This World Is Just That Cruel

The bright moon hung in the sky like a pearl, a perfect jade plate.

As the saying went, the moon of the fifteenth was roundest on the sixteenth.

But tonight was neither, and only moments ago, the moon had been slightly incomplete. In an instant, it had become perfectly round and bright.

It was quite bizarre.

When Wu Wang said it was so big and white, he was, of course, referring to the moon.

What else could he have been referring to?

He was still experiencing the memory from the perspective of the troupe master, Yu Ji.

As dusk fell, the play in the garden ended and the audience dispersed. The handymen busied themselves cleaning up the audience area.

All the actors, including Yu Ji, were summoned backstage by the old troupe master.

“Tonight, none of you are to leave your rooms. Get a good night's sleep.”

The old troupe master's voice was filled with authority.

“First thing tomorrow morning, a guest even more important than last month's prefect will be here to watch a private performance.”

“Do not disappoint him, understand? Rest well!”

Having started as a Wu Sheng, an opera role specializing in martial arts, he remained burly and strong even though he was over fifty.

The few white strands at his temples did not give him an air of aged desolation. Rather, they lent him the ferocity of a veteran who had fought on the battlefield for half his life.

Everyone was looking forward to the next morning's performance, wondering who the important figure was.

Only Yu Ji felt a little bewildered.

Didn't Lou Yu say the Prince would be watching a private performance tonight? Why was it changed to tomorrow?

His admiration for the Prince guided his thoughts, and his gaze drifted to the window.

The moon is so beautiful tonight.

After the old troupe master had herded everyone back to their quarters, repeatedly stressing that they were not to come out and must rest well, Yu Ji still slipped out.

Looking at the hairpin in his hand, he knew he had to return it to Lou Yu.

Since there was no performance tonight, he naturally wouldn't need to use it to take her place. Besides, he had promised to admire the moon with her.

He expertly took a shortcut, climbed a wall, and arrived at the Nuo Opera Garden.

To be honest, Yu Ji had never really liked this place. Ever since he was a child, it had given him a gloomy, eerie feeling.

When walking through the garden alone, he would feel a chill run down his spine, an unsettling sensation of being watched by something.

A while ago, a handyman had supposedly seen a ghost in the Nuo Opera Garden. The next day, the man had lost his mind.

In the end, the doctor's diagnosis was simply that the handyman's ancestors had a history of similar madness. It was just a hereditary condition.

Although that was the official story, the old troupe master still hired a Mao Shan Daoist priest that afternoon to perform a ritual.

The Daoist priest said that this Yi Garden was a place to thank the gods and offer sacrifices to ghosts, so it inevitably gathered people's beliefs. This might attract certain spirits or monsters.

The Nuo Opera Garden, a venue primarily for ritualistic performances, was especially prone to this.

He then brought over an iron chain as thick as a wrist. No one knew how the priest's seemingly thin body managed to drag that deathly heavy chain, but he hauled it to the rockery at the entrance of the Nuo Opera Garden and buried it.

He said he had locked up an evil ghost.

He also drew many Charm Papers and stuck them on the doorframe of the Nuo Opera Garden, explaining that this would more clearly separate Yin and Yang.

Coupled with the locked-up ghost, it would serve as an example to the others. It would scare the spirits from causing trouble and appearing in the Yang World.

Even so, Yu Ji would never wander into the Nuo Opera Garden after dark.

He really didn't know what Lou Yu was thinking. Didn't she feel a chill in her heart admiring the moon in a place like this?

He walked into the small courtyard with the well.

There, sitting on the roof of the courtyard house, was a long-haired beauty gazing up at the moon.

The moment Lou Yu turned to look at him, the bright moonlight spilled through the clouds, illuminating her face and her crescent-like smile. It was an intoxicating sight.

That instant was like a timeless, masterfully painted scroll, leaving Yu Ji staring, entranced.

It wasn't until Lou Yu nimbly flipped down from the roof and walked up to him with a curious look that he heard her speak.

"Why are you so early? The play over there hasn't started yet, has it?"

Only then did Yu Ji snap back to his senses. He quickly relayed what the old troupe master had said.

