The Strongest Talent Tree

"Sorry, no new films for now," Feng Hao bluffed, a smirk playing on his lips.

The three middle-aged noblemen looked instantly disappointed. "What a shame. Life is so boring without new films."

Feng Hao then changed his tune. "I may not have any new films, but I did get my hands on a performance recording from the Wind Love Dance Troupe. I wonder if you three gentlemen might be interested?"

"The Wind Love Dance Troupe?" the nobleman in the lead asked, looking blank.

The other two were also confused. "Never heard of them."

"What? You gentlemen haven’t even heard of the Wind Love Dance Troupe?" Feng Hao feigned shock. "Goodness, tickets for the Wind Love Dance Troupe have been selling like crazy these past few days. Who in all of Five States City doesn’t know about them?"

"Is that so?" the lead nobleman asked with a frown. "For a dance troupe to have that much influence, they must be composed of Dance Masters, right?"

"Not quite," Feng Hao continued his spiel. "I hear the Wind Love Dance Troupe is made up of younger performers. Every member is devastatingly beautiful, and their style is unique... it’s guaranteed to get your blood pumping."

The three middle-aged noblemen exchanged a look and asked in astonishment, "A dance style that gets your blood pumping?"

"That’s right. And I can guarantee you, the feeling is no worse than one of my new films," Feng Hao said with a meaningful nod.

"If even you’re saying so, young man, then this Wind Love Dance Troupe must be something special."

And just like that, taken in by Feng Hao’s hype, the three middle-aged noblemen left, blissfully clutching the performance recordings of the Wind Love Dance Troupe.

...

Meanwhile, a craze was brewing in every corner of Five States City.

In just a few short days, the name "Wind Love Dance Troupe" echoed throughout Five States City and was spreading across the entire Wolf Country at a terrifying speed.

Just as Feng Hao had predicted, the people of the Mage World did little else but cultivate. They were starved for entertainment. The arrival of the Wind Love Dance Troupe was the perfect thing to fill that void.

It was like a sudden downpour on a land long plagued by drought; one can only imagine the sensation it caused.

On every street and alley, in every high-end club, almost everyone was talking about the Wind Love Dance Troupe’s performance.

Those who had seen it hyped it up like crazy, while those who hadn’t were burning with curiosity. Add to that the online shills Qian Sanduo had arranged, and the Wind Love Dance Troupe’s fame was pushed to an unreachable height.

Tickets for the performance at the Five Provinces Theater a week later had already become a luxury item—a status symbol to be flaunted.

For instance, at the Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall, all you had to do was show your ticket to instantly become the center of attention, basking in gazes of envy, jealousy, and hate.

In short, Five States City was now completely bathed in the glow of the Wind Love Dance Troupe.

Countless people wanted to see the three beauties of the Wind Love Dance Troupe, but after their performance at the Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall, the trio seemed to have vanished into thin air, their whereabouts unknown.

Although many had discovered that Yao Ying and the others were from the Five Provinces Academy, they couldn’t find a trace of them.

That was because Feng Hao had already hidden them away in a secret stronghold of the Thief God Hall, all to keep the public in suspense.

「A week passed in the blink of an eye.」

After a week of hype, the Wind Love Dance Troupe was now insanely popular. The performance hadn’t even begun, but the Five Provinces Theater was already packed to the brim. Outside, countless fan groups arranged by Feng Hao were waving flags and shouting, creating an absolutely stunning scene.

Faced with such a spectacle, Qian Sanduo was overjoyed, as if he could already see a mountain of gold right in front of him.

But Feng Hao couldn’t bring himself to be happy. For the past few days, Yao Ying’s mood had been awful. Truly awful.

If it were Xu Zhenzhen or Li Ting, he wouldn’t be so worried. But this was Yao Ying. As the troupe’s captain and lead dancer, if she wasn’t in top form, it would absolutely affect the quality of the entire performance.

The most frustrating part was that Feng Hao knew why Yao Ying was out of sorts, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Backstage at the Five Provinces Theater, the three beauties had changed into the performance outfits Feng Hao designed for them. Each one was breathtakingly beautiful.

Xu Zhenzhen and Li Ting stood nervously in front of a mirror, psyching themselves up. Yao Ying, however, sat alone in a corner, staring blankly into space as if the uproar outside had nothing to do with her.

Feng Hao stood to the side, conflicted, his eyes full of helplessness. "Come on, my lady, can you please pull yourself together? The show is about to start."

"Don’t worry, I know what to do," Yao Ying said, forcing a faint smile.

"Ugh!" Feng Hao slapped his forehead, speechless. "How can I not be worried when you’re like this?"

Seeing how nervous Feng Hao was, a peculiar light flickered in Yao Ying’s eyes. She asked softly, "Are you worried about me?"

"Well..." Feng Hao scratched his head awkwardly, not knowing how to answer.

Yao Ying’s expression dimmed as she looked away and gave a bitter smile. "Alright, I get it."

Just then, a stagehand rushed in. "The show is starting! Get ready to go on," he said urgently.

"Ah? Is it starting already?" Xu Zhenzhen and Li Ting cried out in a panic.

Yao Ying, however, remained calm. "Understood. We’re on our way."

With that, she stood up and walked toward the stage, with Xu Zhenzhen and Li Ting following nervously behind.

’Sigh... I guess I’ll have to leave it to fate,’ Feng Hao thought with a helpless, wry smile.

But then, Yao Ying suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at him, her beautiful eyes trembling slightly. "If I told you I’ve never been in a relationship... would you believe me?"

"Huh?" Feng Hao was taken aback for a moment. After a brief pause, he nodded. "I believe you."

Hearing this, a dazzling smile instantly blossomed on Yao Ying’s face. The light seemed to return to her once-empty eyes.

She gave Feng Hao a deep look, then turned and walked onto the stage.

Then, amidst the swelling music and cheers, the performance officially began.

Feng Hao stood there, stunned. He couldn’t understand why Yao Ying would ask such a question, much less why she had inexplicably recovered her spirit right after asking it.

But his answer hadn’t been a lie. There was no need to lie.

To be honest, in the past, he definitely wouldn’t have believed that Yao Ying had never been in a relationship. After all, her title as "Five States’ Number One Seductress" wasn’t for nothing.

But after spending this time with her, he could clearly sense that when it came to emotional intelligence, she was a complete mess. She herself, however, was oblivious to this, instead believing she was an expert at toying with people’s emotions.

To put it bluntly, she knew all the theory but had no practical experience.

She knew how to use her beauty, how to entice men into doing her bidding, and she was skilled in all those so-called romantic techniques. But when it came to real love, she was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

’Of course, that’s just my feeling. It might not be true. It could all just be an act she’s putting on.’

’If that’s the case, then I only have two words for her: Damn. Impressive.’

"The legendary Number One Seductress of Five States has never been in a relationship? No one would believe that if it got out, would they?" Feng Hao rubbed his nose and chuckled in spite of himself.

’No, that’s not right. As a future superstar, she can’t have a title like that. I need to find a way to help her get rid of it, or it will definitely affect her popularity down the line.’ At this thought, Feng Hao frowned and fell into deep contemplation.