Chapter 218: Boring Performance
“This brother, I see everyone hurrying over to watch the New Year’s performance. Is it really that attractive?”
Jiang Li noticed that many people in the royal city were heading toward the center with their families. Using his divine sense, he discovered it was the New Year’s performance of Duochi Kingdom and grabbed a passerby to ask.
The passerby wasn’t annoyed at being stopped. Instead, he seemed eager to answer Jiang Li’s question.
“Judging by your accent and looks, you’re not from around here, are you?” the passerby said proudly. “Our Duochi Kingdom’s royal city New Year’s performance is second to none. Other cities can’t compare. Look at those people—they’re from other cities, coming here just to watch!”
“I’m Qi Tongxin. Brother, you’re alone. Why don’t you join us?” Maybe Qi Tongxin was just naturally friendly, or maybe it was the festive season, but he warmly invited Jiang Li to go with his family.
“Sure, let’s take a look.” Jiang Li nodded.
Because there were too many people, you couldn’t see the performance clearly from afar. So the government set up eight giant mirrors synchronized with the stage performance and used amplifying artifacts so everyone could see and hear clearly.
At that moment, a song was being performed on stage. It wasn’t a popular folk song, nor a festive New Year’s tune, and definitely not a new piece from any renowned composer.
“…Jiang the Human Sovereign has reigned supreme for five hundred years, unmatched…”
“…the strongest of all generations…”
“…a model for all cultivators…”
It was a song praising Jiang Li, but some parts didn’t even rhyme, sounding like it had been thrown together at the last minute.
There was plenty of applause from the crowd below, very well-timed, so synchronized it seemed rehearsed.
“Even during New Year’s, we must not forget the Human Sovereign,” Qi Tongxin explained awkwardly, not sounding convinced himself, his words disjointed and flimsy.
He had just been boasting about his country’s performance, only for it to flop immediately.
It hadn’t been like this in previous years.
“Well said! As the citizens of the Nine Provinces and subjects of the Human Sovereign, we must always remember his battle against the Outer World Demons and his salvation of all beings!” another audience member said, thinking the performance was excellent.
Jiang Li said nothing and continued watching.
Next came a skit. It was about answering the Human Sovereign Hall’s call to raise the cultivator population rate, encouraging more ordinary people to become cultivators.
There was still thunderous applause and laughter from the crowd, sounding heartfelt and natural.
Jiang Li didn’t find the skit funny, and neither did Qi Tongxin’s family.
They felt completely out of place, like they were the only ones who didn’t find it amusing.
“An occasional mediocre performance is normal,” Qi Tongxin said through gritted teeth, convinced that the performances would get better tonight.
“You’re wrong. This skit is absolutely not mediocre! It conveys the Human Sovereign Hall’s message clearly. Its stance alone makes it stand out!”
“And with all the hilarious jokes, calling it top-grade or even beyond top-grade wouldn’t be an exaggeration!”
It was the same audience member, disagreeing and arguing back.
“This is top-grade? Are you kidding me?” Qi Tongxin doubted his own ears.
“I’m dead serious,” the audience member replied firmly.
Qi Tongxin shook his head, feeling the guy was beyond reasoning.
“Brother, what do you think of the skit?” the audience member asked Jiang Li.
Jiang Li didn’t respond.
After that, it was yet another skit.
This time, it told the story of a husband who, following the Human Sovereign Hall’s call, treated his sentient Spiritual Treasure very well. The wife thought a Spiritual Treasure was just an object and not worth the kindness, leading to constant arguments and some ridiculous incidents. In the end, their son, returning from the academy, explained to his mother that Spiritual Treasures greatly helped the Human Race, and that the Human Sovereign Hall encouraged everyone to treat them well according to Great Zhou’s Spiritual Treasure Laws and the Dao Sect’s Spiritual Treasure Contract.
The mother suddenly understood that a Spiritual Treasure’s life also mattered and began treating it kindly.
The son dragged out his words: “Dad——Mom——It’s New Year’s, let’s make——dum——plings——together——”
The parents echoed: “Right, make——dum——plings——”
With the emotional climax, the skit ended.
Thunderous applause once again filled the air.
Jiang Li had completely lost interest in these performances. It was just a waste of time.
Qi Tongxin didn’t try to argue anymore. He squatted down, embarrassed enough to scratch out a whole house.
Jiang Li noticed that it was always the same people clapping and laughing.
There actually weren’t many of them, but they made noise like a crowd of thousands, easily creating an illusion.
People like that were usually called plants.
“Brother, you have to believe me. It’s never been this awkward in past years,” Qi Tongxin said, not realizing the audience nearby was looking at him like a dead man.
“I believe you.”
Jiang Li did believe him. He could tell these performances had been rushed out hastily, with the clear priority being to hammer in a political theme. If there happened to be artistry, great. If not, and it was boring to watch, that was fine too, as long as the atmosphere was maintained.
“If the performance isn’t fun, half the New Year’s spirit is gone. Other cities’ performances are way better than the royal city’s,” Qi Tongxin sighed, wanting to pull his wife and kids home.
“I actually think this year’s performances are the best ever,” that same audience member insisted on his opinion. “Not only do they promote the Human Sovereign Hall’s ideals and respond to the call, but they also educate people while entertaining them—killing two birds with one stone.”
“Other cities’ performances have no core values. Aside from making people laugh, what good are they?”
Qi Tongxin didn’t want to talk to this person anymore.
Getting lectured during New Year’s? Lunatic.
“Don’t rush home just yet. You’re being watched. Tomorrow, maybe the coroner will report that you stabbed yourself seven times in the back—suicide.”
Qi Tongxin exploded: “Brother, even if I dragged you to watch a boring performance, you can’t curse me like that!”
“I’m not cursing you. You really are being watched. And because you were standing next to me, badmouthing the performance, you got on someone’s radar,” Jiang Li explained. “Since this happened because of me, I’ll naturally ensure your family’s safety.”
Jiang Li turned to the side and said to someone else, “Right, King Lu Pin of Duochi?”
The audience member who insisted the show was great froze.
“Brother, you’ve got the wrong guy, surely?” he said stiffly.
Jiang Li sneered: “Looks like you’re really confident in your concealment skills, thought you could even fool me?”
King Lu Pin of Duochi finally had no choice but to admit it: “Human Sovereign’s sharp eyes, I am Lu Pin. But Lu Pin would never harbor murderous intent against him.”
“Really? Then was that killing intent I just sensed a hallucination?”
Lu Pin didn’t answer.
Qi Tongxin’s whole family stood frozen, unable to believe the conversation they were hearing.
Judging from what they said, one of them was the Human Sovereign Jiang Li, the other was the King of Duochi, and the King had wanted to kill him—just because he said the performance was boring?
Even during New Year’s, you couldn’t joke about something like this.