Mythology

Chapter 495 Perfectly Playing the God
Yang He understands opera because it has a certain connection with Nuo opera. In fact, it can be said that Nuo opera is the ancestor of opera. It evolved from dances for worshipping saints and naturally also portrays various immortals and Buddhas.

In traditional Chinese opera, the Four Heavenly Kings usually represent favorable weather and abundant harvests.

"An old friend from over a thousand years ago. He died on the way to conquer Xiqi during the Investiture of the Gods. Hehe, he did quite well. Even this small part of his life has been adapted into a traditional opera."

The Four Heavenly Kings are: the Eastern King Dhritarashtra, Mo Li Hai; the Southern King Virudhaka, Mo Li Qing; the Western King Virupaksha, Mo Li Shou; and the Northern King Vaishravana, Mo Li Hong.

Yang He once saw the Four Heavenly Kings on Kowloon Island, whose bodies and souls were reshaped by the Investiture of the Gods. Logically, they should have been under the command of the Heavenly Court, but he heard that they seemed to have become the guardian deities of Buddhism.

“Mo Li Dan Xiang Zuo Ni He Duo Sa Wa Lu Su Du Mo Mo A Hun Bang Sa Bo Li Wa Sa Wa Sa Da Fu Zuo Sa Fu Po Ren Yue Bo Na Luo Fei Pi Yao Suo Wa.”

The person in charge's voice rose and fell, and his speech became faster and faster.

The female actors unconsciously imitated the steward, but compared to the steward's lifelike imitation, they were somewhat like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi, especially since they, as women, were trying to highlight the imposing and majestic presence of the Four Heavenly Kings.

"Boss Song, do you know the manager's name?"

Old Master Song snapped out of his reverie and replied softly, "Zhou Fengxia became the manager because of the opera story of the Four Heavenly Kings subduing demons. Master Yang, you should respond in the same vein she's leading up to."

His face showed reverence. It was hard to imagine that not long ago, Song Laoda was a head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), but now he seemed more like a long-term laborer who had lived in the Sixi Gang for more than ten years.

Yang He's expression was strange. On the one hand, disaster was imminent, and on the other hand, the Nuo Xiang ghost felt a slight tremor in the face of the opera.

The operas of the Sixi Troupe definitely involve the Four Heavenly Kings, but it's unclear whether the Four Buddhas have descended to earth.

Yang He even suspected that the Women's Kingdom was not only home to the Four Joys Troupe, but that immortals and Buddhas were hidden in many places, which was why such strange and inexplicable rules came into being.

"Well."

Yang He groaned, and Boss Song asked worriedly, "Master Yang, are you alright?"

"fine."

Yang He frowned slightly. The Nuo Xiang ghost was churning and surging. The Fu flag among the four Nuo flags was showing signs of change, and the characters began to gradually outline the face of the Heavenly King of Growth.

He could vaguely sense that the Heavenly King of Growth was in the Kingdom of Women.

But at the same time, I feel that we are very far apart.

clap clap.

The applause for the female lead was continuous. Zhou Fengxia's performance had just ended. She simply wiped her face, revealing that she looked to be around forty years old.

She glanced past the various actresses with a slight frown, her gaze settling on Yang He.

My first thought was that Yang He was born to play the role of a painted-face female character.

Zhou Fengxia could see that Yang He's bone structure was very suitable for portraying facial features. He was tall and strong, and when dressed in costume, he was simply the perfect choice to play one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He also possessed an indescribable temperament.

She has practiced opera for thirty years, but no matter how she tries to dress up, she only has the form but not the spirit.

Yang He was different; he didn't even have a painted face, yet he already possessed the charm of the Heavenly King of Growth. Unfortunately, the rule of the Women's Kingdom was that all trades were passed down to women, not men.

“Your skills are not good enough. Learn more and observe more. The Sixi Troupe will be performing in three days. If you can’t get the supporting roles, you’ll have to wait another month.”

"Next month is the year of Guangmu Tianwang. How many of you will be able to stand out?"

