"They slew the Night Emperor in flames; rising to power, wealth, and name. Yet steel and glory, pride and breath; all bargain poorly against death."
"They died while carving one path free; to spare the last of their legacy. Now Demonfall still speaks their fame; but ashes and crowns end just the same."
The melancholic recitation of a short poem fell into Zhao Yunxiao's ears, providing a stark difference against the backdrop of thunderous applause.
Melancholy was natural, considering the tragic ends that had come to the characters of the story. However, there was potentially another way to interpret this poem.
Beyond lamenting the unfortunate deaths of the couple Lan Fangyan and Qian Qiqi, it could also suggest that the crown that they had fought for in the past – one that now lay in the hands of their descendants – would come to an end just like they had. That way, it could essentially be mocking how the couple's works had eventually come to nothing.
Ashes and crowns end just the same... or perhaps he was just reading too much into it.
Nevertheless, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but look over at the man who had just recited the poem – a man who appeared to be in his fifties, his hair greying at the temples and slight wrinkles clearly showing on his face. His back was slightly hunched, but that did little to affect his noble demeanour. Even if the guards accompanying him were insufficent to indicate that he was a person of significant influence, the fact that people around him were busy plying him with respectful greetings certainly did.
Compliments regarding the poem he recited were abundant, agreeing with how the Lan couple did not deserve their untimely ends. Apart from that, there were also many who thanked him for the good work that he had been doing in helping the citizens of Demonfall.
"Who is he?" Zhao Yunxiao asked a middle-aged lady beside him, who also happened to be looking in the direction of the man.
"You lot must be new to Demonfall if you don't even know Lord Chang!" the middle-aged lady seemed to be more than happy to answer his question. "He is the current head of the Chang Clan, a true philantrophist who has helped the city in more ways than one. If not for him and the Chang Clan, perhaps the city lord would have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work needed to maintain a large city like Demonfall. Aside from the Lan Clan, which city lord belonged to, the Chang Clan is definitely the strongest ally of the city lord!"
"So, that's the famous Lord Chang! Thank you for letting me know!" Zhao Yunxiao thanked the lady before turning his attention back to this Lord Chang.
During his research, he had also read about this man.
Chang Huien – head of the Chang Clan.
Just as the lady mentioned, under the leadership of Chang Huien, the Chang Clan had helped out the citizens in various ways. From providing affordable food to the hungry and job opportunities to the poor, to enforcing social order and maintaining the structural integrity of both new and existing buildings, they had a hand in just about every aspect of the city, through which they had built a close rapport with the masses.
Their extensive business ventures had also earned them respect among the upper class. Because of that, they were well connected to all levels of society within the city, and their connections included the ruling Lan Clan as well.
And there was one more thing that was of note – the Chang Clan had historically held the position of city lord prior to the renaming of the city to Demonfall.
On the surface, the Chang Clan might be the Lan Clan's greatest ally. However, there were also rumours that the two factions were secretly at odds with each other.
That said, now was not the time to focus on this matter.
After taking note of Chang Huien's appearance, Zhao Yunxiao led the way to the shophouse which served as the base for the Good Luck Theatre Group – the organisation responsible for the performance that had long become the main attraction of Demonfall City.
Even as they made their way over, plenty of staff could be seen rushing to and fro as they brought back props that had been used in the performance.
"Welcome! Young heroes from the Black Tortoise Sect!" a middle-aged man hurried over to meet them at the door. "Thank the heavens that you are finally here! I am Cai Caoyuan, owner of the Good Luck Theatre Group. May I know how to address you?"
"Greetings," Zhao Yunxiao nodded in acknowledgement. "My surname is Zhao. Theirs are Gu, Lu, and Nie respectively."
At the same time, he gave this man a quick scan from head to toe.
Cai Caoyuan was dressed like the typical rich man. Luxurious silk outer robes, comfortable wool inner robes, accessories of glittering gold and cooling jade, as well as neatly-groomed facial hair with a short goatee.
