Chapter 131 - 110: Presenting Tea and a Word Challenge, a Bountiful Harvest

Chapter 131: Chapter 110: Presenting Tea and a Word Challenge, a Bountiful Harvest

Yan Xun was stunned at first, but then he was overjoyed.

Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers!

This was Yu Fengxian’s true masterpiece, a skill he rarely revealed to others!

The opera was incredibly draining on an actor’s essence, energy, and spirit. Years ago, it was with this very performance that Yu Fengxian had conquered the fiercely competitive Pingjing Liyuan, establishing his status as the number one Dan actor.

It was said that a wealthy merchant had once been willing to spend a fortune just for a chance to see it.

In other words, this was Yu Fengxian’s true ace in the hole!

As the news spread, opera fans went wild with excitement, feeling that to witness two titans of Liyuan perform against each other was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And by the next morning, the front-page headlines of every newspaper in Sea Guardian Guard were dominated by a single title.

Farewell My Concubine.

"Deified in a Single Night, the Immortal Works Another Miracle! Farewell My Concubine Is Utterly Heartbreaking!"

"Skill Surpasses the Capital City’s Star Dan! Chen Ye Decides the Victor with a Single Opera!"

The wildly exaggerated headlines pushed Chen Ye’s fame to yet another Peak.

The Qingchun Troupe was a scene of jubilation.

Only Chen Ye remained as serene as still water.

’It’s not that big a deal,’ he thought.

’After all, Farewell My Concubine is an excellent script to begin with. With my Professional Talent, it would have been stranger if I had lost.’

He was even in the leisurely mood to feed the koi in the courtyard, humming an unfamiliar little tune while watching the fish vie for food.

It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky, after multiple reminders from the Opera Troupe, that Chen Ye finally and unhurriedly boarded a rickshaw for the Guangle Building.

But the rickshaw couldn’t even reach the entrance of the Guangle Building before it was forced to a halt.

There were simply too many people.

The entire street was blocked solid, a dense sea of bobbing heads that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Chen Ye had no choice but to tell the puller to stop.

At that moment, Deng Ming, who had been anxiously waiting by the roadside, spotted Chen Ye’s rickshaw. He came scrambling over as if greeting his own father, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

"My dear lord, you’ve finally arrived! Everyone’s been waiting for you!"

As he spoke, he bowed reverently and moved to help Chen Ye out of the rickshaw.

Chen Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’Am I really that old?’ He waved his hand to indicate it wasn’t necessary and stepped down from the rickshaw.

The instant he stepped out, the surrounding crowd erupted.

"It’s Boss Chen!"

"The Immortal is here!"

Amid a tsunami of cheers, countless people held up their newspapers, waving them excitedly.

Since Chen Ye was performing first today, the entire audience—both ticket-holders and those without—had gathered around the Guangle Building.

The crowd was so large that it spilled out and filled the entire street. People in the back, unable to see the stage, stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, refusing to leave even if all they could do was listen.

The spectacle was truly unprecedented.

In stark contrast, the area in front of Yu Fengxian’s stage across the street was desolate.

Yu Fengxian was completely unfazed. He didn’t even have the curtains drawn, simply sitting upright backstage, quietly listening to the gongs, drums, and cheers from the other side.

He only rose slowly to his feet after Chen Ye’s opera had concluded.

His own audience was not small. Many of the fans who had just finished watching Chen Ye now flooded over, driven by curiosity.

Then, Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers began. The moment Yu Fengxian appeared on stage, he astounded the audience with his skill.

He pushed every external technique of the Dan role—the posture, the water sleeves, the singing style—to its absolute zenith.

Onstage, he seemed to truly transform into a celestial maiden scattering blossoms from the highest heavens. A silk ribbon, dozens of feet long, danced like a dragon in his hands as flower petals rained down in a bewildering play of light and shadow.

Every movement was magnificent, a testament to his supreme artistry.

This was the Peak of opera, the very limit of human skill.

Yet the reaction from the audience was not particularly enthusiastic.

Many in the audience even wore expressions of bewilderment and wistfulness, still immersed in the overwhelming grief and shock of Farewell My Concubine, unable to extricate themselves.

With such a gem preceding it, even one as magnificent as Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers ultimately lacked the kind of emotion that could strike at the soul and make the audience feel it deep in their bones.

Yan Xun and the plants he’d hired in the audience clapped and cheered for their lives, shouting until their voices grew hoarse, but they still couldn’t conceal the chilly atmosphere of the venue.

Backstage, the members of the Tongqing Troupe fell silent, one by one.

They had thought this would be a simple and pleasant trip south. They would follow Boss Yu, put on a show of strength, collect a handsome reward, and return to the Capital City in triumph.

Who could have predicted this outcome?

At last, the performance ended. Yu Fengxian returned backstage, not saying a word.

The atmosphere backstage was utterly oppressive. No one dared to approach him and risk his wrath—even his closest attendant kept a safe distance.

Yu Fengxian sat alone in a chair, removing his headdress. His eyes were placid, his thoughts unreadable.

Just then, Yan Xun sidled up to him. "Boss Yu, we can’t just let it go! There’s something uncanny about that Chen Ye. Why don’t we... resort to other methods?"

Yu Fengxian shot his head up, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Shameless!"

"I, Yu Fengxian, have lost. I lost on the stage, and I accept that! But I will not stoop to engaging in such vile, underhanded schemes!"

"You..." Yan Xun’s face flushed then paled with humiliation and anger. "I’m just trying to help you!" he snarled.

"My business is no concern of yours!" Yu Fengxian said coldly. "Get out!"

Trembling with anger, Yan Xun finally stormed off with a flick of his sleeves.

Afterwards, Yu Fengxian waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

In the empty backstage area, he sat alone in silence long into the night....

「The third day.」

There was no need for a final contest.

The area before Yu Fengxian’s stage was so deserted one could catch sparrows at the gate. Besides the members of the Tongqing Troupe, there wasn’t a single soul in the audience.