Moon Gazing Tower's Song of Sending Off the Gods!

The Moon Worship Festival following the Autumn Equinox makes Gucheng exceptionally lively.

Lu Qian and Liu Muqing arrived by boat, intending to attend the banquet at Moon Gazing Tower tonight.

"You're really bored, always asking me to come to Gucheng to play. Today I finally got your wish, so why are you still a little unhappy?" Liu Muqing looked at Lu Qian.

Lu Qian naturally refused to reveal the real reason, only casually saying, "Jiang Jiuxian also came after us."

Liu Muqing said, "Jiang Jiuxian is considered outstanding in the Music Hall. His family background and taste are both excellent. Many women admire him, so why don't you like him?"

Lu Qian retorted, "Zong Shichang's family background isn't bad either, so why don't you like him Qing'er?"

Liu Muqing was speechless.

Lu Qian muttered to herself, "I either like it or I don't. There's no need for so many whys. Besides, I don't like the way Jiang Jiuxian looks at me. He's no different from any other man."

Liu Muqing shook her head. "I won't argue with you. Since we're already here, let's not think about anything else today and just relax."

Moon Gazing Tower is owned by the Zong Family. Today, the first five floors were packed with people, while the upper three floors were booked out by the Young Master Zong.

As the host, Zong Shichang had arrived long ago, and Zhao Xing, carrying Mountain Cat, naturally followed along.

"Brother Zhao, how do I look now?" Zong Shichang asked.

Zhao Xing glanced at Zong Shichang, who was fiddling with his makeup in front of the mirror. "If you put on some more powder, you can compete with the girls downstairs in singing opera."

"What's the meaning?"

"So provocative."

"..."

Zong Shichang rubbed his hair in frustration, took off his clothes, and paced back and forth in front of a pile of ornate wardrobes.

Zhao Xing couldn't stand it anymore. "What's the rush? Just be the same as usual. How can you win over Miss Liu if you try too hard?"

"Be natural, don't be too eager to succeed. Treat her the same way you treat other women. Let Nature Take Its Course and be normal, and you've already beaten 90% of your competitors."

Zong Shichang turned and asked, "Will this work?"

Zhao Xing said, "Then think about it, didn't it just not work before? If that's the case, why keep doing the same thing? Try something different, maybe it'll suit that Miss Liu's taste?"

Zong Shichang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately listened to Zhao Xing's advice and changed into a simpler set of clothes.

One of his strengths is that he readily accepts good advice.

He is very receptive to opinions from people he approves of and trusts.

Before long, a servant announced that guests had begun to arrive.

Zong Shichang stopped worrying and began to greet the guests.

Zong Shichang's small private banquet for the Moon Worship Festival also had nearly a hundred people.

However, there are differences in kinship; those with lower social status and family background are all on the lower level.

Zong Shichang held up his wine glass and walked around downstairs, toasting each table. When he returned upstairs, his face was flushed and his veins were bulging.

After closing the door between the upper and lower floors and lowering the curtains, the small private room on the top floor becomes quiet, isolated from the lively singing and dancing below, with only a bright moon hanging high in the sky for people to admire.

Seeing the lingering reluctance in everyone's eyes, Zong Shichang raised his wine cup and laughed, "The vulgar women and decadent music outside are not fit for refined tastes. Today, I've invited friends from the county's Music Hall to entertain you all!"

Zhao Xing sat in the third seat from the bottom left, below which was a small stage.

The stage was covered by a silk curtain; once it was pulled back, the first thing you saw was the bright moon in the night sky.

Then came two men and one woman, wearing veils, playing music on either side of them. The two men played the hengqin, while the woman played the liuqin.

Smoke swirled around them, and the three musicians disappeared, leaving only the singing and the sound of their instruments.

"The Emperor reigns over the Four Seas, and Auspicious Cloud appear daily. His supreme virtue is like clouds, bestowing blessings upon all people..."

As the music began, Lu Qian, who was well-prepared, led three dancers onto the stage amidst swirling smoke, and they began to dance under the moon.

"One of the Six Songs, 'Cloud Gate,' I never expected that the Dancer Master and musicians invited by Zong Shichang would actually be performing a proper sacrificial dance." Zhao Xing stared at the stage.

The sacrificial dance, also a type of war dance, is performed by musicians Dancer Master to praise ancient sages and worship their spirits.

