Wu Song

A piercing scream suddenly rang out from within the yamen, like a ghost wailing and a god roaring, causing many porcelain objects to crack, and some even shattering with a crack.

If any other living person were present, their eardrums would have bled instantly under this cry, rendering them deafeningly deaf.

But at this moment, Zhou Sheng, in the Unity of Person and Role, was completely unfazed. Even though his ears were buzzing, his eyes were fixed only on his prey.

Kill the ghost! Eat the ghost!

This is also to ferry the ghost.

He opened his cavernous mouth, his bone-white teeth seeming to become sharp blades for killing ghosts. With some divine power imbued, he tore off another large chunk of the Guardian Soldier's flesh and blood with a zi la sound.

As he chewed, the flesh and blood instantly transformed into Yin energy and entered his abdomen, finally bringing some relief to his rumbling stomach, which sounded like muffled thunder.

The phosphorescent fire in the Guardian Soldier's eyes dimmed by a fraction.

It waved its giant, fan-like hand, attempting to grab Zhou Sheng and fling him away, but the next moment, a Startling Hall Wood was slammed onto its head.

Yes, who said a Startling Hall Wood could only be used to strike a table?

Zhou Sheng used the wood as a brick, as if he were Nezha wielding golden bricks. He raised it to the heavens and smashed it down, like a comet striking the sun, a meteor falling and stars sinking.

Rumble!

The sound wasn't as loud as before, but it was closer. The immense Qi descended like a great mountain, stunning the Guardian Soldier.

With a crack, another fissure appeared on the Startling Hall Wood.

However, Zhou Sheng could no longer afford to care about it. His eyes were already filled with surging killing intent, his Vajra eyes glaring, his hair and beard flying wildly.

One bite! Another bite! And another!

He chewed until the evil ghost's bones were shattered and its tendons broken, its flesh and blood a bloody mess. The Yin energy poured out like a breached floodgate.

Occasionally, he even spat out fierce flames, scorching its skin until it was blistered, making it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

At first, the Guardian Soldier had tried to struggle and escape, but as a large amount of Yin energy dispersed, its giant body rapidly shrank.

Finally, the Guardian Soldier, usually known for its ferocity, felt fear.

"Celestial Master, spare me!"

"Holy Lord, Holy Lord, please don't eat me..."

At this moment, it seemed even it couldn't tell whether the one chewing and devouring the ghost was a performer of Ghost Opera or the formidable Zhong Kui, Celestial Master of the Nine Netherworlds!

After an unknown amount of time, the pleas for mercy gradually faded until they disappeared.

Zhou Sheng punched down, but his fist met empty air, cracking the bluestone floor beneath.

There was no trace of Yin energy left in the surroundings.

That fierce and domineering Guardian Soldier had thus vanished into thin air, its soul and spirit extinguished.

At this moment, the Turtle Shell and Luoshu in his mind erupted with brilliant light, more dazzling than ever before.

The accumulated energy surged several times instantly, coating the entire Turtle Shell with a layer of radiance, crystal clear and shimmering with flowing light.

Zhou Sheng should have been overjoyed, but his current state was very wrong.

The Guardian Soldier was dead, yet he stood there blankly, unable to exit his role-playing state for a long time.

Unity of Person and Role was a very mysterious and profound realm in Ghost Opera.

Many Ghost Opera Performers never experienced this realm in their entire lives. It was a state where the emotions and experiences of the Ghost Opera Performer and the character in the opera achieved a resonance and fusion of souls.

Like an opera fanatic, they couldn't distinguish between illusion and reality. Legends said that those who entered this state would hear the whispers of deities, as if an immortal were guiding the way, thus greatly increasing their divine abilities.

However, this state also had a significant side effect: if one became too immersed in the role and couldn't break free, they would eventually completely lose their sense of self, becoming mad and falling into demonic possession.

This is what is known as an opera madman.

The reason Yu Zhensheng believed Zhou Sheng's talent was extraordinary, calling him an unparalleled prodigy of the Ghost Opera lineage, was because Zhou Sheng, at such a young age, had already touched upon this realm several times.

In other words, in terms of acting, Zhou Sheng possessed an extraordinary talent.

This was a unique talent, but it was also a poison that could lead him to demonic possession.

