Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 106 General's Divine Sense, Gains New Skill

Wow!
Despite the icy autumn rain pouring down, not a single one of the thousands of spectators in the square left, and there wasn't even the slightest commotion.

They remained immersed in the illusion woven by the opera, completely unaware of the changes in the outside world.

The autumn rain was chilly, but it couldn't compare to the desolation they felt in the heart of the great general before his execution.

At the same time, Chen Ye on the stage clearly felt that a torrent of grief and regret from thousands of people in the audience was flowing continuously toward the General's Temple behind the stage through the play.

Immediately afterwards, an extremely powerful divine thought emerged from the depths of the General's Temple.

This divine thought was as vast as an abyss, yet it contained no malice whatsoever; instead, it carried a sense of relief and appreciation.

They were particularly pleased that he had completed the incomplete general's order and sang out his unwavering loyalty and soaring resentment from back then.

The next moment, a wisp of pure golden divine thought separated from that vast consciousness, directly traversing the distance of space, and silently merged into Chen Ye's brow.

hum!
Chen Ye felt a sudden clarity in his mind, and his thoughts were processing information several times faster than usual.

The sentiments of all the audience members below the stage—their sadness, anger, and regret—became clearer than ever before in his mind.

At the same time, a line of information appeared before his eyes.

[The Mirage Court Musician's profession has been upgraded; current level: lv2]

You have learned a new skill: Judgment of Loyalty.

[Judgment of Loyalty: With the loyal spirit of a general, judge the injustices of the world. When the target is lured into a theatrical illusion, it can mentally intimidate them, causing them to lose their composure and fall into fear. The effect is doubled on those who harbor evil intentions and have innocent blood on their hands.]

Chen Ye's heart stirred, realizing that this was a good deed that the Great General had done for him.

This single move not only leveled up his profession but also taught him a new skill called "Intimidate," making it a very rewarding experience.

However, this was not the time to ponder these things; Chen Ye began to sing the final act.

The sound pierced through the rain, drowning out the wind, and echoed above the General's Temple.

As the last note faded, Chen Ye stood up, finishing his stance.

Strangely enough, the moment he finished singing, the raging wind suddenly stopped, and the torrential rain also ceased abruptly.

As the dark clouds dispersed, a bright, clear moon hung high in the sky, its cool light casting a perfect glow and bringing this thrilling divine spectacle to a perfect close.

The vast square was unusually quiet.

Thousands of audience members seemed to have their souls ripped out, standing frozen in place, their faces still bearing the grief and tears from the play.

It took a while for the audience to gradually come to their senses, and then came a deafening roar of applause and cheers.

"Lingxian! It was Lingxian who summoned the general's spirit!"

"The fairy has appeared! The general has manifested his divine power!"

The scene was so frenzied that it was almost out of control.

Meanwhile, in a private room in the distance, Lu Jinghong stared intently at the figure standing alone on the stage under the moonlight. She felt as if Chen Ye was shrouded in a divine radiance, so dazzling that she could not look directly at him.

Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat, a surge of immense sorrow welled up in her heart, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Because she realized how ridiculous her previous desire to get closer was.

He was a true immortal being in the play, while she was merely a wealthy mortal woman. The difference between them was so vast that she dared not have any more expectations.

Qi Nana, standing to the side, also had her mouth slightly open, her face full of shock.

She never imagined that a play could be performed to such an earth-shattering degree.

Inside the private room directly opposite the stage.

Click!

Yan Xun stomped on the ivory folding fan that had fallen to the ground, shattering it to pieces. He didn't care at all; instead, he stared intently at Chen Ye on the stage. His eyes no longer held any contempt or criticism; instead, they were filled with fervor and greed.

As one of the top amateur opera enthusiasts in Beijing, he also runs his own small opera troupe and has heard countless famous actors perform.

Apart from those top masters, no one has ever been able to sing opera to the point of affecting the heavens and captivating thousands of people, drawing them into a dreamlike state, just like Chen Ye!
This is absolutely genius!
Then a crazy idea sprouted in his mind.

Nowadays, opera is very popular in Beijing, and everyone from the imperial family to ordinary people is obsessed with it.

The Empress Dowager in the palace, in particular, was obsessed with opera.

If we could get our hands on Chen Ye, bring him back to the capital, and present him to the Empress Dowager…

What immense wealth that would be!

