Volume Two: Adults and Small Men - Chapter Ninety-Nine: Song and Dance Take the Stage, Matters Grow Increasingly Favorable

When that beautiful figure suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes, the previously somewhat noisy venue instantly fell silent.

Whether it was the audience surrounding the stage or the distinguished guests in the three embroidered pavilions, everyone felt a wave of breathless astonishment at that moment, followed by gasps of wonder.

Yet soon, everyone quickly fell silent again, for the sound of beating drums had begun to rise from the stage, and the figure upon it started to dance rhythmically to the cadence of the drums. It captivated everyone's gaze entirely, making even speaking feel like a desecration.

What manner of dance was that? Both delicate and possessing a surging, vibrant power. As the dancer gradually rose, swaying and bending her graceful posture and continuously undulating limbs to the drumbeat, to the onlookers, it seemed as though a celestial crane and a phoenix had descended into the mortal realm.

This dance lasted for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, concluding only when the spotlight that had faithfully followed the dancer suddenly extinguished.

Even so, the venue remained deathly still. Everyone was intoxicated by the dance, unable to recover their senses for a long time. It was only after a while that someone cried out in pleasant surprise, "That is Miss Nishang... To think she still kept such a trump card hidden! She is truly like a heavenly maiden descending to earth!"

These words instantly awakened everyone, and then wave after wave of cheers shouting "Nishang!" erupted across the area.

As a top-tier beauty on the courtesan rankings, Nishang's dancing was already a famously exquisite wonder throughout the capital. Today's performance, however, was even more breathtaking and stirring.

However, the ecstatic shouts of the crowd did not last too long. Accompanied by a few light strikes of clappers, a marvelous song rose from the stage once more. Following the vocal performance, various plucked and stringed instruments resumed playing, complementing the voice of the singer—who was illuminated by the lights once again—and drifting into the ears of every spectator, plunging them into intoxication anew.

Whether song or dance, these were presentations never seen before, surpassing every past performance in splendor and magnificence, making everyone genuinely feel that spending money to come here and watch the show today was well worth the trip.

And even more people grew restless, immediately and generously pulling out their money pouches to summon the attendants standing by at the ready, declaring their intent to bestow a reward upon a certain beloved maiden.

Thus, as meticulously designed and rehearsed programs were continuously staged, the popularity of the maidens rose correspondingly. On the floral placards bearing the names of the ten finalists for the crown, the points representing their respective popularity shifted rapidly in real-time.

This made the atmosphere at the scene grow increasingly fervent, enticing even more people to open their purses and scatter cash lavishly, solely to push their favored courtesan one step higher.

On the third floor of the main building, within the private room, Xu Qingzhi and his companion were thoroughly excited. With flushed faces, they slapped the table in praise, "Now that all the maidens are showing off their extraordinary skills, it truly makes one not know who to choose as the leader."

"Indeed, indeed. Whoever loses will surely make people feel a sense of regret. Young Master Huang, you are truly a wicked man. After tonight, who knows how many people will be heartbroken..."

Huang Ming merely raised his cup to sip the light wine and smiled, "This is precisely what I hoped to see. In this way, for the next three, five, or even ten years, everyone will still remember this courtesan competition and the beauty of these maidens."

Xu Yunzhi had by then recovered his composure, looking with a smile at the man beside him, and suddenly asked, "So all of this was arranged by Young Master Huang?"

"I merely provided some ideas and suggestions; naturally, the bosses of the Twelve Towers took them and implemented them one by one."

"And how was the lighting achieved? As for the music, there was clearly no one on the stage."

"It is very simple. Around the stage, frames and dozens of bronze mirrors that can rotate freely were actually set up in advance. Then, people were arranged on the frames to prepare lighting fixtures such as lanterns. As long as the lights are turned on according to the plan and the angles of the bronze mirrors are adjusted, naturally, according to the preconceived scheme, the light can be made to strike only any corner of the stage while avoiding everywhere else."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yunzhi wore a look of utter astonishment.

Huang Ming described it simply, but one could easily imagine how high the demands were to achieve such a perfect effect. Clearly, it must have taken hundreds or thousands of prior rehearsals to present it this way.

Huang Ming also gazed with considerable wonder at the performance on the stage below. This effect truly far exceeded his calculations; who could have imagined that this was a miracle created by people hundreds of years ago using the simplest tools?

"As for the music, it is even simpler. The stage is not entirely solid; underneath, there is actually a large space sufficient for musicians to hide within. Even the sudden appearance of these beauties was achieved through some hidden passages and openings beneath the stage.

"Otherwise, no matter how many materials this stage consumed, it wouldn't cost eighty thousand taels of silver!"

Not only Xu Yunzhi, but everyone else around was stunned by this figure.

Eighty thousand taels of silver, spent merely to build a theatrical stage?

Such a stroke was truly staggering!

Yet upon further reflection, it was all worthwhile. At the very least, the effect it was presenting now proved that it was truly worth every penny.

Performance after performance of singing, dancing, and artistic display ignited the enthusiasm of all the spectators. Countless people could no longer restrain themselves, pulling out wealth one after another to continue rewarding and favoring the beauties on stage, until the final dance—featuring twenty or thirty people—came to an abrupt halt along with the music.

Then, the entire stage instantly plunged into darkness, leaving everyone stunned once more.

Everything ended far too abruptly. Moreover, everyone felt a lingering sense of unfulfillment. The night was still young; why did it end so suddenly?

Before the crowd could react or express their dissatisfaction, beams of light struck down from above, illuminating the entire stage. Then, everyone was surprised to discover that, at some unknown point, the previously simple and clear stage had been adorned with numerous props representing rivers, mountains, and indoor and outdoor settings.

Several slender and graceful figures appeared as well. A youth disguised as a scholar walked lightly onto a stone bridge and softly chanted: "The beautiful scenery of West Lake in the third month, the weeping willows on the river embankment intoxicating the spring mist. Xu Xian goes out for a stroll today, feeling his mood is just like a celestial immortal in heaven..."

Everyone was dazed for a moment, but soon, those who had previously witnessed the short plays performed by the maidens of the various towers understood. Excitedly, they explained to the people beside them, "This means our courtesan maidens are going to perform a fine play for us."

And the facts proved them right. Under Huang Ming's suggestions and the provision of the script, the true focus of the final round of this courtesan competition was no longer the singing and dancing performances that everyone had always used and taken for granted, but had shifted instead to stage play performances that were far more engaging and capable of highlighting each courtesan's unique persona.

What was being performed this time was precisely the story of the Legend of the White Snake, which would be passed down for hundreds of years in later generations.