She had just landed on the stage when she froze.
"How did you—" She looked at Fang Yuan beside her, completely stunned.
Fang Yuan cut her off: "As your companion, I naturally have every right to take the stage and accompany your performance."
"Get down quickly—" Xie Hanmo said hurriedly, a rare trace of anxiety showing between her brows.
"Do you really want to sing the same song again? Even if it performs better than Dong Lei's, the rules won't count it. Trust me, I have a song that can compete." Fang Yuan interrupted her once more, transmitting via sound transmission.
Xie Hanmo wavered.
Songs could not be swapped out at random — they had to be coordinated with Gu insects, and required extensive rehearsal in advance.
Changing the song typically meant altering the Gu insect arrangements to match.
In this unexpected situation, Xie Hanmo could no longer modify her Gu insects. This meant the replacement song had to be extremely similar in meter and melody to the original.
If given a hundred days or so to compose, it might be possible. But with such a rushed timeline, the likelihood was practically zero.
"The song obviously can't be a perfect match. But don't forget, when we composed the songs, I was involved the whole time. I happen to have a very similar song on hand — but you'll need to stay sharp and pay attention to how my song coordinates with the Gu insects." Fang Yuan continued via sound transmission. "Here are the melody and the lyrics."
Xie Hanmo blinked, then finally gave a slight nod: "Fine."
Fang Yuan took a deep breath: "Then let's begin."
Xie Hanmo also drew a deep breath and gently closed her eyes. This was her customary gesture before she began to sing.
The crowd gradually fell silent.
The silence stretched on…
And on…
"Why isn't she singing yet?" Slowly, people began to wonder.
"Hahahaha, how are they going to sing? They can't possibly sing!" Cold Tide Patriarch laughed loudly, his entire face flushed red.
"Um, excuse me, could anyone lend me a Zither Gu?" Fang Yuan broke the silence.
The entire audience: "…"
You're the accompanist! At such an important occasion as the Sea God Sacrifice, you didn't even prepare a Zither Gu?
Is it really okay to be this casual?
"I just need a Third Transformation Zither Gu, if anyone could lend me one." Fang Yuan continued, looking toward the direction of the Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder had already grasped that something unexpected had happened on Xie Hanmo's side, and she had her own guesses. She immediately ordered someone to deliver a Zither Gu.
Having received the Zither Gu, Fang Yuan spoke again: "This is a matter of great importance. Please allow me to refine this Gu right here and now."
The entire audience: "…"
What do you mean? At the final hour of the Sea God Sacrifice, you want to refine a Gu?
Have you lost your mind?
What is a lone human Gu Master thinking? Are you playing us for fools?
The merfolk crowd's mood turned distinctly unpleasant.
Cold Tide Patriarch quickly signaled his subordinates, and immediately a voice rang out: "You're just stalling for time!"
The crowd was about to erupt when Fang Yuan shouted: "Then tell me — is there anything in the rules of the Sea God Sacrifice that says I cannot refine a Gu on the spot? I'm refining this Gu solely to assist the singing. Once it's ready, we'll begin immediately."
The Grand Elder promptly spoke as well: "Indeed, there is no explicit rule against it. I approve. Refine your Gu quickly, and then we can start. What does everyone else think?"
The other elders exchanged glances. Some wanted to speak up, while others remained silent.
Cold Tide Patriarch's subordinate called out again: "The Sea God Sacrifice is such a momentous occasion, and you expect all of us merfolk to just wait while you refine a Gu?"
Fang Yuan immediately shot back: "I am refining this Gu precisely for the Sea God Sacrifice. Since it is such an important occasion, what's the harm in waiting a moment? Anyone who doesn't want to wait, anyone who lacks patience, can step forward! Or simply leave!"
This time, no one dared to retort.
"What a silver tongue! The next time this human Gu Master falls into my hands, I'll smash every one of his teeth and rip out his tongue," Cold Tide Patriarch sneered.
A colossal shell hovered above the sea surface, merfolk warriors struggling to hold its underside in place.
Countless merfolk were either floating on the surface or submerged with only their heads visible. An ocean of eyes converged on Fang Yuan, watching him refine the Zither Gu.
Xie Hanmo, by contrast, was left in the cold.
She stood beside Fang Yuan, her mood utterly strange. She had participated in a Sea God Sacrifice before and become a Saintess. She had watched several more besides — yet she had never encountered anything like what was unfolding now.
Fang Yuan refined the Gu at extraordinary speed. This was because the Zither Gu's previous owner cooperated willingly.
With the Zither Gu in hand, Fang Yuan rose to his feet and positioned himself slightly behind Xie Hanmo, brimming with confidence: "There. Now we can truly begin."