Qin Qing's Music (Part Two)
The Distant Resonance sound of the zither, like jade beads falling onto a plate, seemed to leap on the tip of the heart with each note, stirring the Human Heart. However, within this music, there was a faint trace of sorrow.
He closed his eyes slightly, stood at the entrance of Flower Full Building for a while and listened. After the servant of Flower Full Building came over and helped Zhuge Xiang take the Sharp Claw Colt away, he stepped into the building.
Flower Full Building, as the most famous brothel in Ink Martial City, was still packed with people. However, compared to the hustle and bustle of the past, Flower Full Building was much quieter at this moment. The men and women in the building were all silent, listening to the music coming from upstairs.
Qin Qing's zither skills were already renowned in Yanling Commandery. At this moment, something seemed to have been added to the music. It was no longer just pleasant to listen to, but it struck straight to the heart. The faint sadness seemed to affect the mood of the listeners.
Thump...
The last note, like the tinkling of a spring, slowly faded away, leaving behind a lingering, enchanting charm. Suddenly, a chorus of cheers erupted, followed by thunderous applause. As the piece ended, the Flower Full Building returned to its usual bustling atmosphere, but Qin Qing's musical skill was universally praised.
"In the past, Miss Qin Qing's zither playing was already captivating, but recently it seems she has made a breakthrough, truly possessing a lingering charm that lasts for three days," a scholar-like man said, nodding his head and looking on with great relish.
"I've only just arrived in Yanling Commandery when I heard of Qin Qing's Stage Name. Hearing it today, I can confirm it's well-deserved. It's just a pity that this Miss Qin Qing refuses to see any guests." On the other side, a man dressed in brocade robes, exuding an air of wealth, shook his head regretfully.
"That's right, what's with this 'trying to be virtuous while being a prostitute'? One day it's closed to visitors, two days it's been like this, and now it's been more than ten days, and it's closed to visitors every day. What's going on?" A burly man, his muscles bulging, his face full of deep dissatisfaction, shouted angrily.
A large group of men seeking pleasure gathered Flower Full Building, eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Qin Qing. Unfortunately, more than ten days passed, but Qin Qing remained ill and refused to see any guests.
A day or two is fine, three to five days is bearable. But after more than ten days, these womanizers have completely lost their patience.
"Excellent! Lady Liu, quickly bring Miss Qin Qing down to me."
"Yes, hurry up and call Qin Qing down, or I won't be polite and will charge up there myself."
"We have been impolite to the lady, please don't take offense."
The people downstairs, having waited for more than ten days, were already impatient. At this point, their emotions erupted, and everything went completely wrong.
Despite Lady Liu's constant smiles and attempts to recommend other girls, none of them agreed. That's just how men are; once their appetites are whetted, the more unattainable something is, the more unwilling they become.
Despite her forced smile, Lady Liu was filled with bitterness. Although the Hundred Flowers Palace was affiliated with the Yin Yang Demonic Palace and was also a cultivation sect, in Yanling Commandery, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake.
If it were any other disciple, seeing these customers like this, they would have forced her to come out, even if it meant coercing her. But Qin Qing was already an excellent musician in the Hundred Flowers Palace. The reason she came out to show herself was simply because her mental state was not yet mature enough, and she needed to gain some experience.
These days, Lady Liu could naturally hear the changes in Qin Qing's zither playing. After reporting back to the Sect, the Hundred Flowers Palace sent word that they were taking Qin Qing's situation seriously and that she might be taken back by the Sect for intensive training at any time. Therefore, Lady Liu did not dare to force her to come out and entertain guests.
"Hmph, you don't know what's good for you. I'm the Flower Picking Young Master, I've been with at least eight hundred, if not a thousand. I was originally curious to see if Qin Qing was selling her art but not her body, but it seems that today I, the Flower Picking Young Master, will have to try using force."
Amid the commotion, a man around thirty years old slammed his hand on the table and stood up. A powerful Qi Energy emanated from him, and his Innate Protective Qi appeared on his body, revealing that he possessed the cultivation level of the Innate Realm.
"Yes, we all have to rush up there today, or we won't leave!" Someone took the lead and stood up to rush up the Flower Full Building. The others naturally followed suit and swarmed up the building.
"No, gentlemen, please calm down, ah..." Lady Liu said urgently, trying to stop them, but she was pushed away in a few quick movements.
The guards at Flower Full Building exchanged bewildered glances. If someone caused trouble, they would naturally have to intervene, but these were all customers of Flower Full Building. How could they intervene? They would be out of business.
The stairs of Flower Full Building were suddenly packed with people, all yelling and rushing upstairs. Their appearance caused the girls of Flower Full Building to scream in horror, and the entire Flower Full Building was thrown into chaos.
Bang!
Stepping into the Flower Full Building, seeing the chaotic state of this group of philanderers, Zhuge Xiang suddenly made a loud thud under his feet, unleashing his Explosive Steps.
A figure, like a ghost, blocked the stairwell. Sword of Slaughter was drawn, and a murderous aura mixed with a thick stench of blood emanated from Zhuge Xiang. He pointed his sword and said in a deep voice, "All of you, get out of the way!"
"Who are you, daring to block my way?" Leading the charge was the Flower Picking Young Master. With a flick of his wrist, a pair of Magic Artifact gloves appeared, which he viciously grabbed at Zhuge Xiang. With his cultivation at the Third Layer of the Innate Realm, the sharp sound of the gauntlet cutting through the air was Human Heart.
