158. The Reincarnation of Wang Shusheng

As Chen Yin's song came to an end, thunderous applause erupted throughout the entire venue.

[Voice God is incredible! This song is so good, I can never get enough of it.]

[It was such a smart move for Ji Fanxing to invite Lu Tianyu for guest vocals this time. With so many fans Lu Tianyu has, even if they just vote casually, she won't lose too badly.]

[With those brainless fans of Lu Tianyu, if things go wrong, they'd probably tear the roof off Ji Fanxing's head.]

[By the way, why are Lu Tianyu's fans so quiet? Didn't they kick up a fuss?]

[Ever since their last rampage against Ji Fanxing almost backfired on them, they've been a lot more well-behaved.]

[Sigh, missing out on the drama is such a pity.]

In a certain residential community, Zhou Ya, a die-hard fan of Lu Tianyu, was watching television with her mother.

Seeing this bullet comment, she curled her lips in disdain.

Sitting nearby, her mother was watching Chen Yin taking her curtain call on screen, her face full of intoxication.

"Chen Yin sings so wonderfully, and this song is so good too!" her mother said with lingering fascination.

After Chen Yin exited the stage on television, her mother gracefully stood up.

"Mom, where are you going? Brother Tianyu is about to go on stage!"

"What's so good about these songs? I'm going to make dinner. Remember to turn the volume down. Nowadays, songs just sound worse and one after another, having neither inner meaning nor lingering charm. They aren't even half as good as Chen Yin's era..."

Zhou Ya's mother walked away without looking back, still humming Chen Yin's song.

"Hmph!"

Refusing to yield, Zhou Ya felt unconvinced. Her dearest idol and Ji Fanxing made a peerless duo; they would definitely be a hundred times better than Chen Yin's "Spring Mountain Dawn"!

With this thought, out of pure stubbornness, she turned up the television volume by eight notches.

At the audition venue, Lu Tianyu and the others were fully prepared.

Seated toward the back, Lu Sange maintained a straight spine, her delicate fingers resting lightly on the strings of the erhu as she slowly drew the bow.

The exquisite and melodious sound of the erhu permeated the air.

Zhou Ya's mother, who had just stepped out of the kitchen to tell her daughter to turn down the volume, slowed her pace upon hearing this mesmerizing prelude...

Accompanied by the erhu music, the stage lights and the large LED screen in the background slowly illuminated.

On the screen, ink washes of perfect density bloomed across virtual rice paper, gradually unfurling a landscape painting scroll.

At the base of the screen, a row of ethnic-style students dressed in black and gold Hanfu sat gracefully on antique chairs, holding various traditional musical instruments, blending seamlessly with the ink-wash painting on the screen.

[Here it comes, it's starting, so excited!]

[I've been wanting to say this since last time... Whose background design is this? It's so gorgeous.]

[The ink-wash special effects are done so well, is this really technology from our world?]

[This stage effect, this creativity, is just stunning. Suddenly, my confidence in this song has skyrocketed.]

[The young lady playing the erhu is amazing. I'll say it a hundred times, I want to learn the erhu!]

On the stage, beneath the dazzling spotlights, Lu Tianyu's silhouette appeared exceptionally elegant amidst the intertwining light and shadow.

The melodious erhu music gradually faded, and Lu Tianyu's clear voice slowly rang out.

"Copying the Lanting Calligraphy, regular script flows like moving clouds and flowing water;
Pushing open the door under the moonlight, your footsteps are as delicate as your pattering steps;
In a hurried rush, a millennium-old stele is easy to rub, yet hard to capture your beauty;
The authentic masterpiece is absolute, to whom can a true heart be given~"

His voice was clear and magnetic, utilizing a pop music vocal delivery while subtly weaving in a touch of traditional operatic nuance.

The magnificent masterpiece known as the greatest running script in the world, the "Orchid Pavilion Preface," was delicately portrayed and娓娓道来 through song.

