Dracula

Chapitre 12

"His acting is amazing, you'll be captivated by him once you see it. No, I can't let you see it. How about this, I'll gouge out your eyes, then you'll never see my Jiang Lang again."

As the woman spoke, she turned around, and in the pale moonlight, her face became clear and looked very familiar.

Xiaoyue suddenly remembered that this was the woman in the portrait she had seen in front of the coffin while eating douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) today.

As she stepped back, she tripped over a chair. Looking up through the bright red curtain on the stage, she saw many women hanging there, all staring at her with wide eyes.

Xiaoyue nearly collapsed. She knew there were ghosts here, but she hadn't expected so many. She frantically tried to recall the incantation her master had taught her as she retreated. The female ghost seemed convinced she was her rival and was determined to gouge out her eyes. Poor Xiaoyue, she swung her sword as she retreated, and just as the woman lunged at her, she screamed and closed her eyes.

A hand tightly embraced her waist, and a pleasant scent wafted into her nose.

She slowly opened her eyes and found that she wasn't blind. When she looked again, the embroidered shoes that had hung all over the room were gone. In front of her was a handsome man looking at her with a half-smile, and a pair of slender eyes that were frivolously staring at her chest.

She cried out and pushed the man aside. Feeling extremely guilty, she could only stand behind him and say, "Thank you!" She didn't dare to reach out to help him up, but the man seemed to have fallen hard, groaning on the ground. Realizing she had been too rough and had injured her savior, she acted hastily and, without thinking, held the man in her arms to check his injuries.

To her surprise, the man stopped moaning in her arms, turned his face to her chest, took a deep breath, and let out a soft sigh: "It's the scent of peach blossoms. You must be a virgin."

She quickly let go, glaring at the man who had harassed her. He was half-lying on the ground, a flirtatious air about him, yet he remained cold and indifferent, as if nothing mattered to him. He smiled and asked her, "What are you doing here at the theater in the middle of the night, a woman like you?"

"Are you the caretaker of this park? I'm not going to talk to you anymore, I'm afraid it will scare you. I'll come back another day."

"Scared me? What could scare me?"

Xiaoyue thought for a moment and decided to tell this seemingly frivolous man, otherwise he might be killed by the female ghost here. "You'd better not do it. This theater is...haunted." She shuddered as she finished speaking.

The man wasn't surprised at all, but asked her meaningfully, "Then why aren't you afraid? What are you doing here?"

Xiaoyue waved the sword in her hand and said, "Me? I'm here to catch a ghost. My master said that if I catch this ghost, I'll graduate from my apprenticeship."

The man burst into laughter, looking utterly incredulous.

"You, catching ghosts? Looking at yourself just now, you want to catch ghosts?"

Xiaoyue was furious. She stomped her foot and ran out. She had decided that she must catch the ghost here so that this annoying man could see her skills, and also to show her master and senior brother that she had grown up and was no longer a child.

When a woman is eager to prove herself to someone, it means she has already come to regard that person in a different light.

She returned home and diligently memorized the incantations for the deliverance of the dead. In her eyes, although the female ghosts looked fierce, they were all pitiful ghosts. It would be enough to deliver them to the afterlife. Since they had not harmed anyone, there was no need to send them all to hell so that they could not be reborn.

Xiaoyue went to bed early the next day, waiting for her senior brother to fall asleep before jumping out the window and running away. At the theater entrance, she took a few deep breaths, gripped her sword firmly, and rushed inside. The female ghost was nowhere to be seen, and the stage was empty. She reminded herself not to be afraid as she carefully walked forward.

Xiaoyue gripped her sword, glancing upwards every now and then, as if afraid that more embroidered shoes might appear out of nowhere. The theater today didn't have the gloomy feeling of the day before; the moon was simply fuller, even possessing a hazy beauty. Beyond the theater was a beautiful pond, a place where the wealthy would relax after the performance. The water lilies in the pond bloomed quietly under the moonlight, a breathtaking sight seen from the theater windows.

Although Xiaoyue studied the Heavenly Way of Ghost Catching, she was still just an innocent and romantic young woman at heart. Holding her sword, she stood by the window gazing at the beautiful scenery, lost in thought, staring blankly at the waves of moonlight shimmering in the pond.

A soft voice sounded in her right ear, and half of her body immediately went numb.

"Master, you've come to exorcise the ghost."

Turning her head, she saw the man who had saved her life the night before smiling at her. Her pretty face flushed red; it was the first time in her life she had stood so close to a man. But the man was clearly there to mock her, and feeling a little embarrassed, she could only awkwardly reply, "I scared those ghosts away yesterday."

"Really? You're really amazing!"

"What's it to you!"

"No, I'm just naturally timid. I was scared when I knew you were coming today, so I had to hide behind you. If there are any ghosts or gods, you can deal with them."

“Master said that our purpose in catching ghosts is to protect the living. I will protect you, but why are you putting your hands on my waist?”

