A master of comedy!

Chapter 88 "Scheming" Against the Master (Bonus Chapter for jamesu-SBZ, the Alliance Leader)
As night fell, Zhou Sheng once again arrived at the ghost town with a lantern.

This time, however, his steps were lighter and more composed, with a faint smile on his lips.

That confidence came from a significant improvement in cultivation. Even in the Ghost Realm, he remained calm and composed, as if strolling leisurely in a garden.

He stopped after taking only a few steps.

A single lamp in the distance, its light dim, illuminated the city gate and the road ahead.

Yao Taifeng was dressed as a man today, wearing a white, tight-fitting robe that cinched her body, with the rhinoceros horn belt fastened neatly, making her waist appear even more slender.

His eyebrows were like long, sharp strokes drawn in ink, slanting towards his temples and tapering to a fine point at the ends, resembling a flying phoenix; his eyes, however, shone like cold stars.

Under the slanting moonlight, he was like a beautiful orchid or a jade tree; his handsome face was like the spring breeze of February, stirring the hearts of countless young ladies from noble families.

She held a lantern in one hand and fiddled with a folding fan in the other, her movements graceful and her expression unrestrained, like a dashing young gentleman.

When he saw Zhou Sheng, his dark eyes lit up and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Brother Danshan, we meet again."

She bowed like a scholar, her sleeve slipping down half an inch to reveal a section of her fair wrist, the skin even whiter than the pure white silk lining.

Zhou Sheng smiled slightly and returned the greeting, saying, "Greetings, Brother Yang."

The two met through acting and, being both passionate about acting, naturally developed an extraordinary rapport.

One person acts, and the other person can take over the role at any time.

It's both a chance to learn from each other and an opportunity for special enjoyment among friends.

"Brother Danshan, please."

"Brother Yang, please."

"No, no, no, you go first."

"Please, please—"

The two pretended to argue for a while, and then, one of them chuckled first, and then they both burst out laughing.

As Zhou Sheng walked, he joked, "Why is Master Feng laughing? This isn't the behavior of a veteran actor."

"What do you think? Wasn't it you who deliberately teased me just now? Who talks to someone by deliberately smirking and giving them a sideways glance?"

Yao Tai Feng rolled her eyes at him, and then, still angry, lightly tapped Zhou Sheng with her folding fan.

"Boss Feng, you've been wronged! I was playing the role of Mingming, a disabled but determined scholar..."

The two walked and talked, their lanterns occasionally brushing against each other.

"Boss Long, how does my appearance as a woman disguised as a man compare to that of Hua Mulan, who took her father's place in the army?"

Zhou Sheng looked her over and laughed, "The male rabbit's feet twitch, the female rabbit's eyes are glazed. Boss Feng's cross-dressing skills are already quite good, but unfortunately there are still some minor flaws."

"Oh? Then tell me, what is the flaw?"

Yao Taifeng's eyes flashed, as if she were testing someone.

Zhou Sheng smiled faintly and said, "When the opera 'Mulan Joins the Army' is performed, the female lead plays a young male lead, and the performance is characterized by three concealments and three revelations."

"The three treasures are: the neck, the waist, and the feet."

As he spoke, Zhou Sheng's gaze swept over Yao Taifeng's neck, waist, and slender feet.

"The three exposures are: exposing the wrists, exposing the throat, and exposing the eyes."

"Boss Feng has done his best to do these details well, even using breath control to make his voice more heroic and his Adam's apple slightly protruding."

"But unfortunately..."

Zhou Sheng suddenly raised the lantern and shone it on that handsome, flawless face.

Yao Taifeng turned her face slightly to the side.

Her hair was tied up with a silver crown with red tassels hanging down, and the wind swept across her jade-like earlobes. A small cinnabar mole on her earlobe was like a red plum blossom falling in the snow, so beautiful it was breathtaking.

“This mole is too striking; it blends heroic spirit with the scent of rouge.” Yao Taifeng said with a half-smile, “Not everyone can scrutinize things as closely as Boss Long, from head to toe.”

She paused for a moment, then snapped open her folding fan. The peach blossoms on the fan were in full bloom, dazzling like fire.

"If you didn't know better, you'd think Boss Long liked men."

Zhou Sheng: "???"

Seeing a hint of surprise finally appear on his face, Yao Taifeng gently shook her folding fan, smiled with satisfaction, and took the initiative to change the subject to help him ease the awkwardness.

"Let's get down to business. What kind of performance is Boss Long planning to give tonight?"

How about "Passing Five Gates"?

Zhou Sheng suddenly suggested that since they were going to learn Guan Gong opera, going on stage would be the best way to hone their skills, and he was confident in himself.

There is still a month and a half before he completes his apprenticeship. During this time, he must master the Guan Gong opera, accumulate the energy of the tortoise shell, and wait for the Wuji day of this month to go to Mount Lu to cultivate the escape technique.

We should do things one by one, but the most urgent task is to learn how to play Guan Gong.

Yao Taifeng's eyes lit up, and she said, "We're on the same page. I also suggest you sing a Guan Gong opera."

She paused for a moment, then explained, "When you first came to Juxianlou, I overheard Fifth Master and Master's conversation."

"Fifth Master asked my master to teach you Guan Gong opera, but my master had already sheathed his sword and refused."

“I know you want to learn Guan Gong opera. Today I specifically asked my master to sound him out. Although he said he was unwilling, I could feel that my master was interested.”

Yao Taifeng's eyes were sharp, and she said confidently, "Master has sung about Guan Gong all his life. He doesn't actually want those amazing skills to be lost, but he just has a knot in his heart."

What's the knot in your heart?

"I don't know either, my master never said anything about it."

"So, it seems I shouldn't be performing Guan Gong opera at Juxianlou anymore. Won't that upset Uncle Guan?"

"We need to really provoke him!"

Yao Taifeng waved her delicate fist and laughed, "For us opera singers, what could be more unbearable than seeing our best performance sung with flaws?"

"Ahem, actually... I'm not that bad, am I?"

“It’s different, Boss Long. I believe you can sing Guan Gong and still get a standing ovation, but you haven’t heard my master sing Guan Gong. That’s a truly unparalleled skill!”

"Even someone as skilled as Fifth Master himself acknowledges that his master is superior to him in the art of Guan Gong opera."

She paused, a look of reminiscence in her eyes.

“I was young before my master sheathed his sword. I only remember that every year on snowy days, many people would bring their sick children to my master and beg him to put on Guan Gong’s robe and brush it over their children.”

"In the eyes of many Xunyang people, as long as my master wears Guan Gong's robe, he is the real Guan Gong!"

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Sheng's heart stirred, and he indeed felt a strong sense of curiosity.

"Think about it, my master is obsessed with Guan Gong opera, and he hasn't done it for so many years. If you suddenly sing it like this, how could he resist giving him some pointers?"

"And once it happens the first time, there will be a second, a third, and a fourth time. In the long run, you'll have to dig out all of my master's secrets!"

Yao Taifeng said with great interest, but then she noticed that Zhou Sheng's gaze towards her was somewhat strange.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing, you're right, let's sing 'Passing Five Barriers' tonight!"

"However, Juxianlou has not performed Guan Gong operas for many years. If I suddenly start performing tonight, will we have costumes and weapons available in such a hurry?"

"The Guan halberd is easy to find, I have plenty in my case, but this Guan Gong robe... only my master has it."

"But don't worry, I've already sent Red Thread to steal it."

"Let's make it a done deal tonight!"

……

(End of this chapter)