Chapter 126 - 106: Pingjing’s Famous Dan, Yu Fengxian

Chapter 126: Chapter 106: Pingjing’s Famous Dan, Yu Fengxian

A mighty dragon is no match for a local snake.

This was a universal truth, and so despite his extreme anger, Yan Xun was helpless.

But then a crazy idea popped into his head.

’If I can’t have it, I’ll just destroy it.’

With this in mind, Yan Xun ceased all his attempts. Early the next morning, he boarded a train back to Pingjing.

「Pingjing, Celestial Melody Tower.」

Unlike the rustic simplicity of Sea Guardian Guard, this was the nation’s center of power and culture, and its opulence was beyond imagination.

Celestial Melody Tower was Pingjing’s premier opera house. Anyone who performed on its stage was, without exception, a titan of the Peach Garden Lineage.

Right now, a performance of *Imperial Consort’s Drunkenness* was underway.

The one playing Yang Guifei was none other than the top *dan* actor of the Peach Garden Lineage, Yu Fengxian, who was adored by countless princes and nobles.

His makeup was exquisite and his figure graceful. His singing was magnificent and melodious, and his every glance and smile dripped with charm. The princes and nobles in the audience watched, utterly mesmerized, their cheers echoing endlessly.

「After the performance, backstage.」

Yu Fengxian removed his makeup, revealing a handsome face tinged with a sharp, arrogant expression.

He sat in his chair, basking in the praise of his disciples and entourage, a look of smug satisfaction in his eyes.

"Master, your performance today was simply divine! I saw those princes in the audience—their eyes were practically popping out of their heads!"

"Exactly! The so-called Four Great Dan Actors? They’d all have to step aside for you, Master!"

Yu Fengxian listened with a faint, contemptuous smile.

His skills were sublime, but he was also petty and couldn’t stand anyone outshining him.

Just then, Yan Xun walked in, led by the theater’s steward, his face wreathed in smiles.

The moment he saw him, he gave a deep, ninety-degree bow, his posture one of extreme deference.

"Boss Yu, you are truly a god! Only after hearing you sing today does Yan Xun understand what a heavenly sound is, what a peerless performance is! You are the one and only Immortal in the Peach Garden Lineage!"

The flattery put Yu Fengxian completely at ease. He glanced sideways at Yan Xun and said casually, "It seems you know a thing or two about opera."

"Alas, it is precisely because I understand that I feel so indignant on your behalf, Boss Yu!"

"Oh?" Yu Fengxian was predictably intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"

Yan Xun put on a pained expression. "A few days ago in Sea Guardian Guard, I heard someone actually dares to call himself an Immortal. It’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. How could some country bumpkin possibly be mentioned in the same breath as you? It’s not just presumptuous; it’s an insult to you and to the art itself!"

"Immortal?"

Hearing this word, Yu Fengxian’s handsome brows knitted together, and a corner of his mouth lifted in a sneer of undisguised contempt.

"What sort of riffraff dares to call themselves an immortal? It’s just some small-time actor who’s never seen the world, trying to stir up a sensation in some backwater town. It’s not worth mentioning."

He was right.

Even though Sea Guardian Guard had leveraged its port to become a respectable city, in the eyes of certain people from Pingjing, it was still just a remote backwater.

This was especially true for Yu Fengxian.

Seeing he had taken the bait, Yan Xun immediately embellished his story. "You’re right, Boss Yu. But the infuriating part is that this person not only calls himself an Immortal, but he also imitates your singing and posture in every way. It’s a clumsy imitation that fails completely—a botched tiger that looks more like a dog. He’s defiling your art! Even I was furious and felt it was an injustice to you."

Hearing the word "imitate," Yu Fengxian’s expression darkened.

That was the one thing he couldn’t stand.

Yan Xun, a keen observer, continued his vivid description of the performance meant to thank the gods.

Of course, in his telling, the miracle that had seemingly altered the weather was twisted into an illusion Chen Ye created by colluding with some Magician from the Martial World. His goal was to deceive the ignorant masses—a disgrace to the orthodox ways of Liyuan.

"Those ignorant fools in Sea Guardian Guard actually treat such a low-class Evil Technique as a divine miracle! And what’s more, they say that our famous actors from the Capital City are all just for show, that we’ve long since lost the true, god-touching essence of opera!"

These words struck a precise blow to Yu Fengxian’s ego.

Yan Xun watched Yu Fengxian’s face, knowing the time was ripe.

He slapped his thigh and exclaimed in a tone both angry and aggrieved:

"I was so furious I couldn’t stand it. I spoke up for you, publicly asking that Chen Ye if he had ever heard of the great Yu Fengxian of Pingjing!"

