12 Chapter 12

Although there were always disputes over some opinions in the audience outside the screen, the studio on the screen was still harmonious at this time. Miss Shangguan Huaijin had superb piano skills and her status brought her popularity. In addition, she looked like a rare white flower type player in the Hehuan Sect, so Ning Shu generously allowed her to advance.

Before ringing the golden bell, Ning Shu confirmed with Shangguan Huaijin again, "Miss Shangguan, before letting you pass, I must be honest with you. Even if you successfully join us this time, the cultivation resources that the Hehuan Sect can provide for an ordinary disciple are far inferior to those of your family.

Even so, you still insist on joining us?"

After Shangguan Huaijin finished her song, she sat quietly in her seat, waiting for the result. Only after hearing that she had been selected did she finally show a trace of relief. She stood up and bowed to the judges, then twisted the handkerchief in her hand and smiled bitterly:

"To be honest with you, Immortals, who wouldn't want to cultivate peacefully under the protection of their family? It's just that my talent is mediocre, and my parents died young. I really don't dare to burden my elders, so I decided to go out and make a living on my own..."

Although she said "I dare not trouble you", her eyes began to sparkle as she spoke. Her red eyes and lowered head, hesitant to speak, looked so pitiful that it made people think of the ten thousand-word sad novel "Two or Three Stories of a Feudal Family Bullying an Orphan Girl".

Sure enough, a few people outside the screen immediately became indignant.

"Hmph! I've met some people from those families before. They're all old bastards who rely on their seniority to oppress the younger generations in the family!" The cultivator who had been very optimistic about Shangguan Huaijin before stood up for the pitiful girl on the screen, and it looked as if he himself was being bullied.

"How many of those big families are reasonable? I think they are all... Alas, it cannot be said, it cannot be said!" Another monk echoed a few words, seeming to be hesitant to speak.

"What can't be said? I'll be frank, they're all scum! When I was in the Boundless Sea, I watched helplessly as a young master from the Shangguan family teased a female mermaid, his cowardly look... Humph! I think the Shangguan family will be defeated sooner or later!"

"And then there's the Dongfang family, the Wanyi family... Those people are relying on their earlier wealth to live off it, and they act like they're superior all the time..."

"You actually bullied an orphan girl whose parents died young, and even forced her to join the Hehuan Sect. How dare you..."

The cultivators all shook their heads, and some of the cultivators who had been suppressed were even more excited. Regardless of whether they had sects or not, the cultivators all expressed their contempt for the several cultivation families headed by the Shangguan family.

Ning Shu: ...

Yes, although I don’t know whether you are sincere or pretending, but the beginning is so classic. Miss Shangguan, you will definitely achieve great things in the future.

At the very least, she's a vicious female supporting character.

So the incident ended with Miss Shangguan climbing up to her seat on the immortal platform with tears in her eyes and pretending to be strong. Miss Shangguan also successfully aroused the sympathy of the monks inside and outside the screen, and became the second most discussed contestant in the show since its launch.

By the way, the first place is still the beautiful and charming Miss Liu Pianpian. Ning Shu estimates that she will be able to gain a lot of fans after her beautiful and strong past is exposed.

After a few contestants with outstanding performances emerged, the audience outside the screen finally became more focused in watching the show. Subsequent contestants took turns to appear on the stage like a revolving lantern. With the support of a large base, more and more contestants were finally successfully selected after the test of time.

There are the famous actresses in the Spring Opera Theater, their enchanting figures and melodious voices lingering in the air for three days, the singing girls on the pleasure boats, their pipa playing a heartbreaking tune, and the mainstays of the acrobatic troupe who happened to come to the city that never sleeps to perform...

Various wonderful skills were presented in front of everyone, and there was even a person who spoke in rap. Ning Shu watched with great interest and even remembered the Alvin and the Chipmunks in a famous movie after a long time.

Although I think these programs are quite interesting, I was once an ordinary person on Earth after all. I wonder if these immortal cultivators with lifespans of hundreds or thousands of years would still like such "childish" things? Ning Shu suddenly thought of this question halfway through the viewing. Worried that her efforts would be in vain, she quickly turned to look at Zi Xiao and Bai Xuan sitting nearby.

At that time, Zixiao was holding his chin and watching intently the girls on the stage who were piling up higher and higher and even starting to perform various difficult movements. They were from an acrobatic troupe that wandered to the city that never sleeps. When they heard about the good news that the Hehuan Sect was recruiting disciples, they couldn't wait to run over. Five girls signed up as a team, so the current situation became like this.

"What are you looking at me for?" Zi Xiao noticed Ning Shu's gaze and looked back: "You don't like acrobatics? I think these little girls are quite interesting."

"That's not the question." Ning Shu shook her head, leaning her head to carefully observe Zixiao's expression, to confirm whether she was telling the truth or just kidding. "Sister Zixiao, you've lived for hundreds of years, do you also like to watch these things?"

She pointed at the girls on the stage doing shoulder stands and spins. "Isn't that easy for you guys? And you can fly around, too. Isn't that much more exciting?"

"Although I can do it, it doesn't mean I don't like watching others perform, right? Just like I'm good at dancing, but I also admire Liu Pianpian very much." Zi Xiao seemed to see what Ning Shu was worried about. He smiled and fanned her with air, comforting her, "As for your question about living a long life? There's no need to worry about that."

