Chapter 399

Luan Mei was silent for a long time. Just as she was about to say something, Mo Jiao, who was beside her, subtly kicked her. Luan Mei stopped herself from speaking.

"It's nothing," Mo Jiao said, smiling as he glanced at Chen Ling, who was eating with his head down. "Our junior brother is diligent and serious; he should see results soon. Today is just the first day; he needs time to adjust." Luan Mei nodded in agreement.

"That's true," Ning Ruyu said, turning to Chen Ling. "Junior brother, tomorrow you'll first learn recitation from Third Senior Brother, then come find me in the afternoon."

"...Okay."

Chen Ling sighed inwardly. The two basic lessons today had thoroughly shattered his illusions; he simply wasn't cut out for learning opera. Although Mo Jiao was still reassuring him, Chen Ling knew his own limitations. His imperfect—no, *disabled*—pentatonic scale, coupled with his chaotic sense of bodily rhythm, made Chen Ling feel for the first time just how difficult life could be. When he was a director back then, he used to think nothing of actors performing on stage. It wasn't until he tried it himself that he understood the saying, "One minute on stage means ten years of practice off stage." Any traditional actor stepping onto the stage represented years, even decades, of dedication, where talent and effort were equally indispensable.

After dinner, Chen Ling returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up again, it was already dawn. After washing up, he opened his door and stepped out early.

*Creak—*

The moment he opened the door, Chen Ling froze. On the ground by the door, there was another white porcelain vase holding a bouquet of golden flowers, shimmering brightly in the sunlight.

"This..." Chen Ling picked up one of the flowers, weighing it in his hand. Feeling its solid weight, a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes. "Pure gold??" Chen Ling carefully examined the golden flower; its branches, leaves, and petals were all lifelike. Leaving aside the immense value of such a large piece of gold, what kind of artisan could sculpt gold with such intricate detail? Chen Ling's gaze fell upon one of the golden flower's leaves, where a small piece of paper was attached to the center. Several wobbly, large characters swayed in the wind:—Sorry (T_T)

Had that person come again last night? This time, he hadn't noticed anything at all. Had the other person become more cautious after being discovered last night? Chen Ling sighed helplessly as he looked at the golden flower in his hand, then placed it on the cabinet by the door, alongside the unusually large bouquet from the night before last. Yesterday it was some unknown magical flower, and today it was a golden one... Would that person come again tonight? Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly.

At noon, Chen Ling emerged from Third Senior Brother's room, sighing. The recitation class, which lasted several hours, mainly focused on breath resonance, enunciation, and the subtle differences in speech among people of different age groups. While this lesson wasn't as torturous as yesterday's singing and acting, it wasn't easy for him either; it was merely mediocre. As for Third Senior Brother Wen Renyou, his expression remained unchanged, always stern, as if Chen Ling owed him a fortune.

After resting for a while, Chen Ling took a deep breath and knocked on Ning Ruyu's door.

*Knock, knock, knock—*

Chen Ling waited for a moment, but there was no sound from behind the door, which made him a bit puzzled. He knocked a few more times, but still received no answer. Just as he was hesitating whether to wait longer, a dazzling burst of light and shadow erupted from inside the house. A scene unfolded like a spreading piece of paper, rapidly expanding outwards, filling the entire world in the blink of an eye!

Chen Ling instinctively took half a step back. The grasslands, snow-capped mountains, and houses before him all vanished, replaced by old buildings and streets from the 1940s or 50s. Smoke and dust hung in the air over the streets, and everything around him was in ruins. Chen Ling looked down to see that the center of his street had, at some point, transformed into an arena. "This is..." Chen Ling suddenly found the scene before him familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Just then, a figure in white robes slowly walked onto the other side of the arena. He smiled at Chen Ling, his sleeves and sashes fluttering gently in the wind. "Senior Brother?"

"Junior brother," Ning Ruyu said, "for practicing combat, we need a spacious area. The courtyard definitely won't do." Ning Ruyu opened his palm, and a transparent disc case appeared before Chen Ling:—*Ip Man*, Wilson Yip, 2008;

Sure enough... it was a scene from that movie. Chen Ling confirmed his suspicion. This place was deeply etched in his memory; in the movie *Ip Man*, Ip Man had fought the Japanese general Miura here. The only difference was that Ning Ruyu had removed the "spectators." "How do we practice combat?" Chen Ling asked tentatively. "Opera stances aren't an issue for you right now, so the focus is on 'combat' itself... that is, fighting." Ning Ruyu raised his hand, and a silver spear materialized in his palm. As the spear tip swirled, a whistling sound cut through the air and echoed through the sky. "Neither of us will use spiritual power; we'll fight using pure technique. This is 'combat'."

Chen Ling's eyes brightened slightly, but the previous lessons had left him with a considerable psychological shadow, so he added: "Just fighting is enough? No need to sing while fighting, or strike poses while fighting?" "No need for all that trouble," Ning Ruyu chuckled softly, slowly raising the spear in his hand. "Come on... let your senior brother see your combat talent."

Upon hearing the last four words, Chen Ling's eyes shone like stars. He was like parched wood that had been suppressed for too long, now ignited by fire, his fighting spirit soaring with every passing moment! Since entering the Ancient Opera Trove, Chen Ling had either been singing or dancing, almost to the point of self-isolation due to the constant setbacks. Hearing that he was finally returning to a field he excelled in, he felt an indescribable sense of relief and comfort throughout his body! "Good! Let's fight then!" Chen Ling's body slightly hunched in the arena, and the next moment, he shot forward like a red bolt of lightning!

*Whoosh—!*

His large red opera robe cut through the air with a soft hum. Chen Ling, carrying a gust of wind, flashed to Ning Ruyu's side, unleashing a powerful punch that whistled towards his vital spot! "Very good, nice angle." Ning Ruyu lightly stepped back half a pace, allowing the punch to brush past his robe. He was about to use his spear, but seeing Chen Ling's empty hands, he instead plunged the spear into the ground beside the arena and delivered a vertical palm strike towards Chen Ling's face! However, Chen Ling seemed to have anticipated his move, sidestepping a step ahead of time. Then, using his momentum, he stamped heavily on the ground with one foot.

*Thud—!*

Bending his knees, dropping his shoulder, and with his eyes burning with fighting spirit, Chen Ling delivered a punch, bypassing Ning Ruyu's arm and striking towards his chest!

Seeing these fluid movements, a hint of surprise and doubt flashed in Ning Ruyu's eyes!