Chapter 267: Merging of Minds

Inside Lanxiang Yuan at Huaying Pavilion.

Lan Ying's delicate brows were slightly furrowed as she curiously sized up the master and servant before her.

One was a fair-skinned young gentleman, hair tied up in a crown, wearing a garment with embroidered edges; his eyes were lively, like glazed glass, and his temperament was clear and cold, like limpid autumn water.

Yet the servant behind him was as straight as a mountain of flesh, with a fierce and ugly appearance that made Lan Ying fearful to behold.

It was clear, however, that these two were not people from Xiangu County.

At this moment, Fan Yuanhai was in the neighboring room with Lian Ying, accompanied by several others; she surmised that the person before her was, in all likelihood, also a Sect Emissary, just like Fan Yuanhai.

Lan Ying bowed and smiled, saying, "Young Master, I have already prepared a spread of wine and food. Please take your seat; I shall serve you a few cups to wash away your fatigue."

Lv Qingzhu said, "No need. I have never been one to drink alcohol."

"Ah..." Lan Ying was stunned for a moment; it was the first time she had heard of someone coming to a brothel and not drinking.

"I have heard that Miss Lan Ying's zither skills are exceptional. I wonder if I might trouble you to play a piece for me?" Lv Qingzhu's mind was simple, and she went straight to the point as soon as she spoke.

She had come to listen to the zither, so why would she care about anything else?

Lan Ying hesitated for a moment before saying, "As the Young Master commands, naturally that is fine."

Although Lan Ying was puzzled, she was wary of the person's status as a Sect Emissary, and secondly, this young gentleman was clear-eyed and lively, which was quite pleasing to her.

What harm was there in playing a piece first?

This was the first time Lan Ying had begun to play the zither before even taking her seat at the table.

She walked gracefully to the zither stand not far away.

Lv Qingzhu stood there with her hands behind her back, her gaze sweeping over the decorations inside Lanxiang Yuan.

Inside Lanxiang Yuan, many of the ornaments were quite exquisite, and the eight-paneled screen was even more luxurious, but Lv Qingzhu merely glanced at them, showing little interest.

In her childhood, she had often been by her grandfather's side; he lived in a secluded cave deep within Changliu Mountain, and his life was simple.

Influenced by this, Lv Qingzhu had never been fond of luxury.

Lan Ying was already seated before the zither stand; she first lit a stick of calming incense in the burner on the side table.

Only then did she lift the yellow silk covering the zither, sat upright, took a deep breath of the incense, and as she slowly exhaled, her slender fingers plucked the first string.

Lv Qingzhu was quite fond of music; at the sound of that first note, her eyes lit up as she caught the subtle overtones, thinking to herself: The rumors in the pugilistic world say that brothels are full of hidden talents; it seems this is indeed true.

Lan Ying had already slowly plucked three strings; like a stone cast into the center of a lake, the zither notes rippled outward, one after another...

At this moment, Lan Ying focused her mind and suddenly entered the rhythm.

Her slender fingers danced across the strings, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, the zither melody lingering...

Lv Qingzhu stood there, her spirit bathed in the sound.

Suddenly, she flipped her hand and held the xun she had picked up at Guyue Studio.

Lv Qingzhu held the xun with both hands, blowing notes at intervals to accompany Lan Ying's zither music...

Under the accompaniment of Lv Qingzhu's xun, Lan Ying's zither melody gradually began to change...

Lan Ying was inwardly astonished; she was obsessed with music and had immersed herself in it for years, so she could better understand the power of the sound from the small, unfamiliar instrument Lv Qingzhu was playing.

It was a somewhat muffled, resonant sound that gradually expanded and enveloped the space...

Because she had to harmonize with the sound of the xun, Lan Ying's zither music gradually became more intense...

The intense zither music and the distant, low-pitched xun sound merged into one piece...

The more Lv Qingzhu played, the more joyful she became, while Lan Ying's hands plucked the zither as fast as beating drums, beads of sweat forming on her forehead...

Just then, the sound of the xun grew lower and lower, finally drifting like the hum of an insect...

Lan Ying's zither music also slowed down once more...

Finally, the xun sound faded away, and Lan Ying gave one last pluck of the strings, ending with a resonant chime...

The lingering sound echoed in the rafters, never-ending...

Lan Ying was exhausted but thoroughly satisfied by this piece; she and Lv Qingzhu looked at each other and smiled, for just now, during their duet, their minds had nearly merged.

This was a feeling Lan Ying had never experienced before, and the joy in her heart at this moment can be imagined.

Lan Ying looked at Lv Qingzhu, wishing she could deeply imprint his appearance into her eyes.

"Young Master, what kind of instrument is that? The sound is so unique!" Lan Ying steadied her emotions before looking at the xun in Lv Qingzhu's hand, asking with a look of confusion.

Lan Ying was indeed very curious; the moment that unique sound began, her zither music had been drawn along with it.

Although Lv Qingzhu had played very softly at the beginning, seemingly to accommodate her, the moment the sound rose, her zither music had already changed, and by the time the sound swelled, her zither music could only struggle to barely keep pace.

