Chapter 364
The Seven Treasures Stage
When Zhou Sheng called her back in public, Jinse, who was in a hurry to leave after finishing her piano playing, froze. She turned around and nodded stiffly.
Yao Taifeng also stayed behind, her gaze towards Jinse revealing a strange look.
Hongxian wanted to stay and join in the fun, but Zhou Sheng kicked her away.
"Master, was there something wrong with what I just played?"
Jinse lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with guilt, as if she was intentionally avoiding Zhou Sheng and Yaotai Feng's gaze.
"There's nothing wrong with it. On the contrary, you played it exceptionally well."
Zhou Sheng's words startled her.
Zhou Sheng smiled and said gently, "Jinse, have you made any breakthroughs recently? Your playing was clearer and more resonant than before, which added a lot to the play and was truly exhilarating to listen to."
Yao Taifeng laughed and said, "Yes, we've been good sisters for so many years, why are you still hiding things from me? When did you break through? Your zither skills have improved so much!"
Both of them were genuinely praising him.
Jinse's zither skills were already unparalleled, earning her the title of "Fairy of the Zither," but her performances in recent days have been even more outstanding, making the performers on stage seem divinely inspired.
With the support of such piano music, every actor can give full play to their skills.
"I've recently had some insights, and my piano skills... have improved a little."
Jinse felt a little nervous, but remained calm on the surface and began to explain.
"So that's how it is! That's great news!"
Zhou Sheng laughed and said, "It seems even the heavens are helping us make this show a success."
Jinse nodded, then looked up at him, a subtle ripple appearing in her azure eyes.
"Master, I'll go back and rest now."
Watching her departing figure until she disappeared from sight, Zhou Sheng finally stopped smiling, exchanged a glance with Yao Taifeng, and felt a slight headache.
"She's your best friend, why don't you go and ask her again?"
Yao Tai Feng rolled her eyes at him and said, "She's still your natal magic weapon. As her master, shouldn't you go and take care of her yourself?"
Zhou Sheng was speechless.
In the past few days, through his mysterious connection with his natal magic weapon, he keenly sensed that Jinse was acting strangely.
She's progressing too fast.
Normally, when his cultivation breaks through, it would nourish his natal magic weapon. However, in the past few days, it has been Jinse's cultivation that has been soaring, and it has even begun to nourish him.
Zhou Sheng did nothing, yet his cultivation level increased by twenty years out of thin air!
That's exactly three hundred years of magical cultivation.
Not only did her cultivation level advance by leaps and bounds, but Jinse's musical skills also improved continuously, changing almost every day.
Although this is a good situation, the unknown reasons and the imminent major battle make people uneasy.
"Never mind, although she is my natal magic weapon, I have never thought of using it to restrain her. She has her own freedom."
Zhou Sheng shook his head and said, "Since she won't say, there's no point in asking. But I believe that Jinse will not harm us no matter what."
Yao Taifeng said with a half-smile, "You seem to have more confidence in her than I do."
Zhou Sheng coughed and changed the subject.
"I'll be officially on stage tomorrow, so I'll practice a little longer."
……
The next day, early morning.
Although it was said to be early morning, the sky over the City of the Wrongfully Dead was always gloomy; even during the day, it was only slightly brighter than at night. And Zhou Sheng finally received the news that the Bodhisattva had emerged from seclusion.
“Boss Long, the Bodhisattva has emerged from seclusion today and invited the Zhou family troupe to perform at Zizhu Pavilion. That is the Bodhisattva’s sacred site, and even I cannot easily enter.”
The Dragon Girl smiled and said, "It seems that the Bodhisattva values this play very much. If you sing it well, you will surely gain His appreciation and favor, and your future will be limitless."
Zhou Sheng said modestly, "I will do my best. Please lead the way, Dragon Maiden."
The Dragon Girl smiled as she looked at the Zhou family troupe. They had all painted their faces, put on their costumes, and were ready to go.
However, he looked slightly nervous.
"Strange, Mr. Zhou, what happened to those two old men from a few days ago? Didn't they go?"
She was asking about Yu Zhensheng and Yu Tianheng.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng laughed and said, "Although the two of them have profound skills, they are not good at monkey shows, and they are also feeling a bit unwell, so they will stay here to rest and will not go to watch anymore."
The Dragon Girl nodded, and after realizing that the two people's auras were indeed left in the courtyard, she led everyone to the Purple Bamboo Pavilion.
Not long after they left, a group of ghosts and spirits arrived and surrounded the entire courtyard, while powerful cultivators secretly monitored the two people.
These are the most elite forces of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, including even those at the fifth and sixth levels, all cultivators who have defected from the Nether Sea.
Yu Zhensheng and Yu Tianheng, on the other hand, played chess openly in the courtyard and leisurely chatted over tea.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Girl's true form remained constantly by the treasure vault, ensuring that nothing went wrong during today's operation.
She was confident that with this arrangement, even if Zhou Sheng had some ulterior motives, he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
With her overseeing the treasure vault, the two old grandmasters were being monitored by all the elite experts, and as for Zhou Sheng, he had the Bodhisattva by his side.
In her opinion, such a high level of security was already giving Zhou Sheng enough face. If this charade hadn't involved the Bodhisattva's scheme, she would have even thought it was a waste of talent.
……
Zizhu Pavilion, a Bodhisattva's sacred site.
As soon as they stepped into the purple bamboo forest, Zhou Sheng and the others immediately felt the stark difference in environment, as if they had stepped into another world.
If the City of the Wrongfully Dead is as dark and gloomy as the underworld, then this place is like the rising sun, with a clear sky for thousands of miles, shimmering blue waves in the distance, the sound of the waves still ringing out, and purple bamboo as vast as the sea, with abundant grass and various rare and exotic flowers and herbs.
Even the slightest breeze carries an indescribable spiritual energy.
"The stage is just ahead. It was specially commissioned by the Bodhisattva to be built for you. It is made of the finest purple bamboo and inlaid with gold, pure silver, agate, glass, amber and other treasures. I'm afraid even the imperial palace of the Great Xuan Emperor does not have such a stage."
The Dragon Girl led them to a magnificent golden stage.
Whether it was Zhou Sheng or the others in the Zhou family troupe, they had traveled all over the country and seen countless opera stages, but they still couldn't help but be shocked when they saw this one.
Above the stage, nine layers of gilded brackets hang high, each layer carved with a series of caissons depicting the "Heavenly Banquet." On either side, the "Generals Exit" and "Prime Ministers Enter" gates are draped with pearl and jeweled curtains instead of cloth curtains.
The countertop is paved with "Xia Ni bricks," which are made of a special red glaze fired in the Suzhou Imperial Kiln, with gold glaze used to outline seventy-two opera scenes.
The most extravagant feature is the "Golden Dragons of the Sea" on the eaves, eight whole dragons cast in pure gold. Each dragon's eye is inlaid with a sapphire the size of a hawk's eye, and its whiskers are made of Siamese gold thread stretched to the thinness of a cicada's wing. Whenever the wind blows, the eight thousand golden whiskers tremble like harp strings, as if they were alive.
"My goodness, how much is this worth?"
At this moment, everyone in the Zhou family troupe was stunned by the magnificent and supremely noble stage before them.
"This stage is also a treasure, called the Seven Treasures Stage. It can be large or small. The Bodhisattva said that if today's monkey show is good, this stage will be given to your Zhou family troupe."
"As for Boss Long, there will be other rewards later."
The Dragon Girl smiled slightly, seemingly very satisfied with the reactions of these "country bumpkins".
...(End of this chapter)