Chapter 12
Through the Troupe Master’s description, Jiang Liu finally glimpsed the full story.
It was an old story, from fifty years ago.
Qin Meng was an orphan, taken in and raised by the Old Troupe Leader Qin. Immersed in the world of opera from a young age, she developed a great interest in it. Coupled with her natural talent, her stage presence and voice were stunning.
But her most outstanding skill was her ability to write playbooks.
“It was all thanks to A Xiu, really.”
At this point, Qin Meng’s tone softened with a hint of intimacy, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
A Xiu had studied abroad in the West and often came up with bold and novel ideas. It was because of this that she was able to create those widely acclaimed playbooks.
The two had known each other since childhood and later became confidantes, sharing a rare and deep bond.
Though it was just a few simple sentences, Jiang Liu could already see their past in her expression and understood how difficult it must have been for the two of them to be together in that era.
Qin Meng let out a low laugh before continuing her story.
With A Xiu’s help, she gradually began to make a name for herself. But just as she was rising, a piece of devastating news arrived quietly.
The Old Troupe Leader Qin was gravely ill and could pass away at any moment, but he had not yet named a successor. This caused his disciples’ minds to stir with ambition.
Learning opera was arduous, often requiring training from a young age. Families with means were unwilling to send their children to suffer, so the members of the opera troupe were either from poor families seeking a livelihood or had nowhere else to go and were looking for a place to stay.
The Curtain Dream Theater, being a century-old troupe, had inherited more than just an empty name. In the face of immense benefits, it was not surprising that some people would be driven by desire to do something.
Qin Meng’s tone grew somber, a touch of sorrow in her eyes.
She had no desire to fight for the title. She only hoped the Old Troupe Leader could live out his last years in peace, undisturbed by their squabbles.
At that time, the era was turbulent. If no one stepped up to take charge, the Theater Garden would sooner or later fall into disarray.
While she was worrying about this, Chen Xiu proposed a bold idea.
Jiang Liu raised her eyes slightly. “Disguising yourself as a man?”
Qin Meng gave a bitter smile. “It was the only way.”
Even when the Old Troupe Leader was still around, he couldn’t maintain complete fairness. Once he was gone, the consequences of this group fighting amongst themselves would be unimaginable.
At that time, she was also struggling with a love that society wouldn’t accept. Chen Xiu’s suggestion was a perfect solution, killing two birds with one stone. After some hesitation, she agreed.
She lied, claiming she was born a man but had been raised as a girl for the sake of learning opera. With a letter handwritten by the Old Troupe Leader as proof, she took on the heavy responsibility alone.
Just like that, the internal strife in the Theater Garden was finally quelled.
Jiang Liu hadn’t expected such a twist and couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. Then, she turned to the question that concerned her most. “If that’s the case, how did you die? What really happened with that fire?”
There were many versions of the fire’s origin. Some said it was an accident, others that the theater had attracted jealousy. Given how long ago it was, the truth was hard to uncover.
As her words fell, Qin Meng, who had been speaking endlessly, fell silent.
After a long while, she let out a slow sigh, her tone complex.
“A Xiu hated the opera troupe.”
Human desire is endless. She could quell the conflict temporarily, but that didn’t mean she could guarantee it would last forever.
When was it?
Qin Meng’s gaze became a little unfocused, as if she was recalling the past.
It was an autumn day, forty years ago.
She had already married A Xiu, but her identity as a woman was accidentally discovered. The person who found out accused them of being perverse and immoral, disrespecting the Old Troupe Leader, and tried to drive Qin Meng out of the Theater Garden.
By then, she had been managing the theater for over a decade and was no longer the naive girl she once was. She was more than capable of handling such matters and didn’t feel she had done anything wrong.
So what if her identity was exposed? She and A Xiu were in love, open and honest. Since they had done nothing wrong, they had no reason to fear gossip.
But that person was a madman. When his arguments failed, he developed a murderous intent. That night, while everyone was away, he set a great fire, trapping Qin Meng on the stage. By the time Chen Xiu discovered it, she had already been reduced to a pile of bones.
Jiang Liu’s heart pounded as she listened, imagining the pain of being burned alive. She couldn’t help but press her lips together and frown.
What happened next was easy to guess.
Chen Xiu, unwilling to face the reality of her lover’s death, fabricated a rumor that Qin Meng had merely injured her leg and retired. She herself hid in the small room in the corner of the staircase, writing one playbook after another under Qin Meng’s name.
In her eyes, everyone in the opera troupe had become a detestable demon. Under the guise of renovations, she transformed the stage into a sacrificial altar, luring their souls to hell to become nourishment for Qin Meng.
In just three years, the entire opera troupe had either left or gone mad. Rumors of hauntings spread, and the Curtain Dream Theater officially became a taboo, a place no one dared to mention.
Qin Meng’s voice was very soft, yet it carried an indescribable weight of suppression, as if she felt both pity and reluctance.
“I thought—”
She sighed, her voice growing hoarse, as if every word brought immense pain.
“I thought she just wanted to avenge me. Who knew that after all these years, she would become even more extreme.”
When no one was willing to come, Chen Xiu began recruiting disciples under the guise of spreading the art of opera, luring young and innocent lives to this place, right up to the present day.
Qin Meng’s voice was already choked with sobs.
