Chapter 407: Awakened Talent

Thump—thump—thump—thump—!!

A huge rumbling sound echoed from afar, and the entire grassland shook violently, as if an earthquake were striking.

At the foot of the snow mountain, a small figure was wildly headbutting a massive rock. With each collision, large spiderweb cracks appeared on the rock’s surface, and after just a few hits, it teetered precariously.

“Whoop!!!!!”

Clown slammed his head into the rock, forcefully shattering it into countless pieces. He lifted his bright red forehead, his tiny eyes filled with anger and guilt.

“Fifth Brother... Junior Brother’s injury, it really wasn’t your fault.”

“That’s right, Fifth Brother, you were just hiding in your clothes and didn’t do anything. Master was the one who blew away the curtain on the mirror; it truly has nothing to do with you.”

“Even if you hadn’t taken Junior Brother to the superficial appearance area, Master would have used the True Self Mirror on him sooner or later.”

“Fifth Brother, stop blaming yourself. We all know you didn’t mean to hurt Junior Brother...”

“If you keep smashing like this, the mountain will collapse soon.”

Several senior brothers and sisters surrounded Clown, trying to persuade him earnestly.

Clown seemed deaf to their words, his eyes bloodshot. After another yell, he found a sturdier rock and began smashing it with his head, clang after clang.

Just then, Mo Jiao hurried over from a distance.

“Junior Brother is awake!”

Hearing this, Clown’s actions abruptly stopped.

The other senior brothers and sisters brightened up and immediately headed towards Chen Ling’s room. Ning Ruyu walked a few steps, then turned back to look at Clown, who was still motionless, and asked curiously:

“Fifth Brother, aren’t you going?”

“...Ehh, eh.”

After much hesitation, Clown turned back and continued to smash the mountain with his forehead, thudding loudly.

Seeing this, the others smiled wryly. After all, they understood Fifth Brother’s personality, so they didn’t force him to come along and instead went to Chen Ling’s room.

“How is Junior Brother?” Ning Ruyu asked Mo Jiao.

Mo Jiao opened his mouth, then hesitated.

Seeing this, everyone’s expressions immediately changed. “Could it be that his injuries haven’t fully healed?”

“His injuries healed long ago, it’s just... well, you’ll see for yourselves in a moment.” Mo Jiao didn’t know how to describe the scene, so he just smiled with a strange expression.

The group, full of doubt, crossed a stretch of grassland and soon arrived in front of Chen Ling’s room. Before they could even push the door open, they heard a melodious singing voice emanating from inside:

“I urge the King to drink and listen to Yu’s song, to dispel your sorrow as I dance. The tyrannical Qin broke the land, and heroes rose from all four directions. Ancient sayings never deceive me; success and failure, rise and fall, happen in an instant. Drink at ease, sit in your royal tent, and wait to see what military reports arrive.”

The few people were suddenly stunned.

They were all too familiar with that voice. Just a few days ago, it had echoed across the grassland, rough and discordant, like a broken saw.

But now, it sounded like the clear tinkling of a spring, every word and phrase perfectly on pitch, the voice clear, melodious, and incredibly captivating.

“This can’t be...” Wen Renyou’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Mo Jiao smiled helplessly and pushed open the courtyard door.

Inside, a figure draped in a large red opera robe was dancing in the courtyard, their movements fluid and precise, as if an extraordinarily gifted opera performer was flawlessly embodying the role of "Yu Ji." Even the strictest of them, Luan Mei, couldn't find a single fault.

“Is that Junior Brother??” Ning Ruyu exclaimed in disbelief.

“How is this possible?” Luan Mei frowned slightly. “It’s only been a few days; how could his body be so flexible now... And those steps, I never taught him any of them.”

“Who knows, he’s been like this since he woke up.”

Mo Jiao shrugged. “I thought he was possessed by something unclean, so I immediately went to find Master. He said this is Junior Brother’s true skill level.”

Mo Jiao was the first to realize Chen Ling had no talent, and also the first to witness his transformation. After he personally heard Chen Ling sing an opera aria, he was completely stunned. Only he knew how shocked he was at that moment.

The senior brothers and sisters exchanged glances.

As Chen Ling finished the last segment, he closed his eyes and let out a long breath...

This body, originally belonging to Chen Yan, contained his terrifying talent for the Way of the Opera God and the accumulated results of years of practice. Before this, it seemed to have been dormant in its deepest parts, only to fully awaken under the influence of the True Self Mirror.

Chen Ling could feel that when he was performing opera, the body’s talent and instincts completely took over... In other words, during that process, he and Chen Yan became one.

Perhaps, as Chen Yan had said, as long as Chen Ling believed he was alive, he truly was;

Every time Chen Ling sang or danced, Chen Yan was with him.

Chen Ling reopened his eyes to see several senior brothers and sisters standing at the doorway, looking at him as if he were a rare animal.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Ling asked, puzzled.

“...Junior Brother, how are you feeling?”

“I’m great.”

Chen Ling rolled up his sleeve; all the scars from the mirror fragments had fallen off, indicating a complete recovery. His eyes shone bright like stars.

“That’s good, that’s good...”

“Fourth Brother, isn’t it time for class?” Chen Ling seemed to remember something, glancing at the gradually brightening sky. It seemed he had slept straight through until dawn.

And according to the “schedule,” this session was Mo Jiao’s “singing” class.

Mo Jiao then came back to his senses and nodded. “Right, Junior Brother, although you’ve made immense progress, you mustn’t become conceited. Let’s start class...”

Mo Jiao gave the other senior brothers and sisters a look, and they immediately understood, temporarily retreating from the courtyard to give Chen Ling a quiet and focused environment for the lesson.

But they didn’t go too far, instead quietly gathering by the wall, listening intently to what was happening inside.

“Junior Brother, I just listened, and your pitch has improved very quickly. We should be able to skip past this basic step... Today, your Senior Brother will teach you to sing ‘The Execution of Chen Shimei’.”

Mo Jiao took a deep breath, about to give Chen Ling a demonstration, but Chen Ling, after a moment of thought, spoke first:

“Come closer, Royal Son-in-Law, and observe well~ It states that Qin Xianglian, thirty-two years old, accuses the current Royal Son-in-Law of deceiving the Emperor and Empress...”

Chen Ling’s lips opened and closed, his pleasant singing like the clear tinkling of a spring. There was no awkwardness or hesitation in his words, and he smoothly sang the entire "Execution of Chen Shimei" piece.

As the last word fell, silence descended both inside and outside the courtyard.

Mo Jiao’s lips were slightly parted. After a long moment, he came back to his senses and chuckled, “It seems Junior Brother has already previewed this piece. Then today, we’ll learn ‘Women Generals of the Yang Family’...”

“The wind sighs, the mist spreads, the starlight is dim~ People shout, foreign pipes clamor, mountains echo, valleys rumble...”

“Then ‘Mother Yue’s Tattoo’...”

“Pengju, stand in the humble hall and listen to your mother speak~ A good man should be renowned throughout the world...”

Mo Jiao: ...