"After three rounds, the wine opens the moonlight,
So drunk that I won't return home until the fifth watch.
You boast of youthful, flawless deeds,
Daring to brag of jade belts, treasure swords, and a fine bay horse..."
The entire song is incredibly vivid, using the perspective of a young hero and a story of getting drunk and plucking flowers with friends, drawing the audience into a magnificent martial arts world.
However, the timeline of the second stanza of lyrics clearly changes. If the beginning was about a young man just entering the martial world, unknown, then the second part is a recollection after traveling the world.
Recalling youthful deeds.
Recalling the exhilaration and grudges from roaming the world with a sword.
"Sleep with the stars, pillow the frost flowers,
A thatched hut is better than an immortal's bed.
My friendships are freely made, north and south,
Carefree, regardless of winter or summer..."
On stage.
Gong Juren held his wine bowl, looking up at the sky.
His voice still carried the signature youthful tone, but his detailed delivery was top-notch, his singing now slightly hoarse, each line like a story.
Beside him, several actors dressed in ancient costumes sat at a table.
They were drinking heartily, discussing with animated expressions.
For this stage performance, Su Yu designed a small plot, not just a simple concert. He presented the song's mood in a very direct way.
At the same time, he brought the audience an incredibly dashing and spirited martial arts world.
"Good! Good! Good! 'A thatched hut is better than an immortal's bed,' a perfect reflection of my imagination of the martial world in my youth!" Huo Xian slapped his thigh, his expression filled with nostalgia for his younger self.
"The lyrics are so dashing, they're giving me goosebumps!"
"Gong Juren's singing is superb, he's so suited for this type of song, it's become his signature!"
"Ting Yu's dizi playing is truly exceptional!"
"I'm just a simple person, not very cultured, but I have to say, it's incredibly good!"
The members of the Martial Arts Association also chimed in.
Practitioners of martial arts were somewhat sensitive to the word "elegance," but this song astonished them.
They rarely paid attention to music before, but now Ting Yu showed them the immense impact good music could have!
"Through winter and summer, my heroic spirit never waned,
Let's sharpen our sword edges and depart from the capital.
I ask all who come, who has a heart like mine,
To embrace the sun, moon, mountains, and seas with a laugh..."
Su Yu stopped playing the dizi. He stood up, looked at Gong Juren, and then slowly walked towards him.
He arrived at the table and sat down. This was likely Su Yu's first time performing on stage, but his acting didn't pull the audience out of the moment. He was like a chance encounter, a passerby sitting at the same table as Gong Juren.
Their eyes met, and they clasped their hands in greeting.
Seeing Su Yu go this far, the audience was once again envious of Gong Juren.
Su Yu was clearly playing a supporting role for Gong Juren.
In the entire Chinese music scene, who else had received such treatment?
"Only stating my name, no reply,
Turning to entrust my life to the clouds.
No need for heroic titles,
Two old stories will suffice for the price of wine..."
Still using heroic titles and old stories to pay for wine.
But this stanza differs from the first.
In the young hero phase, with a hint of pride, he dared to call himself capable, but no one knew him, hence "no heroic titles," lacking confidence. Therefore, he "weighed things a little."
But in this stanza, "weighed things a little" was changed to "two," directly reflecting that the protagonist had now become a great hero. In his youth, he had to weigh things carefully, but now his legend spread throughout the martial world. All he needed was to tell two of his stories to pay for a bowl of wine.
The difference was immense, even though they were drinking at an inn.
Now, he was free-spirited and confident, no need for heroic titles, just two stories to pay for wine. He finally understood what a true hero was, and what the spirit of chivalry meant.
"I once plucked flowers in Jiangnan, facing spring breezes and red candles,
My passion always like my romantic love for the world..."
The chorus.
Gong Juren had already stood up from his seat.
He poured all his emotions into performing this song.
Bringing out the dashing spirit and exhilarating grudges to the fullest.
The people in the tavern continued to drink heartily. Su Yu leaned against the table, watching Gong Juren sing, his eyes filled with pride.
"Xiao Gong's singing has improved so rapidly. He's definitely a contender for the Music Awards Best Male Singer nomination."
Among the singers, Zhang Wei had the best vocal technique, being a champion of a talent show.
And now, Gong Juren's growth, in this style that Zhang Wei was adept at, was such that even Zhang Wei couldn't sing it with such feeling.
Moreover, Gong Juren had already established his own unique style in the hearts of his fans.
Winning a Best Male Singer award at the Music Awards was entirely possible.
"In this world, even life and death are mere trifles,
Let's exchange them for a hearty drink, to live up to our unparalleled freedom,
My romantic spirit never ages, strumming the zither, singing of the years,
Let me roam free, a madman, not a hero..."
As the song reached its climax, the final line appeared.
The audience finally understood.
At the beginning of the program, the host asked Ting Yu what kind of hero he wanted to be if he returned to ancient times. Ting Yu's answer was that he wanted to be a madman.
This song was filled with verses about heroism, but at the end, it emphasized, "only a madman, not a hero..."
As Jiangnan had said in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," the greatest hero serves the country and its people.
Guo Jing could be called a great hero, but Huang Yaoshi was not quite a hero; he was a madman.
The mentality of a madman was completely different from that of a hero. In a madman's eyes, victory and defeat were mere conversations; he didn't care about the outcome. Someone who had just fought could sit down and drink with him, that kind of dash and freedom was something a hero lacked.
With a romantic flair, even when facing绝境 (desperate situations), he would strum his sword and laugh at the heavens, ride through the wind, seeking the meaning of life amidst the clash of swords and the clinking of wine glasses.
A madman didn't care about his reputation or what others thought of him.
He came and went freely, lived by his own rules, and didn't let fame burden him, unlike a hero!
...
The performance concluded.
Gong Juren and Su Yu walked to the center of the stage, bowing slightly to the audience and the cameras.
Then the host came on stage, standing beside Gong Juren and Su Yu.
"A brilliant performance, a very beautiful ancient-style song. Teacher Ting Yu's dizi playing has once again opened our eyes, and Gong Juren's singing made me feel the real martial world. Your collaboration was simply perfect!"
The host exclaimed.
The combination of Ting Yu and Gong Juren was definitely synonymous with song quality and stage performance.
He knew Gong Juren very well; every song was incredibly fitting, and every performance was exceptionally stunning!
"This song taught me what heroism truly is!"
"This song is so dashing, it's exactly the martial arts world I dreamed of!"
"The chorus is very good and memorable."
"I liked the line even more: 'No need for heroic titles, two old stories will suffice for the price of wine.'"
"Innkeeper: Esteemed guest, you've said so much but brought no money..."
"Haha, brother, you see it very clearly."
"Regardless, this is a martial world to aspire to. I'm already looking forward to Old Man Jiangnan's new drama!"
"Is Jiangnan's drama this time not about a hero, but about a madman?"
Everyone knew that while this episode showcased traditional martial arts culture, its fundamental purpose was to promote Jiangnan's new drama, "The Return of the Condor Heroes."
And Ting Yu's participation in the show with a song about a madman suggested that the protagonist of the new drama was very likely to be a madman!