As Bei Chen walked to the center of the stage and held the pipa in his arms, everyone knew that the moment they had been waiting for had arrived.
At this point, the number of viewers in the live stream had reached 1.8 million, breaking the record for the Hive Bar.
Duanmu Qinghe and the four directors also entered the live broadcast room. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
Then, most of the lights on stage were turned off, leaving only the stage and the large screen behind it, allowing everyone's attention to be focused on them.
Before the music even started, images appeared on the large screen behind us.
A chessboard slowly unfolds, on which the Chu and Han armies are fiercely battling.
The scene shifts from the chessboard to Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, with their armies facing each other and war imminent.
The background story has been given!
The song title then appeared: "Ambush from Ten Sides"!
"Clang clang clang~"
"Clang clang clang~"
"Clang clang clang~~~"
The explosive sound of the pipa appeared along with the screen.
From the very beginning, a faint killing intent emanated from Bei Chen, seemingly making the pipa music sound even fuller.
The opening section combines tremolo and fluttering on the sanxian (a three-stringed instrument), and requires a very powerful playing technique.
It's not a gradual process!
Instead, it makes the timbre explode suddenly, like the sound of a drum.
It was like the thunderous sound of war drums echoing across the vast wilderness, building up layer by layer, each beat resounding with power.
The ten sections of "Ambush from Ten Sides" are completed with three drumbeats, three horn calls, and three cannon shots.
Then it became increasingly intense, and I received a strumming motion.
Bei Chen's fingering became faster and faster, so fast that ordinary netizens had no idea how he was playing; they only saw a blur of motion.
With effortless ease, the murderous aura was already palpable.
A tense and intense atmosphere quickly filled the venue and the live broadcast room.
That was a magnificent scene of troops lining up before setting off, with drums and horns beating and shouts from the crowd.
That is, the second section of wind and percussion music.
After that came the selection of generals, the formation of troops, and the marching.
This passage utilizes a series of long, continuous finger-rolling techniques combined with techniques such as tapping, wiping, flicking, and brushing to showcase the general's imposing and extraordinary prowess.
The soldiers stood in neat rows, full of energy and high spirits, ready to be thrown into battle at any moment.
During the march, the music contrasts with the music in front, using techniques of "covering and separating" and "covering and stroking" to vividly portray the brave and agile bearing of the army.
It's as if I can see Liu Bang organizing his troops at Gaixia, with every bush and tree a potential enemy, the wind howling and the cranes crying, and the great battle with Xiang Yu about to erupt.
The vivid descriptions of different battlefields are the most distinctive feature of "House of Flying Daggers".
That's why this short opening sequence, lasting only a few dozen seconds, has captivated countless viewers.
It even made them hold their breath without realizing it, not daring to relax for a moment.
It was only the beginning, yet it already had such a strong sense of rhythm and such a strong killing intent.
I felt like I was in a suffocating dark forest, the moonlight was dim, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, and I could only hear my rapid breathing and heartbeat.
As the music grew increasingly urgent, it seemed as if every string was plucked at your heartbeat, as if an unknown danger was approaching step by step in the darkness—truly terrifying!
At that moment, I truly felt like I was on a battlefield, as if a sword could pierce my back at any moment.
This reminds me of "The Pipa Enters the Battle," which is good, but "Ambush from Ten Sides" is even more remarkable.
[...]
Even Liang Guyin, who was the most knowledgeable about the pipa at the scene, was amazed by Bei Chen's skill and artistry.
Such evocative imagery is not something an ordinary pipa player can achieve; it requires the skill of a national treasure.
Thinking back to when Xiao Chen was only 32 years old, Liang Guyin couldn't calm down for a long time.
The first part, the introduction, has ended.
The second part has begun: the fierce battle.
The first thing to encounter is an ambush, which is also the sixth paragraph out of the ten sections.
Here are ten similar short clips, as if the Han army, in the dark of night, with the enemy in the light and themselves in the dark, were advancing at top speed, racing against time, but dared not make a sound, for fear of attracting the attention of the enemy.
The quiet night was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.
After setting up the ambush, give and repeat the commands ten times.
Symbolizing an ambush from all sides!
At this moment, both Bei Chen's murderous aura and the chilling atmosphere of the zither music reached their peak, signifying that war was imminent.
Then came a minor climax, the seventh segment: the Battle of Jiming Mountain!
In an instant, the music accelerated and intensified, like a sharp blade being drawn from its sheath, accompanied by shouts of killing.
Just like Liu Bang standing on high ground, raising his sword and waving it forward, the Han army, which had been lying in ambush, attacked the Chu army from all sides.
The rhythm was short, yet sharp and rapid; Bei Chen's fingers once again left afterimages.
It was as if the war drums of the Han army were beating in unison, and the smoke of war was rising everywhere.
This utilizes the unique characteristics of the pipa (a Chinese lute) to imitate the sound of clashing weapons.
It instantly transported the listener into the midst of the clash of swords and shadows on the battlefield.
After the small battle, the eighth section begins: the Battle of Jiuli Mountain.
What started as a localized conflict escalated into a full-scale war.
First, use the alternating "stroke, row, flick, row" technique.
Then, a large number of sweeping and string-pulling techniques, as well as numerous double and triple string pushes, were used to bring the music to a climax.
To showcase the magnificent momentum of the battle between the two armies.
The shouts of soldiers, the clanging of weapons, the neighing of warhorses...
All of this erupted in a massive burst at this moment, shaking heaven and earth.
The siege engines were like a million-strong army, their iron cavalry sweeping across the land, causing chaos and devastation wherever they went, with fierce battles raging everywhere.
Amidst the smoke of battle, several loud explosions were even heard, and the clanging of metal and jade never ceased.
Next comes the ninth section, where Xiang Yu is defeated.
The Chu army was no match for the Han army, and the generals covered Xiang Yu's escape.
The music remained urgent, like the Chu army fleeing on chariots and warhorses, with the Han army in hot pursuit.
Horses neighed, hooves thundered, dust billowed, and the pursuit continued relentlessly.
As Xiang Yu was surrounded, the music became increasingly mournful.
At this moment, Lu Jiuning's chanting joined in amidst this tragic melody.
"His strength could uproot mountains, and his spirit could cover the world."
"The time is not right, and my steed will not go."
"My steed will not go; what can I do?"
"Yu Xi, Yu Xi, what can I do?"
She was singing the ancient folk song "The Song of Gaixia".
Lu Jiuning's singing was very soft, not overshadowing the pipa at all, but becoming a background sound.
This atmosphere makes the pipa piece sound even more tragic and poignant.
The final chapter has begun: the Hegemon-King of Chu committed suicide at the Wujiang River.
The last four strings were struck with a sharp "stroke" followed by a sudden "fall," bringing the music to an abrupt halt.
One song, fall!
The listener, however, remained oblivious, as if still on the brink of battle, leaving endless room for imagination...
...
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