Chapter 94 - 89: Ghost God Play, Opening Yin Mountain!
[Skill: Micro — You have a heightened perception of the spirit and charm inherent in opera, allowing you to infuse them into your own performance. This makes your singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics more captivating, capable of influencing the Heart Spirit of ordinary beings and faintly suppressing certain special existences.]
Chen Ye felt a surge of joy and immediately opened his system panel.
[Name: Chen Ye]
[Profession: Cao Tai Longtao Level 4 (The lowest of Liyuan, yet the foundation of the grandest stage. Every frown and smile holds a divine charm; every note and melody can stir ghosts and gods. This is the beginning of the Opera Dao, and the path to divinity.)]
[Talent: Innate Actor — Possesses a comprehension of the art of opera far beyond that of ordinary people. You can easily grasp the essence of vocal techniques, physical form, and spiritual charm, and make them your own.]
[Skills: Micro Level 1]
In the time that followed, the improvement brought by the Micro skill far exceeded Chen Ye’s imagination.
It was as if a third eye had been opened for Chen Ye.
Before, learning opera was about imitation; it was about copying every move and every note his master taught.
But now, he could directly see the spirit and charm inherent in the opera.
It was a mysterious and profound feeling.
With a single flick of a sleeve, he could see the determination and sorrow it contained. With a single glance, he could read the adoration and shyness flowing within it.
Under the enhancement of Micro, these intangible things became clear, visible, and almost tangible.
As a result, Chen Ye’s performance was no longer mere imitation; it now had a soul of its own.
Such progress could no longer be described as merely astonishing.
On several occasions, Guan Sihai was left dumbfounded while watching Chen Ye practice.
He even began to suspect that Chen Ye might be the reincarnation of some famous actor, who had come to their little Qingchun Troupe just to experience life.
In the blink of an eye, winter gave way to spring, and the New Year arrived.
Sea Guardian Guard City was decorated with lanterns and streamers, brimming with a festive atmosphere. Even the usually strict Qingchun Troupe had relaxed its rules considerably.
Guan Sihai was particularly lenient. Not only did he give each apprentice a small sum of lucky money for the New Year, but he also gave them a ten-day holiday.
Some apprentices whose families lived in the city took their money and joyfully went home for the New Year.
But the majority who remained were either orphans like Chen Ye, or their homes were in distant villages, making the journey too difficult. So, they all stayed at the Opera Troupe.
Chen Ye, of course, also received some money. In fact, Guan Sihai gave him several times more than the others. It was wrapped in red paper and felt heavy in his hand.
"Where should we go for the New Year?" Tie Dan sidled up, clutching his own lucky money, his face beaming with excitement.
Chen Ye smiled. "I haven’t decided yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chunyan and a few other girls who often hovered around Chen Ye also gathered around. Their eyes were full of anticipation, each hoping to invite him out.
"How about we all go out together?" Chen Ye suggested, looking at the group of youngsters.
"Yes! Yes!" everyone cheered at once.
The New Year in Sea Guardian Guard City was bustling. The streets were filled with traffic, and the sidewalks were a river of people.
The large, magnificently decorated department stores along the streets had gleaming glass windows, displaying all sorts of novel items that caught the eyes of passersby.
However, Tie Dan, Chunyan, and the others only dared to glance from a distance.
Because the people going in and out of the stores were either gentlemen in sharp suits or wealthy ladies in cheongsams with curled hair.
Looking down at their own faded, coarse-cloth clothes, the group of youngsters couldn’t help but feel a sense of inadequacy and didn’t dare to get any closer.
Chen Ye didn’t mind such things, but since the others felt uncomfortable, he wouldn’t press the issue.
The group bypassed the department stores and headed to a large market near the city gate.
The place was a cacophony of voices, with people packed shoulder to shoulder.
The sounds of hawkers and barkers, the sight of people pushing wheelbarrows and carrying shoulder poles—All Walks of Life and every trade imaginable converged here. The lively, bustling atmosphere of daily life hit them in a vibrant wave.
After wandering for a short while, everyone’s stomachs began to RUMBLE.
"I’m hungry, let’s find a place to eat!" Tie Dan yelled in his booming voice, rubbing his stomach.
There were even more food stalls in the market.
Stalls selling fried cakes, candied haws, sliced cooked pears... The various aromas mingled together, making one’s mouth water.
Tie Dan was already starving. His sharp eyes immediately spotted a stall selling fried dough sticks. He quickly squeezed through the crowd and bought three large ones, fried to a golden, crispy perfection.
Then, he grabbed a large, steaming-hot flatbread from a nearby griddle, wrapped the dough sticks inside it until it was as thick as a rolling pin, opened his mouth wide, and devoured the whole thing in just a few bites.
Even so, after finishing, he only felt about half-full.
Chunyan and the other girls, naturally, looked down on such a crude way of eating.
They found a clean, covered stall to sit at, ordering a few steamer baskets of freshly made buns and several bowls of soft tofu pudding.
The buns of Sea Guardian Guard City were extremely famous. They were made with a precise filling of fresh pork—thirty percent fat and seventy percent lean—mixed with a pork rib broth, and seasoned with stone-milled sesame oil and premium soy sauce. The dough for the wrapper was semi-leavened, and the buns were pleated so neatly they resembled white chrysanthemums.
Of course, the ingredients at this market stall weren’t quite so extravagant, but they were still quite authentic.
With one bite, rich, fragrant juices burst into the mouth—it was incredibly delicious. Paired with a bowl of smooth, delicate white tofu pudding topped with verdant green chive blossom paste and glistening red chili oil, the taste was simply beyond description.
Chen Ye didn’t eat the buns. He walked over to a stall selling *dalien huoshao*, ordered two, and then got a bowl of steaming hot lamb soup from the stall next to it.
This *dalien huoshao* was named for its resemblance to the cloth shoulder bags of old. The outside was pan-fried to a fragrant golden brown, while the inside was stuffed with a meat filling. With a single bite, the hot, savory juices would spurt out with a SIZZLE, satisfying any craving.