Passing the Six Passes

Zhou Sheng looked at the paper in his hand. After reading it, a ripple flashed through his eyes, and his heart was not calm.

What was written on it was precisely everything he had experienced in Yangcheng.

Including the Immortal's Cloud Mica Pill, Lord Bao's Startling Hall Wood, and the so-called one-year agreement. The content recorded went all the way until he stepped onto the Yin-Yang Road.

The signatory was... Lu Bingyuan!

"Lu Bingyuan is an old fox who's lived for hundreds of years. Do you really think he'd be moved by a few words from a greenhorn like you?"

"As soon as you left, he sent another Ghost Messenger to rush here with this letter, praising you as talented, intelligent, upright, and filial. Heh heh..."

Yu Zhensheng shook his head and sneered, "He just wants to tell me that my disciple has already gotten involved in this mess, so I, this old good-for-nothing, can't stand by and do nothing."

"Even the entire Ghost Opera lineage has to get involved!"

"Master... Lu Bingyuan died fighting to cover the retreat of the common people. Have you misunderstood?"

Zhou Sheng was a bit dazed. The Lu Bingyuan his master spoke of seemed different from the Duke Lu he had admired before.

Yu Zhensheng's gaze was deep, and his words were sharp as a knife.

"Don't treat an old fox who's lived for hundreds of years as some kind of saint or gentleman. Even if he was full of righteous indignation back then, after sitting in that position for too long, people change."

"Have you ever thought that the fierce god you encountered halfway was actually what Lu Bingyuan wanted to see?"

Zhou Sheng was stunned.

"If he can pass your message to me, he might as well pass it to others."

"Using you as bait to lure out the real culprit behind the scenes, that's one reason. As for the second reason..."

"Brat, haven't you figured it out yet?"

"I've figured it out."

Zhou Sheng showed a wry smile and said, "If I survive, I will thank him for his reminder and the gift of the sedan chair. If I die, Master will avenge me at all costs, leaving me with no way back."

Compared to giving a medicinal formula, hatred was undoubtedly the best way to drive someone.

"That's right, you are indeed intelligent, but you still lack experience in the martial world. Dealing with ghosts and gods is like walking on a mountain of knives barefoot; a slight mistake can lead to eternal damnation!"

"Is the victim in Shen Jinhua's case important?"

Yu Zhensheng sneered, "We opera performers, even if we become stars, are just slightly larger chess pieces. Lu Bingyuan's investigation into this case might be partly for so-called justice, but the remaining seven parts..."

He pointed to the ground.

"It's the people below who are fighting."

"He, Lu Bingyuan, is nothing more than a pawn in this confrontation."

Zhou Sheng's heart trembled, and he remained silent for a long time.

According to his master, Shen Jinhua's case was just a fuse. The real manipulators behind the scenes were the big figures in the underworld.

It seemed that this so-called underworld was not as sacred, majestic, and orderly as he had imagined, but rather full of undercurrents.

"Now it seems that the reason he gave you Lord Bao's Startling Hall Wood was probably because he felt that he, Lu Bingyuan, was no longer worthy of holding it!"

Yu Zhensheng played with Lord Bao's Startling Hall Wood for a moment, then casually tossed it to Zhou Sheng.

"This old fox, I asked him for this item back then, but he refused to give it to me no matter what. Now it's in my disciple's hands?"

"Master, then I'll give it to you—"

"I don't perform Ghost Opera anymore, what do I need it for?"

"Keep this item well. It will help you a lot when you perform Lord Bao plays in the future."

"Master, and this Mica Formula. I've already made the powder. This is specially prepared for you..."

Zhou Sheng took out the medicine from his bosom and was about to hand it to his master.

He was not someone who liked to hide his treasures. If he had something good, he naturally wanted to share it with those he trusted. And in this world, the person he trusted most was his master.

Yu Zhensheng smelled the medicinal fragrance and then shook his head, refusing.

"This medicine is useless to me. It's only useful for those who haven't opened their Aperture of the Eye yet."

"Aperture of the Eye?"

Zhou Sheng was a little surprised. This was the first time he had heard this term. Before, his master had only made him practice diligently and rarely talked about cultivation.

