The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 66 Wu Laosi

Chapter 66: Chapter 66 Wu Laosi

Dong dong dong!

The gongs and drums sounded three times, and the grand opera began.

Luo Shihai, the troupe leader, truly lived up to his reputation as an opera fanatic. Even in this play that mocked people with strange, sarcastic tones, he managed to craft it skillfully with a complete narrative and a convincing appearance.

The story was about a despicable person in Xianyang City who behaved lawlessly, only to have a foolish son who secretly harassed his own father’s concubine and was pinched to death out of anger by the father.

The foolish son’s vengeful soul lingered and possessed a monkey, transforming into a monkey demon that wreaked havoc everywhere.

A righteous hero heard of this, got drunk, went up the mountain, and beat a group of monkeys, then slayed the monkey demon.

The story was simple and even somewhat crude.

The performers were not famous, and some were even apprentice newcomers.

However, they showcased numerous impressive skills.

The young actor playing the foolish son had white paint between his eyebrows and nose, wore a red bellyband, sang lustful songs, and performed the "balancing lamp" stunt.

A lamp balanced on his head, allowing his body to roll and sway without the lamp falling or the flame extinguishing.

The foolish son’s mother, driven to death by anger, stood on a stool and hanged herself with a white cloth, her whole body suspended high before the stage in a move called "Big Hang"...

The performer playing the monkey demon had three pairs of fangs flipping and changing, a ferocious face, precisely the "tooth play" stunt...

"Great! Great!"

"Another one!"

Various techniques led to endless applause from the audience.

This was how entertainers in the pugilistic world sought revenge.

Even if they couldn’t confront you directly, they could compose various skits to criticize you.

If they couldn’t attack openly, they resorted to hidden satire.

Just like this opera, never once mentioning the Zhou Family’s name directly, but targeting them explicitly in a scathing manner.

The common people didn’t mind this, thinking the Zhou Family already had a bad reputation, and with all these stunts, they watched with relish, spreading the story far and wide.

No wonder the White Ape Gang blocked the doors.

This kind of satire was even harder to bear than being insulted to one’s face!

The audience was absorbed in the main play, while Li Yan focused on a martial clown performing as the old monkey, frowning from time to time.

This person was precisely Wu Lao Si, ordinary in appearance and unimpressive on stage.

What was more critical was that there was no strange scent from his body!

Didn’t Manager Wan claim this person was skilled in contacting the yin?

Wang Daoxuan once explained to him about the profession of contacting the yin, where ordinary people couldn’t practice it. It required a legacy, and one needed to connect with the "mind root" to separate the Divine Soul and enter the Netherworld.

Such people usually carried a lingering Yin Qi, making others feel eerie when approached.

Why did he not seem like one of them?

Just as Li Yan felt puzzled, the servant from earlier approached with tea and melon seeds, respectfully placing them on their table and whispered, "Brother Li, after your business is done, our troupe leader would like to meet with you."

He then raised his head to indicate the direction.

Li Yan looked in the direction he pointed.

He saw an elderly man sitting on a chair on the second floor of the opera house, sipping tea. His face was spirited, his attire modest, but his demeanor exuded a wealthy air.

It was the Sect Leader of the Trigram Sect in Xianyang, Luo Shihai.

Li Yan quickly clasped his hands respectfully.

He vaguely guessed what the other party wanted from him. It was nothing more than taking advantage of the Zhou Family’s downfall, rallying to eliminate this scourge in Xianyang.

Li Yan was indeed willing, but rescuing Wang Daoxuan was more important now.

His time was too limited...

...

Dong!

With the sound of a drum, the opera finally concluded.

By now, the audience in the theater was engrossed in the play, watching the righteous hero pin the monkey demon to the ground, pummeling it with fists and piercing it with a spear; everyone felt satisfied, rising to their feet, applauding and cheering.

"Well done!"

"Kill the Zhou monkey!"

The Zhou Family had committed many misdeeds, and the White Ape and Iron Blade gangs ran rampant in Xianyang. Clearly, there were many victims among the crowd, who gnashed their teeth and shed tears.

Upstairs, Luo Shihai nodded with satisfaction.

"Though the passing geese leave no sound, a person’s legacy endures."

Not only did the Zhou Family need to be taken down, but their infamous reputation had to endure for a hundred years to quell his heart’s resentment.

Meanwhile, Li Yan and Sha Lifei, led by the earlier servant, bypassed the theater to the back of a large courtyard behind the opera house.