The lighting on stage was dreamlike and illusory, while a blank scroll of rice paper unfolded amidst the ink-wash painting on the background screen.

As Lu Tianyu sang, a jade-like hand lifted a mouse-whisker brush, writing and splashing ink onto the silk paper, synchronously transcribing the main text of the "Orchid Pavilion Preface."

"In the ninth year of Yonghe, the year being Guichou, at the beginning of late spring, we gathered at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin of Kuaiji for the Lustration Festival."

Seeing this scene, leave alone the netizens watching the live stream, even the heavyweight figures present were utterly astonished.

"Splendid calligraphy, truly splendid calligraphy!" Fang Zhijing straightened his posture and nodded repeatedly.

"Isn't this the 'Orchid Pavilion Preface' by the Sage of Calligraphy from the Eastern Jin dynasty? I thought the song title was just a coincidence, but it actually is the real deal!"

The president of the Dragon Kingdom Conservatory of Music narrowed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the supreme audio-visual feast presented by the stage.

At home, Zhou Ya was completely captivated by the television when she suddenly heard the sound of a chair shifting. She turned her head to look.

It was her mother, staring fixedly at the television screen as she slowly lowered herself into a seat.

Meanwhile, in the old Chu residence, within the antique study, Elder Chu sat opposite an elderly man dressed in a Tang suit.

On the mahogany coffee table before the two men lay a newly completed landscape painting.

"Old Chu, this painting of yours has robust brushwork and grand momentum, possessing a true master's flair."

The Tang-suited elder examined the artwork, stroking his beard in praise.

"Haha, Old Qin, you flatter me. This is merely a casual doodle of mine, nothing compared to your calligraphy, which is truly like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, nothing short of divine."

Elder Chu let out a hearty laugh as he replenished the tea in his old friend's cup.

At that moment, the housekeeper walked in quietly and whispered a reminder to Elder Chu, "Sir, Miss Fanxing's performance has begun. The vocalist this time happens to be Madam's nephew, Master Tianyu."

Hearing this, Elder Chu grew interested. He turned his gaze toward the housekeeper and said,

"Then turn on the television. Let me hear what kind of tune it is this time, and incidentally check in on how that kid Lu Tianyu has been doing lately."

"Understood." The housekeeper acknowledged the order, picked up the remote control, and turned on the wall-mounted LCD television.

On the television screen, the view shifted to show the broadcast hall of the "National Music Exchange Conference."

"This... We were having such a good conversation, why are you turning on the television?"

The Tang-suited elder frowned in displeasure. Hearing pop music blaring from the television made him even more unhappy.

"Old Chu, Old Chu, have you lost your mind in your old age? Why listen to this sort of stuff? It's all jumbled and practically unlistenable!"

Elder Chu did not speak; he merely smiled as he looked at the television screen.

On television, Lu Tianyu's singing continued.

"A single peerless stroke of the suspended brush, waves beat against the shore a thousandfold;
How to decipher the word 'love', no matter how I place the brush it's never right;
Only lacking a lifetime of your understanding~"

Along with the vocals, the content on the rice paper on the stage background screen grew more abundant.

The handwriting was serene and ethereal, natural and unrestrained.

The brushwork was vigorous yet graceful, appearing as if born of nature itself.

It felt as though the Sage of Calligraphy himself had descended into the world to wield his brush on the spot.

"This handwriting..." The Tang-suited elder, who had previously worn an expression of utter disdain, saw the calligraphy on screen, his pupils suddenly contracting as he gasped aloud.

He abruptly stood up, casting aside all regard for his dignity, and dashed directly toward the television set. His eyes locked onto the writing on the screen as if trying to carve the characters into his own mind.

"This... How is this possible?!" The Tang-suited elder's voice trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief. "This calligraphy... This calligraphy..."

He was so excited that he became incoherent, utterly at a loss for words to describe the emotions coursing through him at that moment.

Elder Chu was equally stunned by the poignant replication of the "Orchid Pavilion Preface" on the television.