At the theater's main entrance.
The bandits were frantically trying to escape, but the fire around them grew more intense. Burning beams began to collapse from the ceiling. Some bandits, attempting to scale the walls like the swordsman, failed miserably, their bodies catching fire, writhing in agony as they rolled on the ground.
At the main entrance, Chu Ge led the villagers in a desperate stand. Outnumbering the bandits and bolstered by the aura of righteousness, they held the entrance firmly, preventing any escape.
Everything seemed to be going perfectly according to plan.
But Chu Ge looked back inside the theater. The music continued, and Su Xianjun remained on stage, singing as though nothing outside mattered to him.
"See the city nestled by the surging river, the vast Parrot Island, the towering Yellow Crane Tower. The silent streets, desolate markets—this beautiful city fed the wolves, its grand picture torn and discarded. Amid cries of anguish, the beating of drums, iron horses neigh with pride…"
Chu Ge couldn't help but admire this dedication—what does it mean to be professional?
In opera, once a performance begins, one must finish it, regardless of the audience. Even if no mortals are listening, it is believed that unseen spirits might be. While it might sound superstitious, this tradition reinforces performance quality, backstage discipline, and reverence for the art.
And now, Meng Yuan, performing as Su Xianjun, was embodying this commitment to perfection, fully aligning with Su Xianjun's character.
Chu Ge couldn't help but marvel at Meng Yuan's composure. Not only was he performing excellently, but he also maintained a calm, unshakable demeanor, even as the theater burned around him, flames almost reaching his costume. This was truly the mark of a hardcore player.
What he didn't know was that Meng Yuan was continuing to sing mainly because he had no idea what else to do…
According to the plan, Su Xianjun's role was to captivate the bandits, allowing the theater to be set ablaze smoothly.
Now that the mission was complete, what else could he do?
Fight in combat?
He hadn't chosen any combat talents, nor did he have any weapons!
Meng Yuan had only taken performance-related talents, so what else could he do besides keep singing?
Lie down on stage and wait for the battle to end?
That would be undignified.
Fine, he thought, I'll just keep singing. There's still a long way to go.
…
Outside the theater, Huo Yunying dodged the polearm's swing with agile movements.
"Zhao Haiping should be wrapping up by now.
"We might need both of us to handle this Eastern Yi general."
Huo Yunying had been locked in a prolonged fight with the general. Though unscathed, he hadn't managed to inflict any serious harm.
The general, unable to ride a horse, was slowed by his heavy armor, but his polearm still had an extensive range, making it hard for Huo Yunying to find an opening.
Though he could try targeting weak spots in the armor, Huo Yunying had no room for error.
The general could withstand several hits, but if he managed to land even one blow, it would be over for Huo Yunying.
Thus, Huo Yunying focused on keeping him occupied, waiting for the villagers to finish off the other bandits and join him. Together, they could exhaust the general.
However, at that moment, a wisp of black smoke drifted over from a distance, merging with the general's body!
The general let out an agonized roar as his body began to swell, his eyes glowing black, dark energy emanating from him.
Huo Yunying froze.
He had never seen this before!
In the previous trial simulations, he had fought this Eastern Yi general countless times, knowing all his moves. But this dark-energy transformation? He had never encountered it.
"Could this be a unique mechanism for the ultimate trial? A second phase for the boss?
"Is this the possessed state, as the story suggests?"
Huo Yunying didn't have time to think, as the general's polearm swung down again!
He dodged, but this time the attack was far more dangerous, the weapon narrowly missing him and smashing into the stone floor, sending shards flying.
"His power and speed are completely different now—definitely a higher difficulty!"
Huo Yunying's senses sharpened, adrenaline surging as he narrowly evaded several deadly strikes.
Yet he found himself increasingly cornered.
Then, from a distance, he heard someone chanting.
"Scattering blossoms veiling the sun and moon, unaware of the pure frost of heaven and earth!"