This was where the performers lived daily.

Luo Shihai was generous and willing to spend on his people, so the courtyard was quite spacious.

In the courtyard, some young ones were practicing the child’s skill.

From some rooms, people could be heard warming up their voices.

The servant led the two to a secluded corner room near the woodshed, smiling, "Master Wu enjoys peace and is handy with his work, often helping the troupe repair some props, so he lives here alone."

Saying this, he knocked on the door, "Master Wu, your guests have arrived."

Being visited personally by Li Yan, with a note bearing the Craftsmen Guild elder’s signature in Xianyang, even if the servant was naive, he knew this usually silent old man was certainly extraordinary, speaking with extra courtesy.

With a creak, the wooden door opened.

The door was opened by an old man with a lean face and ordinary features, yet he also possessed unusual traits, having a broad forehead with two lumps on it.

From the hairline at the celestial center to the area of the canopy, a long strip sprawled horizontally across the forehead, resembling an egg shape as it extended beyond the temples.

The face-reading book described this as the Giant Ao Resting on Rhinoceros Bone, signifying great wealth and status, with ambition and resolute and determined character. Even if he couldn’t become a minister, he would be a key figure in one territory.

Landing in such a state, there must be causation.

"Come in."

Upon seeing the two, the old man sighed slightly and then turned to enter the room.

Li Yan and Sha Lifei exchanged a glance and followed closely.

Though the servant was curious, recalling Luo Shihai’s instructions and the rules of the pugilistic world, he respectfully closed the door, providing space for conversations.

Just as he turned around after closing the door, a woman appeared before him, dressed in a green gown, with a charming face exuding a heroic spirit, her eyes full of liveliness.

The woman asked curiously, "Zhuzi, those two are bladesmen, right? One of them even fought in a life-or-death arena recently; what are they doing looking for Uncle Wu?"

"Ah, Miss Lü."

The servant was startled and quickly pulled the woman aside, "You should stay out of pugilistic matters, Miss Lü. Even the troupe leader knows, so don’t pry."

"Alright, alright..."

The woman agreed completely, but her eyes grew even more curious...

...

Inside the room, Li Yan and the two others were silent.

"Elder Wu, is this matter difficult to handle?"

Li Yan finally couldn’t resist, asking.

He had recounted the situation, but Elder Wu only sighed and changed his expression repeatedly, remaining silent for a long time.

"It’s more than difficult..."

Wu Lao Si finally sighed, "When I fell into Xianyang, if not for Manager Wan’s rescue, I didn’t expect to repay it with my life."

Sha Lifei, worried about Wang Daoxuan’s safety, was already anxious. Seeing Wu Lao Si’s attitude, he became dissatisfied, "I say, elder, what conditions do you have? Just speak up. We’re in a hurry to save someone and have no time to spare..."

Before he could finish, Li Yan pressed him down and turned his head to say solemnly, "If there is a difficulty, please speak freely, Elder Wu. If you fear exposure of your identity and revenge, I’m willing to handle it with a blade for you."

"A blade?"

Wu Lao Si chuckled bitterly, "A blade won’t be of any use."

With that, he slowly stood up, picked up a small hoe beside him, crawled under the bed, and began digging madly, soon pulling out a wooden box and setting it down.

The wooden box was an antique, a fine Qin Han lacquerware, preserved quite intact despite its age.

Wu Lao Si’s hands trembled as he wiped off the surface dust and then removed a key from his neck, slowly unlocking the box.

As soon as it was opened, Li Yan’s face slightly changed.

He could sense a chilling Yin Qi, similar to a yin soul, yet extremely authoritative.

Inside, there were numerous red ropes entwined and yellow talismans folded into triangles placed in the four corners and center, representing the five directions.

And in the center of the box lay a small wooden token, rectangular, crafted from Yin Chen Wood, jet-black and glossy, with intricate blood-colored runes on it.

Even just looking at it caused Li Yan and Sha Lifei’s hair to stand on end.

"W-What is this?"

Sha Lifei swallowed, asking.

Wu Lao Si sighed, "Since you are people of the Mystical Sect, I won’t hide it any longer. This is the ’Hook Paper.’"

"Hook Paper?!"

Sha Lifei was startled, "There really is such a thing, are you kidding!"

Li Yan also frowned deeply, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

According to old folk tales, those whose days in the sun were numbered but clung stubbornly to the mortal world would have Yin Constables armed with arrest warrants to drag them into the Netherworld!

This arrest warrant was called a Hook Paper!