25 Chapter 25
Wang Zhicai, a second-generation rich man who often comes to the city that never sleeps to have fun, has been very successful recently.
Not only did he defeat those poor monks who always opposed him in front of many beautiful fairies, he even successfully helped his soulmate Miss Shangguan defend her honor and dignity, and gained the respect and gratitude of many companions. Now he can hear people talking about his deeds wherever he goes.
"Hey, have you heard about that popularity poll from the Hehuan Sect a few days ago?"
"Oh, of course I heard about it. They made such a big scene. I heard that Shangguan Huaijin won?"
"More than that! I'm telling you, someone used a cessation spell during the voting! They turned defeat into victory at the last minute!"
"What? A silencing talisman? Just for voting?" The guests at the next table couldn't help but exclaim.
"Haha! Yes! I did it!" Wang Zhicai puffed out his chest proudly.
"Is he ill? Does he have too much money to spend?"
"What a spendthrift! He spent tens of thousands of spirit stones on just one talisman!"
"Hiss, another poor man bewitched by the witch of the Hehuan Sect..."
Wang Zhicai: …
Jealousy! You are just plain jealous!
What's wrong with tens of thousands of spirit stones? I have plenty of money! I'm willing to spend it on Miss Shangguan! What's wrong with you if I don't steal or rob?
At this moment, the silly son of a landlord, the second generation rich man who chased his first love and became a self-made crazy fan, was shattered.
"Alas, Miss Shangguan is so pitiful. She has experienced such a tragic life, but she is still called a witch by others. She has no place to display her talents, and there are bad people everywhere who are slandering her." Wang Zhicai stood up for her indignantly. It seemed that Shangguan Huaijin felt much more uncomfortable when she was scolded than himself.
"How foolish the world is! How foolish the world is!" Another equally generous monk beside him nodded in agreement, casually taking out a storage ring and handing it over.
"Besides, what's a small amount of spirit stones for Miss Shangguan? My family's spirit mine produces more than this in a day! Zhicai, you did a good job this time. I'll give these to you as a gift to make up for your loss!"
The other people at the table also took out their own magic weapons and handed them over. After all, they didn't have much else, but they had a lot of magic weapons to save their lives. Their families were afraid that they would cause some fatal trouble if they went out too much. Now they were so happy to hear that they were all staying quietly in the city that never sleeps.
Ahem! Isn't it just some magical stones and treasures? As long as you don't cause trouble, everything will be fine! It's better than just bullying those downtrodden kids when you have nothing better to do, right? That's a high-risk behavior that could easily lead to the annihilation of the entire clan!
"No need for this!" Wang Zhicai refused to give them the chance to steal the credit and simply pushed the spirit stones and magic weapons back. "I have a powerful talisman cultivator at home, and I have four copies of the same talisman."
"Sigh, compared to this, Miss Shangguan's competition is coming up soon, right? I wonder how the Hehuan Sect is planning this time." A cultivator slumped over the table in boredom. "The competition hasn't started yet, the magazine hasn't been published, and the voting is over. It's so boring. Life without Miss Shangguan is so boring."
"Me too. I'm going to die if I don't hear from Miss Shangguan anymore." Wang Zhicai slumped over the table listlessly. "Every day feels like a year. No news yet about the selection competition?"
They were sitting in the teahouse, bored and idling, when they suddenly heard someone downstairs shouting, "There's news about the selection competition! The competition notice is posted at the entrance of Linglong Tower!"
The young masters lying on the table were startled and stood up and ran towards the Linglong Tower.
This tall pagoda in the city center has been getting busier day by day these days. The traces of the fighting in the square a few days ago have not been repaired yet, but today it is once again crowded with people inside and outside.
It seemed that the Hehuan Sect also knew that a simple notice board could not satisfy everyone. On the third floor of the tower, the Spirit Shadow Stone, which was supposed to be replaying the audition competition, was playing a new promotional video over and over again.
When Wang Zhicai and his team arrived, the looping film had just begun. Amidst everyone's expectant gazes, there was only silence and tranquility on the screen. Then a beam of stage light was projected, illuminating the silhouettes of women.
They are dancers locked in delicate cages, forced to dance endlessly; ladies trapped in their boudoirs, facing the criticism of thousands; actors in opera houses who long for respect but are treated with contempt; and fishermen with dreams but struggling to make a living on their boats...
"On the eyelashes hang blood-red tears,
The scars on my heart silently record the past.
The final stubbornness is never surrendering.
Sweat and tears, accusations and slander,
The shackles dance, and then the light of day appears."
A sad and desolate zither music slowly sounded as a prelude, and young girls' voices were singing in unison. The singing sounded low and hoarse, like the last humming of a dying woman.
Suddenly, color appeared in the black and white picture, and the women on the screen who had been silently enduring with their heads down raised their heads at the same time. They reached out and grabbed the silk thread that hung down to hell, and stood firmly on the stage with desperate courage and determination.
Then the low music began to raise its pitch, and even the singing female voice had the strength to stand up.
"Stride forward and break free from shackles and discipline,
The ridicule and mockery are all left in the past.
Smash all the old preset anchors,
Random notes, wrong dance steps,
From today on, I will only live for my dreams."
What followed was a clip of each contestant's highlights from the audition competition, including Liu Pianpian's desperate dance, Shangguan Huaijin's cold solo with a sad face, and Xiao Lihua's melodious singing and water sleeves. Each clip flashed by extremely quickly, evoking the audience's surprise and emotion when they first saw it a month ago.
