"God, she's so beautiful! That opera singing is incredible!"
"Upstairs, it should be 'he'. In the past, opera stages usually had men dressed as women, singing female roles."
"Let's just say, this kind of beauty can transcend gender."
The camera in the live stream switched,
Zooming in, closer and closer.
The viewers were immediately captivated.
On the opera stage stood a figure adorned with beautiful makeup, exquisite accessories, and flowing robes.
Every detail was perfect, down to the fingertips.
Each glance and smile was incredibly expressive, as if they could speak.
The melodious opera singing carried a unique charm.
It wasn't just the older generation; even some younger people,
Couldn't help but sway gently, carried by the melody, drifting and winding...
"I never understood why opera singing was popular before, but now I do."
"Suddenly, I feel opera singing has such a profound charm."
"My grandpa can sing a few lines too; he's also gotten interested listening to this."
...
Above the city,
Jiang Lin and the captain of the Black Guards stood by, listening to the music.
Jiang Lin: "How long will these historical reenactments last?"
The captain of the Black Guards was unsure, "A day? Two days?"
The exact duration depended on the residual power left by the reincarnated deity.
...
On the opera stage,
The melodious singing continued.
The audience below was engrossed.
But a commotion erupted at the main entrance.
"Bang!"
A military boot kicked open the wooden door, the sound echoing through the courtyard.
It startled the entranced audience.
They all turned to see a group of soldiers rushing in, all in neat uniforms, carrying firearms.
The officer leading them wore a long coat, his eyebrows raised, his face brewing with anger.
The audience, frightened, scattered and fled.
The soldiers didn't stop them; some even kicked them as they ran.
After a brief uproar,
The courtyard quieted down again.
Thump, thump, thump, thump,
The officer strode towards the stage in his leather boots.
Soldiers followed close behind, their weapons in hand.
"You, actually, deceived me!"
The officer spoke in somewhat broken Chinese, looking at the performer on stage,
Emphasizing each word:
"Where, exactly, are those Red Fourth Route soldiers hiding!"
"Only hearing~~~ he say~~: My lady, why have you~~~ come here~~~"
Enemies had entered the courtyard,
And the audience had fled.
But the person on stage seemed oblivious, as if they had seen and heard nothing.
Swaying in their bright red robes, their exquisite headdress bobbing.
They continued to sing "her" song,
Lost in a stage meant only for "her".
"(Bastard)!"
Seeing this, the officer below grew even angrier.
He said something to the soldiers behind him.
Then, two soldiers ran onto the stage and forced the performer to the ground.
The performer offered no resistance, smiling as they were subdued.
When the officer pulled out his pistol and aimed it at their forehead.
The performer suddenly straightened their eyebrows, their expression fierce: "Halt! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"
"Her" voice grew louder with each cry,
More serious with each utterance.
"How dare you jackals tread upon my land—!"
Bang!
The officer drew his pistol from his waist.
The bullet flew towards the performer's forehead.
Moments later,
The soldiers released their grip,
Letting the performer fall onto the stage.
The bright red robes spread out, a bloody hole between their brows.
Seen from afar, it resembled a blooming blood-red peony.
Vibrant, and glaring.
Much like the viewers at this moment,
The rage burning within their bodies, their reddened eyes.
And their clenched fists, veins bulging.
"Get out, you jackals!"
"This is our homeland!"
"Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"
...
Bang!
After searching the opera house with his soldiers,
The officer found nothing he was looking for.
In his rage, he smashed the opera house's main gate.
And left.
Inside the opera house, it gradually, gradually fell silent.
After an unknown amount of time,
People slowly began to approach the opera house entrance.
Peering into the scene within.
In their ears,
The melodious, captivating singing seemed to still echo.
The scene froze.
On the stage,
The bright red hem of the robe bloomed.
Wisps of white smoke rose from the bloody hole between the brows.
Lightly landing on the stage, transforming into a humanoid phantom.
The wind blowing from above was remarkably gentle.
...
Zhou Sheng had lost his parents at a young age. His master had taken him in.
Teaching him how to warm up his voice, how to sing.
At that time,
Singing opera was not considered a proper profession; it was looked down upon by many.
But it could indeed provide a meager living.
And support an opera troupe.
Anyone with a bit of spare money enjoyed listening to music from time to time.
Zhou Sheng had sung for many people.
The old, the young, the poor, the rich.
From Zhonghua, and from invading nations.
Some called him heartless, others said he was ignorant of national hatred.
Zhou Sheng would just smile and have those who cursed him thrown out of the courtyard.
Turning back, he continued as before.
Singing the songs he had practiced for over ten years.
In truth,
Zhou Sheng knew everything.
He knew how his parents had died.
He knew how his master had been bludgeoned to death with a rifle butt.
He also knew,
How the beggar children on the streets had lost their homes.
If the nation were gone,
All of them would become street beggars.
Zhou Sheng had no regrets about his death.
He stood on the opera stage,
Feeling as if everything in the opera house had come to a standstill.
Dimly, he felt as though he had slept for a very long time.
...
A new obsession had appeared.
But the person did not emerge, nor was there any movement.
In the eyes of the viewers and the police present,
Zhou Sheng stood there quietly, as if he had merged with the stage.
His feet began to dissipate.
The viewers became anxious.
The police, after hesitating,
Chose to step forward.
They walked to the opera house entrance, passing through the frozen images of the onlookers.
They politely knocked on the wooden door, though no sound was made.
The leading police officer inquired, "Hello...?"
Hearing the sound,
Zhou Sheng on the stage moved, looking towards the entrance.
A smile appeared on his exquisitely made-up face, "Are the guests here to listen to a song?"
"Ah? Yes... yes!"
The leading officer was taken aback,
Following the other's lead, he nodded.
—Could it be that the other's obsession was to sing one more song?
The three walked into the opera house,
Standing by the placed tables and chairs.
At this moment,
Zhou Sheng's legs were also gradually fading away.
A smile graced his face, his every glance and smile incredibly expressive.
He struck a pose,
And began to sing,
The melodious opera tune echoed within the opera house.
The bright red robes,
Along with his body, gradually turned into specks of light.
Just as the three police officers thought he would depart like this.
They saw the performer on the stage, with their exquisite makeup, turn their head to look at them.
"May I ask the three esteemed guests, whose flag is planted in this land today?"
The three police officers immediately straightened up,
Their expressions solemn,
They spoke in unison:
"It is the flag of our Zhonghua!"
It was the Five-Starred Red Flag!
Zhou Sheng's eyes lit up, his smile brighter than flowers in spring.
He drew out his opera singing,
"It turns out~~ home~~ was protected~~"
So,
It was good.
He, a mere opera performer, also had a home.
...
...