Chapter 651: Stage

"Alright, alright, I won't laugh anymore, my dear, don't leave." Pulled by Luo Juanhua, Lu Juren eventually sat down in the armchair.

One armchair was a bit crowded for two people to lie on, but neither of them minded.

"My dear, the truth is, I don't regret marrying you. You might be a bit useless, but you have a good heart."

Lu Juren just lay there, listening as his wife poured out her heart to him.

"If others struck it rich, they would surely find concubines, but you wouldn't."

"When Xiuer was born, the moment your father saw she was a girl, his face turned as dark as a pot, yet you were as happy as a monkey."

At this point, Luo Juanhua suddenly remembered something. Her neck shot up, and a sly expression appeared on her face.

"Hey, did your father say that after he dies, he would definitely leave this opera house to you? Like, is there any written proof?"

"Cough." Lu Juren coughed lightly and turned over. "Why bring my father into this?"

"Tsk! How can you not be meticulous about this? Let me tell you, don't think your younger brother is foolish; he's actually quite clever. Don't let him end up taking all the good things."

Lu Juren suddenly sat up, his expression a bit bewildered. "Don't try to run away every time this topic comes up. Without this opera house, when we get old, are we going to beg on the streets?"

"No, listen," he said. "Why has the opera outside stopped?"

Hearing this, Luo Juanhua immediately cocked her ear and realized there was no longer any singing from the opera house upfront, but rather a lot of noise. "What's going on? Did the performance flop?"

"You and Xiuer stay here and don't move. I'll go check." Lu Juren said, getting off the chair and walking towards the side door.

However, just as his hand reached for the door latch, the wooden door was instantly kicked open, and a large group of people wearing white headscarves and black shoulder cloths rushed in.

Leading the charge was an old beggar with sores on his face, whom Lu Juren had seen at the entrance of the vegetable market.

At this moment, he held a cleaver in his hand, waving it menacingly as he rushed forward, striking Lu Juren directly in the chest.

Hearing Lu Juren's cry of pain, the old beggar laughed with vengeful satisfaction.

"So you rich people, who have lived in luxury your whole lives, also feel pain! Do you know what hunger is? Do you know what hardship is? Do you know what it feels like to be humiliated and looked down upon?"

"Heaven is unjust, so today we will change heaven itself! Let you also taste what it's like to be poor!"

Feeling intense pain, Lu Juren looked at the crowd before him. He, who had always been timid, suddenly pushed away the old man in front of him and turned to shout at Luo Juanhua on the armchair: "Juan'er! Run!"

After shouting at her, Lu Juren was about to turn and block these people, but at that moment, an ironmonger's hammer struck his head violently.

Lu Juren's head, whose bones were no match for iron, was caved in, and his body stiffened as he fell to the ground.

"My dear!!!" Luo Juanhua cried out in despair, disregarding the cult followers as she rushed towards Lu Juren's body on the ground.

Among the crowd, a burly old woman charged forward, raised the scissors in her hand, and with hatred in her eyes and gritted teeth, plunged them directly into her neck.

"I'll make you suffer! We're both women! Why should I suffer while you enjoy good fortune!"

Watching the light fade from Luo Juanhua's eyes, the old woman picked up the scissors and walked towards Xiuer, who was crying loudly on the ground.

Just as she was about to act, the old beggar, who had just been shoved by Lu Juren, rushed forward and picked up Xiuer. "What are you doing! How old is she! Is your heart made of stone? To lay hands on such a small child!"

"Get out of the way!"

"I won't!"

While the two were at a stalemate, the others rushed into the backyard and began ransacking it.

Seeing this, the two immediately put aside their conflict and quickly rushed in after them, fearing that if they were a step too late, all the good things would be snatched up.

However, it wasn't long before everyone reappeared on the street, looking disgruntled.

Clearly, there wasn't much of value in the opera house's backyard. "I know where their mansion is! Follow me, everyone!" Hearing this, everyone surged onto the street.

Among the crowd, a ruffian with dragon tattoos on his arms casually set the opera house on fire.

The old beggar walked at the very back of the crowd, carrying the crying Xiuer. Having lived a precarious existence in the past, his physical strength was poor, and carrying a small child, he was gradually falling behind.

He had originally wanted to put Xiuer down, but after glancing at the chaotic surroundings, he gritted his teeth and continued to press forward.

However, just then, he suddenly heard a commotion ahead.

"A monster!"

"It's a monster!"

"Don't be afraid! Yu'er Shen is omnipotent, what is there to fear from a mere monster! Let's go! Kill him!"

Before the old beggar could understand what was happening, he suddenly saw a burst of bloody mist explode within the distant crowd.

Immediately after, the people fell in swathes, like rice stalks in a field.

Finally, he saw what that thing was.

It was a red-robed Daoist priest, covered in black fleshy strips. The Daoist wore a copper coin mask on his face, and surprisingly, his single pupil contained two eyes. Moreover, each of the black fleshy strips had a blood-stained sharp weapon hanging from its end. He truly looked much like a monster.

The moment he saw this thing, the old beggar had no time to do anything else. He merely raised the bloody cleaver in his hand, turned, and shoved the child he was carrying behind him. The next moment, his entire body ripped apart.

In a deluge of blood, Li Huowang was momentarily stunned when he saw the crying Xiuer.

He hadn't expected to see someone from the Lu family's opera troupe under such circumstances.

Xiuer, her face red from crying, walked up to Li Huowang, tugged hard at his hem, and with one hand pointed towards the opera house.

A tentacle wrapped around Xiuer, and Li Huowang rushed in the direction she pointed, stepping on roof tiles.

Before long, Li Huowang saw the facade of the Lu family's opera house.

The wood, once inlaid with gold and silver, was now entirely engulfed in roaring flames.

Watching the collapsing floors inside, Li Huowang gritted his teeth and rushed in.

The former stage was also engulfed in flames.

An elderly man with white hair was standing on the gradually collapsing stage, singing opera lines wildly, half-crying and half-laughing.

Beside him lay the bodies of his son and daughter-in-law.

"The bright moon has risen early in the east! I recall my aged mother in the main hall! Serving the lord is like a lamb beside a tiger; though I give my utmost loyalty, filial piety is hard to perform. Stars shift, constellations turn, the second watch is done; I cannot sit still, nor sleep peacefully. Gu County never failed its people, for what reason did the golden decree summon me? I hear the watchtower strike the third watch, a bright moon illuminates the steps and hall!"

Lu Zhuangyuan had gone mad.