When Immortal Ascension Fails Time Travel to Try Again Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (45/52

Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (45/52🎸)

I held up a hand, and the audience quieted down.

“My students are about to rock your world. But to do that, they’re going to need your help.” I scanned the eyes of everyone in the crowd. So were skeptical, others curious. Most were just angry.

“They need you to open your mind to possibilities you never considered. If you do, you may find yourself discovering treasure that will comfort your soul.” I grinned. “Of course, you could also choose to be a fool who lets anger blind them to reality. I dare you all to not be a fool.” With that said, I threw up the devil horns hand sign and hopped off the stage.

Pearlescent Rose nodded to , then gestured to my two students. “Introducing to you all for the first ti, the band, Toxic Puppets.”

When I taught them these healing songs, I had several set variations in mind. Unfortunately, the anger of this crowd forced them to play it in a certain order where they’d have to start with one of the most universal healing songs I’d ever encountered. Even the sect elders grudgingly accepted it and secretly adapted it for the zither. It was heavily inspired by The Beatles’ Let It Be and was called Acceptance by an adorable student of mine, Three Sheets to the Wind.

Wait, no. It was Intoxicated Wind. That was it.

Shadow Panther sang beautifully, though her expression showed the sa stiffness as those face-slapping head statues from my actual sect. Considering she not only had to get the lyrics right, but simultaneously play the guitar and bass using her two human-shaped puppets, I expected this.

“What an incredible feat for a puppeteer at her realm!” soone nearby whispered to another.

“But she’s only controlling regular human-shaped puppets. If she isn’t adept with our beast bone puppets, can she even be considered for advancent in the sect?”

“You fool! Those are obviously made from beast bones. The fact that she forged them into this form shows that she’s an unprecedented tool smith.”

Ah, it was good to see my students get acknowledged… It was just the wrong timing. What about the fucking song?!

A few people behind the gossipers threw lon seeds at them.

“Ow!”

“Quit it! We’ll stop talking!”

Three Drops Silent Toxin, while he didn’t have it as hard as Shadow Panther, still proved that drums were often the backbone of any rock ballad. He pulled the tempo forward with his drumming. For soone who had learned this instrunt just a few weeks ago, his playing was perfect, though stiff.

There was a reason I decided to switch their first song to Acceptance — it was easy and repetitive, so it gave them a chance to relax into performing in front of a crowd.

Slowly, their faces beca more natural-looking. They even started to get into playing and make it fun for themselves and others. Three Drops perford a trick with his sticks and Shadow Panther had her puppets walk around so, giving their performance sothing more to look at. As they relaxed, even their music sounded better.

Unfortunately, aside from those two puppeteers, the audience seed to have closed their hearts. They remained silent as if they were ready to show that I was wrong.

Fucking idiots. They would never discover good music if they didn’t allow themselves to think beyond their prejudices.

At least I thought they would keep being dumb assholes. But my students proved that they could do the impossible. With every song they played, they improved. It was like sothing unlocked within their minds. I knew what it was: a rebellious spirit. The sa one that everyone in the Unorthodox sects had.

Rock music called to them. Because rock was all about rebelling. Wasn’t that why a certain censorship-happy country had banned it at one point?

By the ti they reached their last song, most of the cultivators watching were absorbed in the music.

I had hoped this would happen. That was why I had them soften the crowd up for their final attack: a healing song inspired by Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day called Lonely Path.

It took a minute, but the people in the crowd swayed back and forth.

I grinned.

How could cultivators resist a song about walking down their path to immortality all alone? That was what each of us did. This song was the embodint of cultivation. Anyone who defied the heavens and reached for their Dao would see that.

It also expressed the loneliness we all had. It even hinted at that epheral wish everyone experienced — a want to find that one Dao Companion who would walk our road of cultivation together.

Basically, everyone here could relate to it. That was why everyone fuckin’ loved this song.

Once they played the last notes, the crowd cheered. Soone called for an encore.

Pearlescent Rose had to get on stage to calm down.

“Never have I seen Qi Condensation demonic musicians play so incredibly. Every band here should be proud of your performances today.”

She gestured for my students to leave. With a wave of their hands, their instrunts were packed up. The two jumped off the stage and landed in their seats next to .

“Teacher Linlin, did we do okay?” Shadow Panther asked. She bit her lip, nervously.

Three Drops leaned forward and swallowed.

Now I had to decide if I would be a harsh teacher or an easy-going one to these two.

I crossed my arms and frowned. “You both—”

“The judges have finished their deliberation!” Pearlescent Rose said.

Couldn’t she have waited? Or, more importantly, just how fast were these judges?!

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“In third place is the lovely Fairy Wind Blown lody and Friends.”

The band ca up and picked up a red envelope, before bowing to her, the judges, and the crowd.

Rose paused for a mont, then glanced at the judges, who nodded.

“In second place, is Toxic Puppets! Congratulations!”

They both looked horrified and elated. As if in a daze, they walked up and collected their prize. Rose squeezed each of their shoulders and whispered sothing to them. They bowed to the judges and the crowd before returning.

“And this is no surprise, but the winner is Three Immortals.”

The team that went on before my students ca up and gave an acceptance speech but I didn’t care about them.

Shadow Panther’s eyes started to water. She brought out a handkerchief and roughly wiped her face.

“I’m sorry, teacher Linlin. We tried our best but...”

Three Drops rested his hand against her back. “We just weren’t good enough.”

“And we won’t have another chance.”

“This is... We’re ashad.”

Yeah, fuck that. “Not good enough?!”

They jumped.

“How dare you call that performance not good enough? Do you know what I saw when you went up there?”

They shook their heads. “I saw two adorable disciples — one of you who hadn’t even picked up an instrunt just a month before — play their hearts out and perform perfectly to half the sect. How brave and incredible you both are is not in question.”

Shadow Panther’s lip trembled.

“I am proud to be your teacher.”

“Teacher Linlin!”

“You both rocked!”

They crawled over their seats to wrap their arms around .

I briefly stiffened. Well, even older kids needed hugs.