The Cloud Gate is a shrine to the Xia Emperor, the founder of the ancient Dynasty of Fate, praising him for creating all things, uniting all people, and possessing virtues as vast as the clouds.

The pinnacle version of "Cloud Gate" requires twelve first-rank musicians, thirty-two first-rank Dancer Master, and more than five hundred Dancer Master and musicians of Second Rank to Fourth Grade!

The effect is to summon the Xia Emperor's "True Spirit Dharma Body".

However, Zhao Xing had never seen it before. It is said that this war dance could summon the Xia Emperor's Dharma Body a long time ago, but it could no longer do so even if the number of people was gathered later.

However, the simplified and lower-level versions of "Cloud Gate" also have various effects, such as refreshing the mind or boosting morale, which can increase the warriors' endurance.

Those at a slightly higher level can summon the spirits of some sages from the Xia Dynasty to slay demons and monsters.

In short, this drumming technique has evolved to have a wide variety of effects over time.

For example, when Zhao Xing heard this, he only felt that his Fate Soul had become more solid, but it wasn't of much use.

The dance music ended.

Lu Qian, along with three dancers, Liu Muqing, and two other musicians, performed a 'thank you' ceremony.

Those present all took out the gifts they had prepared to reciprocate.

Gifts given to Dancer Master and musicians will enhance the war dance.

No gift is needed, just a simple return gift is fine.

Lu Qian walked to Zhao Xing's desk and gracefully bowed.

Unexpectedly, the other party simply cupped their hands in greeting.

"Hmph, stingy," Lu Qian muttered to herself as she walked away.

The others also looked over.

Everyone else was giving jade ornaments as a return gift, but Zhao Xing's "spiritual gratitude" stood out as quite unique.

Zhao Shennong said, "Your dancing skills are so-so. Your gratitude is already commendable. You want a reward?"

When it was Zong Shichang's turn to return the greeting.

He gave Jiang Jiuxian, Lu Qian, and others jade pendants and other ornaments.

What was given to Liu Muqing, however, was a piece of paper.

A piece of paper?

Everyone's attention shifted from Zhao Xing to Zong Shichang.

"Young Master Zong, Miss Liu and Miss Lu have come from afar to perform for your banquet. You mustn't show favoritism to them."

"Exactly, why did they only give Miss Liu a piece of paper?"

What's written on the paper?

Zong Shichang cupped his hands and said, "This is a poem. I came across it by chance and thought it could be given to a musician to set to music, which might help Miss Liu improve. As for a dancer, I haven't found a suitable one."

"Hey? That's a biased statement. There are three musicians, so why didn't you give them to Brother Jiang and Brother Fan, Brother Zong?"

"Yes, hahaha, why is Miss Liu so unique?"

A burst of laughter erupted around them; clearly, they all knew of Zong Shichang's affection for Liu Muqing and were deliberately making a fuss at this moment.

Zong Shichang smiled and said, "This poem is not suitable for a man."

"Oh?" Jiang Jiuxian, after taking his seat, teased, "What kind of magical poems are these, that they even distinguish between men and women? Brother Zong, why don't you recite them?"

Zong Shichang smiled but didn't say anything, instead looking at Liu Muqing.

At this moment, Liu Muqing was stunned, it seemed that the desired effect had been achieved.

The poems I bought from Zhao Xing were worth it!

Lu Qian found it strange. Liu Muqing was not someone who had never seen the world, so why did she remain silent for so long?

Unable to contain herself, she simply walked over and took the paper from Liu Muqing's hand. "I'll read it."

"There is a beautiful woman, whom I cannot forget once I have seen her. If I do not see her for a day, I am driven mad with longing."

"The phoenix soars high, seeking its mate Four Seas. Alas, the fair maiden is not on the eastern wall."

"I will use the zither to express my feelings, to write down my innermost thoughts. When will I be granted permission to meet you, to soothe my anxieties?"

"I wish to be worthy of your virtue, to walk hand in hand with you, but I cannot Yu Fei you, and thus I perish."

As soon as it was read aloud, bursts of laughter erupted.

Those present all possessed a certain level of discernment; it was clearly a love poem.

But as I listened, something felt off.

How come I've never heard of it?

Seems like they're quite skilled?

The other two musicians and three Dancer Masters were also taken aback.

Because when Lu Qian read it aloud, they clearly felt something was touching.