After he finished, he handed the hairpin back.

Lou Yu tapped his forehead, disappointed in his naivety.

"Are you stupid? What kind of status does the Prince have? Do you think his itinerary can be leaked so casually?"

She continued, "My father was just bluffing you all! He wanted you to sleep soundly and not come out to cause trouble."

"Otherwise, why didn't he tell me I didn't need to serve tea at the opera house? Why did he specifically tell you all not to leave your rooms tonight? Why did he personally inspect the handymen's cleaning work after the show ended?"

"It's all because of tonight's performance!"

This barrage of three questions left Yu Ji completely stunned.

That's right! When has the old troupe master ever needed to personally inspect something as mundane as post-show cleaning?

He exclaimed in a panic.

"Oh no! Doesn't that mean we're going to offend the Prince?"

Now both he and Lou Yu were here, and the old troupe master had told everyone else to go to bed. For a noble Prince to arrive at the opera house with no one to serve him tea would be a terrible sign of disrespect.

Fortunately, Lou Yu sighed.

"Don't just stand there like a fool. There's still time if you go back now. The play hasn't started yet."

Hearing this, Yu Ji turned and ran.

But after just two steps, he ran back, much to Lou Yu's confusion. He took her hand and stuffed the hairpin into it.

He said with a smile, "I'm a man. What would it look like for me to be running around with a hairpin? If the Prince sees it, I'll be a joke! It's fine. I can explain everything to your father even without this."

With that, he ran toward the opera house again.

Lou Yu looked at the hairpin in her hand, shook her head, and let out a genuine smile. She gathered her hair and fastened the pin.

She would wait here for him to return after seeing the Prince, so they could admire the moon together.

Tonight, she might even be able to confess her feelings for him.

Sigh, that blockhead. How could he have been around me for so long and still not see my feelings?

I have to find a chance to spell it out for him.

Yu, you have to come back soon. It would be even better if you could sneak some of those osmanthus cakes I love from the opera house...

As someone who had trained in opera since childhood, Yu Ji's physical fitness was self-evident. It didn't take him long to run back to the opera house.

Sure enough, after everyone had left, the lanterns and candles inside the building were lit up brightly once more.

The old troupe master stood at the entrance with a worried look on his face. When he saw Yu Ji, he was clearly taken aback.

He frowned and asked, "Didn't I tell you all to go back to sleep? Where's Lou Yu?"

Yu Ji quickly explained the situation, his eyes shining with adoration for the Prince.

His peripheral vision strained, wishing he could see past the old troupe master and catch a glimpse of the figure in the opera house whom the entire nation revered. He didn't notice the flicker of pity and ruthlessness in the old troupe master's eyes.

Finally, the old troupe master sighed.

"So be it. This is your fate. Come in, and close the door tightly behind you."

Yu Ji nodded repeatedly, indicating he understood. He wouldn't let any outsiders see what was happening inside.

He immediately shut the door, sealing it tight.

Ever since he was sold to the Opera God's Righteous Garden by his parents at the age of three, the old troupe master had noticed his talent and begun teaching him opera.

Yu Ji had entered and exited this opera house countless times. It was the place where he had grown up.

He had never felt such excitement.

From a distance, he saw a man sitting in the audience who looked immensely tall and sturdy even from behind. On a table beside him rested a large saber that radiated a bone-chilling cold.

As if hearing someone approach, the man spoke without turning his head.

"Little Lou-zi, are the spear and costume ready?"

"Replying to the Prince, they are all ready. I will have them brought over at once," the old troupe master said with utmost respect.

He then looked at Yu Ji and whispered, "Go backstage and bring the Overlord's Spear and Overlord's costume I prepared."

Though confused, Yu Ji lowered his head and ran backstage.

In the most conspicuous spot, he saw the Flat-headed Black-tasseled Overlord's Spear, which was also quite familiar to Wu Wang. Not long ago, during the performance of Changbanpo, he had been controlled by the remnant soul in his wrist to wield this very spear against the Prince.

