Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 2

Song Cheng raised an eyebrow, about to speak, but the host cut her off. “Teacher Song, rest assured, the staff won’t make any mistakes this time.”

True to the host’s word, a staff member carefully carried an exquisitely crafted woman’s sword to Song Cheng.

The sword measured approximately two feet three inches in length. Forged from black iron, its blade was as thin as paper, reflecting a cold glint under the stage lights. The hilt was carved with a phoenix spreading its wings in flight, lending the entire weapon an air of majesty and grandeur.

Song Cheng reached out and took the sword, lightly stroking the blade with her fingertips. Though not as sharp as autumn frost, it was still remarkably keen.

From the moment the sword appeared, the host’s gaze kept darting toward it, especially when Song Cheng handled the weapon with such casual indifference. His pupils dilated. “Teacher Song, this sword is extremely sharp. Please be careful not to cut yourself.”

Pretending not to notice the host’s strange behavior, Song Cheng withdrew her hand and began to perform a sword dance.

Her fluid, graceful movements silenced the entire audience, their faces etched with disbelief.

As Song Cheng finished her dance, she saw Liu Zimang accepting a presented flute while her eyes remained fixed on Song Cheng’s hands.

Song Cheng slowly moved forward, holding the sword behind her back, and leaned in slightly. “Do you find it beautiful?”

Liu Zimang quickly averted her gaze, a fleeting hint of panic crossing her face. In an instant, she regained her composure and stepped away from Song Cheng. “What song did you choose?”

Noticing her momentary fluster, Song Cheng smirked, revealing two shallow dimples. “Anything is fine with me.”

Liu Zimang hummed softly, pondered briefly, then raised the flute to her lips.

As the melodious flute notes filled the air, the kaleidoscopic patterns on the large screen behind Song Cheng instantly transformed into a lush bamboo forest. She didn’t miss a beat, immediately moving to the rhythm, her sword techniques flowing in perfect harmony with the music.

The swift, precise swordplay grew increasingly fierce as the climax approached, radiating a palpable sense of danger.

Even the host, who had retreated to the edge of the stage, felt the oppressive force emanating from Song Cheng, sending a chill down his spine.

The two mentors who had been whispering earlier shared the host’s unease, sitting rigidly in their seats, afraid to move.

Even in the audience seats a hundred meters away, the two fans who had mocked Song Cheng earlier felt an invisible pressure bearing down on them. They gripped each other’s hands tightly, their palms slick with sweat.

The rest of the audience was no less tense, their eyes glued to Song Cheng on stage, their hearts rising and falling with each sweeping sword movement.

Today, Song Cheng wore a traditional Chinese-style long dress. The oversized skirt and sleeves swayed rhythmically with her swift, agile movements, while the changing bamboo forest backdrop on the giant screen instantly transported the audience into a thrilling, heroic martial arts world.

Suddenly, smoke billowed from both sides of the stage, slowly converging toward the center and enveloping Song Cheng and Liu Zimang.

The bamboo forest backdrop behind them transformed into mist-shrouded mountains and peaks. Beside the mountains stood a towering ancient castle, and just a few feet away, an arched bridge spanned the space between the two performers.

Sensing the bridge’s presence, Song Cheng leaped into the air, stepping on the swirling smoke to land gracefully on the arch just before the final note sounded. She stood there, sword in hand, radiating the arrogant, domineering aura of a peerless warrior surveying the world beneath her.

This overwhelming presence wasn’t lost on Liu Zimang, nor on the online viewers watching through their screens.

Did they swap her head? How could a country bumpkin have this kind of presence?

They must have swapped her head! The country bumpkin said she only knew a little!

Blind guess: that kind of sharp swordsmanship takes at least ten years to master.

Aaaaaah! I knew my Zimang’s taste wouldn’t disappoint! This performance deserves the championship! And don’t forget to mail me the spicy snacks you losers owe me! I’m going to watch this a hundred times while munching on them!

Someone who can dance with a sword in perfect sync with the music claims to be tone-deaf? Isn’t that just showing off?

Song Cheng was unaware of the online backlash. She glanced at the strange, complex expressions on the faces of the audience and judges, then slowly asked, “Why are you all making such faces? Does your face hurt too much?”

She drew her sword from behind her back and brought it to the front, casually playing with the blade, completely ignoring the audience’s discomfort. “I threw money at this show. If you have money, you can throw it too. The production team certainly doesn’t mind more cash.”

The host, prompted by the cue, swallowed nervously. “What we value most about Teacher Song is her sense of humor and her talent.”

Song Cheng lowered her sword and turned to the host. “So, you’re saying I can get my money back?”

Her expectant gaze and the host’s awkward silence made Liu Zimang’s lips twitch slightly. Demanding a refund on stage in front of thousands of viewers—Song Cheng was definitely the first to do that.

Not waiting for an answer, Song Cheng immediately withdrew her gaze. “Oh, right, you don’t have the authority.”

Just as the host breathed a sigh of relief, her voice rang out again. “Then take this sword as compensation! Though the quality is a bit lacking.”

Liu Zimang couldn’t help but smile slightly at Song Cheng’s reluctant expression, the icy coldness in her fox-like eyes gradually melting into a hint of warmth.

Song Cheng glanced sideways and caught sight of Liu Zimang’s delicate beauty. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice, “A beauty like you should be all charm and allure. Being cold and aloof is so boring.”

A blush crept up Liu Zimang’s cheeks. “You…”

Before Liu Zimang could retort, Song Cheng quickly stepped back, her peripheral vision catching two hunched figures leaving the audience. She suppressed her smile and strode off the stage.

