CHAPTER 637: CHAPTER 636: THE SINGING BATTLE

Annie was a beauty, a woman from the prestigious Lichang Clan. Virtually all of their women were of incomparable elegance and beauty, the cream of the crop. Many powerful families and exceptionally skilled individuals would give anything just to bring a beauty from the Lichang Clan back to warm their beds.

Not to mention that the Lichang Clan also had a huge intelligence network, even merely considering Annie, she had the backing of a Trading House.

Annie was so beautiful and came from such a good family background that Li Ge had long coveted her, lusting after her. Getting her essentially meant getting the Trading House behind her too!

Moreover, the two Trading Houses had recently shown intentions of forming an alliance through marriage.

However, today, Annie actually blushed for an outsider youth instead of him, Li Ge. In front of so many people, she showed him no face, giving him no consideration—Li Ge couldn’t swallow this humiliation!

If Annie had brought a noble young master or a scion of a prestigious family, it would have been a different story.

But she brought a Wandering Practitioner, of all people.

If it were a formidable Wandering Practitioner, then so be it, but it just so happened to be some low-level Wandering Practitioner who could only rely on the influence of a Trading House to protect himself across the vast Desert.

Li Ge was irked deep down, and he just wanted to ask: what virtues and abilities did this Mu Yi have that he could be so entwined with a rare beauty like Annie!

Watching Annie cling to Lin Hao like a little bird relying on a person, Li Ge’s fists clenched until they creaked.

He certainly didn’t take a mere Wandering Practitioner to heart, as he saw it, Lin Hao was nothing more than a rather handsome youth of a different race, what’s so great about that?

Li Ge could crush him in every aspect!

Whether it was in terms of talent or in Cultivation, Li Ge was undoubtedly a prodigy, a standout among his peers!

"Brother Li is right. Drinking in silence indeed lacks an atmosphere. Come, you tell me, how should we liven up the mood?" Shen Fei did not think too much about it.

A merchant caravan journey through the Desert was an arduous and perilous business. Having a drink and some fun during the night’s rest was quite a common affair, nothing strange about it.

Moreover, it could also relax the caravan’s tense mood from traveling day after day. Many caravans would have evening activities for the same reason.

"Since it’s about drinking and having fun, there’s nothing better than a singing challenge. It can enliven the atmosphere and is also quite simple. After all, we should accommodate the Wandering Practitioner. They wander the world and practice ascetically, which is very hard work. If we choose another form of entertainment, they might not be acquainted with it."

Li Ge looked at Lin Hao with a smirk that said he obviously didn’t think Lin Hao could sing.

In his opinion, Wandering Practitioners were nothing more than warriors or Ascetics. Sing? What could they sing? It would be impressive enough if they could hum a couple of notes.

He wanted to make Lin Hao lose face and let Annie see for herself that this person, besides being somewhat handsome, was really all show and no substance.

Evidently, Li Ge knew the situation of Wandering Practitioners well, as did Shen Fei, and even Annie understood it.

They who ran the Trading House encountered Wandering Practitioners quite often.

Nine out of ten were indeed brutes.

"Li Ge, what do you mean by this?" Annie was no fool; she also knew Li Ge well enough. Frowning slightly, she immediately asked.

"Annie, I’m just concerned about your friend. Singing is such a simple task, he can’t possibly not know how to hum a tune, right?"

Seeing Annie step in, Li Ge felt even more annoyed, but he didn’t show it on his face. Instead, his face was full of smiles, ignoring Annie, he said to the others: "Come, come, come, let’s each sing a song first, then we’ll let everyone decide who’s the worst singer. The one who sings the worst will be punished!"

Wasn’t this blatantly targeting Lin Hao, the Wandering Practitioner?

Everyone was at a loss for words for a moment, but toasting and making merry, inciting the atmosphere, singing is indeed the simplest thing to do.

"Sure, making merry is all about having fun." Lin Hao didn’t mind and cheerfully agreed.

As soon as Lin Hao agreed, others immediately showed smiles: "Exactly, as long as it’s fun, that’s all that matters."

Only Li Ge’s eyes flashed with disdain. As long as it’s fun? Clearly, this is just a remark made out of lack of confidence, knowing that defeat is inevitable.

Wait a minute, after this Wandering Practitioner loses, he must make him take a penalty, then let him embarrass himself in front of everyone!

Li Ge smirked, then eagerly said: "Since I was the one who suggested singing, I’ll go first!"

Saying so, Li Ge gestured with his hand: "Bring me my musical instrument!"

Li Ge was skilled at entertaining travelers; don’t be fooled by so many merchant descendants here, only he could play a musical instrument.

It was obvious Li Ge wanted to make Lin Hao look bad, which is why he purposely brought out a musical instrument; otherwise, he wouldn’t use one on occasions like this.

Everyone unconsciously glanced at Lin Hao. It was clear that this was targeting him, and Annie was especially worried, even wanting to drag Lin Hao away.

But Lin Hao didn’t leave; he just sat smiling, drinking alone, as if everything was unrelated to him.

Soon, someone brought Li Ge’s musical instrument over, an exotic five-stringed instrument of strange shape that Lin Hao had never seen.

Li Ge took it and tested the sound, giving Lin Hao a provocative look.

Then he played and sang, starting his performance.

It must be said, Li Ge indeed had some talent. A popular song from the Thousand Needle Desert, under his rendition, genuinely conveyed the desert’s charm.

People were immersed in Li Ge’s singing, feeling the wind of the Gobi brush their faces with its vastness.

Many unconsciously started tapping out the rhythm, and some even hummed along.

A lofty song, with a long and lingering voice.

After singing, Shen Fei was the first to applaud: "Good, good, good! Brother Li’s singing has become even more formidable; this feeling is almost on par with the songstress Wang Yue."

Songstress Wang Yue was a master in the Desert region, not a songstress in the usual sense, but her singing was truly exceptional—essentially on the level of a pop star.

Saying Li Ge’s singing was nearly as good as Wang Yue’s was not only praise for his singing but also giving face through the compliment, and it also showed that Li Ge really had some skills.

"Beautifully sung, beautifully sung! This is the best song I’ve heard in the past two years."

Young people nearby also cheered and praised without exception.

Only Annie’s eyes grew more worried.

She knew Li Ge was causing trouble for Lin Hao. With Li Ge’s impressive singing, Annie also knew that to outdo him, one would need to be a pop star-level talent.

But was Lin Hao a pop star?

Clearly not; he was just a Wandering Practitioner.

"Mediocre, did not perform well." Li Ge felt very smug inside, thinking that his singing was not just for a wandering practitioner to worship, but even among the talented descendants of the Trading House, none could match his singing.

"I have finished singing. Now please, Loose Cultivator Mu Yi, grace everyone with a song of the Practitioners," Li Ge gloated, holding a cup of wine, walked over to Lin Hao, and sneered: "Of course, if you’re tone-deaf, you can just admit defeat; we won’t make things difficult for you."