"I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you would aim too high. Now that you've achieved some success, I can tell you about it."

"So-called cultivation is cultivating Dao cultivation. As Dao cultivation continuously advances, the six great acupoints of the human body will be opened successively, namely the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, which are called passing the six gates."

"Each acupoint opened can grant different divine abilities. For example, if the Aperture of the Eye is opened, your eyes will become dharma eyes, capable of seeing the yin and yang, distinguishing demons and monsters, seeing in the dark as if it were daylight, and even discerning the subtle traces of a lightning strike..."

"If you want to portray Guan Erye, you must first open your Aperture of the Eye."

Zhou Sheng's pupils brightened. In that case, if his Aperture of the Eye was opened, even monsters known for their speed would not escape his sight.

Moreover, he had been looking forward to portraying Guan Gong for a long time.

Marquis Huan Zhang Fei had the might to defy ten thousand men. What about the Martial Saint Guan Yunchang?

And it should be known that Guan Gong was not only a famous general in the human world, but after his death, he was continuously conferred titles, eventually becoming the Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons of the Three Realms, the Holy Emperor Guan!

No wonder Master only taught him how to perform Marquis Huan and not the Guan Gong play.

"Do you feel your eyes itching, then aching, then slightly swelling from time to time?"

"I do, a little. I thought it was just because I've been neglecting my eye exercises lately."

"That means you've touched the threshold of opening the Aperture of the Eye. After you take the second dose of medicine in seven days, you should be almost there."

"In that regard, Lu Bingyuan actually did something good."

"Master, what about Shen Jinhua—"

"Don't you worry about anything. Isn't it a one-year agreement? We'll talk about anything big after a year. Maybe by then, Lu Bingyuan will have died."

"When a person dies, their debts disappear. You'll naturally be able to wash your hands of the matter then."

Zhou Sheng: "..."

He suddenly realized that his master's skin was much thicker than his own.

"Master, what happens after passing the six trials? What's the realm above that? Can I... become an immortal?"

"Heh heh."

Zhou Sheng's question was met with merciless mockery.

"You haven't even learned to walk, and you're already thinking about running? If you can successfully get through these six trials in your lifetime, that will already be an unimaginable fortune for an ordinary person. When you get to Longhu Mountain, even the Celestial Master will treat you as an honored guest."

"Master, what realm are you at?"

He couldn't help but ask this question, as he was truly curious.

In his memory, his master rarely took action. After settling down in Qinggu County, he completely became a doctor and never again used Ghost Opera techniques.

But from Lu Bingyuan's words, his master, Yu Zhensheng, was a legendary figure in the Ghost Opera lineage, seemingly possessing an extremely glorious past.

What had he experienced that made such a legendary Ghost Opera Performer willing to live in seclusion in a small county and be a barefoot doctor?

Yu Zhensheng unceremoniously tapped his head and said, "Stop prying into my affairs. Dawn is breaking. You will go practice your skills immediately!"

"Ah?"

Zhou Sheng said with a pained expression, "Master, I just got back. Can't I have a day to rest?"

"Rest?"

"You'll have plenty of time to rest when you die during the final trial to graduate!"

"Now, immediately, go practice!"

"First, warm up your voice, then practice your tumbling, and you must also intensify your eye exercises. The distance should be adjusted to twenty zhang. If you make a mistake, you'll be punished with ten strokes!"

Yu Zhensheng casually picked up a White Ash Rod beside him, his expression cold and unsmiling. It seemed that once he started teaching opera, he would instantly transform into a cold-faced, ruthless judge, devoid of any master-disciple affection.

"You brat, listen carefully. Although taking medicine can help you rapidly increase your Dao cultivation, it's not enough to survive your graduation."

"You need to train real skills!"

Thanks to Qian Da Lai for the 10,000 reward, thanks to Yan Yu Jiang Nan Zhou Shang Ke for the 1,500 reward, thanks to Cang Shu Chi Bu Bao for the 500 reward, thanks to Lan Ling Long and Dong Fang Ri Chu Xi Bian Yu for the 100 reward. Sending love!