Chapter Thirty-Three: What a Peerless Sound!

"You? You can play the zither?"

Chen Qiluo looked the legendary fool over again, her eyes filled with the skepticism one might reserve for seeing a wild boar suddenly develop a taste for fine grains.

Su Ruowei, standing to the side, wore an almost identical expression, though with one crucial difference: she knew for a fact that wild boars could not eat fine grains. Her family had once owned a breeding farm with over a thousand acres of land for wild boars. According to the stable hands, wild boars would often smash through the fences to break in, but they never came for the feed; they only ever came for the sows. Su Ruowei didn't care for blades and weaponry, but she loved such obscure knowledge. Don't ask if it was useful—of course it wasn't. If it had been, the Su family wouldn't have been raided and disgraced.

Jian Qi, however, remained calm. He shifted his gaze from his book to Xue Yuan, curiously wondering if, once Xue Yuan’s charade was exposed, he would be beaten into the shape of a wild boar by Chen Qiluo.

The reactions of the others were naturally within Xue Yuan's expectations, but he remained entirely unperturbed. He suddenly said in a cold, deep voice, "Hmph, do you two ladies truly think I am merely a fool? It seems it is time for you to witness what true musical mastery looks like!"

He was serious!

The candlelight cast flickering shadows across his chiseled, sharp-featured face. This scene caused Chen Qiluo and Su Ruowei, two women who were otherwise strangers, to exchange a glance in perfect unison. A shared realization bridged the distance between them: He really was a massive idiot. What normal person spoke like that?

But at this moment, Xue Yuan had already picked up an ancient zither that had been sitting on a rosewood table as a mere decoration. He placed it on the table and plucked the strings lightly. After listening closely, he immediately twisted one of the tuning pegs at the top, loosened the string, pulled it taut again with strength, and secured it.

Chen Qiluo was clearly stunned by this seemingly professional display and hurriedly asked Su Ruowei, "What is he doing?" Although she liked listening to the zither, she understood nothing of it.

But Su Ruowei did. "He... seems to have heard that the tone of that string was off, and is tuning it."

Surprise rippled through Su Ruowei’s beautiful eyes, and her expression turned serious.

Xue Yuan continued to stare at the zither until the text entry above it shifted: [An Ancient Zither | A Tool for Showing Off | Tone Tuned to Perfection].

He pondered for a moment. Truth be told, he could not play the zither, but the original owner of this body could! Before the age of twelve, before he became a fool, the original owner had been raised as a prince and had naturally studied the Six Arts of a Gentleman, which included music. While he might not have excelled, he was at least competent. Now, those basic fingerings, embedded as muscle memory, had merged into Xue Yuan’s consciousness. However, because the original owner had become a fool, the musical scores he had learned had long since been forgotten.

So, what should he play?

With no other choice, Xue Yuan began to recall zither melodies from his previous life on Earth. Before long, a melody that seemed etched into his very blood suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"How about this one?"

His fingertips moved, and he attempted to pluck the strings. To his surprise, it went exceptionally smoothly. A long, melodious, and profoundly evocative tune began to flow from his fingertips.

***

Meanwhile, on a large official vessel following behind!

In a spacious and luxurious cabin, the room was filled with distinguished guests, all of whom were the elite power-brokers of Ningzhou and talented youths who had arrived from all corners of the land. Not only were Prefect Chen, Magistrate Li, and Princess Consort Chu Qiu'er present, but even Qian Zhongxian was there, displaying his "indomitable spirit" despite his physical injuries. In such a gathering, how could the "Qilin Prodigy" be absent?

However, the person drawing the most attention among them was undoubtedly the great Confucian scholar, teacher to two generations of emperors, and Dean of the Egret Academy: Chu Yanshu!

It was rumored that this year alone, the Prince of Yu had invited him to lecture at his estate three times, and the Emperor had summoned him several times to serve as the Crown Prince’s tutor, yet he had declined all of them, citing his advanced age. The excuse was quite perfunctory; those at his level of Confucian cultivation could easily live to be one hundred and seventy or eighty, and he was currently only ninety-three! At that age, even if he were to take a new concubine, it would be considered a normal requirement for an "old tree putting down roots."

So, Chu Yanshu had taken three new concubines this year. Of course, that was not news; scholars had been known for their romantic escapades since ancient times. The biggest news this year was that Chu Yanshu had suddenly announced he would be taking a direct disciple!

What did it mean to be a direct disciple? Let’s put it this way: of the three great Confucian classics, the *Great Meaning of the Confucian Scriptures*, only Chu Yanshu had achieved full mastery, possessing the supernatural ability of "Divine Writing." This talent alone made him a top-tier Confucian master and one of the ten greatest experts in the Great Qian Empire.

