Yuan Qingzhi is a twenty-something woman who inherited the Pear Garden, a historic opera courtyard in Qingcheng, from her late father, Grandmaster Liu Wenqing. Having recently been fired from her corporate job for refusing overtime, she spends her days idly, dreaming of selling the property to live a life of leisure. She has no interest in performing traditional opera, despite possessing a natural vocal talent that her caretaker, Lin Ruhua, believes rivals her father's legendary skill. The Pear Garden, a thousand-year-old structure, requires significant maintenance fees, forcing Yuan Qingzhi to eventually consider finding employment.
Her quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of Yan Guchen and Jia Wenyu, officers from the Si Tian Jian, a semi-confidential government agency responsible for supernatural affairs. They reveal that reality in Qingcheng is beginning to merge with an ancient opera script known as Night Journey Chronicles. This fusion is caused by water, and the anomalies are escalating. The most dangerous consequence is the imminent emergence of Yu Mengjing, the primary antagonist from the first volume of the chronicles, a non-human entity with the power to bewitch anyone who sees his face. To prevent a catastrophic supernatural event, the Si Tian Jian needs Yuan Qingzhi's help.
The agency explains that three leading opera masters have already vanished after accidentally entering the play during rehearsals on a rainy day. They are trapped in a state known as "entering the play," where performers become so immersed in their roles that they lose contact with reality. The Si Tian Jian had planned to use these masters as linchpins in a formation to seal the opera away during the upcoming Grand Opera Festival, but with three missing, the plan is in jeopardy. Yuan Qingzhi, initially resistant, agrees to help after being offered fifty million yuan and a comprehensive insurance policy. She reveals that she possesses an "awakening item," a jade dice left by her deceased mother, which serves as an anchor to reality for those with natural opera talent.
Yuan Qingzhi decides to enter the opera herself to rescue the trapped masters and stop the fusion. She chooses to perform in Evil Omen, the second story in the first volume of Night Journey Chronicles. She selects the minor role of Wu Wu, a lackey to the female antagonist, because the character survives the tragedy and has minimal lines, allowing her to focus on her mission. As she steps onto the stage, her demeanor shifts completely. The slacker attitude vanishes, replaced by the poised elegance of a natural-born performer. She enters the opera world, finding herself in a horse-drawn carriage bound for the palace-temple where the Ritual Master selection is taking place.
Inside the opera, Yuan Qingzhi navigates the treacherous environment of the Qing Nation, a kingdom built on the principles of a tomb and dedicated to the worship of Yu Mengjing. She witnesses the arrival of the female protagonist, Xie Shuyao, and the male protagonist, Shi Honghua, who is revealed to be her former senior, Yuan Xiangming, one of the missing masters. Yuan Xiangming is deeply immersed in his role and has forgotten the real world. Yuan Qingzhi must perform her part while secretly working to awaken Yuan Xiangming and the other trapped masters. She observes the Night-Red Shrine, the symbol of Yu Mengjing, submerged in the Holy Spring, confirming the severity of the fusion. As the opera progresses, she faces the dangers of the script, including the malevolent Priestesses and the oppressive atmosphere of the palace, all while trying to maintain her grip on reality using her awakening item.
The story reaches a critical point as the wind howls through the divine palace, signaling the approach of supernatural forces. Yuan Qingzhi realizes that the opera is not just a performance but a living, breathing entity that seeks to consume those who enter it. She must complete the performance of Evil Omen to rescue the masters and find a way to seal the Night Journey Chronicles before Yu Mengjing fully manifests in the real world. The Grand Opera Festival looms in three days, and the fate of Qingcheng hangs in the balance. Yuan Qingzhi, the reluctant heir, must embrace her destiny as an opera performer to save the city from being consumed by the ancient tales.
