"Tan Xiao? Tan Xiao?"

Wang Xiao'an called out to the dazed Tan Xiao a couple of times from behind before Tan Xiao finally came to his senses, withdrawing his hand from Kong Xuan's palm. "Sorry..."

Kong Xuan also noticed Tan Xiao's slightly dazed expression, and even when he got up to leave, his clothes brushed past him, as if there was some deeper meaning. However, Kong Xuan had long given up hope that Tan Xiao would recognize him on his own. How could someone with such a severe illness recognize him without giving him a break?

So Kong Xuan walked away again, bored.

Behind him, Lin Yang wanted to say something but stopped: Uh, the teacher didn't call us specifically to move things for Tan Xiao.

The students had already gathered on the playground, and it was difficult for Tan Xiao to spot people he knew at a glance in the crowd. It felt like everyone had blended into the sea of people like drops of water.

Tan Xiao returned backstage with the director, and a staff member ran over, panting, "Well, the fire in the cafeteria has been put out."

Tan Xiao was startled, "When did it catch fire?"

"It's okay, it wasn't big. They just called some people over to use fire extinguishers to put out the fire, so there weren't enough people to help." Wang Xiao'an didn't take it seriously. "The cafeteria, a place that uses fire, needs to be more careful."

Since it was a fire in the cafeteria, Tan Xiao immediately thought of the Rice Guardian.

The stove of the Stove God has the "fire" radical. The Stove God controls the stove fire and food. Although the Rice Guardian guards the food aura, it wouldn't ignore a fire unless it wasn't at its post, right?

Although Tan Xiao found it strange, as Wang Xiao'an said, the kitchen has a fire source, so a fire was still very logical.

At this time, the evening party had already begun on the front stage.

At 7:30, the emcee took the stage and started the opening remarks. The opening was a school song brought by the school choir and the alumni choir. It wasn't very innovative, but it was full of a sense of ceremony. Senior Ruan, who had given lectures before, even served as the male lead singer because of his good looks.

Seeing Ruan Zhanxue's name on the big screen, Tan Xiao suddenly remembered, from Senior Ruan to the school cafeteria, and then to the fire safety knowledge leaflets distributed by the school, hasn't the fire in Nanchu been a bit rampant recently, or was it simply that he hadn't paid attention before?

Tan Xiao stood with his arms crossed on the side backstage waiting. His program was relatively early.

At this time, the night had already fallen, and only at the edge of the sky could one vaguely see the color of the sunset, as red as blood, and it was swallowed by the darkness at a speed that was almost observable to the naked eye. The thin clouds in the sky covered the crescent moon, and for a moment, it was not as dazzling as the stage lights.

An inexplicable sense of unease appeared in Tan Xiao's heart. He found it a bit strange, as he rarely had stage fright. This wasn't a particularly large occasion, and the audience were all his classmates.

"Xiao Bro, how long until you go on stage?" Lin Yang ran over to hand Tan Xiao a bottle of water and pointed behind him. "Wow, your little brother really only works for you."

"Soon." Tan Xiao glanced and easily recognized Kong Xuan because there were few people on the side of the stage.

Kong Xuan turned his head away, his chin slightly raised, not making eye contact with Tan Xiao.

Tan Xiao moved his fingers and stared at him.

This person...

"You didn't see it, but just now your evening gala director was chatting him up, asking him where he was from, and he wouldn't say a word." Lin Yang whispered gossip to Tan Xiao, "Actually, I suspect his family should be in town. At the beginning of the semester, Yu Zhenzhen said he came from the mountains, which might be true."

"Hmm?" Tan Xiao glanced at Lin Yang, not looking very surprised.

"Because last time when we went to Qiyun Ridge, when we came back, you stayed behind, right? After the car started, it didn't take long before Kong Xuan also asked to get off. I don't know how he talked to the teacher, but the teacher agreed. So I suspect his family might be there?"

Tan Xiao blinked.

There seemed to be screams and whistles from the audience below the stage.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Ahhhhh!!"

Big Beard Zhong let out the biggest howl of his life. Unlike the feeling of resignation when encountering the Peacock God, at this moment, he had no cultivation at all, only a heart full of fear of being chased.

Could it be that this time, he would really die here!

He looked back and saw a black and white spotted beagle chasing after him relentlessly while running and spitting out flames. Although it hadn't caught up with the agile Big Beard Zhong, who was constantly dodging using hexagrams, it could be seen that there was still a shadow behind it, getting bigger and bigger with the change of light and shadow.