“She won’t come to see me, and I can’t stop her. Please, help me. Stop her.”
A tear rolled down her cheek silently, evaporating in the rising flames before it could fall, disappearing in an instant.
***
Even after breaking free from the illusory realm, Jiang Liu was still in a daze.
Because of Chen Xiu’s obsession, Qin Meng had been trapped in that fire for fifty long years, powerlessly watching people come and go, repeatedly trying to persuade the actors playing Du Liniang to leave.
She never wanted to hurt anyone, nor did she want to see anyone else die because of her.
“Sister Jiang, are you okay?”
A cautious voice called out from beside her. Jiang Liu finally came back to her senses, realizing she had been helped back to her room. A group of people surrounded her, their faces etched with worry.
She opened her mouth, but her voice was exceptionally hoarse. “I’ve figured it out.”
Zhang Xiaochen handed her a glass of water, his tone a bit agitated. “You should rest first. We also made a discovery.”
As he spoke, he pulled a book from the side and handed it over. The open page displayed a familiar pattern.
Jiang Liu lowered her gaze, her pupils constricting slightly.
The book detailed the formation array on the stage. Eight characters in the center leaped into her eyes.
“When the formation master dies, this formation will be broken.”
Only if Chen Xiu died could they live.
Just as this thought arose in her mind, a strange electronic voice echoed in her head. The static mixed with the stiff tone was terrifying in the dead of night.
[Hidden clue detected. As a reminder, the instance can only be cleared by completing the Main Quest. Refrain from dangerous actions that may affect the player’s level score.]
“You heard it too, right?”
Zhang Xiaochen sat on the floor, dejected and sullen.
That night, while he and Xu Shu watched over Jiang Liu, the others had been sent to search the entire theater. Just as Jiang Liu had speculated, they found the book in a hidden room under the stairs.
They were initially happy to have found a solution, but then that haunting voice rang out again.
They had to perform the opera as sacrificial offerings to complete the mission, yet they also had to find an opportunity to kill Granny Chen to survive. Wasn’t that a contradiction?
“Damn it, this ghost thing never intended for us to leave alive.”
Zhang Xiaochen slammed his fist on the floor, oblivious to the scrapes on his knuckles. He glared at the ground as if it were Granny Chen, wishing he could kill her with his eyes.
Jiang Liu rubbed her dizzy head and repeated the electronic voice’s words, “Only by completing the Main Quest…”
Thinking about Qin Meng’s story, the fog in her mind gradually cleared, and her thoughts finally became coherent.
“I get it now.”
She murmured in a daze. Her voice was soft but exceptionally certain, leaving everyone else confused.
Xu Shu rubbed his eyes, looking exhausted. “What’s the solution? These two conditions are completely contradictory.”
Jiang Liu shook her head and looked at the group, speaking slowly. “Think about it. What is our Main Quest?”
Xu Meng had a good memory and answered instinctively, “Successfully perform The Peony Pavilion?”
Jiang Liu chuckled, patting her head and shaking her own. “Wrong. Do you remember what the electronic voice said?”
Seeing everyone exchange confused glances, she had no choice but to repeat it word for word. “The master of the Curtain Dream Theater is old, and her only regret is not being able to hear a performance of The Peony Pavilion one last time. As disciples personally trained by her, players are requested to cooperate with the rehearsal to fulfill—Granny Chen’s wish.”
She emphasized the last part. Xu Shu’s mind was the quickest, and he reacted instantly. “Fulfill her wish?”
“That’s right!”
Jiang Liu snapped her fingers. The confusion on her face vanished, replaced by a bright, radiant smile.
Performing The Peony Pavilion was just the means; the ultimate goal was to fulfill Granny Chen’s wish.
“But she wants to revive the Troupe Master. We can’t just help her find other people to be sacrifices, can we?”
Xu Meng, having understood, spoke up hesitantly.
Jiang Liu blinked, her tone light. “Then we’ll just have her change her wish.”
***
The next morning, the desolate courtyard welcomed the most guests it had ever had.
The male student who had been here once before looked around curiously. “Strange, so there really is a house here.”
Zhang Xiaochen also pondered, “I thought only those who went on stage could see it. Does she want to wipe us all out in one go, to bewitch all of us?”
Xu Meng had carefully studied the book. The principle of the formation was to use ghost possession to give a suggestion to the person on stage, luring them here to cast a curse. After three days, the curse would take full effect, and the person would become a mindless shell.
Counting the days, if Jiang Liu hadn’t noticed something was wrong and stopped it, they would have all been wiped out today.
A wave of fear washed over Xu Shu, and the way he looked at Jiang Liu became even more complex.
“Maybe that’s exactly what she’s thinking.”
Jiang Liu shrugged. After all, if she didn’t act soon, the formation wouldn’t be able to activate in seven days, and Chen Xiu probably didn’t have the energy to train a few more people to send over.
She was a regular here, so she stepped forward without hesitation and knocked on the door. “Old butler, Granny should be willing to see us today, right?”
This time, the sound of the old butler’s shuffling footsteps didn’t come from the courtyard. The gate opened on its own without a breath of wind. With a creak, the courtyard’s scenery was laid bare. The scent of tea wafted from the main courtyard, followed by a woman’s voice—
“Come in.”