Chen Chuan fixed his gaze upon that suit of armor. From his own experience, he was certain that it was an anomaly.
Yet appearing on stage before the public eye—was this intentional on the organizers' part? Did it serve some specific purpose? Or was it an unforeseen accident that had suddenly cropped up?
He had no way of knowing.
The musical itself had many mystical and occult elements, and plenty of fighters were involved, so it was hard to say whether they might have utilized something unusual for dramatic effect.
As far as could be seen right now, the anomaly hadn't affected the people around it yet, but an anomaly was an anomaly nonetheless.
Turning the thought over in his mind, he decided to watch how things unfolded first.
On the stage, because the character of the shepherdess was mute and incapable of speech, the communication between them consisted solely of the knight speaking in theatrical cadence.
The knight's voice was ringing and clear. Even without seeing his face, one could feel that he was a person overflowing with passion, possessed of unyielding conviction and courage.
Yet the reality was that the so-called knight was nothing more than a hollow suit of armor, and when Chen Chuan used his Second Self to screen it off, the voice vanished right along with it.
This indicated that someone wasn't simply dubbing from backstage; rather, the voice came from the anomaly itself.
The organizers might genuinely be unaware of the situation—or at least the actors on stage weren't aware.
He opened his boundary credential and checked the cast information through the roster provided on the theater's platform.
There, one could view each character's background lore and the actors' bios, with the leading actors naturally placed at the very top.
At the very top were the leads. The actress playing the shepherdess was Astrid, hailing from Norland, with the Great Shun name Qiu Hudie. Twenty-five years old, a third-limit fighter, though on stage she appeared no older than eighteen or nineteen.
The actor cast as the fallen knight was named Torsten, with the Great Shun name Nan Wang. This showed that an actor had originally been slated for the role—so where was that actor now?
He checked the actor's full-length photo again; it was nearly identical to the external appearance presented by the knight's armor right now.
His gaze darkened slightly.
He then looked into details concerning the stage production. To ensure authenticity, the props, costumes, and weapons used in the entire stage play had all been shipped over from Norland.
Meanwhile, the plot continued to play out on stage. Setting aside the presence of the anomaly, the performance was remarkably well executed. Even the anomaly showed not the slightest flaw, fully embodying the fallen knight's stubborn resolve and refusal to bow his head in the face of mockery.
The audience felt as if the knight of antiquity had truly been such a man, brought vividly to life before their very eyes.
The shepherdess's performance was equally adept. Even without lines, her body language and the emotion reflected in her pale green eyes were deeply moving.
Before anyone realized it, as the story progressed, the first six acts came to an end. The house lights came back on, heralding a brief intermission.
Over these six acts, all the major characters had made their appearances. What came next was the grand turning point—the most thrilling part of the entire play. During the break, the audience engaged in heated discussions about the plot and the actors.
Pan Xiaode and Tan Zhi were no exception, though what they looked forward to even more were the upcoming fights.
Chen Chuan did not join the conversation. Instead, he picked up the Xuejun Saber, stood, and left the private box.
He intended to go see Chen Bitong.
Just as he exited the corridor, someone walked toward him from the hallway opposite and took the initiative to greet him: "Captain Chen, what a coincidence. We meet again."
Chen Chuan recognized the man. It was Gu Haiting from Canglong Company, whom he had met at the training course that day. He said, "So it's Mr. Gu."
"What brings you out, Captain Chen?"
Chen Chuan said, "I saw Teacher Chen just now, so I wanted to head over and say hello."
Gu Haiting smiled and said, "What a coincidence indeed. I was planning to see Teacher Chen as well. Why don't we go together?"
Chen Chuan said, "Alright."
He could sense that the man seemed to have been waiting here specifically for him. But whatever Gu Haiting's intentions, having someone accompany him to Chen Bitong's box wouldn't seem out of place.
As the two walked down the corridor, Gu Haiting asked, "Captain Chen, what do you think of this musical?"
Chen Chuan said, "It is quite splendid."
Setting the anomaly aside, the costumes, props, and vocal performances were of exceptional artistic caliber. Even someone like him who didn't usually watch stage plays could appreciate it.
Gu Haiting said, "I've heard that these songs conceal special martial techniques. I'm curious if that's true. Did you manage to hear anything from them, Captain Chen?"
Chen Chuan said, "No. I imagine it might be due to the language barrier."
Gu Haiting chuckled. "True enough. On our Great Shun soil, an ancient Norland hero might find it hard to acclimate."
Chen Chuan said, "Any power obtained without effort comes with a price. We have our own heritage; there's no need to deliberately seek out theirs."
Gu Haiting nodded gently. "Does Captain Chen know that the biggest sponsor and driving force behind this musical is the Norland enterprise, Bolun Company? When these foreign corporations set foot on Great Shun soil, they naturally bring their own things along. Some are good, but others aren't."
