I've never felt happy to become an immortal.

Chapter 183 A Song Expressing the Heroic Spirit of Men (Third Update)
At the time, Tsui Hark was filming a movie, and the crew was filming a scene of practicing martial arts on the beach. The ancient song "General's Command" was played from the tape recorder, which invigorated everyone. It was noticed by Wong Jim, one of the four great talents of Hong Kong, which inspired him to create "A Man Should Be Self-reliant".

Even if you haven't seen Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series, there's a high probability you've heard this song.

Because it was adapted from an ancient song, and Bai Xuan had already copied the General's Order in this world.

The piece is not difficult to play; it is a portion of the original "General's Command".

The addition of the suona, a rather unconventional instrument, elevates the emotional impact to an even higher level.

However, no one at the scene knew how to play the suona, so Bai Xuan had to do it himself.

The reason for choosing this song is that, besides the fact that the melody is easier to master, the song "A Man Should Be Self-reliant" does not require much skill to sing. It doesn't have many fancy singing techniques; what it needs is a man's heroic spirit and a surge of passionate energy.

The martial arts practitioners present were not lacking in energy; they had enough breath control and dared to sing, making them perfectly suited to sing this song.

After a short period of practice, without even a single ensemble performance, the group carried their instruments and began to enter the venue.

Looking at the group of people who seemed quite professional, Zhu Yaoyao asked curiously, "Are you all ready?"

"Yes." Bai Xuan said succinctly, "Since the Sixth Elder asked me to help them pass the test, according to the rules, it shouldn't be a problem for everyone to play a piece together, right?"

“Sure.” Zhu Yaoyao stood in front of the door: “I’d like to hear what you can play together. I personally have very high standards for music.”

Without further ado, Bai Xuan took out a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument).

This made Zhu Yaoyao's eye twitch slightly... Was they going to send her away?
When the suona horn sounds, it's either an ascension to heaven or a wedding ceremony.

Bai Xuan glanced at Wei Dawei, who was in charge of playing the drums. The latter took a deep breath and began to strike the first drumbeat.

The drums and suona are responsible for the rhythm, so the rhythm cannot be disrupted. However, all the people present were at the realm of finger dexterity, and their subtle control was not enough to disrupt the rhythm of the music.

This was Wang Zhiyuan's first time singing in public, and he had no idea whether he could carry the show. But as one of the top performers on the Wolong List, he couldn't back down at this crucial moment.

If you're afraid of losing face, why be a martial artist?

"Facing the waves with pride!"

You can tell as soon as they open their mouths.

He practically shouted out his inner energy, and the sound was heard by half of the White Plum Sect in an instant.

……

Those who stopped to watch along the mountain path held their breath.

The sound waves of music assaulted my eardrums, accompanied by lyrics that were almost shouted out.

"Ok?"

"Are they singing?"

"What song is this? I've never heard it before, and the singing style is amazing..."

"Although I don't know why, my Fiery Cloud Palm activated automatically."

"My internal energy is circulating on its own, I'm fired up."

Modern songs and ancient songs are on completely different levels, especially in terms of lyrics. Ancient songs were basically enjoyed by the literati, so they emphasized elegance. You can't expect a courtesan to sing about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms; at most, she would sing songs like "Blue and White Porcelain" or "Hair Like Snow."
Therefore, positive songs are rare in the entertainment industry, and poems describing heroism are more widely circulated.

However, this song, "A Man Should Be Self-reliant," is one that any ordinary person can understand.

It completely abandons any sense of elegance, purely highlighting a youthful spirit full of masculine passion, a positive and uplifting energy.

In this era, it has never existed before.

Because this world is a feudal society, songs praise a small group, and poems are a pastime for a small number of people to amuse themselves. Whether it is the working class or people at the bottom of society, they do not have the channels and means to express themselves.

Modern society is different; songs are dedicated to the majority of people, breaking down the closed nature of class distinctions.

It neither sings of the martial arts world, nor praises the imperial court, nor dwells in the countryside.

Simply singing "A man should be self-reliant" is enough to stir the blood of almost every chivalrous man in the martial arts world.

Surge, that's right.

The NetEase Cloud Music app was activated, and a single song instantly dispelled all the pent-up emotions.

……

"This song!" Lu Hongchen's pupils contracted slightly: "Unheard of, but the melody is indeed 'General's Command'... This melody can be modified like this?"

"A beautiful melody... and even more beautiful lyrics." The seventh brother had already stood up: "Even as a woman, I was deeply moved upon hearing it."

Master Jingxuan didn't speak, but simply closed her eyes and listened to the song quietly, unconsciously starting to tap her leg.

Shen Chilian cast her gaze and couldn't help but recall the past. When she was young, she also had great ambitions... A man should be self-reliant. Although it is said to be a man, in fact, who in the martial arts world is not self-reliant?

"These lyrics are truly bold and unrestrained."

……

"Let the sea and sky gather energy for me!"

"Let's create a new world!"

"Go for it, pursue your dreams!"

When he sang this part, Wang Zhiyuan almost screamed it out; he was completely absorbed in the song.

The Wang family disciples always paid attention to their appearance and never sang out of tune, but this time was different, and they couldn't care less about those things.

When emotions are heightened to their peak, they should be shouted out.

The melody reached its climax.