"Miss Lan Ying does not recognize this?" Lv Qingzhu handed the xun in her hand to Lan Ying.

Lan Ying took it, examined it carefully, and then shook her head.

Lv Qingzhu was somewhat puzzled; Lan Ying's zither playing was clear and refined, clearly showing great accomplishment in music, so how could she not recognize this?

Lan Ying returned the xun to Lv Qingzhu and said, "I have seen many instruments, but I have never recognized this one."

Lv Qingzhu looked at the xun in her hand, slightly surprised, thinking to herself: Could it be that no one plays the xun in this place?

She had known how to play it since she was a child and had seen it at Guyue Studio, so she assumed it was a common instrument; little did she know that the method of playing this instrument had been lost for over a thousand years. How could Lan Ying possibly recognize it?

However, Lv Qingzhu did not take it to heart; she smiled freely and said, "Playing a piece with Miss Lan Ying today has been a great joy; this trip was not in vain. Farewell!"

As Lv Qingzhu spoke, she actually prepared to leave.

Lan Ying's heart tightened, and she urged, "Is the Young Master leaving?"

Lv Qingzhu said, "I have already experienced Miss Lan Ying's zither skills, which are indeed extraordinary. And we even played a piece together; it can be called a Consummation."

After finishing, Lv Qingzhu took A Mo and walked straight out of Lanxiang Yuan.

Lan Ying stood there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time; she never imagined that just a moment ago they were playing together, their minds so merged. It was rare to meet someone who was both pleasing to her eyes and deeply versed in music; even if he were just a glimmer of light in her dim life, she had not expected this light to be like a shooting star, flashing by only to be extinguished.

How could Lan Ying be willing to let him go just like that? She hurried toward the door, wanting to chase after Lv Qingzhu.

But just as she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped.

She was merely a woman of the dust, a fleeting encounter; what right did she have to hold him back?

Lan Ying stood there, recalling her own sorrowful life, then thinking of Lv Qingzhu's clear and spirited eyes, she could not help but feel grief welling up from within, and she burst into tears...

Lv Qingzhu, with A Mo in tow, walked slowly out of Lanxiang Yuan.

She had come here originally just to collect the zither techniques. Coming in high spirits and returning satisfied, isn't that quite good?

After Lv Qingzhu left Lanxiang Yuan, she prepared to take A Mo back, but the moment the two reached the corridor, they suddenly heard the sound of drums coming from the room next door, interspersed with laughter.

That laughter belonged to Fan Yuanhai and Zhu Qunxiang.

Lv Qingzhu's gaze flickered, revealing an expression of interest; she suddenly turned her steps and walked toward the Lianhualuo next door.

When Lv Qingzhu arrived at the entrance of Lianhualuo, there were two burly brothel servants guarding it.

Those two servants looked at A Mo, whose figure was like a mountain of flesh behind Lv Qingzhu, and there was clear trepidation in their eyes.

"Young Master, there are honored guests inside Lianhualuo; you cannot disturb them."

The servant hesitated, but Lv Qingzhu flipped her hand, slapped a banknote into the servant's hand, and said, "I know the people inside."

Seeing that Lv Qingzhu was dressed in fine clothes, was generous with money, and was followed by such a fierce servant, the servant clearly realized she had some status; after a moment of consideration, the servant opened the door and let the two in.

Lv Qingzhu and A Mo stepped slowly into Lianhualuo.

Inside Lianhualuo, Lian Ying had a small drum tied around her waist with her navel exposed; she was beating the drum while twisting her waist, a sight that made Fan Yuanhai, Zhu Qunxiang, and the others look mesmerized.

Lian Ying noticed the infatuated expressions of the group and felt very proud; as she looked around, her smile was radiant...

Just at this moment, Lv Qingzhu walked in with A Mo.

Lian Ying was in the middle of a vigorous dance when she caught a glimpse of a figure entering from the corner of her eye; she immediately stopped her movements and glared at Lv Qingzhu with angry eyes.

Fan Yuanhai, Zhu Qunxiang, and the others were even more stunned!

The originally lively scene suddenly went quiet the moment Lv Qingzhu and A Mo stepped inside.

Fan Yuanhai and Zhu Qunxiang were stunned not only because of the sudden intrusion of Lv Qingzhu and A Mo, but more so because of Lv Qingzhu's male attire—she looked like a jade tree in the wind, with sword-like brows and starry eyes; in a moment of daze, they truly thought she was a young master.

Fan Yuanhai, holding a cup of wine in mid-air, was the first to react and laughed, "Qingzhu has come too, please, sit!"

As Fan Yuanhai spoke, he looked at Lian Ying and said, "Miss Lian Ying, this is one of our own, you continue dancing!"

Seeing that Lv Qingzhu was a clear and gentle young master, the anger in Lian Ying's heart dissipated; hearing Fan Yuanhai say this, she immediately beamed and danced her enchanting dance even more vigorously.

As Lian Ying looked around, her eyes would occasionally sweep toward Lv Qingzhu, who was sitting on the edge.