As the Dean of Egret Academy, he claimed to have ten thousand students, yet not one had ever heard him interpret the true mysteries of the *Great Meaning*. He also had twelve sons and eleven daughters, none of whom had been permitted to hear his interpretation either! Over the years, countless people had tried countless methods to get him to lecture, but the answer was always the same: "The youth is not worth teaching!"

He had declared that he would only teach the mysteries of the *Great Meaning* to a direct disciple. Yet for years, no one had caught his eye. Therefore, for this Ascension Festival, when it was heard he intended to select a direct disciple, not only did the gifted youths of Great Qian flock to audition, but even people from Northern Yan and the barbarian tribes had secretly slipped in! Some showcased poetry, some chess, but most chose music, as it was well known that Chu Yanshu was a connoisseur.

However, until now, everyone had received the same response: "Hmm."

What "Hmm" meant didn't matter; what mattered was that since everyone received a "Hmm," it wasn't a very positive "Hmm."

At this moment, a handsome young man had just finished playing his zither. Prefect Chen Zaidao stood up, bowed respectfully to Chu Yanshu, and said, "Master Chu, my son’s skill is lacking; I fear he has offended your ears. I offer my apologies on his behalf."

It turned out that the one who had just played was his son, Chen Qishan. To give Chen Qishan a chance at luck, Chen Zaidao had spent a fortune hiring a master of music to write a piece, which he then claimed was Chen Qishan’s own work. The piece was indeed good, causing the crowd to nod in approval.

As expected, Chu Yanshu nodded this time, but changed the word.

"Oh."

This was an affirmation—an affirmation of Chen Zaidao’s own words—that this lousy score had indeed offended his ears.

Chen Zaidao: "..."

A flicker of gloom crossed Chen Qishan’s eyes, but he dared not act out and could only bow and retreat.

***

"Next, the Qilin Prodigy, Qian Zhongxian!"

At the shout of an old attendant, Qian Zhongxian finally took the stage, carrying a zither.

Chu Qiu'er’s lips curled into a smile! "Brother Xian, this direct disciple spot will surely be yours!"

Qian Zhongxian’s entrance triggered a small stir. Back at the capital’s poetry gathering, this "Qilin Prodigy" had dominated the scene with a single seven-character quatrain, hailed by the Left Chancellor as the "Number One Poet of Great Qian in the Last Decade." Therefore, everyone expected him to audition with poetry, and no one had expected him to choose the zither.

"Student Qian Zhongxian pays his respects to the Great Confucian Chu!"

After bowing, Qian Zhongxian sat on a straw mat and placed his zither on the table. He then hunched his back slightly, drawing in his abdomen to steady his breath. This unusual posture sparked much speculation. Many believed it related to the emotions he intended to convey through the music, while others thought it might be a new technique.

But no one guessed that it was actually because his testicles were in pain. Although the Great Qian master Zhao Huaichun had stubbornly treated him again, the bone-chilling effects of the "Three Plucks of the Plum Blossom" could not be easily reversed; the pain would persist for at least another ten days or half a month.

But Qian Zhongxian had insisted it was no matter. It was only playing the zither; he could still manage that. Compared to becoming the direct disciple of Master Chu, what was a little pain?

He tuned the instrument, tested the strings, and began to play. Soon, a fresh and elegant melody rose from beneath his fingers. The music was melodious, making one feel as if they were watching a shepherd boy sitting on the back of an ox, drifting slowly across the plains.

The crowd could not help but marvel in silence.

"As expected of the Qilin Prodigy! Not only is his poetry exquisite, but his zither skill is unlike anything an ordinary person could achieve!"

"If I recall correctly, this piece was composed by the Great Confucian Jiang seven hundred years ago. To date, only a dozen or so people have ever been able to capture its intent, rhythm, and emotion. I never expected there to be another in Qian Zhongxian!"

"He must be the most promising candidate so far, right?"

Chu Qiu'er’s eyes shimmered with light as she listened. "Brother Xian is truly the number one talent of Great Qian. It is a disgrace for him to be a mere steward in the Prince’s estate! A man of such world-shaking brilliance is the pride of our Great Qian and deserves the utmost protection! It is hateful that the fool understood nothing and beat him so severely; death a thousand times over would not be enough to atone for his sins!"

Amidst the silent awe of the crowd, Qian Zhongxian finished his piece. He then lifted his head with confidence and looked toward Chu Yanshu.

He saw Chu Yanshu with his eyes slightly closed, his expression focused, appearing completely intoxicated by the music. But soon, he slowly opened his eyes, and for the first time, his stern face showed a change in expression. It was an excitement and thrill, as if he had finally met a soulmate.

"Good, good, a truly transcendent sound!"

Hearing him say the word "good" three times in a row caused a gasp to ripple through the entire hall! Chu Qiu'er was so happy that she clenched her hands, nearly jumping from her seat!