Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

9

Yesterday's conversation with Zhang Bichen left him feeling unsettled. Although he wanted Zhang Bichen to deal with Phoenix Myth, he remained skeptical of the woman's abilities.

In his eyes, women are ultimately destined for failure.

Ironically, Hua Chenyu's singing skills were inferior to Zhang Bichen's, yet he inexplicably looked down on him with unwarranted confidence. Even more ridiculous was that Zhang Bichen fell for his act.

We need to find another helper!

Hua Chenyu racked his brains, even considering bribing the judges and online celebrities to prevent them from giving silent votes. But he quickly realized that he couldn't do that with his influence—after all, the show was a joint production of Hunan TV and Douyin, and no one dared to risk their livelihood.

He then turned his attention to other contestants: Hu Yanbin was too experienced and difficult to control; Taiyi was too aloof; Wang Linkai was too young; and finally, he settled on Tang Hanxiao.

Without hesitation, Hua Chenyu immediately dialed the number.

"Feed? Who is this?"

"I am Hua Chenyu."

Tang Hanxiao was leisurely smoking when he suddenly received a call from Hua Chenyu, and was somewhat surprised: "Teacher Hua Chenyu? Is there something you need?"

Hua Chenyu's tone was icy: "I need your help with something."

"What is it?" Tang asked with a puzzled smile.

"I want you to target Phoenix Myth on the 'Ode to Songs' program," Hua Chenyu said bluntly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Tang chuckled and said, "If it were just about competing for first place, I wouldn't care. I'm here to win the championship."

He was well aware of his own abilities and didn't want to get involved in the conflict between Hua Chenyu and Phoenix Myth. Although his chances of winning the championship were slim, he still held onto that goal.

Hua Chenyu sneered, "You think you can get first place?"

"I won't let you help me for nothing. As long as you cooperate, I'll have a top composer create a new song just for you after the show."

Tang Hanxiao's breathing suddenly quickened. The works of a top-tier composer are incredibly rare, not only in terms of price but also requiring extensive connections. Just like how many singers repeatedly encountered setbacks when trying to commission songs from Mo.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Tang asked with a chuckle.

Hua Chenyu stated bluntly, "Just mock Mo on the show. You can decide the specifics yourself. Remember, it's mocking Mo, not Phoenix Myth."

Tang Hanxiao immediately understood; Hua Chenyu was targeting Mo. This relieved him.

"Deal! I hope you keep your word." Tang Han smiled and readily agreed.

Hua Chenyu burst into laughter: "Absolutely not, you can rest assured!"

"I refuse to believe it, Mo can turn the tables this time!"

……

Inside the studio.

After the host finished warming up the audience, the six groups of contestants made their appearance together!

On the left side of the circular stage, a hundred young internet celebrities sat in well-arranged seats illuminated by lights.

There are seven seats arranged on the right side of the stage – one more than the originally planned six seats, because Phoenix Myth is a duo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, all the contestants are ready! Let's give a warm round of applause to our first performing guest—"

"Teacher Hu Yanbin!"

"He will perform a brand-new arrangement of the classic old song 'The Prodigal Son's Idle Talk' for us!"

"Teacher Hu Yanbin is known for his groundbreaking arrangements, and tonight he will surely bring a refreshing auditory feast!"

"Let's give them a round of applause!"

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Amidst thunderous applause, Hu Yanbin confidently strode onto the stage, microphone in hand.

"Hu Yanbin is in amazing form today!"

"He's a very strong player, a top contender for the championship!"

"That's right!"

"Don't forget about the myth of the phoenix!"

"I wonder how their performance of their new song 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' will be?"

"The Phoenix Myth has never disappointed!"

"I'm betting on Hu Yanbin to win the championship!"

"I bet Phoenix Myth will be number one!"

"Stop arguing, Zhang Bichen is the dark horse!"

"Zhang Bichen is on a roll lately!"

Before the competition even started, hundreds of online celebrity judges were already cheering for their favorite singers, creating a very lively atmosphere!

