Night fell.
Lanterns hung high in the theater, casting bright light all around.
The once tidy and orderly theater had been seized by the Eastern Barbarian bandits. The tables were piled with food and wine, and the bandits drank loudly, filling the theater with a smoky, chaotic atmosphere.
The scholar who had previously stopped the rogue swordsman now held a jug of wine. Tipsy, he began to write on the white wall of the theater while chanting poetry:
"Sea mist at dawn opens and closes,
Spring sea breeze brings a lingering chill.
A weathered face savors thin wine,
Old eyes disdain the rushing waters.
Distant are the clustered houses and markets,
Broad and open is the guest's sandy road.
Tomorrow's dawn promises clear skies,
Jade-green waves drench the traveling saddle!"
Having finished his verse, he tossed the brush aside and looked with satisfaction at a well-dressed, handsome man in his thirties, asking proudly, "Master Wang, how do you find my poem?"
At this moment, Zhao Haiping was also in the theater, pretending to be a servant, serving wine and food to the Eastern Barbarian bandits.
Though he was tempted to grab a knife from the drunken bandits and attempt to assassinate the general, he resisted the urge, suppressing this impulse after a moment's consideration.
He knew the chances of success were slim.
Although the bandits appeared flushed and spirited from drinking, their vigilance remained high. Each one kept their blade close, making it difficult to seize a weapon.
Even if he managed to grab one, the other barbarians would quickly cut him down.
So, Zhao Haiping restrained his impulsive urge, reminding himself that he was only playing a theater troupe member this time, lacking any combat talents. He decided it would be wiser to observe the flow of events rather than act rashly.
Despite being a theater troupe member, Zhao Haiping discovered that his new body wasn't weak.
While not as physically strong as a laborer, he had much better coordination and even seemed to have some combat moves and skills.
He guessed that, due to the stage training required in performance, he had developed some strength and coordination, making him not entirely defenseless.
The scholar writing on the theater wall was the same one who had stopped the rogue swordsman earlier, incidentally saving Zhao Haiping's life.
But Zhao Haiping felt no gratitude toward him, for the scholar was clearly a traitor!
The man held a notable position among the Eastern Barbarian bandits, acting as an advisor. Although many bandits, including the rogue, looked down on him, the Eastern Barbarian general valued his counsel.
As for the "Master Wang" forced to watch him write, he was the local scholar Wang Jinghui, who had been previously mentioned at the theater entrance.
Wang Jinghui was reputedly a famous scholar in the region. Yet, with the theater now occupied by bandits, he had also been detained.
Wang Jinghui looked calmly at the scholar's writing on the wall and remarked, "This poem seems to be adapted from 'On Linchang Road' by a poet of the Qi Dynasty. Though structurally similar, your poem indeed surpasses the original in detail and expression."
The scholar laughed heartily, "I didn't expect my poem to earn Master Wang's approval. I'm truly honored!"
Wang Jinghui paused, then continued, "Don't celebrate too soon—I'm not finished.
"Though well-written, it lacks the proper sentiment.
"You have colluded with bandits and slaughtered innocent people of the Great Sheng Dynasty. How do you, a traitor, dare to pen lines like 'old eyes disdain the rushing waters' and 'jade-green waves drench the traveling saddle'?"
The scholar's face darkened. Nearby, two bandits, who didn't understand Wang Jinghui's words, could tell from his tone that he was being critical. They immediately gripped their hilts, ready to act.
But the scholar waved them off, stopping them.
"Victory and defeat—such is the way of the world! I studied the classics for over twenty years, carrying a heart full of passion, but how did the court treat me in return?
"Master Wang, you, with your achievements and fame, may not understand this frustration.
"But no matter—now I am in command, and you are a prisoner. I'd like to see how long your scholarly pride lasts!
"Take him to the cellar! Break one of his fingers every hour until he persuades Su Xianjun to perform on stage!"
A bandit escorted Wang Jinghui away.
Nearby, a tall, stocky man, with his makeup half-washed, approached the scholar with a flattering smile, "Please calm down, Advisor. Wang Jinghui lacks discernment. Rest assured, he and Su Xianjun will come around soon."
The scholar took another sip of wine. "Good, Boss Yang. You are indeed wise and adaptable. Just please go persuade Su once more. If we don't hear any singing tonight, by dawn, not a soul will remain in this little county."
The tall man, known as Boss Yang, nodded hastily, "Yes, yes, Advisor, I'll go right away."
Boss Yang left the theater and went backstage, and Zhao Haiping took the opportunity to follow, pretending to carry wine and food.
Compared to the chaotic revelry of the bandits in the theater, backstage was eerily quiet, with everyone's faces either filled with terror or suppressed fury.
Boss Yang walked to a door and knocked softly.
"Xianjun! The scholar said that if we don't perform tonight, by morning, the entire county will be slaughtered!
"Lord Tang has fallen in battle, and Gao Ze, who led the militia, is missing. The lives of the townspeople are in your hands!
"You could choose to end it all, but what have the townspeople done to deserve such a fate?"
He hadn't finished speaking before he was met with a stream of curses from inside the room.
"Yang Xinyan! Don't try to scare me with the townspeople! You're just afraid of dying, plain and simple!
"I can't believe that, on stage, you played the unyielding King of Chu, yet now, in the face of real duty, you're the first to kneel!
"Go tell those bandits—filthy, despicable dogs don't deserve to hear me sing!"
Boss Yang sighed and shook his head.
The rest of the theater troupe, unable to intervene, could only stand by in silence, trembling with fear and confusion.
Over several trips, Zhao Haiping managed to piece together the situation.
After seizing the county, the Eastern Barbarian bandits had not immediately begun looting and killing. Instead, they occupied the theater because the scholar and the barbarian general wanted to hear these two renowned performers.
Yang Xinyan and Su Xianjun were the owners of the troupe, famous across Jiangnan for their performance of "Farewell My Concubine."
The play recounted the tragic story of the end of the Chu Dynasty, a time filled with legendary heroes. Many still mourned the fall of Chu and the disappointing rule of the new Wei Dynasty, making this performance a popular one.
But with the bandits at their door, the "King of Chu" was the first to kneel.
Zhao Haiping also learned that the skilled militia leader who had fought alongside Lord Tang was named Gao Ze and had gone missing after the skirmish.
Now, the theater troupe was left in a state of panic. The long night stretched on, their hearts filled with dread.
Although it seemed that as long as Yang Xinyan and Su Xianjun agreed to perform, the bandits would spare the townspeople, who could guarantee this?
By dawn, these bandits might still massacre the entire county and leave with blood on their hands.
Zhao Haiping, too, felt restless.
Despite his new identity, he was still at a loss for how to clear this trial.
As he served tea and food, he secretly observed the bandits occupying the theater. After their fight with Lord Tang's forces, about thirty of the original hundred bandits had fallen. Now, roughly seventy or eighty remained, with several wounded.
After the battle, their combat effectiveness had diminished.
Their decision to occupy the theater without immediately pillaging suggested that, apart from the general and scholar's desire to hear a performance, they might be using this time to recover and lull the townsfolk into a false sense of security, hoping they wouldn't resist with full force.
Yet even so, wiping out the bandits entirely seemed almost impossible.
With Lord Tang's troops gone, where could Zhao Haiping find enough strength to take them down?
How was he supposed to complete this challenge?