Chapter 71

Chapter 71

◎Sacrifice for the Sword of King Yue◎

Zheng Biyue's focus was on Li Guiyu, driven by jealousy, so she should know nothing about Lu Lingchan.

It seemed that Li Guiyu had come for her today, with the aim of uncovering her identity. He didn't seem to care much about the matter with Lu Lingchan.

The one truly obstructing her departure was Wang Yunzhi.

Looking at Wang Yunzhi's indifferent gaze, Luo Wanqing smiled.

She raised her hand and shook her sleeve, then began playing the raspy zither without any hesitation under everyone's watchful eyes.

The sound was like sawing wood, grating and piercing. After just two notes, someone shouted, "Why did you stop? Miss Liu, if you can't play, there's no need to. This is a gathering of friends through music. If you're not interested, there's no need to be here."

Luo Wanqing paused slightly before turning to look at the speaker and saying directly, "My zither is broken."

"Then step down," Wang Yunzhi said coldly. Luo Wanqing turned to see Wang Yunzhi staring at her, as if warning her, "Return to your seat and listen properly to others play."

"But I want to play," Luo Wanqing smiled. "Today's rule is that those who play poorly will be asked to leave the banquet, but it doesn't say that they can't play if they're bad. If you all think my playing is too unbearable," Luo Wanqing started to stand up, "then I'll leave."

"Hold on."

Just as Luo Wanqing stood up, Wang Yunzhi also rose. She looked calmly at Luo Wanqing and said, "Since Miss Liu wants to play, why don't I accompany you in a little sparring?"

Luo Wanqing paused, then looked at Wang Yunzhi coldly. "Isn't your skill supposed to be exceptional, pure and flawless?"

These compliments sounded like mockery. Another man stood up from the crowd and said with a smile, "Such talent, I'd also like the honor of a meeting. Miss Liu, would you care to spar with me?"

"Me too."

"I'd like to as well."

...

As soon as Wang Yunzhi stood up, the people who had been chatting in the crowd gradually rose, and seven people stood up in total.

Competitive playing was common at musical gatherings, but such direct provocation was unprecedented.

Everyone fell silent, sensing something was amiss. Luo Wanqing looked at Wang Yunzhi, knowing that she wasn't going to let her leave.

According to the rules, if it was an individual solo, one could leave if they played poorly. But if they lost in a competitive match, their departure or stay was decided by the winner.

Not to mention that her hastily learned zither skills were unlikely to win against someone like Wang Yunzhi, who had been trained since childhood. Even if she could win, with so many people here, it would take quite some time to spar with each one.

She didn't have that much time.

Wang Yunzhi's goal was to delay her.

She wasn't sure what the situation was outside. If the Empress' people were more ruthless, Xingling and the others might be in danger.

She needed to get out as soon as possible.

And the only way out was to win quickly.

She couldn't win by playing the zither. Her only chance was the lute.

With this thought, Luo Wanqing glanced at the lute beside Li Guiyu.

Their eyes met, and Luo Wanqing understood that this was probably Li Guiyu's ultimate goal.

He had heard the lute she played for Cui Heng that night, and today, he wanted to make his final confirmation.

She stared quietly at Li Guiyu, who also looked at her. His gaze was somewhat tense, and he seemed unsure of what to do.

Looking into his eyes, Luo Wanqing couldn't help but sneer.

Wasn't it just suspicion of her identity? Wasn't it just a desire for verification?

But even if she played the lute, could he really be certain?

Even if he was certain, could he really kill her?

Luo Wanqing's expression turned cold. She didn't want to tangle with them anymore and said directly, "Thank you all for your kindness, but I'm actually not skilled at the zither. If we're sparring, may I use the lute instead?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Heng frowned slightly.

Luo Wanqing swept her gaze over everyone and finally looked at the lute beside Li Guiyu, saying calmly, "May I borrow the lute beside Third Highness?"

Li Guiyu remained silent, looking at her coldly.

In his mind's eye, there was only the masked woman reaching out to him from above.

Her figure overlapped with her younger self. Although her current demeanor was vastly different from back then—she used to be so gentle, her smile soft and bright, while now she was cool and distant, looking at him with detachment—he felt that there was no difference.

