A reminiscent expression appeared on Xu Xiaolan’s face as she spoke in a slow voice, “The story begins sixty-three years ago…”
An Lin’s heart jolted with shock. This woman had known Big Brother Cheng for that long?
Xu Xiaolan began to tell her story.
At that time, the Heavenly Human Tribe hadn’t appeared on the Tai Chu Continent yet.
The Four Nine Immortal Sect was not as exceptional as it was today either and was only a rather outstanding sect.
In the main city of the Spirit Sword State, Meng Xian City, there was a dance theatre named Red Leaf Theatre.
When Xuanyuan Cheng was out on a mission, he coincidentally passed by the Red Leaf Theatre and saw the number one dancer in the Spirit Sword State, Shu Honglan, there.
She performed a simple dance, but it won over almost the entire audience.
Xuanyuan Cheng had also been entranced, and he couldn’t help but stand up to applaud.
Shu Honglan had also noticed Xuanyuan Cheng. After all, it was difficult to not notice such a handsome man.
She smiled at him before leaving the stage, and the audience of several thousand was left to reminisce that heartbreakingly beautiful smile.
This was the first time Shu Honglan and Xuanyuan Cheng met.
It was a fleeting encounter, but it paved the way for the events that were to come.
Xuanyuan Cheng also often reminisced about that unforgettable dance, and he would often visit the Red Leaf Theatre during his missions to the Spirit Sword State in order to see Shu Honglan dance.
As the number one dancer in the Spirit Sword State, Shu Honglan could choose what dance she performed and when she danced. Some people could visit the Red Leaf Theatre for ten consecutive days and not see her dance even once.
However, due to some coincidence, Shu Honglan made an appearance almost every day Xuanyuan Cheng visited the Red Leaf Theatre.
Even so, the two of them had almost zero interaction.
Shu Honglan danced and Xuanyuan Cheng admired it. That was it.
However, something wasn’t quite right.
The audience members at the Red Leaf Theatre would often give tips.
Xuanyuan Cheng was, undoubtedly, the audience member who gave the most tips. The female MC of the Red Leaf Theatre was often making announcements along the lines of:
Thank you to Xuanyuan Cheng for gifting Dancer Honglan a Spirit Skin Pill…
Thank you to Xuanyuan Cheng for gifting Dancer Honglan a spirit horse steed…
Thank you to Xuanyuan Cheng for gifting Dancer Honglan an Ice Spring Spirit Flower…
Thank you to Xuanyuan Cheng for gifting Dancer Honglan a Neutron Missile…
The best way to express one’s appreciation and admiration was to give tips!
Xuanyuan Cheng liked to watch Dancer Honglan and would often give expensive tips during her performances. This was soon common knowledge to the people of the Spirit Sword State.
Within an elegant pavilion overlooking exquisite scenery.
An extremely gorgeous woman was stroking a silvery-white missile as she murmured to herself, “What is this thing? Ah, there are some instructions here…”
The woman in red scanned the instructions for usage, and her smile gradually froze on her face.
“This… this is a bomb?
“My God! The explosion radius is fifty kilometers? And it will only deal lethal damage to living beings but spare constructions and inanimate objects? This is a bomb enhanced by a spell formation, and at the center of its explosion, it can even kill a Return to Void Stage mighty figure?”
“This present…” Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she laid a hand over her chest, which was rising and falling with excitement. “This is so valuable! It really is far too valuable!”
“Big Sister Lan Lan[1], I’ve never seen you so excited after receiving a present before. If you’re interested in Young Master Xuanyuan, why don’t you invite him for a chat?” A woman in a purple dress latched onto her hand with a grin on her face.
The woman stroking the Neutron Missile with an embarrassed blush on her face was none other than the number one dancer in the Spirit Sword State, Shu Honglan.
Shu Honglan’s blush deepened upon hearing this, making her delicate cheeks appear like ripe apples. She gripped the missile tightly in her hands, seemingly a little uneasy.
“Not only is he the pavilion lord of the Four Nine Immortal Sect’s Spirit Pavilion, but he’s also the sect leader-in-waiting of the Ten-Thousand Spirits Immortal Sect… He’s only interested in seeing me dance. I should know my place…”
“Big Sister Lan Lan! How could you look down on yourself like this?”
