"Is that... the actor who came down with Zhao Qigong just now?"
Mei Sijun watched the figure hold his fingers in an orchid gesture and sing an eerie tune, blood streaming from all seven openings of his head. Only after some effort did he recognize him.
"Could he be possessed by a ghost...?"
With the man looking like that, Mei Sijun could hardly help entertaining the thought.
Just then, however, Qin Manjiang suddenly gave him a gentle tug.
"Wait. Take a step back and look again."
Mei Sijun stepped back with Qin Manjiang, and his eyes widened. The actor who had been bleeding from all seven openings and singing "Searching Mount Yin" with a strange inflection abruptly vanished again!
They both stepped forward, and the man and his voice reappeared at the same time!
"This is... scenery conjured through song, scenery moving with the performer, a change of scene with every step!"
Mei Sijun was aghast.
Before Qin Manjiang could ask for details, he volunteered an explanation. "It's a technique used in theatrical performances. The stage is small, but it contains a world of its own. To make mountains look like mountains and rivers look like rivers, the performers have to convey them through lyrics and physical movements, until the illusion passes for reality and every step brings a new scene. Shall we try another step forward?"
He suddenly turned to look at Qin Manjiang.
Qin Manjiang nodded. Mei Sijun was certainly more knowledgeable about theater. If he suggested taking another step forward to look, then they would take another step.
They stepped forward together. Suddenly, another troupe member who had come down with the troupe master appeared on the gravel path ahead!
Just like the first man, he was bleeding from all seven openings and eerily singing an excerpt