nyslfriends Chapter 5 Tonight, No Gong Toll
Chapter 5 Tonight, No Gong Toll
Sudden.
The tiger that had been sleeping below suddenly opened its eyes.
In that instant, Lu Cheng felt as if every hair on his body stood on end.
What kind of eyes were those?
In his amber pupils, there was not a trace of emotion, only a cold indifference to all life.
It turned its head, its gaze passing over the students who were throwing stones, and fixed intently on Lu Cheng by the railing.
It sensed it.
I sensed the presence of someone of the same kind.
Or rather, it sensed a provocation.
"roar--!!!"
A roar erupted without warning.
This sound wasn't shouted from the throat, but squeezed out from the chest cavity, carrying a low-frequency vibration.
The students around were so frightened that they screamed and fell to the ground, their faces turning pale.
Even the distant Monkey Mountain fell silent instantly, utterly still.
Only Lu Cheng, instead of retreating, leaned forward halfway.
His pupils contracted, and he memorized the tiger's exertion of power in that instant.
From the soles of the feet gripping the ground, to the waist and hips coming together, to the spine transmitting the energy like waves, and finally to the chest resonating.
That roar intimidated the mountains and forests!
Lu Cheng's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, mimicking a tiger's movements, his chest trembling slightly.
"Um……"
A muffled groan escaped from his nose.
Although the sound wasn't loud, he felt as if his blood and energy had been ignited, and his internal organs were resonating with it.
This is the might of a tiger!
It's not about baring one's teeth and brandishing one's claws, nor is it about shouting and yelling.
Instead, it's that domineering spirit that wants to tear apart and devour all living things in front of it!
"Understood."
Lu Cheng let out a long breath, and the look in his eyes changed.
Before he came here, he was just a "clumsy bear" who had accumulated ten years of experience.
Now, a real "fierce tiger" has taken up residence in his "bear" body.
He glanced at the sky.
The sun is setting in the west; it's time to go back.
……
As night falls, the lights are on.
The Deyun Tea Garden was already packed with people.
Lu Cheng's performance of "Lin Chong's Night Flight" yesterday was truly captivating.
Today, upon hearing that this new actor is going to play a tiger, whether people wanted to see something good or something funny, the tea garden was packed with people.
In the private room on the second floor, Master Jin was still sitting in the middle, with an elderly man with a white face and no beard sitting next to him.
"Master Jin, is Lu Cheng really that amazing?" The old man took a sip of tea and asked calmly.
"Fifth Master, you're an expert, please take a look later."
Jin Ye smiled and peeled a peanut.
"Anyway, I was impressed by yesterday's performance. But playing a tiger... well, I'm not so sure about that."
This old man was a senior figure in the Peking Opera world of Beiping, known as "Master Tan Wu," a true connoisseur of opera.
Backstage.
Old Zhang, the gong player, is holding a specially made bronze gong called the "Tiger Sound Gong".
When performing "Wu Song Fights the Tiger", every time the tiger roared, this thing had to be knocked on. It made a buzzing sound, which made it sound quite realistic.
"Chengzi, when you shake your hair later, I'll bang the gong. Let's coordinate," Old Zhang instructed.
Lu Cheng was fastening the tiger skin buttons.
After his modifications, the tiger skin clung tightly to his body, highlighting his broad latissimus dorsi muscles and muscular waist.
He put on a tiger-head hat, revealing only his eyes and chin.
"Uncle Zhang, let's take this gong away."
Lu Cheng's voice came from the tiger's head, muffled.
"Oh, they've left?"
Old Zhang was stunned, thinking he had misheard.
"If you take away the gong, how will you make a sound? Are you going to shout? How can anyone hear you then?"
"There are hundreds of people making a racket in the audience. Even if you shout yourself hoarse, you won't be able to control the crowd!"
In traditional opera, no matter how loud a person's voice is, it can't compare to that of musical instruments.
This tiger-sound gong is a tradition passed down through generations.
"It's okay, my throat is fine."
Lu Cheng stretched his neck, and his spine cracked.
"Moreover, the sound produced by striking that copper sheet is from an inanimate object."
"Today, I'm going to let them hear it live."
Zhou Daikui, who was listening nearby, was terrified.
She wanted to persuade him, but when she saw Lu Cheng's eyes hidden beneath the tiger's head, she swallowed her words.
"Fine... listen to him, take down the gong!" Zhou Daikui gritted his teeth.
……
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The rapid drumbeats begin, marking the opening of "Wu Song Fights the Tiger".
Shunzi, who plays Wu Song, staggered onto the stage.
This kid is really scared today; his calves are cramping.
His drunken gait was even more convincing than usual, truly resembling someone who was too drunk to stand steadily.
"Tavern...three more bowls, please!"
Shunzi's recitation had a slight tremor, but this tremor perfectly matched the state of being "drunk".
A cheer rang out from the audience.
As the plot unfolds, Wu Song goes up the mountain, sees the notice, learns of the tiger, but stubbornly refuses to return.
Just then, the drumbeats suddenly stopped.
The lights in the entire venue were dimmed, leaving only a beam of pale light shining behind the large blue stone of "Jingyanggang".
A gust of cold wind seemed to blow out from backstage.
There was no gong sound.
There was no signature "bang bang" tiger roar soundtrack.
A deathly silence.
The audience below the stage were wondering what was going on, and someone was about to yell, "Why is it so quiet?"
Sudden.
"call--"
A heavy breath, resonating through his unique chest cavity, reached everyone's ears.
It's like a giant beast breathing right next to your ear.
Followed by.
Behind the large blue stone, a huge tiger's head slowly emerged.
[Current Performance: Wu Song Fights the Tiger]
[Current Character: Tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead]
[Character Requirements: King of Beasts, commanding respect without anger!]
Lu Cheng came out.
He didn't walk out standing up or crawling on his knees like in traditional opera.
He was "flowed" out.
Yes, it's like a pool of mercury flowing down the stone.
His shoulders shrugged, his spine heaved, and he was on all fours.
The tiger skin seemed to be an extension of his body, trembling with the movement of his muscles.
This isn't acting at all.
This is clearly a real hungry tiger, scrutinizing its prey.
In the private room on the second floor, Master Tan, who had been squinting, suddenly opened his eyes, and the teacup in his hand wobbled, spilling tea all over himself.
"This movement technique... it's the 'Tiger Form' from Xingyi Quan, practiced to the bone. You can't do this without more than ten years of training."
"Impressive skills!"
Before the audience could react, they felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads.
On the stage.
Shunzi was terrified when he saw the approaching "tiger".
He could clearly see the murderous glint in Lu Cheng's eyes; he really wanted to devour him!
He turned to run, but his legs gave way and he tumbled and fell to the ground.
This "backflip" was an extremely awkward fall, yet it was so real it sent chills down your spine.
Lu Cheng made a move.
"roar--!!!"
In this era without any amplification equipment, Lu Cheng's roar was a powerful display of his inner strength, combined with a simplified version of "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound".
The sound waves, like rolling thunder, echoed through the enclosed tea garden.
Those who are far away can't hear it very clearly.
But those sitting close to the front row felt a sharp pain in their eardrums, and the lids of the teacups on their tables rattled loudly.
Several timid concubines screamed and covered their ears.
There is no tiger-shaped gong.
But this human voice was more terrifying and chilling than the sound of the gong!