There were two major principles in Ghost Opera: first, do not break character, and second, do not be unable to break character.

Zhou Sheng was currently facing the predicament of being unable to break character.

This time, playing Zhong Kui was different from playing Marquis Huan. Back then, Shen Jinhua's pressure on him was far less than that of the Guardian Soldier today.

Under the stimulation of life and death, he had pushed himself to his absolute limit, leaving no room for error. It was also the most dedicated and immersive performance he had ever undertaken since learning opera.

At this very moment, he seemed to truly hear a whisper, majestic, profound, and vast, calling his name—Zhong Kui.

Zhongnan Jinshi, Blessing and House-Protecting Holy Lord, Demon-Expelling Emperor...

In a daze, he seemed to see a majestic figure riding a fierce tiger, clad in official robes, slowly approaching. Behind him, five ghost kings supported a giant long sword.

Suddenly, the figure seemed to sense something and abruptly opened its eyes.

What kind of eyes were those?

In an instant, Zhou Sheng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his body chilled to the bone, as if he were staring at two blood-red suns.

He couldn't help but feel drawn towards that figure, as if by merging with it, he could possess unparalleled divine power and immortal longevity.

But deep in his heart, a voice kept echoing.

Wake up!

You are not It!

Wake up!!

In reality, a flicker of fluctuation crossed his crimson eyes. He then raised the Startling Hall Wood in his hand and slammed it hard against his own forehead!

The next moment, his entire body felt like it was struck by lightning. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. Drops of sweat slid down the greasepaint on his face, dyeing the ground in various colors.

Finally out of the opera!

On a distant rooftop, Yu Zhensheng quietly put down the pebble he was holding. His expression remained unchanged, but his entire body relaxed considerably.

He revealed a slight smile, and after a long pause, uttered a single word.

"Color."

Zhu Mansion.

After her husband left, the County Magistrate's wife, feeling a bit dizzy, had lain down to rest. She suddenly woke from a dream, her heart pounding, her mouth dry.

Her neck ached faintly.

Especially her right eyelid, it wouldn't stop twitching.

"Cui Cui—"

She subconsciously called out the name, then remembered Cui Cui was no longer there. She called out the name of another maid.

But no one answered from outside.

"Hong Yun, Bi Yue, Xi Liu..."

She called out several of her personal maids, but none responded. Outside was a deathly silence; even the chirping of cicadas and birds seemed to have vanished.

An ominous premonition welled up in the County Magistrate's wife's heart.

Just then, a passage of opera singing suddenly erupted from outside.

"Slaughtered all within the tower, bodies piled—"

"Slaughtered all outside the tower, crows silenced—"

She shivered in fear and quietly peered out from the window. What she saw horrified her: the ground was littered with the bodies of household servants, blood splattered three feet high, a mess of corpses.

Each one had their throat slit with a single, swift, and brutal cut.

Plop!

As the last person fell, clutching their throat, the figure, like a demonic god, stood amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, their treasured blade dripping.

"A life for a life, a righteous deed in the martial world, leaving a name in the annals of history!"

"Hahaha!"

The person laughed heartily, then gradually ended the song. Their eyes, sharp as a blade, suddenly fixed on the County Magistrate's wife peeking through the window.

Terrified, the County Magistrate's wife screamed and immediately ran towards the door, trying to escape.

However, the moment she opened the door, a cold ghost-head saber pierced her heart.

"Ngh..."

She seemed to want to ask why, but the blood gushing from her mouth made it impossible to speak, only allowing her to whimper.

Just then, the figure gently approached her ear and sang the final line.

"Blood Splatters on Mandarin Duck Tower—"

"Wu Song!!"

Plop!

The County Magistrate's wife's corpse fell to the ground. To her death, she never understood why that person had killed her.

But tears, unbidden, streamed from her eyes.

Perhaps it was gratitude, or perhaps she had finally let go of some obsession.

Zhou Sheng sheathed his blade and stood, sighing softly.

"Do not say Marquis Huan did not discern injustice; the traveler's blade punishes the wicked."

"Great Master Shen, may you rest in peace."

Thanks to zhen_money and Book Friend 20250815200340512 for the hundred coin tip, sending love!