Chapter 388: Secret Art of Drama

A cool breeze swept across the ground. Chen Ling sat alone beneath the stage, his eyes fixed on the performance area, his hair and the corner of his opera robe fluttering in the wind. Beside him, Li Qingshan remained in a meditative state, seemingly still immersed in the play, motionless like a statue. Chen Ling was the only conscious spectator.

Creak—

At the same time, several figures walked across the old stage, their faint footsteps tugging at Chen Ling's heartstrings... He suddenly felt a surge of nervousness.

Strictly speaking, this was Chen Ling's first true encounter with the Ancient Treasury of Opera. Although he had previously met Mo Jue and Meihua K, those were chance encounters. He still knew nothing about the mysterious master, remembering only his voice.

"However, if it's Chao who ultimately arrives... I will personally kill you."

This sentence left the deepest impression on Chen Ling. It was also the first time he had heard the name Chao... In his deepest memories, this mysterious master had placed Chen Ling's mask on him, swapped his identity with "Chen Ling," and even the Calamity of Chao seemed related to him...

Even now, Chen Ling couldn't truly determine who he was, and because of this, he couldn't judge the master's attitude towards him. Would he realize Chen Ling was a transmigrator? Or did he already know? How would he treat him? Would he acknowledge him as a disciple, as he had before, or, after realizing he wasn't the original "Chen Ling (Chen Yan)," would he coldly deny his existence? Or... would he just kill him? Chen Ling didn't know. A slight sweat beaded on his hands beneath his large red opera robe, his eyes fixed on the stage.

Creak—

The four figures finally stopped in the center of the stage. With no lights, their forms were at the boundary between dimness and pitch black. Chen Ling could barely make out their silhouettes, but he could feel... they were looking at him too.

On stage and off, they watched each other. The air suddenly fell silent. Someone on stage couldn't help but want to say something, but the next moment, another voice calmly spoke: "Who is down there?"

As the voice spoke, Chen Ling's heart tightened slightly. This was not Mo Jue's voice, nor was it the voice of the two senior disciples who had just played Gao Chong and Wuzhu... Therefore, the person speaking was, most likely, the mysterious master.

Chen Ling remained silent for a long time. Then, slowly and firmly, he spoke: "Chen Ling."

"Since you know who you are, why come to me?" the voice countered.

Chen Ling was taken aback. "I... I want to know what exactly happened to me."

"What does it matter if you know or not?" the voice said faintly. "Since you've affirmed that you are Chen Ling, is the past still important?"

Chen Ling pondered for a moment. "Although I have affirmed my identity, in the end, it's just a fleeting illusion... or perhaps self-deception. I want answers; only then can I dispel the confusion in my heart."

"Dispel confusion?" The person glanced at Chen Ling. "The confusion within you is indeed a problem... If you cannot dispel it, when you advance to the seventh rank, losing yourself to the divine path's backlash and self-destruction will be almost inevitable."

Hearing this, the expressions of the three people beside him changed. They all looked solemnly at the speaker, as if remembering something unpleasant.

Divine path's backlash... losing oneself?

Chen Ling heard these two terms for the first time, but he didn't understand their meaning... However, they seemed to be closely related to the confusion in his heart, and the consequences would be severe.

Chen Ling took a deep breath and respectfully said, "Please, senior, dispel the confusion in my heart."

Chen Ling had tirelessly sought the Ancient Treasury of Opera precisely to learn the truth and dispel his confusion. Now that the person he sought was right before him, he naturally couldn't miss the opportunity... Of course, Chen Ling didn't assume the identity of a disciple but respectfully addressed him as "senior." After all, from his perspective, the one who joined the Ancient Treasury of Opera was not him, and to claim to be a disciple at this moment would be presumptuous.

The figure stood on the stage, and their voice sounded again: "I do indeed have a method to dispel your confusion, however..."

"However, what?"

"However, how it's dispelled, you must listen to me."

Chen Ling's brow furrowed unconsciously. He looked at the person with some confusion, not understanding the meaning of that statement... Wouldn't merely telling him the truth of what happened then, telling him who he truly was, be enough to dispel his confusion?

As if seeing through Chen Ling's thoughts, the person continued: "The confusion in your heart is too deep; it's difficult to completely remove. However, our Ancient Treasury of Opera has a secret technique that can anchor your mind, helping you resist the divine path's backlash... Will you learn it or not?"

A secret technique of the Ancient Treasury of Opera?

Chen Ling was stunned. He had come to this master primarily to learn the secrets about himself, but the other party hadn't mentioned that, instead turning to speak of a secret technique... The turn of events seemed somewhat beyond his expectations.

Chen Ling stood beneath the stage, his mind churning with thoughts. He finally made up his mind and nodded slightly: "I will learn."

Regardless, Chen Ling had to find a way to learn the so-called secret technique of the opera path. Otherwise, if it were true, as the master said, that he would eventually be destroyed by the divine path's backlash, then everything would be futile. And his own secrets could only be accessed by getting closer to the Ancient Treasury of Opera... Of course, most importantly, the people of the Ancient Treasury of Opera held no hostility towards him.

As Chen Ling's answer sounded, the figure on the stage's mouth curved into a slight smile: "This secret technique is considered a unique art of the Ancient Treasury, not easily taught to outsiders... If you wish to learn it, you may, but we must agree on three conditions: First, after learning this technique, you must not teach it to outsiders without permission. Second, once you begin learning, there's no turning back. Our Ancient Treasury of Opera has always been a place one can enter but not leave. If you suffer hardships later and wish to withdraw, it won't be possible..."

"No problem. What's the third?"

The person's voice grew increasingly serious: "Third, if you learn this secret technique, you will be considered a disciple of my Ancient Treasury of Opera. You must respect your masters and elders. If one day you dare to betray your master or destroy the path, no matter where I am, I will not let you go."

Chen Ling was stunned... Was this an official induction into the sect? And judging by his tone, the seriousness of this condition was entirely different from the first two. It felt less like an agreement and more like an oath, especially the phrase "betray your master or destroy the path." It felt like a heavy hammer striking Chen Ling's heart.

What... was he worried about?

This thought suddenly flashed through Chen Ling's mind, but it startled him. He didn't know how he had interpreted "worry" from that statement, but he always felt that this mysterious master's attitude towards him was somewhat subtle, as if he couldn't wait to pull him into the Ancient Treasury of Opera.

Chen Ling shook his head, dismissing those scattered thoughts. He told himself he was being overly sensitive.

"No problem. Is there anything else I need to do?" Chen Ling asked, "Like an apprenticeship ceremony or something?"

"...No need." The person paused for a moment. "Someone has already completed the ceremony on your behalf."