Chapter 836 Soft Whispered Ballad
The former Chao Yue Grand Theater had long been refurbished and was now packed with people. Even from afar, one could hear the boiling cheers echoing within.
“Lanlir!”
“Lanlir!”
The calls rose and fell in waves, soon followed by the sound of tight and orderly music. The rapid and pulsating rhythm, like an electric current, caused people to tremble and cheer involuntarily. A wild and joyous melody spread across the night sky.
“This is going to be something.”
Lolan Hill’s face broke into a smile as she pulled Yeling, and together they leaped lightly into the night sky.
They ascended steadily, soaring over buildings and structures, until the crescent-shaped seaside grand theater came into view in the distance. Amidst the deep blue and dark night scene, the bustling theater was bathed in orange lights, with magical fireworks bursting forth from the central stage.
Lanlir stood at the center of the stage, dressed in flowing metallic gown, holding an amplification microphone crafted through alchemy. Nearby stood another girl with fair skin, clutching a guitar that emitted flashes of light as they played together.
It was Lingxin and Lanlir. It was unexpected that the two would hold a concert in Hope Lane.
Lolan Hill thought of their teacher, and her gaze turned, indeed spotting Lady Phyllis among the front rows of the audience. She was the former Blue Songstress.
Lady Phyllis hadn’t changed much over the years; perhaps she had taken good care of herself? Lolan Hill speculated mischievously.
As her gaze swept across the crowd, she recognized the girl playing the electric keyboard at the side of the stage.
Her soft pink curls cascaded over her shoulders, her shoulders sharp and her skin fair and beautiful. Even with only part of her face showing, her allure remained undiminished.
Feng Nai Arnemii, after leaving home for more than ten years, returned once again. Although she was no longer the young lady of the Arnemii family, she had found a new direction.
The lively songs and melodies echoed above the theater, captivating countless spectators immersed in this joyful ocean until late into the night.
“Wow, so much money~”
After the concert, Lanlir jumped happily in the dressing room backstage, surrounded by a pile of gleaming gold and silver coins, shimmering under the lights.
“Now we’re rich! We can buy lots of things, Lingxin.” Lanlir hugged her friend, expressing her joy.
“Mm-hmm, yes. This time we should thank Feng Nai too. Thanks to her for composing the music and organizing the concert,” Lingxin said, supporting Lanlir’s shoulder, gesturing towards Feng Nai who was resting nearby.
“Thank you, Feng Nai,” Lanlir said generously, and the three continued to frolic in the room.
“It’s nothing. Actually, I owe it all to Lanlir that I can come back here,” Feng Nai said, arranging her messy hair in the mirror, feeling somewhat moved.
Over a decade ago, during the chaos in Hope Lane, the Arnemii family was one of the sources causing many casualties. Though the main instigator was not Feng Nai but her father, the fact remained that the Arnemii family was responsible. She had always harbored some unease and guilt.
Now returning, she hoped to use this concert to reconcile with the residents of Hope Lane and atone for past wrongs.
“Let bygones be bygones. Besides, the punishment for what happened then has already been meted out. Let’s not dwell on it anymore,” Lanlir comforted her.
“Right now, you’re quite impressive. You were the Melody Queen at school, and your compositions have gotten even better. Teacher Phyllis often praises you,” Lanlir added.
“In fact, do you know, Yeli, the former Miss Karites, actually went to study at Emanas,” Lanlir continued.
“Really? I didn’t see any girl named Yeli when I was at school. She must have been very famous,” Feng Nai was momentarily stunned, surprised.
“Well, to avoid being recognized, she used props to change her appearance. You’ve seen her before, the top student at Temple Academy, Lohil,” Lanlir explained.
“She is Yeli? This…” Feng Nai’s mind raced, scenes of the past flashing rapidly before her eyes, piecing together a complete picture.
“It’s a pity that I didn’t get to see much of her when she was the Crown of the Broken Army, only heard that she later went to the Holy Land,” Feng Nai felt a bit regretful.
Past grudges had become blurred and distant over ten years, while the life at the academy became increasingly sweet in memory. In the past, she was very capricious, or perhaps overly naive.
Until her family fell apart, she embarked on a difficult journey, eventually arriving at Emanas where she gradually grew stronger and matured. There, she made many friends, such as Aliya the rabbit-eared ranger and peers from other countries. Later, when her childhood playmate and maid Penny found her, she settled down again, beginning to see the world from a new perspective.
“There will definitely be opportunities in the future. Although we haven’t seen each other for many years, little Yeli is very strong. She’ll surely come back to visit sooner or later.”
