Weather Change in the Ancient Vault
"I felt that my recovery was alright, so I came down to walk around," Chen Ling replied.
Ning Ruyu: ...
Ning Ruyu glanced at those wounds that seemed about to burst open very soon, the corners of his mouth twitching madly. Without a second word, he chased Chen Ling back to bed and strictly forbade him from getting out of bed and walking around before his wounds healed. He was only short of tying him up with a rope.
"First Senior Brother, my body is still quite sturdy, walking two steps won't kill me." Chen Ling still tried to struggle a bit.
Ning Ruyu gritted his teeth and said, "Indeed it won't kill you, but I also don't want to watch you walk and suddenly have your intestines drop all over the floor... When that time comes, I'll still have to sew them back up for you."
"..."
"Little Junior Brother, don't take risks with your own life. You're taking strides that are too big and too hurried. It's very easy for accidents to happen."
Seeing Ning Ruyu advising him so solemnly, Chen Ling also gave up struggling. He lay on the hospital bed and nodded helplessly...
"Where are you going?"
"Going to find Master and the other junior brothers and sisters to chat about some things... Just rest well here."
As Ning Ruyu left and closed the door backhand, the room fell into a deathly stillness.
Covered in bandages all over, Chen Ling lay alone on the bed. His eyes boredly looked at the ceiling above his head as a line of characters drifted up before his eyes:
[Current Expectation Value: 59%]
It started dropping again...
When Chen Ling was in the Theater just now, the Audience Expectation Value was still at 60%. It seemed that the dull recuperation still made The Audience somewhat bored. If things continued this way, by the time he fully recovered, it was estimated that the Expectation Value would drop another large chunk.
"I've already stayed in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path for almost half a year... I don't know how things are over in the Red Dust Domain?"
The duration of Chen Ling's stay in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path had even exceeded the Aurora Domain, yet he himself didn't feel it... Perhaps because it was too peaceful here, Chen Ling could barely feel the passage of time. Learning opera and practicing martial arts every day, with a blink of an eye, a day would pass.
As they say, there is no sense of years in the mountains. For Chen Ling, this secluded place isolated from the world like the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path was no different from living in seclusion in the wild mountains. He had no idea what the situation outside was like or what had happened in the Nine Great Realms.
Chen Ling tossed and turned on the hospital bed. After thinking carefully for a long time, he muttered to himself:
"I've mastered more than half of the basic skills of the Theater Dao, and the most important 'Vermilion Countenance' has also been unlocked. It'll be hard to have any new improvements if I continue to stay... Perhaps, it's time to leave."
...
A week's time flashed by.
Chen Ling's injuries had completely recovered. Whether it was because the healing power of the [Blood Robe] was too strong, or because Ning Ruyu had miraculous medical skills, not even a single scar was left on Chen Ling's body. His skin was as smooth as jade, and his energy and spirit had both returned to their peak.
This week, it was basically Ning Ruyu personally taking care of him. Third Senior Brother Wen Renyou came to deliver food to him every day, and the other senior brothers and sister also took turns visiting. It seemed they were deeply afraid that Chen Ling would be bored... Of course, Chen Ling naturally wouldn't be bored; the only ones who were bored were "The Audience."
What was worth mentioning was that after Ning Ruyu went out that day, Master descended the mountain that very night.
When Chen Ling asked where Master went, the several senior brothers and sisters also hemmed and hawed, unable to give a clear explanation. They only said he went to find a Mysterious Figure. That Mysterious Figure seemed to know many secrets and had even passed information to the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path... It was just that his whereabouts were too mysterious, and only Master could possibly find him.
Although the other senior brothers and sisters relaxed and joked when visiting Chen Ling, for some reason, Chen Ling always felt that there were things weighing on their minds... Especially Ning Ruyu. More than once, Chen Ling saw him sitting under the moon, frowning in deep thought.
After that, Mo Jue also descended the mountain.
Before leaving, Mo Jue also came to visit Chen Ling, saying that he was going to investigate some things as a member of the Dusk Society and would probably be back in three to five days. Chen Ling took the opportunity to propose following him down the mountain, but was rejected with the excuse that "his injuries haven't completely recovered yet."
Master and Mo Jue descended the mountain one after another, and Clown was stationed at Clown Peak all year round. In the entire Ancient Vault of the Drama Path, besides Chen Ling, only Ning Ruyu, Luan Mei, and Wen Renyou were left. Whenever it was time for meals, looking at the four people who couldn't even fill the table, Chen Ling always felt a sense of emptiness.
On the day Chen Ling completely recovered, after eating a whole bowl of rice and putting down the bowl, he took a deep breath and said:
"First Senior Brother, I want to leave the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path for a period of time."
Luan Mei and Wen Renyou exchanged a complicated look, their gazes simultaneously turning to Ning Ruyu. Now that Master wasn't around, First Senior Brother was the pillar of the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path and also the patriarch of them all.
"Why?" Ning Ruyu asked rhetorically.
"I just feel that I've been too comfortable here for too long." Chen Ling told the truth. "No matter what, I'm also a member of the Dusk Society. It's not a solution to keep staying in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path like this... Whether it's taking on missions or going into hiding in the Realms, I want to go out and do some things."
Ning Ruyu thought for a moment,
"Little Junior Brother, I think you're still too anxious... You're only at the Third Tier right now and haven't even mastered a Domain. You won't be able to protect yourself well after leaving the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path. Moreover, among the four basic skills of Singing, Speaking, Acting, and Acrobatics, you're still missing one that you haven't learned.
How about this? You stay in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path for a while longer. After you master a Domain and learn the secret method of 'Fighting,' then you can leave. This is the most secure way."
Chen Ling froze for a moment and shook his head. "That would take way too long."
Chen Ling had completed the performance for the middle stage of the Third Tier and was indeed not far from Advancement to the Fourth Order... But no matter what, it would still take a few months of time. What's more, the performance conditions for the final Advancement were still unknown, and it wasn't like every performance could be solved by relying on the Timeline Save File.
Developing steadily in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path until reaching the Fourth Order before leaving was too slow and too conservative for Chen Ling... And for "The Audience," it was even more unacceptable.
"Then at least, you have to wait until you fully master all four basic secret methods, right?"
"Out of the four basic secret methods, I only have the 'Fighting' secret method left unlearned... Now my body has recovered to its peak state, and we can start at any time."
"Alright." Ning Ruyu nodded. "However, practicing the 'Fighting' secret method requires a specific environment... I probably need three to four days of time to prepare."
"Three or four days..."
Chen Ling thought about it. Waiting in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path until Advancing to the Fourth Order was too long, but he could still afford to wait for a few days. He nodded in agreement.
...
The next few days, Chen Ling spent entirely in waiting.
During these few days, Ning Ruyu's figure could basically not be seen, and the original daily close-combat sparring also didn't take place. Only during dinner every day could Chen Ling see him.
When it was time to eat on the fourth day, Chen Ling couldn't help but ask again when he would learn the "Fighting" secret method. But Ning Ruyu said things were somewhat troublesome and would probably require another two or three days of time.
"It still needs that long?"
Chen Ling vaguely felt something was wrong, but after hesitating for a long time, he still didn't ask further.
He looked up at Luan Mei and Wen Renyou beside him. The two avoided Chen Ling's gaze, silently continuing to lower their heads and eat their meal without saying a word.