I have an urge to compose music for this poem. This kind of Heart's Blood Surge only comes when I encounter a good poem or a new poem that can greatly enhance my understanding of poetry.

"You..." Lu Qian couldn't help but look at Zong Shichang, "Is this a modern poem? Where did you get it?"

She didn't believe that Zong Shichang had done this, given Zong Shiba's level of skill.

"I acquired this by chance. I wonder if it's worthy of being given to Miss Liu?" Zong Shichang smiled, appearing very modest, a stark contrast to his usual flamboyant and smug demeanor.

Lu Qian seemed a little 'abnormal' when he appeared somewhat normal.

Is this still the Zong Shichang I know?

Liu Muqing was also greatly shocked, not only because of the impact on her cultivation, but also because it was a love poem, and the description of love was profound and moving.

Even with the current open-minded atmosphere, Liu Muqing couldn't quite handle it, and her face turned red as soon as she came to her senses.

"Thank you for the poem, Young Master Zong." Liu Muqing's voice trembled slightly, losing her usual calm and composed demeanor.

"Wait, what's the name of your poem?" Lu Qian asked.

"The Phoenix Seeks its Mate," Zong Shichang said.

"The Phoenix Seeks its Mate..." Liu Muqing murmured, her fingers plucking the strings of her zither, instinctively wanting to compose music for the poem.

The melodious sound of the piano soon prompted her to sing along.

The first time I read it, I stumbled and stumbled, but by the second time, it already had a certain charm.

On the third repetition, several people closed their eyes, immersing themselves in the illusion and experiencing the pain of unrequited love.

One young man even broke down on the spot, shouting the name of a certain woman and bursting into tears.

Zong Shichang managed to hold back, because Zhao Xing had repeatedly told him to resist and not embarrass himself.

"That's enough, Miss Liu!" Zhao Xing interrupted at this moment.

Liu Muqing immediately realized her mistake and quickly stopped.

"Brother Zong, given the current situation, I think we should all go to the pavilion to enjoy the moon," Zhao Xing said. "I see that Miss Liu is quite moved by this poem; could you take Miss Liu to a private room to discuss it?"

"Miss Liu, please."

"Mm." Liu Muqing was completely focused on composing the music and wanted to find a quiet place, so she let Zong Shichang lead the way.

Seeing that the usually aloof and proud Miss Liu had actually agreed to spend time alone with him, Zong Shichang couldn't help but turn around and give her a grateful look. As expected of you, my good brother! No, godfather!

Lu Qian looked at Zong Shichang suspiciously, then at Zhao Xing, her eyes First-Turn.

Seeing Zhao Xing leave his seat to go outside to admire the moon, she followed him.

"That poem, was it for Zong Shichang?" Lu Qian stood next to Zhao Xing and suddenly asked.

Why would you think that?

"My intuition tells me his feelings for Miss Liu do align with the meaning of the poems, but to say he wrote them himself is absolutely impossible," Lu Qian said. "Luckily, he's smart enough not to say he wrote them, otherwise, if Qing'er asks later, wouldn't it backfire?"

Zhao Xing neither turned his head nor replied, but simply gazed quietly at the moon.

Lu Qian took another step closer to him. "Was the dance good?"

Zhao Xing nodded. "It's alright."

"Just okay?" Lu Qian pouted.

"It's acceptable, which is a relatively high evaluation for me."

"So you seem to know quite a bit about Dancer Master."

"I know a little."

Please advise.

Zhao Xing said calmly, "You danced the [Cloud Gate] from the 'Six Songs'. The Cloud Gate is incredibly profound; it's not just a war dance, but also has the effect of Invoking the Gods. You danced the powerful parts very well, but the graceful parts were still a bit lacking."

"Your sleeves dance towards the heavenly palace, soaring to the Nine Heavens. Your sleeve-flipping technique should come from [Cloud Gate·Heavenly Palace] and [Cloud Gate·Nine Heavens], but as I just said, your feminine aspect is not enough."

"You should be better at dancing the [Da Shao], this is a problem stemming from the [Da Shao], it's hard to get rid of, right?"

Lu Qian raised an eyebrow. "You really know? Yes, I am indeed skilled in [Da Shao], and your statement is exactly the same as the teacher's, but I don't know how to correct it."

Zhao Xing turned his head and said, "If you don't mind, you can jump again for me to see."

"Okay!" Lu Qian didn't hesitate and immediately jumped up.

