When Li Baiyan and the others finished their dance and returned to the courtyard to rest, they found Li Chen holding a white radiance in his hands, delight written across his face.
Xiao Chun could not help chiding him. "Peak Master Li, you weren't watching our singing and dancing at all! And we put so much effort into it."
Li Chen said, "I suddenly gained an insight and failed to pay attention for a while. Please forgive me, ladies."
Li Baiyan asked, "What insight did you gain?"
Li Chen smiled without answering, then suddenly said to them, "Your singing and dancing inspired me. I ought to repay peaches with plums. Please enjoy a Puppet Master's Song of mine in return."
Puppet Master's Song was a theatrical tradition unique to Puppet Master circles, roughly equivalent in standing to Peking opera or Sichuan opera in ancient times. The Puppet Masters of this world held it in considerable esteem.
Moreover, Puppet Master's Song was, in essence, the String-Puppet Theater of the Primeval Mechanism-Performance Art. Its origins were tied to the Secret Arts Puppet Masters used to defeat their enemies in battle. Most accomplished Puppet Masters could perform a few routines, giving it a broad popular foundation.
In this world, nothing in the Art Dao flourished more than this. Puppet Master's Song, singing, and dancing ranked even above the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Of course, among the Outer Dao cultivators of the Other Continent, the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting took precedence. They did not appreciate Puppet Master's Song.
"Yes, yes!" The pink-clad girls all clapped eagerly.
Li Baiyan smiled faintly. "Very well. We haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing your Puppet Master's Song, Peak Master Li."
Li Chen said, "Let me explain beforehand: this piece is called 'Zhuo Wudan Bids Farewell