NABC Page 248
Page 248
This made Nilu even more embarrassed. Her previous malicious speculation about Niu Zida, thinking that he might have ulterior motives towards her, was really too malicious.
Although the attacks on logistics transport teams in Saint Deer Valley have decreased significantly after the annihilation of Yura's guerrilla group, small groups of rebels still operate in the area, mainly targeting merchant groups. Even Zuber's group, with about a hundred guards, has been attacked several times, but fortunately, they have all been repelled by their guards. Nilu felt increasingly grateful to Niu Zida, thinking how fortunate she was to have these guards; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have made it to Yunlai Port.
After passing through the town of Katani, the next stop is Brisia Village, where Stella's Familion army is stationed. From here on, the Familion family's army is temporarily entrenched. Here, as before, the Zubair Troupe received a warm welcome, and the Shi Dai stationed here even took the initiative to host a banquet for the Zubair Troupe.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness..."
“Miss Nilu’s performance is famous throughout the entire Haixi Continent. This time, the Viscount asked us to treat you well, so of course I must do my best to be a good host.”
This time it was Niu Zida's favor again. At the banquet, Nilu's face was as red as a tomato. Hadn't she been receiving Niu Zida's care all along? Yet she had to avoid him, and after he saved her, she even suspected him of having malicious intentions towards her. The kind-hearted beauty was so ashamed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Miss Nilu, what's wrong?"
"No...nothing..."
Stella wondered if she had said something wrong. Why was Nel suddenly lowering her head and remaining silent? Stella was even a little worried that she hadn't done a good job of completing the task her master had given her.
"If we go any further, we'll reach the town of Lanost, which is also under our control. Going through there will take us to Yunlai Port. From there, it will be much safer to continue."
"If that's the case, let those guards go back. We've been very grateful to them along the way."
"Yes, let them go back. I've prepared a reward for them; they've had a hard journey."
"This money should have been paid by us, but..."
Zuber, looking ashamed, replied after hearing Stella's words.
"It's nothing. The lord... the viscount had already given me instructions, so this little bit of money is nothing."
Nilu had no idea how many favors she owed Niu Zida. She felt that once the war was over in Yunlai Port, she must go and thank Niu Zida in person.
"Even if it's safe now, we're still at war. After the guards return, I'll send my men to escort you to Yunlai Port. I heard that Lady Ningguang will also send someone to pick you up from there."
"Was this also arranged by Mr. Niu Zida?"
"Of course it was all his idea. He said he did it all for his good friend..."
Upon hearing Stella's words, this time it wasn't just Nel who was praising Niu Zida; the entire Zuber Theatre Company was now singing his praises.
After spending a day in Bussilia, Stella dismissed the guards sent by Marho and Julianus, leaving only the guards originally sent by Ningguang for the handover. She then added some more guards to escort the Zuber Troupe to Lanost Town. After resting there briefly, they continued their journey towards Cloud Harbor.
Another day passed, and it was around mid-April of the year 1050 in the Continental Calendar. After crossing the Lanosster River near the town of Lanosster, they finally entered the territory of Yunlai Port, where the people of Yunlai Port were already waiting to welcome the Zuber Theatre Troupe.
"This has been the most comfortable trip I've ever had. I've traveled for most of my life and have never had such a well-planned journey."
In the past, when traveling around the Western Continent, it was good enough if we could avoid being harassed. A journey like this, with full escort, and even more comfortable than during peacetime, was truly unprecedented. All of this was thanks to Niu Zida.
"You've had a long journey. Lady Ningguang has instructed us to guide you. From now on, this will be Yunlai Port. If there is anything we haven't done well, please let us know. Lady Ningguang has instructed us to do our best to meet any request."
The person who came to receive Zuber and his party was Bai Shi, Ningguang's life secretary, a pretty girl with a single ponytail who looked shrewd and capable.
It would take another two or three days to get from here to Yunlai Port. Along the way, there were peaceful and prosperous villages, completely different from the war-torn Kingdom of Altaïr. Nilu couldn't help but sigh, realizing that the Kingdom of Altaïr wasn't like this just a few years ago.
Two days later, the Zuber Troupe finally arrived at Yunlai Port. Yunlai Port truly lived up to its reputation as an important port on the Western Sea Continent. Thousands of sails lined the port, and ships from all countries on the Western Sea Continent could be found here. Even ships from the Eastern Sea Continent and other continents could be found here. Needless to say, such a prosperous port naturally brought about a thriving commercial industry. Shops lined the streets, and the streets were crowded with people, a scene of great prosperity.
Chapter 576 Nilu's Troubles
Chapter 576.
After entering Yunlai Port, Ningguang's personal secretary, Baishi, led the Zuber Theater Troupe to the mansion and let them rest there temporarily.
