A master of comedy!

Chapter 95 Green Snake
“When performing Guan Gong opera, the poses are unique, with a total of forty-eight, also known as the ‘Forty-Eight Postures of Guan Gong’. These are mostly based on the poses of Guan Gong in statues and murals in Guan Di temples across the country, and each move has a clear meaning.”

"For example, this move is called 'Holding the Spring and Autumn Annals,' which comes from the Guan Yu Temple in Jingzhou. Note that although it involves reading, it should not be done with a scholarly air. One should sit like a bell, walk like the wind, stand like a pine tree, and make a sound that shakes the roof tiles and stops the flowing clouds, like the beautiful-bearded gentleman..."

Inside the opera house, Guan Buping, with his long beard flowing, held his hands as if holding a book, his back straight, his phoenix eyes half-closed, exuding a dignified and imposing aura.

The young actors in the audience quickly followed along to learn the movements, and even many famous actors came to learn from them.

Among them were Xiao Wu, and several elderly men who sang painted-face roles at Juxianlou.

Guan Buping welcomed all comers and generously shared his insights on performing Guan Gong opera, explaining every move in great detail.

He doesn't hold back; how much one learns depends entirely on their own comprehension.

If you learn it, it's yours; if you don't, you're simply not meant to be with Second Master.

Zhou Sheng was listening attentively, with Xiao Hongxian sitting next to him. However, as the little guy listened, his eyelids started to droop, and his head would droop and then lift up again.

"Boss, boss, something's wrong... I think I've been drugged... with a sleeping potion..."

"I don't want to win..."

Zhou Sheng was listening intently when Hongxian's little head fell onto his lap, and she slept soundly.

Zhou Sheng pinched her chubby cheeks, took off his cloak and draped it over her, then continued to listen attentively to the opera.

"As the saying goes, there are a thousand roles, a hundred roles, and one great Jing role. Jing roles are more difficult to perform than other roles. They require a voice like a copper hammer and the posture of an expert in speaking."

"The requirements for Guan Gong opera are even higher. One must possess the gentleness of a civil old man, the composure of a martial old man, the might of a 'showy' performance, and the strength of a 'grand martial arts' performer. Especially when performing the beard, the beard should not be pushed past the chest, nor should it be held past the abdomen. The beard should be twisted high and stroked all the way down..."

Since there was no opera performance tonight, Master Guan spoke for more than an hour before finally stopping.

He looked at everyone and found that the child actors were either asleep or looked blank. Even many of the young actors had their brows furrowed, as if they were racking their brains.

Even a martial arts student like Xiao Wu, despite his significant gains, still faces many hurdles he hasn't fully grasped.

There is only one exception.

Zhou Sheng closed his eyes, but he wasn't asleep. Instead, he was adjusting his breathing and studying the breath control of Guan Gong's singing style. At the same time, his hands kept moving, as if he were wielding a crescent blade, replicating the movements he had just described.

His every move was surprisingly skillful, incorporating all the details he had previously mentioned.

Even if there are occasional flaws, they can react immediately, improve and correct them after two or three repetitions, and ingrain the movements into their very being.

When Zhou Sheng opened his eyes, the glint of a blade in them, barely concealed, left Guan Buping deeply disturbed.

He knew that Zhou Sheng had fully digested and absorbed everything he had said that night.

What an amazing talent!

Even Xiao Feng is probably slightly inferior.

Little did he know that Zhou Sheng was a prodigy in the world of opera. After consuming the mica formula, his cultivation increased dramatically, which in turn nourished his physical body and enhanced his wisdom.

What used to require three viewings can now be mastered and understood after just one viewing.

clang!
As the gong sounded, Guan Buping glanced deeply at Zhou Sheng and said calmly, "That concludes today's discussion. We will continue tomorrow."

Hongxian was awakened by the piercing sound of the gong. She slurred, "The show's starting? What am I supposed to sing?"

Zhou Sheng shook his head and smiled, about to speak, when he saw Hong Xian suddenly widen her eyes, as if she had thought of something. She leaped up and ran away in the form of a tiger.

"Boss, I have to go now!"

"Next time you bring Hongxian some candied fruit, I'll tell you everything I learned from watching the opera today, and I guarantee you'll learn how to play Guan Gong..."

The sound faded into the distance, and the little girl disappeared in a flash.

Zhou Sheng couldn't help but laugh, and he was also a little curious. This girl was usually quite free and liked to follow him around like a little tail. What was she doing being so mysterious today?

However, he wouldn't pry into the girl's affairs.

Following the directions of the "map," he waited behind the east wall, and for some reason, he felt a bit nervous, like a thief caught in the act. Not long after, three partridge calls rang out from the other side of the wall.

"Squeak—squeak—squeak!"

Zhou Sheng was taken aback, but quickly realized what was happening and opened his mouth to imitate the call of a partridge, though he only managed to call out twice.

This is a detail from the Legend of the White Snake, "Stealing the Immortal Herb." When Xiaoqing was scouting ahead, she imitated a partridge, and Bai Suzhen responded with two cries to indicate "safety."

Sure enough, after he called out two partridge calls, a figure flew out from behind the wall, lightly stepping on the eaves like a swallow, landing lightly and silently.

Zhou Sheng recognized that this was the posture of a knight-errant scouting at night in "The Crossroads," which she used cleanly, neatly, and extremely gracefully.

Yao Taifeng wore a light blue silk dress tonight. Under the moonlight, the silk rippled like lake water, and in the shadows, it resembled a sharp blade being tempered.

He wore a black rhinoceros horn belt around his waist, with a bronze buckle in the center inlaid with a dragon pattern, and a two-foot-eight-inch willow-leaf soft sword inserted diagonally.

Those bright and pretty eyes were looking at Zhou Sheng with a slight smile, seemingly teasing him, as she recited her lines in a theatrical voice.

"If elder sister wants to be human, younger sister will insist on being a demon!"

Look at the moonlight—

Her eyes sparkled, and with a graceful movement, her slender waist swayed, more agile than a snake.

Her glistening fingertips gently glided across Zhou Sheng's cloak.

"Your silk skirt looks so fake, but my scales—they're so real!"

Zhou Sheng's smile froze instantly. He knew that Boss Feng was indulging in acting. He tried his best to put himself in Bai Suzhen's shoes and sing a line of female role, but his lips trembled for a long time and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Seeing this, Yao Taifeng chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, Boss Long, you don't have to force yourself. I was just teasing you."

"Let's hurry up and go. The ghost market is bustling right now."

Zhou Sheng glanced at the distant opera house and asked with some worry, "If Uncle Guan finds out you're not in your room, will he punish you severely?"

"Don't worry, the mountain man has a clever plan."

She smiled mysteriously, then walked away with light steps, leaving only a faint fragrance in the air.

Seeing this, Zhou Sheng quickly followed.

……

After finishing his lecture at Juxianlou, Guan Buping made a point of strolling around in front of his apprentice's room.

Seeing the candlelight lit inside and a figure reading a book, I finally felt relieved.

Fortunately, he was right. His apprentice, whom he had personally raised, wouldn't disobey his master's orders for a man he had only known for a short time.

Xiaofeng is still a very sensible child.

He nodded, a relieved smile on his face, and went back to his room with satisfaction.

An hour later, he went out again and saw that Xiao Feng's room was still lit up, and she seemed to still be sitting at the table reading.

Why is this girl staying up so late today?
Guan Buping frowned slightly and walked towards the door, intending to knock and remind his disciple not to watch for too long.

But as soon as he reached out his hand, he suddenly froze.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!"

Inside the room, there was a sound of snoring...

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(End of this chapter)