Chapter 50

Yue Heng smiled and said, "This way, to prevent others from saying we are bullying you, how about we also perform a song about the Battle of Gaixia by the Martial God Xiang Yu? No, no, no, I won't sing 'The Song of Gaixia,' but I will sing another one. However, I need to ask Mister Ji to learn from the Overlord of Western Chu and find a skilled dancer to play Yu Ji. What do you think?"

"You can even find someone to play the role of the black horse, no problem!" He Yong boasted, thumping his chest. He didn't believe these scholars could put on any impressive performance!

"Ha ha! Mister Yue, do we need someone to play the role of a soldier with a sword?"

"Mister Yue, do you think I can play the role of Liu Bang with this outfit?"

"I'm a rough man and not suitable for the stage, but I'm good at playing a corpse. Mister Yue, give me a chance!"

The martial artists started to clamor, disregarding the occasion and speaking without restraint, even the military and political officials on the main stage were secretly shaking their heads.

But the customs in the Zhongyuan world were like this: to live better, everyone had to compete. Even within the same profession, they would fight to the death for rankings, and between different professions, they would compete for social status. The strong were respected, and strength was paramount. No one could change this situation. Every year, the celebration would have professional disputes, which were even tacitly approved by the higher-ups!

Wen Xinyue, the top student, was dissatisfied and quietly moved to a corner, trying to stay out of it. She thought He Yong and his group were really going too far today.

Yue Heng and his group quieted down and said, "He Big Head... cough, cough, this is a spur-of-the-moment idea. Can you give us some time to rehearse? I haven't even recited the lyrics to Mister Ji yet..."

He Yong waved his hand imperiously, "Any amount of time is fine! I'm just afraid you'll use this as an excuse to run away!"

"That won't happen. I'm not a martial artist; I still care about my reputation as a scholar."

Yue Heng's words were laced with sarcasm. Suddenly, he clasped his hands and said, "Finally, I ask all the officials to be witnesses. If our performance of the Battle of Gaixia is better than He Yong's, I don't ask for anything else, just for him to bow and apologize to all the scholars here. If I lose, I will bow and apologize to each martial artist! Mister He, do you dare to compete with me?"

Ah?

The entire hall fell silent again, but a powerful cheer erupted from the second floor.

"Yes! Whoever loses, apologizes!"

"By the spirits of Fuxi and Xuanyuan, no one can judge with bias!"

"He Yong, do you dare to accept the challenge?"

When the scholars erupted, it was also terrifying. A group of them had fists as big as sandpots... wasn't that scary?

Dozens of scholars shouted in unison, which indeed scared He Yong. It also left the other martial artists on the first floor speechless, and no one dared to speak on He Yong's behalf.

If they really lost, making them bow and apologize to all the scholars would be a great humiliation!

"Minister Cui, this boy is interesting," Inspector Su whispered.

"I really look forward to what he will sing..." Minister Cui smiled, his eyes full of approval.

County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen exchanged glances, sensing an ominous premonition. They hurried to Minister Cui's side and advised, "Minister Cui, stop it... don't force him to sing another battle song..."

"Minister Cui, Yue Heng is too extraordinary. You might not know, but he really can improvise..."

"There's no need to persuade. It's too late to stop it now. If there's a huge mess, we can all go to the government office again. It's just a street away, and I have the Fuxi writing disk with me. The martial artists from the military department have been arrogant for a long time. Let Yue Heng humble them a bit. Otherwise, they might really think we scholars are easy to bully!"

Minister Cui was unconcerned, speaking calmly. Indeed, the people from Qi Prefecture had a greater sense of responsibility. If things went wrong, they could erase the memory.

He Yong, with his big head, was provoked by Yue Heng. His neck stiffened, and he angrily agreed, "Why not! Everyone can judge who has the better sword dance! I don't believe you weaklings can do anything impressive!"

Martial artists always said scholars were weak, even weaker than chickens. This was a slander, and scholars would counter by calling martial artists wild oxen.

Yue Heng let the other students argue upstairs while he took Ji Cong downstairs to the backstage area to discuss the matter.

Wen Xinyue, taking advantage of the distraction, quietly followed behind. She saw the troupe leader and a group of performers surrounding Yue Heng for instructions.

She hid behind a costume rack and heard Yue Heng confidently arranging, "Two people will beat the drums, five will help with the chorus and shouts, one will play the huqin, and one will play Yu Ji. Don't worry, no need to choreograph the dance, just spin and move around casually, and coordinate with Mister Ji's actions at key moments."

The troupe leader asked, "The others are fine, but who do you want to play Yu Ji? Miss Su?"

Let Su Weiwei play Yu Ji? No, no, no, that would be too good for Ji Cong, wouldn't it?

