Chapter 402
Exploring Yin Mountain
Is there really no other way?
Tan Sheng looked at his master with hope, but saw that his master was looking at Senior Yu. He seemed to understand something and immediately turned to look at Yu Zhensheng.
However, Yu Zhensheng avoided his gaze.
"Senior Yu—"
“There is a play called ‘Exploring the Underworld Mountain’, which was personally taught by Bao Gong, the god of the underworld. The performer of this play can be the emperor of the underworld for a day, and then take the opportunity to break the contract and give the underworld play master his freedom.”
Yu Zhensheng suddenly raised his eyes, his expression becoming extremely complicated, and revealed the secret of Tanyin Mountain.
Tan Sheng's eyes lit up instantly, revealing a look of joy.
Yu Tianheng's gaze sharpened as he stared at Yu Zhensheng for a long time before sighing, "Indeed, the reason your Zhao family troupe sang 'Exploring the Underworld' and angered the underworld back then was not for yourselves, but for... your descendants."
Yu Zhensheng nodded, a hint of reminiscence and emotion on his slender yet elegant face.
"With the strength of our Zhao family troupe, protecting ourselves is not difficult, but watching familiar younger generations die in the Ghost Festival play is not a pleasant feeling."
"They're only eighteen years old, and they call me uncles and grand-uncles. I've watched many of them grow up. In their clear eyes, there's a love for opera..."
"So, my old friends and I made a decision together: to sing 'Exploring the Underworld'!"
Tan Sheng was deeply moved and murmured, "They all call you the Demon of Drama, blaming you for angering the underworld and causing the status of underworld actors to plummet. So... you did it all for the sake of future generations!"
"It's not just me, it's the entire Zhao family troupe."
Yu Zhensheng spoke each word clearly, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Impersonating Yama, the King of Hell, and wielding power in the underworld is tantamount to going to war with Yama himself. The dangers involved are unimaginable. They all know that this is a matter of life and death, but not one of them backed down."
"They said that we sing 'Exploring the Underworld' so that future generations won't have to sing 'Exploring the Underworld' anymore, and we go down to the underworld so that future generations won't have to go down to the underworld anymore!"
At this point, even the weathered Yu Zhensheng couldn't help but get teary-eyed, as if he had returned to that passionate and heroic night.
The fellow disciples drank the strong liquor in their bowls together, then painted their faces and practiced their voices, accompanying him on his journey through Yinshan.
In fact, many people knew at the time that once they went there, they might never be able to come back.
Even if they manage to succeed by chance and break the contract binding the lineage of Yin Opera Masters, once the play ends, the enraged King Yama will never forgive them.
"Unfortunately, we failed."
Yu Zhensheng sighed, "When the play was halfway through, Yama woke up. His resistance was more intense than expected. I watched helplessly as my junior brothers died one by one. Finally, he revealed a flaw, lost his authority in the underworld, and the play ended prematurely."
"You all know what happened after that. If it weren't for my junior brothers risking their lives to cover our retreat, I would have died there long ago."
Tan Sheng was deeply moved by that past event, and he sincerely admired, saying, "The predecessors of the Zhao Family Troupe were all heroes."
"hero?"
Yu Zhensheng shook his head and sighed, "We've spent our whole lives singing about heroes on stage, but when it comes to ourselves, we realize that being a hero isn't easy."
"This isn't like you."
Yu Tianheng glanced at him and snorted, "You Northern Faction people have been heroes, now it's our Southern Faction's turn."
Yu Zhensheng was taken aback.
"Rather than sitting and waiting to die, we should fight for it. Even if the profession of shamanism really disappears, at least we can have a clear conscience."
Yu Tianheng said decisively, "This time, don't try to take Bao Gong from me!"
Clearly, he had made up his mind to sing "Exploring Yin Mountain" again.
But Yu Zhensheng refused without any hesitation.
"Your current cultivation level is not even as good as mine back then. You will surely die on this journey, with no chance of winning whatsoever. I will not teach you this trick." To survive nine deaths is courage, to die ten times is foolishness.
Only Yu Zhensheng, who had personally sung "Exploring the Underworld," knew just how despairing this play was; he could hardly see a glimmer of hope for success.
Over the years, he had pondered this repeatedly, but no matter how he thought about it, he could only deduce one outcome in the end—failure.
"Maybe... I'll only have a chance when that brat surpasses me."
Yu Zhensheng murmured to himself, as if he could see his disciple, whom he was so proud of, again. If there was any Yin Opera master in the world who could complete this Yin Mountain exploration, it could only be him.
Just then, a clear, melodious voice suddenly rang out from the opera house, carrying a hint of amusement.
"Master, your disciple has come to learn from you... how to explore Yin Mountain."
The sound startled everyone, because it came from right under the stage, very close, yet neither Yu Zhensheng nor Yu Tianheng noticed it at all.
If someone gets so close that you don't even realize it, then the person who touched you must be an absolute master.
Their bodies were tense, as if facing a formidable enemy, but upon seeing Zhou Sheng's familiar face, they immediately relaxed and even showed surprise and delight.
"Brother Zhou!"
"Good boy!"
"Danshan, you..."
Yu Zhensheng gazed at the slightly graying hair at his disciple's temples, and the joy in his eyes was instantly diluted, replaced by deep ripples.
“Master, I am fine. These white hairs are merely the outward manifestation of the Great Dao I have comprehended. I have now survived four Heavenly Tribulations and am only one step away from becoming an Earth Immortal.”
Facing his master who had raised him since childhood, the usually composed Zhou Sheng suddenly started showing off like a child, a smile spreading across his face.
After a long pause, Yu Zhensheng finally uttered two words.
"good."
He was actually quite shocked, as if he were in a dream, and his expression was still somewhat dazed.
When he left, his disciple was still stuck at the sixth level of perfection and had not made any progress for many years. How could he have survived four heavenly tribulations in the blink of an eye?
the student surpasses the master.
Even at his peak, he was only at the Third Tribulation Realm, still no match for his current disciple. And perhaps it was just his imagination, but looking at his disciple now, he felt as if he were standing on the edge of an abyss, something unfathomable.
Even the Dharma he had comprehended was trembling slightly.
Zhou Sheng smiled slightly, knowing that it was already quite an achievement for his master to say "not bad," and even so, the old man's face turned a little red.
He paused, then slowly wiped the smile from his face.
In an instant, everyone felt as if time around them had slowed down, their thoughts seemed to freeze, and a strange aura enveloped them, blocking out all external prying eyes.
Even the two grandmasters, who were both at the Tribulation Transcending Realm, felt a sense of immobility and extreme danger.
"Master, Senior Yu, Brother Tan, what I am about to say must not be revealed in the slightest."
After a pause, Zhou Sheng raised his eyes, his gaze sharp, like an invincible dagger.
"It's time to sing 'Exploring Yin Mountain'."
"For so long, we've been the ones going to the Ghost Festival plays, completely at their mercy. This time, it's time for them to have a taste..."
"I've tasted fear." (End of Chapter)