The woman in the purple dress glared at the woman in the red dress.
Shu Honglan’s eyes were downcast as she spoke, “Forget about it. I… I can only dance. I only want him to see the best side of me. I don’t deserve him.”
“Is this because of the Divine Sun Sect again?” the woman in the purple sect asked in a cold voice.
Shu Honglan’s hands trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips tightly, neither conceding nor refuting.
“Hmph, the Divine Sun Sect is a sect that has done countless heinous things! If you ask me, you should ask for help from Young Master Xuanyuan to raze the Divine Sun Sect to the ground!” the woman in the purple dress snapped with an enraged expression.
Shu Honglan immediately shook her head upon hearing this. “Please don’t do that. The Divine Sun Sect has a Return to Void Stage mighty figure among their ranks, and he still has my parents. Ouyang Shu is a man who can kill others without the slightest hint of remorse. If I betray him, he would immediately kill my parents, and even Young Master Xuanyuan could be hurt because of me…”
A Return to Void Stage mighty figure would perhaps be afraid of the Ten-Thousand Spirits Immortal Sect and the Four Nine Immortal Sect, but he could still easily kill everyone then travel through space and hide elsewhere on the Tai Chu Continent before continuing in his evil ways.
“Are you just going to settle for a life like this then? Ouyang Shu is going to keep extorting you with your parents’ lives and use you as his personal ATM! You’re even going to have to marry him soon! Is this the life you want?!” The woman in the purple dress was completely enraged.
“But what can I do? I really don’t want to involve anyone else in this mess…” Shu Honglan bit down on her lower lip as she looked at the woman in the purple dress with tears shimmering in her eyes. “If I’m not careful, that madman could even kill you as well, do you understand?”
The woman in the purple dress faltered upon hearing this.
“However, I won’t let him have his way…” Shu Honglan gripped the silver-white Neutron Missile tightly in her hands as an expression of determination appeared on her face.
The days still passed by one after another.
Xuanyuan Cheng would make frequent visits.
The two of them seemed to have a tacit understanding with one another where one danced while the other admired.
Xuanyuan Cheng had already completed his mission.
He was planning to watch one final dance before returning to the Four Nine Immortal Sect.
On that day, Meng Xian City was transformed into a city of red by autumn maple leaves.
Shu Honglan wore a red dress and was even more vibrant and eye-catching than the maple leaves.
This was going to be her final dance today.
An audience of over ten thousand had gathered at the Red Leaf Theatre.
A rain of rose petals fell from the sky.
Shu Honglan emerged from a massive, budding flower.
Everyone fell silent upon seeing this.
She was so beautiful that everyone was entranced beyond words.
The dance hadn’t even begun, and she had already won over her entire audience.
Her appearance today shook the entire Red Leaf Theatre.
“My God, Honglan is way too beautiful today!”
“That red dress complements her beauty to perfection!”
“Does anyone else feel like this dress looks a lot like a wedding dress[2]?”
“Haha… you’re reading too much into it!”
Xuanyuan Cheng was also slightly entranced by the woman onstage.
Shu Honglan took a glance over at Xuanyuan Cheng, perhaps intentionally or perhaps unintentionally.
However, a fleeting second later, she threw her red sleeves into the sky and commenced her exquisite dance.
This was a solo dance and also her final dance.
Her fair skin contrasted with her vibrant red dress to create an intoxicating combination, and all of her movements seemed to possess meanings. It was as if she were telling a story through her dance, a story of a flower that had been ravaged by wind and rain, or a blade of grass that stood resolutely despite being afflicted by countless disasters.
Her hair danced wildly in the wind, and her rippling eyes seemed to be capable of sucking away the souls of all those who looked into them.
Her performance had the entire audience completely intoxicated.
This was her final dance, and she was leaving one final impression on the Kingdom of the Nine States!
The dance drew to a conclusion, and emphatic applause erupted.
A female voice sounded again.
“Thank you to Xuanyuan Cheng for gifting Dancer Honglan an Antimatter Yin Yang Missile…”
[1] Lan Lan is a pet name in this case, derived from the “Lan” in Shu Honglan.
[2] In Chinese tradition, red is considered a lucky color so the bride and groom wore red during traditional Chinese weddings.