A master of comedy!

Chapter 87 Loyalty Shining Like the Sun and Moon, Righteousness Reaching the Heavens

“He lived in Jieliang, Puzhou, and was over twelve feet tall.”

Her phoenix eyes held twin pearls, and her silkworm-shaped eyebrows shone with fiery light—

In the courtyard, a thunderous operatic aria suddenly erupted, like an ancient pine tree splitting an ice ravine, or a thunderclap crushing a blue stone. It possessed both the robustness of a painted-face actor and the clear strength of an old male actor.

Even more stirring than the opera singing was the three-inch sharpness of the crescent-shaped blade under the afterglow of the setting sun.

Zhou Sheng held a Guan Dao (a type of halberd), and with a swift, thunderous motion, he slashed diagonally from the upper right to the lower left. As the blade passed, three candles were extinguished in quick succession.

Mountain-splitting style!
Suddenly, the hawk somersaulted, the blade sweeping across the ground, creating dazzling sparks, the blade marks resembling a raging dragon.

The Sea-Stirring Knife!

Immediately afterwards, he spun the broadsword three times in each direction behind him, and the eighty-one-pound crescent blade was wielded with such skill that it was impenetrable, the blade light like a cold river under the moon, continuous and unbroken.

Sword Dance Flower!
With his sword momentum fully built up, like the surging waves of the Yangtze River and the nine turns of thunder and lightning, in the blink of an eye, Zhou Sheng soared into the sky like a divine dragon, and after his broadsword spun around his back, he slammed it down onto the ground.

There was a loud bang!
The water vats in the courtyard trembled slightly, and ripples spread out inside.

On the ground, a terrifying knife mark snaked out, like an earth dragon turning over.

At this moment, Zhou Sheng's opera singing reached its peak, like a bolt of silk being torn apart, soaring straight to the heavens.

"I ride a red hare, a rouge-colored horse, and wield a green dragon crescent-shaped steel sword."

Among the ten thousand horses, who doesn't know Guan Yu, the supreme general!

hum!
He sheathed his sword, straightened up, and gently turned the hilt with one hand, making the blade tremble like a dragon's roar, while his other hand stroked his beard.

He makes his debut by pushing his beard open with one hand while holding a knife!

Throughout, his eyes remained slightly closed, seemingly half-open, his phoenix eyes surveying the assembled heroes. This was not because Guan Yu was asleep, but rather because there is an old saying in the opera world.

Guan Yu never opens his eyes; if he does, he'll kill someone.

If the eyes are wide open in anger, it means the Guan Dao is about to draw blood. Although Zhou Sheng was not wearing a theatrical costume or wearing a mask, but was just practicing his sword, he still followed this rule.

Zhou Sheng let out a long breath, his forehead was slightly sweaty, and his arms felt a little sore and numb.

He had practiced Guan Gong's sword for a whole day.

From morning till dusk, apart from eating and drinking, he spent the rest of his time learning Guan Gong opera from his master.

Guan Yu's swordsmanship was powerful and domineering, each move as heavy as a thousand pounds, consuming a great deal of energy and spirit. If his cultivation had not greatly increased, he might not have been able to persist for so long.

Although he was tired, Zhou Sheng felt extremely satisfied, exhilarated, and in high spirits.

"Master, how was my swordsmanship this time? What problems do I still have?"

He asked excitedly.

Yu Zhensheng stroked his beard and said calmly, "There are many problems. There are still many details that need to be polished. As for your swordsmanship, only the domineering aura is passable. You haven't even scratched the surface of Second Master's true swordsmanship yet."

"Master, what is Guan Yu's sword stance?"

"Two words."

A glint flashed in Yu Zhensheng's eyes, and his voice was as firm as iron.

"The first word is loyalty."

"He slew Yan Liang and Wen Chou, rode alone for a thousand miles, and remained loyal to the Han Dynasty and to the oath of the Peach Garden."

"The second word is 'righteousness'."

"He released Cao Cao at Huarong Road, released Huang Zhong during the Battle of Changsha, resigned his post and returned the gold, and went to the meeting alone with a single sword. Although he was born in a chaotic world, he was extremely righteous."

After a pause, Yu Zhensheng looked at the longing in his disciple's eyes and smiled.

"When your Guan Dao can be wielded with the spirit of loyalty that shines as bright as the sun and moon and righteousness that soars to the heavens, then you've reached the right level."

"You brat, stay humble and keep working hard."

Yu Zhensheng was scathing in his words, but inwardly he was muttering to himself.

In just one day, this kid has mastered the Thirty-Six Styles of Spring and Autumn Saber Technique so well that he even has a hint of Guan Yu's domineering aura.

