Chapter 93: Drunken Red Cliffs

On stage, Tang Zhichu steadied himself, closed his eyes, and only after opening them again did he nod toward the band conductor.

The giant screen rippled like water.

"Drunken at Red Cliffs"

Lyrics: Tang Zhichu
Music: Tang Zhichu

A piano burst forth with a powerful melody, followed closely by a violin—fragmented at first, then growing in intensity. Then came a sample of thunder and rain, followed by the lingering strains of the erhu—bold and yet tender, stretching out gracefully.

Backstage, more than half the musicians stared wide-eyed. With just this prelude, the atmosphere was instantly set. They were professionals; though the arrangement was not complex, the lingering charm was unmistakable—a testament to real skill.

Sig was still trapped in guilt, as was everyone from Wildfire Alliance. They were worried about Tang Zhichu—it was obvious how nervous he was. He hadn't seemed so carefree as he had in recent days; he'd almost stumbled onstage. So, had he been putting on a front all this time to avoid worrying everyone, only revealing his true state once on stage?

Shen Jianxin felt even guiltier. He blamed himself for not helping more these past few days—look how anxious the kid was.

But when the prelude sounded, Shen Jianxin stood up abruptly. There was something here—something special.

Leaves piled in layers
And I tread across my youth
I hear distant tears falling in the rain
A bond of fate, tied again and again
In this life, I still wait
For that one true moment of sincerity...

Sig suddenly grabbed Shen Jianxin’s arm. “This is it! This is the flavor! Don’t be nervous!”

Shen Jianxin tried to shake him off, but couldn’t. He kept his eyes fixed on the screen, not even glancing at Sig. “I’m not nervous. Just listen.”

Tang Zhichu’s voice was even clearer than the erhu before him, yet it carried heft, seamlessly bridging the music. Even with only a short passage, a unique charm began to emerge. The audience, initially indifferent, was now fully focused, their eyes filled with delight.

This guy wasn’t here as a joke!

When our eyes meet
I know I’ve found the one
I turn with my sword
As blood spills like crimson lips
Memories of a past life drift through the mortal world
It’s not the blade that wounds
But your soul, returned in another life...

As this verse ended, some in the project team could not sit still. The game’s narrative designer and the music lead exchanged a glance. It was enough—they understood.

It was perfect. Although the instance was the Battle of Red Cliffs, their requirement was player immersion. The song needed to draw the player in. “When our eyes meet, I know I’ve found the one”—this was exactly the kind of romance young people yearned for.

“It’s not the blade that wounds, but your soul, returned in another life.” That was precisely the reincarnation system in their game. They’d added this feature so every account could have a past life identity, corresponding to a character from the Three Kingdoms. Play long enough and you could fuse with them, and a little microtransaction would boost your stats and deepen the immersion.

To date, only two songs truly matched the game’s details: Sig’s, and now this one by Tang Zhichu.

When our eyes meet
I know I’ve found the one
I ride out to war
My horse’s hooves thunder on
Moonlight falls on the bluestone of this city by the mountains
I follow you through cycles of rebirth
My feelings for you run deep...

In a corner, Zhou Yun’s gaze grew dazed. After a long while, she shook her head and returned to herself.

Her thoughts drifted back to the night of the reality show’s group gathering—the crackle of the bonfire, the wind stirring the flames. It was then that Tang Zhichu sang a song to Chen Siyang.

Coming back to herself, Zhou Yun murmured, “So... this is what it feels like.”

By the old tree roots beside Luoyang’s city walls
Memories stretch out like branches
You ask whose heartbeat echoes by
I drink a jar of fine wine in regret
Your gaze, ancient as a thousand years
Is the wound I fall—drunk—into, at Red Cliffs...

Backstage, Shen Jianxin was stunned. For Sig’s song, he had studied the game in detail.

“Drunken at Red Cliffs”—the title alone offered a brilliant angle for players. A masterful piece indeed, brimming with talent.

Shen Jianxin had emphasized the importance of subtlety to Sig, and Yun Miao was in charge of that aspect. But Tang Zhichu’s song, both in lyrics and melody, fit perfectly, its charm emerging naturally. It was on a completely different level from Chen Yi’s complex arrangement for the Star Alliance.

As he watched Tang Zhichu sing on the screen, Shen Jianxin felt a mix of emotions. It was like seeing his own son take the college entrance exam, or a godson he’d half-heartedly adopted get into Tsinghua University.

“It’s really well written,” Yun Miao sighed, and many others nodded in agreement.

When our eyes meet
I know I’ve found the one

I turn with my sword
As blood spills like crimson lips
Memories of a past life drift through the mortal world
It’s not the blade that wounds
But your soul, returned in another life...

As the song ended, Tang Zhichu hadn’t even lowered his microphone before the applause erupted, mixed with shouts of “Amazing!”

He broke into a wide smile, flashing white teeth.

The audience burst out laughing again—the contrast was striking. While singing, he was astonishingly good-looking, his voice mesmerizing. But as soon as he lowered the mic and grinned, they half expected him to trip again.

Tang Zhichu bowed to the band behind him, then to the audience.

Finally, he bent down to tie his shoelaces.

The audience laughed again—uproariously. Even the project team couldn’t stay composed anymore, delighted by the scene.

They hadn’t noticed this detail—his shoelaces really had come undone.

In fact, Tang Zhichu had noticed as he went on stage, but he hadn’t cared. He respected the stage; once he was immersed in the performance, he didn’t want to be distracted by something as trivial as shoelaces. He figured he’d tie them after singing. But when the spotlight hit him, he was momentarily dazed, almost feeling as if he’d been transported back to another world.

That slip snapped him back.

Tang Zhichu thought that if he hadn’t almost fallen, he could have sung even better.

This voice felt like wielding the legendary Dragon-Slaying Blade—he could command the song with ease.

“It’s not the blade that wounds, but your soul, returned in another life. What a lyric. I was drawn in just listening. The blades of the Three Kingdoms can’t hurt us, but their souls still move us, even a thousand years later.” The host took the stage, joining Tang Zhichu.

He gave Tang Zhichu a gentle hug, whispering in his ear, “That was great.”

The audience burst into enthusiastic applause once more.

“All performances for the Battle of Red Cliffs promotional song for the Three Kingdoms game instance have now concluded. Next, let’s welcome Sig, Chen Yi, and Master Pu Jingshi to the stage!”

Once everyone was assembled, the host announced Tang Zhichu’s score for “Drunken at Red Cliffs.”

The big screen shifted.

189!

A chorus of gasps—this young man, who seemed so harmless, had taken the highest score.

Tang Zhichu quickly bowed to thank the audience, then flashed a peace sign to the left.

Another round of laughter—thanks to his earlier stumble, everyone now saw him as a bit of a comedian.

But in the unnoticed left corner, Zhou Yun stifled a laugh. She knew that peace sign was meant for her.

“Eliminated? Eliminated my ass! Even if the project team doesn’t pick him, Shen Jianxin would never let him go. This rascal had me worried for nothing. Still, I knew I had a good eye—bringing him in was the right move! This song is truly outstanding!”