"Don't worry about your customs documents. Lady Ningguang has already given instructions on these. We'll take care of them. You can rest well today."
The Zuber Troupe stayed in the best room in the mansion, which was of course arranged by Ningguang. Moreover, Baishi told Zuber that there was no need to worry about these expenses, as she was grateful that the Zuber Troupe was able to perform here, and these were all considered as hospitality benefits.
"I didn't expect Lady Ningguang to be so lavish in her hospitality..."
"Yes, it's just like a dream. You know, we were at our wits' end just last month."
"Haha, you're exaggerating when I say I'm at my wit's end..."
The banquet hosted by the mansion for the Zubair Theatre Troupe was exceptionally lavish, with a plethora of fine wines and delicacies. The group, who had endured hardships and traveled through the wilderness, were overjoyed to receive such generous hospitality upon arriving in Yunlai Port. They were no longer the helpless and embarrassed people they had been on the road, especially in Altaic territory.
"Mr. Zubair, this is the contract. Please take a look and see if you can sign it?"
While drinking, Baishi approached Zubair and handed him a commercial contract. It clearly stated the remuneration and the number and dates of the commercial performances. Zubair glanced at it and it seemed that the contract required Zubair's troupe to perform here for three months. The remuneration for each performance consisted of a base salary and a percentage of the earnings. Overall, the monetary compensation was very generous.
"We were treated and escorted like this all the way, and they even gave us such a generous reward. I feel a little embarrassed."
“Mr. Zuber, what are you saying? Lady Ningguang has always valued the spirit of contracts the most. The hospitality is a benefit that should be given to you, and the remuneration is what you are entitled to for the commercial performance. How can you confuse the two?”
"Lady Ningguang's way of doing things is truly admirable. I've reviewed the contract, and there are no problems..."
"By the way, I'd like to remind Mr. Zubair that there's a compensation section on the last page. If the performance requirements cannot be met, they will have to compensate us for our losses."
"With such generous compensation, it's only natural..."
"You'd better take a look."
Persistence of a Hundred Knowledges
Chapter 844
Zuber took a look, and he saw no problems. It was roughly one performance every three days. If the performance couldn't be completed due to the troupe's reasons, compensation would be double the ticket price. This rule seemed reasonable. Zuber examined it carefully; there were no unfair terms. After reading it thoroughly, he said:
“I’ve looked it over, and there’s nothing wrong with it. The rules set by Lady Ningguang are quite fair.”
"In that case, you might as well sign here."
Under Bai Shi's guidance, Zubair decisively signed his name on the contract and stamped it with the troupe's financial seal.
"So this contract will be effective from today. But that's all. Everyone has been traveling a lot lately and it's been hard. We also need some time to set up the theater. You can rest and rehearse for the next week. The show will start in a week. We won't interfere with the content of the show, but you need to inform us a few days in advance so that we can promote it."
"Of course..."
After speaking, Bai Shi smiled gently and turned to leave. Her capable and decisive style impressed Zuber greatly; she truly lived up to her reputation as Ning Guang's secretary. Actually, Bai Xiao, who was Ning Guang's secretary, was currently in charge of business affairs. However, because Bai Xiao was responsible for the military supplies and logistics of Niu Zida's army, the task of entertaining Zuber's theater troupe was assigned to Bai Shi.
After signing the contract, Zuber handed it to Baishi and went back to drinking with his troupe members, completely unaware of the sly smile that appeared on Baishi's lips.
Nel was arranged to have a private room. As the mainstay of the troupe, Ningguang gave Nel a very high level of treatment when she was entertained. At first, Nel did not quite agree. She did not want to be different from the other members. However, after she talked to Baixiao several times, Baixiao said that it was all written into the contract and hoped that Nel could abide by the contract. Nel had no choice but to accept it.
In the following days, the troupe, which had rested for two days, resumed training and also developed a repertoire for the performance, which was handed over to Bai Shi. Bai Shi was indeed very capable and immediately began to direct the printing of posters to expand publicity. Soon, Yunlai Port learned that the Zuber Troupe was going to perform, and many tickets were sold. Within just two or three days, it became the talk of the town in Yunlai Port.
Nilu has recently started intensive rehearsals. Due to the recent upheavals, the troupe's performances have been affected, and everyone's training has been unsystematic. After one rehearsal, Zubair was very dissatisfied with the troupe's performance and became more demanding of everyone. After all, this is a big contract, especially since Ningguang has treated them so well. Zubair hopes that the troupe can perform well and at least not let Ningguang down.
