The birth of an actor

Chapter 10 Please God

Chapter 10 Please God
Old Sun's courtyard gate was not closed.

On the contrary, both doors remained wide open, as if welcoming guests.

Meanwhile, the directors from Taiwan who had come with He Xiuqiong were gathered together smoking. Upon seeing An Xin arrive, they instinctively stubbed out their cigarettes, and one of them spoke up:
"An...Teacher, is it starting?"

"Ah."

Anxin smiled and agreed, then opened the door and went inside.

Upon entering, he immediately saw Old Sun sitting on a small stool in front of the stove, smoking. The stove was filled with firewood, but it wasn't lit.

When he saw Anxin walk in, Old Sun didn't say anything. He picked up a match from the stove, slid it along, and lit the straw paper sandwiched between the firewood.

The straw paper and small dry twigs were instantly caught by the flames.

Just wait patiently for a while, and the pot will be cooked.

Then, Old Sun scooped a ladle of water into the pot to prevent it from boiling dry, before asking Anxin:

"let's start?"

"Ah."

The two exchanged only a simple sentence, and then, as Anxin turned around, Fan Bingbing, Meng Daoxiang, and others who were already standing at the bedroom door all made way for her.

Anxin didn't say much and calmly walked into the inner room.

He Xiuqiong was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), looking increasingly listless.

But after seeing Anxin, she still tried to sit up.

But I waved my hand dismissively:

"Just lie down."

After saying that, he stood at the head of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Old Sun behind him opened the wardrobe next to him, took out a cushion wrapped in red cloth, and placed it on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

He put his shoes away, took them off with peace of mind, climbed onto the kang (heated brick bed), turned to the side of the crowd, faced He Xiuqiong, and sat cross-legged on the cushion.

"Don't make a sound for a while. Sit still in your seats. No one should speak unless I ask them anything."

After he finished speaking, he pointed to Shun:
"Cigarettes and alcohol."

Would you like a cup?

Just as Na Shun finished speaking, Old Sun, who was about to leave, glared at him:
"If I tell you not to speak, then don't speak!"

Na Shun shrank back, not daring to utter a sound, and quickly handed over the plastic bag in his hand.

Anxin took the plastic bag and took out the three bottles of wine and three packs of cigarettes inside.

The three bottles of wine were all opened and arranged in a triangle, while the three packs of cigarettes were simply unsealed and then stacked in a triangular shape.

At this moment, Old Sun walked in again.

This time, however, he had an extra set of tools.

A round drum in one hand, and a bamboo whip in the other.

The man holding the whip also clutched a packet of matches and a white porcelain cup.

Just as Anxin was about to yawn, the white porcelain cup and matches were placed in front of her.

Old Sun was taken aback, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

As if sensing his gaze, Anxin turned her head and smiled at him:
"let's start."

"Ah."

Upon hearing this, Old Sun said no more, pulled out a stool from under the cabinet that was even lower than the kang (a heated brick bed), and sat down on it.

The crowd immediately noticed... it seemed that from this moment on, Anxin's status was higher than that of this old man Sun.

"Ha~ Hmm. Let's begin."

At this moment, Anxin urged again.

Old Sun didn't waste any time. Holding the drum in his left hand and the whip in his right, he flicked his left hand, causing the two rows of large coins on the back of the drum to rustle. Accompanied by the first boom of the drum, the old man's deep and resonant voice rang out:

"Hey~~~ Ah~~~ These soldiers... I picked up the 'Horse' and 'Sheep' drums in my left hand... hey~"

"I picked up the dog and pig whips in my right hand—those are bamboo-jointed whips!"

Everyone present was probably experiencing something like this for the first time, and their eyes widened as their gazes instantly fell on the old man.

However, they overlooked the fact that Anxin, sitting on the red cushion, had already started yawning repeatedly.

But Old Sun saw An Xin's reaction, and surprise welled up in his eyes again.

This is too fast.

The disciple hasn't even mentioned any trouble yet, and the old immortal is already coming?

What kind of person is this disciple?
He was a little puzzled.

But if someone knowledgeable were here, they could actually hear something different in Old Sun's next sentence.

"As soon as I clasped my hands together, a deafening sound filled the air, like a double act—let's invite the old immortal now!"

He omitted a section in the middle.

In Anxin's previous life, with the rise of Douyin (TikTok), some traditional cultures were gradually discovered by many people and came into the public eye. Among them, the Five Immortals of Northeast China, shamanic practices, savior rituals, and divine interventions, while not particularly popular online, are no longer confined to a specific region.

Among them, the Divine Tutoring Soldier Technique... anyone with a little knowledge of traditional culture can hum a few lines along.

This is the so-called "Sunset in the west, darkness falls, every household closes its doors, nine out of ten doors are locked, and one door is left open" kind of rhyming tune.

How should I put it... is it a sacred chant?

Indeed.

