The stage lights went out, and the melody began.
First came a sound effect like wind, followed by a piano gradually joining in, its lilting notes evoking the mystery of the Middle Ages.
Cui Heng began singing, rapidly humming in a foreign language in his low register, like a pontiff offering prayers or a mage chanting hymns.
The drums kicked in, weaving together with the crisp piano notes before breaking apart, like two people locked in a duel.
[Holy shit!!!!!]
[Did anyone notice the Chinese lyrics? Holy shit, I'm laughing myself into next week. What kind of edgy fantasy bullshit is this!]
[The arrangement is amazing. It sounds so sophisticated. Paired with the lyrics, it feels like I've just taken a shit in the Louvre.]
[Close your eyes: sophisticated music. Open them: a pile of shit.]
[Opened the livestream and stepped straight into a Roman gladiatorial arena.]
As the song reached its climax, Cui Heng began belting high notes, climbing all the way to high C. The French lyrics complemented the melody perfectly, as though vividly depicting blades clashing and bodies battling on a medieval battlefield.
Once the instrumental break began, the style changed abruptly, adding electronic music and suddenly taking on a video-game feel.
Then Cui Heng began singing the Chinese lyrics.
"The emperor's scepter points toward the future. The demon king's wrath sets the heavens ablaze. The hero stands upon the battlefield like a god. The gleam of the sword in his hand cleaves the endless night."
Though the melody had not changed much from before, the Chinese lyrics and occasional electronic sounds seemed to transport everyone from the Middle Ages into a game's version of the Middle Ages.
[Hi, everyone. I don't know why either, but I was just using the toilet in the Louvre, and when