Chapter 0004: Lion Dance

The warships lined up, and the black flag of the Black Flag Army fluttered in the wind. On the main ship of the Black Flag Navy, Ye Xuan followed Huang Feihong to the elevated platform of the ship, where he saw a thin middle-aged man wearing an official hat and dressed in Qing Dynasty official attire, sitting in the center with a paper fan in hand and a golden knife at his side.

Ah! -

Ye Xuan followed closely behind Huang Feihong, bending his body and arching his back. One hand supported the lion's body while the other grasped the rope. His face was flushed, breathing heavily like an ox, and his clothes were already soaked with sweat, making him look quite disheveled

"Hahaha, it is not too late, not too late. Feihong, your presence here to send off this old man brings me great comfort. Come, please!" Although Liu Yongfu held the esteemed position of a general, he was not one to be constrained by trivialities, laughing heartily as he gestured towards a grand armchair beside him.

On the main ship, the sound of gongs and drums resounded, as two lion dancers performed with a red lion. They exhibited various postures such as rising, maintaining form, springing forth, hesitating to advance, scratching, welcoming treasures, bowing, leaping in surprise, scrutinizing, dozing, emerging from the den, displaying power, ascending the platform, and so on, creating a lively atmosphere on the ship.

Ye Xuan's gaze was resolute as he nodded heavily. He then stepped forward steadily, gripping the lion's body, and began to dance along with Huang Feihong.

In the first year of the Guangxu era, the Qing government signed unequal treaties with foreign powers, allowing foreigners to claim land and rule in China, and Foshan was no exception. Liu Yongfu, originally a leader of the Tiandihui in Guangxi and a righteous warrior against the Qing, later accepted the Qing court's amnesty. Although the Black Flag Army, led by Liu Yongfu, was stationed in Guangdong, it could not change the status quo, but it maintained a semblance of peace and tranquility. However, not long ago, Liu Yongfu unexpectedly received an imperial edict from the court, ordering him to lead the Black Flag Army to Annam to engage in battle with the French.

Knock knock knock!!! Clang clang clang!!!

"It's nothing, Master!" Indeed, I was a bit tired just now. Ye Xuan lay on the deck of the boat, a faint smile of relaxation appearing on his face

However, despite appearing disheveled, Ye Xuan closely followed behind Huang Feihong. At this moment, the months of practicing the horse stance finally showed results. Although the rope was only as thick as a thumb, Ye Xuan could feel the point of force and steadily stepped on it.

What is going on? Why was there suddenly a call for assistance for the lion dance? Is something about to happen? Looking at the lion dancers who were already at the final stage preparing to pluck the greens, Ye Xuan suddenly had a foreboding feeling.

Thank you very much, my lord! Huang Feihong cupped his hands in salute, walked over to the chair, and sat down, while Ye Xuan stood still behind Huang Feihong

Ding! System Task: Assist Huang Feihong in completing the lion dance and green picking (Successful completion rewards 1,000 cultivation points, failure deducts 500 cultivation points)

Just now, Ye Xuan, who had just received a task from the system and was aware of the possible anomalies, clearly saw a warship flying the British flag not far away. Several British soldiers were aiming their long guns and shooting in this direction, mistaking the sound of firecrackers for gunfire

"No problem, Master!" Despite his face being covered in beads of sweat, Ye Xuan still managed to squeeze out a smile and said to Huang Feihong.

"I am coming!" Upon seeing the fallen lion dance, just as he was about to pick up the lion's tail, Ye Xuan shouted loudly and leaped forward, grabbing the lion's tail and diving in.

"Hmm!" Seeing that Ye Xuan was indeed not seriously injured, Huang Feihong nodded slightly. Then, with a push of his head, he danced with the lion and leaped beneath Liu Yongfu's ship platform, tossing two red axes from his hands, which shot towards Liu Yongfu.

Originally seated in the grand master's chair, Huang Feihong saw the lion soar into the air. Suddenly, he leaped out, grasping the reins on the ship, and with a swing of his body in mid-air, he caught the red lion that was flying up.

An unexpected event occurred, and everyone on the warship was taken aback. However, Ye Xuan remained unfazed. When Huang Feihong leaped out, Ye Xuan similarly seized the reins and swung himself beside Huang Feihong.

Dare you to come up?" Huang Feihong, standing on the tightrope, halted his movement and shouted at Ye Xuan behind him while holding the lion's head.

The drumbeats grew increasingly urgent as Huang Feihong and Ye Xuan finally climbed to the top of the pole. Huang Feihong wrapped his foot around the rope and suddenly pushed against the lion's head with both hands, biting towards the blue object at the top of the pole

Ding! Congratulations on assisting Huang Feihong in completing the lion dance and the green shoot collection. You have successfully earned a reward of 1,000 cultivation points

Huang Feihong was in front, and Ye Xuan was behind. The two first performed a few movements on the ground, and then Huang Feihong placed his foot on the ground, lightly leaped, and immediately landed on the rope tied to the sail pole.

Huang Feihong, as a prominent figure of the Southern Lion Dance, is renowned as the "Lion King of Guangdong." He delved into, organized, and rigorously trained in the traditional folk art of the Lion Dance. Building upon the existing techniques of the Southern style Lion Dance, he absorbed and integrated the skills of martial arts into the lion dance performance. This resulted in a fusion of high-pole lion dance, folk martial arts plum blossom poles, and Southern folk lion dance routines, incorporating local folk styles and characteristics. The techniques are highly challenging, and the choreography is intricate, blending dance, martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and aesthetics into a new school of lion dance.

Huang Feihong tossed the lion's head on his head to the side, bent his legs slightly, and leaped nearly one zhang high, landing steadily beside Liu Yongfu

"Master, be careful of the foreign devils shooting!" Ye Xuan anxiously glanced in the direction of the British warship

This middle-aged man, though possessing a clear countenance, has eyes that are bright and spirited, exuding an air of dignity akin to that of a deep abyss or a towering mountain.

Yes, Master

Liu Yongfu and Huang Feihong locked eyes, gazing at the British warship not far away, and suddenly burst into hearty laughter

Okay, be careful

With a bang, a shot struck the lion's head, startling the lion dancer, who grabbed the red rope with one hand. The originally two-person tall lion suddenly had the red rope pulled to the top of the mast, and the entire lion was instantly sent flying out.

Liu Yongfu also saw Ye Xuan, estimating that he was merely a disciple of Huang Feihong, a status that could not catch his attention at all, and he simply brushed past him and ignored him.

The firecrackers were ignited, and the lion dance reached the most crucial moment of the green picking. As the lion stood up and was about to pick the greens, several gunshots suddenly rang out.

"My lord Admiral, I have arrived late, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness!" Huang Feihong immediately bowed and clasped his fists in apology upon seeing the middle-aged man

Liu Yongfu's hand transformed as he grasped one end of the red axis, while the other end flew towards Huang Feihong. Huang Feihong reached out to catch the other end, and as the red axis unfurled, Liu Yongfu leaned in to take a look, only to see four large characters inscribed in a bold style: "Ambitious Aspirations!" He burst into hearty laughter.

Let's begin! Liu Yongfu waved his hand and said

Then another red seal was thrown towards Huang Feihong. Huang Feihong shook his hand to unfold it, revealing four large characters on it. Liu Yongfu laughed heartily and said: "Heroic spirit soaring to the sky"

Originating from modern times, although Ye Xuan had seen lion dances before, the lion dance at this moment was quite different. It was only upon arriving at Baozhilin that Ye Xuan learned that the lion dance was divided into Northern lions and Southern lions. The Southern lions were further categorized into three types: the red lion, known as the Guan Gong lion, represents loyalty and victory, as Guan Yu is regarded as the martial god of wealth in the hearts of the people of Huaming; thus, the Guan Gong lion also symbolizes wealth. The yellow lion, known as the Liu Bei lion, represents benevolence, righteousness, and royal nobility. The black lion, known as the Zhang Fei lion, represents dominance and bravery, and is generally used only during competitions or challenges; for festive occasions, the red and yellow lions are more commonly seen.

Good! Dong dong dong! — The sound of drums is booming

Although this laughter sounds hearty and unrestrained, Ye Xuan perceives more of the helplessness, unwillingness, and tragic undertones from the laughter of the two.

Huang Feihong nodded, supporting himself with his hands on the lion's head, his feet stepping on the rope, as he walked step by step towards the top of the pole

Just when Ye Xuan thought he had failed his mission and his mood had sunk to the lowest point, a wonderful system voice echoed in his mind

At the moment when Huang Feihong lifted the lion's head to collect the greens, Ye Xuan, who was originally supporting the lion's body with one hand, was suddenly pulled by Huang Feihong's action. His body swayed, his foot slipped, and he immediately lost his balance. With a startled cry, he fell heavily onto the deck along with the greens that had been scattered.

Huang Feihong saw his beloved disciple fall and felt a bit worried. He took the two red shafts from the Qing and, using his feet to leverage against the rope, gracefully landed on the deck of the boat: "A Xuan, are you alright?"

Swish

"Ah Xuan, be careful!" Huang Feihong saw that it was his own disciple, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes

Just as Ye Xuan was watching with great interest, a voice from the system suddenly echoed in his mind

Although Ye Xuan has only been at Baozhilin for a few months, he has participated in the lion dance with his fellow disciples. While he cannot claim to be exceptional, he is certainly not lacking. Moreover, over these past few months, he has diligently adhered to the instruction given by Huang Feihong to practice the horse stance for an hour each day, resulting in a steadier gait than that of the average martial artist

The auspicious time has arrived

Clap clap!

Seeing the red shafts shooting towards him, Liu Yongfu remained calm and collected, swiftly reaching out with his large hand to securely grasp both red shafts.

"Drumbeat!" Huang Feihong seized the lion's head and saw that several people beating the drum had unexpectedly stopped. He immediately shouted loudly.

The rope was only as thick as a thumb, and although there were several strands, it was extremely difficult to maintain one's balance. Ye Xuan watched as Huang Feihong leaped onto it with a steady posture, feeling a deep admiration in his heart, knowing that this was due to Huang Feihong's solid foundation and exceptional lightness of foot. However, he was not willing to concede defeat; he stepped onto the rope with both feet, propped himself up with one hand on the lion's body, and grasped the rope with the other hand, using both hands and feet to pursue Huang Feihong from behind.