"I just wanted to see how big your waist is so I could help you find a costume for us to wear on stage." The man seemed quite aggrieved.

"I'm a ghost hunter, not a theatrical performer, why would I need a costume?"

"Since we're just waiting for ghosts here anyway, we might as well sing while we wait to pass the time. Did your master ever say that we can't sing when there are no ghosts?"

"this……"

"What is this? Okay, come with me, let's go on stage and sing opera now. If you don't know how, I'll teach you."

The man's smile seemed to have a magical power, slowly leading Xiaoyue onto the stage. She stood in the center, and the man made a face at her before running backstage. Xiaoyue had watched plays before, occasionally even singing a few lines, but she had never imagined she would be standing on that stage herself. The empty seats below made her feel uneasy.

The man quickly emerged from backstage, already dressed in costume and makeup, his features even more striking. She turned her head away, indicating she didn't want to sing. But the man began to sing, and his voice immediately captivated Xiaoyue. She had never heard such a beautiful voice before, so melodious yet so poignant.

He was singing the scene from "The Peony Pavilion" where the woman is brought back to life and becomes the husband of the young master. He played the female lead, but his performance was even more beautiful than the woman's. His eyes were filled with the joy of being resurrected and his love for the young master. That joy and love were breathtaking.

On the stage, Xiaoyue felt as if time had truly reversed, and she had returned to the era depicted in the play. He, regardless of whether he was dressed as a man or a woman, was deeply moving.

After singing the last line, the two looked at each other on stage for a long time without saying a word.

After a long time, Xiaoyue finally said, "You sing so well. If you were to perform on stage, you would definitely be a star."

The man chuckled softly, his eyes filled with disdain: "I am a famous performer, you just don't know it."

The two sat by the stage, chatting and waiting for the female ghost to appear. It seemed the ghost wasn't coming out, so Xiaoyue decided to go back.

The man saw her off at the theater entrance, and she kept telling him to be careful.

"What's your name?" Xiaoyue finally asked.

"Riverbank Flower, what about you?"

"Xiaoyue, Liu Xiaoyue"

The two parted under the moonlight, and the theater gates closed again. Xiaoyue walked through the alley and heard Jiang Anhua's singing voice again. She smiled slightly and continued forward. The moonlight was breathtakingly beautiful, carrying a faint fragrance, and the wind gently caressed her face.

She suddenly heard a pitiful meow, and saw a black cat surrounded by several large dogs, the cat just meowing pitifully.

Xiaoyue was initially afraid of dogs and wanted to run away, but seeing the black cat's eyes seemed to be filled with tears and looked so pitiful, she couldn't bear it. She rushed forward, trying to drive away the big dog and rescue the black cat, but the dog was fierce and pounced on her. Xiaoyue, holding the cat, rolled on the ground, tearing a large piece of her clothes in the process. Luckily, she used her light-footed skill to climb onto the wall. The cat in her arms was trembling, and several dogs below glared at her hatefully, as if blaming her for meddling. And so, she and the cat remained locked in a stalemate with the dogs on the wall.

The dogs finally dispersed, and she gently placed the cat on the wall. The black cat, as if understanding human nature, licked her hand, then disappeared into the moonlight, looking back every few steps.

Xiaoyue happily went home and had a good sleep. She got up early and saw that her master had already gone out to run errands. So Xiaoyue and her senior brother Kedao went to the street to buy some incense to pray for the female ghosts.

Her senior brother treated her extremely well, almost always obeying her every word. The two walked on the street for a long time, then sat down in a teahouse to rest while drinking tea. They overheard several old men carrying birdcages at the next table saying, "These actors nowadays are getting worse with each generation. How can they compare to Jiang Anhua?"

"Yes, Jiang Anhua is the real star. His singing and diction are so clear and bright. After listening to him sing, many women would be willing to die for him."

"Who is Jiang Anhua?" a relatively young-looking person asked.

The old man got even more excited when someone asked him.

"Speaking of Jiang Anhua, everyone in our generation knows him. He was the most popular actor here back then. People lined up for miles to support him, and the theater gates were broken in several places, all for Jiang Anhua."

"How come I didn't know that?"

"Alas, his life was miserable. Because of his success, he attracted jealousy from his peers, who actually replaced the fake knife with a real one on stage. In the last play, he died on the stage, his blood splattered everywhere. I heard that the number of female fans who committed suicide for love at that time was enough to fill an entire theater."

"That's outrageous! There really are people like that!"

"Young man, you missed out on a good era. You never saw what Jiang Anhua looked like. He could dress as either a man or a woman, singing male roles with boundless heroism and female roles with tender and passionate love. He was a born actor. What a pity!"

"Some say that it was the lady of the Lei family who took a fancy to him and insisted on eloping with him, which led to his death."

The people at the table were talking animatedly around the teacup, but Xiaoyue's hands and feet slowly grew cold, and she finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.

