Chapter 369: Double Happiness Arrives

As roosters crowed, the bustling city of Yinling gradually awoke. Its quiet streets slowly filled with pedestrians, donkeys, and horses.

Everyone was busy with their own affairs, oblivious to the excited red-robed Daoist sitting on the tiles of an inn. No one could possibly understand Li Huowang's feelings at that moment.

"Father?" Li Sui, sensing his surprise, carefully touched Li Huowang's rapidly beating heart with her two tentacles.

An hour had passed, but Li Huowang still couldn't calm down, repeatedly scrutinizing the contents of the letter in his hand.

No one could comprehend what this letter meant to him. It signified that he wouldn't remain lost in pain indefinitely, that his life wasn't solely filled with suffering and despair, that he still had hope! As long as he could find a way to escape the illusions from Beifeng. As long as his hardships could eventually lead to happiness, then all the suffering he had endured over the years would be worth it! He could also live like an ordinary person, spending a lifetime peacefully with the one he loved!

It was at this moment that the pervasive desire for death in Li Huowang's heart completely vanished. He now had one, and only one, goal: he must live! He must live to break free from the confusion of the Heart-element!

"Huowang, what are you doing on the roof?" Bai Lingmiao's voice quickly brought Li Huowang back to his senses.

He flipped over and rushed down, tightly embracing her, his eyes fixed on her delicate face with a hint of excitement. "There's a way! There's a way!"

Not only was his own goal clear, but Bai Lingmiao's problem was also resolved; it was a double blessing. Ji Xiang had told him inwardly that he had found a connection with the Military School, and they had a method to dispel the malevolent aura!

"What's wrong? What are you going crazy about now?" Bai Lingmiao asked, very confused.

Li Huowang gently shook his head, leaned down to peck her pink lips, and excitedly declared, "Let's go! Pack our things, we're going to Shangjing!"

In Baijia Village, a crowd of people, some with children in tow, gathered around the Bai family hall, watching the spectacle.

Lu Zhuangyuan, abandoning his usual glib and unprincipled demeanor, sat sternly in a grand armchair. Before him, five boys of varying heights knelt, each holding a cup of tea.

The first, a tall boy, spoke: "Disciple Zhan Yuansheng, I voluntarily pledge myself as a student under Lu Zhuangyuan to learn the livelihood of the opera troupe. All money earned during this period shall belong to the master. In case of natural disasters or misfortunes, each shall accept their fate. Any selfish runaways, rebellious individuals, or disobedient ones shall be beaten to death without question!"

After speaking, he presented the tea to Lu Zhuangyuan. Lu Zhuangyuan, suppressing his pride, took a sip. The boy then knelt and kowtowed three times heavily before Lu Zhuangyuan, solemnly calling out, "Master."

The second and third followed, and so on, until the fifth disciple. Then, Lu Zhuangyuan, maintaining his dignified posture, spoke gravely: "A Zhuangyuan (top scholar) might appear every three years, but a Xiaosheng (young male lead in opera) only emerges every ten! Though we are considered low-class, out of the three hundred and sixty trades, every one can produce a master! All disciples, you must practice diligently and not be lazy! In the future, you will become famous performers renowned through the ages!"

After painting this grand picture, Lu Zhuangyuan lightly coughed and told his eldest son, "Juren, first take them to test their physique."

Once they had all left, Lu Zhuangyuan leaped from the armchair, immediately dropping his pretense and grinning like a plucked monkey.

Gouwa, snacking on a handful of melon seeds nearby, quipped, "Master Lu, your Lu Family Troupe is flourishing! You'll soon be able to buy an opera house in Yinling City!"

Though it was a jest, it hit Master Lu's sweet spot, and his face blossomed with a smile. "Hehehe, I'll take your auspicious words! I'll take your auspicious words!"

Zhao Wu, leaning on a wooden crutch nearby, asked with some confusion, "Master Lu, where did you find all these people? Are their parents willing to let their children join an opera troupe with you?"

Generally, families with even a small plot of land wouldn't send their children to perform in opera; it was considered disgraceful.

"Heh heh, whether they're willing or not, they first have to exist." Lu Zhuangyuan smugly pulled out the pipe tucked into his back and puffed on it. "These are all little beggars I met while performing in various places. When they heard they'd get food and lodging, who would refuse? And you know, it's strange, this Great Liang nation is so rich, yet there are still beggars."

"What's strange about that? Every place has its share of unfortunates. But you have so much land now, you could be a landlord, are you still going to perform?"

Lu Zhuangyuan thought of the fields surrounding Niuxin Village, his heart itching, but he ultimately nodded. "Ah, having land and performing opera aren't mutually exclusive, are they?"

Ultimately, Lu Zhuangyuan was still uneasy. After all, these fields weren't his own; without Li Huowang, the owner, there was nothing he could do if they decided to drive him out one day. But if he truly built an opera house, every brick and tile would be earned by his own honest effort. Living there would also feel secure.

He had actually wanted to discuss this with Miss Bai, but after what happened to her family, he hadn't found the time. He had originally planned to wait until Miss Bai was feeling better, then send his daughter-in-law to sound her out. But unexpectedly, Miss Bai, just like the young Daoist, had disappeared.

"Gouwa, where exactly has Miss Bai gone? When will she be back? Do you have any definite news?"

Lu Zhuangyuan inquired of the shifty-eyed fellow. After all, the entire Baijia Village was her property; without her, no one could consult on how many tenants to hire or what crops to plant in the fields. These two were like immortals who could live on dew, completely detached from the mundane world. But if they're detached from the mundane world, they should at least leave some mundane necessities for this old man before they leave!

Hearing the inquiry, Gouwa's face beamed with uncontainable joy. "Ah, yes, yes, my wife is pregnant. I'm going to be a father. It's still early for the birth, at least until the New Year or next Qingming."

Lu Zhuangyuan's face wrinkled up, and he looked at Gouwa with disdain, silently muttering in his heart with great contempt, "Did I ask you about that? Why are you bragging? You're becoming a father, and I'm already a grandfather."

"What about Miss Chun? She hasn't been seen lately either?"

Gouwa picked up a salted melon seed, tossed it into his mouth, and while cracking the shell with his teeth, replied, "How would I know? She's not my wife. Besides, with her bad temper, how could I possibly manage her?"

Hearing this, Lu Zhuangyuan seemed to sense the caution in Gouwa's words, so he chuckled and left.

Gouwa spat out the melon seed shells, turned proudly, and left the Bai family hall. He knew well how to distinguish between his own people and outsiders. What he found in the Bai family ancestral hall's cellar—he could tell his sworn brothers who had shared hardships with him, but telling the Lu Family Troupe was out of the question.

Wandering through the somewhat deserted eastern part of Baijia Village, Gouwa approached the high-walled compound at the east end of the village. He grabbed the tiger-head door knocker and pounded on the door. "Idiot, open up! Why are you locking the door in broad daylight?"