Chapter 14: Double Twelve Gala (End)

After Eastern Myth finished performing their debut song, before they could even strike their final pose, the audience below heard a voice so familiar it was unmistakable.

“Hey! What monster dares appear here? Take a blow from your Grandpa Sun!”

The virtual venue erupted in the most thunderous cheers since the gala began.

Sui You was so frightened he shrank into chibi form again, clutching Sui An and Yao, his voice trembling, “Yao, Sui An, you have to protect me! Otherwise, our group will have to disband tonight.”

Sui An pulled Sui You behind him, his expression grave as he stared in the direction of the voice. Yao stood in front of them both, clasping his hands in salute.

“Great Sage, Sui You is not a harmful demon. Please grant him a chance.”

“Oh?” The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, appeared before the audience, clad in golden chainmail, a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown on his head, cloud-walking boots on his feet, and the Ruyi Golden Cudgel in hand—majestic and dashing.

The audience couldn’t contain their excitement, leaping to their feet and chanting “Great Sage Equal to Heaven” in unison. Some shouted themselves hoarse but refused to stop.

“Today, your Grandpa Sun is here at someone’s request, to bring some joy to my little ones!” Sun Wukong treated the audience as if they were the little monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain.

He tossed the Golden Cudgel into the air, and as it spun skyward, it covered the entire virtual venue. Countless golden red envelopes scattered like a goddess sowing flowers, falling onto the heads and shoulders of the audience before vanishing.

Viewers saw their terminals continuously alerting them to coupons, discount vouchers, and even free vouchers, and the cheers rose to a new peak.

·

This golden rain of red envelopes lasted nearly a minute before it stopped. The Golden Cudgel returned to its normal length, but instead of returning to Sun Wukong’s hand, it shot out with lightning speed, hooking the chibi Sui You and bringing him before Sun Wukong.

“Sui An! Yao! Help!” Sui You dangled in midair, flailing his limbs in terror, his voice on the verge of tears.

Sui An and Yao were too stunned to react at first. By the time they came to their senses, Sun Wukong was already holding Sui You by the scruff of his neck, inspecting him closely with his Fiery Golden Eyes.

“Tsk, a body full of mortal entanglements, yet you’ve cultivated a different kind of Dao fruit. Never mind, it’s a festival today—I won’t punish you. Here, take him back.” Sun Wukong tossed Sui You casually, and Sui An and Yao hurried to catch him. Sui You, terrified out of his wits, couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into tears, clutching the two of them and wailing.

“Your Grandpa Sun takes his leave!” Sun Wukong soared into the air and disappeared from sight.

·

“Great Sage gave me a red envelope—feels like I could wake up laughing from a dream. Pity he comes and goes like the wind; I didn’t even get an autograph.” Le Huan had somehow returned to the stage, marveling at Sun Wukong’s appearance, then turned to Yao and Sui An, who were still comforting Sui You, and said, “You two, maybe you should take Sui You to the audience seats to rest a bit. He’ll recover faster that way.”

Yao and Sui An nodded. Sui An picked up the still-chibi Sui You, Yao steadying him with a hand on his back, and the three of them left the stage together.

This also signaled the end of Eastern Myth’s performance.

“Everyone, wasn’t that an amazing show just now?”

“A—ma—zing!”

“The Great Sage’s red envelopes are time-limited, so be sure to use them quickly or you’ll miss out. Also, the second batch of final-payment items can now be settled—once you’ve paid, your home’s quantum compilation terminal can receive the goods.” Le Huan reminded them, “By the way, what model is everyone’s compilation terminal? Mine is the seventh-generation terminal developed by the Third Star System.”

The audience loudly answered Le Huan’s question.

“Phantom Gen-3? That’s a good one, made in the Central Star System—top notch. What, you bought the same one as me? Hahaha, great minds think alike…”

After chatting with the audience for a bit, Le Huan announced the next act.

“Up next is sure to surprise you all. Let’s welcome Ms. Wu Qintong, the actress who played Empress Wu Zetian, to perform the theme song from ‘Wu Zetian’—‘The Wordless Stele’!”

·

The stage transformed once again, becoming magnificently resplendent, every corner exuding the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. Musical instruments that had appeared in “National Treasure Appreciation,” such as the Zenghou Yi Chime Bells and the “Colorful Phoenix Sings on Qishan” guqin, were all present.