"Get lost!" With Knockback Skill, Zhuge Xiang's Sword of Slaughter directly sent the Flower Picking Young Master at the Innate Realm, flying. Immediately afterward, the Sword of Slaughter slashed again, unleashing the Void Splitting Slash.
A chilling Sword Qi shot out. The stairwell was only so big, and faced with Zhuge Xiang's Void Splitting Slash Skill, those who had just started to riot were horrified.
Those with cultivation worked together to resist, while those without cultivation jumped down the stairs in horror. In short, the Sword Qi of this Void Splitting Slash left those who had been yelling and rushing upstairs in a sorry state, and many others tumbled down the stairs like gourds.
Zhuge Xiang alone sent all of them tumbling down, and cries of pain filled the air. They looked up and glared angrily at Zhuge Xiang, but remembering how the Flower Picking Young Master at the Innate Realm, had been sent flying by his sword, they were furious but dared not say anything.
Among the crowd, several men sitting in a corner, dressed in Brocade Sword Uniform, saw Zhuge Xiang make his move. Their eyes lit up slightly, and they exchanged glances. One of them quietly walked out of the Flower Full Building and fired a signal arrow Flower Full Building. The Whistling Arrow shot straight into the sky, and the image of an Azure Long Sword flashed in the night sky.
"Zhuge Xiang!?" Lady Liu was slightly taken aback when she saw the man who suddenly appeared and blocked all the rioting guests.
As part of the Hundred Flowers Palace's businesses, Flower Full Building naturally had its own intelligence network. Lady Liu knew about the news that the Asura Sect had encountered the Corpse King of the Puppet Cult and was almost completely wiped out, and she also knew that Zhuge Xiang was one of those people. However, she never expected that Zhuge Xiang would actually be standing alive in front of her.
"Qin Qing said she wouldn't see any guests, and that means it. If you continue to make a ruckus, don't blame me for being merciless with my sword," Zhuge Xiang said loudly, standing at the top of the stairs on the second floor of Flower Full Building, looking down at the disheveled people below.
"Friend, we're all here to have fun, so isn't this a bit too domineering?" The Flower Picking Young Master stepped forward and asked Zhuge Xiang in a deep voice. Looking at Zhuge Xiang, he was secretly surprised that this person was so young to be able to Knockback.
"Overbearing? Then I'll show you something even more overbearing." Seeing this Flower Picking Young Master step forward, Zhuge Xiang was just looking for a way to make an example of someone, but he didn't have the right one to kill.
With a glare, his Sword Intent unleashed, its incomparably sharp aura soaring into the heavens. Within the Flower Full Building, all the Sword Cultivators' longswords rang out, automatically unsheathing themselves and planting themselves in the ground, bending their blades towards Zhuge Xiang as if in pilgrimage.
Sword Intent!?
The moment the Sword Intent was unleashed, everyone present paled in shock.
Sword Intent is the key to unlocking the Nascent Deity Transformation stage. Even at the Tenth Layer, a disciple of the Return to Simplicity Realm is only at the Qi Refining Stage. However, those who possess Sword Intent, Spear Intent, or Blade Intent, regardless of their cultivation level, can be considered near- Deity Transformation stage experts. This means that such individuals face no bottlenecks in breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage.
The several Sword Cultivators in brocade robes sitting in the corner watched their swords automatically unsheathe and plant themselves in the ground. Their expressions changed drastically, and their gazes towards Zhuge Xiang were incredibly complex, containing hatred, envy, shock, and jealousy...
With his Sword Intent unleashed, Zhuge Xiang, emboldened by the high-consumption status Skill, couldn't afford to waste time. He stomped his foot, unleashing his newly cooled-down Explosive Steps once more, simultaneously activating Eagle Eye Technique. A deafening roar of Wind and Thunder and Blood Thunder Slash transformed into a Blood-Red Sword Light...
Blood Thunder Slash, Explosive Steps, Eagle Eye Technique – this was already Zhuge Xiang's strongest combination for instantly killing opponents. Now, with the added boost of Sword Intent State, it became even more terrifying.
Inside the Flower Full Building, a bloody and murderous aura permeated the air, and the Sword Qi was terrifying. In everyone's eyes, all they saw was a Blood-Red Sword Light that flashed by in an instant. Zhuge Xiang's figure appeared behind the Flower Picking Young Master in the second-floor corridor as if he had moved in the blink of an eye.
A scream rang out, blood blossomed, and the Innate Protective Qi shattered with a bang. The Flower Picking Young Master of the Third Layer of the Innate Realm screamed and flew backward, a huge sword wound on his chest, deep enough to expose the bone.
Hiss...
Seeing the tragic state of the Flower Picking Young Master, everyone present gasped in shock, staring in horror at Zhuge Xiang's unbelievably youthful face. The Flower Picking Young Master, a mere Third Layer Innate Realm cultivator, had been instantly killed with a single sword strike? What was this young man's identity?
"Third Layer the Xiantian? It's far inferior to the Fourth Layer of the Xiantian Wu Zhao," Zhuge Xiang thought to himself, shaking his head inwardly.
The gap between genius and mediocrity is indeed vast, and combat power cannot be measured solely by cultivation level. Wu Zhao could fight him to a standstill, and even nearly defeated him, but this guy at the Third Layer of the Xiantian was someone he could kill with a single sword strike.
Cultivation level, Skill, equipment, environment, strategy, belief, and so on—there are simply too many factors that can determine a person's combat power. (To be continued...)