There was also a set of Black Flat-Gold Embroidered Kao, the unique costume of Xiang Yu in opera culture, the "Overlord's Kao." Its most distinct feature was the row of yellow "net tassels" hanging from the bottom of the stomach piece.

Next to the costume was a helmet, also exclusive to Xiang Yu, the black Fuzi Overlord's Helmet. Its style was also somewhat familiar to Wu Wang. It seemed similar to the Fuzi Helmet hidden in Xiaoxiao's room, except hers was an unfinished product, while this one was in perfect condition, every tassel and pom-pom meticulously cared for.

Grabbing everything, Yu Ji returned to the audience seats.

This time, he saw the Prince's face from the front. A square jaw, heroic and extraordinary, with a pair of sword-like eyebrows and fierce, wrathful eyes. Numerous scars from healed wounds on his cheeks only added to his imposing air.

His entire being exuded a murderous aura accumulated from years on the battlefield, enough to make one's legs tremble at first glance.

"This... this is the borderland Prince? Seeing him today, he is truly valiant beyond compare!"

Yu Ji's excitement grew as he strode forward, but he was stopped by the old troupe master's outstretched arm.

The old troupe master respectfully said to the Prince, "If you please."

Then, to Yu Ji's bewilderment, the Prince began to remove his outer coat. He stripped down to a thin under-robe and then gestured toward him with a flick of his hand.

The old troupe master immediately whispered to Yu Ji, "Go, help the Prince with the costume."

This sent an even greater shock through Yu Ji's heart.

The Prince, a guardian of the borderlands, a towering figure in the eyes of the world, was actually going to wear an entertainer's costume.

If word of this got out, it wasn't just a matter of the Prince's reputation being ruined. The generals of surrounding nations would likely look down on the Prince, and what would his own soldiers think? The God of War who led them in battle was actually an opera-singing Prince.

The impact on army morale would be catastrophic.

But no matter how much confusion and shock he felt, all Yu Ji could do now was help the Prince put on the costume of Overlord Xiang Yu.

Thump!

The Prince, now in costume, casually slapped the Overlord's Spear on the table. The specially made weapon flew into his hand as if it had no weight at all, dancing as lightly as a goose feather.

"Apply the makeup," the Prince ordered.

The old troupe master took out the pre-prepared makeup tools. He personally started, holding his breath in concentration as he painted the black and white Big Painted Face of the opera Farewell My Concubine on the Prince's face.

The old troupe master's skill was masterful. Every stroke outlined the Overlord's divine spirit.

However, Yu Ji was no longer in the mood to pay attention. His mind was consumed with what might happen next.

The Prince is going to sing opera himself!? This... this is absurd!

"It's a wonder you could truly learn such a skill. It almost makes me reluctant to leave you in the capital as a spy," the Prince said with a laugh.

The old troupe master replied with an obsequious smile, "You are too kind, Your Highness. To be able to do things for the Prince is a blessing from Little Lou-zi's past life."

Yu Ji couldn't understand their conversation. His ears were ringing, his mind filled with the thought that the Prince was actually going to do something so ridiculous.

When all the preparations were complete, the old troupe master personally went to operate the drum and clapper, then motioned for Yu Ji to strike the gong.

He dazedly walked toward the gong and drum. Relying on muscle memory from years of practice, he played extremely well.

Hearing this, the Prince, playing Overlord Xiang Yu, walked onto the stage. Facing the empty audience, he began a brilliant performance.

"My spear has unhorsed several top generals of the Han camp~"

"Though I am brave and heroic, how could I guard against a ten-sided ambush~"

"Pass the order, cease the attack, all return to your camps..."

"My strength plucks up the hills, my might shadows the world~"

"But the times are against me, and Dapple runs no more~"

"When Dapple runs no more, what can I do~ Oh, Yu, my Yu, what is to become of you..."

Although there was no one to perform opposite him, as the Prince's singing lines came from his throat one by one, Yu Ji came to his senses.

His expression grew more and more astonished.

To be honest, the Opera God's Righteous Garden's most outstanding performance was Farewell My Concubine. The old troupe master's portrayal of Xiang Yu was particularly exceptional, earning him the title of "Opera Overlord."

