You made all the streamers on the internet kneel before you when you were asked to make a game.

Lu Zhixing turned his gaze back to the tall theater in the center of the town.

The owner of the paper craft shop must be inside.

He led the rest of the men, carefully avoiding the ghosts that tiptoed through the streets, and headed towards the theater.

The closer you get to the theater, the clearer the mournful opera singing becomes.

The song being sung was "The Peony Pavilion".

But the tone, though melodious, carried an indescribable eeriness, like the sound of fingernails scratching glass, sending chills down one's spine.

There were no ticket inspectors at the theater entrance; the doors were wide open.

Lu Zhixing took a deep breath and went inside first.

The huge theater was packed to capacity, with a dark mass of "things" sitting below the stage.

They are called "things" because they are not people at all.

Some were zombies dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes, sitting there stiffly.

Yes, some are ghosts with incomplete bodies, their translucent bodies swaying slightly.

Some were simply skeletons covered in clothes.

Lu Zhixing even spotted several familiar figures in the front row.

—It was in the village of the wrongfully deceased that he had pushed over the ancestral tablets of the Chen family.

At this moment, these memorial tablets, like people, stand on their seats and "watch" the show.

The entire theater was filled with ghosts and monsters from various terrifying scenes.

But strangely, despite the fact that the seats were full, it was eerily quiet.

All the ghosts and monsters remained motionless, except for one "actor" on the stage dressed in a martial arts costume and heavily painted with oil paint, who was performing alone.

His movements were expansive and powerful, full of energy.

But on the stage, he was all alone.

There are no female roles (dan).

This play, "The Peony Pavilion," only has the soul of Du Liniang, not the person of Liu Mengmei.

An intense sense of oppression enveloped the entire theater.

Lu Zhixing felt as if he had stumbled into a ritual dedicated to ghosts and gods.

My own soul feels so out of place here.

He forced himself to calm down, his eyes quickly scanning the audience.

Soon, he found the person he was looking for in an inconspicuous corner.

The paper craft shop owner was watching the performance on stage with a look of rapt attention, holding a small notebook in his hand, seemingly taking notes.

Lu Zhixing immediately went over.

"Boss."

He lowered his voice.

The paper shop owner, interrupted, looked up somewhat displeased.

When he saw Lu Zhixing's face, which was half human and half paper, he was stunned for a moment, then revealed a greedy smile.

"Oh? It's you, guest."

"It seems the time is almost up."

"Are you here... to pay the price?"

As he spoke, he stretched out his withered hand, as if he wanted to directly receive Lu Zhixing's soul.

"I'm not here to pay the price."

Lu Zhixing dodged his hand by turning to the side, his voice icy.

"I'm here... to renew my contract."

"Renew the contract?" The paper shop owner laughed, his laughter as unpleasant as an owl's.

"My rule here is that we do not extend credit or renew contracts."

"When the appointed time arrives, the soul and the goods will be sold."

"What if I could help you finish performing this play?"

Lu Zhixing suddenly said.

His gaze fell upon the empty stage, and the laughter of the paper craft shop owner abruptly ceased.

A hint of surprise flashed in the cloudy eyes of the paper shop owner.

"Can you sing?"

"I know a little bit," Lu Zhixing said without changing his expression.

The paper shop owner squinted and looked Lu Zhixing up and down again.

He appears to be assessing the value of the deal.

The play on stage has been going on for three days and three nights.

The original female lead lost her "spirit" because she sang a wrong line, and was devoured by the hungry "audience" below the stage.

Without the female lead, this play would never end.

As long as the play continues, these ghostly audience members won't leave.

He couldn't feel at ease "purchasing goods".

"it is good."

After a while, the paper shop owner nodded.

"If you can go on stage and perform the last act, 'The Dream Interrupted'."

Your debt is wiped clean.

"But I must warn you," the paper craft shop owner grinned, "the rules on this stage are much stricter than mine."

"First, once you're on stage, you have to stay under that spotlight all the time."

"Once you step into the shadows, these gourmets in the audience will tear you to pieces."

"Secondly, you can't sing a single word wrong."

"If you sing it wrong, your 'spirit' will dissipate, and then... it won't taste good."

The paper shop owner licked his chapped lips, his eyes full of anticipation.

He simply didn't believe Lu Zhixing could finish singing.

He just wanted to see a more spectacular "massacre".

The scene of a vibrant soul being devoured by countless ghosts is far more interesting than watching a play.

Lu Zhixing looked at his greedy face and sneered inwardly.

Knowing it was a trap, he had no other choice.

His hand had completely turned to paper; if this dragged on any longer, he would surely die.

Lu Zhixing had discovered the possibility of a hidden profession, but he didn't want to start all over again.

"It's a deal!"

Lu Zhixing agreed and walked step by step toward the eerie stage.

The paper shop owner watched Lu Zhixing walk towards the stage, his smile growing even more smug.

In his view, this arrogant young man was already a predetermined corpse.

How could a stranger, a scholar, possibly sing this long-lost Kunqu opera?

Lu Zhixing walked up the creaking wooden stairs and arrived at the side of the stage.

The thousands of cold, piercing gazes from below the stage were now all focused on him.

The martial arts performer on stage also stopped his movements, turned his head, and stared at him with his eyes, which were completely covered by paint and showed no emotion whatsoever.

A beam of pale white spotlight shone down from above the stage, landing right in front of him.

That was the only "safe zone".

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhixing stepped into the circle of light.

The moment he stepped in, the martial arts performers on the stage came to life.

The spear in his hand was no longer a prop for the performance, but transformed into a deadly cold light, piercing straight at Lu Zhixing's face with a whooshing sound!

This shot was fast and ruthless, giving no one time to react.

But Lu Zhixing seemed to have anticipated this, and with his reaction speed far exceeding that of ordinary people, he nimbly dodged to the side.

The tip of the gun almost grazed his nose.

The sharp wind even left a shallow bloodstain on his face.

The ghostly audience below the stage hissed in dissatisfaction, seemingly disappointed that the "appetizer" was not exciting enough.

The martial artist, having missed his first strike, launched an even more ferocious attack.

The spear moved like a dragon, the sword flashed and the shadows danced, each move deadly.

This isn't a performance; it's a life-or-death struggle!

Lu Zhixing moved with mysterious footwork, dodging and weaving within the small circle of light.

His brain was working at full speed at that moment.

With his photographic memory, the script and lyrics of "The Peony Pavilion" flashed through his mind.

He memorized all the details instantly.

But he didn't start singing because the time wasn't right.

This play is now a one-man show by a martial arts actor.

If he forces himself to start singing, it will only disrupt the rhythm and he will be immediately judged as "singing wrong".

He has to wait.

When it's time for the female lead, Du Liniang, to appear.

The ghostly audience members below the stage began to get impatient.

Their bodies began to stir, emitting various teeth-grinding grating sounds and low growls.

The temperature in the entire theater dropped again.

However, at this moment, Lu Zhixing's eyes lit up.

According to the script, after the martial arts actor's spear is dodged, the female lead should enter the stage and begin the most classic "Zao Luo Pao" aria.

All the ghosts and monsters focused their attention on Lu Zhixing's mouth.

Waiting for him to speak.

Waiting for him to sing it wrong.

Waiting for him to be torn to pieces.

But Lu Zhixing's next move stunned everyone.

Under the harsh white spotlight, he slowly pulled something out of his pocket.

It was an antique wooden token engraved with facial mask patterns.

It was the unique reward he received after completing the final quest "Breaking the Cocoon" in the "Return of the Soul" instance.

The troupe leader's token!