……

The number of viewers watching the "Singing for Praise" live stream has exceeded eight million!

The barrage of comments swept across the screen like a blizzard!

The audience's enthusiasm is evident!

"With Hu Yanbin opening, we're in luck!"

"I came here because of the Phoenix Myth!"

"Hu Yanbin's live performance was amazing too!"

"This show is getting more and more popular!"

……

Under the spotlight, Hu Yanbin, dressed in white, slowly began to sing as the intro began:

I have drunk the wind and swallowed the sand.

A prodigal son, penniless, enters a tavern.

Who painted this scene as the pipa's melody rises?

The spring breeze has gone, like a crow in the cold.

I once spent my youth enduring wind and sand.

[Like drifting clouds, I wander the world.]

Time flies like a withered flower.

I looked up and asked the heavens, but there was no answer.

……

Hu Yanbin's talent for adaptation is truly admirable; an ordinary online song can be transformed in an instant by his hands.

The audience in the live broadcast room and the hundred singers on site were all amazed.

[A casual chat about living a simple life, wearing simple clothes through winter and summer.]

On the day of success, I will ride my steed to the western hills.

[**Discussing heroes, call the waiter to refill tea.**]

[Pressing open the window to gaze at the moon, feigning elegance.]

I once spent my youth enduring wind and sand.

[Like drifting clouds, I wander the world.]

Time flies like a withered flower.

I looked up and asked the heavens, but there was no answer.

……

When the song "The Prodigal Son's Idle Talk" ended, thunderous applause erupted.

The female host stepped onto the stage with a smile: "Please, the 100 audience members holding musical notes, begin voting." She turned to Hu Yanbin: "Are you confident of winning?"

Hu Yanbin smiled and replied decisively after a brief hesitation.

"We hope your wish comes true!" The host's words were barely finished when the vote count was over.

Following closely behind was Zhang Bichen, who sang her new song "Waking Up Again from a Dream".

The scorching sun burns the sand, the cold moon bathes the coastline in its glow.

The paper roses glowed faintly, swaying, spreading their fragrance.

The tunnel ends brightly, and the tears are crisp and sweet.

The traffic lights are blurry and hard to see; I move forward, then hesitate, feeling lost.

Ahhh, in dreams, all things grow.

Ah, ah, reality surpasses fantasy.

……

Zhang Bichen's voice is incredibly captivating, and this original song was a refreshing surprise for the entire audience. When faced with the same question, she glanced towards Phoenix Myth and declared, "The championship is mine, and I will not let it slip away." Though she didn't name names, her message was clear.

The third performer was Taiyi, whose new song, though untitled, had already garnered considerable popularity. When the female host inquired about it, he simply replied that he would leave it to fate.

Taiyi is not lacking in competitive spirit, but he knows that it is difficult to win the championship today, so he simply chooses to keep a low profile.

In contrast, the other two young singers, Tang Hanxiao and Wang Linkai, despite their fame and talent, displayed remarkable confidence.

Wang Lin confidently declared, "The championship is mine! My English single 'What's Wrong With Me' was performed on the stage in China, shouldn't I win?"

These remarks directly ruined his career on "Ode to Songs." The backstage director was furious and condemned his comments as inappropriate. In a time of heightened national pride, such praise of English songs is tantamount to self-destruction.

Tang Hanxiao, on the other hand, was much smarter. His speech was concise and powerful, but it actually contained a hidden meaning—he was pointing the finger at the upcoming Phoenix Myth, especially Mo.

As introduced by the female host, Mo and Linghua took to the stage hand in hand.

"Finally, the Phoenix Myth is here!"

"We've been eagerly awaiting 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'!"

"Hopefully, Mo can amaze the audience again!"

"Amazing? I'm afraid he'll revert to being 'Yo-Yo Bro' again!"

The viewers in the live stream were having a lively discussion, with most still making fun of Mo's past "slacking off" image.

"Next, please enjoy our brand new single, 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing,' performed by the two of us!" The female host said, then prepared to leave.

Just then, a shrill voice suddenly interrupted the scene.

