A Small Display of Skill

Yan Xia's face flushed red instantly. In the firelight, the redness appeared even more pronounced. She immediately covered her chest with her arms, trying to block Yue Qianchou's gaze, and whispered, "I wasn't talking about myself."

The other girls, aroused by these words, subconsciously glanced at their chests and then covered them with their arms. Their cheeks flushed crimson, and they all muttered to themselves, "This senior Niu doesn't even know how to be a little more subtle when he's being a lewd person."

Many people's attention was drawn to the words "big breasts." Fu Chun and Qin Jiaxing were dumbfounded. They couldn't believe that their boss would dare to say such a thing in front of everyone. They immediately forgot about the veiled beauty and came to see this rare animal, their boss.

"What are you looking at?" Yue Qianchou glared at the two of them, then awkwardly explained to Yan Xia, "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue, I absolutely didn't mean anything else." However, the women all shrank back, looking a bit like they were guarding against a thief. Especially their eyes, which clearly didn't believe he had made a slip of the tongue.

"Damn it! I was just trying to flatter you, and you treated me like a pervert!" Yue Qianchou opened his mouth, then shook his head speechlessly, too lazy to explain further; it was pointless anyway. Many people around him chuckled knowingly, thinking this guy was indeed one of them.

If someone were observant, they would notice that the veiled woman's curtain had changed direction, seemingly aligning with Yue Qianchou's direction, clearly indicating that she had noticed Niu Youde. Fang Ming, Fang Ming was constantly watching her movements, naturally noticed this as well.

The fleeting beauty of that mysterious woman as she gracefully moved had left an indelible mark on his heart. Before, he harbored ambitions to marry her, but now he felt an urge to possess her. This wasn't entirely his fault; a beautiful woman is a gentleman's desire! Every normal man is attracted to beautiful women. However, to fight over a beautiful woman requires careful consideration of the consequences...

Fang Ming had already suppressed his irrational actions that led to the conflict with Yue Qianchou, but upon seeing the woman's naturally stunning beauty, his heart began to pound. Even if she didn't have a mysterious background, getting her would be enough to satisfy him for the rest of his life, not to mention that she might have a powerful background.

The situation was already progressing smoothly, but Niu Youde abruptly interrupted it. Especially since such a stunningly beautiful woman had actually shifted her attention to Niu Youde —this was intolerable. Fang Ming, his face ashen, shouted, "Niu Youde, how dare you utter such lewd and obscene words in front of everyone? Aren't you afraid of disgracing all civility?"

Yue Qianchou was slightly taken aback. He had just thought this guy had gotten his act together, but he hadn't expected him to openly lash out at him this time. He wondered what had gotten into him. He looked at him, puzzled, and said, "How strange. What business is it of yours if I insulted people? Even if I did insult people, who are you to lecture me, you liar?"

"Ha! You keep calling me a liar, then show me some proof. Don't just spout nonsense. Do you think everyone in the world is a fool?" Fang Ming was going all out. He was certain that the mysterious woman was also a music enthusiast; otherwise, she wouldn't have been moved to play the flute alone on this lonely night.

Fang Ming's bet was simple: if the veiled woman loved music, she wouldn't let herself be put in danger so easily, since there was still a final song to sing. Didn't she want to hear it? Besides, the one-armed old man guarding the Ghost Manor shouldn't allow anyone to commit violence in the Ghost Manor at will.

Everyone held their breath in worry for Fang Ming. Offending someone like him was hardly a wise move. Fu Chun, Qin Jiaxing, and the other women looked at Fang Ming as if he were an idiot. In their eyes, how could a mere rogue Rogue Cultivator dare to provoke a potential Spirit Transformation stage expert? Wasn't he courting death?

"Oh!" Yue Qianchou put down the wine jar in his hand, sat up straight, raised his hand to touch his forehead, looking somewhat helpless, the fine copper bracelet on his wrist particularly conspicuous. He said disdainfully, "I, Niu Youde, have always won people over with virtue. Tell me! How can I prove myself to you and convince you?"

Fang Ming said with a tense face, "Niu Youde. Although I don't know if you understand music, since you insist on proving that I am a fraud, don't say that I'm making things difficult for you... If you can play and sing the tune composed by Yue Qianchou, that will naturally be a strong proof."

He secretly prepared another explanation in his mind. If Yue Qianchou really could play and sing, and if it was the two songs he had just played and sang, then he could say that his imitation of him didn't count. If it was another song, then probably no one here had heard it before, and then he could firmly deny that it was composed by Yue Qianchou.

"Oh! It's that simple? As long as I can play and sing Yue Qianchou's songs, that proves you're a fraud?" Yue Qianchou said, narrowing his eyes. He had survived a life of intrigue and deception in his past life, so even if the other party hadn't left any room for maneuver, he was prepared for the worst—he'd seen plenty of people like that. He snorted coldly, "What if I play and sing songs that no one has ever heard before, and you refuse to acknowledge it as Yue Qianchou's music?"