Then I can rise to the top with this achievement, and I will no longer have to worry about the opinions of the people in my family, nor will I have to listen to the gossip that mocks me as a spoiled brat who only knows how to live off women!

Thinking of this, Yan Xun's breathing became rapid, as if he could already see his bright future of rising to prominence and trampling everyone under his feet.

As for Li Kang's death... Yan Xun had long since put it out of his mind.

It was just a dog; it's fine if it dies.

"go!"

Yan Xun gave a low shout, immediately stood up, and hurriedly left the private room with his men.

He had to find out everything about Chen Ye immediately, and then come up with a foolproof way to get his hands on this "treasure".

On the stage, Chen Ye seemed to sense something and glanced in the direction of the private room where Yan Xun was.

He had just clearly "heard" that undisguised greed and possessiveness.

But when he looked over, the private room was already empty.

Chen Ye frowned slightly, but did not delve into it further.

With thousands of audience members present, each with their own interests, it's perfectly normal to have a few greedy glances.

After the performance to appease the gods ended, Chen Ye removed his makeup backstage.

The old temple keeper of the General Temple, along with a group of temple deacons, rushed over excitedly and gave Chen Ye a deep bow.

"Boss Chen truly lives up to his reputation as a master of music. This performance of the ritual to appease the gods has greatly relieved the General's resentment and will at least ensure good weather and abundant harvests for Zhenhaiwei for several years."

Chen Ye quickly helped the old temple keeper up, saying, "Old man, you're too kind. This is just our duty, there's no need to make such a fuss."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Chen Ye followed the temple keeper and his entourage into the main hall.

He looked up at the majestic and solemn statue of General Qin Lie and could feel that the aura emanating from it was exactly the same as the divine sense he had sensed on the stage, only much more peaceful.

Then Chen Ye took down three incense sticks, bowed respectfully three times, and then turned and left.

This performance, which triggered extraordinary celestial phenomena, solidified Chen Ye's reputation as a divine musician.

Moreover, his influence was no longer limited to Zhenhaiwei; his name had been heard in several surrounding cities.

Countless people flocked to the place, sparing no expense, just to witness Lingxian's performance in person at Guangle Tower.

As a result, tickets for Guang Le Lou were sold at exorbitant prices, yet they remained scarce and difficult to obtain. Chen Ye seemed oblivious to the outside commotion, continuing his regular life of practicing his skills, singing opera, and studying the script, completely focused on his art.

At the same time, detailed information about Chen Ye was also delivered to Yan Xun.

Yan Xun carefully examined the pages, afraid of missing any detail.

"From a brothel?"

"A year ago, he escaped from a brothel and by chance joined the Qingchun Opera Troupe to learn opera. From learning opera to becoming famous throughout the city, it all took... less than a year?!"

Upon seeing this information, Yan Xun was filled with surprise. If this investigation report hadn't been sent by his most trusted subordinate, he would have thought it was a prank.

After all, what kind of deity could master opera skills to such an extraordinary degree in just one year?

However, Yan Xun quickly put the report down, a knowing smile appearing on his face.

In his view, Chen Ye's background actually made things simpler.

Although he looks glamorous and dazzling now, he is still a peasant from the bottom of society at heart.

Being born into a poor family means having a limited perspective and never having seen true wealth.

Therefore, this kind of person is the easiest to control.

As long as I offer a high enough price, I can definitely buy it.

In the following days, Yan Xun became a regular at Guang Le Lou.

He booked the best private room and watched two of Chen Ye's signature performances.

The more he looked, the stronger his possessiveness became.

Because in his eyes, this was no longer an actor, but a ladder for Yan Xun to rise to prominence!
After the play ended that day, Yan Xun did not move, but sat quietly in the private room until the crowd downstairs gradually dispersed.

Soon, Deng Ming, the manager of the theater, was led over by his subordinates.

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" Deng Ming looked at the distinguished young man in front of him and the several imposing black-clad bodyguards behind him, feeling a little uneasy.

Yan Xun didn't speak, but took out a silver note worth one hundred silver dollars from his pocket, held it between two fingers, and gently placed it on the table.

"I want to go backstage and see Boss Chen."

Deng Ming's eyelids twitched suddenly.

One hundred silver dollars!
His annual salary was only five hundred silver dollars, and this one move was equivalent to more than two months' wages.

But he still looked troubled. "Sir, I'm really sorry, but Mr. Chen has a rule that he doesn't see any guests after the performance, this is..."