With that, Lanlir pounced on the large pile of coins she had earned today.
“With these,
After this, I need to buy new experimental equipment and try to create something that can record music. Believe me, this thing will definitely make a fortune when it comes out, la la la.”
“Lanlier is getting more and more money-minded now,” Lingxin said with her arms crossed, looking at her friend somewhat helplessly.
“There’s no helping it. Alchemy consumes a lot of money. I have so many ideas to realize and I want to show impressive results as soon as possible.”
“Do you know Alena from the Southern Isles? She’s clearly my junior, but she’s now more famous than me. She even calls herself the ‘Seven Dragon Witches,’ which really makes me feel bitter.” Lanlier pouted, speaking with obvious dissatisfaction.
“Yes, yes, but she is indeed impressive. She made contributions during the war, so it’s quite normal.”
“But we’re not far behind either. We struck against the desert bandits at Falcon Ridge and even caught an imperial spy.”
“Well, although he is from the empire, he’s at most an escapee. It’s hard to call him a spy.”
Lingxin couldn’t help but undermine her, and their dialogue seemed to have become habitual, teasing each other.
Recalling a few years ago, while performing in a desert oasis, they also captured several bandits causing trouble. On one hand, it was to maintain local security; on the other, it was for the reward money to allow Lanlier to continue her research.
Thinking back now, that bandit has already been released and returned home. It’s unknown how he’s doing now. From his tone at the time, it seemed he had reignited his fighting spirit to restore the lineage of the deposed prince.
The three of them rested for some time in the dressing room, and outside gradually quieted down. The theater guests slowly dispersed, and it was time for them to return.
Lingxin walked ahead, pushed open the closed door, and her eyes slightly widened as she saw a silver-haired girl standing outside the door, seemingly waiting for a long time.
“Are you… Lacy? Or…” Lingxin looked at the silhouette, and subconsciously recalled the white statue standing in the square.
“It’s been a long time, Lingxin. It’s me,” Lolan Hill turned around, lifted her light white dress sleeve, waved slightly, and greeted.
“Wow, it really is little Lacy.” Lanlier rushed out from behind, hugged the girl’s shoulder, then let go and examined her closely.
“You haven’t changed at all. You’re still as cute as before, like you’ll never grow up.” Lanlier unconsciously spoke the truth.
“Well, maybe the changes are small,” the girl responded somewhat embarrassedly, then looked up.
“I just got back to Hope Lane today. I heard your singing along the way, so I came over.”
“How was it? Was it good? Were you surprised? Haha,” Lanlier laughed happily, expecting praise from the girl.
“Indeed, impressive, it’s impressive,” the girl sincerely praised. Previously, she, Lanlier, and Lingxin studied music and singing under Lady Phyllis, naturally knowing Lanlier’s level back then.
“People grow, right? Actually, I found my strength lies in this area,” Lanlier patted her chest.
“The music taught by Lady Phyllis was mostly church music or classical music, which didn’t completely suit my personality. But now, this kind of rhythmic music feels very smooth.”
“It’s as if I was born for this. Now, even Lady Phyllis acknowledges that I’ve opened up a new genre, hehe.”
“Indeed,” Lolan nodded. In the past era, rock and electronic music also emerged with technological development.
Classical or natural instruments could hardly produce such sounds, nor would they form related musical styles. After discovering new techniques, various aspects and fields of society would change.
“Alright, let’s stop talking. It’s rare to see Lacy back, why don’t we go eat barbecue by the sea tonight since everyone’s here?” Lanlier suggested.
“Oh, there’s someone else who wants to meet you,” she continued, stepping aside to push Fengna forward.
“I believe you remember her. This is Miss Fengna from the Aneimiyi family.”
“I do,” Lolan looked at the slightly nervous girl with light red hair, showing a faint smile to put her at ease.
“It’s been a long time, Fengna.”
“It’s been a… long time, Lacy,” Fengna responded nervously. She had seen the power of Lady Lacy that night, defeating a powerful alchemist at such a young age.
“Hehe, let’s go then,” Lanlier broke the silence, walking ahead.
“Hold on, I have a companion,” Lolan said, lightly tapping her fingers, and a clear flute sound rang out. Immediately, a blue-black crow flew down from the branches and perched on her arm.
After giving a few simple instructions, the blue crow spread its wings and flew away into the night.
“Quite impressive bird, almost catching up with me,” Lanlier watched the flying blue crow, roughly estimating.
Now she was at the perfect stage of Magic Sequence 6, yet hadn’t advanced to Sequence 7. That blue crow was also a Sequence 6 existence.
