Chapter 116

"Waaah~~~"

"Chk-chk-chk~..."

The Phoenix-Headed Priestess prayed to the heavens within the Linde Hall, the desolate melody stirring the heartstrings of everyone present.

The Qian Emperor had originally wanted to see what trick the Northern Zhou intended to play, but as the proper soul-calming music entered his ears, he slowly relaxed.

Memories flooded his mind: the trepidation of being an Imperial Prince, the desperate last stand of bringing death-soldiers into the palace, the cautious step-by-step struggle against old ministers and kings after ascending the throne, and the hidden planning while dealing with various nations...

"My life has been like walking on thin ice; it seems I am nearing the end..."

"Fortunately, my wife and children are all here. Although the Great Qian has internal troubles and external threats, the nation is wealthy and strong, with countless talents, leaving Jinghuan a good foundation..."

"Though I regret not seeing the world united, it is fate; I have no regrets in this life..."

"As for what comes next, let the successors handle it..."

Li Gongpu, whose heart was full of anger, even felt a sense of relief, muttering secretly:

"If the old does not go, the new does not come..."

"Even if Xie Jinhuan's brilliance grows stronger, as long as His Majesty stands, what can he do to me..."

Every civil and military official in the Linde Hall, having climbed to their current positions, had their own pasts.

At this moment, all immersed in the tranquil emotion, their expressions varied; after the song ended, they remained silent for a long time.

Guo Ziyan, the one who started the trouble, knew this would be the effect; after the assembled ministers had a moment to reflect, he spoke first:

"This birthday blessing song by the Laozu Sect is meant to remind us not to forget our origins and not to fear the future.

"Her Majesty the Empress possesses both virtue and talent, assisting the Qian Emperor for twenty years, enduring countless storms and hardships, yet remaining as she was in the beginning.

"You have come to offer birthday wishes without spending a shred of thought, merely presenting gold, silver, and jewels, treating Her Majesty the Empress like those vulgar people outside; in the eyes of an external minister, you are truly unworthy to sit within this Linde Hall."

These words directly insulted everyone present, yet the civil and military officials seated there found it hard to respond, after all, these words praised the Empress while scolding them for lacking sincerity.

Empress He was actually moved by this song, but she was ultimately the Empress of the Great Qian; she originally wanted to say she simply loved jewelry and that the ministers were catering to her tastes, but doing so would make the Southern Court seem vulgar and give face to the Northern Zhou.

The Qian Emperor knew this move was hard to counter; seeing the ministers speechless, he turned his gaze to Fan Li, wanting this great scholar to debate the scriptures.

At that very moment, Duoduo approached the back of Princess Changning unnoticed and whispered in her ear.

Princess Changning had originally just been frowning and observing; upon hearing Duoduo's whisper, she became fully alert, first glancing at the corner of the hall, then raising her head and chest to speak:

"Vice Minister Guo is mistaken. 'Nuo Music' is used by the Wu Sect for sacrificial prayers to the gods; the Great Qian does not lack it, but rather, with various sects flourishing, the opening of altars for sacrifice is entrusted to the Daoist and Buddhist schools, so these heterodox tricks are not used in ordinary times.

"His Majesty hosts this banquet for the ministers to create a lively and festive atmosphere; if one wishes to hear elegant pieces, the palace has its own musicians, so why does Vice Minister Guo need to perform?

"The piece offered by Vice Minister Guo, though highly elegant, has left the entire Linde Hall silent after a single song, with not a trace of a smile on the ministers' faces; does Vice Minister Guo not feel this is inappropriate?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers felt these words were somewhat unsuitable.

After all, the performance was simple, but Nuo Music is a secret supernatural power of the Wu Sect's sacrificial lineage; the Great Qian drove the Wu Sect out, so where would one find such a musician to duel with a Shaman Sect priest?

However, Princess Changning is a junior; even if she speaks wrongly or loses the argument, an elder can smooth things over, so the ministers chose to wait and see.

Hearing these words, Guo Ziyan turned his gaze toward Princess Changning:

"This piece was once used to wish the Human Emperor a happy birthday; we use this song to wish Her Majesty the Empress a happy birthday, representing the respect of our Great Zhou; the lack of a birthday celebration is because it was not offered by Southern Court officials, not because the piece is inappropriate.