Unlike the beagle's cute appearance, its shadow had fangs and drool dripping into fire when it opened its mouth, and the edges of its body seemed to have barbs, or maybe it was fluttering flames upon closer look.

Its big ears were gathering all sounds, and its huge body shadow projected on the wall, about forty centimeters tall, was chasing this old rat more fiercely than its real body, as if it was blocking out the sky.

The moment he saw it, Big Beard Zhong used all his reaction ability in his life and saw the hexagram from the flames, dodging to the side, successfully avoiding the attack with his flesh and blood.

It seemed that the more nervous he was, the faster his brain turned, unleashing his potential.

Big Beard Zhong even figured out where to run in a second, and that was Nanchu No. 1 Middle School!

Nanchu No. 1 Middle School was an ominous location. He had thought it referred to Tan Xiao, but now he suddenly understood that no, on the contrary, the ominous one was not Tan Xiao but the one behind him. Tan Xiao was actually the only one who could save him, turning misfortune into blessing was true!

At least Tan Xiao wouldn't swallow him in one bite.

As for the one behind him...

Big Beard Zhong's beard was trembling: Although he couldn't see the other party's true form with his cultivation, he was a rat. He was afraid of peacocks, snakes, and of course fire!

"Spirit Master, save me!!" Big Beard Zhong shouted the title he had resented the most before today and rushed into Nanchu No. 1 Middle School. It was just that he didn't know the whereabouts of the Spirit Master, but that beagle seemed to be familiar with this place, as if it wasn't the first time it had entered.

As a result, after entering the campus, Big Beard Zhong's divination couldn't help him much. Not far from the cafeteria, after a forward roll and landing, Big Beard Zhong finally couldn't dodge no matter how he calculated, and watched helplessly as the beagle opened its mouth wider than his head: "Ahh—"

"Clang!"

Just in time, a long weapon slashed out from an oblique angle!

It was just wedged between the beagle's teeth. Big Beard Zhong's neck had already been pierced, and it was about to pierce through his trachea!

Big Beard Zhong's pupils dilated, and he suddenly retracted his head and looked. In front of him, a tall figure in a crimson robe was gritting his teeth and wrestling with the beagle with the weapon in his hand, shouting, "I am a valiant general under the command of the Grand Stove God. What evil dares to run amok in front of the cafeteria!"

Upon hearing this, Big Beard Zhong immediately sat up. That's right, looking at it from a different perspective made it clear. This fierce general wearing a red official robe, with two fluttering wings on his hat, was holding a long ladle in his hand.

It was clearly Big Beard Zhong's old acquaintance, the Rice Guardian.

The Rice Guardian stood tall with the ladle in hand, looking at Big Beard Zhong with some effort, and said impatiently: "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a public servant who keeps public and private matters separate?"

Although it had been beaten by Big Beard Zhong, no evil spirit could run rampant in front of the cafeteria.

Big Beard Zhong lowered his head in remorse and said with his hands clasped: "Great kindness need not be mentioned!"

Just then, with a "crack", the Rice Guardian's ladle broke.

The man, the rat, and the dog looked at each other, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

The beagle slurped and actually farted, sparks bursting out. This resounding fart suddenly woke up the Rice Guardian holding the broken ladle, who dropped it and ran back: "Shaman, ahhhh!!"

Big Beard Zhong: "..."

Big Beard Zhong: "Wait for me, ahhhh!!"

......

"The next program is 'Feather Dance' brought to you by Tan Xiao, a student from Year Two Class 3 of Senior High."

The emcee read from the cue card. At this time, there were also people cleaning up the stage props left from the previous program, so she had to read a few more lines to stall for time.

"The dance is adapted from the intangible cultural heritage of Nanchu, the Shaman Dance. Tan Xiao is the inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage. In ancient times, the Chu shamans served the gods with song and dance..."

Tan Xiao was about to take the stage at any time. Kong Xuan moved his drum up and also stood on the side.

"Thank you. I should go on stage." As Tan Xiao spoke, he suddenly reached out his hand.

Kong Xuan was stunned for a moment. This was a human ritual, but it seemed to be the first time Tan Xiao had done it to him. He was not very familiar with human etiquette, but he knew that a handshake expressed many meanings, including gratitude. So he hesitantly reached out his hand and shook Tan Xiao's.