Feeling the need to accelerate, especially since Lingxin had already advanced to Sequence 7 for some time. Falling behind now would be problematic.
A few people were chatting in the empty theater.
Seated and talking about recent events, a sound of flapping wings soon echoed.
Looking up, Lan Yan returned with two figures, large and small.
The larger one was naturally Ye Ling, the Dragon Maiden, who fluttered her wings while holding a variety of snacks in her arms, including popcorn, grilled fish, and steaming pastries, suggesting she had just been brought back from the night market by Lan Yan. Beside her, the chubby Dai Ju held a large basket under her claws, filled with several roasted turkey legs, presumably bought by Ye Ling, fulfilling a previous promise.
Chirp chirp~
Dai Ju landed beside Lolan Hill, placing the basket down and chirping happily, expressing her joy.
“This fellow is always greedy,” Lolan Hill thought somewhat annoyed, then stroked its head.
“Remember to share some with Lan Yan; every time you make her watch your back.”
Chirp chirp~ (No problem)
Dai Ju flapped her wings and chirped a few times, then moved her claws to make space, inviting Lan Yan over.
“Wow, can it understand human speech? How smart,” Lolan, Lanli, and Lingxin curiously observed Dai Ju and Lan Yan, slightly amazed.
Although Demonic Beasts were generally quite intelligent compared to other animals, they still had a significant gap when compared to humans.
“Yeah, it’s quite smart, but all its wisdom seems focused on food,” the girl said after turning to look at Ye Ling, who held a large bag of snacks.
“Are we going to eat barbecue by the sea tonight? Want to join us, Ye Ling?” the girl asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course, I love barbecues the most,” Ye Ling nodded, then looked at the others.
“Are these Lolan’s friends?”
“Yes, we’ve known each other since Hope Lane.”
They introduced themselves again. Afterward, Lingxin sighed softly. “I never thought I’d see her again.” Ye Ling and Ailoi were among the top students at the High Tower Academy after Lolan Hill and others graduated, and many had heard of their names. Many students even called them the second generation of the Black and White Dragons, taking over the positions left by Palin and Xingliu.
However, why did Ye Ling call Lacy and Lolan? Shouldn’t it be Lacy or Lohil? Lingxin felt puzzled, her mind filled with speculations, and soon a smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
It seemed little Lacy still had a lot to hide from Teacher Felicia.
That night, they bought more food and walked toward the beach.
Fine sand was moistened by the waves, and walking barefoot felt soft and cool. They arrived at the beach under the night sky.
“Let’s set up here,” Lanli pointed nearby.
As they placed the rented barbecue grill and arranged the stools, black charcoal slowly glowed orange-red in the dark, illuminating the skewers. The gentle waves caressed their feet, and the meat and food on the skewers gradually turned golden brown, emitting a faint scent of cumin.
Sitting on the stools amidst the sand, the girls ate and laughed.
In the distance, the sea gently undulated, with parts near the shore reflecting the city lights, breaking into fine, glittering scales.
Unconsciously, another year had passed. Some old companions had become distant, while others remained unchanged, still chasing their dreams.
Beside the warm, orange-red campfire, Lolan Hill held a seven-stringed lute, eyes closed, reminiscing about the past. Her fingers strummed lightly, singing softly. The lyrics were simple and soothing, evoking memories of the past.
—
The commotion upstairs
Chatter chatter
Nonstop
A teddy bear missing an eye
Complaining that no one would hug it anymore
When did it start
Being afraid to cry out loud
Those friends who always caused headaches
Still as mischievous as before?
Upheaval
Rushing forward with all one’s might, fearing getting lost
Breaking through the finish line, enjoying the cheers
No one to hold you and dance together anymore
The commotion upstairs had stopped urging
The faded award certificate’s embossed gold letters
Glowed faintly
Lu
At this moment, Fengnai finally relaxed her gaze on the quiet and gentle silver-haired girl, recalling childhood scenes in her soft singing.
Back then, she played and grew up with Melu, Aideli, Wick, and Fenerton, once such familiar and close friends, thinking they would be lifelong friends. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, everyone drifted apart, even becoming adversaries.
Now, Aideli, Wick, and Fenerton were long gone, Melu had married, started a family, and had children, making it inappropriate to disturb her.
Everyone had grown up.
Everything in sight blurred, only the gentle singing could be heard amidst the sound of the sea.
Song: The ending theme of “The Magic Bean Legend,” “Friends” by Natural Roll
(End of Chapter)
