Chapter 1486: Painted Faces Have Souls

Painted Faces Have Souls

Clown Peak.

The Clown, who was dozing on a rock, suddenly opened his eyes. He fixed his gaze in the direction of the mountain-climbing stone steps, and saw five figures walking unhurriedly from there.

"Iya——!!!"

The Clown bounced up from the rock like a spring, flying towards the figure at the very front.

Chen Ling only felt his vision blur, and a cannonball-like figure crashed into his arms. Fortunately, his physical constitution was excellent, and he steadily caught him, then smiled helplessly yet indulgently:

"Fifth Senior Brother, must there be such a welcoming ceremony every time?"

"Iya——!"

"Haha, Fifth Brother is just like this. Last time Fourth Brother failed to catch him, and was directly knocked flying from the mountain peak back down to the foot of the mountain." Ning Ru Yu chuckled lightly.

Mo Jue's mouth twitched, hesitating to speak.

Luan Mei nodded slightly: "Right now, the only ones who can catch Fifth Brother barehanded, besides First Senior Brother, is only Little Junior Brother."

"But it looks like Fifth Brother's strength is a bit smaller today... He's most likely hungry." Wen Renyou looked thoughtful, as if he was already thinking about what dishes to cook later.

"Iya!"

The smile on Chen Ling's mouth became even more brilliant, and he rubbed the Clown's head:

"Fifth Senior Brother, let's go, we're returning to the Ancient Vault to eat."

"Iya, iya!"

Holding the Clown just like this, Chen Ling strode directly to the edge of the cliff. As the curtain of void was pulled open, the figures of the group disappeared from their spot.

...

This day,

The Ancient Vault of the Drama Path was exceptionally lively.

The iron wok stir-fried amidst the blazing flames, and the enticing aroma whetted people's appetites. The colorful flags on the houses fluttered loudly in the prairie wind. The faint fragrance of soil mixed with the alluring scent of cooking smoke spread throughout this daydream-like paradise.

Wen Renyou was cooking.

Mo Jue was washing dishes.

Ning Ru Yu was lying lazily on the grass, basking in the sun.

Luan Mei was being dragged by the Clown, squatting on the ground, helplessly yet patiently playing with small stones...

The figure draped in the red-based, black-patterned Theatrical Robe stood quietly in front of the window. The snow-capped mountains in the distance were like a painting framed by the window, tranquil and beautiful.

Chen Ling closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. Only at this moment was the pressure he bore in his heart while in the Spirit Void Domain completely released, and his whole person completely relaxed.

This was his first public appearance after becoming the Red King, and it was also a dangerous move taking all the Dusk Society members along. To say he had absolutely no pressure in his heart would be impossible. It was just that becoming the Red King meant he had to suppress all these emotions at the bottom of his heart, and could not let his comrades or enemies see his hesitation and swaying.

Fortunately, regardless of the process, the result of this conference was still very good.

Chen Ling turned around and walked towards the back. His figure took a step out of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", arriving among the cold bookshelves of the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path...

He looked at the four empty bookshelves around him, and a trace of complexity flashed through his eyes.

Ning Ru Yu, Luan Mei, Wen Renyou, and Mo Jue were not real "people" that existed... They were existences born from the underlying essence of the four major traditional opera roles from ancient times to the present: Male Lead, Female Lead, Painted Face Role, and Secondary Male Role. In other words, they were artifact spirits born from the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path.

They were the earliest existences to follow the previous generation Red King, because from the moment the Red King took control of the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path, the four of them were already a part of the Red King...

Therefore, they became the earliest four K-cards of the Dusk Society.

The final stroke of Painting the Vermillion Face that the Red King painted for Chen Ling not only handed over the authority of the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path to him, but also entrusted the four senior brothers and Senior Sister to him. After all, if the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path lacked a master for a single day, then as artifact spirits, the four of them would naturally cease to exist.

