The Eternal Life Sect Leader understands all too well the value of those elixirs, and more importantly, he knows what being on good terms with Zhou Xuan ans.
"Alas, if singing ’Great God Tune’ makes Master Zhou happy, then so be it; it’s worth more than anything."
With this in mind, the Eternal Life Sect Leader reached into his pocket and pulled out a jade pendant, which was tied with a thin string for convenience.
He took a jade bead from the string, tossed it into the tray, and said to Mr. Ding, "Go and inform Mr. Xi, I’ve sung the ’Great God Tune’, and this bead is yours as a reward."
"Thank you, Sect Leader, thank you, Sect Leader." Mr. Ding was overjoyed with the god-level bestowed jade bead.
He smiled radiantly like a blossoming yellow tung flower, holding the tray as he conveyed the ssage.
Zhou Xuan listened to him and then smiled as he held the "wedding doll" in his hand, muttering, "This Eternal Life Sect Leader can get things done, adaptable and competent, much better than the Tiancan Monk who accompanied him last ti."
...
The gathering was still ongoing when the renowned Mr. Xi Ji Rende hurriedly left the stage after finishing a segnt of "Iron Slide Car."
As he walked off, the Eternal Life Sect Leader stepped onto the stage, holding a rattle in one hand and his magic artifact—the God-beating Whip—in the other.
He had barely steadied himself on stage when he swung the whip.
When the whip was straightened, the tip quickly recoiled, its rapid speed creating an echo.
"Crack!"
This sound was far louder than the crackers set off on East Market Street today, like a thunderous clap, instantly quieting the scene.
The Eternal Life Sect Leader clasped his fists and said, "I am a god from the heavens, here to do so errands for Master Zhou, and upon encountering Master Zhou’s banquet, of course, I must present myself."
"I am the Eternal Life Sect Leader, a native of East Gate Mansion, in a region of White Mountain and Black Water, fond of Fengliu Opera. Today, Master Zhou hosts a banquet for the Hu Sect’s Hu Muhua,
Hu Sect’s ancestral ho is East Gate Mansion. Presumably, they also love Fengliu Opera. I am just a dabbler in this art, and so, for Little Master Hu Muhua of the Snow Mountain Fox Clan, I will sing a piece—the ’Great God Tune.’"
As soon as these words were spoken, the fox clan audience was montarily taken aback.
They racked their brains, likely never imagining that in their lifeti, a god would perform Fengliu Opera for them on stage.
What imnse privilege it must be to have a god perform for the Fox Sect?
The younger generation of the Fox Sect, not having personally experienced the bloodshed of the "Sect Leader’s Birthday Celebration," rely felt pride in a god performing for the Fox Sect.
anwhile, the older generation of the fox clan at the banquet felt a sense of triumph upon hearing "god performing," and understood—
—Surely, it was Zhou Xuan standing up for the Fox Sect that persuaded the Eternal Life Sect Leader to perform such a sensitive number.
"Once a staircase slave, now an honored guest, a god singing Fengliu Opera, waiting for the performance to start, darkness retreats to dawn, the fox clan knows the sky’s vastness..."
Fox Slave, favored by King Xishan, naturally experienced the darkest years of the fox clan, including the humiliation of the annual "Sect Leader’s Birthday Celebration,"
but now, witnessing the Eternal Life Sect Leader perform for the fox clan, instantly felt— the darkness above the fox clan dissipated, and the sky atop the fox clan seed broader.
Tears welled up, emotions pouring forth,
his eloquent words reached the ears of King Xishan and Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan smiled and said to King Xishan, "The fox clan indeed has talents, this Fox Slave is quite learned."
"He is one of the literati among our Snow Mountain Fox Clan, his writing is truly splendid."
King Xishan, now filled with confidence, imdiately raised his cup and shouted, "Hear now, fox clan’s foxes, as Fox Slave’s poem says— our fox clan, darkness retreats to dawn, the sky is vast."
"Darkness retreats to dawn, the sky is vast."
The fox clan’s mbers were all moved; tears welled up in their eyes as Fox Slave led the clan, kneeled towards Zhou Xuan to show allegiance and express gratitude.
Who in the fox clan does not know? This hunted tribe for millennia can now see daylight thanks to Zhou Xuan’s strong support.
Without this Mr., the fox clan would still be a "chained tribe" on a leash, how could they talk about a "vast sky"?
Seeing this, King Xishan also wanted to kneel before Zhou Xuan.
Yet Zhou Xuan held him up, saying, "Here, we don’t have all these formalities."
Then, he waved his sleeve, using Dragon Seeking Incense, borrowing the force of the Dragon God on East Market Street, whipping up a great wind.
The wind swept over the ground, lifting all the foxes into the air,
Zhou Xuan waved his hand and said, "Bowings and such, those are mountain customs, here with , Zhou Xuan, no kneeling allowed. To show respect, a bow will suffice."
Upon hearing this, the fox clan mbers, mimicking the worldly folks, bowed towards Zhou Xuan.
"That’s enough, ti to listen to the opera."
Zhou Xuan pointed at the stage of the gathering.
The Eternal Life Sect Leader sang with great effort.
"The sun sets at West Mountain darkening the sky,
Locks the city gate and secure it tight,
Of ten families, nine are locked,
Only one has a door ajar..."
Fengliu Opera naturally has its own principles, requiring it be sung with "Nine Tones and Eighteen lodies," to be lodious and the voice resonant,
simultaneously, it emphasizes "jumping."
The jumping, not as aesthetically pleasing as the dances of other prefecture cities—after all, it evolved from the Shaman’s divine summoning rituals.
In the shaman’s summonings, using the body as a dium, as the god descends into him, the shaman appears crazed, his body involuntarily moves wildly, quivering.
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