The younger generation is truly formidable; I don't think I learned the Guan Dao this quickly back in the day.

"Alright, take a rest. You're going to perform at Juxianlou tonight."

He gave his apprentice a word of advice, but then saw him still playing with the Guan Dao with obvious affection.

"Master, this sword is truly imposing!"

Zhou Sheng stroked the cold blade, yet felt a surge of passion coursing through his heart.

Yu Zhensheng sneered and said, "You're ignorant. This Guan Dao was forged by someone after I arrived in Xunyang. Although it was forged from refined iron, it can't be called a divine weapon."

"It's a pity that my crescent blade, forged from black meteorite iron, broke in the underworld back then, otherwise I could have opened your eyes."

Zhou Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this, a strange light flashing in his eyes. What kind of great battle did his master experience in the underworld back then, that even a Guan Dao forged from such a rare treasure as black gold meteorite iron was broken?

The intensity of the battle was probably beyond his imagination.

"Speaking of which, Guan, the head of the Juxianlou troupe, is indeed a master of Guan Gong opera. He has a treasured Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a family heirloom passed down through generations, which is extremely extraordinary."

After a pause, Yu Zhensheng sighed, "Guan Buping, Guan Buping, the former head of the Guan troupe, was known as the living Guan Gong. He was not only a great actor, but also a chivalrous and righteous man with extraordinary spirit."

"It's a pity that he has already shelved his sword. You're not lucky enough to witness it."

……

Little Fengdu, Juxianlou.

"Master, I want to learn the Guan Gong opera!"

"Yes, aren't you called the Living Guan Gong? Why do you never teach us to sing about Guan Gong?"

"Hey, you brat Hua Xiong, take this!"

Just as Master Guan was instructing the young actors in the opera troupe, Hongxian started a commotion and, without anyone noticing, put on a beard. The little girl swung her long beard so hard that her head flew off.

"Oh my, this beard is so smooth and soft."

She didn't mind at all, and was having a great time rolling her head on the ground.

Master Guan's face darkened. This girl was truly heartless; she never learned her lesson no matter how much he beat her.

However, under her lead, the other child actors also joined in the commotion, clamoring to learn from Guan Gong.

"There are many rules in Guan Gong opera, and the requirements for skill are even higher. You bunch of little kids are still far from being good enough."

Hongxian directed Xiuxiu to press her head back down, and upon hearing this, she immediately retorted, "Uncle Xiaowu's skills are certainly good enough. He has wanted to learn Guan Gong opera several times, why don't you teach him?"

Master Guan fell silent for a moment, then glared fiercely at Hongxian.

This girl usually acts stupid, but how come she's so clever when she's arguing?
"Everyone, stand in a horse stance with the jar on your head for half an hour!"

Guan Buping snorted coldly, assigned the task, and then turned and left to avoid further trouble.

However, once back in his room, he remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Yao Taifeng walked over with a red thread. The little girl lowered her head and pouted, like a calf ready to charge.

Master Guan's gaze fell on his apprentice.

She came home very late last night, looking very excited. When asked what had happened, she wouldn't reveal a single word.

My precious apprentice, whom I raised with my own hands, has started hiding things from me after only a few days?

“Master, Hongxian just made you angry, so I criticized her and asked her to come and apologize to you.”

Yao Taifeng pinched Xiao Hongxian's bun, as if urging her.

Hongxian closed her eyes, knelt down with a thud, and said in a deep, resonant voice, as if reciting lines from a play, "This humble one kowtows to you!"

With a loud bang, the floor tiles were smashed to pieces by his forehead.

Guan, the troupe leader, pulled her up with a dark expression, feeling both annoyed and amused, but still gently wiped the stone dust off her forehead with his sleeve.

"Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Master Guan glanced at his apprentice, shook his head, and smiled.

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from Master."

Yao Taifeng stepped forward and said with a smile, "Master, I've changed my mind. Can you teach me Guan Gong opera? I want to learn."

"Guan Gong opera?"

The troupe leader said in surprise, "Why would a girl like you learn Guan Gong opera? Besides, your voice isn't suitable."

"and many more--"

Master Guan seemed to have thought of something, and asked suspiciously, "You wouldn't be thinking of learning the secret and then turning around and teaching it to that Zhou Sheng who's known as the Cloud Dragon, would you?"

Yao Taifeng's eyes flickered, and her smile was slightly awkward.

Guan Buping: "..."

Even though he's a ghost, why does he suddenly feel a chill around him?

……

　Brothers, there's another update today, but it'll be a little late. I haven't finished writing it yet; I've been writing all day. Let me have a meal before continuing.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)