She stood before him asking for the lute, yet he thought of what she had said many years ago.

"Shaoyan, no matter how we argue in the future, no matter how hurtful the words I say, if I play the lute for you, it means I miss you."

"If I play the lute, you must come find me, and we'll make up, okay?"

She asked him for the lute.

Li Guiyu smiled.

His heart trembled slightly, and his fingers curled slightly. He struggled to suppress the urge to step forward and only asked, "Are you sure you want this lute?"

Hearing this, Wang Yunzhi sensed something amiss and immediately warned Li Guiyu with her gaze. However, Li Guiyu remained still. "Naturally." Luo Wanqing affirmed. Li Guiyu chuckled softly. Wang Yunzhi immediately realized that Li Guiyu's mood was off and secretly used a flying blade to slash at the lute's surface. Yet Li Guiyu showed no change in expression, raising his hand to cover the lute's surface and quietly pinching the flying blade in his hand. "Third Highness?" Wang Yunzhi's voice carried a warning. Li Guiyu did not respond, only staring at Luo Wanqing as he tossed the lute onto the dais and calmly said, "Take it." Xie Heng's eyes turned cold, and Wang Yunzhi wore an expression of shock and anger. Luo Wanqing caught the flying lute, spinning around to sit down with its momentum and holding it up as she looked around, saying straightforwardly, "The time for the gathering is limited. There's no need to waste everyone's time. Why don't we all play together?" This catch of the lute was extremely graceful, and the people present couldn't help but show looks of pleasant surprise. Then they remembered her identity as a member of the Supervision Division and suppressed their reactions. "So arrogant?" One of the women frowned. Luo Wanqing plucked the strings. She hadn't guessed wrong; the lute in Li Guiyu's hands was indeed a top-quality one. She lowered her head and simply said, "Let's begin." By taking the initiative to compete on stage with multiple people, it would seem cowardly if the others refused. Wang Yunzhi glared fiercely at Li Guiyu before stepping forward. As Wang Yunzhi took the stage, several other men and women followed suit, sitting down around Luo Wanqing while their attendants fetched their instruments. Luo Wanqing tuned first, then listened as Wang Yunzhi began playing. The melody she played was light and cheerful, a piece called "White Snow" that most people knew. As she started, the others joined in. Each person's notes had their own unique flavor, but at this moment, everyone chose to harmonize with Wang Yunzhi. Fresh and flowing like spring snow, the music surrounded everyone, a typically elegant tune favored by the nobility. Listening to the music, Luo Wanqing directly plucked the lute strings, pouring out "Guangling San" with its passionate and stirring melody, like a sharp blade tearing through the joyful music. It was like a long spear lifting up the snow-filled sky and flinging it, splashing everyone with snow. Luo Wanqing lowered her head and plucked the strings mournfully. She deliberately suppressed the final notes, not letting them rise. Li Guiyu watched her fingers move over the strings, observing her knuckles and listening to the story told by her music. Nie Zheng sought revenge for his father, learning the lute for ten years before assassinating King Han and dying. To avoid involving his family, he disfigured himself and died on the streets, unrecognized. His sister rushed to identify his body and died from crying too hard. "Guangling San" was composed because of this, passionate and stirring, grand and magnificent. Her music was passionate and stirring, but Wang Yunzhi had learned from a master and had a firm mind. No matter how Luo Wanqing's music changed, she could steadily hold her ground. The two melodies mixed, neither gaining the upper hand. On one side was fresh spring snow brimming with life. On the other was a desperate charge towards death. On one side were nobles toasting and celebrating the spring snow. On the other was a decade of learning the lute for a single assassination attempt. After just two exchanges, Luo Wanqing knew that if it was just about skill, she couldn't surpass Wang Yunzhi. "If your skill isn't enough, use sincerity." Cui Heng's voice sounded in her mind. Luo Wanqing closed her eyes. King Han killed his father, and Nie Zheng was filled with rage. "Your father is dead. Last night, I gave him a shard of pottery." "In today's Great Xia, the death of a commoner won't shake the Imperial Chancellor or even a prince." "As you wish, blood for blood." Memories flooded her like a tidal wave, instantly submerging her. Her lute wasn't just a lute; it was like a sharp sword. All the emotions she had been suppressing and closing off burst forth in an instant. She endured the pain of Zhang Jiuran's inner strength, the agony of disfigurement, the wounds of bone remolding, and the sorrow of losing a friend. In the end, all these feelings transformed into a sharp blade that brutally cut the Crown Prince's throat. Blood spattered onto the white snow. Her music continued to speed up, becoming more and more forceful. As Li Guiyu listened to the music, he felt as though the notes were blades slicing him and the Luo Wanqing in his memories. They were being torn apart, and Luo Wanqing was being carved into the person before him, bit by bit. The music clearly contained murderous intent, yet he heard pain in it. Luo Wanqing was someone who was so afraid of pain. Every time her skin broke, her face would turn pale. She needed candy when taking bitter medicine, and she couldn't even drink water that was slightly warm.