When Zhou Fengxia mentioned Guangmu Tianwang, all the female actors couldn't help but bow their heads and show fear.

It seems that the Four Heavenly Kings have very different taboos.

Zhou Fengxia changed out of her gorgeous opera robes and walked towards Yang He and the other person beside the stage. Upon seeing this, Song Laoda bowed and scraped, as if he were facing the Heavenly King of Growth himself.

"Song Qi, did he come to the Kingdom of Women with you?"

"Reporting to the steward, we were originally planning to go to Chechi Kingdom, but we met Master Yang He on the way. The master is an upright person, and his family's Nuo opera is very suitable for the Sixi Troupe."

"So it was Nuo opera."

Zhou Fengxia repeated it several times, no wonder she felt that Yang He had a divine charm. Nuo opera imitates saints, which is similar to operas that imitate immortals and Buddhas.

"Yang He, you outsiders are new to the Kingdom of Women. Didn't the official make things difficult for you last night?"

"I'll just stay at Shuangfu Inn for one night. The waiter recommended me to come to Sixi Ban. I also wanted to find out about the recent situation of the innkeeper, Li Ao."

Zhou Fengxia shook her head and said, "I've never heard of any Li Ao. Our Sixi Troupe is only open on the 15th of the month. We won't force you to stay."

Yang He realized that Zhou Fengxia's words didn't sound like a lie, so he didn't investigate further.

Zhou Fengxi continued, "If you want to stay in the Sixi Class, you have to follow the rules."

"The rule of the Sixi Troupe is to keep watch at night. If you're willing, the theater won't mind having one more person."

Old Song couldn't help but gasp for breath. Keeping watch seemed to stir up the fear in his heart. Last night was definitely not peaceful, otherwise he would have lost more than twenty or thirty years of his lifespan.

"Okay, thank you, Steward Zhou."

The moment Yang He nodded, Zhou Fengxia turned and headed towards another passageway.

"Come with me, but whether you can stay at the theater depends on your own fate."

Song Qi stood there, watching Zhou Fengxia lead Yang He into the corridor, and then staggered around the theater to tidy up the miscellaneous items left behind by the female lead.

Yang He followed Zhou Fengxia closely, and soon they arrived at the ancestral hall in the opera house where the female roles were placed.

It is called a shrine, but it can also be called a side room.

The shrines are adjacent to each other, and inside each shrine is a statue of the Four Heavenly Kings. In the center of the shrine stand four gilded, ferocious statues side by side.

The statues are brightly colored, and the facial features are outlined in a style similar to facial makeup.

Zhou Fengxia pushed open the carved wooden door, led Yang He into an outer room, and then respectfully bowed to the Four Heavenly Kings.

Yang He followed suit, but found nothing unusual about the statue. He had originally thought that the statue of the Sixi Troupe would contain the indescribable flesh of Tang Monk.

The result was unremarkable, except that the Nuo Xiang ghost once again exhibited unusual behavior.

"Yang He, at dusk all the female roles will enter the offering hall. No matter what you hear, the incense must not be extinguished, and the main door must not be opened."

"clear."

Zhou Fengxia slowly left the offering hall, saying, "Dry food will be delivered later."

Before she even crossed the threshold, she couldn't help but glance at Yang He a few more times. He was indeed a natural-born actor who could play gods. If I were to personally teach him, he could probably resemble the Four Heavenly Kings by seven or eight points in half a year.

Unfortunately, he wasn't a native of the Kingdom of Women, so as a man, he could only become a farmhand at best.

boom.

The door is closed.

Yang He looked up and stared at the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings. In the dim light, their wide-open eyes seemed to be moving, bringing an unparalleled sense of oppression.

"Hehehe, Four Heavenly Kings, let me, the Daoist, take a look at your current level of cultivation."

Yang He sneered, closed his eyes, and sat cross-legged below the altar.

Time passed slowly, and soon dusk fell, with light footsteps echoing in the corridor.

