Chapter 121 - 103: General Temple

Chapter 121: Chapter 103: General Temple

When he wasn’t practicing his opera, Chen Ye would occasionally visit the three shops Mr. Lu had given him.

However, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had to disguise himself every time he went out.

It couldn’t be helped. He was just too famous now. Some fans had even given him an elegant moniker: Immortal.

It meant that his opera performance was like that of an Immortal, not of this mortal world.

As for Lu Jinghong, Chen Ye’s number one fan, she was no longer content with just sitting in the audience.

She threw herself into the world of opera. Instead of pestering Chen Ye, she spent a fortune searching far and wide for rare, ancient librettos—some were even sole surviving copies that had been lost for ages.

Whenever she made a new find, she would carefully cradle it and deliver it to Chen Ye’s estate.

She asked for nothing in return, hoping only to provide him with some small, insignificant help.

Seeing the pure sincerity and fervor in the young woman’s eyes, Chen Ye was moved and no longer had the heart to refuse her again and again.

One day, after Lu Jinghong delivered another libretto she had found, just as she always did, Chen Ye nodded to her. "Thank you, Miss Lu."

"It’s nothing, really. It’s the least I can do. You just focus on studying the libretto," Lu Jinghong stammered, then turned to leave.

But just then, Chen Ye suddenly called out.

"Come in and have a cup of tea."

"Ah, me?" Lu Jinghong couldn’t help but ask.

"It seems there’s no one else here," Chen Ye said with a smile.

Lu Jinghong froze. An immense wave of joy washed over her, and her face instantly flushed bright red. Lowering her head, she let out a soft "Mhm."

"Thank you!"

Chen Ye was a little speechless. ’It’s just a cup of tea, what the hell are you blushing for?’

However, when they went inside for tea, he saw Lu Jinghong looking bashful, her voice taking on a cloyingly sweet tone.

"Brother Chen, you don’t have to trouble yourself. This is fine," Lu Jinghong said shyly, her head bowed.

Chen Ye: "..."

With a resigned expression, he poured Lu Jinghong a cup of tea.

"Drink up."

"Thank you, Brother Chen," Lu Jinghong said softly.

Chen Ye was even more speechless and couldn’t help but ask, "Do you talk like this at home too?"

"Huh? Talk how?" Lu Jinghong asked, looking completely baffled.

"Oh, never mind," Chen Ye said resignedly, knowing his words were wasted.

Lu Jinghong lowered her head, her heart pounding like a drum. She finally mustered up her courage and said,

"Brother Chen, I..."

But before she could finish, she saw that Chen Ye had already bowed his head to study the libretto.

"Hmm? What is it?" Chen Ye asked.

"Oh, it’s nothing," Lu Jinghong said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Good, as long as it’s nothing," Chen Ye said indifferently.

Time flowed on. The sweltering heat of midsummer gradually faded, and the signs of autumn grew stronger.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, an unexpected guest arrived at Chen Ye’s estate.

The visitor was an old man with white hair and a white beard. He wore a gray robe that was washed until it had faded, and his expression was solemn. It was the Temple Priest from the city’s General Temple.

"Boss Chen, I have come to invite you to perform in this year’s Mid-Autumn offering opera," the Old Temple Priest said respectfully, getting straight to the point.

’An offering opera?’

Chen Ye was slightly surprised.

Seeing his confusion, the Old Temple Priest began to explain the history of the General Temple.

It turned out that the deity enshrined in the General Temple was none other than the founding ancestor of the Sea Guardian Guard, a Grand General surnamed Qin.

Long ago, this General Qin was ordered to expand the coastal frontier. He built a city, established a garrison here, fought off sea bandits, and won brilliant victories.

Unfortunately, his achievements were so great they threatened the throne. He was later framed for treason by a treacherous court minister, and his entire clan was executed.

It is said that when General Qin was executed, his resentment billowed to the heavens. Though beheaded, his body remained standing, refusing to fall, his eyes wide open as he glared furiously in the direction of the Capital City.

The matter alarmed the Emperor at the time. He sent men to investigate and, after learning the truth, posthumously exonerated the General. But the dead cannot be brought back to life.

To appease the General’s overwhelming resentment, the Emperor issued a decree, bestowing upon him the posthumous title of "Sea Guardian General King." He also ordered a temple to be built for him in the Sea Guardian Guard’s territory, so he could receive the incense offerings of thousands and be worshipped throughout the seasons.

Only after this promise was made did the unfallen corpse finally crash to the ground.

