After both of them finished performing, the judges gave their scores.
Crybaby: 1530
Flower Fairy: 870
The judges were professionals, so their votes were naturally cast from a professional perspective.
The Flower Fairy, perhaps due to nervousness or unfamiliarity, did not impress the judges with her performance of this song.
Compared to Crybaby's "Lone Warrior," it was significantly inferior.
"Flower Fairy, isn't your singer's label 'Sweet Song Empress'?" Han Qi asked with a smile.
It was impossible to misidentify Zhao Xiaowan given her figure.
"No, I wasn't singing a sweet song..."
The Flower Fairy's answer was clearly unconvincing.
It also drew laughter from the audience.
The Flower Fairy lost and had to go to a revival round with the previous Balloon Queen and Mr. Hat.
Only the winner could remain on the stage.
The remaining two would be eliminated.
Compared to the lively Flower Fairy, Crybaby was much more aloof. This male singer seemed to be a man of few words, only offering a few responses to Mo Yan and others, but completely ignoring Yin Na, giving her no face at all.
Therefore, many speculated that this person was either more senior in the music industry than Yin Na, or that they had some past grievances.
In response, Yin Na was so angry she almost swore.
However, without knowing Crybaby's identity, she didn't dare to show too much, and could only sulk.
One episode of "Masked Singer" was enough to make Yin Na almost quit.
However, she also knew the show's quality and influence.
She restrained herself considerably; on any other show, she would have already declared her withdrawal.
Knowing that "Masked Singer" had official backing, she wasn't foolish enough to cause trouble.
...
According to the rules of "Masked Singer," the three singers who won the second round would sing in order.
The singer who achieved first place would be the "Singer King" for the first episode.
The remaining two would be ranked according to their votes.
The winners' group would all advance to the next episode.
Then, the losing group would compete for a first-place spot, and join the three winners in advancing to the next episode.
Two new replacement singers would arrive in the next episode.
This would continue until the finals, where a overall champion would be crowned.
"Next, please welcome the Faceless Knight for his performance!"
The Faceless Knight's singing was impeccable, and he could imitate Ting Yu's pronunciation.
This created much confusion for the judges and the audience.
Was this person truly Ting Yu?
Everyone had different answers in their minds.
"Rain pattering under the eaves, a figure stands by the stove.
A little nectar from a hundred flowers, swallowed alone with bitter drops..."
This time, the Faceless Knight did not use Ting Yu's pronunciation again.
Instead, he adopted a very gentle and melancholic singing style.
This song, "Ballad of an Old Friend," was one of Mo Yan's early ancient-style works.
It had been covered by many legendary singers.
The Faceless Knight's rendition, with his own interpretation, seemed to breathe new life into the old song.
"This kid almost tricked me!" Mo Yan's brow twitched.
He felt as if the eyes beneath the mask were also looking at him.
In fact, while he had calmly stated that the Faceless Knight was not Ting Yu, his heart was not at peace, and he even suspected that Ting Yu was deliberately using his own pronunciation to mislead him.
After all, what was ambiguously similar, with many possible explanations, was the most difficult to guess.
But now that the Faceless Knight sang his old song, he finally had a definitive answer.
A confident smile appeared on his face.
"Teacher Mo Yan, did you figure out the Faceless Knight's identity?" Liu Huan quickly asked.
"I can't be sure yet," Mo Yan shook his head subtly.
"When he used Ting Yu's pronunciation before, I found the voice somewhat familiar. Now that he's singing this ancient-style song, I'm even more certain I've heard this voice before, but he deliberately changed his timbre. I need to think carefully about it when I get back!" Han Qi added.
Yin Na, still sulking, didn't try to interject this time.
"Next, please welcome Dark Night Rabbit to the stage!"
After the host finished speaking.
Su Yu, who had been waiting for a long time, walked towards the passage.
This show had more contestants than the city qualifiers, and there were long waiting times that made him bored.
He had considered playing some games to pass the time. Su Yu didn't like monster-slaying leveling games; he preferred competitive games. However, besides MOBAs, there were no other enjoyable competitive genres.
He played a couple of rounds, getting MVP as a marksman twice. Seeing that it was almost time, he contentedly quit the game.
At that moment, he suddenly thought of A Bin.
Their martial arts game was about to begin testing, and they would develop new games afterward.
When Xiao Gong sang "Bright Moon Over the Horizon" this time, he would have a good talk with them and see if they could develop PUBG, or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
The mobile game market was much larger than the PC game market now, so it was best for them to develop the mobile version first.
"Teacher Ting Yu, if you win the 'Singer King' title, there will be an interview segment."
"Alright, wait for me in the lounge. I'll come find you after I finish recording."
"Then I'll go buy you a cup of milk tea. By the way, do you still drink matcha-flavored milk tea?"
"Yes, half sugar is fine."
He used to like sweet drinks because of low blood sugar, but now that he didn't, Su Yu's taste was gradually becoming milder.
From backstage to the stage.
"He's clearly a powerful demon king, yet he's dressed in a cute bunny outfit..."
"I wonder what song Dark Night Rabbit will bring this time. Actually, Yin Na was right about one thing; in a competitive stage, a song like 'The Ordinary Road' is at a disadvantage."
"Heh, I think you've watched too many entertainment competitions and think that competitions require belting out high notes. The judges and guessing panel this time are absolutely professional and will score based on all aspects of skill."
"Regardless, high notes do have an advantage in competitions."
"Alright, ordinary people do think that as long as one can sing high notes, it's a sign of good vocal ability..."
The audience consisted of ordinary people, and their perceptions were simple: the higher the singing, the more impressive.
They didn't understand the importance of breath control, resonance, or vocal closure, which were equally crucial.
This was why, in most singing competitions in China, contestants often chose songs with high notes. Even if it sounded like howling, as long as they hit the notes, the audience would think it was amazing.
And singers who used a gentle, heartwarming style, despite their excellent singing, often didn't achieve high rankings.
Speaking of which, it was due to the lack of professionalism from the judges.
The judges on "Masked Singer" were considered among the most professional in the Chinese music scene.
This was also why, in the first episode, most contestants chose emotionally rich songs and did not deliberately aim for high notes.
"What do you think Dark Night Rabbit's song will be this time?" Han Qi asked with interest.
"I guess he'll continue his style and sing this type of song," Liu Huan said confidently.
He believed Dark Night Rabbit's voice was born for this genre.
"My thoughts differ from Teacher Liu Huan's. I guess he'll change his style," Mo Yan smiled and shook his head, his eyes filled with anticipation.
"His style won't get him far," Yin Na muttered from the side.
She sneered inwardly.
Having been a judge on many shows, she had seen many singers with styles like Dark Night Rabbit's, and none of them had gone very far. His previous win was solely due to Ting Yu. If he chose this style again for his second song, the guessing panel would surely grow tired of it.
While the audience and judges were debating about Dark Night Rabbit, the stage was already prepared.
As the prelude, which was both melodious and alluring, began to play.
The audience's chatter instantly ceased.
"She is, a gentle streak of sunset..."
After the first line was sung, everyone was once again stunned!
Yin Na, who had just spoken, was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped!
Even Mo Yan, who had always been calm and composed, now stared with wide eyes at Dark Night Rabbit on stage in astonishment!
...