"We are flowers that have broken out of the greenhouse,
Don't be afraid of rumors blooming in the ruins.
The roots dig into the mud and bloom into brilliant dreams.
Thorns and thorns are my badge of honor."
As the rhythm became faster and the singing became louder, the camera in Lingying Stone suddenly changed. It first passed over the clear lake of Hehuan Sect and the green grass in the sky, with birds with bright feathers flying back and forth in the sky. Then it came to a square surrounded by green land, where a group of women in uniform stood.
More and more female voices joined the chorus, they gathered together like a stream and sang loudly. The camera slowly zoomed in, and the girls familiar to the audience wore plain and elegant disciple uniforms and smiled at the camera. Their bright smiles were filled with expectation and yearning for a new life. Liu Pianpian was the first to raise her fingers and make a "V" gesture to the camera.
"We are flowers growing wildly in the desert,
He doesn't listen to discipline or nagging and doesn't depend on anyone for existence.
Under the spotlight grows a crown and a scepter,
Where I bloom is the most dazzling stage!"
The picture shows the day when the disciples had a ceremony to become apprentices. Shangguan Huaijin, Xiao Lihua, Lu Wu... everyone had a happy and relaxed smile on their face, and they made a "v" gesture to the screen with laughter. The female voice was singing passionately and surgingly. The female voice, which should have been soft, carried a confident power, lingering in people's hearts for a long time, bringing unspeakable shock and emotion.
Until the very end, the contestants, all of whom had now entered the Qi training stage, stood by the beautiful Acacia Lake, waving their arms to greet the audience outside the screen. Shangguan Huaijin and Liu Pianpian, standing in the middle, led everyone in making the "V" sign, and crisp and energetic female voices shouted in unison:
"Thank you all for your support! The Xiuxian Dream Factory talent show has officially begun recording! See you in seven days, on June 29th!"
Then, a line of subtitles flashed across the bottom of the screen, and the host of the audition program spoke at a machine gun-like speed, without emotion, and played the advertisement:
"This program is sponsored by the Hehuan Sect! We would like to thank Yihong Huafang, Yuanyang Pavilion, Haitang Tower, Guanyue Pavilion, Zhenxiu Restaurant and other brands for their strong support for this column. All of the above businesses can reserve seats for the first episode of this program. Audience members who reserve seats will have the right to vote for the first performance! Thank you all for your strong support for this program! See you there!"
After she finished speaking this long paragraph without taking a breath, the promotional video finally ended. The screen went black for a short time and then started to play in a loop. The monks in the square still kept their heads tilted back, stunned and unable to recover.
After a brief silence, Wang Zhicai suddenly jumped up and shook his companion's shoulders. "Did you see that? It's Miss Shangguan! She's appeared again, and she's singing! She's finally entered the Immortal Realm! How wonderful!"
Although the song with straightforward and rebellious lyrics was obviously sung by everyone, Wang Zhicai could only see Shangguan Huaijin.
"I saw it. She even attended the Hehuan Sect's apprenticeship ceremony. She looks really healthy now. Our efforts have not been in vain..." His companion also had a dreamy look on his face: "She was able to remain so strong in the face of such a desperate situation. She is truly worthy of being Miss Shangguan..."
"I recognized it! The background music of this song was played by Miss Shangguan! It's as beautiful as ever!" The companion next to him was also excited: "And she even greeted us! Just like this!" He made a "Yeah" gesture like the person in the video.
While they were rejoicing over the new news about their idol, others around them were also talking about it excitedly.
"Miss Pianpian! Miss Pianpian is so strong!"
"It sounds good! It's really good! Woohoo, it makes me want to cry!"
"So excited! I can't wait to watch the next game!"
It was only then that someone suddenly remembered to pay attention to the news about the next match. Zhang Daoquan looked at his companions and asked, "Didn't the Young Sect Leader just say that we can start reserving the spectator seats?"
"Yeah!" His companion couldn't wait any longer and wanted to run out to reserve a table. "This time we don't have to crowd into the lobby! We can go to the restaurant and eat while we watch!"
"And everyone who has a position has the right to vote! It seems that the ranking of subsequent contestants will definitely be related to the audience vote. I can't just stand by and watch!" Someone nearby shouted.
Zhang Daoquan woke up as if from a dream. He didn't even try to run. He pinched his fingers and used the Light Cloud Technique to dash out a long way. "Quick! Go and secure your position! This time we must defeat those young masters! How can we let Miss Pianpian be inferior to others again!"
If we lose again this time, how can we watch Miss Pianpian's dance with dignity!
So the monks who supported Liu Pianpian were startled and rushed to various hotels and brothels.
"Hey?! Don't even think about sneaking away!" Wang Zhicai anxiously summoned a flying boat and jumped on it, calling out to his companions behind him: "If we can win once, we can win a second time! Go and reserve your spot! For Miss Shangguan's sake, this time we're going to make them accept defeat with conviction!"
So the other monks who were fans of different contestants were not willing to fall behind. They showed their magical powers and flew into the air, rushing towards the ticket booking points in different directions as if they were in a race.
"Hurry up! If you're slow you'll miss it!"
"Tsk! Dead leg! Run faster!" This is a cultivator with low cultivation and who cannot fly.
"Everyone, go for it! You vote, I vote, and the fairy will become a great master tomorrow!"
【Author’s words】
I’m online today! There are two more chapters to come!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
