Chapter 66: The Guzheng Heir Plays the Piano

Just the opening notes revealed an extraordinary level of skill.

The three judges exchanged astonished glances and turned their eyes to Xia Yu on the stage.

Xia Yu stood straight, his upper arms still, only his forearms moving back and forth across the keyboard.

Feng Ma’s performance was like a dancer, while Xia Yu’s was like a soldier.

What he played was a piano piece with a soldier’s spirit.

One judge whispered excitedly, “Fran’s Old Wolf!”

Fran’s Old Wolf is a classic classical piece composed during World War I.

Fran was originally a small country with a population of less than ten million. During World War I, due to its excellent agriculture, it was invaded by the warring nation of Abyss. Fran mobilized its entire nation, sending a million people to the battlefield to fight against the Abyssian invaders.

Compared to Abyss’s tanks and cannons, Fran’s soldiers often had only flintlock hunting rifles. With the advantage of terrain, they held off the Abyssian army for months but ultimately could not escape the fate of being conquered.

That battle became a shadow in the hearts of many Abyssian soldiers. The fearless Fran soldiers, who claimed to have the blood of the old wolf running in their veins, drew their swords to fight after running out of bullets, causing Abyssian soldiers to grow weary of war, indirectly leading to the early end of World War I.

The composer of “Fran’s Old Wolf” closed the piano lid and resolutely joined the anti-invasion struggle when Fran was invaded, ultimately sacrificing his life in the final battle.

His entire life left behind only this one piece. The manuscript bore no title, only an illustration of a howling old wolf.

This piece lacks the elegance of a dancer and the dancer’s unconventional nature.

The piece is divided into three parts. The first and second parts occupy the majority of the piece, depicting the tenacious struggle against the invaders.

The first part has a fast tempo, while the second slows down. After the slowing, the music becomes somber yet resolute. The first and second parts are enveloped in a tragic and heroic atmosphere.

In the third part, the piece pauses, and a slightly cheerful tone emerges from the dullness, but this cheerfulness lasts only for a few notes before the music abruptly ends.

Some say this represents rebirth, but more people feel it is a comfort for the dead.

After Xia Yu’s fingers paused momentarily and the cheerful tune arose, the tragic and heroic feeling from the first and second parts was sublimated in a unique way.

Pressing the final key, Xia Yu lowered his hands.

The venue remained silent for nearly ten seconds before applause broke out, led by one of the judges.

Excitement was visible on the faces of all three judges.

In today’s society, it is already rare to find someone who can quietly study an instrument, let alone someone who plays this well.

“Excellent. The imposing presence of Fran’s Old Wolf was captured perfectly.”

“There are still some minor technical flaws, but this momentum is truly rare. Even if I were to play it, I couldn’t achieve such intensity.”

“I’ve only witnessed such an imposing presence in Mr. Zhou Huaran before. Given that Mr. Zhou has a military background, may I ask how you achieved this?” the final judge inquired of Xia Yu.

Naturally, Xia Yu wouldn’t tell the judges that it was because he had used too many intimidation tactics, which gave him a special feeling when playing Fran’s Old Wolf.

When practicing this piece with Kong Hanyue, Xia Yu was also surprised.

It seems that a person’s characteristics can indeed be infused into music.

“Perhaps it’s just fate,” Xia Yu replied.

“Fate with a piano piece—how romantic,” sighed the questioning judge.

“Who is your teacher?” Another judge asked.

“I learned from my mother.” Xia Yu had already coordinated his story with Kong Hanyue.

“Your mother is?”

“Kong Hanyue.”

The three judges furrowed their brows. The name sounded familiar, but they couldn’t recall who she was immediately. However, if they found it familiar, she must be someone in the music industry.

“We hope to see even more impressive performances from you in the next round.”

This confirmed Xia Yu’s advancement to the next stage.

“Thank you.” Bowing slightly, Xia Yu walked backstage.

At a corner, he encountered Feng Ma, who had stayed in the spot where Xia Yu had been, listening to his performance.

However, Xia Yu’s mood had risen from low to high, while Feng Ma’s mood had declined from high to low.

Feng Ma’s face flushed red with shame for his previous arrogance.

The Xia Yu he had looked down upon turned out to be a pianist even more skilled than himself!

Bowling to Xia Yu, he quickly walked away.

Smiling and shaking his head, Xia Yu entered the dressing room to change clothes. Halfway through changing, the door was suddenly flung open with a bang.

The principal walked in excitedly and grabbed his hand.

“Good, just fantastic!” The principal’s hands trembled. “I never expected that your strongest piece wouldn’t be the Temple Dancer, but Fran’s Old Wolf. That performance was absolutely amazing!”

Xia Yu nodded in response, then pointed at his half-dressed body: “Can I get dressed first?”

“Hurry up and change. I’ll treat you to lunch at the Fenghuang Grand Hotel!”

Standing aside, the principal watched Xia Yu finish changing before dragging him along with the Chinese teacher toward the restaurant.

During lunch, the principal had a moment of conscience. He felt that previously enticing Xia Yu with the promise of a recommendation to Huada was an immoral act. Although Xia Yu’s level was slightly higher than he had expected, making it into the top ten remained highly unlikely.

Therefore, at the dining table, the principal continuously hinted to Xia Yu, telling him that even if he couldn’t make it into Huada, he could still recommend Xia Yu to Donggong University.

Xia Yu pretended not to understand and gave no response.

The principal thought he wasn’t capable, but in reality, he was more than capable.

He was already looking forward to the Gaokao, when everyone else would be nervously preparing, while he would be leisurely showing off a Huada admission letter everywhere.

At this moment, the three judges were also grilling skewers together. As they ate, they discussed the competition.

“In terms of technique, Xia Yu is about on par with Ma Xiao’s son. However, Ma Xiao’s son’s Temple Dancer was rather conventional, while Xia Yu’s Fran’s Old Wolf already has his own unique characteristics.”

“He’s definitely first. Ma Xiao’s son is second. The rest can just be ranked randomly; they’re basically just filling spots.”

“By the way, who exactly is Kong Hanyue? Why does the name sound familiar, yet I can’t place it?”

Based on the surname Kong and considering the surrounding areas of Zilang, the three judges discussed but still couldn’t figure out who Kong Hanyue was.

With no other options, they took out their phones and searched for the name Kong Hanyue.

“That young girl from the Huapai School of guzheng! That’s why it sounded familiar!”

“Wait a second, isn’t Xia Yu a pianist?”

“Other than her, there’s no one else. Perhaps she just didn’t want her son to follow the guzheng path.”

“Didn’t that girl marry an ordinary person? Is Xia Yu her son with that commoner?”

“What commoner? We don’t use that kind of terminology in the entertainment industry.”

“We really need to keep an eye on this Xia Yu and make sure he doesn’t follow his mother’s path—abandoning music to marry an ordinary person. That’s sheer nonsense!”

“With Mr. Zhou Huaran getting older, it’s up to Xia Yu to carry on the legacy of Fran’s Old Wolf!”

After lunch, the three judges finalized the rankings and published them.

Media outlets following the competition immediately began preparing news articles.

“Who is this Xia Yu? Where did this dark horse suddenly come from?”

“Oh no, we had prepared articles on Feng Ma before. We don’t have any information at all on this Xia Yu!”

“Hurry up and send someone to interview him!”