The next day, the morning was crisp and clear.
Su Nian rose early, greeting the new day with a quiet resolve.
Though each night brought fresh waves of humiliation, the daylight hours, at least, granted her a semblance of the life she longed to liveāfree, unburdened, her own.
Under the attentive care of a retinue of maids, she shared breakfast with “Master Mo Yuan.”
Curse him.
To the outside world, that wretched Horned Demon seemed kind, even indulgent toward her.
But the truth was far uglier, hidden behind his polished facade.
Yet, Su Nian had little time to dwell on such thoughts.
Today was Saturday.
Another performance day for the Magic Feather Fantasy troupe.Ā
The advent of the magic phone had shifted the tides.
Rival troupes, realizing they could not halt Magic Feather Fantasy’s unstoppable rise, had abandoned their futile efforts to sabotage them.
Instead, they poured their resources into securing a foothold on the magic phone platform.
A week had passed since the troupe’s debut performanceāa week that, for Su Nian, had been a nightmare.
After that first show, she had ventured to Shadowmoon Manor, only to face defeat.
From that moment, the Horned Demon had held her in his unrelenting grip.
This time, it wasn’t their debut, so the troupe had prepared several dance pieces.
First among them was “The Hero’s Party Battles the Dragon”.
A timeless classic in this world, sung for over three centuries, it was the most beloved and widely performed piece known.
Its enduring melody would showcase Magic Feather Fantasy’s undeniable prowess.
Night fell.
The city square buzzed with life, as crowded as it had been for their first performance.
Beyond the throng, countless others watched through their magic phonesāa novel experience for this world, witnessing a song-and-dance spectacle through such a device for the first time.
As the curtain slowly parted, the performance began.
Mist swirled across the stage, where the ruins of a village ravaged by a dragon took shape, crafted by meticulous stage design.
The Magic Feather Fantasy dancers, clad in gleaming armor and wielding shields and longswords, stood with stern, resolute expressions.Ā
At the center of the stage, Su Nian stood poised and graceful, her hands weaving gently through the air as she murmured an incantation.
In an instant, a jet of flame erupted from the side, spreading swiftly to form a massive, snarling fire dragon, its maw spewing torrents of flame as it lunged toward the dancers.
At that moment, Amy, the lead vocalist, unleashed her powerful voice.
Her clear, steadfast song rang out like a war drum, emboldening the dancers.
They shouted in unison, fearless, charging into the blaze.
Their movements were agile, their shields and swords glinting in the firelight.
As they sang in harmony with Amy, they deftly parried the dragon’s ferocious assaults.
Each swing of a sword, each block, synced perfectly with the soaring rhythm, their coordination flawless.
Su Nian’s gaze was sharp with focus, her golden hair fluttering in the conjured wind as she controlled the fire dragon.
Her body swayed to the music and Amy’s voice, a dance of both grace and power.
She played two roles: the heroic mage and, in secret, the dragon itself, embodying the villain in a mesmerizing dance with her troupe.
It lent the performance an electrifying intensity.
As the music surged, her magic grew more dazzling.
Flames wreathed her, sharp spears of fire lancing downward, forcing the dancers to dodge and weave.
At times, she conjured blazing rings that encircled them, trapping them in perilous straits.
But the dancers were well-trained.
Led by the principal dancer, Lise, they moved with precision and unityāleaping over fiery barriers or forming a tight shield wall to break through the flames.
The audience watched, spellbound, their hearts in their throats, gasps and cheers erupting at each heart-stopping moment.
As the heroes closed in on the “dragon” Su Nian had conjured, they thrust their weapons through it in a choreographed illusion.
Seizing the moment, Su Nian launched a shimmering orb of water, whispering, “Extinguish!”
In a flash, the fire dragon dissolved into a shower of sparks.
The dragon was vanquished.
The human heroes had triumphed.
The song and dance reached their crescendo, a triumphant anthem of victory.
As the performance concluded, the audience snapped out of their trance.
Thunderous applause and cheers filled the square.
“Absolutely breathtaking!”
“Magic Feather Fantasy lives up to its name!”
“The magic-infused performanceāit’s more vivid, more thrilling than any ‘Hero’s Party Battles the Dragon’ I’ve ever seen!”
“That magical idol, Su Nianā¦ she’s like a goddess descended to earth!”
“By the Light Goddess, this is the most perfect performance I’ve ever witnessed.”
Unlike the debut, where curiosity had drawn the crowd, this time the troupe’s reputation preceded them.
Bolstered by the magic phone’s reach, their fame spread like wildfire.
For a moment, Su Nian and Magic Feather Fantasy’s names echoed across the continent.
Meanwhile, the performance pressed on with a second and third act.
Onstage, Su Nian shone, her voice a celestial melody, her magic and dance blending seamlessly.
Each movement radiated charisma, captivating the audience, who watched in rapt adoration.
In that moment, she shed her burdens and humiliations, lost in the joy and fulfillment of the stage.
Chu Tian stood just below, watching her dance and sing up close.
His mood was tangled, a knot of conflicting emotions.
Why should these strangers, this rabble, witness the same performance he did?
A wild thought took root in his mind.
Either her performances should belong to him aloneāa cruel fate that would confine her to Shadowmoon Manorāor he would demand something unique, something only he could see.
The show ended.
Su Nian returned to Shadowmoon Manor, her heart heavy with shame.
The radiant girl who had dazzled on the stage seemed to shatter in an instant.
Earlier, she had received a message from the Horned Demon, demanding she perform a “private dance” for him that night.
That wretchāhow could he?
Was her humiliation not enough?
Worse, he had specified the clothes she must wear.
When she entered his room and saw the garment, she nearly fainted.
“Whatā¦ what is this?!”
Before her lay a scandalously revealing dancer’s dress.
It could scarcely be called clothingāflimsy threads and scraps of fabric barely stitched together.
The skirt was so short that a single bend would expose everything.
Wearing it, her most vulnerable parts would be perilously close to exposure.
Only in illicit underground taverns would dancers wear such shameful attire to entice patrons.
Su Nian stared at the dress, her face burning, her humiliation reaching its peak.
And yet, the Horned Demon demanded she wear it and dance for him.
She, the most celebrated magical idol, reduced to this.
It was beyond degrading.
Chu Tian watched her, a glint of malice in his eyes.
He held up his magic phone, displaying an image of her parent’s modest home, their figures faintly visible.
His subordinate, Hong Ying, had tracked them down and taken the photo.
“Miss Su Nian,” he said, his voice dripping with menace, “tonight, you’ll wear this dancer’s outfit and perform for me. Please me well, or you know what will happen to your parents.”
Su Nian stared at the photo, her fists clenched, rage and helplessness warring within her.
For her parent’s safety, she had no choice but to submit once more.