Yang He scanned the area with his divine sense and noticed shadows crisscrossing under the door cracks. The female actors, in pairs, entered the offering rooms, each carrying a bronze mirror and a painted box.

The female lead meticulously cleaned the statue, then knelt beside the shrine.

The candle was lit, its faint light swaying in the wind.

The altar where Yang He was located remained completely dark.

After a while, Yang He heard the sound of a painted box being opened next door. One by one, female impersonators were facing away from the door, placing bronze mirrors in front of them to paint their faces.

They moved in unison, picking up cinnabar brushes to draw lightning patterns on their foreheads.

The sound of the pen tip gliding across the skin was exceptionally clear.

Yang He looked out the window. The clear moonlight shone on the eaves of the opera house, reflecting a cool, silvery white light. His spiritual vision had finally shown a certain degree of improvement. "The Four Heavenly Kings have shown their true colors."

All the female characters had their eyes open, but their steady breathing indicated that they had fallen asleep, and they were now instinctively controlling the rhythm of the vermilion brush.

Some of the movements are even far beyond the norm, such as bending the joints of both arms at awkward angles.

Or they might turn their head 180 degrees, wishing they could break their own head off.

As the facial makeup gradually takes shape, the female character's physique also undergoes subtle changes. Her cheekbones become more prominent, her jawline widens, and her slender neck becomes thicker.

They are trying to emulate the imposing physique of the Heavenly King of Growth.

Kaka.

The female lead no longer sees herself reflected in the mirror, but rather a series of Heavenly Kings, causing the bronze mirror to succumb to the weight and develop fine cracks on its surface.

Smoke and dust billowed from the incense burner, and ashes fell in a soft rustling sound.

"At midnight, all was well."

The night watchman banged a gong along the street to remind the audience, and the female actors, after finishing their makeup, gradually froze and remained motionless.

The female performers turned towards the statue, their knees bending backward at an impossible angle.

This movement caused the back of their heads to almost touch their spines, their faces tilted upwards into a terrifying arc, staring intently at the statue of the Heavenly King of Growth.

Yang He stood up without making a sound and observed the mask with his sharp eyes. He had to admit that it did have some similarities to the Nuo Xiang Gui (a type of exorcism ritual).

"Is this... a deity possession? Does the Heavenly King of Growth descend upon the Four Joys Band every night?"

He was certain his guess was correct; the Nuoxiang ghost had already expressed its excitement.

"Give it a try. If we can attract the attention of the Heavenly King of Growth, we might make some additional discoveries."

With a thought, Yang He retrieved the unused painted box from the adjacent altar and began to meticulously trace Zhou Fengxia's facial makeup stroke by stroke.

From the very first stroke, the limbs became unusually heavy.

Yang He could feel as if something was consciously trying to take control of his body.

Instead of being surprised, he was delighted and simply stopped resisting the painting of facial masks.

The protective light of the Nuo Xiang ghost transformed into the costume of the Heavenly King of Growth, which was fully dressed and swelled to more than three meters in size, making him much closer to the Heavenly King of Growth than the female role.

After all, Yang He had actually met Mo Liqing in person.

pat pat pat.

Footsteps approached again from afar in the corridor.

Zhou Fengxia carried a lantern and checked the situation inside the offering hall one by one.

"Luo Zhizhi's demeanor is still flawed, especially her arms, which are too stiff. No, the Heavenly King of Growth probably won't be interested in her."

"Lin Xiaoyan has good posture, but it's a pity that the colors of the oil paint are off."

Zhou Fengxia sighed and paused for a few moments in front of the third altar.

"Zheng Shuzhai is excellent in every aspect, except that his innate appearance is a little lacking, which is why he has not been recognized by the Heavenly King of Growth even after more than ten years of hard work."

"If the Heavenly King of Growth is not suitable, then we can only replace him with the Heavenly King of Wide Vision."

Zhou Fengxia knew that tonight would be a test, as a wisp of the Heavenly King of Growth's consciousness would descend upon her.