"Your Highness the Princess says Her Majesty the Empress wishes to hear it and can have musicians play such pieces at any time; if so, can Your Highness have a musician play a piece so that external ministers may broaden their horizons?"

Seeing this, Princess Changning said no more and waved her hand toward the corner of the hall.

The civil and military officials present, including Wei Lu, Zhang Huaiyu, and others, knew that Princess Changning kept a group of 'strange and talented people' under her command, and originally thought Duoduo, who could sing any tune, would come out.

But to everyone's surprise, a white-robed Young Master with an extraordinary bearing rose from the corner of the hall and walked toward the front.

"Eh?"

"This is..."

The ministers erupted in uproar!

Wei Lu had long heard of Xie Jinhuan's style of conduct; thinking that Northern Zhou envoys could not be dismembered in court, he tried to pull him back but failed.

Fan Li and his disciple Zhang Huaiyu were also baffled, thinking secretly:

Is the Princess preparing to give the Northern Zhou a beating with percussion?

That might not be appropriate...

The Qian Emperor, Li Gongpu, Prefect Chen Ping, and others also did not expect Xie Jinhuan, a new rising star of the Righteous Path with extraordinary martial arts, to appear at this moment.

Empress He even asked in a low voice:

"Ling'er, you are..."

Princess Changning knew how wild Xie Jinhuan could get when he acted up; she had not the slightest doubt, only signaling with her eyes not to worry.

Xie Jinhuan arrived at the front of the hall, first bowed to the Emperor and Empress, then looked at Guo Ziyan:

"Although Xie is but a mere martial artist, I also have some knowledge of music; today I offer this humble performance to wish Her Majesty the Empress a happy birthday, hoping the gentlemen will not laugh."

"Uh..."

As an external envoy, how could Guo Ziyan not be aware of the movements of the Jingzhao Prefecture; he had heard Xie Jinhuan's name thunderously.

But he truly did not expect this young man, so handsome, to prepare to perform a show...

Could this be 'Jinhuan dances with a sword, intending to feast on the Duke,' preparing to intimidate this old man?

Although it was a bit strange, Guo Ziyan, who wished to die in the Great Qian to give the Northern Zhou a reason to launch a campaign, did not lose his composure:

"I did not expect Young Master Xie to also understand music; I wonder what piece the Young Master intends to play?"

Xie Jinhuan came out for this purpose, 'Jinhuan dances with a sword, intending to target the Great Demon,' preparing to use a secret method to stir emotions and see if he could blow up the Mingshen Sect's hidden agent.

However, since the atmosphere had reached this point, he still had to say a few polite words; Xie Jinhuan looked around at the assembled gentlemen:

"Our Great Qian established the nation through martial arts; the Taizu regarded the Human Emperor as a Sage Ruler and built the Human Emperor Shrine at Yugeng Mountain to worship him.

"In the Hall of the Human Emperor, ten generals serve as attendant deities; one of them is Yin Lun of the Yin Dynasty, whose statue stands beside a war drum and is encircled by lutes. Do the lords know the story behind this?"

The Wu Sect shaman behind Guo Ziyan replied:

"Yin Lun was one of the Ancestral Witches. According to legend, the Human Emperor was once surrounded by a vast army at Lu Yuan. Yin Lun played the 'Shanhe Order' to boost morale, helping the Human Emperor utterly defeat the barbarians and secure the realm; thus, the 'Shanhe Pass' received its name. Could it be that Young Master Xie wishes to play this piece to help the Qian Emperor defeat his enemies?"

Xie Jinhuan did not know the 'Shanhe Order' at all, but fortunately, no one currently knew what this melody sounded like, so he replied:

"Thousands of years have passed; the 'Shanhe Order' has long been lost. However, my master once composed a piece of music based on this story..."

Hearing this, the Wu Sect shaman warned:

"The music just performed was the 'Nuo Music' for the Prayer to the Gods. If Young Master only knows a common tune..."

"If it were a common tune, why would you need me, Xie Jinhuan, to step forward?"

"..."

Upon hearing these words, the entire hall fell silent.

Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo both brightened slightly in the eyes, their thoughts roughly being:

He is so arrogant~ But I like it very much...

Of course, Linghu Qingmo also worried that Xie Jinhuan might be overdoing it.