"...The shaman dance reflects the dreamlike feeling of the chief shaman during the ritual, as if at the moment when the god descends upon the altar, the god and the shaman exchange glances. The incense smoke is like clouds and mist, surrounding the shaman's hopes and joys. The dance moves are both ancient and gentle, showing the passionate and romantic character of the Nanchu people!"

The emcee quietly stepped down in the darkness.

Tan Xiao lifted his robe and stepped onto the stage.

The stage had gone completely dark, with only a spotlight in the center. The hanging drum stood under the light, and Tan Xiao curled up and bowed before the drum.

The sound of the qin and se in the accompaniment began to play weakly and continuously, rolling like flowing water, ethereal and romantic.

Tan Xiao's body stretched out, the copper bells ringing with his every move. His sleeves were like the wings of a phoenix, displaying the lightness and softness of the Chu ritual dance to the fullest, and in an instant, he exerted force, beating on the drumhead, combining hardness and softness.

"Dong!"

The drum sound became the soul of the accompaniment. In fact, the drum here was only a prop, and the real music came from the sound system, but it did not hinder Tan Xiao's precise beat with each strike.

The Chu people were good at sleeve dancing. The young man's wide sleeves flew like flowing clouds, making his waist appear even more slender.

Within a square inch, it was as if treading on rivers and mountains. With just one person and one drum, it seemed to make people see banners, feathers, precious stones, and fragrant herbs. The Chu shaman on the altar entertained the gods with song and dance, calling for the gods' response.

Shamanism was different from religion. The more practical shamans treated the gods as equals. They could beg, they could curse, and sometimes, they seduced the gods.

Through the vicissitudes of a thousand years, the status of shamans had gone from the temple to the folk. Whether in glory or darkness, gods and shamans shared it, because they were a relationship that achieved each other. The gods descended through the shamans, and the shamans responded through the gods.

Even though it had become a performance for entertainment, every wave of the sleeves, every glance back, every bend of the waist, retained traces of communicating with the gods. It was a passionate response to the divine.

The young man under the light was immersed in the dance, radiating a glow more attractive than the spotlight, deeply moving the hearts of every audience member below the stage.

"This is too good-looking... Did ancient people watch this? What great fortune!"

Wu Tianyu from Year 1 Class 5 of Senior High heard the whispers of his classmates beside him and thought to herself that you don't know the even greater fortune is that this really works! Of course, today Tan Xiao is probably just performing...

Kong Xuan also stared at the stage.

In the gaps between the flying sleeves, he seemed to make eye contact with Tan Xiao, but it was so brief, just like their initial spiritual response, short but profound.

He could hardly take his eyes off him.

Hundreds or thousands of years ago, the Primordial Phoenix said while drinking that the different postures of human sacrifices contained different meanings, and they prayed to different gods for different things.

They prayed to the gods transformed from their ancestor Zhurong* for prosperity and protection. They hoped the phoenix would take them to immortality. They also cursed the anomalies of the heavens with vicious words.

*T/N: God of Fire

They would even choose beautiful female shamans and handsome male shamans to pray to the gods in charge of love. The gods would then act out pleasure with their own shamans, so that the world would know the way of love. Shamans could be the humans you loved the most, or they could become the humans you hated the most.

It was also at this moment that the cool autumn night wind blew, and a huge black shadow danced on the teaching building behind them, accompanied by flickering lights, but no one noticed.

Yu Zhenzhen shrank back a little, feeling inexplicably panicked. She looked left and right, and everyone seemed to be shivering from the wind, which seemed to blow into people's bones.

"Boom--"

Rolling thunder sounded, dark clouds gathered, and the weather changed abruptly.

Low, almost inaudible howls came from all directions.

What, what was this sound?

It should be the sound system, right? Surround sound? It's quite scary.

Even the school leaders sitting in the front couldn't help but squirm and discuss with each other: "It's probably in the shaman dance accompaniment, to create a bit of that primitive atmosphere. It even happened to thunder..."

This really created an incredible atmosphere. The moon hid behind the dark clouds, and even the lights at the scene seemed to be dimmer.

On stage, Tan Xiao looked up and captured a flickering black shadow on the wall of the teaching building opposite. The black shadow was getting bigger and closer. He seemed to be able to see the light being sucked away by the black shadow, and the shape of this black shadow was like... like a huge, fanged dog.

Not only the lights, Tan Xiao could even see the faces of the people below the stage gradually taking on a dazed look, as if their spirits were also being sucked away along with the light.

A strong unease exploded!

What was this?!