As the words echoed, an invisible force descended, enveloping the Eastern Yi general!
His raised polearm suddenly wavered, and he let out a pained howl as the dark energy around him dispersed, weakening him.
Huo Yunying turned to see Chu Ge, pale and exhausted, clearly drained from his righteous attack.
"It worked!"
Despite his exhaustion, Chu Ge smiled in relief.
He had guessed that if demons truly existed in this story, there might be ways to counter them.
A literatus' aura of righteousness should be effective, right?
He had prepared some poetry to unleash his righteous aura as an attack, and it had succeeded!
However, his relief was short-lived as the enraged demon-possessed general charged at him.
The demon's fury was understandable.
It had assumed the damned Restorer was playing Gao Ze, so it had focused on trying to kill him. But this seemingly inconspicuous theater member had suddenly unleashed righteous power that directly harmed the demon.
What did this mean?
It meant the Restorer had been hiding in plain sight, nearly toying with it!
But there was still time.
Though altering the historical fragment was impossible, killing this Restorer would still serve its purpose.
Seeing the general targeting him again, Chu Ge's face darkened.
Here we go again?
This scene felt strangely familiar.
Without hesitation, he turned and ran!
Having practiced this countless times, his reflexes and speed had improved significantly.
The general swung his polearm in frustration, but under the righteous aura's suppression and weighed down by his armor, he couldn't keep up.
After running a short distance, Chu Ge stopped and hid behind someone.
The general glanced at the person blocking his path, momentarily confused.
It was Yang Xinyan!
The once timid theater leader now stood calmly with a blade in each hand, blocking his way.
Behind the general, Huo Yunying approached as well.
Flanked from front and back, the demon hesitated.
Who was the Restorer?
If these were ordinary people, they should have felt intimidated by his demonic power, showing fear.
Especially Yang Xinyan. Despite being corrupted, he had somehow returned, now exuding a divine presence?
And that unassuming theater member could wield righteous aura, which made no sense!
"Kill… Kill them all!"
Under the demon's influence, the general fell into a crazed state, now facing the fragment's rejection, but he no longer cared.
With alteration out of reach, all he wanted was to find and kill the Restorer!
The general swung his polearm wildly, but Zhao Haiping and Huo Yunying coordinated their attacks from different directions with perfect timing.
They knew the general's moves so well they could anticipate them, moving in sync.
With Chu Ge assisting from the side, even the demon-empowered general couldn't land a hit.
But neither could they bring him down quickly.
With heavy armor and demonic control, superficial cuts and stabs weren't enough.
They exchanged a look.
The general's polearm swung down once more, and Zhao Haiping blocked with both blades, enduring the pain that shot up his arms.
The 100% pain setting was no joke!
The general's balance faltered as his polearm was deflected.
Huo Yunying seized the moment, leaping onto the nearly two-meter-tall general, his sword piercing through a gap in the armor, stabbing deep into his back!
The general roared in pain, unable to shake Huo Yunying off with his weapon, resorting to reaching for him.
But then, a figure leapt from a nearby rooftop, landing with perfect timing.
In one swift move, fueled by the "Righteous Fury" talent, Xia Ruoling's blade found the gap between the helmet and armor, slashing the general's throat!
With a twist, she decapitated him completely.
In righteous fury, blood spills, leaving the world in mourning.
If even an emperor could be slain, what chance did a mere bandit general have?
A dark aura rose from the general's corpse, struggling to find a new host, reluctant to let go, but eventually dissipated.
The demon, to its last, hadn't figured out which of these figures was the Restorer.
In its final moments, it looked back at the theater.
The entire building was engulfed in flames, and the trapped bandits were all consumed.
"No dreams of restoring the kingdom, where shall lovers' affection go…"
On stage, Su Xianjun finished his song and took a bow.
Flames surrounded him, as though the curtain of the stage were closing.
And with that, everything was set.