Who could have imagined that Chen Ling, who was once cared for and cultivated by the four senior brothers and Senior Sister, had now become the foundation of the existence of the four of them...

Today, the four of them existed because of Chen Ling.

Chen Ling's fingertips gently rubbed the surface of the bookshelves. Through these four bookshelves, he could clearly sense the state of the four senior brothers and Senior Sister, and could also feel their joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness... Not long ago, the mood of the four senior brothers and Senior Sister hit rock bottom due to the death of the Red King. Even though they could still force a smile at Chen Ling at that time, the sorrow in their hearts still couldn't be hidden from Chen Ling.

But up to now, Chen Ling could feel that the pain in their hearts had somewhat healed.

"Little Junior Brother! Dinner's ready!!"

Wen Renyou's shout came from afar.

"Coming!"

Chen Ling replied, removed his hand from the bookshelf, swayed his figure, and once again stepped into "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

Ning Ru Yu had already sat down at the dining table. Next to him was the Clown holding a large rice bucket. Wen Renyou and Mo Jue seemed to still be busy serving dishes in the Kitchen. Luan Mei then handed a rice bowl fully packed with rice to Chen Ling...

The corner of Chen Ling's mouth twitched slightly:

"Senior Sister... isn't this a bit too much?"

"Little Junior Brother, you are precisely at the age of growing your body right now, you should eat more." Ning Ru Yu said sternly.

"Exactly." Mo Jue walked out of the Kitchen wearing an apron and placed the dishes on the table, "Moreover, you are now the Red King of the Dusk Society, attending to myriad affairs every day. If you don't eat more, how will you have the strength to be busy?"

"Iya!"

The Clown held chopsticks in one hand and a rice scoop in the other, raising both hands to express agreement.

Seeing this, Chen Ling could only smile and take the rice bowl over. The five martial siblings sat around the table, and the space before their eyes was already filled with dishes.

"Little Junior Brother, how did you feel today?" Ning Ru Yu asked while placing food in Chen Ling's bowl.

"Mm... pretty good, went very smoothly."

"But that Lord of Spirit Void, his strength is indeed unfathomable." Luan Mei added, "Even when Master was alive, he might not necessarily have been able to win against him."

"That's hard to say. Isn't that Lord of Spirit Void's ability mathematics? Our Path of the Actor, the thing it talks about the least is science."

"That also makes sense..."

"Iya!"

"Haha, Fifth Brother, you can't underestimate that Lord of Spirit Void. Perhaps in the future, he really will be our biggest opponent."

"But Little Junior Brother's potential is no weaker than his. Little Junior Brother just needs some time to grow."

"Why are each and every one of you giving Little Junior Brother so much pressure? In my opinion, Little Junior Brother should just rest for a while more. If that Lord of Spirit Void dares to fight his way over, I will go all out against him!"

"But speaking of which, the women of the Spirit Void Domain are naturally beautiful." Luan Mei suddenly threw in a sentence.

"Hm? That is true!"

"Calculating the age, Little Junior Brother has reached the time to find a wife..."

"Hey, what do you guys think of that Grand Master of the Moon White Knight Order?"

"Mm... she is indeed quite white."

"Little Junior Brother, what do you think?"

As everyone's topic changed, Chen Ling buried his head lower and lower while eating. Originally a large bowl of rice, he forcefully ate it completely clean in just two or three mouthfuls.

It was as if he hadn't heard the discussions of the several senior brothers and Senior Sister at all, and squeezed out a smile:

"Senior brothers, Senior Sister! I'm done eating! Take your time eating!"

After saying that, his figure swayed, and he fled in a panic.

The several senior brothers and Senior Sister looked at that empty rice bowl, exchanged glances, and laughed involuntarily.

In the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path,

Chen Ling's figure passed through area after area,

Ultimately, he arrived at the deepest part of the Ancient Vault... As Chen Ling's footsteps stepped onto the barren Wilderness, the outline of The Ancestral Shrine in the distance appeared before his eyes.