At this, Yan Xun lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly.

"But do you know what he did? After hearing your name, in front of a full house, that Chen Ye just laughed and said..."

Yan Xun paused, then lifted his head, imitating an outrageously arrogant tone:

"Yu Fengxian? Some street performer from what godforsaken corner of the world? Never heard of him!"

CRACK!

A sharp, crisp sound echoed.

The priceless, gold-painted enamel teacup in Yu Fengxian’s hand had a crack running through it, squeezed into existence by his grip.

He slowly raised his head. His handsome face was now devoid of any trace of a smile, leaving only a sinister, burning rage.

He asked, enunciating every syllable:

"What... was that place called?"

"Sea Guardian Guard." Yan Xun was secretly overjoyed, but his face remained a mask of sorrowful indignation.

"Good! What a fine place, this Sea Guardian Guard!"

Yu Fengxian slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet, his chest heaving.

"I’m going to see for myself which ignorant country bumpkin dares to insult me like this."

Yu Fengxian made up his mind. He would go south. He would make that bumpkin Actor named Chen Ye kneel before him and admit who the one and only immortal in the Peach Garden Lineage truly was!

Seeing his success, Yan Xun immediately offered to be his vanguard and handle all the arrangements for the trip south.

This matter soon reached Yu Fengxian’s patron, the opera-obsessed Prince Yu.

The Prince, far from discouraging him, found the whole affair highly amusing. With a wave of his hand, he dispatched the Tongqing Troupe—the top Opera Troupe from his own residence—to accompany him. He even used Government Office resources to build hype for Yu Fengxian’s southern tour.

Soon, the news traveled ahead of them via telegraph and newspaper, reaching Sea Guardian Guard first.

"Pingjing’s Top *Dan* Actor, Yu Fengxian, and the Tongqing Troupe to Perform in Sea Guardian Guard!"

The massive front-page headline sent Sea Guardian Guard into an uproar.

The common folk were thrilled at the chance to see the Capital City’s top star in person.

But Mr. Lu, Qi Shihao, and all of Chen Ye’s staunchest fans could read between the lines and smell the thick, unmistakable scent of gunpowder.

「The Chen Family Residence.」

Mr. Lu frowned. "Boss Chen, I find this whole thing very strange. Is this Yu Fengxian coming for you?"

Chen Ye was feeding the koi in their tank. He tossed in a handful of breadcrumbs, dusted off his hands, and said calmly, "What if he is? What if he isn’t?"

"But..." Mr. Lu was worried.

Chen Ye smiled. "Don’t worry. Even if he is coming for me, it doesn’t matter. For us performers, skill is what ultimately decides who’s better. As for fame... that doesn’t count for much."

Hearing Chen Ye’s confidence, Mr. Lu felt a bit more at ease. He nodded and dropped the subject.

But at the same time, a storm was brewing over Sea Guardian Guard.

Ever since the news from the Pingjing papers had reached Sea Guardian Guard, the entire city was like a pond with a giant boulder dropped in it, sending ripples everywhere.

In the teahouses that lined the streets and alleys, storytellers had set aside their gavels. All conversation revolved around the impending arrival of Boss Yu.

"Have you heard? The Capital City’s top *dan* actor, Yu Fengxian, is coming to Sea Guardian Guard to perform!"

"He’s not just coming to perform! He’s bringing the Tongqing Troupe with him, a gift from the Prince himself! From the looks of it, this is clearly aimed at our Boss Chen!"

"Exactly! I heard that newspaper reporters and major opera fans from Pingjing are following him here, too. Now this is going to be a real spectacle!"

It wasn’t just Sea Guardian Guard; major newspapers in Pingjing also reprinted the story.

Countless opera buffs and fans buzzed with discussion, wondering why the notoriously arrogant Boss Yu, who rarely set foot outside the capital, would suddenly condescend to perform in Sea Guardian Guard.

And so, the various rumors about the Immortal of Sea Guardian Guard were embellished by gossips and sent back to the Capital City.

In truth, rumors about Chen Ye had reached Pingjing before, but they had never made much of a stir. This was because the two cities were separated by hundreds of miles; even by train, the journey was not short.

After all, the trains of this era were quite slow, and on some difficult stretches of track, they were even slower than a horse-drawn carriage.

Furthermore, the people of Pingjing were incredibly arrogant when it came to opera. They believed no decent actors could possibly come from anywhere else, so they never bothered to find out.

For a time, reactions were mixed. Some were curious, others were disdainful. There were even some bored opera fans from the Capital City who bought train tickets, planning to head south to Sea Guardian Guard and witness the drama firsthand.