When she woke up, it was already dark, and her senior brother and master were anxiously watching her.

"Junior sister, you are weak and you walked too fast on the street today, which is why you suffered heatstroke and fainted. You should rest well."

"Xiaoyue, you should get some rest! Don't worry about things at home. You sleep, we're going out."

Seeing that Xiaoyue had woken up, the two men were relieved and went out.

Xiaoyue, however, gazed blankly into the distance, thinking of that hateful Jiang'an flower.

It turns out that he was the ghost he was trying to catch.

When Xiaoyue returned to the theater, she hesitated for a long time before trying to push open the door. She didn't know if she was afraid of Jiang Anhua, or if she wanted to see him, or if the man was just trying to scare her by calling himself Jiang Anhua, or if the man wasn't a ghost at all, or if Jiang Anhua hadn't died at all. In any case, the man wasn't the ghost she was looking for.

She finally mustered her courage and pushed open the door. The theater was empty, but a person sat in the center chair. Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the person. Xiaoyue's heart sank into ice. The person had no shadow, yet it was indeed the man.

She wanted to turn and run, but she still stepped forward step by step, sword in hand, her hands trembling. She didn't know whether she felt sorrow, fear, hatred, or resentment. If she caught this ghost, she could graduate. If she caught this ghost, she could save more people. No more young ladies would die in this theater, and the wronged souls in this theater would no longer have to stay and refuse to reincarnate.

She approached step by step, the sword already pointing at the man's back, but she couldn't pierce it no matter what she did. Suddenly, the man's back became blurry, and warm liquid dripped down Xiaoyue's face.

The man didn't turn around, but said, "Why are you crying? Why don't you just stab me with your sword? Are you afraid?"

"Are you really Jiang Anhua?"

"Yes." He turned his head and looked into her eyes.

"I came here to catch you!"

"I know, you already said that on day one."

"Why didn't you kill me? Why did you save me?" Xiaoyue asked. If he had let that female ghost kill him that day, perhaps he wouldn't be facing such a complicated situation now.

Jiang Anhua suddenly turned her head to look at the beautiful scenery outside the window and said softly, "Have you ever tasted the bitterness of loneliness, guarding a place alone, for a year, a hundred years, a thousand years? There are beautiful moments and scenery, but no one to accompany you to see them; there are beautiful melodies and tunes, but no one to listen to them with you. Wouldn't you feel very lonely?"

Xiaoyue was confused. She had never been lonely. Even without a master, she still had her senior brothers, and there were always things to do.

"You haven't, have you? You've never been lonely, but have you ever felt heartbroken, watching someone on stage performing their best, yet no one applauds you, because no one can see you?"

"So you killed people, killed those women, and made them come to watch you perform."

“I didn’t kill them. They all died willingly after hearing my performance. I didn’t kill anyone.” His face showed a kind of rage.

"But these people all died because of you! It was you who revealed your true form and harmed them."

"So what? Are you going to take me in, kill me, or send me to the eighteenth level of hell?" Jiang Anhua's expression grew colder and colder, and the disdain at the corners of her mouth became more and more pronounced.

"I, I, I..." Xiaoyue was forced to retreat step by step.

"What? You can't even handle the weakest ghosts, how could you possibly capture me? Even your master is no match for me. Back then, when he came to capture me, if it weren't for the fact that I had a relationship with your master's family, the Ke family, when I was alive, I would have killed him long ago."

"You're talking nonsense. There's no ghost that Master can't catch. You're just scared."

"Hahaha……"

Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared, and the longsword in Xiaoyue's hand was in his.

"Now you know whether I was lying or not. You couldn't even last one move against me, so how could you kill me!"

"I can't let you hurt anyone else," Xiaoyue suddenly said firmly through gritted teeth.

Jiang Anhua suddenly retreated, and suddenly many hands appeared from the corner of the wall, tightly embracing Xiaoyue and pulling her to both sides. Xiaoyue felt excruciating pain, as if she were being torn in two. Jiang Anhua, however, leaned against the window, watching her with a cold smile.

"Beg for mercy! Beg for mercy and I'll make those female ghosts spare your life!"

Xiaoyue stared into his eyes, as cold as the night sky, biting her lower lip and struggling desperately, but the pain intensified until finally, everything went black and she fainted. When she awoke, she smelled a familiar fragrance, opened her eyes, and sure enough, Jiang Anhua was holding her as they sat on the moonlit stage.

"You really would rather die than beg for my mercy?" There is boundless sorrow in these words.

Xiaoyue coldly turned her face away: "Kill me if you want, no need for further words. Although I am no match for you, my senior brother will definitely avenge me if I die here."

"Senior brother, your sweetheart!" Jiang Anhua's voice returned to its usual cold disdain.

"It's none of your business. Anyway, he's a million times better than you. Even though he can't sing opera, he's a living, breathing person."