Chapter 181: Shining Brightly (Part Four)

  What Han Ming depicted was a tranquil and peaceful scene.

  The couple, a young man and woman, were now joyfully chasing each other through the fields.

  The girl playfully hid behind a large tree, gently lifting her skirt with her right hand, and bent down to pick a small flower from the ground.

  The boy looked around, searching for the girl.

  When he came to the tree, the girl suddenly jumped out with a ghostly face, startling the boy.

  The boy pretended to be annoyed and turned his head away, pretending not to pay attention to the girl.

  The girl stuck out her tongue and, with light steps, came to the boy's side, placing the beautiful flower on her head. She tilted her head to look at the boy and said something with her mouth, which could be seen from her lip movements: "Am I pretty?"

  The boy turned his head to the other side, and the girl playfully ran up to him.

  The boy turned his head again, and the girl ran up to him once more, reaching out her hand to tickle him.

  Finally, the boy couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, embracing the girl and joyfully running off into the fields.

  The girl's face was filled with a shy smile, wanting to look but not daring to directly gaze at the boy's face. She would occasionally steal a glance by tilting her neck, and when she saw the boy notice, she would quickly turn her head away.

  The audience watched this scene unfold before their eyes, intoxicated and yearning.

  This scene stirred the emotions of some of the more sensitive women present, who quietly lowered their heads and wiped their tears with handkerchiefs.

  "Is there anyone from the Monte Empire willing to help? A fire-type magician would be great."

  As the tender and naive love story continued to unfold, Han Ming had already seen Shang Que sitting in the innermost part of the crowd and thus spoke out seeking assistance. His eyes were fixed on Shang Que without blinking.

  Shang Que, who had been living at Uncle Phil's house, had come to this banquet thanks to Uncle Phil's influence.

  When someone questioned the Monte Empire's lack of performance, Shang Que had wavered in his heart, wanting to grit his teeth and bravely step up to perform. In terms of fire-type magic control, Shang Que could be considered a genius. However, he had not prepared anything nor rehearsed, so he was at a loss for the moment.

  Moreover, he was currently sitting among the Rhein Empire's group.

  Now seeing Han Ming take the initiative to invite him, Shang Que naturally refused and immediately stood up, coming to Han Ming's side.

  "Although I don't know you, please accept my respect. Thank you for bravely standing up for our Monte Empire," Shang Que said gratefully.

  No one had deeper feelings for the Monte Empire than Shang Que.

  Han Ming nodded with a smile, bent down, and whispered a few words into Shang Que's ear.

  Shang Que hesitated upon hearing this.

  "Can you do it?" Han Ming asked.

  Shang Que gritted his teeth and nodded: "Yes!"

  The audience paid little attention to Shang Que, who suddenly joined the performance team, only giving him a cursory glance before shifting their focus back to the water couple in the open space.

  The performance on stage continued, with the couple's initial naive feelings gradually evolving into mutual dependence and enduring love.

  With the villagers' blessings, they held a simple and unpretentious wedding at the end of the countryside fields.

  Everyone blessed the couple's complete love.

  Meanwhile, Shang Que quietly waved his hands, and two huge fireballs began to dance in the palms of his hands.

  People felt the intense heat and turned their heads to look.

  They saw Shang Que's fireballs rapidly transforming in front of everyone, turning into a large group of fiery demons.

  These demons were far rougher than the characters Han Ming had depicted, but since the demons themselves had a very strange form, it wasn't considered a major flaw. Compared to the rabbit and hawk conjured by the old man from the Cabo Empire, Shang Que's demons were only slightly inferior.

  These demons were engulfed in scorching flames, their hollow eyes fiercely staring at the peaceful and tranquil village.

  "Oh no!!"

  The crowd exclaimed in unison.

  The fiery demons, like vengeful spirits climbing out of hell, flooded into the village.

  Trees, fields, and houses were destroyed by the fiery demons, and the villagers fled in terror.

