novelraw Chapter 54: Please Take the Stage and Perform
Chapter 54: Please Take the Stage and Perform
"Simply put, it's collecting the memories of Blue Stone Platform locals, recreating the scenes from that time, then having students enter to gain experience and temper their hearts."
After listening to Wang Su's explanation, Lord Chang the Eighth tucked his hands in his sleeves and looked at him like looking at an idiot.
"My education level is low. I haven't studied many days. Who understands what you're saying?"
Wang Su looked completely helpless, "To put it even more simply, we're creating a scene for students to experience."
"Oh, that's what you mean."
Lord Chang the Eighth nodded, "Then what does this have to do with me?"
"We want you to play that Mohe the Perfected Being."
"Not doing it."
Lord Chang the Eighth immediately shook his head upon hearing this, "Find someone else. I can't do this!"
Du Qian beside him quickly added, "There are benefits!""What benefits?"
"We'll collect entrance fees later. The entrance money the students pay, we'll split fifty-fifty."
"Do I look like someone who needs those few melons and dates?"
"Students use spirit stones as entrance fees."
Lord Chang the Eighth's eyes flickered.
Seeing he was somewhat tempted, Wang Su quickly said, "The illusory realm we're designing is like this. After the students enter, through a series of guidance, they discover someone is spreading heretical teachings in the town. Then we have them find you, you defeat them, or they defeat you, and this performance ends."
"Isn't that nonsense? What if someone accidentally dies? You want me to go to prison?"
"It's all fake! The illusory realm is like a dream. No one will really die."
"Ah... so that's what you mean."
Lord Chang the Eighth finally understood, "Then how long do I have to perform?"
"Try to make the time as long as possible. As long as you're responsible for playing that Mohe the Perfected Being, we'll split the entrance fees fifty-fifty. If you don't want to perform anymore later, leave a fake body there, and we'll still give you one-tenth commission. How about it?"
"That works."
Lord Chang the Eighth nodded, then suddenly asked again, "No other requirements, right? You scholarly types have many tricks. If you're trying to cheat me, don't blame me for going to the Earth God to complain!"
The two exchanged glances. Du Qian spoke, "The rest are just some detail issues, like dialogue and plot... Actually, you don't need to worry. There are many illusory realms like this in our Yun County. The oldest illusory realm has at least a thousand years of history and has been running smoothly until now. Nothing will go wrong."
Lord Chang the Eighth said in surprise, "Over a thousand years? How come I've never heard of it?"
Wang Su said helplessly, "Didn't you just say you haven't studied many days?"
One sentence left Lord Chang the Eighth's face completely red.
After settling things with Lord Chang the Eighth, Wang Su finally turned his head to look at Li Qiuchen beside him, who had been maintaining silence but actually had his ears pricked up eavesdropping.
"Brother Chu, I know you're a capable person, so we specially invited you here. We want you to play an important role in our illusory realm. You don't need to fight and kill, just responsible for reading lines. As for compensation, we can discuss it. We absolutely won't shortchange you."
So you can't find actors in Blue Stone Platform anymore, is that it?
Indeed.
It had just been swept clean.
Li Qiuchen frowned, "I don't know how you found me. Could it be that the old Zhao master's incident was your doing?"
Mentioning this matter, the two's faces immediately became embarrassed.
"There's some... misunderstanding in this."
Du Qian smiled bitterly, "We originally only wanted to collect memories from the past few days from old Master Zhao. We didn't expect the old master's body was too weak to withstand it. We fed him a pill wanting to preserve his life, but didn't expect the medicine's potency was a bit strong."
Was that a "bit strong" problem? When I arrived, old Master Zhao could nearly uproot a willow tree!
"I don't quite understand what you two gentlemen said earlier. In summary, you want me to perform and give me money. Is that what you mean?"
"Right, right, right, that's exactly it."
Wang Su nodded, "But it's not one performance, you need to perform several times. We'll give you one tael of silver each time you perform. Is that acceptable?"
"Acceptable!"
There are many things in this world that are difficult to handle, and the main reason is that the money isn't adequate.
As long as the money is adequate, everything is easy to handle.
Look at Lord Chang the Eighth's reluctant appearance. When he heard about the fifty-fifty split, he also shut his mouth.
Although Li Qiuchen also didn't quite understand the basic principles of this illusory realm, looking at the compensation, everything else was negotiable.
For him, this one tael of silver wasn't very important. Mainly, he was very interested in these two students who claimed to be from the county academy.
This didn't seem quite the same as the county academy he had imagined.
Everything was properly discussed. When Li Qiuchen opened his eyes again, he found himself lying back on the bed at the cart inn.
It seemed this wasn't a divine ability exclusive to mountain gods, but rather a spell that could be learned at the county academy.
First thing in the morning, he still went to eat wontons.
Hu Hai'er left with his father, looking eagerly at Li Qiuchen, as pitiful as a little wife being sold off.
His father did the cart driving business and couldn't stay in one place too long.
The young man's entrepreneurial spirit had just ignited and was extinguished by the cold water of cruel reality.
Li Qiuchen didn't mean to deceive him, but plans couldn't keep up with changes.
When giving him empty promises yesterday, who could have thought old Master Zhao would suddenly go mad?
"What we brothers agreed on won't change. Next time you come, if you can't find me, go find the old shopkeeper. Remember that?"
"I remember!"
Hu Hai'er was so moved his eyes welled with tears, then his father immediately kicked him.
In a father's eyes, sons basically fell into two categories.
One kind completely didn't listen and had their own opinions. Couldn't control them and didn't dare control them.
One kind had no real ability but thought they were pretty awesome. This kind needed proper discipline, beaten to death.
Hu Hai'er clearly belonged to the latter.
Having seen off Hu Hai'er, Li Qiuchen decided to select a property in Blue Stone Platform.
From now on, he was also a person with status. Performing on stage once for one tael of silver, with this status, having him sleep at the cart inn again was clearly inappropriate.
What? You say Qi Refining realm?
Don't talk nonsense! How would a mountain person like me know about Qi Refining realm?
Normal cultivators who condensed their qi sea could have their cultivation realm judged through qi observation methods.
Medicine Master believers who forged dragon courts couldn't be seen from external appearances.
Once true cultivation was revealed and fell into the eyes of interested parties, that would be a big problem.
Currently, Li Qiuchen on the surface was just a mountain poor boy with a strong physique, abundant qi and blood, and slight martial arts knowledge. Mountain guests like him were very common in the north. Even if a bit young, he could say it was family-inherited skills, which completely wouldn't attract others' attention.
The cart inn was actually quite good. Sleeping there at night was warm, and there were gambling entertainment activities. It was just that the sanitary environment was a bit poor. The smell could only be said to be slightly better than a pigsty.
But as mentioned before, he was now a person with status.
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