Fang Ming, having his thoughts exposed, still gritted his teeth and said, "As long as you don't use someone else's music to impersonate it, it's fine. Yue Qianchou's melody is very different from the melody we are familiar with. Everyone will know it as soon as they hear it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a lazy, melodious zither tune began to play. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that a zither had appeared on Niu Youde's lap, his fingers casually plucking at it with one hand. Everyone's eyes lit up; they knew a good show was about to begin. Niu Youde's ability to carry a zither with him clearly indicated he was an expert in the art.

Qin Jiaxing and Fu Chun exchanged glances, while the six women of Yan Lan looked at each other in disbelief, surprised that he actually knew this. It should be known that in the Cultivation World, few male cultivators are willing to devote their energy to this path, except for those who are passionate about it. Generally, it's mostly female cultivators, because women are naturally more prone to sentimentality!

The eyes beneath the green veil were fixed on Yue Qianchou's every move, and a hint of anticipation appeared on their faces.

Yue Qianchou stared at Fang Ming with a faint smile, his ten fingers touching the strings, skillfully and elegantly plucking them. A beautiful melody flowed slowly into everyone's hearts, and he softly sang. "I am a fox who has cultivated for a thousand years, a thousand years of cultivation, a thousand years of solitude..."

Everyone was familiar with the singing and the melody. However, Fang Ming's, with subtle differences that resonated more deeply. Even those who didn't understand music could tell that Niu Youde's singing and playing were significantly superior to Fang Ming's.

This is perfectly normal. The tune originated from Yue Qianchou; it would be strange if Yue Qianchou himself wasn't familiar with it. There were no recording devices in this era, so it's not surprising that it was passed around distorted. It just shows everyone what the authentic version looks like! Fang Ming's face had already changed color.

After playing and singing a short passage, the piano melody smoothly shifted midway, Yue Qianchou changed his tune again, singing. "Only the new love laughs, who hears the old love weep? Love is such a painful word. Should I ask for clarification, or pretend to be confused? Knowing more or less is never enough..."

The melody shifted so skillfully between the two songs. The transitions were so precise and beautiful, captivating the listener. But then, after just a couple more lines, the piano melody changed again, losing its tenderness and becoming increasingly aggressive.

Yue Qianchou plucked the strings of his zither, staring at Fang Ming, and said indifferently, "People strive for higher positions, water flows downhill. If you want to climb higher and change your destiny, no one will say anything. A beautiful woman is sought after by a gentleman. You did nothing wrong. But you were blind, thinking everyone in the world was a fool who could be easily deceived. That's a bit too naive. Fang Ming, if you have the guts to do something, you should be prepared to bear the consequences. If you admit now that you're a fraud, I'll spare your life."

Fang Ming glanced at the suspicious gazes coming from all directions, still unwilling to give up, and said, "These are clearly the two songs I just played and sang. You made a few slight changes and you call me a fraud? Who's being too naive here?"

"Hmph! I knew you'd say that." Yue Qianchou shook his head and sneered. With a flick of his fingers, the music suddenly became stirring, making the listeners' hearts swell with pride. Yue Qianchou stared at his fingers as he plucked the strings, not even looking up, and said, "This is a piece that Yue Qianchou composed and gave to you back then. Very few people have heard it. On this desolate night, it is fate that we have met. I can play and sing it for you all free of charge, to sing of the night and to uplift your spirits."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up again, filled with anticipation. Especially her lips, hidden beneath the green veil, which unusually pursed slightly.

"Fang Ming, I'm giving you one last chance," Yue Qianchou, tilting his head slightly as he stared at him.

Yue Qianchou was somewhat willing to give face to the guy who was proclaiming him a peerless genius. However, he preferred to keep the opportunity to show off his talent in front of a beautiful woman to himself. Although Yue Qianchou wasn't interested in the veiled beauty, it didn't stop him from satisfying his small vanity; after all, few men wouldn't be happy to have beautiful women admiring them.

This is the main reason why he, having nothing better to do, unusually came out to sing for free. Besides, he believed that the guy's singing and playing skills were indeed inferior to his own. Since the goal was to promote Yue Qianchou as a peerless genius, it would be better for him, Niu Youde, to do the work, guaranteeing that the audience would be satisfied, and that the peerless genius Yue Qianchou would also be satisfied.

However, the consequences of his actions were destined to bring misfortune upon Fang Ming. But Yue Qianchou didn't have much affection for this pretentious guy, so he wasn't going to consider things that much for him. He was already being kind enough to give him a chance and a way out.

Fang Ming himself was also lamenting that he had finally encountered a chance to show off today, but how could he have run into Niu Youde, this guy who appeared out of nowhere? Was this really his fate? Although he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, he was blinded by greed and still forced himself to remain calm, saying, "True gold is not afraid of being tested by fire, and justice resides in the hearts of the people."

.