In addition, there was a grand folk orchestra, with all the performers being renowned masters of traditional music.

With a gentle chime from the bells, the newly arranged “The Wordless Stele” was played on instruments nearly ten thousand years old, as if the air itself was thick with the dust of history.

Wu Qintong was not only an outstanding actress but also a talented singer. Her rendition of “The Wordless Stele” imbued the song with even more charm.

When her performance ended, she spun around and instantly transformed into Wu Zetian herself. Dressed in imperial robes, she walked step by step to the dragon throne in the grand hall and sat down.

The empress on the throne waved her hand and commanded, “Continue the music and the dance.”

The folk orchestra resumed playing. At that moment, a circular lift rose from the stage, bearing a massive Chinese drum. Atop the drum stood a dancer, her long sleeves fluttering in the air, tracing elegant arcs.

A group of backup dancers joined her, moving around the drum, every gesture like a figure from a painting.

·

Next came a showcase of various ancient Chinese dance forms, dazzling the audience and filling their hearts with delight.

All in all, they could say they’d enjoyed an emperor-level spectacle.

After the final dance, the orchestra fell silent. The Empress Wu Zetian spoke for the second time.

“Good. Reward them!”

The audience was delighted to discover that this was another raffle. The winners stood and shouted in unison to the empress on stage, “Thank—you—for—your—grace!”

This unscripted moment was handled smoothly by Wu Qintong, who replied to the winners, “You may rise.”

This unexpected interaction had everyone laughing.

When the stage returned to its original form, Le Huan appeared once more.

“Before the next act, one last reminder: the third and final batch of final-payment items can now be settled—don’t miss out!” Le Huan seemed to remember something and continued, “Last act, we talked about compilation terminals. Unfortunately, they can’t transmit food. Why is it so hard to get fresh Wither-Prosper Fruit?”

The audience, hearing “Wither-Prosper Fruit,” immediately guessed the next guest and began chanting their name.

“Qing Wu! Qing Wu! Qing Wu!”

“That was too easy to guess, so let’s have our Qing Wu come out quickly.”

Qing Wu took the stage to a chorus of cheers.

“Good evening! Did everyone get what they wanted today?” Qing Wu greeted the audience with poise—the shyness of years past had long since faded.

“Qing Wu, I’ll leave the stage to you now.” Le Huan was about to leave when Qing Wu stopped him.

“I’m a little scared to sing alone—sing with me?”

“That’s a pretty half-hearted excuse. But I like it.”

·

This unexpected duet performed a ballad, earning unanimous praise from the audience.

After the song, Le Huan and Qing Wu agreed on a time for their next meeting, then began introducing the next act.

“Dear friends, our Double Twelve Interstellar Shopping Carnival is drawing to a close. The pair you’ve been waiting for all night are finally about to appear!” Le Huan’s voice rose in excitement. “Let’s welcome Yu7, bringing you—a piano four-hands duet!”

A white grand piano rose from the stage, and with it appeared Yu Huaiyin and S-77. They sat together on the piano bench, both dressed in black suits.

It was S-77’s first time appearing in public in Earth attire. The black suit perfectly showcased his physique, and paired with features that, by Earth standards, were nothing short of divine, he was a feast for the eyes.

Yu Huaiyin raised his hand first, his fingertips falling onto the keys, sounding the first note.

·

Since moving in with Yu Huaiyin, S-77 had been learning piano from him. This performance was a test of his progress.

The piece was composed by Yu Huaiyin, yet it imitated S-77’s style.

It began with a mechanical precision, but as S-77 joined in, the music changed, like ice and snow melting, like all things coming to life.

Their coordination was flawless. Even in the sections where their hands crossed over the keys, they performed without a single mistake.

In the latter half, the folk orchestra joined in, and then the other guests gradually took the stage, gathering around Yu Huaiyin and S-77.

When the performance ended, applause thundered from both stage and audience.

“Thank you all for watching. That’s the end of our gala for tonight, but don’t worry—there’s still time before midnight on December 13th, Earth time. As long as you place your order before then, you can still enjoy the Double Twelve discount. Thank you again, and—see you next year!!!”