Legend of the Music World

Hangzhou, near West Lake.

At night, bright moonlight shone over the enormous Stadium. It held tens of thousands, and waves of sound rose from it, mingled with the fans' frenzied cheers and screams.

"One last song, Near Summer! I hope you all have a wonderful summer!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a gentle breeze and a melody filled the stadium. The fans screamed the moment the music began, waving their glow sticks to the beat.

"Sparrows outside the window chatter on the power lines

You say that line feels just like summer

The pencil in my hand moves back and forth across the page

In a few lines, I try to describe what you are to me

The taste of saury intrigues both you and the cat

Together we rediscover the scent of first love

The warm sunlight is like a freshly picked, bright red strawberry

You say you can't bear to eat a feeling like this

Rain falls all night, and my love overflows like the rain

Fallen leaves fill the yard, piled thick as my longing

A few careless words can't cool my passion

You appear on every page of my poetry

Rain falls all night, and my love overflows like the rain

A butterfly at the window flutters like a beautiful passage in a poem

I keep writing, putting 'I'll love you forever' at the poem's end

You're the only one I want to know."

The music and singing echoed through the Stadium as glow sticks swayed in every hand.

Swept up in the music, the crowd began singing along. Their voices grew louder until, almost without realizing it, they had formed one vast chorus.

"Rain falls all night, and my love overflows like the rain

Fallen leaves fill the yard, piled thick as my longing

A few careless words can't cool my passion

You appear on every page of my poetry

The full ears of rice bring happiness to this season

And your cheeks are like ripe tomatoes in the fields

You suddenly tell me 'Seven-Mile Fragrance' is a beautiful name

But right now, all I want is to kiss your stubborn lips

Rain falls all night, and my love overflows like the rain

Fallen leaves fill the yard, piled thick as my longing

A few careless words can't cool my passion

You appear on every page of my poetry

All night, my love overflows like the rain

A butterfly at the window flutters like a beautiful passage in a poem

I keep writing, putting 'I'll love you forever' at the poem's end

You're the only one I want to know."

When the song ended, the star onstage took a deep breath and calmed the emotions stirring inside him.

"Xie Emperor! Xie Emperor!"

The fans chanted in unison, lending their voices to their idol.

Surrounded by fervent cries and dazzling lights, Mo Xie remained unruffled. He bowed to the fans, then strolled offstage.

Mo Xie entered the backstage dressing room, removed his lavish accessories, and sat on the sofa with his eyes closed to rest.

"Sigh. It's been fifteen years since I came to this world. Time really flies!"

After dozing for a while, Mo Xie stretched and sighed.

Over the past three years, much had changed. The boy who had once looked a little immature had grown into a young man.

"Zero."

[Master, I'm here.]

A gentle, mature woman's voice sounded in Mo Xie's mind, without a trace of synthetic speech.

"Book me a train ticket back to Bo City."

[Understood.]

Zero's arrival three years earlier had disrupted Mo Xie's peaceful life. She was like the "systems" or "cheats" that so often appeared in novels. He had never imagined he would one day possess something so extraordinary.

Zero had a mind of her own and helped Mo Xie with many things in daily life. He sometimes worried she would make him helpless.

Mo Xie tapped the air, and a sleek, futuristic electronic panel appeared before him.

[Host]: Mo Xie

[Talents]: Naturally Born Three Elements (three elements awakened at Advanced Level One), Super Intuition, Peerless Beauty, God-Tier Musical Talent

[Elements]: Lightning Element (Basic Level One), Fire Element (Basic Level One), Ice Element (Basic Level One)

[Skills]: One-Tomoe Sharingan, Basic Swordsmanship

[Spatial Inventory]: Qilin Pendant (Mortal Grade), Mana-Congealing Necklace, Tang Dao, Spatial Ring (5 × 5 × 5 cubic meters)

The system panel—or rather, his personal panel—recorded Mo Xie's information.

About half a year earlier, Mo Xie had awakened on his own, unlocking three elements at once.

In fact, his personal panel had only fully unlocked after that awakening. Before then, Zero could only help him with daily life.

The One-Tomoe Sharingan had come with Zero. According to her, it was part of his beginner's gift pack.

Of course Mo Xie had watched Naruto, but why give him only one Tomoe? Would it have killed them to give him the Mangekyo Sharingan?!

Zero said he had to improve the Sharingan himself. But when Mo Xie thought about how that worked, he decided against it. He had no desire to go through that kind of pain.

The Qilin Pendant, also part of the beginner's gift pack, pleased Mo Xie much more. It was exactly what he needed most.

Though it was only Mortal Grade for now, it could grow stronger.

Besides, this was a qilin! A qilin that stood above the Four Sacred Beasts and every other Totem!

While Mo Xie was still lost in pleasant fantasies, sensational stories flooded the internet, filling almost the entire top ten trending searches.

"A rising star appeared in the music world three years ago. Now he's become the king of singers—no, a god of song!"

"The god of song, 'Evil Emperor,' holds a concert in Hangzhou. Hangzhou has been packed with visitors for three days."

"Some say gods can stumble and fall, but the Evil Emperor will always be a god in our hearts!"

"The Evil Emperor has reached heights beyond our imagination. He'll dominate the music world for years to come."

"Wow! The Evil Emperor is so handsome! He sings beautifully and he's talented too. He's literally the man of my dreams!"

"My idol is amazing! Of course he is. I'm his one true fan!"

"Damn it, I couldn't get a ticket. I had to stand outside and listen."

"To the person above: I live right above the Concert venue. No ticket needed—I can hear it live from home."

The internet buzzed with discussion, and the comments came in every variety. Almost all of them were about Mo Xie's Concert.

Mo Xie had carefully considered his decision to become a singer.

Unlike in his previous life, arts and entertainment were poorly developed in this world, where magic was the focus.

The system had granted Mo Xie God-Tier Musical Talent, and the popular songs he had heard in his previous life were stored in his Memory Palace. Becoming a singer was the natural choice.

Mo Xie's career had gone remarkably smoothly. Every song he released caused a sensation nationwide, even worldwide. He had debuted at the top.

The money Mo Xie had earned over three years rivaled the wealth of a mid-tier clan. That alone showed how immense his influence had become.

Really, this world's underdeveloped entertainment industry had given Mo Xie an opening. Otherwise, he could never have reached such heights.

So Mo Xie had not let it go to his head. Even with resources that could rival a powerful clan's, he lacked the strength to match them. Without that, it was all an empty shell.

Mo Xie had always believed he was merely standing on the shoulders of giants. There was nothing about that worth praising.

As for the stage name "Evil Emperor," Zero had chosen it on her own.

Mo Xie had planned to pick an ordinary stage name, but Zero secretly changed it. When he confronted her, she refused to budge.

Eventually, Mo Xie gave up. It was just a somewhat over-the-top name. What truly puzzled him was her attitude.

The new book is underway! Please support it with recommendations, bookmarks, and continued reading!

There's a hint at the end. Did you catch it?