Only those who gain the approval of the King of Growth can impersonate gods.

Unfortunately, female roles are ultimately unsuitable for playing deities. Zhou Fengxia could find some problems with this, and there would be big trouble if the Sixi Troupe opened the show without supporting actors three days later.

"Ugh."

Zhou Fengxia looked somewhat helpless. The lack of supporting characters wasn't fatal enough; she was now the only main character left.

She's already past the age limit, yet she still can't find any good prospects.

Zhou Fengxia arrived at the last altar, where Yang He was on night watch. "With Yang He's talent, he is more than capable of taking over my role as the last person to perform."

"kindness?"

She suddenly heard the sound of a joint dislocating, and her expression was full of astonishment.

Logically speaking, Yang He doesn't need to act as a god; if he only needs to keep watch at night, he only needs to maintain the incense offerings. The more satisfied he is with the Heavenly King of Growth, the less lifespan he will lose.

But... the commotion inside sounded like they were preparing to paint their faces and dress up as gods.

"How dare he impersonate a god without permission? And how could he possibly know the face of the Heavenly King? Did he just glance at it a few times and already remember it?"

In Zhou Fengxia's memory, there were also outsiders who tried to play the role of a god.

Most outsiders don't follow the rules. They could have just knelt in the ancestral hall all night, but some of them were dishonest and thought they were clever, and as a result, none of them were ever found.

She didn't think Yang He had that kind of mentality; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived the first night unscathed.

Furthermore, it can be seen that Yang He possesses profound knowledge and should be more aware of the taboos of ghosts and gods, rather than rashly challenging the Heavenly King of Growth, which would inevitably lead to his death.

Zhou Fengxia intended to leave, but then, as if possessed, she opened a corner of the window.

The sight that came into view made her fingers tremble, and the lantern almost slipped from her grasp.

Inside the shrine, Yang He stood with his back to the bronze mirror.

The candlelight had been lit at some point, casting shadows of everything on the wall. At that moment, Zhou Fengxia saw four statues of gods present.

To be precise, the statue cast by Yanghebi resembles the Heavenly King of Growth more closely.

"This is impossible……"

Zhou Fengxia covered her mouth as Yang He's right hand, holding a pen, was sketching on her face at an incredible speed, each stroke creating a gust of wind out of thin air.

When the cinnabar brush stroked across the forehead, the lightning patterns that adorned it were incredibly intricate.

When the eyebrows are drawn to resemble swords, the aura they exude is imposing and dignified without being angry.

When the painting reached the corners of the mouth, the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings were already three inches shorter than Yang He.

Zhou Fengxia was astonished. Yang He's body was swelling, and his costume was already stretched taut, with the muscles underneath vaguely visible, writhing like a dragon.

The Four Joys Troupe's practice of summoning gods is not a form of spiritual cultivation, and its temporary alteration of appearance is ultimately limited. Yang He's actions are somewhat like imitating Li Gui but transforming into Li Kui.

With the final stroke, the Nuoxiang ghost completely merged into the body and soul.

Zhou Fengxia seemed to witness the real Heavenly King of Growth, and her vision began to blur. Warm liquid flowed from her ears and nose, and when she touched it, it was covered in scarlet blood.

"he……"

suddenly.

The candles of the Sixi Troupe were lit at the same time, their soft glow illuminating the opera house.

Zhou Fengxia quickly retreated to a hundred meters away from the altar. The consciousness of the Heavenly King of Growth was about to descend and select a female role to teach the complete method of portraying a deity.

boom!
Boom! !
Under Zhou Fengxia's gaze, footprints formed by black water stains appeared on the ground.

She lowered her head, not daring to look directly at him. In fact, she could not see the Heavenly King of Growth directly. According to the stewards of the past, the Four Heavenly Kings lived in the Sumeru Realm, and only a wisp of their consciousness could barely reach the Four Joys Class.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang! ! !

After a brief pause, the footprints hurried toward the altar where Yang He was.

(End of this chapter)