Not long after Lv Qingzhu and A Mo sat down, Zhu Qunxiang suddenly walked over with a cup of wine and smiled, "Miss Qingzhu, the aged wine of Huaying Pavilion is truly excellent; come, have a taste."

Just as Zhu Qunxiang raised his wine cup, one of A Mo's large hands suddenly clamped onto his wrist. Zhu Qunxiang felt pain in his wrist, but he couldn't break free at all. He saw A Mo looking at him with the eyes of a wild beast and saying, "My Miss never drinks alcohol! Also, if you try to chat up my Miss with that smirking face again, I will tear you apart with my bare hands!"

Zhu Qunxiang's face turned deathly pale, because he could tell that when A Mo said he would tear him apart, he meant it literally.

But Lv Qingzhu just sat there indifferently, never looking at Zhu Qunxiang from beginning to end.

Zhu Qunxiang looked at the wrist A Mo had released; there were several finger-print scratches like iron brands, but he knew A Mo had already shown mercy and had not broken his bones.

Zhu Qunxiang retreated with an embarrassed expression.

Except for Lian Ying who was dancing, Fan Yuanhai and the others had all noticed the situation here, and a strange atmosphere suddenly permeated the air.

Lv Qingzhu, however, did not care at all. She sat there watching Lian Ying dance, but the more she watched, the more boring she found it. She suddenly said, "A dancer's dance, like a swordsman's sword, is her soul and dignity. To flaunt one's appearance like this is truly dreadfully dull!"

Because of the incident with Zhu Qunxiang just now, Fan Yuanhai and the others had already quieted down, so Lv Qingzhu's words drifted clearly into Lian Ying's ears. Lian Ying's movements stalled; how could she continue to dance?

By this time, Lv Qingzhu had already stood up and, without saying a word, walked away with A Mo.

Fan Yuanhai smiled awkwardly; even though he was eloquent, he didn't know how to smooth over this situation.

He admitted that what Lv Qingzhu said was not wrong, but this was a brothel—it was a place for flaunting one's appearance!

Lv Qingzhu and A Mo left Lianhualuo, walked down from the second floor, and headed straight out of Huaying Pavilion.

"A Mo, which do you think is more fun, Huaying Pavilion or the Antique Street?"

"Of course the Antique Street is more fun. This place is all zithers and dancing, and the people are annoying too. It's not as comfortable as the people at the Antique Street."

Lv Qingzhu smiled and said, "A Mo is right."

On the morning of this day, seeing that tomorrow was the day of the Registered Disciple assessment, Xiao Zongting specially took Duan Rong and Xiao Yu to the front of the County Office to familiarize themselves with the venue.

The martial arts Zeying Tai was not a flat surface, but was composed of wooden stakes with equal gaps between them.

This was to increase the difficulty, allowing the two combatants to decide the winner faster, so as to save time for the assessment.

Because the gaps between the roots of these stakes were the same on the left, right, front, and back, one stake formed a pattern similar to a plum blossom with the four stakes surrounding it, hence it was called Plum Blossom Stakes.

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu stood on the Plum Blossom Stakes and exchanged a few moves.

Xiao Yu's Cloud Snake Step was still at the Proficiency level.

But Duan Rong's Cloud Snake Step, due to his accidental realization at Wild Boar Mountain, had already broken through to the Small Success Realm.

Coupled with Duan Rong's deliberate avoidance, the movement techniques and footwork he displayed were already completely different from Xiao Yu's.

The two exchanged a few moves, and after becoming familiar with the venue, they jumped down from the Plum Blossom Stakes.

Afterward, the three returned to Xiao Zongting's courtyard together.

Xiao Zongting gave them many more instructions, mostly regarding things that needed special attention during combat on the Plum Blossom Stakes.

As for martial arts, Xiao Zongting had nothing left to teach them; the Unnamed Three Styles he had pondered and conceived during the final period of his life had already been taught to Duan Rong and Xiao Yu.

Duan Rong sat before Xiao Zongting and could feel the somewhat complex emotions in Xiao Zongting's heart as he looked at him. On one hand, he was happy that Duan Rong could participate in the Registered Disciple selection. But on the other hand, he felt vaguely lost.

He had dedicated his whole life to the Yuanshun Escort Agency; he had originally wanted to cultivate Duan Rong as his successor, hoping that Duan Rong would be able to become the head of the Yuanshun Escort Agency in the future.

But Duan Rong was clearly more formidable than he had anticipated; in just a year's time, he was now actually going to participate in the Registered Disciple selection together with Xiao Yu.

Once he entered the Taiyi Sect, unless Duan Rong failed to advance to an Outer Sect Disciple, he would never return to be the head of the Yuanshun Escort Agency. Thinking of this, Xiao Zongting felt empty inside...

Xiao Yu, however, looked at Duan Rong with encouraging eyes.

Duan Rong had spent a long time with the Xiaojia, and he saw through both of their thoughts as clearly as fire. However, for himself, he was determined to enter the Taiyi Sect!

(End of chapter)