The hall erupted in mocking voices. Some even stood up and shouted, “Get down! What are you doing up there?”
One voice was followed by another, and soon, a wave of jeers flooded the venue. People were standing and yelling at Kayden to step off the stage. Yet, Kayden stood firm. Unmoved and calm, he seemed untouched by the commotion, as though none of it concerned him.
Watching this unfold, Nick couldn’t hold back his frustration. “These idiots! Are they blind?” he exclaimed angrily.
Christina, equally indignant, added, “Why don’t we just have Master Kayden step down? These people don’t deserve to hear this melody. They’re all just Luther’s lapdogs. Can’t everyone see that?”
“Exactly! Grandpa, let’s have Master step down. This stage isn’t worthy of him,” Christina urged.
As the two grew increasingly agitated, Diomidis Stevens spoke calmly, “This is exactly the effect Mr. Scott desires.”
Hearing this, both Christina and Nick froze for a moment. Christina asked, “Master, why would you say that?”
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Diomidis Stevens chuckled softly. “Mr. Scott wants to silence them with music-he wants to strike at their very souls. Earlier, when Luther took the stage, he was introduced with great fanfare. Gabriel elevated his status to that of a near-legend. So, when the audience listened to his performance, their hearts were filled with anticipation. Under such expectations, the music inevitably sounded ten times more beautiful than it might have otherwise.”
“But when I took the stage, the audience was skeptical. They didn’t believe a bamboo flute could produce anything remarkable. Holding onto that doubt, if I managed to captivate them, it would only prove the power of my Celestial Harp.”
“And now, Mr. Scott is on stage, facing outright hostility. Almost everyone here believes he’s incapable of playing anything worthwhile-they’re even shouting for him to get off the stage. This is the most difficult audience to win over. Their resistance is already deeply rooted, and unless he plays something truly extraordinary, he won’t be able to conquer their ears or their hearts.”
“However, if Mr. Scott does manage to captivate them, it will prove that his skill surpasses Luther’s by miles.”
Hearing Diomidis Stevens’ reasoning, Christina and Nick exchanged skeptical glances but nodded hesitantly. Nick then asked, “Mr. Stevens, do you think Master can win over these people who are so against him?”
Diomidis Stevens shook his head. “I don’t know. But I believe in Mr. Scott.”
As the jeers and taunts continued to echo, Georgia felt her chest tighten. Her gaze was locked on Kayden, unable to comprehend why he had chosen to step onto the stage. Was it jealousy?
Whether it was or wasn’t, she realized it no longer mattered to her.
“Georgia, does your husband even know music? Isn’t he supposed to be an idiot?” Cyan sneered as he turned to Georgia after joining in the shouts for Kayden to step down.
Georgia shook her head slightly and replied, “I don’t know. Probably not.”
In her memory, Kayden had never even hummed a tune. How could he possibly know music?
Cyan laughed loudly. “I bet he’s just setting himself up for humiliation. He’s obviously jealous of Mr. Falcon. Mr. Falcon is brimming with talent, practically overflowing with musical genius. And now, using this as an excuse, he’s trying to win you back by embarrassing Mr. Falcon.”
“That idiot must have lost his mind!”
Georgia pursed her lips and said nothing. She simply continued to watch Kayden silently.
She didn’t know if Kayden was acting out of jealousy, but she didn’t want to see him like this. Even after everything he had done to betray her, she would have preferred for him to simply leave quietly.
Luther laughed heartily, raising his hand to calm the crowd. “Alright, everyone, let’s settle down!”
The audience gradually fell silent as Luther’s voice resonated through the hall.
“Mr. Bright,” Luther said, turning to Gabriel, “he says he wants to perform a piece. What do you think?”
Gabriel hesitated for a moment before replying, “Technically, that’s not allowed. But I’ll leave it to you, Mr. Falcon.”
Luther nodded slightly and addressed the crowd. “I’m sure many of you already know who this man is. We won’t go into specifics. His reason for being on stage is simple-he’s jealous of my musical talent. Since he wants to redeem traditional instruments, let’s give him a chance. Young people, after all, should be allowed to express themselves. Would anyone object?”
Luther’s words crafted an air of superiority. He positioned himself as a veteran in the field of music, towering above everyone else, while Kayden became nothing more than a humble and insignificant junior.
Though some murmurs of discontent remained, no one stood up to voice them.
Seeing this, Luther turned to Kayden and said, “Alright, go ahead. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Kayden said nothing. He simply raised the bamboo flute to his lips and began to play.
As the first notes sounded, the audience burst into laughter again. Some even shouted for him to stop and get off the stage.
But Kayden ignored them completely. He seemed to have entered another world, one where only the music existed. The melody began to flow, filling the vast hall with its sound.
The mocking expressions on the faces of those who had resisted him began to change. What was this melody? How could it sound so beautiful?
Was this really coming from a bamboo flute?
The audience could hardly believe their ears. But no matter how hard they tried to resist, they couldn’t stop themselves from being drawn into the music.
The melody was enchanting, delicate yet powerful. It touched their hearts in ways they couldn’t understand. Even more astonishing, it surpassed the performance given earlier by Diomidis Stevens.
How could such a breathtaking sound exist in the world? The music was overwhelming, silencing the hall completely. All scorn and resistance vanished as if swept away by the notes.
As the melody cleansed their souls, vivid images began to form in their minds. Scenes from their lives, unresolved emotions, and buried regrets surfaced. Tears streamed down the faces of many in the audience, uncontrollable and unstoppable.
Even the most arrogant and entitled among them found themselves immersed in the music. Though they didn’t want to admit it, the moment they heard the melody, they were captivated.
The performance of Celestial Harp had just begun.
Listening to the piece, everyone in the hall finally understood what true heavenly music was.
Indeed, this bamboo flute composition had already eclipsed everything that had come before it.
Even Luther’s piano piece now seemed utterly insignificant.