Nilu trained exceptionally hard, but having not practiced for quite some time, her dance performance at crucial moments was not quite up to par. Nilu was very anxious about this and approached Zuber, feeling that if she continued in this state, she might not be able to perform at her best in the upcoming show and might disappoint the audience.
"But, in my current state, I really don't have much confidence in performing..."
"We can only hurry up and get back to the status. The posters have already been printed, and 80-90% of the tickets have been sold. I heard that many tickets are being resold on the black market for 10 times the original price."
"Huh? Is it possible to go this far?"
"Nel, you really don't believe in your own worth..."
Zuber shook his head, feeling that Nilu was too naive and kind. Despite having been with him in the underworld for so long, she still appeared innocent and ignorant of the outside world. Perhaps he had protected this lovely girl too well. However, Zuber thought it was good for Nilu to remain innocent and kind. If she were tainted by society, she might not be able to display her graceful dance on stage. Such works of art could only be created by tainted people.
Hearing Zuber say this, Nilu showed a disappointed expression. She had always been a perfectionist when it came to art. Dance was life to her, and to Nilu would feel as if she had lost the meaning of her life if she were to slack off in her art.
"But, as for dance..."
"Nilu, you should train hard these days..."
Zuber stopped there, letting Nilu focus on her training, and then left. Nilu was left staring blankly, looking troubled…
Soon the performance date arrived, and the first act was completely sold out. Thanks to Bai Shi's publicity, the entire Yunlai Port knew that the famous beautiful dancer Nilu from the Western Sea Continent was performing here. Tickets were even priced up to 20 times the original price, and by the end, they were sold out. All the dignitaries and nobles of Yunlai Port came to see the performance.
"Everyone, be on your best tonight! This is our first performance in Yunlaigang, and we need to make it a resounding success..."
"Oh no, now that you mention it, I'm already a little nervous..."
Zuber glanced at the somewhat nervous members and said sternly:
"At this critical moment, everyone must do their best. This is a battle that will determine the life or death of our troupe."
Seeing Zubair's stern expression, everyone became even more nervous. Some staff members even had to use crutches to walk. It was Nilu who comforted everyone backstage, telling them to try to relax tonight.
The performance began quickly. The first two acts went well, but soon it was Nilu's turn to appear. However, from the moment she stepped on stage, the performance was plagued with mistakes. First, the lighting malfunctioned, then the music went off-beat, too fast, causing Nilu to exhaust herself too quickly. By the latter half of the performance, the beautiful girl was drenched in sweat, her fair skin flushed and pale. Even so, Nilu continued to try to maintain a smile, hoping to complete the performance perfectly. She managed to barely finish the third act. Next came the most technically challenging fourth act. If she could perform this act well, she could barely get through the rest of the performance…
Chapter 577 The Sudden Change in the Performance
Chapter 577.
The fourth act is also the grand finale of the entire troupe's performance: the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival. This is adapted from the mythology of the Teyvat continent. Legend has it that in the era when the Red King, the Flower Goddess, and the Grass Goddess formed an alliance, the Flower Goddess danced to celebrate the Grass Goddess's birthday, while the Red King accompanied her on the harp. Wherever the beautiful Flower Goddess danced, a flower called Patishal would bloom. This piece is very popular among the people of the Hexi Continent and is also the signature piece of the Zuber Troupe whenever they perform in any place.
This scene requires lighting, music, and most importantly, the lead dancers' graceful movements to create the best performance, all in order to imitate the stunning sight of Padmasambhava's feet in bloom. Of course, the dancers are the most demanding, as they need to constantly spin and turn to portray Padmasambhava's light and agile movements. The rhythm of the music is also very important; if the music is too fast, it will interfere with the dancers and greatly increase the difficulty of completing the movements.
This scene was no problem for Nilu when she was well-trained with the Zuber Theatre Company, but recently, due to unfamiliarity, Nilu felt that the music was too rushed from the very beginning, as if it was always half a beat too fast. She had to adjust her own rhythm accordingly, otherwise it would always feel like she was half a beat too slow, and the dance and storytelling would be disconnected, which would be a performance mishap.
But as the saying goes, what you fear most is what happens. Because the training session recently went poorly, Nilu was already a bit anxious when getting into the rhythm, and now she started making frequent mistakes in her dancing due to her panic. Especially during the climax, in order to show the demeanor of a god, Nilu needed to perform several high jumps and spins in a row. Normally, she could easily do these, but this time the music and training were completely off track.
Nel felt something was wrong during the first and second jumps, and by the third...
Chapter 845
At this point, Nel felt she couldn't keep up with the pace at all. If she continued like this, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to complete all seven dance steps and spins by the time the music ended, which would be a major mistake. To make up for it, Nel could only speed up the pace. But just then, because she was in a hurry, she didn't pay attention and her beautiful feet suddenly lost their footing when they landed, causing her to twist her ankle and fall to the center of the stage.
