CHAPTER 16: CHAPTER 16: CHOOSING A ZITHER, CRISIS

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

Among the five senior brothers, it wasn’t the cold Si Lin that Gu Qingqing feared the most, but the gentlemanly Yue Zhao.

Si Lin, though cold to others, never hid his emotions. If he liked someone, he didn’t pretend otherwise; if he disliked someone, he was equally straightforward.

The feeling Yue Zhao gave Gu Qingqing was different!

Refined like jade, the young master stands unmatched!

This was the first impression most had of Yue Zhao, and indeed his outward demeanor matched this: refined, righteous, like a moral beacon. Those of lesser character felt ashamed in his presence.

But in reality, he was not like this.

At least, when facing Si Lin and the other few, he was not like this.

Yue Zhao treated Gu Qingqing with utmost politeness and care, like a perfect senior brother. Yet Gu Qingqing, sensitive to others’ emotions, could feel that Yue Zhao, the second senior brother, wasn’t as fond of her as he seemed, perhaps not liking her at all!

This made Gu Qingqing somewhat uneasy when facing Yue Zhao.

"Junior Sister, here’s the schedule I arranged for you. I’m best at musical instruments, but I don’t know which one you’re interested in, so we’ll need to try them one by one," Yue Zhao said with a flawless smile and gaze full of tenderness, as if afraid of startling Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing glanced at the densely written paper in Yue Zhao’s hand, then at his eyes, which held no true smile despite his expression, and nodded.

Yue Zhao didn’t know Gu Qingqing had seen through his facade. Seeing her nod, his expression softened even more as he led her to his storage room.

As a music cultivator, Yue Zhao specialized in the ancient zither, but he was also proficient in other instruments, you could say he was versatile. His storeroom contained various musical instruments, all of which were magical artifacts!

"Junior Sister, take a look and see if there’s anything you like," Yue Zhao stood aside after opening the storeroom door, indicating for Gu Qingqing to enter and choose an instrument she liked.

It was the first time Gu Qingqing had seen so many instruments. She was momentarily stunned, glanced at Yue Zhao, and then entered the storeroom.

Having never learned an instrument, Gu Qingqing was unfamiliar with them, and couldn’t even name them. Yet inexplicably, she sensed the emotions within the instruments, which shocked her.

Her hand brushed past the instruments until it landed on an ancient zither in the corner.

The zither appeared quite old, its body polished to a sheen, and its strings worn, but it was clear its owner took great care in maintaining it. It seemed to like Gu Qingqing as well, feeling joyful when her hand touched it.

Yue Zhao was unaware that Gu Qingqing could sense the emotions of instruments. Yet when he saw the zither in her hands, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, even appearing on his face.

"Junior Sister has an excellent eye. This zither was what I used during my early training days, before I acquired my lifebound magical artifact. It accompanied me for a long time." Yue Zhao approached Gu Qingqing, brushed his hand over the zither’s body, his expression a mix of sighs and reflections.

Yue Zhao originally intended to take care of this junior sister only out of respect for their master. Their master required them to teach her in turns, so he would do his part, but whether she could learn well was her own business.

He hadn’t expected the junior sister to coincidentally choose the zither he used as a beginner!

This zither bore memories of his entire childhood and teenage years.

He glanced at Gu Qingqing and, for the first time, found this junior sister somewhat agreeable!

Gu Qingqing was surprised but mostly delighted.

Deep down, Gu Qingqing regarded her five senior brothers as family and naturally hoped for good relationships. Seeing Yue Zhao’s attitude change towards her, she was naturally happy.

Since Gu Qingqing had chosen the ancient zither, the subsequent classes focused on learning it.

Of course, Gu Qingqing wasn’t a music cultivator and didn’t need to use it for cultivation; she just needed to learn to play it.

Due to his changed view of Gu Qingqing, Yue Zhao became noticeably stricter in teaching, to the level that Si Lin was with Swordsmanship.

Morning was for practicing the zither and horse stance; afternoon was Gu Qingqing’s own cultivation and sword practice time. The second peak was no easier than the first peak, and by evening, Gu Qingqing was so exhausted she collapsed onto her bed and quickly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Gu Qingqing was awakened by faint zither music, small though it was, her sensitive ears caught it.

Aside from Gu Qingqing and Yue Zhao, there was no one else on the second peak. Only Yue Zhao could be playing at this time, but Gu Qingqing didn’t think he was the type to play at night. After some thought, she dressed and followed the direction of the music.

Yue Zhao’s and Gu Qingqing’s residences were two adjacent courtyards, but the music came from further into the second peak.

Every peak in Spirit Hidden Mountain was large, the living quarters being just a part. Besides their residences, the second peak also had a woodland, with a special terrain cliff behind it.

The music came from the cliff, making Gu Qingqing somewhat worried.

Luckily, despite being recent, her practice in horse stance had some effect, and she wasn’t too tired to move.

The closer she got to the cliff, the clearer and more chaotic the music became.

Gu Qingqing understood that Yue Zhao’s mind was disturbed, which was dangerous for a music cultivator like him!

With a solemn face, Gu Qingqing quickened her steps toward the cliff, not expecting Yue Zhao to attack her!

Comparing Yue Zhao’s cultivation to Gu Qingqing’s was like comparing heaven and earth; she was no match, yet Yue Zhao seemed unclear-headed, making his attacks more fierce.

At the crucial moment, it was the Thousand Sound Bell, given by Si Lin, that protected her.

As a defensive magic artifact, aside from blocking the attacks of three-stage seven experts thrice, it could also automatically protect its owner in danger after recognizing its owner.

Fortunately, Yue Zhao’s attacks weren’t targeted at this time, so Gu Qingqing could rely on the Thousand Sound Bell to block them, slowly stepping toward Yue Zhao.

Passing through the woods and reaching the cliff edge, she was shocked by Yue Zhao’s appearance.

Yue Zhao sat at the cliff’s edge, surrounded by a terrifying and chaotic aura. His hairpin had fallen, and his hair danced wildly in the self-made wind. His brown eyes had turned red, and a peculiar pattern covered his right face, resembling writing that Gu Qingqing didn’t recognize.

His open chest showed more patterns over his body and neck.

Unlike his usual refined image, Yue Zhao seemed devilish, like a blooming flower on the banks of Hell, both sinister and alluring.

When his eyes passed over Gu Qingqing, she felt pierced through.

She gasped, instinctively crushing the Distress Talisman given by Rong Ye.

While hesitating about what to do, Yue Zhao’s figure suddenly vanished, startling her into searching for him, only to feel a chill on her back the next moment, causing her to roll forward reflexively. Turning around, Yue Zhao’s face loomed large before her.

"Yue Zhao, wake up!"