Yu Ji was the successor to that title. In another two years, he would have been the one to play the Overlord. This was a testament to his outstanding ability.

But today, he finally understood that there were always heavens beyond the heavens and people beyond people.

The Overlord portrayed by the Prince didn't just feel "like" him. It felt as if the Overlord himself had leaped onto the stage. The spear in his hand waved as if there were real enemy soldiers fighting him.

For a moment, Yu Ji was completely captivated. This was the true performance of the Overlord he had dreamed of.

He suddenly had an epiphany. He understood why he was always dissatisfied with his own performance, why he practiced constantly, trying to improve.

It wasn't that his technique was lacking, but that he lacked the Overlord's spirit.

He was merely "acting" as the Overlord, never having broken free from his identity as an actor. The real Overlord would not have the humility ingrained in the bones of a performer of low status.

The Prince himself was the embodiment of a "modern-day Overlord."

Therefore, he wasn't playing Xiang Yu. He was playing himself.

"The way of opera is to thank the gods and offer sacrifices to ghosts," Yu Ji muttered to himself. "Although it is all a performance, if even I do not believe I am the character in the play... why then would the world recognize me as the Overlord?"

He stared intently at the Prince's figure, not daring to blink more than necessary, for fear of being unable to brand this true Overlord into his heart.

But the more he acted this way, the more pity the old troupe master beside him felt.

What a fine seed for a Wu Sheng. His own successor.

It was just a pity he wouldn't live past tonight.

That's right. The Prince's appearance as an actor could not be known to outsiders. To avoid any rumors spreading, everyone who stayed behind to entertain the Prince tonight... had to die.

Only the dead keep a secret forever.

As for why the old troupe master was fine? It was because he was a deep-cover agent the Prince had left in the capital years ago. The Opera God's Righteous Garden was a gathering place for officials and nobles, and he served as the Prince's eyes and ears here, secretly presenting any information he obtained.

Of course, the other people in the Yi Garden were just ordinary actors.

Tonight, he had originally planned to have Lou Yu serve the Prince. Even if he had to dispose of her afterward, he could use the excuse that she had returned to her hometown to cover it up. Everyone truly believed she was his biological daughter.

Little did they know, Lou Yu was just a child he had adopted to serve as a cover for his identity. She was no different from the other pitiful children sold to the Yi Garden.

Her death would not cause him any grief. Just as the Prince didn't care about the life of a lowly servant like Yu Ji.

Or rather, in the eyes of those who held the power of life and death, servants were not people.

They were just useful tools.

Sigh, Yu Ji, oh Yu Ji, don't you know that no man is perfect? The Prince spoken of by the common folk has been deified. The real him is far from the one you admire.

This world is just that cruel. Human life is the most worthless thing.

Before these people of high status, just to satisfy a bit of amusement, they wouldn't hesitate to treat you lowly servants as disposable items, to be used and then discarded.

I too will end up like this sooner or later.

Lifting his head, the old troupe master looked at the Prince's back on the stage.

His eyes grew increasingly fervent and ruthless.

Fortunately, tonight I can use the Extraterrestrial Object in the well of the Nuo Opera Garden to completely change my situation. I will no longer be a pawn that can be discarded at any moment.

That power was bestowed by an immortal, granting me eternal life!

And the sacrifice required is nothing more than the life of a person with great fortune.

The Prince's life, I imagine, is more than enough to be considered great fortune.

The old troupe master's inner thoughts were laid bare before Wu Wang's 【Vision of Truth】.

Combined with the clues he already knew, a line of logic began to form clearly in Wu Wang's mind.

As for the Extraterrestrial Object in the well—the giant eye—no one understood who that was better than Wu Wang.

"Abyss God, this is all because of you again?" he thought wryly. "You're truly the Conan of our time. Wherever you appear, misfortune and death follow."

"But that's fine."

"I'll take over the performance from here. You must be getting thirsty too, right?" Wu Wang said to the Red Vertical Pupil on his wrist.

Its eyes revealed a look of greed and mockery. It seemed it couldn't wait to devour the mark in this Instance.

【&%#I look forward to your performance】

【He awaits the ending of this grand play】