If the two gods sing like this when they are helping the great god invite the immortals, there's definitely nothing wrong with it.

It is the opening tune of an extremely well-structured and meticulously crafted "Helping Soldiers' Decision".

But here we must mention the role of the two gods.

The one who invites the spirit to possess them is a great deity. But the role of the second deity is far more than simply helping to chant divine chants and invite the old spirit down.

On the contrary, he was the one who controlled the entire process of inviting the gods, communicating with them, and sending them off.

The inexperienced two gods simply followed the script, starting from the beginning of "The Helper's Decree" and methodically inviting the old immortal. But the experienced two gods could humanize the "Helper's Decree" by observing the state of the great god.

For example, right now the deity has clearly made a move. If we were to continue chanting in a grand style, it would obviously be disrespectful to the immortals.

Of course this is not possible.

So, since the immortals wanted to come this way, Old Sun skipped the preceding words of respect and changed his tone:
"Look, the sun is setting in the west, and then it gets dark."

He would close the door of every household.

"This main road is blocked from traffic."

"This narrow path is blocked, making it difficult for travelers to pass."

After singing these four lines, he began to invoke the spirits.

He had just sat down and immediately stood up, moving closer to An Xin. The drumbeats of King Wen became even more lively, and the singing grew louder and louder:
"Officials rush to government offices, travelers rush to inns, dragons return to the sea, tigers return to the mountains."

"The dragon returns to the sea to drink water, the tiger returns to the mountain and blocks the road."

"If you can see this old immortal so quickly, then you can leave just as happily~"

After saying that, he suddenly noticed that An Xin's temples were starting to bulge, and he quickened his pace again:
"One horse and three arrows and you'll be at the camp!"

"When the previous body arrives, you tremble; when the next body arrives, you become as cold as an iceberg."

He tapped more and more urgently, and Anxin finally made a move. To the old man's singing of "Old Immortal, if you come, do a hundred and eight consecutive steps," he raised his arm.

Close your eyes, raise your left hand, and then place your right hand on your left arm.

Everyone saw Anxin's actions.

It's just a... very ordinary pinching motion.

He pinched his left arm with his right hand and his right arm with his left hand.

He pinched his chin with his right hand and touched his face with his left.

He pinched his thigh with his left hand and patted his back with his right hand behind his head.

The movements were extremely simple, but for some reason... everyone in the room didn't dare to breathe.

I just feel... these movements are awkward.

But I can't quite put my finger on why it feels so awkward.

And Anxin just kept pinching, touching, pinching, touching, touching, almost touching his whole body, while Old Sun's singing continued:

"Look at this red silk quilt where the old immortal sits, you've already cultivated your Dao Yuan on the mountain of Fire Cliff~"

"If you're three feet off the ground, we'll tie up the spirit horse; if you're five feet off, we'll help you move it!"

Suddenly, I felt relieved and happy.

With his eyes closed, he stretched out an extremely exaggerated smile.

With just this one expression, everyone could feel his heartfelt joy.

I don't know why, but I'm just very happy.

This is how everyone feels.

But Fan Bing's feelings were a bit stranger.

The moment she saw Anxin's smile, she inexplicably understood... This smile wasn't from being happy to hear the song, but because... Anxin had gained weight. She was happy because Anxin had gained weight.

The feeling came strangely, for no apparent reason, yet it abruptly appeared in her heart.

Before he could think it through, Anxin, with her eyes closed, accurately grabbed the wine bottle in front of her while singing, "Look at these soldiers of the mountains and seas supporting the saddle bridge, I'll ask about the country's name; with this silk thread, I'll ask about the lotus seat." She poured herself a glass of wine while laughing.

then……

He picked up the two-ounce white porcelain cup, drank it all in one gulp.

"!"

Not to mention others, even Na Shun's eyes widened in amazement.

You can drink in peace now?
This……

How can this be allowed?
He had witnessed it firsthand when he was a child: a mischievous boy dipped his chopsticks in beer and dabbed it on An Xin's lips. An Xin pursed her lips, and within ten minutes, her entire body began to turn purple…

He was absolutely terrified.

That's when he learned his first medical term: "alcohol allergy".

His father almost hung him from the rafters and whipped him for this...

After that, Na Shun never dared to let An Xin touch a drop of alcohol again. He was about to speak, but remembering what An Xin and Grandpa Sun had told him, he wisely chose to keep quiet, though a hint of anxiety appeared in his eyes.

And everyone else thought the same thing at that moment.

Didn't they say to be safe about alcohol allergies?

Why are you drinking again...?

Before anyone could figure it out, the second glass of wine was already filled.

Then he drank it all in one gulp.

Two cups, that is four ounces.

After downing four ounces of liquor, An Xin paused, put down her cup, picked up the Hongmei cigarettes in front of her again, skillfully took one out, and lit it with a match.