Chen Chuan said, "It's inevitable."
"Indeed. But when some overstep their bounds, one still has to find a way to trim them back. Even with ornamental plants and flowers, you can't just let their branches sprawl across the road as they please," Gu Haiting said with deep meaning.
He looked ahead. "Ah, here we are. Quite a crowd."
Quite a few people had gathered outside the box. Because Chen Bitong was seated in Speaker Quan's family box, in addition to those coming to visit Chen Bitong like them, most were people coming to pay their respects to Speaker Quan after missing the chance earlier.
Even so, they knew that once they arrived here, Chen Bitong would certainly sense them. If he was willing to receive visitors, he naturally would; if not, it meant he didn't wish to see anyone.
Just then, a side door opened, and an attendant outside made an inviting gesture.
Gu Haiting said, "Teacher Chen is inviting us in. Let's go." Chen Chuan nodded and walked in with him.
This private box was very large, split into two compartments, with Chen Bitong seated in one of them.
Chen Chuan looked around after entering. He saw Chen Bitong sitting on a wide sofa, his spine straight as a ramrod. His chiseled features appeared exceptionally resolute under the light, his eyes especially deep and piercing.
His peaked cap rested neatly on the table before him, while his military greatcoat hung from a nearby coat rack. At the moment, he wore only a gray dress shirt, with no weapons visible at his side.
"Come, have a seat."
Chen Bitong appeared very relaxed, like a true teacher facing his students. Once the two sat down, he asked in a casual tone, "What do you think of this opera?"
Gu Haiting smiled. "Teacher, although I didn't see what I had hoped to see, it's still quite a fine show—a real visual and auditory treat."
Chen Chuan, however, said, "Though I haven't seen one before, I find it quite accessible. It's just..." He glanced at Chen Bitong. "Something seems to be hidden beneath the surface."
Chen Bitong offered no comment on that, looking as though he hadn't sensed anything unusual at all. He simply said, "If you find it pleasing to the ear, keep listening. Perhaps you might gain something from it."
After the three chatted for a few more moments, an alert chimed on their boundary credentials, indicating that the second half of the performance would begin in five minutes.
Both Gu Haiting and Chen Chuan stood. "We won't disturb you any further, Teacher Chen."
Chen Bitong stood as well, but his gaze fell upon Chen Chuan. "Captain Chen, wait a moment."
Seeing this, Gu Haiting knew they had something to discuss, so he smiled, bade them farewell, and walked out of the box.
Chen Bitong then said in a gentle tone, "Captain Chen, I am alone here. Would you care to watch the rest of the performance with me?"
Chen Chuan felt a slight stirring in his mind. He nodded, used his boundary credential to notify Tan Zhi and the other two, and sat back down.
Chen Bitong had the attendant outside pour a hot beverage, then said to him, "About Xiao Jin—thank you."
Chen Chuan said, "As long as Teacher Chen doesn't think I was meddling in others' affairs."
Chen Bitong shook his head. "His talent is limited, and I don't have the time to teach him. In that case, it is better not to teach him at all; that way, he might not be as disappointed in the future."
Chen Chuan said, "Yet I believe Xiao Jin does have talent."
Chen Bitong neither agreed nor disagreed.
At that moment, the lights outside dimmed, leaving only the illumination focused on the stage.
Chen Bitong looked toward the stage and said slowly, "Let's watch the show."
After the intermission came the second half. The noblewoman entered the royal capital bearing the poetry. She passed the court swordsman's trial and successfully received the king's conferment.
At this juncture, she was supposed to present the poems to prove the fallen knight's righteousness. Instead, her heart turned; she dispatched men to kill the knight. The shepherdess defeated the assassins, took up the armor, lance, and sword left behind by the knight, and charged into the royal court, where the two performers would engage in a genuine climactic duel.
Both actors were fighters who would not only unleash their full prowess, but the play also featured a two-way ending.
If the shepherdess lost, the play would plunge into a dark finale. Though contrary to the main tone, it was an outcome the audience could understand. If the shepherdess won, it would be the orthodox, triumphant ending.
Precisely because the outcome was uncertain, the audience's anticipation and tension were dialed to the absolute maximum.
Chen Chuan watched the stage. Scene after scene flashed by, and the plot soon reached the moment when the shepherdess was bestowed with the armor.
Within the boundary credential's display, amid soaring, impassioned singing, the knight had the shepherdess take off his armor and instructed her on how to don it. Yet after Chen Chuan used his Second Self to screen off the field, he saw an entirely different sight.
The armor detached on its own, completely hollow inside, and the actress playing the shepherdess put it on piece by piece, then raised her lance high.
The shepherdess remained silent throughout, yet that sheer resolve, that indomitable spirit, deeply moved the majority of the audience present. Accompanied by music that swelled with rising fervor, their eyes filled with eager anticipation, waiting for the fierce clash about to unfold.
Chapter 486