Chapter 74: A Burst of Acting Skills!
Wang Jinghui, with an arrogant expression, scolded the poet and was then taken to the cellar.
Su Xianjun, meanwhile, locked himself in his room, unwilling to even see the faces of these bandits.
Yang Xinyan approached with a conciliatory smile, "Strategist, please calm down. Wang Jinghui lacks foresight, but rest assured, he and Su Xianjun will soon come to their senses."
The scholar took a sip of wine, "Ah, Boss Yang, you are indeed a man who understands the times. But please, go and convince Master Su again. If the General doesn't hear a performance tonight, this small town might be left in ruins by morning!"
Yang Xinyan quickly nodded with a forced smile, "Yes, yes, don't worry, Strategist, I'll go persuade him right away!"
The Eastern Yi general appeared to be drinking, but he was closely observing the people in the theater.
As a demon, it couldn't retain any memories within a historical fragment. Each time it entered, its memory was wiped, leaving only its abilities and goals.
The histories that needed to be altered were, without exception, histories where demons and foreign invaders had been defeated by the central empire. Therefore, successful alteration wasn't as simple as choosing any random person; it required modifying a key figure in the fragment.
Moreover, the demon's power wasn't omnipotent. The stronger someone's resolve, the harder it was to alter them, with a risk of outright failure.
Weak-willed characters, while easier to alter, were less likely to be pivotal figures and would have little effect if altered.
There was another limitation: the demon's actions were bound by the historical fragment's setting. Possessing a foreign invader, it couldn't act entirely against its host's original intent.
Of course, since this was a small fragment, the demon's power was relatively weak and its abilities restricted. A more powerful demon might be able to break these limits.
Additionally, there was a rare possibility that a Restorer might be present in the fragment!
Demons harbored deep hatred toward Restorers, similar to the enmity of barbarian invaders toward heroes of the central empire.
The presence of a Restorer significantly reduced the likelihood of successfully altering a fragment, and many fragments that had been altered were forcibly reverted.
Encountering a Restorer was rare, but demons had to account for it. If a character was confirmed as a Restorer, the demon would rather face failure than let the Restorer survive, as killing a Restorer within a fragment greatly weakened their power.
For now, the Eastern Yi general focused on Su Xianjun, Yang Xinyan, and Wang Jinghui.
He deduced that at least one of them was critical to the historical fragment, and the key to success might lie within them.
Capturing a Restorer would be an even bigger prize.
Zhao Haiping, playing Yang Xinyan, was about to return backstage, just as he'd rehearsed in countless trial runs.
But then he heard a voice in ancient Yi dialect, "Stop!"
Zhao Haiping shuddered.
What was happening?
In previous speed runs, the general had always been busy drinking and never spoke to him!
The scholar frowned, "Boss Yang, what's wrong?"
Caught off guard, Yang Xinyan moved a bit too hastily, attracting the scholar's suspicion.
Zhao Haiping quickly forced a smile, "Strategist, the General's powerful voice startled me, and I lost my composure.
"What did the General mean just now? Any instructions?"
He instantly switched into "acting master" mode.
The situation reminded him of an assassin trial he had seen in a recording from a legendary player, allowing him to improvise convincingly.
Moreover, Zhao Haiping could actually understand ancient Yi dialect, but since Yang Xinyan couldn't, he played the role accordingly.
The scholar's suspicions faded, "The General said to wait."
He turned to the general, "General, what are your orders?"
The Eastern Yi general stood up and walked over to Zhao Haiping, scrutinizing him closely.
They were very close, and the general's intimidating aura was overwhelming.
Zhao Haiping's heart raced, but he blended his character's anxiety with his own, staying in character.
He understood now why the game demanded such strong acting skills!
One needed a balance of combat skill, knowledge, and acting prowess, with no room for weakness.
If he hadn't practiced his acting instinctively, he would have been exposed by now.
The general said coldly, "This man colluded with the militia. Take him outside and kill him!"
Zhao Haiping looked blankly at the scholar, "What did the General say?"
The scholar hesitated, "General, Boss Yang is a renowned performer. Killing him now..."
The general shot him a cold glare, "Translate it to him exactly."
The scholar, sensing the general's hostility, didn't dare to argue. He turned to Yang Xinyan, "The General says you colluded with the militia and will be taken outside to be executed!"
The general observed Yang Xinyan's subtle expressions intently.
Yang Xinyan's face showed shock, then confusion, and finally fear and despair.
"General!
"It's not true!
"I... I'm just an actor, performing for a living. How could I dare to collude with the militia?
"I know! It's Wang Jinghui! It must be that man!
"General, please be wise! Strategist, please help me explain to the General. I would never collude with the militia!"
His hands flailed as if he didn't know where to place them, his expression a mix of fear and bewilderment.
After a moment, the general said, "Fine, I'll spare your life. But if you live, Su Xianjun must die! Bring him here, and I'll let you live!"
The scholar hesitated, "General, Su Xianjun is a renowned performer…"
The general's gaze was sharp as a blade, "Speak one more word, and you'll die with him! Tell him exactly what I said!"
The scholar wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Yes, General, I'll relay it word for word."
He turned to Yang Xinyan, "Boss Yang, the General says either you or Su Xianjun must die. Bring him here, and your life will be spared."
Yang Xinyan's face registered shock once again, his muscles twitching as if caught in a dilemma.
After a brief internal struggle, he said firmly, "General, Su Xianjun… he's simply troubled. Please, grant me a little more time, even just half an hour, and I'll persuade him to perform!
"Please, show mercy…"
The general waved dismissively, "Then go die in his place!"
Two bandits seized Yang Xinyan, dragging him out.
Yang Xinyan cried out in terror, "General, I haven't colluded with the militia!"
The scholar, stunned, watched the two bandits drag Yang Xinyan nearly out of the theater before realizing the situation. He hurried after them, "Boss Yang, maybe you should just bring Su Xianjun…"
His logic was simple: if Su Xianjun refused to perform, and Yang Xinyan died, there'd be no performance tonight.
If forced to choose, he preferred Yang Xinyan, as he was cooperative.
But despite his pale face and trembling legs, Yang Xinyan didn't agree to trade Su Xianjun's life for his own.
Just then, the general spoke up, "Wait!
"Bring him back."
The bandits dragged Yang Xinyan back.
The general's demeanor softened, "Boss Yang, I was just joking. Please, go convince Mr. Su once more."
As he spoke, he patted Yang Xinyan on the shoulder.
A strange sensation washed over Zhao Haiping. He felt an ominous, mysterious power attempting to infiltrate his mind, causing an unpredictable change.
But soon, the Restorer's power within him surged, dispelling the influence as if nothing had happened.