She was actually such a delicate young lady.

She...

Li Guiyu didn't dare to think further.

As the crowd listened to the aggressive melody, they gradually noticed that the music behind Wang Yunzhi was being interrupted one by one. Those with weak wills had already lost their rhythm and couldn't continue playing.

Seeing people leave one after another, Zheng Biyue suddenly rose and descended with her zither, sitting in front of Wang Yunzhi.

She raised her hand and swept across the long zither, beginning to play "Xiaoxiang Water Clouds," one of the most difficult pieces in guqin repertoire.

Wang Yunzhi met her gaze and lowered her sound, starting to harmonize with Zheng Biyue.

"Xiaoxiang Water Clouds" depicted the confluence of the Xia and Xiang rivers, where the Nine Condensed Mountains were shrouded in clouds and water, with surging clouds and water creating a majestic atmosphere.

This piece symbolized a fragmented land and turbulent times. It not only required higher skill than "Guangling San," but also conveyed a deeper sense of national sentiment.

With Zheng Biyue's addition, Luo Wanqing's zither music was immediately overshadowed.

Luo Wanqing opened her eyes and met Zheng Biyue's cold gaze.

In that instant, she suddenly wanted to ask:

Who had brought up the case against the Luo family?

What had she done, and what punishment did she deserve?

She stared at Zheng Biyue, who didn't waver in the slightest, with murderous intent flowing in her eyes.

If at first, she merely wanted to embarrass this little Si Shi, now she truly harbored murderous intent.

A woman who had climbed out of death row, just as lowly as Luo Wanqing, was nothing more than a pretty face—why should she be allowed to compete?

Li Guiyu was a descendant of the Wang family, renowned for his reputation and deeply favored as a member of the imperial family. With the support of her Zheng family, he would soon ascend to a high position.

She didn't care about Li Guiyu, nor did she love any man; she simply desired the most prestigious position a woman could have in this world.

Her willingness to show him kindness was his good fortune, yet he dared to look at other women?

Then she would destroy everyone he cared about.

Filled with cold fury, Zheng Biyue thought,

He loved one, she would destroy one, until he obediently became her puppet.

So it was with Luo Wanqing.

And so it would be with this Liu Xiniang.

Zheng Biyue hid her murderous intent within her music, as the clouds and water surged downward, and the Nine Condensed Mountains towered above the clouds.

The grandeur of the mountains and rivers made the personal grievances in "Guangling San" seem so insignificant and petty.

In terms of zither skills, Zheng Biyue had always been unparalleled in East Capital, except for Xie Heng.

Luo Wanqing struggled to keep up for a while before realizing that if she continued, she wouldn't stand a chance.

She knew only one piece that matched this level of skill.

Thinking of this piece, she couldn't help but glance at Li Guiyu.

Li Guiyu gazed quietly at her, as if he had already anticipated this outcome.

After a moment of eye contact, she looked away and struck the strings.

Nothing was more important than leaving quickly to find the Star Spirit and complete her mission.

It was just a piece of music.

She thought calmly, playing "King Yue's Sword," which she had learned from a woman leaning on a railing in Jiangnan.

Few knew this piece, but it was extremely difficult. She had played it countless times for Li Guiyu, refining it over and over again.

