Chapter 135: A Girl? Leave Her to Me

Once Cao He became serious, his progress was no slower than Qingcheng’s. His talent seemed to have been overlooked by everyone.

Perhaps Ye Qiu’s radiance was simply too dazzling, completely overshadowing him. As a result, hardly anyone had noticed the potential hidden within him.

Though he had only just begun learning the zither, he was gradually mastering the changes in pitch and rhythm. He could already play a short melody.

Even Ye Qiu was startled by his progress. In disbelief, he said, “This fellow actually has quite some talent. It’s just a pity that his mind isn’t very sharp. Otherwise, he might even have been a candidate for the role of protagonist!”

Cao He had studied music theory in his youth, so learning came easily to him, and Ye Qiu was not particularly surprised.

As Cao He slowly began playing the interlude of “Song of Treading,” Ye Qiu’s fingers unconsciously tapped along with the rhythm, and he gradually lost himself in the music.

Qingcheng, who stood nearby, was also captivated by Cao He’s playing. He glanced at him in astonishment and said incredulously, “This fellow actually has talent in this area?

“Hmm… This melody is truly unusual. Somehow, it feels as though an invisible pair of hands is constantly urging me forward.

“What a marvelous sensation! Not only has it helped me gain a deeper understanding of the changes within the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, it has even accelerated my cultivation.”

“Hiss… Immortal music! This is absolutely immortal music! My heavens, who would have thought the innkeeper could play such wondrous music? It’s simply unbelievable…”

For a moment, Qingcheng stood there in a daze. He knew that the melody Cao He was playing had been taught to him by Ye Qiu, and his admiration for Ye Qiu deepened considerably.

Ye Qiu knew far too many things. How could one person possibly master so much?

It was inconceivable. One man alone was enough to shake the legacies of dozens, even hundreds, of sacred lands accumulated over millions of years. He simply was not human. He was not human at all…

As Cao He’s melody flowed gently onward, Qingcheng gradually entered a state of cultivation. In less than half a day, he had begun to grasp the mysteries of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art and slowly embarked upon the practice of the Seventy-Two Transformations.

Time continued to pass. Before long, the sun was nearing the horizon. After listening to the music all afternoon, Ye Qiu began to grow bored and prepared to return to the inn for some sleep.

Suddenly, he sensed movement behind him. Turning around, he saw a group of women approaching across the barren wilderness, though he had no idea when they had arrived.

He heard them whispering among themselves.

“Miss, listen. Someone over there is playing the zither. And this melody is so strange.”

“Strange?”

Huai Zhu stopped and listened carefully. Her eyes lit up.

“It is strange indeed! I have never heard such wondrous music before.

“When I first heard it, it gave me the feeling of a soaring, heroic spirit. Yet, on closer listening, there was also a sorrowful entanglement of love, hatred, grudges, and romance.

“Upon hearing it a second time, I sensed something entirely different. Before my eyes, I seemed to see a chivalrous warrior, righteous and bold, wandering the world with a sword at his side—free, unrestrained, and utterly carefree…”

Her heart was filled with curiosity. What kind of person could possibly play such an astonishing melody, one that stirred the soul and inspired boundless longing?

“Immortal music! This is definitely immortal music! I was so absorbed in it just now that I did not even realize I had broken through an entire realm without knowing it…

“Hiss, it is impossible to imagine that this melody could possess such charm. And the person who plays it must possess unfathomably profound mastery of the Dao…”

Huai Zhu was utterly shaken. As the daughter of an eminent noble family, she considered herself well traveled and widely experienced, yet she had never heard a melody like this before.

Even her father could not have played such a piece. He probably could not reproduce even a tenth of its subtle charm.

It was simply unbelievable that such a small and desolate wilderness could conceal an otherworldly master.

Parting the mist, she longed to see who was playing the zither atop the distant mountain.

The instant the clouds parted, a white figure entered her field of vision. His peerlessly upright bearing, elegant demeanor, transcendent aura, and handsome features left Huai Zhu stunned.

“A banished immortal descended from the heavens, standing alone in peerless splendor!”

That was Huai Zhu’s first impression of Ye Qiu. With only one glance, she felt her heart stir. Yet she quickly recovered her composure.

For she knew that the person playing the melody was not Ye Qiu, but the man sitting beside him.

“Hm? This man looks so ordinary. Compared with the person beside him, they are on entirely different levels. How could he possibly play such a melody? This is simply…”

Before Huai Zhu could finish speaking, the maid beside her began voicing her doubts. Huai Zhu immediately interrupted her.

“Xiaohuan, you must not judge people by their appearance! Father once said that the Great Wilderness is full of hidden masters, many of whom live in seclusion among the mountains and forests.

“That man may look ordinary, but have you not sensed it? A faint immortal aura seems to hover around him. Judging by his cultivation, he is unquestionably an otherworldly master.

“Even Father does not possess such immortal aura. I fear… this man may already have attained immortality.”

“What!”

At those words, Xiaohuan nearly leapt out of her skin, her face turning deathly pale.

She had just spoken ill of an immortal. What if he had heard her? If he became angry, would he not kill her?

Xiaohuan panicked and began to retreat, but Huai Zhu immediately reassured her.

“There is no need to worry. Father said that although these secluded masters often have strange tempers, most of them are broad-minded and would not quarrel with minor cultivators like us.

“Come. Let us go down and pay our respects. We must not neglect proper etiquette. If we make a good impression, perhaps the master will even offer us a little guidance…”

Huai Zhu was every inch the refined young lady of a great family. In terms of temperament and courage alone, she was far beyond comparison with the few maids at her side.

With that, the group slowly flew behind Ye Qiu and the others. They did not disturb them, merely waiting in silence for Cao He to finish his piece.

Ye Qiu had noticed their arrival long ago, but he said nothing. He remained lazily half-reclined, playing the part of a quiet and handsome young man.

On the surface, he appeared utterly calm, as though nothing had happened.

In truth, the moment he saw the beautiful girls, he wanted nothing more than to kick Cao He aside and take over the performance himself.

Damn it, this kind of free opportunity to show off had actually fallen into Cao He’s hands. He had only just learned to play the zither, and he was already getting to bask in the limelight. What incredible treatment!

Back then, Ye Qiu had studied for more than twenty years without ever getting a chance to show off. Not only had he failed to impress anyone, he had been branded a spoiled wastrel who was neglecting proper pursuits, and was scorned every day.

Truly, the differences between people were enormous. Ye Qiu desperately wanted to shout, “Leave that beauty alone and let me do it…”

“Zhao Ke wears a braided barbarian tassel; the Wu hook gleams like frost and snow.
A silver saddle shines beneath a white horse, swift as a shooting star.
Ten paces to slay a man; a thousand miles without leaving a trace.
Once the deed is done, he brushes off his robes and departs, concealing both his name and his fame.”

As Cao He played, Ye Qiu could not help but chant the verses aloud.

At that moment, everyone’s emotions were stirred against their will.

Ye Qiu’s weathered voice seemed to recount the passionate tale of a wandering swordsman, drawing forth the feelings of everyone present.

Without realizing it, they all stared at him, feeling as though he were the very hero described in the melody.

His unrestrained bearing, handsome features, and transcendent air stirred endless fantasies in the hearts of all who saw him.

“A banished immortal! Now this is what a true banished immortal looks like…”

At that moment, the same phrase arose in everyone’s heart:

A banished immortal.