The people around them were all in the same state of excitement, their hearts pounding and their breathing heavy. They recalled their journey through life and realized that no one had reached this level easily; they had all experienced untold suffering and torment.

The charm of a song lies in the fact that everyone will have different feelings after hearing it, and everyone will hear their own life story reflected in it.

It is especially devastating to men; who would have thought that one day they would become the protagonist of a popular song?

Of course, he couldn't stop the boiling blood in his body, and he wished he could run dozens of kilometers around the beach.

"Be a good man, with a warm heart and a passionate spirit."

"Brighter than the sun!"

The song ended, and the music stopped.

The performers all felt goosebumps and sweat involuntarily trickled down their skin. They felt even more nervous than during their usual practice, yet they found themselves unconsciously immersed in the experience, feeling an indescribable thrill spreading down their spines.

Weidawei put down his drumsticks and took a deep breath: "This is the most exhilarating drumming I've ever done in my life."

The exhilaration of a successful ensemble performance, that sense of resonance, is something that no solo performance can bring.

Wang Zhiyuan also stopped listening. He touched his throat and smiled, "Brother Bai, this song really strains your voice."

"You're just showing off," Cui Che said sourly. "You made me feel so excited just now, I should have sung that song."

Why not just glare at him directly: "White Moonlight, you not only understand poetry, but you can even compose music and write lyrics? This song almost made me hard, where did you come from, you monster!"

Bai Xuan put down the suona: "The melody is an adaptation of the General's Command, and the lyrics are just something I wrote on the spot."

Yue Qianqi finally snapped out of his daze and slapped his thigh: "Can you write down this score for me? When I get back to Wudang Sect, I'll make sure someone plays it every day, during my martial arts practice!"

...Are you doing radio calisthenics here?
Just as Bai Xuan was about to agree, he heard a loud noise coming from the crowd of onlookers.

"Unfortunately, I'm uncultured; all I can say is 'Holy crap!'"

"Sing it again, my brother wants to hear it!"

"I'm his brother, what was that song called just now?!"

"Who wrote the lyrics? Who composed the music? It made my muscles hard. I wish I could go and kill a few Northern Zhou barbarians right now!"

"So handsome!"

These were the men's roars and shouts of approval, which soared into the sky.

The women on the other side were more reserved, but the way they looked at each other was completely different.

Whether it's stunning, tender and affectionate, or unspoken words.

"Alright, alright, get ready." Bai Xuan urged, "Today we're here to participate in the Sword Debate Tournament, not to debut as a boy band member."

What boy band?

"It's nothing," Bai Xuan replied evasively.

"Wait, have you forgotten something?" Suzaku Sword couldn't help but ask, "So what does this have to do with me wearing women's clothes?"

Bai Xuan said, "I originally prepared a different song and planned to have you dress up as a woman and dance along, mainly because you can't understand the sheet music I wrote."

"Then why won't you let me change it?"

Didn't I allow it?

"no!"

"Sorry, I forgot." Bai Xuan feigned ignorance: "Hehe~"

"Fiery Feather, draw your sword!"

"Calm down, brother, calm down!"

The others stopped the enraged Zhuquejian.

Bai Xuan walked up to Zhu Yaoyao and asked, "Does this mean we've passed the test?"

Zhu Yaoyao asked, "What's the name of this song?"

"A man should strive to be strong."

"What a wonderful name, what a wonderful melody, what wonderful lyrics!" Zhu Yaoyao exclaimed. "You're not only skilled in both literature and martial arts, but you can also compose lyrics and music with ease! What other surprises do you have in store for us?"

"That's ridiculous."

“You’ve passed, you can go in now.” Zhu Yaoyao stepped aside to make way, then reminded her, “However… I must warn you, don’t talk to the female disciples of the White Plum Sect.”

Her smile was kind but threatening: "Your charm seems a bit too much, kid. You shouldn't meet someone too amazing when you're young."

Bai Xuan solemnly replied, "Absolutely!"

……

Among the female disciples of the White Plum School, a large number were attracted by the singing and the noise.

They gathered together, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes sparkling as they gazed at these young talents of the martial arts world.

More than half of the gazes were fixed on the shoulders of the woman in white.

"Sixth Uncle has provoked the wrong target this time."

"It's not Sixth Uncle's fault, is it? Who would have thought... that he could compose music and write lyrics, and such a song at that."

"This song is really good, but it's a pity I probably won't be able to listen to it a second time."

"I just copied down the words, and then we can practice on our own!"

"I never imagined that these 'hidden dragons' would actually play a piece together. I would never have dared to think of it before."

"The White Moonlight is someone with influence; it seems that as long as he's around, nothing is impossible."

"Yes, that's truly magnificent. To be able to write such music and lyrics, his world of martial arts must be incredibly brilliant."

Outside the crowd.

Fan Qingshuang silently ate her dried fruit.

……

On the mountain path, Ning Jianshuang looked at Ruan Mengyu, who had been lost in thought for a long time, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Hmm... I find it incredible." Ruan Mengyu looked at the backs of those figures: "Brother can actually play a duet with them in the crowd."

Ning Jianshuang smiled gently, with a hint of pride: "It is unbelievable, but it is actually quite reasonable."

"What a beautiful song that perfectly captures the heroism of men." Ruan Mengyu lowered her eyes and murmured to herself, "It's truly enviable."

(End of this chapter)