The host, slightly flustered, straightened his tie. “Now, let’s invite the four judges to score the performance.”

As if they had rehearsed it, the four judges simultaneously wrote their scores on their scoring paddles and raised them without hesitation.

Out of a perfect 10, all four judges awarded a high score of 9.8.

Seeing this, the audience immediately rose to their feet, erupting in protests.

Hearing the uproar, Song Cheng immediately withdrew her foot from the stage steps and stood proudly at the edge of the stage. “If you think you can do better, then come up here and show us!”

As soon as she spoke, the audience members flushed crimson, frozen in place, their eyes fixed on her.

“If you can’t, then shut up!” With that, she swiftly descended the steps, brushed past Hongxia’s grim face, and headed in the direction the two fans had taken earlier.

Experience told her that even if those two weren’t the masterminds behind the online harassment, they likely knew something.

Little did she know, the moment she left, the entire venue—and the live stream—exploded into chaos.

Is that even human language? Does she not understand freedom of speech?

LOL! Isn’t this a classic case of shooting yourself in the foot? They thought they could make a quick buck off this country bumpkin, but instead, they invited a living ancestor! The host’s face turned green!

Make money? If I’m not mistaken, the sword the country bumpkin took is the championship prize—rumor has it they bought it from some collector for a fortune.

Am I the only one curious about what the country bumpkin is going to do with the sword?

Ah… I screenshotted it! Song Cheng is so cool! Not only is her sword dance amazing, but her words are so badass!

Song Cheng, having left the scene earlier, had already caught up with the two girls who had retreated midway.

Noticing they hadn’t seen her, she quickened her pace, ignoring the bustling crowd around them, and blocked their path.

Her sudden appearance startled and terrified the girls, who stumbled back several steps. Summoning their courage, they finally looked up. “W-what do you want?”

“That’s what I should be asking you. What have you done?” Song Cheng’s gaze sharpened as the girls remained silent, lips pressed tight. She released a hint of her formidable aura. “Speak!”

The two girls shivered simultaneously, their eyes darting nervously. They tried to bolt.

But Song Cheng wouldn’t give them the chance. She drew her sword from behind her back.

The sunlight glinted off the razor-sharp blade, the reflected light piercing the girls’ eyes. They froze, their voices trembling with tears. “N-no, it wasn’t me!”

The other girl quickly chimed in, “Me neither!”

Song Cheng didn’t believe their lies for a moment. She narrowed her eyes slightly. “Hmm?”

“R-really! It was We Rulan! We Rulan did it!” The girl’s hand trembled as she pulled out her phone from her bag, scrolled through the chat history, and thrust the screen toward Song Cheng. “Look! She even admitted it herself!”

Song Cheng stared at the unfamiliar yet familiar phone, her mind reeling.

Her silence made the girls panic. Tears welled up in their eyes as one of them swiped through the screen, explaining, “If she hadn’t orchestrated it, she wouldn’t know such specific details. And she’s the one who gave me the contact information for the online trolls.”

Song Cheng quickly processed what she had seen and heard, piecing everything together before speaking. “Can I report this? Call the police?”

The moment they heard those words, tears streamed down their faces, their expressions pleading. “I was wrong! I’ll never do it again!”

The other clutched Song Cheng’s sleeve. “Please, don’t call the police!”

Are the police here really that formidable? Song Cheng made a mental note of this, then yanked her sleeve away with obvious disdain. “Go testify.”

The moment those words left her lips, their tears vanished instantly, and they nodded frantically. “Yes, yes!”

“Wipe your faces. You look disgusting.”

Song Cheng turned away in disgust, only to see two uniformed police officers approaching. When they spotted the sword in her hand, they immediately tensed and made a stop gesture.

She didn’t bother analyzing the deeper meaning of their gesture and stated bluntly, “You’re just in time. I want to report a crime.”

The officers remained wary. “First, put down the sword.”

Song Cheng glanced at the weapon in her hand, then recalled the rules of this world. Annoyed, she bent down and gently placed the sword on the ground.

“Kick it further away.”

This time, Song Cheng ignored the command. She bent down again, picked up the sword, and just as the two officers were about to rush her, she flung it toward an empty flower bed to her left. The sword landed precisely, embedding itself in the soil.

With the dangerous weapon gone, one of the police officers stepped forward while the other approached the flower bed to retrieve the sword.

He tried to pull it out once, but it wouldn’t budge. He applied more force.

Still no luck. The officer resorted to using both hands.

“Don’t be so rough! Treat the sword gently,” Song Cheng warned just in time.

Realizing she hadn’t heard the girls explain the situation, she turned to them again. “Show the police what you showed me earlier.”

The girls belatedly picked up their phones and scrolled through the chat history for the officers to see.

After reviewing the messages, the police officer glanced at Song Cheng, who appeared completely unfazed, and shook his head. “You’ll need to come to the police station to give a statement.”

Song Cheng hummed in acknowledgment and strode to the flower bed. With a casual flick of her wrist, she effortlessly pulled the sword from the soil. Under the officers’ astonished gaze, she followed the other officer leisurely to the police car.

As she stared at the iron skull before her and the cars speeding by on the road, a new realization struck her: gasoline was a remarkable substance, capable of making even an iron skull move.

“What are you waiting for? Get in the car,” the officer in the driver’s seat urged.

Song Cheng finally bent down and settled into the back seat.

Unbeknownst to her, the entire scene—from her boarding the police car to her standing before it—had been captured by netizens and uploaded online.

Within an hour, hashtags like #SongCheng’sBanditBehaviorBullyingYoungGirls and #SongCheng’sExceptionalMartialArtsSkills had surged to the top of trending topics.