  Han Ming quietly took out several water-type magic crystals to quickly replenish his own magical energy.

  The demon invasion in the village continued.

  The newlyweds didn't even have time for their wedding night.

  The boy, with a determined face, said something to the girl and resolutely picked up a rudimentary weapon to rush out of the room.

  The young people of the village gathered together, raising their weapons and shouting in unison.

  The girl panicked and ran out, looking at the devastated village, and collapsed in grief at the doorway.

  The boy turned back and said something softly.

  From the lip movements, the audience could roughly guess he said: "Wait for me."

  Dozens of young people angrily picked up weapons and joined the fight against the invaders.

  The battle was exceptionally fierce; the demons were much stronger than these simple farmers. In less than a quarter of an hour, the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled had already fallen.

  Some spectators couldn't bear to watch the once beautiful, fairy-tale-like world suddenly being invaded and covered their faces.

  The young people fought bravely and fearlessly against the demons, but the disparity in strength was too great.

  What everyone hoped would not happen still occurred.

  The boy died tragically at the hands of the demons.

  The demons occupied the village.

  The girl, having lost her beloved man, jumped into a river at the entrance of the village, heartbroken.

  "How could this happen... How could this happen? It was so beautiful, why did it have to turn into a tragedy?"

  Some women began to cry.

  The river water at the entrance of the village began to boil.

  The girl who had jumped into the water had already died; her soul transformed into a bird and soared straight into the sky from the water.

  The demons roared fiercely, trying to catch the bird.

  "Run! Run!!"

  Rhythmic shouting began among the crowd.

  "Run, girl!!"

  Unconsciously, everyone in the hall was fully immersed in this fictional world.

  "Just like watching a movie," Han Ming smiled lightly. His hands continued to wave.

  The water bird circled in the air, crying mournfully, and resolutely plunged into the midst of the fiery demons.

  "Ah!!"

  A cry of shock came from the audience.

  "Oh no!"

  "Can it make it? Will it melt in the flames?" Shang Que asked with concern.

  Han Ming gave Shang Que a reassuring smile.

  The bird flew up and down among the fiery demons, and suddenly a thick layer of ice crystals formed on its body.

  The bird kept charging, defeating one fiery demon after another, and its ice body showed no signs of melting.

  Finally, with a mournful cry, the bird opened its mouth, sucked in forcefully, and the heavily wounded fiery demons turned into thin streams of flame and were sucked into the bird's stomach.

  The war was over, and the bird circled in the air sadly before plunging into the river water.

  A red sun rose slowly in the sky.

  The village was gone, and so were the villagers.

  In the river water, under the sunlight, a pair of figures condensed.

  It was the boy and the girl, holding each other's hands tightly, floating in the morning light.

  The main performance finally ended. Han Ming's hands moved gently, and the objects formed from the wine, relying on the control of the demon soul, perfectly returned to each spectator's glass and jug.

  The entire hall was silent for a long time.

  Tears swirled in everyone's eyes.

  Han Ming and Shang Que stood quietly in the hall, smiling without words.

  "Too... too wonderful..."

  Chalad said in a daze.

  Valerie held her glass, staring at the wine in a trance, unable to bear to drink it, knowing it was transformed from those simple and kind farmers.

  "Bravo!"

  Someone shouted "Bravo!" and everyone's emotions were suddenly pulled back to reality.

  "Bravo!! Amazing!!!"

  "Too touching!!"

  The entire hall, every person, everyone watching the performance, including the three kings and the fat man Roge, all stood up excitedly, shouting "Bravo!" and clapping their hands vigorously.

  The entire hall was immediately overturned by thunderous applause and cheers.

  "Well done, Han Xiaoyou, well done, Shang Que."

  Maren looked at the two people receiving everyone's congratulations in the center of the hall, feeling a surge of pride.

  These cheers and commendations were for Han Ming and Shang Que in the hall, but even more so for the Monte Empire.