Yue Heng shook his head, "Find someone more agile. Miss Su's strength is her voice, not her dance. Ah, Miss Su, it's not that I don't want you, but the situation is special. You'll be singing later, so I want you to save your energy. Alright, everyone, pay attention. We'll rehearse once. It's simple, first the accompaniment, then I'll explain each part. Mister Ji, you can improvise on the spot."

Su Weiwei, wearing a white demon bear fur coat, stood outside the crowd with her maid, giving Yue Heng a slight bow in response.

She watched the busy Yue Heng and smiled, her eyes sparkling, looking pitifully beautiful. She didn't show any anger at being rejected; instead, she had been staring at him since he came backstage, her face full of smiles.

Wen Xinyue had long heard of the famous singer Su Weiwei from Hongcheng, praised by many, even her father, Dean Wen, had said that Miss Su's musical talent was rare in the world. She had long admired her.

Seeing the real person, Wen Xinyue was momentarily captivated by Su Weiwei's appearance and demeanor, feeling a sense of closeness.

But following Su Weiwei's gaze, she saw Yue Heng explaining the music to the musicians, recording it. Wen Xinyue felt a sudden pang of jealousy, though she didn't know why. She bit her lower lip and glared at Yue Heng, "Pervert!"

When the accompanists were ready with their instruments, Yue Heng explained a few rhythms and chords to the drummers and huqin players, humming the general rhythm and recording it according to the customs of the Zhongyuan world.

"Drummers and huqin players, get ready. Rehearsal begins!"

After just one rehearsal of the accompaniment, everyone backstage looked at Yue Heng differently.

Wen Xinyue felt her heart racing. She had never heard this type of song accompaniment before. Just listening to the drumming almost made her drunk, even though the drummer deliberately suppressed the sound, it still conveyed a sense of grandeur and passion.

The key figures in the dance, Xiang Yu (Ji Cong) and the dancer playing Yu Ji, were silent, fully immersing themselves in the roles of the Overlord of Western Chu and Yu Ji, pondering how to express their emotions through dance, unable to break out of their thoughts.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't think about sneaking backstage!"

"Don't cause trouble!"

The backstage entrance was blocked by several students and the subordinates of Stone Inspector, not letting any martial artists in. Soon, a rustling sound was heard, and Yue Heng led the group out, the musicians carrying their instruments to the front of the main stage, Ji Cong and the dancer ready.

"Hmph! I want to see what you can do! Whether you, the top student, are just a fraud!" He Yong and his group approached, blocking Yue Heng, looking at him with a hostile expression.

Yue Heng smiled faintly, "He Big Head, not bad, you can use idioms. If you tell me who instigated you, I can let you save face, even if you lose, you won't have to apologize."

He Yong was furious, touching his big head and saying fiercely, "Lose? Nonsense! Do you think 'The Song of Gaixia' is like 'The Osprey' in the Book of Songs, which can be surpassed so easily? Don't fool me. By the spirits of the Martial God Guan Yu, I won't betray my brothers!"

"The 'Osprey' in the Book of Songs is also a famous piece. How can you make it sound like something a child could write?"

Yue Heng didn't bother to argue, "I didn't realize you were a man of honor, a follower of Lord Guan! Very well, if you won't betray your brothers, then let your brothers betray you! A good dog doesn't block the way, move aside!"

Pushing He Yong aside, Yue Heng walked to the front of the main stage, respectfully bowing to the officials and Zhang Junbei, though he was dissatisfied, he couldn't neglect the etiquette, or he might be caught on a technicality.

"Yue Heng, what song are you going to sing?" Minister Cui asked kindly.

"Of course, it's my own composition, 'Farewell My Concubine,' also about the Battle of Gaixia. I have to keep my promise and not take advantage of He Yong, right?"

The officials all laughed. Yue Heng's adherence to his promise forced He Yong to also keep his. Whoever lost today would have to apologize.

"Hmph!" A cold snort came from the military side. Yue Heng didn't recognize the officer, and County Magistrate Qi introduced him, "This is Military Officer He, He Yong's uncle."

Yue Heng understood. He Yong's arrogance was due to someone backing him. He clasped his hands and said, "Student greets Minister Zhang, greets Minister He."

Minister Zhang smiled, "Yue Heng, is this another battle song? Can it reach the level of 'lingering sound'?"

Yue Heng replied modestly, "To Minister Zhang, I don't know. But if Minister Zhang lends me a spirit artifact that can inspire the heart, it might become a battle song. I will sing and beat the drum at the same time!"

"Oh!"

The officials and their families became interested. Many had heard that Yue Heng had sung a low-level 'lingering sound' song, 'Who Says Women Are Inferior to Men,' which only benefited women, leaving most men disappointed.

Hearing that Yue Heng would personally beat the drum and use a spirit artifact to enhance the power, it was likely that 'Farewell My Concubine' would be extraordinary. Everyone's spirits were lifted, and they felt that today's banquet would be worth it!

Minister Zhang was about to agree immediately, even taking out his demon beast bag, but suddenly changed his mind.