At this point, her always smiling eyes dimmed a little, and her tone was a little sarcastic: "Life is very boring after a long time, especially those people who keep clamoring to abandon all emotions and cultivate wholeheartedly." She didn't know what she was thinking about, but she sneered:

"After so many years of cultivating immortality, the result is nothing more than repeating that boring life for hundreds or even thousands of years. No one has seen anyone who can successfully achieve immortality for thousands of years."

Forced to suppress oneself and live a life without any emotions or entertainment for thousands of years? That would truly be torture! Ning Shu, a mortal who hadn't yet successfully established her foundation, couldn't understand it. She exclaimed, "So, those who practice in seclusion all the time..."

"Ah, yes, that's what you think." Zixiao confirmed with a smile: "I'll give you a broken cushion, lock you in a cave, seal the door, and let you out after a few hundred years."

Ning Shu: ...

How is this different from going to jail?

Seeing Ning Shu's rejection, Zi Xiao shrugged his shoulders as if he had known it for a long time, looking quite helpless:

"You're disgusted, right? You don't want to learn? I was like that too. Or rather, every sister in the Hehuan Sect is like that. We simply can't understand why those fools would use such a boring method to practice."

Wouldn't it be nice to have more happy moments in this long life? It would be better to die than to be so boring.

"Well, maybe there's some mysterious secret here that we don't know about." Ning Shu said stiffly, trying to make amends: "For example, absorbing spiritual energy, meditating and entering a state of concentration, or something like that. Maybe time will pass by in a flash, and they won't even feel it!"

She forced herself to understand. "Just like the monks have some misunderstandings about the Hehuan Sect, this must be a cultural difference caused by different cultivation methods!"

"Really?" Zixiao didn't object, but judging by her slightly raised eyebrows, she clearly didn't believe it. "Anyway, those seemingly pure-hearted Taoist priests always talk about eliminating distracting thoughts while being fascinated by all sorts of things. Maybe that's why no one ascends."

It seems that these cultivators are not as pure-hearted as he thought. On the contrary, because of years of emotional repression, they are the type that are easily attracted to all kinds of new things. Ning Shu breathed a sigh of relief and felt more confident in his plan to create an entertainment industry in the world of immortal cultivation.

The fact was indeed just as Ning Shu and Zixiao had expected. The cultivators outside the screen were completely immersed in the various performances of the contestants and were fascinated. You know, there are many cultivators who entered the immortal sect at a very young age and have never seen these new things in the world, and most of the cultivators who have lived with ordinary people have not seen those folk acrobatics for hundreds of years.

Ah, is this how mortals entertain themselves? So interesting, so fresh, so nostalgic!

Time flew by amid their laughter and conversation. More and more outstanding people emerged on the stage. The Eight Immortal Chairs on the Immortal Stairs were gradually filled up under the gaze of the monks. As the remaining seats became fewer and fewer, until there were no more seats left.

"Another person has been chosen. Look, aren't all the chairs on the steps already full?"

"It's full? But there are still more than 200 contestants behind us. What should we do? Should we just not choose?"

"This is so unfair to the contestants behind..."

While they were discussing, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old came onto the stage. Perhaps because she knew she had no hope, she simply let herself go. She sang the song "Xijiang Yue" in a lingering and sad voice, with a sincere and sad tone, like a love-struck woman who was waiting anxiously after being let down by her lover.

“It is better not to meet than to see each other, how can love be like indifference…” As she sang, two lines of tears fell from her eyes, and she looked at the judges with a sad and miserable look.

Ning Shu, who felt like she was forced to be a scumbag: ...

Why do I feel like I've cheated on her...

Even some of the audience outside the screen began to feel distressed.

"Isn't this so unfair? If she had been in the front row, she would have definitely been chosen!"

"That's right! Look at her crying like that, it's so heartbreaking..."

"That's not fair! Why don't you just let her be chosen!"

"That's right, wouldn't it be great to have one more talented disciple? Why does it have to be forty?"

In fact, the selection of disciples by every sect is so cruel, and many cultivators have even experienced it personally, but the talent shows on the screen have magnified this point, so many people have subconsciously begun to stand up for those unlucky people they have met or even their former selves.

Ning Shu had long anticipated that things would develop into this situation. When the girl finished her song, she nodded in appreciation and looked at her encouragingly: "It's a beautiful singing voice. I think you have what it takes to join us."

So this is an exceptional admission?

The girl's eyes lit up, and the audience outside the screen leaned forward anxiously. Even the contestants on the Eight Immortals Chairs looked over with attention.

"But the quota is full, what a pity..." Ning Shu touched his chin and pretended to be embarrassed.

Still no use? The light in the girl’s eyes wavered.

Suddenly, Ning Shu clapped his hands and slammed the table as if a flash of inspiration had occurred to him: "I got it! Let's do this!

You pick any one of those people on the chairs to challenge! You two will each do an impromptu performance, and if you can beat her, you sit on it and pull her down!

The girl: I’ll do my best!

Audience outside the screen: Wow, is it so exciting?

The contestants on the Eight Immortals Chair who still thought they had it safe: Ahhhhhhhhh!

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【Author’s words】

*From Xijiangyue: The Treasure Bun is Loosely Bunched by Sima Guang in the Song Dynasty