Chu Wu did not recognize the nameless actor, only that his name was Lu Huai.
However, he recognized the purple jade crown on Lu Huai's head!
Legend had it that this purple jade crown was obtained by Qin Shi Huang by chance, and he gifted it to Lu Huai because he favored him.
And Li Genmiao had told Chu Wu that this purple jade crown contained extremely potent malevolent energy. Any performer of Nuo Ghost Opera who wore it and performed their ultimate skill would have their power multiplied!
Li Genmiao was already very strong, but he felt it was not enough, so he was determined to obtain this purple jade crown.
This was why Chu Wu and his men had entered the imperial tomb.
Chu Wu recognized Lu Huai and, at that moment, could not afford to chase Yan Shouyi. He immediately ordered his subordinates to intercept Lu Huai.
After all, Yan Shouyi was not Chu Wu's target; Lu Huai was!
Those who could follow Chu Wu into the imperial tomb were all elite experts from the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and also Chu Wu's confidantes.
They immediately unleashed their various divine abilities, attempting to trap Lu Huai.
Who would have thought that Lu Huai, who appeared so delicate and weak, possessed exceptionally agile movements!
With a single leap, he soared over ten meters high, easily evading the encirclement and jumping onto the rooftops on both sides of the street.
From beginning to end, Lu Huai wore that unsettling, eerie smile, as if he encountered not trouble, but amusement.
Those who trespassed into the imperial tomb were, in Lu Huai's eyes, not threats, but playthings delivered to his doorstep.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong, riding T Xue, had galloped another street. When they realized Lu Huai hadn't caught up, they had T Xue slow down.
"It seems Chu Wu has stopped the nameless actor," Lin Zhitong said with a surprised expression.
They still didn't know what Chu Wu's purpose was, so their minds were filled with confusion at that moment.
Yan Shouyi pondered and said, "That Chu Wu from earlier seemed to recognize the nameless actor, and their target appeared to be the hat on the nameless actor's head."
"The nameless actor is a performer of Nuo Ghost Opera, and Li Genmiao is also a performer of Nuo Ghost Opera. They might have some connection... it's likely that hat!" Lin Zhitong analyzed. "That hat might be of great help to Li Genmiao, which is why they ventured into the imperial tomb to obtain it."
Yan Shouyi nodded, and perhaps to make up for having annoyed Lin Zhitong earlier, he praised her, "As expected of my wife, your analysis is precise and your insights unique."
Lin Zhitong rolled her eyes with mild annoyance, "Are you praising me or yourself?"
"It's all the same, all the same, hehe."
Yan Shouyi gave a simple chuckle and then resumed his serious demeanor. He mused, "Now it seems we have escaped two troubles at once."
Chu Wu's group and the nameless actor were both significant hidden dangers. Unexpectedly, these two forces met and ended up fighting each other.
Lin Zhitong asked, "What should we do now? Should we return to the imperial city to continue investigating the whereabouts of the Imperial Tutor, or..."
Yan Shouyi's eyes flickered, and a mischievous idea crossed his mind:
"Although the nameless actor has been intercepted by them, the Mercury Female Corpse has not yet appeared. If we return to the imperial city now, we might still have to face the Mercury Female Corpse. So, why don't we also go back and stir up trouble? Ideally, they'll both suffer heavy losses, and we can lure the Mercury Female Corpse over too!"
The greatest threats in the imperial city were none other than the actors and Empress Ah Fang. Once these two threats converged, and the blame was shifted to Chu Wu, Yan Shouyi would be at ease and could leisurely search for the Imperial Tutor's whereabouts within the imperial city.
This idea was not only effective but also quite malicious.
Therefore, Lin Zhitong agreed.
She immediately tugged on the reins, causing T Xue to turn around. The two began to gallop back.
At this moment, Lu Huai had leaped onto the rooftop and was looking down at Chu Wu and his men.
Chu Wu's face darkened, "Attack!"
His subordinates climbed onto the rooftops one after another, approaching Lu Huai with a pincer formation.
Lu Huai looked left and right, completely unfazed by these people.
He circled his hands, rolled up his wide sleeves, straightened his back, and took a deep breath.
Chu Wu's expression changed, "He's going to perform Nuo Ghost Opera, retreat quickly!"
Chu Wu was all too familiar with this posture. Li Genmiao had the same stance before performing Nuo Ghost Opera.
His subordinates reacted and quickly dodged, but a few were a step too slow.
As Lu Huai began to sing, his hoarse voice emanated from his throat. Those subordinates who were slow to retreat suddenly stopped in their tracks, turned stiffly, and stared blankly at Lu Huai.
Chu Wu inwardly cursed, these subordinates were likely already under Lu Huai's mental control!
Lu Huai's singing spread outwards like ripples on the surface of water.
The closest few had stopped moving, but it didn't end there. As the singing spread, more people froze in place.
Chu Wu shouted, "Cover your ears and chant the Calming Incantation!"
This was the most direct way to deal with Nuo Ghost Opera, but its effect was not significant.
A few individuals covered their ears and muttered the Calming Incantation, but their expressions showed great pain, affected by the Nuo Ghost Opera.
They seemed to be struggling between chaos and reason.
The consequence of losing consciousness was the inability to walk properly. They lost their balance and tumbled from the rooftops, landing heavily on the ground.
Seeing this, Chu Wu's lips twitched, and an inexplicable irritation filled him.
In just one exchange, some of his subordinates had been controlled, and some had been injured. Only a third remained functional.
Fortunately, the men who suffered losses were not core members. Although Chu Wu was angry, he wasn't heartbroken.
The other subordinates, who hadn't covered their ears, appeared unaffected.
Just like Chu Wu, although he could hear the singing, he was not influenced at all.
Lu Huai looked at Chu Wu from a distance, seemingly puzzled why these people were unaffected.
Chu Wu reached into the inner pocket of his chest and felt the talismans Li Genmiao had left him.
It was thanks to these talismans that he and a few other core subordinates were not affected by the Nuo Ghost Opera.
Li Genmiao himself was a performer of Nuo Ghost Opera, so he knew how to deal with Lu Huai.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong, who were returning on horseback, also heard Lu Huai's singing.
Yan Shouyi frowned and said, "We can't get too close, otherwise we'll be affected by the Nuo Ghost Opera."
Lin Zhitong thought for a moment, then controlled the Shu Ling Snake to leave the Soul Summoning Bell and crawl along her fair arm to her ear, perfectly attaching itself next to her ear.
She pointed to the Shu Ling Snake behind her ear and said, "The Shu Ling Snake can help me resist the influence of the Nuo Ghost Opera."
"Your Shu Ling Snake is too versatile!" Yan Shouyi said enviously, "When will it have little snakes? I want one too."
Lin Zhitong scoffed, "Then you'll need to find a male snake for it."
With the Shu Ling Snake protecting her, Lin Zhitong was unaffected by the Nuo Ghost Opera, and Yan Shouyi couldn't just sit idly by.
He pondered for a while and decided to try sealing his ears with the Golden Light Mantra.
As long as he couldn't hear the nameless actor's singing, he wouldn't be affected by the Nuo Ghost Opera!