บท 37: Immortal Swans Dancing Across The Sky
After the Blissful Hall's performance ended, it was the turn of Eternal Spring Tower.
" Do you know? I heard Eternal Spring Tower has been preparing a special performance for today?"
" Yeah, They even restricted many many courtesans from seeing customers because they were practicing."
" Hehe, Let's see."
The audience became curious as the group from Eternal Spring Tower got on the stage. All of them wore pure white dresses with slightly revealing legs.
The musicians sat as they prepared their instruments. The dancers also got ready.
" Strange, Why Lu Yanyu isn't in it?"
" What? Lu Yanyu isn't performing? Ugh, I don't think it gonna be interesting."
" Eternal Spring Tower is very bold, huh? Let's see what they going to do now."
Suddenly, the music began to play as the dancers moved according to the rhythm.
The tune was very slow, like the gentle rise of the moon. As the dancers moved with slow steps in a circle. One could see a pair of boys and a girl in the center of the circle, dancing as a pair of young lovers.
It was a strange rhythm of music. None among the audience ever listened to that sort of combination of musical instruments.
The Imperial Advisor and the City Lord stopped chatting as they looked at the stage with surprised gazes.
" Mm, Such a mild tone. It's gentle and refreshing."
As the tempo of the music rose, the days of romance passed between the lovers. With the rise of the music, the audience's hearts began to thump.
Not to mention, they could smell an intoxicating fragrance, making the air around them somewhat tipsy.
Wine… Everyone thought of wine.
" Swans… They look like swans moving in a pond!"
" Amazing! Amazing!"
As the pair of lovers danced together, their difference in status in society tried to separate them. The girl was from a noble family while the boy was only a commoner.
But one day, the boy got a letter from the army. Bidding farewell, He promised that he will return in three months as a general. At that time, he will definitely marry her rightfully.
With the sudden change of tunes, the audience felt a pang of pain in their heart. The sudden separation made them uneasy.
But, they gonna reunite after months, right?
RIGHT?!
Long Ming cackled inwardly as he saw the performance. The only thing he spoke in his heart was…
' Suffer!'
The next part was a portrayal of the separate lives of both lovers. The boy fought on the bloody battlefield while the girl remained in her sheltered house.
Slowly the music reached its peak as the boy finally returned being a general. With a heroic smile, he returned to his town as the stage darkened.
But what is this? Why the house of the girl is decorated for marriage?
Then suddenly, the beat dropped, along with the sword from the boy's hand.
In front of him, his lover got married to another noble in that city.
" Nooooo!"
" What the fuck!"
" Bitch!!"
The girl along with her husband, left walking beside that boy with a smiling face. The boy turned crazy as he wandered aimlessly for days.
As he finally determined, he sneaked into that girl's house at night, to demand an explanation.
But then, the moment he sneaked into her room, she gave him one last glance with a smile before falling to the ground.
Reading the letter, the boy understands that she actually loved him, but she got forced into that marriage.
Along with her daily abuse, she finally took poison and died. But she was happy as she died in the arms of that boy.
The swans dancing around them lowered for a moment as the boy also killed himself with his sword.
As the swans flew away, the soul of the lovers rose as they danced across the sky. The starlight burst as both of them ascended to heavens.
*BOOOM*
Everyone was stunned as the entire place turned silent after the performance ended. However, their attention got broken by a sudden noise as a white light shone from above.
" Lo-Look at that lotus!"
" My-My good! Twelve petals! The lotus is completely bloomed!"
The lotus bloomed as the sacred white light bestowed on all the dancers on the stage. They felt their body rejuvenate and their cultivation improve.
" The Sacred Lotus's Bestowal! It's happening!"
" Impossible!"
Elder Han stood up as she looked at the sky. However, no matter how many times she rubbed her eyes, she couldn't deny the fact she saw.
Long Ming rubbed his palms in satisfaction as people threw their spirit stones with sobbing faces on the stage. Meng Zhi laughed proudly as she hugged Long Ming.
" Little brother! You did it! You made us win this round!"
" Ahh! Sister Meng!!"
Long Ming was startled as he felt his face being pressed against two soft and bouncy mountains. Mu Qinglian was stunned by the performance as she was still savoring the taste of the music.
However, seeing that scene, her concentration broke as she hurriedly grabbed and pulled Long Ming away.
" Sister Meng, Are you trying to choke him!?" Mu Qinglian snorted. Meng Zhi didn't let Long Ming go as her lips came near his ears.
" But I thought he will like it though." She grinned.
Long Ming trembled as he felt Meng Zhi's lips touching his ears.
" Don't worry, Little brother. Tonight, this big sister will give you a nice gift."