Over these five years, she didn't know how many times she had played it.

At the sound of the melody, Li Guiyu smiled.

He looked up at the woman on stage, the familiar tune with an entirely different style.

But the moment she plucked the strings, he was certain.

It was her.

It had to be her.

His eyes filled with moisture as he fixed his gaze on the figure on stage.

Luo Wanqing lowered her head and strummed the strings.

Back then, she didn't understand "King Yue's Sword."

She didn't understand the hatred of a destroyed nation, the resolve to endure hardship, or the saying that a gentleman takes ten years to avenge himself.

At that time, she had learned it simply because he liked it.

Now, she finally understood.

National hatred and familial grudges, ceaseless slaughter, horse hooves trampling the waters of the Xiaoxiang River, spears cleaving through the clouds and water of the great river.

Unlike Nie Zheng's solitary rage that spilled blood for three feet, the Sword of King Yue pointed to the realm with the might of an army, a relentless battle until death.

She knew Li Guiyu was watching her, but she didn't dare to meet his gaze, closing her eyes instead and letting her fingers dance swiftly over the strings.

The melody grew more intense, and amidst the suppressed despair in her music, she suddenly understood Li Guiyu.

After years of humiliation under his enemy's command, what was there left to hold onto?

So much had already been invested in the original plan; there was no turning back now.

She had stripped away everything and rebuilt herself to reach this point, and whatever it took from here on, achieving her goal would justify the past.

And hadn't Li Guiyu been the same back then?

Nothing was out of bounds.

No one was indispensable.

Luo Wanqing's breathing quickened, and for a moment, she forgot everything else.

She let the sounds of a thousand soldiers overwhelm the land through her music.

What came after?

She felt as if she stood atop a crumbling city wall, gazing at the world in confusion.

Where should she go?

Having pursued revenge with all her being, reaching this moment, where did she have left to turn?

She was lost and desperate.

The music became increasingly chaotic, and Li Guiyu watched her silently, his heartstrings tightening along with hers.

He couldn't save her; they were both drowning, unable to rescue each other.

She had come, finally walking the same path he had taken, and he was no longer alone.

In the midst of the music, Li Guiyu laughed maniacally, staring at the figure on stage. He wanted to rush forward, to embrace her, to celebrate this moment of sacrifice, to ask why she had come.

Smiling, he looked up, and Xie Heng also gazed at her calmly, listening to the music. He called to Qingya beside him, "Bring me my zither."

Luo Wanqing's pipa drowned out all other sounds, and Wang Yunzhi's zither faltered first, her hand resting on the instrument to silence it.

Zheng Biyue's expression turned grim. She struggled to keep up for a moment, but Luo Wanqing's music was now unbridled, its intent to conquer overwhelming. Zheng Biyue's melody faltered and became unsustainable. She forced herself to end her performance, but then, from the high platform, a simple tune of a Jiangnan folk song emerged.

It was a simple melody, yet it instantly transported everyone to a spring day in Jiangnan, sailing on a lake amidst willows swaying gently.

Everyone looked up to see Xie Heng seated on the high platform, a zither across his knees.

Summer sunlight streamed in from the windows, casting a warm glow on the young master. The light fell upon his fair, jade-like hands, imbuing them with warmth.

The music lingered, and the guests outside rose to their feet.

"Is that Xie Lingshu?"

A skilled zither player exclaimed in surprise. Xie Yushu, holding a wine cup and closing his eyes to listen, opened his eyes at these words and hurried back. Moments later, he rushed back excitedly, saying, "It's Seventh Brother! It's him!"

"It's been six years," someone said in shock. "Has he finally touched a zither again?"

"What are you waiting for? Go and see!"

People from other courtyards rushed over upon hearing the news.

But Xie Heng thought of nothing else.

He plucked the strings, using the image of the night he leaned against the corridor railing, gifting her a pipa melody, to suppress the blood-red vision before his eyes.

After six years, he played the zither once more.

All he wanted was to catch her.

She wasn't Goujian, nor was she Fuchai.

If heaven and earth wouldn't guide her, and gods and buddhas wouldn't show her kindness, even at the end of the road, Xie Heng would carve a path and bring her back to the right way.