"Hold on!"

All eyes were focused on the speaker—the young singer Tang Hanxiao.

"Teacher Tang, do you have any questions?" the female host asked, pausing her actions.

Remembering Hua Chenyu's instructions, Tang Hanxiao raised his voice and asked, "I'd like to ask Teacher Mo and Teacher Linghua, who is the lead singer of the song 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'?"

"Actually, I've always been curious about the myth of the phoenix, so please forgive me for asking!"

Although he spoke politely, Tang Hanxiao's tone and expression clearly carried a provocative meaning.

"I was just relaying a message for Hua Chenyu! Mo, you can't blame me for this!" Tang Hanxiao thought to himself with a smile.

"The lead singer this time is Suzuka."

Before Suzuka could answer, Mo had already given her answer.

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Everyone assumed that the new song would still be sung by Mo, after all, he had just made his mark in "Landscape Painting", and everyone was looking forward to him making a comeback.

I never expected the lead singer to be Suzuka!

"Ha! It seems Teacher Mo only knows how to sing 'Landscape Painting'!"

Tang chuckled, making no attempt to hide his sarcasm.

However, Mo revealed a meaningful smile...

The moment Tang Han laughed out loud, Mo was already overjoyed.

All of this stemmed from the system detecting taunting behavior and reactivating the counterattack mission.

"Ding! Tang Hanxiao's mockery of the host has been detected. Please retaliate immediately!"

"Completing the task will grant you one chance to win a prize!"

"Please complete the task as soon as possible!"

As the system notification sounded in his mind, the smile that gradually appeared on Mo's face attracted everyone's attention.

"Look! Mo is actually smiling!"

"That's so strange, how can he still laugh when he's being mocked?"

"Could it be that he's just too good-natured?"

"Come on! Have you all forgotten what happened to Hua Chenyu when she provoked him last time?"

"Tsk tsk, Hua Chenyu? That guy really got a bad taste of his own medicine!"

......

The live stream chat instantly went wild, with the number of comments increasing exponentially.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Hua Chenyu was staring intently at the live stream screen at that moment.

On the balcony of the concert hall.

When Hua Chenyu caught a glimpse of someone in the live chat calling themselves "miserable," she nearly bit her teeth off.

"What is that?!"

"Dare to call me miserable?"

"**That's what's truly miserable!**"

"Mo, no matter what you're laughing at, you're definitely going to lose this time!"

He muttered curses under his breath. When Mo stated that the lead singer was Linghua, not himself, Hua Chenyu was already plotting how to smear him—questioning Mo's limited talent, belittling his singing skills, and even claiming he wasn't good enough for Linghua…

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and Hua Chenyu couldn't help but grin maliciously.

"Hahaha, Mo, you're dead!"

A piercing, eerie laugh suddenly erupted in the concert hall, sending chills down everyone's spine.

on the stage.

Tang Hanxiao noticed Mo's smile and leaned closer to ask, "Teacher Mo, what are you laughing at? Is it because you can slack off again?"

She glanced at him and said, "Whether I slack off or not is none of your business."

Tang Hanxiao sighed with feigned regret, "I thought you were going to shed the 'King of Slacking Off' label, but... sigh..."

A hundred online celebrities in the audience also joined in the commotion.

"This is so disappointing!"

"You waited several days just to see this?"

"While Suzuka-sensei's lead vocals would definitely be fantastic, it would be even better if Mo-sensei sang 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'!"

"Exactly! His songs aren't corny at all!"

Mo raised an eyebrow and retorted, "What constitutes not slacking off?"

"At least the lyrics shouldn't be all 'yoyo' and 'stay,' right?" Tang said with a forced smile.

Mo chuckled: "You have a lot of lyrics, looks like you're working hard."

Tang Han grinned smugly and raised his head: "Of course!"

"But how come you're still only a second-tier player?" Mo raised an eyebrow and said, "Even someone like me who just coasts along can make it to the top tier, while you work so hard but can't get there. I'm getting worried for you!"

Tang Hanxiao: "......"