Guo Ziyan, forcibly intrigued by this arrogant tone, raised his hand and signaled:

"Young Master Xie, please."

The lords present were half-skeptical but watched with anticipation.

Xie Jinhuan wasted no words; he merely hooked his hand slightly, and Duoduo, together with the court musicians, pushed over a large drum.

The drum's diameter was a full one and a half meters; its body was nanmu wood lacquered red, adorned with bronze beast faces on all four sides. The drumhead was not ordinary cowhide but came from a special beast, rumored to be a descendant of the 'Kui Ox'; the drumsticks were also made from its thigh bones. Merely pushing it over produced a trembling sound like distant thunder rolling across the sky:

"Boom... boom... boom..."

Xie Jinhuan took the drumstick, thick as a baby's arm, stood beneath the coiled-dragon dome, let his energy circulate after a brief moment of preparation, causing his white robe to flutter without wind, then raised both hands and slammed them down fiercely:

Boom—

The drum sound was like thunder exploding in an empty valley!

The ministers in the hall felt their chests violently shake, and even the wine in their cups rippled!

He Guozhang, sitting in the first seat on the right and seemingly half-asleep, was startled into a shiver; his dim eyes turned sharp, and he squinted toward the young master in white not far away.

Even Xie Jinhuan himself was startled by the drum sound enhanced by this curse technique, but it did not affect his rhythm, and he began to strike the drumhead rapidly.

Boom, boom, boom...

The drum sound grew from sparse to dense, like iron hooves trampling and war drums battering a city.

An indescribable surge of excitement rose from the depths of the ministers' souls; combined with the piercing sharpness in Xie Jinhuan's eyes—a sharpness forged by having personally slain countless lives—it felt as though he was not merely beating a drum, but standing alone atop a city wall, frowning coldly at ten thousand armored troops pressing against the walls. Boundless killing intent soared into the sky with each drumbeat, waiting only for a single command before sword light turned north and ten thousand arrows were released in unison!

The Qian Emperor and Cao Fier'er behind him changed their gaze from appreciation to surprise.

And the Beiming Sect disciple who had just played the music was filled with shock!

After all, although Xie Jinhuan's drum piece was completely different from his own, the method of stimulating human emotions was clearly a plagiarism of the Beiming Sect's technique, taken directly for use; the only difference was that he prayed for the gods' blessings, while Xie Jinhuan prayed for the War God to possess him!

Ordinary people could not discern the method, but having studied this all his life, how could he not hear the sense of familiarity?

Boom, boom, boom, boom—Da, da—

The drum sound was like thunder driving away demons, echoing within the vast golden hall.

Even the Golden Gourd Warriors standing guard outside could not help but turn sideways to check if there was truly lightning and thunder inside the Linde Hall.

As the drum sound grew stronger, the emotions of the ministers present were pulled by the rhythm; their heartbeats slowly quickened, fists clenched tightly, eyes burning, and they even could not help but nod vigorously in time with the beat.

Xie Jinhuan paid no attention to everyone's gazes; he simply focused on operating the Ghost Bride Sect's technique, striking the drumhead with all his might to get everyone in the hall worked up!

Music itself can ignite passion, making people excited and active, while war drums are instruments specifically for boosting morale on the battlefield, designed to stimulate soldiers' aggressive, hyperactive, fearless, and bloodthirsty emotions. Enhanced by the methods of the Sacrificial Lineage, it could almost make people stop thinking under the dense drumbeats and simply charge forward with their heads down.

Wei Lu and other coarse warriors, under the gradually intensifying dense drumbeats, almost instinctively clenched their fists and tensed their entire bodies' muscles, generating an impulse to grab a stool and start a fight.

Xie Jinhuan himself was actually affected by the 'Restless Soul Curse'; if the occasion were not inappropriate, he would probably have to untie his hair and shake it a couple of times to feel satisfied.

And people of the Demon Dao do not care about restraining desires; instead, they indulge in desires such as killing and bloodlust. Stimulated by the thunder-like war drums, it was no different from Xie Jinhuan having his face hard-rubbed by the large rear end of an absolute luxury car; it would be a ghost story if he didn't react.

Boom, boom, boom...

As the drum sound became increasingly dense, everyone's eyes showed surprise, their heartstrings were gradually driven to the peak, and a reminder came to Xie Jinhuan's ears:

"Push a bit harder; it seems someone is about to lose control."

