### Chapter 17: The Power of Existence Interference
“Welcome, folks! Please give a warm welcome to our Puppet Master, who will enchant us with an extraordinary puppet show!”
The announcer swiftly retreated to the sidelines once her job was done, making way for the next performer.
Lianhua stepped onto the stage center, and a bunch of puppets materialized out of thin air, floating around her.
Her presence was quite unique. Unlike regular star eclipses, she couldn’t easily be overlooked. She didn’t need to boost her presence like a singer to grab attention. This was a perk of being a half-star eclipse; she blended seamlessly among humans, as long as she wasn’t in her complete form.
The audience below the stage fixed their eyes on the adorable girl, intrigued by what entertaining performance she would bring.
Puppet show?
None of the young people present had heard of such a thing.
Is this some kind of new entertainment program?
It turns out it wasn’t.
This was an old performing art that had mostly been forgotten. But it was now about to make a comeback.
The night watchers remained concealed, observing and ready to act if necessary.
Their leader instructed them to observe whether any of the performers might harm the citizens, be it mentally or physically. A sign of any danger would prompt immediate action.
The night watchers present were skilled at quickly clearing innocent civilians, often turning an area into no man’s land within ten seconds.
Despite the chaos that followed, it was deemed the fastest method.
At that moment, Xiao Jin’s thought was: Let’s avoid conflict if possible.
With so many ultra star eclipses and numerous night watchers involved, a full-on battle could wreak havoc far beyond just the entertainment district.
And the effects of that black-haired girl’s star eclipse were still unknown. Best to hold back.
Xiao Jin had tried a more aggressive approach last time, leading to disastrous outcomes he didn’t wish to relive.
### Scene Shift.
### Onstage.
As the enchanting background music started, the stage environment transformed dramatically, becoming richer and more complex.
The audience was mildly surprised.
“Is this projection technology? It looks pretty cool.”
“The background music feels so genuine. I’m getting excited.”
Conversations buzzed among the crowd.
For Lianhua, this was her first time facing so many spectators. In the theater, she only performed in front of a few people.
Today there were so many more. It felt surreal.
But instead of nervousness, she felt a little thrilled. Different from performing solely for Yesternight Star.
With new spectators, she needed to focus and gain recognition outside of Yesternight Star.
That was her goal.
“Huuu…”
Lianhua took a breath, stepped back, and disappeared into the virtual stage.
Only distinct puppets remained on stage, preparing to take center stage as the main characters and sidekicks of the puppet show.
Performance began.
As the puppets came alive, the audience became captivated. Even the night watchers tensed up.
They wouldn’t let appearances distract them. They knew all too well how cute she looked, yet under her façade, she was one of the rarest calamities—a supernova star eclipse.
No one knew if she was truly stable.
To everyone’s relief, everything went smoothly without anomalies.
The puppet show over, Lianhua bowed and walked back to the edge.
Back to the stage, the announcer smiled.
“That concludes the Puppet Master’s remarkable performance. Let’s applaud our appreciation.”
Clap, clap, clap—
The audience cooperatively clapped and began discussing.
“What a fresh form of entertainment! Are those puppets really just high-tech AI robots?”
“No, no, AI isn’t that advanced yet. Both speech and gestures seem too realistic.”
“So they’re actually controlled manually? Cool!”
“This must look even cooler in person. How can I get my hands on these?”
“I have a feeling you’ve got some questionable tastes.”
Night watchers continued to watch silently.
The puppet show had no star eclipse pollution aside from its somewhat unexplainable nature. Otherwise, all seemed normal.
“Continue observing.”
The announcer smiled at the audience and announced, “Next, let’s welcome the Fraudster’s performance. He will bring us the most extraordinary visual feast.”
A masked man in a black tuxedo ascended the stage, exuding an unsettling aura.
Seeing this, all night watchers poised themselves for action.
The fraudster emitted thick star eclipse energy, not hiding it at all. Any second, the terror of star eclipse contamination could spread.
In past cases involving the Tragic Shadow Theater, the fraudster’s contamination posed significant dangers, capable of harming the mental and physical well-being of the audience.
The memories of Yun Chang City’s night watchers of the last choking incident were vivid, seared into their souls.
Now, the fraudster’s presence eluded observation. His performance would manifest as a calamity.
Even if brilliant, his show could inflict immense harm on unsuspecting viewers—a consequence of star eclipse pollution.
Thus, should the fraudster commence his act, it may trigger the start of a battle.
Meanwhile, Yesternight Star stood contemplatively at the edge.
“Got it, I can use the Singer’s [Existence Interference]?”
With that realization, Yesternight Star decisively acted.
“Interfere! Remove the tragedy from the performance! Erase the calamity disrupting the audience experience! As an audience performer, I swear, [Existence Interference] shall serve me! Let the Fraudster shine on stage, becoming the protagonist of the fraud theme!”
Yesternight Star’s words stirred an internal power surge.
The singer’s abilities responded under Yesternight Star’s command, interfering with the fraudster’s existence on stage.
Even a third of that force was enough to cause substantial changes.
The announcer watched calmly, closing her eyes slightly.
“Only support from the [Audience] sustains the performer. I understand.”
Suddenly, the fraudster appeared to all, a mask-wearing man embodying mystery, cunning, and oddity.
“Do not be fooled by visuals, my dear audience.”
People fell under the fraudster’s influence.
“Whoa! What is this level of dazzling trickery?!”
“Are all members of this troupe so impressive?”
“What kind of theater group is this? I’ve never heard of them?”
Yet, the fraudster proceeded normally.
His deceptive performance kept drawing gasps, even without modern elements. Everyone was captivated by its mystique and eeriness, finding no boredom.
Moreover, the fraudster’s control spanned beyond the stage. The entire area seemed under his spell.
Friends turned to strangers.
The very location transformed instantly, almost unimaginably!
It wasn’t pure optical illusion but the fraudster’s specialty—mentally deceiving them.