Because this scene is the most important part of the whole play, all the stage lights are focused on Nilu at this moment. Unlike when there are many extras in a regular play, some supporting actors can cover up their mistakes by improvising and with the help of their companions. This fall is a mistake that is seen clearly by everyone in front of a large audience.
When Nilu slumped down, everyone was stunned for a second, followed by an uproar from the entire troupe. The music also became chaotic, and Nilu even felt momentarily dazed, her mind going blank. She actually malfunctioned while sitting in the center of the stage.
"How is this going……"
"It was a performance accident..."
"Is this all the expensive ticket price got you?"
"Refund...refund..."
"Refund...refund..."
Seeing the actor make a fool of himself, some audience members whistled at Qi Hong, while many others began to boo, creating a chaotic scene. At this moment, the troupe manager, Zuber, quickly ordered the curtain to be lowered; no matter what, Nilu had to be removed from the stage.
Several staff members quickly went up to help Nel, who was still in a daze. She probably hadn't recovered from the failed performance. You see, the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival was a classic piece that Nel had performed hundreds of times and had never failed before.
Nilu staggered backstage with the help of the staff. Zuber quickly came up to check on Nilu's injury and found that her slender ankle was swollen. It seems that Nilu will be unable to perform on stage for at least half a month, let alone this performance.
“Mr. Zuber…I’m sorry…”
Nilu looked dejected; her once cherry blossom-petal-like lips had lost their luster, and her beautiful eyes drooped as she began to sob. A few tears streamed down her delicate face, making her all the more endearing. Seeing the girl's tearful appearance, Zuber couldn't bear to scold her, and could only offer words of comfort:
"It's alright now, focus on healing your injury first."
"But what's happening outside..."
"It's okay, I'll handle it..."
That's what they say, but even backstage they could hear the audience jeering at the front of the stage. Nilu knew that today's failed performance had caused Zuber a huge disaster.
After finishing his speech, Zubair rushed to the front desk. Seeing the uproar over ticket refunds, he knew that if he didn't do something, he might lose control of the situation, and the performance would be impossible. So he quickly took out a megaphone and addressed the audience:
"We are truly sorry that today's performance has been temporarily suspended due to an actor's injury. We will refund the tickets for this show. We ask for your understanding."
Hearing the manager's words, the situation improved slightly, and many people dispersed. However, even so, there were still dozens of people who were making a fuss and refused to leave, insisting on compensation for their losses. They blocked the entrance of the theater troupe and demanded compensation. Zuber finally apologized profusely and even gave them some money as money for a late-night snack before he was able to get rid of them.
By the time all of this was finished, it was almost midnight. Zuber, exhausted, returned backstage to inquire about Nilu's condition.
"At first, Miss Nilu kept crying and apologizing to everyone. She eventually fell asleep after crying herself to sleep."
“This child is just too responsible. She’s our pillar of the show, we can’t let her be so dejected anymore. You guys keep a close eye on Nilu these next few days, comfort her, and tomorrow go and ask a surgeon to come and check Nilu’s ankle…”
"Manager, what about our performance tomorrow? All the tickets have been sold."
"In this situation, the only option is to cancel the performance."
"But that would put pressure on our performance schedule. Don't forget the contract the manager signed..."
"Ah, it's nothing. It's a three-month contract. Nel should focus on getting better. Once you recover, the money won't be a problem. You've seen how sold out Nel's shows are."
Although today was exhausting due to the busy schedule, seeing so many people come to see Nel's performance gave Zuber more confidence in fulfilling the contract. Moreover, Ningguang had been so kind to him, so if he asked Ningguang about Nel's injury and need to recuperate, she wouldn't be unreasonable and would definitely make an exception.
The next day, before Zubair could even call a surgeon, Bai Xiao personally brought a doctor to his door, for which Zubair was naturally extremely grateful.
"Not at all. We were extremely worried about Miss Nilu's injury, so of course we had to come and check on her."
"Um... Nel won't be able to perform for the next two weeks..."
"Oh, the performance fee? Of course, that's no problem. It can be postponed. That's all easy to discuss. We just need to add an agreement stipulating that if the performance fee is paid late, a late payment fee will be charged at interest rates..."
"No problem, of course no problem."
"By the way, I should remind Mr. Zubair that our contract originally stipulated that we would fund the Zubair Troupe to perform. We would cover all your accommodation, meals, and venue costs. Ticket prices would be jointly verified by both parties, and then split 50/50. To protect our interests, there is a deposit that the troupe needs to pay to us. This is a safeguard measure to prevent the performers from giving a passive performance."