Chapter 126: And Now... The Hei Long Show

Chapter 126: And Now... The Hei Long Show Location: Imperial University Auditorium — "Annual Talent & Spirit Showcase" It was supposed to be a normal evening. The school’s largest event of the year. Students gathered in dazzling costumes. Magic tricks, dance routines, sword demonstrations, musical duels. A chance for future cultivators, business elites, and celebrity heirs to show off to the public. A full auditorium. A livestream broadcast. Thirty thousand viewers and climbing. And then, the lights cut out. For exactly three seconds. And when they returned— Hei Long stood on the stage. He wasn’t on the program. No one had seen him enter. He simply appeared. Black suit. No tie. Gloves off. Sleeves rolled. And behind him, rising from the floor by spiritual lift, came a grand piano lacquered in black and silver, glowing with inscriptions. Gasps rippled through the crowd. The announcer, trembling backstage, leaned into the mic:"Uh, n-next up... performing under no listed student name... the new chairman of the university, Hei Long?" The crowd held its breath. Hei Long sat. Cracked his knuckles. And began to play. — The Piece: "Nocturne of Total Domination" It wasn’t a song. It was a statement. The notes were fast. Sharp. Every keystroke pounded like war drums and whispered like silk. It started soft — elegant, even sorrowful — before shifting into something darker. Swaggering. Unrelenting. Students cried. Elders clutched their chests. A sword cultivator in the second row accidentally unsheathed his blade mid-riff. By the two-minute mark, the livestream chat was in meltdown: "BRO IS MAKING ME FALL IN LOVE AND SIGN A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT""THIS ISN’T A SONG THIS IS SPIRITUAL SEDUCTION""I JUST DROPPED OUT OF LAW SCHOOL I WANT TO SERVE HIM TEA" By minute four, half the girls in the front row were visibly trembling. By minute five? Li Chen walked onto the stage. Holding an electric guitar. Wearing sunglasses. System-enhanced confidence surging through him. He turned to the crowd. "NOW FOR SOMETHING REAL—" Hei Long didn’t stop playing. He looked at him. One note. Sharp. Disrespectful. Li Chen’s guitar shattered. Silence. He limped offstage. Again. Somehow. — Backstage Organizers panicked. The original performers were shuffling nervously, wondering if they should still go on. A drama student wept and tore up her poetry. A dual-attribute fire dancer canceled her phoenix summon. Hei Long’s name trended online:#YoungMasterPlays#PianoDaddyHei#FaceSlappedThroughMusic — As the Performance Ended... He played one final note. Let it hang in the air. Then stood. Bowed once. Said nothing. And left. The crowd erupted. He’d hijacked the entire event. Without registering. Without speaking. Without caring. Later That Night – School Newspaper Office The editors tried to write a headline. They argued for hours. In the end, they published this: "HE TOOK THE STAGE, THE SHOW, AND OUR HEARTS." Meanwhile – Li Chen’s System [Ding! Protagonist Aura: 38% → 15%][WARNING: Supporting Character "Hei Long" has taken over the narrative center.][Suggestion: Initiate emergency harem arc or attempt to ascend via CEO inheritance.] Li Chen stared at the message. Then closed his laptop and went to cry on the roof. . . . . . . Hei Long’s Penthouse, Balcony Overlooking the City He poured a glass of wine. Watched his phone buzz with message after message.Love confessions. Threats. Sponsorship offers. One very weird poem about his hands. He didn’t open any of them. Just stared out over the skyline. And whispered: "I didn’t take the stage. The stage came to me." . . . . . . Day After the Talent Show Li Chen was back in the gym, doing push-ups over a pile of shattered pride. His guitar had exploded.His screen time was reduced to background character.His System had stopped speaking in a dignified mechanical voice and now just said "bruh." But today... was a new day. A chance to reclaim relevance. Why? Because today, a new transfer student was arriving. And not just any transfer student. She was cold. Mysterious. A rumored cultivation genius from the hidden Arctic Lotus Sect. Rumor said she’d frozen a stalker solid with a blink and turned down a marriage proposal by vaporizing the engagement ring midair. Her name? Leng Qingxue. Ice Beauty. Silent Sword. Goddess of Don’t-Touch-Me Energy. And Li Chen? He was determined to conquer her heart. — Scene: University Courtyard Students had gathered in droves. Phones out. Livestreams rolling. The black car pulled up, surrounded by spirit bodyguards. The door opened. Out stepped Leng Qingxue. Flowing silver hair. White robes. Pale skin like jade kissed by winter. Her gaze cut through the crowd without pause or care. The air literally dropped five degrees in her presence. A senior fainted. Li Chen pushed through the crowd, brushing dust off his coat. He had practiced his introduction seventeen times in the mirror. He took a deep breath. This was it. "Miss Leng—" She walked right past him. Didn’t glance. Didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe in his direction. "..." Li Chen turned to chase after her. "Miss Leng! I’m Li Chen. Perhaps I can escort—" And then. She stopped. Turned. The crowd froze with her. Her gaze shifted over Li Chen’s shoulder. Then she lowered her head. And said, with chilling reverence: "Master." The crowd gasped. Li Chen turned slowly. And saw— Hei Long. Leaning casually against a nearby pillar, black umbrella resting on one shoulder, sipping from a thermos engraved with the Hei Conglomerate logo. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t smile. Didn’t move. He didn’t have to. Leng Qingxue walked toward him. Bowed slightly. "It’s been a long time." Hei Long nodded. "I see you haven’t dulled." "I’ve kept your teachings close," she said, lifting her hand. With a flick, she froze an airborne leaf mid-fall and shattered it with a glance. "The world is still full of weak men." Li Chen blinked. "HEY—" She ignored him. "Are you here to study?" Hei Long asked. "Only if you permit it." He nodded. "I permit it." She bowed again. "Then I’ll reside in your shadow once more." She turned and walked off, icy aura scattering students like windblown paper. The crowd exploded. "THE ICE GODDESS HAS A MASTER?!""WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE WAS HIS DISCIPLE?!""DOES THIS MEAN THEY LIVED TOGETHER?!""I BET HE TAUGHT HER HOW TO KILL AND FEEL THINGS!" Li Chen stared at Hei Long, face pale, one eye twitching. "You. Have. Another one?!" Hei Long finally looked at him. "Who?" "THE ARCTIC TRANSFER STUDENT YOU JUST STOLEN FROM ME." Hei Long frowned slightly. "You assumed she was yours to lose." Li Chen opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. "WHY DOES SHE CALL YOU MASTER?!" Hei Long took another sip of his tea. "Because she knows the value of power." "And you?! What are you to her?" Hei Long tilted his head slightly. "Everything you aren’t." Li Chen screamed. — Later That Day – Student Forum Message Board TOPIC: Did anyone else see Leng Qingxue call Hei Long "Master"?– Confirmed. I was there. I froze mid-step.– She even bowed to him.– Is Hei Long secretly the protagonist and we’re all just filler characters?!– System user Li Chen lost another girl LOL.– I would call him Master too tbh. — Meanwhile – Hei Long’s Office Leng Qingxue sat calmly at his side, sipping silently. "You shouldn’t have followed me," he said. "I owe you everything." "You’re strong enough to stand alone now." She looked at him, expression unreadable. "Standing alone is meaningless if the path doesn’t lead back to you." Hei Long was silent. Then, he offered her a second cup. She took it. And for a moment—just a moment—the frost in her eyes melted.