Chapter 40: Performing the Opera

Shi Guanming pondered it, and the more he thought, the more something felt off. "Indeed, those two are just like they've colluded."

"It's not 'like', it is!" Shi Dali's expression turned solemn. "So, Brother Shi, you must be on your guard. No matter what they say, do not believe it. Xu Su has already been eliminated, and that newcomer Su Tingting is nothing but a puppet in their hands. Next, they are going to deal with us!"

"Don't you worry, Brother Shi, I'll listen to everything you say!" Shi Guanming immediately pledged his loyalty; after all, if not for Shi Dali's help, he would have long since been killed by Ke Long.

"Sigh!" Shi Dali sighed. "The situation is critical now. Only by us brothers relying on each other can we have a glimmer of hope for survival!"

When Yang Xiao was in a groggy, half-asleep state, the door opened. It was Liu Guanjia who had arranged for a servant to deliver a food box, and at the same time, he brought new information.

The servant looked familiar; it was the lackey who often followed by Liu Guanjia's side. "Lucky Guest Su, Liu Guanjia asked me to inquire: are you willing to go perform the opera tonight?"

"Al... alright." Su Tingting agreed with a face full of agony.

"Why do you have that look on your face? Are you unwilling to go?" The servant frowned. "If you are unwilling, I can go ask the two Lucky Guests in the other room."

"Cough... cough cough..." Yang Xiao coughed in a pretentious manner. The next second, Kuang Hongyi raised the candlestick with a gloomy expression.

Su Tingting immediately agreed, "I am willing, I am willing! Please, you must entrust this glorious task to me!"

"Since that is the case, I will report back to Liu Guanjia as such. In about an hour, someone will come to find you and take you to the prepared hall. As for what to do once you arrive, just listen to the arrangements." A moment later, the servant pointed to the food box on the table and reminded them: "Eat while it's hot, then hurry and rest. All the Lucky Guests will have plenty to do tonight."

After finishing, the servant picked up another food box and was about to leave, but Yang Xiao intercepted him a step ahead. "This brother, are you also going to deliver food to the other room?"

The servant looked him up and down, then nodded.

"Then there must be a message for them as well. I wonder what their task is tonight?" Yang Xiao wanted to confirm it once more so his heart could be at ease.

The servant was silent for a moment. "It doesn't matter if I tell you. They won't be with you tonight. You are to summon spirits, they are to go into the water; each performs their own duties."

Hearing this, Yang Xiao and Kuang Hongyi finally felt a little more at ease. However, summoning spirits was also a dangerous job. Although Su Tingting would be taking the lead, the two of them certainly wouldn't be able to stay idle.

In all honesty, the meal was not bad, but everyone was in a depressed mood, so it tasted like nothing. They waited and waited, and what was meant to come finally arrived.

An hour later, a somewhat hunched man came to the door.

The man was older than Liu Guanjia, blind in his right eye, and his attire was different from the servants in the manor: a worn, grey, knee-length long gown, with a dirty piece of cloth hanging from his left shoulder.

The man used his only remaining left eye to size up the three of them for a moment, then turned around and walked outside. "The time has come, follow me."

The man's only remaining eye was very murky, covered in bloodshot veins and yellow patches, which made Yang Xiao and the others wonder if he was truly blind. Moreover, standing near the man, one could smell a faint, putrid odor, as if flesh were rotting.

By now, the sky outside was no different from the night. Along the way, red lanterns were hung everywhere in the manor, but there were only lanterns, with no sign of people. A gust of night wind blew, and the lanterns swayed from side to side, as if they were greeting them.

When passing under a red lantern, Yang Xiao's gaze suddenly paused. He noticed the guide's feet; the black-faced cloth shoes worn on both feet were identical, with no distinction between left and right.

"Is this person also from the Yin Hang?" Yang Xiao was startled. A Paper Maker had just died, and he hadn't expected the Feng family to invite another expert.

Kuang Hongyi nudged Yang Xiao with his elbow, then used his eyes to signal toward the piece of cloth on the old man's left shoulder, forming the words with his mouth.

Yang Xiao understood; Kuang Hongyi had said the words "shroud." No wonder... no wonder there was that putrid smell.

This person was definitely also a senior of the Yin Hang; it was just unclear which lineage he was a successor of. Yet, looking at this effortless demeanor, his methods were clearly more brilliant than the dead Paper Maker's.

The atmosphere was quite strange. The old man didn't speak, and the three of them didn't dare to speak either. After walking for a while, they finally arrived at Master Feng's residence from earlier in the day.

The place had changed drastically. An opera stage had actually been erected in the courtyard. In front of the stage were some offerings, followed by several rows of long wooden benches, upon which dozens of Paper People stood densely.

The Paper People had their backs to them, facing the empty stage, as if they were watching an opera.

On both sides of the stage, and all over the courtyard, hung red lanterns of various sizes. The eerie red light cast upon the Paper People's plain white faces made the scene indescribably bizarre.

Never mind performing an opera, Su Tingting's legs had already gone soft.

Yang Xiao and the others held their breath, their gazes fixed on one spot. A large sheet of white cloth had been pulled up behind the opera stage, like a backdrop. It was several yards wide and over a yard high, almost completely obscuring the hall behind it, and at this moment, a human silhouette was projected onto the white cloth.

"The people have arrived. Take the girl to the back to apply her makeup and teach her the rules." The old man's hoarse voice sounded as if his throat had been filled with sand.

Upon hearing this, the figure behind the white cloth walked out. It was an elderly woman holding a White Lantern, staring at the three of them with cold, indifferent eyes.

The group immediately recognized this woman; she was the old maid who had brought them into the manor. Thick rouge paired with a pair of upturned eyes—it was as bizarre as could be.

The woman said nothing. After walking over, she grabbed Su Tingting's hand and pulled her behind the white curtain with stiff movements.

"What do we need to do?" Kuang Hongyi was so stifled by the old man's aura that he couldn't help but speak up.

The old man then turned around, his murky eyeballs slowly rotating. "Tonight's Ghost Opera requires your full cooperation. The girl will sing, and of you two, one is responsible for offering Incense and greeting guests outside, while the other sits below the stage to promptly replace the wine, dishes, fruits, and candied snacks left over by the guests."

Kuang Hongyi looked uneasily at the stiff Paper People. Unexpectedly, the next second, the old man suddenly smiled, revealing a mouthful of pale white teeth. "Young man, do not panic. The Ghost Opera is naturally performed for ghosts to hear. However, as long as you follow the rules tonight, you are guaranteed to be safe and sound."

The old man raised his hand, his withered, bony finger pointing at Kuang Hongyi. "Your courage is too poor; you had better go outside to greet the guests. Remember: when greeting guests, hold three sticks of Incense, wear a smile of five parts, nod to everyone you meet, and do not speak a single word."

"When the gong sounds, you shall open the door to greet the guests. Everyone who comes today is a guest; you must follow the rules. Do not stare into the guests' eyes, and do not look down at their shoes. Replace the Incense in your hand promptly before it burns out. Remember, the greeting Incense must not be extinguished; the incense smoke will mask the scent of the living on you."

"Also, no matter what those people do or what they ask you, you must remain calm. Absolutely do not open your mouth to answer. Once you reveal the scent of the living, no one can save you."