Chapter 30: A Glimpse of Elegance!

The offline promotional event for the television series "Xianxia Love" began shortly.

There were three rows of seats on the stage. The top tier was reserved for the Brahmins—the investors and producers. At the center of the middle row sat Director Ma Shuliang, flanked by key production staff, including the executive producer, assistant director, and art director. Although he had joined the project quite late, Li Can, as a musical collaborator, was seated to the left of the middle row. The cast members were relegated to the rows behind them. The hierarchy of the entertainment industry was on full display.

As fate would have it, Luo Zhongwen, who played the pivotal role of the Sword Demon, was seated just in front of and to the side of Li Can. Li Can offered Luo a faint smile, then sat silently behind him, staring fixedly at his back. For a moment, Luo felt his hair stand on end, as if he were being pricked by needles. Being a veteran of the industry, Luo kept his composure, showing nothing on the surface. But after learning about Li Can's background and enduring that unrelenting, deathly gaze, only he knew how uncomfortable he truly felt.

As for the audience, it was comprised of film critics, music reviewers, journalists, and specialists from fields such as composition, modeling, visual effects, and costume design. If a production is sufficiently popular and large-scale, there are countless details worth developing; for instance, character-themed accessories or collectible cards—derivations that sold surprisingly well, even if one wondered who exactly was buying them.

Soon, the character introductions for the actors began. Posters were erected, high-resolution CGs were projected on the giant screen, and the actors struck awkward poses. While it might not have seemed so bad in a polished drama, witnessing it live was excruciatingly cringe-worthy. Li Can felt that his sneakers would be ready for the trash after today.

"Sword Control Technique! Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Ancestor!"
"Why do you hold such hostility toward me?!"
"With an iron sleeve, I hold the mother-and-son blades; with a mere inch of light, I ascend to immortality!"

Li Can felt his scalp tingle. As the attendees engaged in Q&A sessions and interactions, Li Can forced his soul to wander elsewhere to ignore the embarrassment. His mind drifted, pondering the meaning of life one moment and envisioning the heat death of the universe the next.

Finally, long after, the event moved to the main agenda.

"Next, we will present the first trailer for the series, along with one of the theme songs, 'A Glimpse of Beauty.'"

Director Ma's words pulled Li Can back to reality. He sat up straight, as if he had never been mentally absent.

The guests in the audience began to whisper among themselves.

"The costumes and props are genuinely distinctive; there was real effort put into them. If these details are handled so well, surely other aspects will be impressive too."
"Finally, we get to see what this heavily funded production is actually like..."

"A Glimpse of Beauty? That's quite a poetic title. It likely references the 'Goddess of the Luo River,' implying it's tied to the main romantic arc."
"With the giants Star Beauty and Yijia collaborating, and bringing in several emerging agencies, whether they can open up a new market direction depends on this."

Soon, the trailer began to play. Four characters appeared on the giant screen: "A Glimpse of Beauty." In the bottom right corner were the names of the lyricist, composer, arranger, and performers: Li Can, Lin Feng, and Han Jiayin.

The crowd quieted down. Some were perplexed, as they had never heard of Lin Feng or Han Jiayin. The name Li Can, however, sounded vaguely familiar. The music critics were surprised; they hadn't expected the song submission for "Xianxia," which had been a hot topic in the industry, to be won by a rising star with such a growing reputation.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Amidst landscapes of mountains and water, the zheng began the prelude. The catchy melody, paired with high-definition vistas of green hills and clear waters, instantly pulled the audience into the atmosphere. Then, a majestic back appeared, slowly turning to reveal a face—weathered yet filled with the imposing authority of a ruler. It was the lead actor!

"With a flip of the hand, clouds gather; with another, rain falls.
Washing my hands of the past, I silence the storm."

A fresh, clear male voice sang out. The camera followed the protagonist’s gaze to a seductive, enchantress-like woman with a complex expression. Yet, as the camera slowly transitioned, the enchantress's image faded, replaced by that of a naive and lively young girl.

"I do not long for the mortal world, yet I cannot let go of the memories.
Every chapter holds you."

The spring was bright and beautiful; the two were childhood sweethearts. Standing amidst the landscape, the two young children smiled.

"The meeting of our youth remains in my heart,
Years have not dimmed your deep affection."

When the camera focused on the actress, a subtle, shifting focus blurred the landscape, highlighting her face as it moved from hazy to clear. A wide-angle shot pulled back, accompanying the song's emotional buildup.

"As picturesque as the realm may be, how can it compare...
To the scenery you gifted me."

The screen flickered. Like a montage, scenes from different stages of the plot began to revolve around the pair. Amidst the joyous past, hints of shadowy scenes suggested impending unease.

"Under the willow, I hear the zither; I dance to the tune.
It seems to reflect those years, a glimpse of beauty."

The male and female duet seemed to slowly unfold the story. As the music fused with the plot, the audience's emotions surged.

"Who, with a few words, stirred the heart?
Who, with a single smile, shook the stars?"

After the warmth of the past, the camera shifted to scenes of combat and suspense. Exquisite, dazzling special effects flashed across the screen, drawing gasps from the crowd.

"The paper fan hides a foreshadowing, a mystery within the poem.
Purple smoke burns with inner thoughts, waiting for one to seek the fragrance."

Suddenly, the conflict between the leads reached a climax. Both drew their swords, killing intent boiling over. But as the blades crossed, about to pierce each other, their eyes locked.

"History books record the heroes, but who can measure their merits or faults?
What do I seek in this life? Only you..."

Such editing, while unconventional for a trailer, was filled with a hazy, artistic quality. This perfect touch of ambiguity—incomplete yet profound—stimulated the audience's imagination. The song and the visuals provided strong contrasts. As the main verse ended and the two were about to harm each other, they simultaneously threw away their weapons.

The wide-angle shot pulled back once more to the childhood landscape, as if meeting for the first time.

"From the distant mountains comes the leisurely melody of a flute;
The morning breeze steals away time... the waning moon sinks into frost-covered hair."
"With you... all grievances are like a wild goose stepping on snow!"

After the emotional intensity of the bridge, the music returned to the chorus, releasing the tension. On screen, the two protagonists, having discarded their weapons, could no longer restrain themselves and embraced.

The audience held their breath, eyes wide, their expressions frozen.

The trailer contained no dialogue, no extra characters, and provided no details about the plot, setting, world-building, or major events. Yet, one could feel an emotional resonance difficult to describe in words.

The music and film critics’ eyes shone. This artistic editing was not cliché, nor was it "commercial," yet it delivered a profound aesthetic impact. The three encounters between the protagonists echoed each other through the recurring scenery, yet the details were never quite the same. The blooming and withering of flower petals mirrored their inner states; the progression from sapling to young tree to towering giant served as a powerful metaphor for the passage of time. By deconstructing and reconstructing visual details, the music linked these fragments together, presenting the essence of the television series in a magnificent display.