" You!!! Don't get too close to him!" Mu Qinglian blushed as she pulled Long Ming away.
" And you, Couldn't you make it a happy ending?" Mu Qinglian rubbed her eyes as she looked at Long Ming. " Why do you have to make it a tragedy."
" Well? It got the effect we needed, no?" Long Ming gave a smug grin.
Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky was one of the masterpieces Long Ming lovered dearly. He remembered that piece entirely. It was certainly difficult for him to recreate this technique here in Immortal Realm.
But in the end, he succeeded.
He chose the music, the dress along with the girls with perfect expression.
He also relentless brewed a fragrant wine and made every performer bath in it to gain a natural intoxicating fragrance.
But it was worth it.
The stage was drowned by the thunderous applause from the audience as it continued for quite a while. Everyone couldn't help but praise the performance from the bottom of their hearts.
" Th-That's…"
Elder Han trembled as her face was like a squashed eggplant. Meng Zhi gloated as she looked at her.
" Hoho, I wonder if our performance was satisfactory, Elder Han? Well, About the bet…"
" B-Bet? What bet?" Elder Han turned around as she pretended to know nothing. " I don't know what you talking about."
Meng Zhi snorted. " Well, In case you can't remember, I will show you this."
Elder Han's face twisted when she saw a jade piece in Meng Zhi's hand. It shone as it showed the scene during the bet.
" Re-Recording talisman? You!!"
Elder Han stammered as Meng Zhi turned away.
" Well, One always has to keep a plan B in such cases like you, no?" Meng Zhi chuckled.
" But since we are lenient, How about another bet?"
" What?" Elder Han's eyes narrowed.
" If you win, everything will be null. But if we win, You need to pay us 100,000 High grade spirit stones."
" What?! 100,000 High grade spirit stones?!" Elder Han gritted her teeth.
" Why? I thought I am being generous."
" Hmph! Fine! You want to play big? I will play big!" Elder Han snorted.
" The one who will get better evaluation shall win." Meng Zhi spoke. Elder Han snorted as she returned to her camp as she instructed something to a beautiful girl.
As for the individual rounds, the people were surprised when they saw Lu Yanyu going on the stage holding her zither.
" Oh? Lu Yanyu is going perform?"
" My! I wonder if it is going to good as the previous one."
Lu Yanyu looked at Long Ming from a distance as she gave a smile of gratitude.
She sat there as her fingers traced the zither string. Suddenly, the crowd fell silent as the only thing that remained was her song.
The tune of zither became stronger and stronger as beautiful flames blazed around her.
The flames turned into burning flowers as they bloomed, swirling around her like a infernal tempest.
As she sang a song along with her zither, she stood up as her body began to move. Each of her step was light as her body moved gracefully. However, it was enough to mesmerize the audience.
A heart throbbing song Long Ming wrote for her along with her zither play, everything was perfect.
The burning flowers bloomed as they rained from the sky. As the flames extinguished, Lu Yanyu finishe her performance as she gave a deep bow.
" Wooohoo!"
" What a spectacular performance!"
" She did it! She lit up eleven petals. The twelfth petal was almost opened. But too bad, It didn't work."
" It was so close!"
Lu Yanyu bowed as she came down from the stage. Elder Han fell to her knees her face was covered with despair.
She thought she would make a comeback in this round. However, Lu Yanyu's performance totally crushed their morale.
' Eleven petals… Eleven petals! How can we surpass that result?' Elder Han clenched her fist so hard that her nails dig in her palm.
Lu Yanyu rushed straight to Long Ming as she hugged him tightly.
" I… I want to say. Both thank you and sorry, Young Master Long."
Lu Yanyu hugged Long Ming tightly. "Thank you for giving me such an opportunity."
" And sorry that I… I couldn't awaken all twelve petals."
Long Ming caressed her hair as he chuckled. " I won't say I don't feel a little regret. If you weren't gotten suddenly nervous at your hundredth breath, you could have succeeded."
" But then, You still won, Miss Lu. So, Congrats on your successful revenge."
*SMOOCH*
Long Ming was startled as Lu Yanyu kissed Long Ming's cheek.
" Hehe, I shall be waiting for Young Master Long to receive his reward from me."
Lu Yanyu blushed brightly as she looked away. Without saying anything else, she left hurriedly.
" Gah! You are getting popular among girls, huh?" Mu Qinglian looked at Long Ming as she couldn't help but speak in a raised voice.
" I am just a charmer."
Long Ming shrugged.
But before he could say anything more, A new performance begin.
And, It made twelve petals bloom.
ของขวัญ
-- ได้รับของขวัญแล้ว สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง