The temperature was a bit variable because while the water started at 90°C, the cold air would cool it down slightly as she danced. The long spout, in particular, allowed the water to cool as it poured.

"The maiden sings that spring is not yet late, so a lovesick fool stays in the heart of Jiangnan. The melody of Jiangnan falls on a lonely city, turning into misty rain to play a duet with me..."

To the beautiful melody, Zhao Xueqing began to dance gracefully. The long-spouted copper pot moved in her hands as if it were an extension of her own body, transforming through a dazzling variety of forms. She tossed it back and forth, performing all sorts of difficult maneuvers. She was performing her own creation, the Phoenix Dance Eighteen Techniques, which included many signature moves unique to her style.

What amazed the crowd was that when the scalding water poured from the long spout into the bowls, they could clearly see it steaming. In the cold winter air, the hot vapor condensed into a white mist that drifted beautifully. This proved it was the real deal—she wasn’t just fooling them with cold water.

Many people in the livestream chat left comments: "This girl is incredible!"

"My heart aches for her. I’m so scared she’ll burn her hands. I want to go and touch them."

"Touch what?"

"Her hands, of course, to blow on them and cool them down. What, you think I want to touch the teapot?"

Zhao Xueqing’s final technique was even more breathtaking. It was called the Celestial Flying Immortal. She stood on one leg atop a high stool, her other slender leg kicked high in the air in a posture resembling the Reversed Kick of the Purple Gold Crown. Her body tilted towards the ground as if she were an immortal descending from the heavens. She held the teapot behind her back with a reverse grip, and a thin stream of water flowed from its long spout like a heavenly waterfall, landing perfectly in the tea bowl below.

Her posture was elegant, her balance as solid as Mount Taishan.

’Damn!’ Not only did many in the live audience jump to their feet, craning their necks to get a better view, but the livestream chat absolutely erupted. Likes and gifts flooded the screen. Countless people were taking screenshots and sharing them.

’I’ll have to pay her more,’ Li Xiang thought. ’A 2,000 yuan performance fee is way too low for this!’

The last time Zhao Xueqing had performed for him, she hadn’t revealed nearly this many signature moves. Back then, she had just casually shown him a few tricks, but today she had demonstrated at least five techniques on par with her Celestial Flying Immortal.

’It was a case of years of hard work finally paying off. With this kind of exposure, it would be impossible for Zhao Xueqing not to become famous.’

Li Xiang decided he had to sign the two of them, Zhao Xueqing and Yao Yao, right away, before some media company snatched them up. He never imagined he’d find such a "hidden gem" on a blind date—an undiscovered talent. It was a real steal.

In reality, both Zhao Xueqing and Yao Yao were only about twenty years old. It hadn’t been long since they’d graduated from high school to find work. They had just completed their training and hadn’t yet had a chance to truly shine.

Now Li Xiang had poached them. The boss who trained them was probably going to be furious.

Their skill in the tea ceremony and dance was one thing, but on top of that, both girls were stunningly beautiful. They were probably the "class beauty" or "school beauty" type back in school, but they hadn’t known how to dress up, so they didn’t stand out. After working for a year or two and learning about style, their beauty shone even brighter.

Li Xiang didn’t keep his fans waiting. After two more performances, he took the stage again.

"This time, I’m bringing you a boatman’s chant that everyone in Sichuan Province knows by heart—the Sichuan River Chant!"

"Folks! I’m going to need your help with this one. I’ll shout, and I want you all to shout ’Heave-ho!’ back at me!"

"Alright! You got it! Let’s do it!" The crowd roared back, their voices overlapping. Many broke into knowing smiles. ’Sichuan River Chant? We know that one like the back of our hands! We don’t need a rehearsal to shout along!’

Many people cleared their throats and began to prepare.

This was especially true for some of the older folks, many of whom had experienced it firsthand and were visibly moved. The county where Li Xiang lived wasn’t far from the Yangtze River, and many of their ancestors had performed this very kind of hard labor. They had no other choice; it was a matter of survival.

Traveling downstream on the Yangtze River, Nature meant boat trackers were seldom needed. But going upstream against the rapid current, back in the days before engines, it all relied on manpower.

Even today, boat trackers are still needed for small wooden boats or to navigate certain treacherous rapids.

A powerful beat kicked in, once again played by the joint band from Li Family Village, Lei Family Gully, Zhangjiawan, and He Family Platform. The music was drum-heavy, passionate and stirring, with a raw power that seemed to surpass even the earlier Qin King’s Battle Music.

Or perhaps "surpass" wasn’t the right word; they were simply two different styles. The Qin King’s Battle Music evoked the imperial court of the Great Tang Dynasty. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t down-to-earth. The "Sichuan River Chant," however, was a song of the working people. It was a cry they shouted together while hauling boats, a way to summon strength and boost morale. Everyone in the audience was a farmer from the surrounding villages, and many of the older ones had endured unspeakable hardships. For them, it resonated more deeply, as was the way of Nature.

The stage lights flashed in time with the rhythm, dazzling and brilliant. At the same time, Li Xiang bent forward slightly and began to roar!

"YOOOO-HO~" "YOOOO-HO-HO-HO-HO-OHHH~~~..."

His voice was rich and powerful, carrying a unique cadence that seemed to shake the very heavens. It drowned out the musical accompaniment, so mighty it felt as if it could scatter the clouds in the sky!

As Li Xiang’s call ended, he gave a hand signal, and the folks in the audience roared back as one: "Heave-ho!"

Li Xiang: "One, two, three, yah~"

The folks: "Heave-ho!"

Li Xiang: "Two, four, six, ah~"

"Heave-ho!"

"Third day of the third moon, yah~"

"Heave-ho!"

"Good fortune all four seasons!"

"Heave-ho!"

"Five top talents, yah~"

"Heave-ho!"

...

Even Lei Jiaming and the others in the band couldn’t resist shouting along as they played. Some of the girls even jumped up and screamed, taking the chance to let loose. They rarely had an opportunity to be this unrestrained, so they shouted their hearts out. Since everyone was doing it, it didn’t feel out of place at all.

"Through the wicked waves, hey!" "Heave-ho!" "Past the treacherous shoals, ho!" "Heave-ho!" "A boatman through and through," "Heave-ho!" "Is made of pure guts, ho!" "Heave-ho!"