The Xiang River's God of Opera

Luo Wushi, a performer with a makeshift troupe by the Xiang River, was known as the “God of Opera.”

When he took the stage, the rain stopped and the birds fell silent. When he wept, the audience sobbed in unison.

The tyrant Huang Sanye forced the troupe to perform at his banquet, specifically demanding Luo Wushi’s The Mulian Rescues His Mother.

When the play reached the line, “Before the Mirror of Retribution, no one is innocent,” Huang Sanye suddenly burst into mad laughter and took off his belt.

As the red silk fell onto the stage, his corpse dropped from the rafters.

Trembling, the troupe leader brought Luo Wushi all the payment. Luo took only a single copper coin. “The play is over, and so is his life.”

At dawn the next day, the troupe’s tent stood empty.

Dense fog blanketed the Xiang River. Only a copper coin remained, spinning on the flagstones...