  The intense applause lasted for a long time, with no one wanting to disturb it.

  It wasn't until everyone was tired and their throats were hoarse that people began to sit back in their seats.

  What they applauded was the poignant love Han Ming had created, the unfortunate fate of the villagers, and what shocked them even more was that the ice bird condensed by Han Ming's magic did not melt at all in the flames and ultimately defied magical rules by sucking all the flames into its stomach.

  People sat down one after another, looking at the wine glasses on the table, the wine inside as calm as usual.

  "Why didn't the water evaporate in the flames? Why is the wine still so clear and cool?" Someone picked up their glass in a daze, incredulously saying.

  The excited emotions of the VIPs gradually calmed down, followed by sadness and melancholy.

  Everyone's hearts were shrouded in a faint sorrow.

  "You were very successful."

  Shang Que congratulated Han Ming with a smile.

  "You were part of it too," Han Ming reciprocated.

  This was the result Han Ming wanted, inspired by a movie. He had personally experienced that even though people knew movies were fake, created for filming, very few could watch a good movie without getting emotionally involved.

  Roge stood there, moved, his plump hands red from clapping but still not stopping, sighing, "Too wonderful, Miss Han, your performance has really impressed me. Although the two earth-type magicians from the Rhein Empire also gave a wonderful performance, in terms of the detail handling of characters and scenes, they are not even on the same level as you, especially since you even depicted the characters' expressions so vividly. It's truly unexpected and breathtaking... The biggest difference between you and them is not the form, but the emotion. Your performance has more emotion!"

  Han Ming bowed deeply to the three kings, his hands gently pressing down.

  The noise on the scene immediately quieted down.

  Han Ming cleared his throat and said, "I know everyone may have regrets in their hearts, hoping that the boy and girl would have a perfect ending in the end. But reality often does not go as we wish. What we expect to be perfect, the world we fantasize about, cannot just be thought about; it requires us to create it with our hands. I believe that during the days of the demon invasion, countless people in the world, like those two lovers, have experienced life and death separations. I also believe that everyone here is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see such an outcome. But the reality is that such situations are happening right now. Through this performance, what I want to convey is not just everyone's recognition, but to arouse everyone's thoughts about the demon invasion of humanity, about the homes we are about to lose and have already lost, and about those brave people who fought fearlessly, as well as the love, kinship, and friendship that were extinguished in the invasion."

  Han Ming's words once again silenced the people.

  Han Ming quietly waited for their response. He was very clear in his heart. Humans always have a lazy and evasive psychology. When they have not witnessed the tragic fate of the Monte Empire with their own eyes and only hear about it, it is difficult to touch the deepest part of their hearts. The performance he did at this moment was to bring the vivid reality from hearing and imagination to everyone's eyes.

  He told people that all of this was not just fantasy but real events.

  Time passed bit by bit.

  People stood up one after another.

  "For humanity!"

  Han Ming raised his arm.

  "For humanity!!"

  The entire hall resounded with these passionate shouts.

  The three kings were now so moved that they were speechless. Han Ming had awakened everyone's united emotions through a spectacular performance, which was very rare. Although they all understood that the excitement of the crowd might only last for a short time as they were still immersed in the performance, this was still a good start.

  "Talent..." Roge sighed.

  "Your Majesties, the three respected kings, I had some hesitation about whether to support you before. Having seen too much fighting and the coldness of the world, it has become difficult for me to be moved by anything, and what I thought about was only how to maximize benefits."

  Roge paused, looking at the expectant eyes of the three kings, and continued, "But now, what I see is people rediscovering their inner selves. Although I have to admit that this scene may not last long, this brief moment gives me confidence. Reality is cruel, and the world is cold; human indifference has lasted too long. Not for anything else, just to reawaken humanity's true feelings, I am willing to lend a hand. This is a good start, and I also believe that this true emotion will continue. I am willing to help you."