"Although the General King was granted a title, the resentment from his unjust death was simply too powerful, and it has not faded over the years," the Old Temple Priest sighed. "Therefore, every Mid-Autumn Festival, the temple must stage an offering opera, using the music of the Liyuan to soothe the General’s resentment. This has been the custom in the Sea Guardian Guard’s territory for more than a hundred years."

What the Temple Priest didn’t mention was that this offering opera had become a grand event for the Peach Garden Lineage in the Sea Guardian Guard’s territory. To be chosen to perform in it was a supreme honor, reserved only for the most famous and talented artists of the year.

And this year, Chen Ye, in terms of both popularity and skill, was the undisputed master. The name Immortal was known to all.

Therefore, it was only natural for the General Temple to invite him to perform this year’s offering opera.

"I see." Chen Ye understood now. He nodded. "I’ll do it."

Seeing him agree, a look of delight appeared on the Old Temple Priest’s face. He reverently took a yellowed scroll from his cloth bag and presented it with both hands.

"Boss Chen, this is the libretto for this year’s offering opera. Please look it over. It is different from an ordinary opera and requires you to familiarize yourself with it well in advance."

Chen Ye took the libretto. The moment it touched his hands, he could feel the paper’s unusual texture, which carried the heavy weight of passing years.

He slowly unrolled it, revealing lyrics written in a neat, tiny script.

But after just a few glances, Chen Ye’s brow furrowed slightly.

Something about this libretto seemed... off.

The emotional transitions between certain arias were jarringly abrupt, as if several key notes had been forcefully ripped from the heart of a beautiful melody.

"This libretto... it seems to be incomplete?" Chen Ye looked up at the Old Temple Priest.

The Old Temple Priest gave a bitter smile and nodded. "Boss Chen, you have a truly discerning eye. To be honest, this opera, *General’s Order*, was created by a great master a century ago. But over time, much of it was lost. Later generations have tried to complete it, but when performed, it always lacks that certain... essence. Alas, it truly gets worse with each passing year." ℯℯ𝑙.

Hearing this, Chen Ye fell silent, deep in thought.

After seeing the Old Temple Priest out, Chen Ye sat alone in his study. He spread the scroll on his desk and studied it with intense focus.

The night deepened, the candlelight flickered.

He was completely engrossed, his fingers unconsciously tapping out the rhythm of the arias on the tabletop.

In a trance, everything in the study began to fade and blur.

The characters before his eyes seemed to spring to life, transforming into soldiers with clanging spears and iron-clad horses.

The din of earth-shattering battle cries rang in his ears, and he could smell the stench of blood and gunpowder hanging in the air.

The next moment, the scene changed.

He saw a general with a resolute face, clad in Heavy Armor, standing on a high platform and receiving the cheers of the entire city.

But in the blink of an eye, the General was imprisoned. Faced with the treacherous minister’s schemes and the Emperor’s suspicion, he was unable to defend himself, his only response a furious, wide-eyed glare.

On the execution ground, a cold light flashed.

"I will not accept this!"

A roar, filled with infinite rage and desolate sorrow, seemed to traverse a century of time and detonate deep within Chen Ye’s very soul.

Chen Ye shuddered violently, feeling a vast and sorrowful will surge from the libretto into his mind.

He witnessed with his own eyes how the Grand General went from having unparalleled achievements to dying under a false accusation. He clearly felt the General’s agony—the injustice of being slandered despite his loyalty, the bitter refusal to accept such a fate after having protected his nation and its people!

At that moment, he formed an unprecedented resonance with the General’s lingering will.

The libretto’s once-obscure and fragmented arias suddenly became perfectly clear in his mind.

The missing pieces, the lost essence, the vocal techniques and stage movements that no one could comprehend—in that instant, they were all completed, emerging with perfect clarity in his mind.

’So, *this* is the true *General’s Order*.’

Chen Ye’s eyes flew open, a sharp glint flashing within them for a brief moment.

He picked up the brush on his desk, dipped it deep into the dark ink, and, in one fluid motion, wrote out a new passage of lyrics on a sheet of paper.

When he was finished, he slowly rose to his feet. Facing the empty study, he began to hum softly in a desolate tone he had never used before.

"I curse the blind heavens and the silent earth! This lone, loyal soul... for whom does it cry its grievance?"

Before he could finish the verse, a fierce wind suddenly rose outside the window, followed by the rumble of distant thunder.

Though it was the middle of autumn, a great thunderstorm was breaking!