Five-Flower Melody, the Alchemist’s Pavilion

Once the others were gone, Wu Wang didn't head for the opera building to find the troupe leader. Instead, he turned and made his way to the other players' rooms.

The others aren't idiots. They wouldn't carry those problematic items around with them.

So if you hid them in your rooms, don't blame me for what happens next.

No one's watching. Finders keepers!

With a soft creak, he pushed open Xiaoxiao's door.

Even though that girl was with me the whole time, what if she found a clue beforehand?

But after a quick search, Wu Wang didn't find any papers or books. He only found one strange item, a headdress.

It was an unfinished headdress at that. The ornaments were not fully attached, but he could vaguely make out the shape of a Fuzi Helmet.

As far as Wu Wang knew, "headdress" was the general term for the various crowns and hats worn by opera performers, colloquially known as opera hats. These items were designed to match a character's personality and makeup.

Normally, there were strict rules about which headdress a character should wear with their costume.

There was even a saying in the opera world. "Better to wear it worn than to wear it wrong."

This meant it was better to wear the correct headdress, even if it was tattered, than to wear one that was mismatched.

The Fuzi Helmet, however, was worn by valiant characters in the opera, typically paired with roles like marshals or hegemons.

It had no business being in the room of a female performer like Xiaoxiao.

Nor should it have been in a personal room at all, hidden under the bed like this. It should have been stored in a proper "opera trunk."

Wu Wang's eyes narrowed.

Interesting. So her item was in her room the whole time. No wonder she was willing to wait for me to come back last night.

She must be planning to do something with that hidden headdress.

But I haven't finished my investigation. Now isn't the time to alert her.

Wu Wang didn't take the headdress. He simply put it back where he found it and moved on to the page boy's room.

The moment he reached the door, he sensed something was wrong.

【Cognitive Impairment】, 【Contact Sensing】, 【Identification Marker】…

The doorknob was covered in numerous sealing effects. If he opened it without realizing, the page boy would immediately know. He could even remotely sense which items were touched.

And who knew how many marks those seals would leave on him.

Heh, clever little bastard.

Trying to put a tracker on me?

Wu Wang rolled his eyes and flicked his wrist, revealing the bored-looking Red Vertical Pupil. After a deep sigh, he lowered his head and fixed his gaze on it.

The next second, complex, delirious whispers flooded his mind. The meridians in his body trembled and distorted as Mental Contamination enveloped him.

His mental strength plummeted.

Even in this state, Wu Wang staggered forward and raised his other hand to open the door.

Strangely, his action triggered none of the effects.

He slipped inside, bold and silent, only gasping for breath once he looked away from the Red Vertical Pupil.

Good thing I have a cheat, Wu Wang grinned.

He had experimented with this before, back when he was appraising items in the 【Spirit Calamity Plaza】. When under the Mental Contamination of the Red Vertical Pupil, passive-type sealing effects would not trigger on him.

Of course, actively targeted effects were another matter. He couldn't just stare at it in the middle of a fight. But for bypassing a passive sensor like the one on the door, it was perfect.

Wu Wang didn't know the exact principle. He guessed that since the Abyss God could twist a person into a monster, its contamination must operate on an existential level, not just a mental one.

In that moment, the passive sensory effect couldn't even recognize him as a living target.

To put it simply, I abandoned my humanity!

After sneaking in successfully, Wu Wang started rummaging through the page boy's belongings. Surprisingly, the item wasn't even hidden. It was sitting right in the desk drawer.

【Five-Flower Melody】

【The Spider Lily has five colors; the lost soul has five elements.】

【The lost soul falls to the other shore, the five-colored flowers are grafted, the Yellow Springs Road reappears, the Bridge of Helplessness is reconnected, and the one from the other shore can cross the Bridge of Helplessness to return to the mortal world.】

【The second month, mid-spring, greets the Flower Festival; flourishing like earth, it gathers to form the arms, crafted into a marvel.】

【The third month, the time of orioles, the faded flowers fall; gentle like water, it gathers to form the torso, strengthened into substance.】

【The fourth month, early summer, all fragrance is gone; heavy like wood, it gathers to form the legs, stabilized into firmness.】

【The fifth month, high summer, sees the scorching sun; gleaming like metal, it gathers to form the head, the spirit settled into peace.】

【...】 (damaged section)

The contents of the note made Wu Wang's brows furrow. This was almost identical to what the troupe leader had told him last night. It had to be the same set of spells.

Why would the page boy have this in his room?

And this paper was also missing a section. It listed the corresponding elements and months for the arms, torso, legs, and head, but not for the heart.

Wu Wang was pondering the connection between the page boy and the troupe leader when he heard faint footsteps outside.

Always vigilant, Wu Wang quickly returned the clue to its place. He stared at the Red Vertical Pupil, plunging himself back into a state of Mental Contamination, and slipped nimbly out the window.

He made his way back to his own room.

A moment later, a sharp knock came from the door, followed by the troupe leader's impassive voice.

"The sun is high and you're still not up. Bai Sha, you've been slacking on your morning practice."

Wu Wang scurried over to open the door. He looked at the handsome, picturesque troupe leader and chuckled.

"I was up all night thinking about your proposal. I couldn't sleep."

"So, what have you decided?" the troupe leader asked, getting straight to the point.

At this, Wu Wang's smile faded. After a moment of thought, he nodded.

"I agree, but I have one condition."

"Feel free to state it."

The troupe leader seemed to have expected a demand.

Wu Wang spoke gravely. "I need to know how the spell works, or at least where you'll perform it. What if you just take the bodies of my fellow disciples and disappear? If someone reports this to the authorities, I'll be the one taking the fall."

The request was reasonable. The troupe leader didn't question it.

He nodded. "Of course, that's no problem. Since you need to get medicinal herbs anyway, come with me."

Led by the troupe leader, Wu Wang arrived at a familiar place, the Dilapidated Opera Building.

Is he serious?

Isn't the other troupe leader still in there?

Aren't they going to fight if they see each other?

Of course, the troupe leader couldn't hear Wu Wang's inner complaints. He simply led the way, pushing open the door and entering. The decorations inside were much the same as the main opera building, only on a slightly smaller scale.

He led Wu Wang to a wooden door but didn't turn the doorknob. Instead, he moved a few bricks next to the door in a rhythmic pattern.

The next second, a passage wide enough for one person to enter split open in the floor!

Holy crap, a secret room!

Is this really a proper opera house?

I've heard stories about old opera houses that were just fronts for brothels and their 'music parties.' Don't tell me this is one of them.

"Welcome to my Alchemist's Pavilion."

"Bai Sha, you will be the first guest to enter this place."

"You should feel honored."