Chapter 3: Benefactor

  "I was originally a carefree person from Wò Lóng Gǎng, discussing yin and yang as if it were second nature, securing the universe...” The old Sheng on stage sang with great rhythm and expression, while the enthusiastic audience below leaned against the pillars at the back of the stage, lifting the curtain to watch everything on stage. This man, around 23 years old, slender in build, stood tall like a jade tree, reciting word by word: "I was originally a carefree person from Wò Lóng Gǎng, discussing yin and yang as if it were second nature, securing the universe..."

  After finishing his words, a sly smile appeared on his face. This theater was his own, and in just fifteen years, the little boy from back then had transformed completely. In this coastal city's ten-mile foreign concession, he held a place of power. People say that actors are the lowest of the low, but it was precisely this humble profession that allowed him to come into contact with people from all walks of life - merchants and celebrities alike, all flocking to him like birds to a phoenix tree.

  At present, various theater troupes are all eyeing the opportunity to perform at Rongfeng Theater. Who doesn't know that Rongfeng Theater's audience is of the highest quality? If you want to become famous, you have to take this shortcut and pay your respects to the renowned Mr. Yang, whose stage name is Yang Yaqing. Nobody knows his original surname or given name; anyway, it's not important. This is an era where the strong prey on the weak, and only the strong can survive.

  Yang Zhenqing was once a famous Dan (female role) in Peking Opera, it is said that he amazed the audience with his skills at the age of 13, and his appearance was described as "eyebrows like distant mountains, extremely elegant and refined, occasionally slightly raised, lightly applied but incredibly beautiful". Everything is just legend, Yang Zhenqing, as a prestigious theater owner, had long since faded from the stage, rarely performing. The last time he performed on stage dates back to six years ago, all his fellow actors joked that they wanted to see Yang's elegance again, but no one knows when it will happen.

  Yang Yanqing walked into the theater manager's office, glanced at the desk, then turned back to lock the door and smiled: "Back, why not come out quickly!"

  A tall and thin young man emerged from behind the curtains with a somewhat downcast expression on his face: "How did you find out?"

  "Let you have more hands." Yang Yanqing pointed to the invitation on the table and said, "You've moved it, and our agreed time has arrived. Alright, Qi Shi, speak up, what news do you have this time?"

  "It's in the hands of Weishi Jie, a warlord from Yun City." Qishi said: "The news is definitely true. This Weishi Jie has great ambitions and has long been dissatisfied with his superiors, wanting to rise up. He's also a superstitious person who believes in Feng Shui numerology. It's said that this residual volume was obtained by him when he went to dig graves to raise military funds."

  "Besides the incomplete volume of Fate's Record in my hand, there should be three more volumes. One is with Wei Shijie and two more are elsewhere." Yang Yanqing looked at Qi Shi with a hint of a smile: "I'll have to trouble you again."

  Qizhi listened, with a bitter face, and made a gesture to kneel down. Just then, Yang Jianyi kicked out one foot, seemingly without much force, yet lightly supported Qizhi's knee. Qizhi tried to press down with the momentum, but couldn't do it, so he stood up straight, pretending to be angry: "Fine, who made me owe you a life? The remaining two volumes, I'll help you find them, until they're found!"

  Mentioning "owing a life", Yang Yanqing said helplessly: "You're at it again, how long do you want me to wear this 'life-saving benefactor' hat?"

  "Six years ago, if it weren't for you, my life would have been gone long ago." Qi Shi lifted his left sleeve, revealing a deep scar on his wrist: "I still remember the events of that year clearly."

  Yang Yanqing turned his back and left, this was the nth recollection of Qi Shi. He had already lost count, because it was impossible to keep track, over these six years, Qi Shi had recalled again and again, in the process some things had become distorted and no longer matched reality, for example, he himself had clearly been found on a mountain slope, but Qi Shi had changed it to by the river...

  Six years ago, Yang Yanqing was seventeen years old. Since he debuted at the age of thirteen, the name Yang Yanqing had been shrouded in a halo. The famous Southern and Northern Dan were also suppressed by him, and the number of theaters that invited him to perform was countless. At that time, on the way to this ten-mile foreign land, Yang Yanqing suddenly understood why Qi Shi wanted to change the location of their encounter from the mountain slope to the riverbank. It was because when he found Qi Shi, he had just gotten off the carriage and was going up the mountain to "relieve himself"!

  It was too late to be convenient, Yang Yanqing had just lifted his long shirt and found a young man of similar age lying at his feet. His fingers were slender and terrifying, with coarse linen clothes covered in bloodstains, and a bronze Buddha head protruding from his pocket. Seeing this thing, Yang Yanqing immediately understood his identity - a tomb raider! In the jargon of the trade - a loser.

  At that time, Qi Shi was still able to breathe, opened his eyes and saw the blurry figure in front of him. He only said one sentence, which saved his own life and changed Yang Jianqing's path: "You save my life, I will be your servant, whatever you say, I will do it immediately!"

  That year, Yang Yanzheng stood on the stage with his tall figure, and the theater fans below were silent. Yang Yanzheng bowed and said: "Yan Zheng is not talented, these years have been favored by everyone, drama should be a new generation pushing forward, from now on, I will focus on teaching apprentices, and rarely perform on stage. If fate permits, you can watch plays in my theater, a gentleman's word is like a promise, it cannot be taken back!"

  As soon as this was said, it immediately caused the theater fans below to explode, and someone immediately stood up: "Yang Zhenqing is great, if you can open your own theater, this is unprecedented and unmatched!"

  Yang Yanqing dared to say that he was the pioneer who opened up the sky and created a new world, because Qi Shi had already done it. Yang Yanqing chose the tomb, Qi Shi dug the grave and stole the artifacts, the two of them worked together seamlessly. Every time they received money, Yang Yanqing would think back to that night when he was thrown out of the house, with the phrase "poor devil" still echoing in his ears. Unfortunately, some things are gone forever once they're lost, like Grandpa's life.