“I am not a guest,” Yan Xun interrupted him, his tone indifferent. “I come from the capital and also run a theatrical troupe, so I am a colleague of Boss Chen. Now that I have heard of Ling Xian’s great reputation, I have come to pay a visit and exchange ideas. I hope Manager Deng will do me a favor.”

From the capital? And they even support an opera troupe?

Deng Ming's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the silver note again, the scales in his heart instantly tipped.

Visiting and exchanging ideas among colleagues is a common practice in the Peking Opera world and is not considered a violation of tradition.

He gritted his teeth, forced a smile onto his face, and discreetly slipped the silver note into his sleeve.

"So you're a big boss from the capital! My apologies! This way please, I'll take you there right away."

In the backstage dressing room, Chen Ye had just removed the phoenix crown from his head and was preparing to take off his hair bun.

After the door was knocked, Chen Ye said "Come in," and then Deng Ming pushed the door open and entered, followed by Yan Xun.

"Boss Chen, this is Boss Yan, from the capital. He's also from our opera industry. He was so impressed after hearing your performance that he insisted on coming to pay you a visit," Deng Ming introduced with a beaming smile.

At the same time, Yan Xun's gaze fell on Chen Ye, and he was momentarily lost in thought.

Chen Ye was still wearing makeup, dressed in a gorgeous blue opera costume, her face was powdered, and her features were outstanding.

That androgynous, unparalleled beauty was something even Yan Xun, who was used to seeing stunning beauties and hearing famous actors, considered unmatched in the world.

He even felt that Yu Fengxian, the famous actress in the capital who was so highly regarded, seemed to lack the otherworldly air that the person in front of him possessed.

"Mr. Yan, you and Mr. Chen can talk. I'll head out now." Deng Ming tactfully withdrew.

Although Chen Ye didn't know who this person was, his keen intuition, brought by his professional talent, made him feel an extremely uncomfortable possessiveness from the other person's undisguised scrutinizing gaze.

He frowned, his voice cold: "What is it?"

Yan Xun snapped out of his reverie, smiled slightly, but his gaze swept around the cramped lounge before he shook his head and sighed.

"With such extraordinary abilities, it's a real shame that Mr. Chen is condescending to work in such a humble place. It's a waste of his talent, such a pity."

Chen Ye didn't speak, but just stared at him coldly, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing that Chen Ye remained unmoved, Yan Xun stopped beating around the bush and directly stated his purpose.

"Mr. Chen, come with me to the capital. My Yan family owns its own theater in the capital, more than ten times larger than this Guang Le Lou. So as long as you nod, I guarantee you'll become the most popular star in the capital. At that time, princes and nobles will be your honored guests, and imperial relatives will spend lavishly on you. Gold, silver and jewels, mansions and beautiful women... whatever you want, you'll have it."

The terms he offered were undeniably generous; in his view, no one who had climbed up from the bottom could resist such a temptation.

Because this is tantamount to a chance to rise to the top in one step.

However, Chen Ye's reaction was something he hadn't expected.

"Not interested in."

Chen Ye's answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Yan Xun's smile froze. He thought he had misheard. "What did you say?"

“I said, I won’t go with you.” Chen Ye picked up a cloth and began to wipe the paint off his face, his movements unhurried. “I appreciate Mr. Yan’s kindness, please go back.”

Yan Xun's face darkened. He took a deep breath, suppressed his displeasure, and increased his stakes.

"Boss Chen, have you thought this through? What I'm offering you isn't a monthly salary, it's a share of the profits! I'll give you 30% of the shares in my theater. But what can you get in this tiny place like Zhenhaiwei? You could sing here your whole life and still not earn as much as you do in the capital for a year!"

30% equity stake!

This is no longer just recruitment, but a ploy to bring people on board, which is enough to show Yan Xun's "sincerity".

But Chen Ye didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Finished?"

He put down the cloth, revealing a handsome face with a hint of coldness.

“Boss Yan, as the saying goes, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. I will naturally go to the capital, but not now, and certainly not in this way.” Chen Ye’s gaze was calm as still water, yet it revealed an unyielding determination.

"I will rely on my own abilities to enter the capital with dignity and perform on the biggest stage, instead of being taken there like a piece of merchandise."

After saying that, he immediately called out, "Manager Deng, see the guests out!"

(End of this chapter)