As the night drew, a group of women were nervously waiting on a platform underwater. When they first were told the plan, they thought they had committed some crime and were being punished, even though Boss Wei had assured them they hadn't. He led them to the lake during the afternoon and they had been shown a glass platform in the lake they could stand on.
"At 28:00, the platform will rise out from under the surface and lights will illuminate the area", Wei Huoran explained, "Your group will stage your performance according to how you've practiced. There will be moments where the platform will move but every safety array has been engraved, so you can perform like normal."
"We understand", the group affirmed.
They chatted with each as they awaited the scheduled time trying to calm each other down. According to the plan, their performance had already been advertised and thirty seconds before the start, a voice would announce them over the loud speakers. They were also given notice that there would be a holographic light show during the performance and not to worry if they suddenly see things appear.
As the the time grew closer to to 28:00, more people arrived close to the lake. Some went the restaurants to watch the show while eating, others summoned blankets, chairs, or couches and sit down talk with each other while waiting for the show to start. They were told that these were musicians and performers and not courtesans, so no one was allowed to proposition them for any reason. Exactly thirty seconds before 28:00 a loud voice covering the entire lake spoke, "Ladies and Gentlemen, visitors from all lands, Welcome to the performance of the Midnight Lotus Blossoms, just a reminder to be respectful to the performers or the protection array will suppress you and you will be asked to never again return to Sun and Moon Island. And now the Midnight Lotus Blossoms!"
Lights suddenly illuminated the lake as a giant bubble rose from the center of the lake and floated just about the surface. The top half opened and all the women with instruments began playing 'Fairy Tales'. The singers and dancers began to perform when the lights changed and a simple forest appeared on top of the lake. A man in a boat floating near a tree appeared speaking to a winged woman in a tree, a fairy. The audience couldn't help reacting in shock at the illusions created and we're doing their best to watch the scene and listen to the lyrics of the song. It was about a fairy who told stories to the man in the boat sometimes, and the visuals reflected this as the stories she told would appear in different parts of the lake. As the song progressed, the man noticed that it became harder to meet the fairy and eventually when he did find her, she wouldn't tell stories anymore. The song finished with the man wondering if it was his fault that the stories and the fairy disappeared. There was applause as the song finished, and once the music started again, the crowd quieted down. Everyone knew this next song as it was a well known song about a man and women who fall in love. Just like the first song, the light show would display the story in the song. One day a war broke out and the man was called to serve, ultimately dying during a grand battle. She hears news of his death, and ends up being pursued by the young lord of the city, but she can't get over her grief and runs away to the top of the mountain. There just before she freezes to death, she meets her husband again. The song 'A walk through the snow' was a popular song on the Nanying continent and was supposedly a true story. Once against the crowd exploded in applause as many people were crying or trying hard to hold back. The next song began and this time it was a fast upbeat performance, an original Wei Huoran had composed from pops songs he knew. 'On top of the Clouds' was a fun song and as it was played the lake suddenly had clouds, birds, and kites everywhere. Mid way through the music, men and women, both adults and children appeared amongst the clouds, dancing along with the beat. As the song closed, a few more men and some instruments that had never been seen before appeared on the platform. The song concluded and received cheers from the audience.
The voice returned, "Joining the Midnight Lotus Blossoms, please welcome the Followers of the Dao!"
Drums started playing, joined by guitars, and the scene on the lake shifted from a forest to village by the river. The singers, a man that joined the group and a women who was part of the blossoms started singing a story about a village near a river where a dragon lived. The dragon appeared by the river sleeping and it appeared to be breathing, which caused many of the audience to pause for a moment. The song continued as every year, the people brought gifts to the dragon, though he didn't pay attention to it that much. One day a rival village attacked the villagers with the help of a vicious wolf, killing then all. On the day the dragon was supposed to receive his gifts no one came and when he checked on the villagers and saw them dead, he erupted in a rage. The dragon flew to the rival village and when he heard what that done, he attacked. At this time, the music was at a fevered pitch as guitar solos were playing, and both singers were singing in duet. The illusion had produced smokeless fireworks that exploded in celebration. The dragon avenged the village and honored their souls, returning the balance of karma. As the last note played and the illusions faded, the surroundings were filled with silence for a few moments before roaring applause erupted from the audience.
The voice spoke again, "Thank you for attending the concert, please safely make your way home. For Qphone users, a new application called Qmusic is available for download and you can purchase any of the songs played tonight and more. Have a good night."
Most of the audience already had their Qphone out began to quickly check to see if the announcement was true. The musicians on the platform were tired, but smiling, as they congratulated one another and collected their equipment. When the audience saw that they couldn't meet the musicians right now, the snapped a few photos and headed back to their hotels. Eventually, everything calmed down as everyone started sleeping or meditating.
The next mourning, the visitors woke up or finished their meditation, checked out of their rooms,and did some last minute shopping. They were cursing as they wish they had the foresight to have brought more money. Taxis were busy as cultivators loaded up on talismans, to go meals (meals in containers that when you activated the runes, the meal would be heated, ready to eat in five seconds. Then the runes would dissipate), accessories, materials, resources, and techniques. A few people went to the cafe trying to get a few more matches in before it was time to go. Business was so good for some stalls and shops that they ended up closing early after selling all their merchandise. As the sun made its way to midday, the disciples made their way to the entrance. Wei Huoran stood there as the elders verified that all members of the group were present. He saw how the disciples looked like they didn't wish to leave and chuckled to himself.
The elder Ya Yu walked over and bowed to Huoran, "I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday and promise that such a thing will never happen again."
Huoran said, "As my master said to me before, 'lessons can be taught at any age'. Do not worry though, once you pass the protection formation, you will no longer be suppressed. Also, if you should return, you will not be suppressed automatically."
Ya Yu looked relieved, "I will pass my experience to others, so that you won't be troubled in the future."
He bowed, turned around, and boarded the flying ship before bowing towards the island.
He looked at the other sects and families that had come and said, "We will still travel together to protect from attacks from the air and sea. I believe our organizations will soon have a summit to discuss safe travel to the island and the upcoming rankings tournament."
All the flying ships rose and the leaders bowed before saying, "Thank you for your hospitality."
The fleet of flying boats sped away and Wei Huoran watched the observation drones on his tablet to see if they ran into any trouble. Once they were out of range, he spoke to everyone there, "Report your numbers to your department and take the rest of the day off. Everyone has worked hard these last five years and it was a success. Soon more people will come and things will be busy again. If there aren't enough people let your ministers know and I'll rectify it. You all did an amazing job and earned a rest day."
With that he returned to his own cave.