Although there was no music from Liu Muqing to accompany her, the dancer did not necessarily need the music to dance, and the melody was already in her heart.

So, even if you jump again, the power is slightly less, but the level of completion is not much different from before.

Zhao Xing used the Five Elements Observation to observe Lu Qian's movements.

After having her dance twice, I stopped her.

"That's fine."

"What did you figure out?" Lu Qian asked expectantly.

Zhao Xing said, "When you jump to the critical moment of the [Nine Heavens] stage, your Qi in your dantian always rises too forcefully. As I just mentioned, this is a habit formed from your [Da Shao] stage. It's very simple for you to change. As long as you can suppress the rise of Qi in your dantian, you can smoothly transition to the next step."

Lu Qian subconsciously looked down and touched her stomach, looking somewhat naive. "It's true, my teacher has said it many times, but I still can't change it."

"There's nothing we can do about it; you can only adjust it gradually."

Lu Qian looked up. "Now I'm even more certain that the song 'Phoenix Seeks its Mate' was given to Zong Shichang. Do you know why I wanted to come see you?"

"I know." Zhao Xing nodded. Since the other party had brought it up, he couldn't avoid it or try to brush it off. As for solving the problem, he had found a way to make money. If all else failed, he could be magnanimous and return the Peacock Feather Magic Garment.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Lu Qian said. "I didn't come here to ask you to return the Peacock Feather Magic Garment. Things on the mountain should be settled on the mountain. The Forget Sorrow Stele is meant to help people forget the troubles on the mountain. I... I was just a little curious about what kind of person you are. I hope this invitation didn't bother you."

Unexpectedly, Lu Qian said that, and it sounded very sincere and frank.

Seeing that Zhao Xing didn't speak, Lu Qian tried to ease the awkwardness by saying, "Do you have any other poems? Giving them to Zong Shiba is a waste; he doesn't appreciate their value at all... You could sell them to the people in our Music Hall."

"Huh?" Zhao Xing was taken aback. He actually did have some suitable paintings for Lu Qian. What difference did it make who he sold them to? He was currently short of money to buy the Preaching Painting.

"Yes, how much can you offer?"

This time, it was Lu Qian's turn to be a little surprised.

She was just asking casually.

Surprisingly, Zhao Xing actually had it.

"That depends on the level. If it's like the one just now, it can trigger an effect, and exchanging it for a fourth-tier treasure wouldn't be a problem."

"It's derived from the 'Six Songs,' and includes both lyrics and music," Zhao Xing said. "It's definitely going to be compared to which one is stronger. The highest you can cultivate it to is the Fifth Grade. How much do you think it's worth?"

"If that's the case, we can at least exchange it for a fifth-tier treasure, or even more."

Zhao Xing thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I can let you experience the battle lyrics and music first."

"Okay, come with me." Lu Qian was also looking forward to it.

Zhao Xing planned to sell "Rite of Souls" to Lu Qian. Unlike the cheap song he gave to Zong Shichang, "Rite of Souls" was one of the "Nine Songs" created by later generations based on "Six Songs".

It is a legitimate and mature spell, and also the "Sending Off the Gods Song" in the Nine Songs.

As the saying goes, it's easy to Invoking the Gods, but difficult to send him away.

The power of "Rite of Souls" lies in its ability to dispel Yin Soul and send away deities summoned by other professions, making it extremely practical.

Zhao Xing only remembered the battle lyrics and theme song of "Rite of Souls," which he could remember when he was a player in his previous life. As for the battle dance, which involved the circulation of vital energy, that was no good; even remembering the movements was useless.

When he gave Zong Shichang that cheap product, he tried out the other "results" and they had already been "certified" by the panel.

It's still a few levels below the complete version, since it lacks the crucial battle dance part, but it's good enough for now. It's still worth selling to make some money.

As for what kind of war dance Lu Qian could find someone to choreograph, that was none of his business.

Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised that things had been resolved so smoothly.

Has the "bad luck" finally passed?

"Wait a minute!" Just then, a voice interrupted Zhao Xing and Lu Qian's conversation.

I won't write much about battle chants and songs; they're just a temporary measure to make money. They will be consistent with the rituals and sacrifices of the Zhou Dynasty and the professions depicted in the text, such as those related to Invoking the Gods and exorcising souls. I won't use conventional poetry to pad the writing.