As though that was not enough, his slightly plump figure further hinted at the abundant delicacies that he had been enjoying on a regular basis. Then again, judging from how well their merchandise was selling, perhaps this much was not too surprising.
"Greetings, Lord Zhao, Lord Nie, Lady Gu, Lady Lu," Cai Caoyuan clasped his fists with a business-like smile. "Come, take a seat inside where it is cooler!"
"We shall not stand on ceremony then," Zhao Yunxiao agreed.
With that, the group followed Cai Caoyuan into the shophouse, though considering the sheer scale of the place, perhaps it was more accurate to call it a grand mansion.
Situated right next to the open plaza, the Good Luck Theatre Group's shophouse was four-storeys tall, towering over its adjacent buildings. While it did not have a front yard, its backyard was about twenty metres long in terms of both length and breadth, beautifully sculpted into a huge garden.
The first storey was basically a storefront meant for selling merchandise, so Cai Caoyuan directly led them upstairs, past the second storey where the cast members could be seen removing their makeup, to get to the third storey where Cai Caoyuan's huge office was located.
"Please have a seat. Judging from the timing of your arrival, I assume that you have just watched the performance?" Cai Caoyuan asked while personally pouring tea for the four young cultivators. "What do you think about it? Is there anything that we can improve on?"
"It's very well delivered. I enjoyed it a lot," Zhao Yunxiao said truthfully.
"Yes, it was amazing!" Lu Zhiying chimed in.
Gu Qiansi and Nie Hanchang nodded as well when Cai Caoyuan's gaze fell upon them.
"Hahaha, that's good to hear! It brings me pride to hear that you young heroes enjoyed our humble performance!" he laughed in satisfaction.
"That said, isn't it a little depressing? Why not give it a good ending?" Zhao Yunxiao asked. "Wouldn't that help to please the crowds?"
"Haha, it's not that I have never thought about that. But out of respect for the heroes of the past, I think it is only right not to alter the story of our own accord," Cai Caoyuan sat down alongside them and sipped a cup of tea. "Furthermore, people might not admit it but most of them buy into tragedies! Don't you see how popular the play is? Tragedies stir up a sense of regret and sympathy within people, and these uncomfortable feelings tend to stick, etching a deeper impression of the play in their hearts. Considering all that, there is really no good reason for us to change the ending arbitrarily."
"You said that you did not alter the story? But doesn't it differ slightly from the origin of Demonfall City?" Zhao Yunxiao probed further.
"Lord Zhao must be referring to the popular version of the story that most people outside of the city are circulating. I have to clarify here that that is a version that has gotten slightly misinterpreted along the way, likely because of simpletons out there who only want to enjoy happy stories," Cai Caoyuan shrugged. "Since we are based in Demonfall itself, of course our version is the most accurate. In fact, my hypothesis is that this could be one of the reasons why others put a curse on us, wanting to stop us from upholding the tragic truth!"
Zhao Yunxiao silently sipped his tea without responding.
Cai Caoyuan's conjecture was not entirely out of the question. There had been plenty of cases where powerful factions resorted to curses and dark techniques to silence those who were spreading negative information about them, even if said information was nothing but the truth.
Considering that the city lord of Demonfall was from the Lan Clan, the clan was definitely one of the most influential factions in the city. When one thought from their perspective, the first part of the story was great, but it was not exactly pleasing to keep hearing about the tragedies that befell their ancestors.
Considering that the city lord of Demonfall was from the Lan Clan, the Lan Clan was definitely one of the most influential factions in the city. If one were to consider things from their perspective, the first part of the story was great, but there were certainly parts that could be displeasing – be it the ambiguous relationship between Lan Fangyan and Qian Qiqi, or the untimely tragedies that befell their ancestors.
"So, may I ask if young heroes have a clue as to why this is happening to us?" Cai Caoyuan asked with a careful tone.
"Before that, we would like to speak to the cast members, especially the one acting as Lei He," Zhao Yunxiao replied. "You mentioned that he is the one being affected, so is it safe for me to assume that everyone else is fine?"
