleep, subconsciously regained his spirits upon seeing his entrance.

“Who is this one?”

“That’s Gao Chong,” Li Qingshan added, “the one who’s about to challenge the ‘sliding chariot.’ He’s a Sheng role.”

A Sheng role… First Senior Brother?

Chen Ling carefully observed the person, dressed in white robes and silver armor, holding an engraved gold tiger-head spear. His imposing aura was on par with Wuzhu’s beside him.

After a long spoken monologue, Gao Chong on stage suddenly sang:

“…Banners wave in array, horns roar in the dust, but I shall utterly crush these fellows in one battle!”

As his voice fell, he suddenly hurled the engraved gold tiger-head spear he held. At this moment, a hurricane suddenly erupted from his palm, sweeping through the area with a roar!

*Swoosh—!!*

The engraved gold tiger-head spear left his hand and instantly vanished without a trace.

This sudden hurricane made Chen Ling and Li Qingshan’s clothes flutter wildly below the stage. Chen Ling’s drowsiness was instantly swept away. He stared at Gao Chong on stage in astonishment, an expression of disbelief appearing in his eyes.

Gao Chong’s movement just now wasn’t very large, but even with just a casual wave, he unleashed such astonishing power. Even Chen Ling, who possessed Secret Eyes, couldn’t clearly see his movement just now.

“What… what just happened?” Li Qingshan beside him rubbed his eyes and asked blankly.

“His… his spear, where is it?”