Shi Qingxuan's Dragrace

17. The deities show some dance moves!

The lights inside the temple dimmed, the scentless smoke got denser, and slowly a scenery of dream was appearing on the main stage. It was of course a first-class illusion devised by the light and effects director, He Xuan. Above, white and golden buildings, flowers, bathed in pure spiritual light; below at the left, glamorous crimson red buildings with countless ghost green lanterns; below at the right, wavy bluish purple, dark and mysterious like the deep ship sinking sea.

At the sound of a hundred drums, the deities flowed in from the main stage entrance, light on their feet and graceful, dressed in giant golden sequins, intricate hair accessories and carrying big exaggerated fans instead of swords or zambatos; they pirouetted deftly to the left and to the right, alternatingly. The order of entrance was: Xie Lian, Pei Su, Ke Mo, Quan Yzhen, He Xuan, Ling Wen, Ming Guang, Lang Qianqiu, and Feng Xin, who, sadly, was places next to the last one, Mu Qing.

Xie Lian and Mu Qing sorted the order as to alternate the good, alright and bad contestants, naturally leaving the less talented to perform somewhat on the background. This wasn't part of the contest so nobody could complain, and they wouldn't anyway; being put on the background was the choreography directors being merciful and not losing face.

This was a modified martial art choreography after all, so they pirouetted and circled in pairs, waving their fans at each other, spiritual power seeping from each one and making their movements light as feathers, their somewhat chunky bodies spiralling through the air.

The audience didn't blink, stupefied; some with their mouths wide open and breathless, some screaming hysterically of pure pleasure. Hua Cheng couldn't believe his eye, how beautiful Gege looked, agile and skilful, flying, flipping and moving with precision; his body of gold dressed in gold, however with voluptuous feminine forms. He couldn't help thinking of the first time he ever saw Xie Lian, on that Shangyan Festival, more than 800 years ago.

Crossing the stage with great somersaults, Xie Lian, Mu Qing, Ming Guang and Quan Yzhen finished the dance routine, with all the contestants making divine statues stances at the main stage, staying still, their golden outfits shimmering as the drums stopped. Spiritual energy and pure excitement dissipated from the group as one, while the audience and judges blinked a few times to recover.

Everybody went crazy in the temple, cheering and applauding insanely noisily; they had never seen anything like it and were beyond themselves in hysterics. Shi Qingxuan walked in, thanking the applause on the deities' behalf, and announced on the spiritual broadcasting array,

"Esteemed Lords and Ladies, this is just the introduction for our night of glamorous and fabulous entertainment. Rich, gold, spiritual energy bursting and burning like the sun, making us all live for it and long for eternity in this very moment."

The audience applauded this somewhat nonsensical speech; they were getting to know Shi Qingxuan by now, and what they have just witnessed was so amazing, no one was really thinking clearly.

"Now Lords and Ladies. Our queens are going to get changed, and show us their best looks yet, most flamboyant, exquisite, legendary presentations. In the meantime we're having some light entertainment, please be patient! It will be worth it..." Shi Qingxuan said teasingly.

The queens, in synchronised harmony, stoop up, and in a perfect line along the stage, bowed low gracefully, and left the stage one by one following the inverse order of their entrance; the main stage, devoid of such extraordinary beings, suddenly dark and empty.

Glamorous and gorgeous gods & ghosts. 😀

Thank you for reading!