Although they didn't intend on confronting the group watching them, neither Shui nor Maha wanted to be bothered while watching the concert. As they shifted through the crowd, Maha changed disguises while Shui silenced his presence. Alicia's guards tried hard to keep track of them, but finding these two experts of concealment in a crowd was like trying to find a specific tree in a forest. Before the guards even realised that they had lost track of them, Maha brought Shui to a side entrance of the venue in her initial appearance. Naturally, the staff blocked her way at first, but they allowed the two passage with polite expressions once Maha showed them a shiny red card.
"I guessed that you would have some connections in this industry, but I didn't expect this. Could it be that you're a former idol?"
"All I'll say is that I was once part of the idol industry. As for what I was doing, you can figure that out for yourself."
Shui could tell that there was a story behind her words, but he held his tongue as they reached the VIP room. The room was about the same quality as one you could get at an auction, with the wall opposite to the door and facing the stage being transparent. Shui wasn't surprised by the décor, but there were a few devices installed in the room that interested him.
Perhaps noticing the way he was looking around, Maha gave him an explanation.
"There are artifacts in this room that work like communication terminals. One set will project a closer image of the stage during the show, while another will relay the sound for an immersive experience."
"Wow. I can't believe each VIP room is this equipped with this many artifacts. The idol industry must be more profitable than I thought."
In actuality, Maha was sure that this lounge was specially made for her sake since this level of luxury was rarely used for VIPs even at major annual concerts. Still, she kept quiet and took a seat facing the stage.
Once Shui took the seat next to her, she asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I've certainly been better, but I'll live."
"I see. I'll be leaving the city soon to sell off my share of the loot. It should be fine for now, but I don't want to risk getting into the eyes of the administration. What about you?"
"I'll probably leave soon too. I'm not sure when yet, but there'll be some urgent business for me to do."
"Hmm. Will you be fine in your current state?"
"That's a good question. I'll just have to find out."
"I see."
Though they were closer thanks to their heist, the two still kept a line between them that ought not to be crossed. The situation with Alicia made Shui more aware about the difficulties of setting boundaries, but this distance between him and Maha felt comfortable.
"Is there anything you want to share with me before the concert starts?"
"No. Since this is your first real concert, it's best for you to watch it without any preconceptions."
"Then, I'll look forward to it."
Thanks to talking with Maha, Shui barely noticed the time go by, but as soon as the lights dimmed, there was a shift in Maha's attitude. As he noticed the intense look in her eyes, he could tell that she was truly focused on the show. With anticipation amidst the pain, Shui also turned towards the scene that played over the wall. As he looked at the tiny figures packed together in the audience, he was impressed by how populated the coliseum was. He didn't know if this was the regular turnout at idol concerts, but he grew impatient to find out if it was really worth the high praise.
After passing over the fans, the scene moved to the stage that was only faintly lit by the moonlight. Shui could clearly see a slender figure wrapped in a silk cloak at the centre of the stage, yet the veil of mystery was left untouched.
The stage was set. The gentle moonlight added a mystical air reminiscent of the legendary immortals. Though the music hadn't begun, the hearts of the fans started beating like drums, anxiously waiting for that first note.
Ting
The crisp and resonating strum of a zither was the signal they had all been waiting for, including the cloaked figure. She took a step in the air in union with the subsequent notes.
Tong, tong, ting
As if there was a floor only she could see, the cloaked woman slid into the sky while the silk slowly unravelled, further drawing attention to her alluring figure. Enamoured by her elegant dance, highlighted by the focused natural light, everyone forgot that she shouldn't be able to fly. Such logical reasoning was unnecessary; even thinking would only subtract from this experience. All they needed were their ears and their eyes.
ting ting ting ting ting
Once she ascended to the point above the stage where everyone had to look up at her, she stood in front of the moon, and the veil covering her face was finally lifted. Not everyone could actually see her face, and yet there was a collective gasp from the audience, as if this was the first time they had ever seen a maiden so fitting to be called a goddess. Even if their lovers were right beside them, no one could escape offering their affection to that image. Her unblemished skin, the graceful curves of her body, those playful yet frightening eyes; they would feel fulfilled just staring at her, but then she parted her lips.
"Snow falls on, barren ground~"
It wasn't particularly loud, but that one line, when uttered by her serene voice, shook the hearts of the audience, and Shui was no exception. Despite his damaged soul, he was resistant to mental attacks of any kind, but the music and dance slipped past his basic defences. Since this was his first concert, he basically had zero resistance to its charm.
With his special vision, he could tell that she was using an artifact to float, but the music was like a hypnotic suggestion that turned his eyes away from the tricks involved. If it wasn't for the pain wracking his body, he might have already entered a trance. Still, he wasn't far from that state.
He had stopped thinking, but he could feel it instinctively. Her voice was like the sound of the natural laws; by listening he could feel the depth of his soul increasing and his spiritual injuries recovering. As if every moment of his existence was drawn out by the song, Shui saw his life flash before his eyes. Without realising, tears spilt over in abundance, and he began to vocalise his insights.
Maha was also enjoying the concert, but unlike Shui, she could properly detach herself from it and treat it like entertainment. Satisfied by the beginning of the opening song, Maha nodded appreciatively and turned to check on Shui's reaction, but he was far more invested than she expected him to be.
'Isn't he enjoying it a little too much?'
It would be one thing if he was stunned speechless; however, for tears to be running down from his eyes meant that the performance was having a powerful effect on him, which was strange for someone of his strength.
'I wonder if it provided an opportunity for enlightenment.'
Music always had the profound ability to influence people, and although musical arts were very rare among cultivators, the emergence of idols brought back the need for such arts. There was still no universally accepted theory, but there were many cases where cultivators attained enlightenment during a musical performance. The cases related to idols were relatively recent, so there was no mention of a dramatic event like someone ascending to Royalty, but there was one in which an old expert near the end of his lifespan broke through to become a Master.
One of the popular theories was that music could weaken or destroy heart demons which block one's cultivation progress, but there wasn't any solid proof. Even so, many major forces had contracts with idol agencies to occasionally hold exclusive concerts, sometimes for the sole sake of trying to prolong the lives of ancient ancestors.
These concerts didn't always bring results, but there was nothing wrong with simply enjoying the music, so most contracts tended to be renewed, and so idol agencies could have an additional source of support. However, this support came with its own set of problems; Maha knew this from experience.