"Sigh~"

His lung capacity was simply amazing; he could take a big gulp and then exhale a long, long plume of smoke from his mouth and nose.

But it seemed like it wasn't enough, so it took another bite.

After two puffs, the cigarette was half gone.

Then he picked up the cup again...

Old Sun glanced at it, but the singing continued unabated:
"I'll ask which deity has brought you to the camp, to meet your helpers in the Three Seas."

In the time it takes to sing a song, he had finished his third cigarette and downed his third glass of wine.

Then, with peace of mind, I continued to do the same thing, lighting another one and pouring another glass...

One cup after another.

One after another.

Old Sun's singing never stopped.

From the beginning, he kept asking about the name of the immortal who had saved his life, but the old immortal just ignored him.

There was nothing else Old Sun could do but keep singing:

"Passing you a blade of grass, you brave the cold wind, listening as the helpers win over the old immortal. This time, the helpers join in the conversation, and the thirteen major rhymes must be sung. Old immortal, look, your luck has turned, and joy rises, for the one who is about to be appointed a god is called Jiang Taigong..."

As he sang, he also had some doubts in his mind.

This old immortal arrived so quickly, why isn't he announcing his name yet?
But having no other choice, they could only sing praises according to the lyrics in the sung verses of the sung verses.

Anxin listened with a smile the whole time.

Listen while smoking, listen while drinking.

Gradually, the expressions on the faces of the people in the room changed.

Grandpa Sun started singing from the Investiture of the Gods, beginning with Jiang Ziya, and continued from the Shang and Zhou dynasties all the way to the Tang and Song dynasties. When he sang, "Back then, the winds of war swept across the land and fell upon the capital, leaving the common people in distress. The land suffered from drought year after year, and there was no harvest for three consecutive years. Prime Minister Bao received the decree from the King of Song and spent his whole life distributing grain in Chenzhou..." by then, only one cup of Fenjiu remained of the three bottles.

And only one cigarette remained from the first pack.

In less than five minutes, he had downed more than two jin of liquor and a pack of cigarettes.
Don't worry about whether Anxin is really allergic to alcohol.

Even a normal person would have problems drinking like this, right?
Old Sun's singing also carried a hint of anxiety.

I thought to myself, "This is too difficult to invite."

But just then, everyone suddenly heard An Xin utter her first words:

"I am Hu Tianba, and I live on Babao Yunguang Tiesha Mountain. I came down here for two reasons. First, to see my disciple, whom I have been missing recently. Second, you, are you leaving or not?"

The voice was rough and deep, a world apart from Anxin's.

Without even communicating with Old Sun, An Xin, with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips, finished speaking, and He Xiuqiong suddenly started shaking.

Everyone in the room felt their hair stand on end.

Upon seeing He Xiuqiong suddenly start shivering, An Xin suddenly chuckled:
"Hey. Okay."

He casually grabbed the soul-sending banner that Anxin had drawn during the day, blew a puff of smoke onto it while smoking a cigarette, and then made a grabbing motion in the air towards He Xiuqiong.

"Let's go."

After saying that, he crumpled the soul-sending banner in his hand and threw it. Just like throwing a ball, even though his eyes were closed, the red cloth ball was thrown accurately out of the inner room.

Na Shun, who was standing by the door, felt a blur before his eyes, and when he looked again... the soul-sending banner had disappeared.

disappeared without a trace.

"?"

Where have you been?
While he was still thinking, An Xin took another half mouthful of wine and sprayed it at He Xiuqiong!
"Pfft~"

He Xiuqiong, who had been shivering just moments before, suddenly stopped moving.

But no one dared to check at that moment.

An Xin leisurely lit his last cigarette, held his wine glass, took a deep drag with a smile, and then exhaled a puff of smoke from the triangular bundle of talismans he was holding.

After blowing out that puff of smoke, Anxin, with her eyes closed, turned her head and said in one direction:
"Little Jade Maiden, come here."

"..."

Everyone in the room turned to look, and even Fan Bing, who was the center of attention, was stunned.

I looked around...

"……I?"

"You, come here."

The girl's heart began to beat faster involuntarily, but after hesitating for two seconds, she still walked step by step to the front of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Go, throw him into the stove pit."

"...?"

Fan Bing was taken aback, but after seeing the triangular bag An Xin handed her, she nodded after realizing what was happening.
"it is good."

He took it directly to the outer room and threw it into the still-burning stove.

At the same time, glancing around the outer room, he unconsciously thought of...

Where did that red cloth bundle go?

Why is it missing?
Just as she was pondering this, she had only reached the door when she heard a noise from inside:
"Ha~"

Looking up, I saw Anxin finish the last half glass of wine in one gulp.

Then he wiped his mouth:

"Okay, let's go."

Before Old Sun could even chant the Sending Immortal Incantation, An Xin's head drooped immediately after he finished speaking those words.

After about three to five seconds, Anxin finally opened her eyes in a daze.