"Sure, sure. To my knowledge, he is the only one affected," Cai Caoyuan stood up eagerly. "Well then, there's no reason to dally further. Let's head down to speak to him right now."
The owner of the performance group did not waste any more time, quickly leading the group down to the second storey where the cast members were still in the midst of getting out of their performance personas.
No one paid much attention to the group as they walked through the busy attendants who were rushing around, fetching basins of water and boxes of accessories to and from the various preparation counters. At each preparation counter was a huge bronze mirror, before which sat the various actors and actresses who had just been giving their all in front of the audiences.
Every single one of them looked amazing, all exquisite specimens of the human race. It was clear that physical appearances must have been part of the selection criteria during their casting.
"Great work as always, everyone!" Cai Caoyuan applauded loudly as he walked towards one of the preparation counters at the far end, temporarily shooing away the attendant before placing his hands on the seated actor's shoulders. "The heroic martyr, Sir Lei! That was a great performance! How are we feeling today?"
With a wave of his hand, Zhao Yunxiao set up a simple seal that spanned a small circle around them, preventing anyone outside from hearing their conversation.
"Not too good, boss," the handsome young man let out a wry smile. "The situation hasn't improved much."
This actor who took on the role of the tragic hero Lei He looked to be in his late twenties, suave and lean. While the heavy makeup concealed his actual complexion, Zhao Yunxiao could easily tell from his breathing and heartrate that he was not in the best condition. He was even trembling a little, likely fatigued from the lack of rest.
While the rest of the crew seemed to be rather tired as well, which was inevitable after a long performance, this young man definitely seemed to be in the worst state of them all.
"Don't worry, Jiping," Cai Caoyuan smirked proudly. "That is exactly what these gentlemen and ladies are here for. Remember how I told you that I have already informed the Black Tortoise Sect of the matter? Well, here they are!"
Upon hearing that, the young man's face revealed a momentary look of disbelief that quickly turned into hope. He quickly got to his feet and clasped his fists towards Zhao Yunxiao's group.
"Ling Jiping pays my greetings to the young heroes and heroines of Black Tortoise Sect!" the young man exclaimed excitedly.
"Be at ease," Zhao Yunxiao said, his gaze momentarily straying to the pendant that lay on the preparation table before him. "Let's cut to the chase. Tell me everything that you have been experiencing."
Ling Jiping nodded before sitting back down. "Things started not long after I took on the role of Lei He. For months now, I have been hearing strange voices in my head..."
"Voices?" Gu Qiansi asked. "What do they sound like? And what do the voices say?"
"I'm afraid I don't know," Ling Jiping shook his head helplessly. "It's all gibberish, and I can't even make out if they are human voices. All I know is that it is driving me crazy! Oh, right! I also often see a silhouette hovering beside my bed at night!"
"Could it not be your family?" Lu Zhiying asked.
"No, I stay alone, so there's no way I could have mistaken anyone as the silhouette!" Ling Jiping recounted as his body started trembling, his complexion turning pale from fear. "Please, save me from this nightmarish life! At this rate, I really will go crazy!"
"Don't worry, we are here to do exactly that," Gu Qiansi waved her hand, and a wisp of energy entered Ling Jiping's body to sooth his nerves.
"This is quite the special pendant," Zhao Yunxiao changed the topic all of a sudden, gesturing towards the pendant that was resting on the preparation table. "Where is it from?"
This was the same pendant from which they had sensed faint energy undulations during the performance.
"Lord Zhao sure has an eye for treasures!" Cai Caoyuan praised, with a tinge of pride in his voice. "It might not look like much, but this pendant is an actual item used by the late Sir Lei – one of his few belongings that Sir Lan and Lady Fan managed to recover from the battle with the Night Emperor. Not just that, but it was recorded that in memory of Sir Lei, Sir Lan actually wore it everyday, including the very day of his untimely death. Considering its background, this pendant can be considered an heirloom of the city, having born witness to the greatest characters of that era! You have no idea how much time, effort, and money I spent before I finally managed to acquire this legacy pendant as the star prop of our performance!"