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan exerted himself to gather his energy, raising both hands high like a god beating a drum:

Boom—!

The drum sound was like celestial thunder shaking the mountains, cracking the earth and startling the sky!

Li Gongpu was sitting nearby; he had already been so inspired that he wanted to howl and pounce to bite Xie Jinhuan to death. Suddenly, with this strike, it was as if he had been coiled to the absolute limit and suddenly received a command; the whole person almost bounced up.

He Guozhang, advanced in years, squinted as if listening, but was also startled by this suddenly exploding drum sound, his hands shaking; several light sounds of touching wine cups echoed within the hall.

And at this very moment, the Ghost Bride reached a conclusion:

"The southeast corner of the hall, third row, that old man with a goatee; without unexpected circumstances, he is a hidden Demon Daoist."

Xie Jinhuan stood in the center of the hall, unable to see behind him; he did not turn to look back now, but simply exerted all his strength to drive the qi mechanism and hammer the large drum!

Boom, boom, boom—

But unfortunately, he was ultimately an amateur improvising at the critical moment, and using the 'Upside-Down Candle' method to control the spell incantation, the power was a bit weak; trying to directly explode the Mingshen Sect's hidden agents out was harder than climbing to the sky.

Shortly after, the piece ended.

The passionate atmosphere of the Linde Hall instantly dissipated, but everyone's heartbeats still thundered, and their gazes remained excited.

Xie Jinhuan put away the drumsticks with fluid grace, first bowing to the Emperor and Empress, then turning to bow to the lords present; in the process, he glanced at the target mentioned by the Ghost Bride, seeing it was an old man dressed in brocade robes.

The old man was nearly seventy years old, appearing kind-faced; at this moment, he kept his head down, so his expression was invisible, and it was unknown what he was doing.

Although the Ghost Bride had detected that this person was suspicious, judging by his seating position, he should only be a marginal figure, not looking much like a high-ranking and powerful hidden agent of the Mingshen Sect...

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan did not startle the snake by stirring the grass; instead, he turned his gaze toward Guo Ziyan:

"How does Vice Minister Guo feel about this?"

"Ho..."

Only at this moment did the assembled gentlemen snap out of their daze, emitting sounds of shock and doubt.

The Qian Emperor had just been soothed into the mindset of "do one's best and leave the rest to heaven," but now, stirred by the war drums, his spirit surged with the ambition to "sweep across the eight wastelands and unify the six directions." He couldn't help but clap his hands:

"Excellent! This deserves a reward!"

Clap, clap...

The dignitaries present also nodded repeatedly, their gazes upon Xie Jinhuan filled with approval.

Although Xie Jinhuan's foundation in music was merely adequate, far from comparable to the great masters of musical theory.

But this was a war drum brimming with killing intent; what it required was that overwhelming, unstoppable, sky-piercing momentum!

Slight roughness in technique did not detract from the spectacle. Combined with the methods of the Sacrificial Lineage, it truly allowed people to comprehend how the Human Emperor, back then, amidst a ten-sided siege, forcibly turned the tide with his followers, shaking the ten thousand li of mountains and rivers with his might!

Had Xie Jinhuan been born into a family of musical masters, the assembled gentlemen could only have praised his broad interests. But Xie Jinhuan was a proper martial artist; performing such a feat in court truly made many jaws drop.

Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo, even the onlooker Duoduo, their eyes immediately went soft and dreamy!

Especially Princess Changning, her gaze seemed to say—Oh, so you really are hiding your depths. I thought you only knew how to play tunes from the brothels. I must reward you properly when we return...

And the talented youths of the sects, such as Wei Lu, who had originally heard of Xie Jinhuan's name and held a bit of competitive intent, were directly stunned into silence.

After all, possessing an enviable talent for the martial arts was not particularly extraordinary in the cultivation path; Wei Lu's talent was not poor either.

But to have martial skills capable of matching them in combat, case-solving abilities unmatched by anyone, calligraphy that could rival Zhang Huaiyu, and on top of that, to know music, playing even the Northern Zhou's secret Nuo music—this range of interests was simply too broad!

If he could also play chess, paint, compose poetry, and write essays, wouldn't he become the "Little Ye Shrine"?

Are you trying to grind the local talents to death?

(End of this chapter)