Tan Xiao's movements only paused imperceptibly. He looked at the black shadow while stepping the steps of Yu and concentrating, and the flickering eyes of that black shadow also seemed to meet his gaze for a moment -- at this moment, only Tan Xiao was still as bright as before, and the spotlight on him was unaffected.

"Shaman, shaman, save me!"

A tiny voice cried out.

Tan Xiao saw a faint figure that was almost invisible. It was the Rice Guardian, who had also crawled to the stage at some point, its body seeming like it could be sucked away at any moment.

"It was chasing us," the Rice Guardian wailed, "I was almost burned to nothing, and so was Big Beard Zhong! He's behind me!"

At this moment, Big Beard Zhong, seeing a familiar face, his buttocks already scorched and bloody, and his mortal body exhausted from running all day without the strength to run to the stage like the Rice Guardian, dove under someone's chair upon seeing a familiar figure. "Save me, save me, save me! Disciple!"

The dazed Wu Tianyu suddenly saw a huge rat and broke out in a cold sweat, coming to his senses.

Although he had never seen its true form, wasn't this... wasn't this that person?!

Besides it, where else would there be such a large white rat, still calling out "disciple" with its mouth.

Am I dreaming? Wu Tianyu looked around in panic, only to find that everyone had fallen into a somewhat dazed state, half-awake and half-asleep, still able to mumble to themselves, discuss, and even applaud, but their minds were completely rigid, and surprisingly no one noticed that right under his chair was a giant white rat.

Feeling waves of chills down his back, and seeming to feel rolling heat waves, Wu Tianyu, who had deep experience with evil spirits, did not dare to look back for a moment, and tremblingly looked at the stage with pleading eyes—

Tan Xiao's gaze gradually turned cold. Although he had little practical experience and could not immediately tell what kind of monster was in front of him, there was no need to investigate at this point. He simply ignored it, improvised his movements on the spot, and turned back to strike the drum in time with the music.

Boom.

The reverberating drum sound, carrying the mysterious aura accumulated over thousands of years, spread out.

The trend of the lights dimming stopped immediately!

The Rice Guardian was also able to catch its breath, climbing onto the stage and crawling onto Tan Xiao's shoes, tightly hugging his ankles to seek a sense of security. At this moment, only the Chu Shaman could protect him.

The black shadow that came with the firelight seemed to sense the other party's difficulty, but still licked its fangs reluctantly.

At this moment, the music was already approaching its end. Tan Xiao did not look back at Kong Xuan below the stage, but the feeling of that handshake before going on stage surfaced in his mind. There could be no mistake. He might have seen wrong, but how could he have felt wrong.

Casting aside all thinking patterns, the distinction between gods and humans that he had assumed, the remaining answer was not impossible, but rather self-evident!

At this time, as a shaman, Tan Xiao had many choices, the most convenient of which was to strike the drum to exorcise evil spirits.

But he no longer hesitated, raising his sleeves and making a hand seal. His eyes looked at Kong Xuan, as if touching with his gaze, stirring up ripples of echoes, and he chanted, "Summoning before the altar the son of the Primordial Phoenix—Kong Xuan!"

Hearing this, the black shadow whimpered and slowly shrank.

—Calling the name to subdue the ghost.

The true name of a deity has the effect of warding off evil!

It was also at this moment that Kong Xuan's eyes at the edge of the stage burst with infinite brilliance.

He stepped forward, his school uniform instantly transforming into a long robe also embroidered with feather patterns, his short hair becoming long hair adorned with plumes, and on his golden jade belt at his waist, hung a phoenix-shaped acrylic keychain.

The true form of the peacock, along with the lingering end of the music, stepped to Tan Xiao's side in time with the music, like the deity lured in the music, attracted by the shaman to descend to the world. He waved his sleeve, and five-colored divine light flashed from within, saying, "The spirits of the human realm, upon hearing me, shall be startled."

In an instant, the dim lights at the scene gradually regained their brightness.

Connecting with the last movement, Tan Xiao, in harmony with the beat, looked back. The feather patterns fluttered as if about to fly as the robe swayed, the light all falling upon him.

Like the shaman in the music, he finally achieved his wish, leaving endless meaning for the people to discern. All this was for the deity on the shaman altar, and also to let them witness the intoxicating appearance of the shaman, teaching the people of the world.

The audience at the scene awoke as if from a dream. Seeing this brilliant performance, they were silent for a few seconds, then the entire venue erupted in enthusiastic applause.