With that question in mind, An Xinghe began another thorough search.
Since Neon had relatively few children, the school was not very large either, making the search easy for An Xinghe.
After opening the door to the classroom beside the stairs, he saw a violin lying quietly on one of the desks inside.
An Xinghe guessed that it was probably related to Duoshi Huali's diary and hurried over to pick it up.
[Name: Duoshi Huali's Violin] [Type: Quest-related] [Quality: Decrepit] [Special Effect: None] [Can it be taken out of the scenario: No] [Notes: Duoshi Huali's beloved violin. She once used it to win the Tokyo Violin Competition!]
Under the violin, there was also a note.
[Name: Duoshi Huali's Diary 03] [Type: Quest-related] [Quality: Decrepit] [Special Effect: None] [Can it be taken out of the scenario: No] [Notes: You're still reading!] [Diary Entry: I finally know why Teacher Tanaka cut off my fingers! It was because of jealousy! As a music teacher, Teacher Tanaka had no musical talent at all! He was insanely jealous of anyone whose musical accomplishments surpassed his own! Whenever he heard music better than his, he would go mad!]
Part 71: Sending You Off Happily!
After reading this third diary entry, An Xinghe also understood why Tanaka had killed Duoshi Huali.
So it was because of jealousy!
The tragedy that took place in the music classroom, as recorded in Duoshi Huali's diary, should have been related to the nursery rhyme: "A beautiful voice, a graceful tune. One hand on the strings, one hand on the bow. One hand of blood, one hand of guts. Do not listen, do not smell. When the performance ends, clap your hands."
The ghost in the nursery rhyme was Tanaka, who had died in the music classroom!
However, the method given in the nursery rhyme was not to listen to the performance, then clap after it ended.
Duoshi Huali's diary seemed to have offered another method!
Defeat Tanaka with music!
But... An Xinghe did not know how to play the violin.
To be more precise, he did not know how to play any musical instrument.
An Xinghe put away both the diary and the violin, then headed toward the music classroom.
He would improvise when the time came!
The music classroom was at the easternmost end of the Second Floor. After entering, An Xinghe first looked around to see what musical instruments were there.
Putting everything else aside, the classroom had a complete collection of instruments.
Violins, a piano, a drum kit...
For some reason, An Xinghe wore a satisfied smile.
At that moment, the door behind him suddenly slammed shut with a bang!
Somewhere beyond the visible world, a voice echoed through the classroom:
"Sit down properly! I'm going to perform!"
A ghostly figure appeared on the chair at the very front of the classroom.
The ghost looked like a man in his thirties. His hair was combed flawlessly, and he wore a sharp suit. He held a violin in one hand and a bow in the other.
There was a massive wound across his abdomen!
Blood and intestines gushed out of it, making for a horrifying sight!
This man was Tanaka, the one mentioned in Duoshi Huali's diary!
Tanaka's gray-white eyes rolled twice before settling on An Xinghe. He said in a low voice:
"Go sit down! I'm going to teach you about music!"
An Xinghe spread his hands, then obediently found a nearby seat and sat down.
The performance began.
Instead of covering his ears, An Xinghe crossed his legs leisurely, looking as though he considered it an honor to sit there and listen to Tanaka play the violin.
Tanaka played one piece for nearly twenty minutes before stopping. He stared fixedly at An Xinghe.
"How was it?"
According to the system's initial prompt, he should have applauded here.
However, An Xinghe stood up and said:
"What the hell was that supposed to be?"
"Even a layman like me can tell that you weren't even remotely in tune!"
"That wasn't music. It sounded like ghosts wailing and wolves howling!"
"Real music should connect with the earth! Not the underworld!"
"Even the guy who saws wood back in my hometown plays better than you!"
After An Xinghe's tirade, Tanaka flew into a rage on the spot! He smashed the violin onto the floor.
"You said my playing sounds awful! Do you actually understand music better than I do?! Can you play the violin?!"
"I'm the music teacher at this school! No one understands music better than me!"
An Xinghe did not care in the slightest about the furious Tanaka. He merely spoke in an unhurried tone:
"I may not understand music, but even I know better than to make noise like you did!"
"I can't play the violin, but since you've begged me so earnestly, I suppose I should show you a thing or two!"
An Xinghe walked over to the drum kit and forcibly removed two metal discs from it, then lightly tapped one.
"Clang!"
He nodded in satisfaction. "It sounds more or less like a large cymbal. Should be fine."
Then he looked coldly at Tanaka and smiled.
"Come on. Let me use traditional music from the Celestial Dynasty to send you off happily!"
Large cymbals were traditional instruments from the Celestial Dynasty. They basically consisted of two bronze discs and produced a loud, resonant sound. They were commonly used at both funerals and weddings.
In all fairness, An Xinghe genuinely had no idea what music was supposed to be.
But the music played at Celestial Dynasty weddings was simply too catchy! An Xinghe still could not forget that rhythm.
Using his homemade pair of large cymbals, he went all out to make it festive! The louder, the better!
Live Stream.
[This Tanaka is definitely getting sent off for good...]
[Almost everyone from the Celestial Dynasty knows how to play large cymbals! They don't require any skill at all. You just strike them hard in time with the rhythm!]
[Listen! Doesn't the way An Xinghe is playing sound like someone getting married?]
[For fuck's sake! Tanaka is completely dumbfounded! He probably has never experienced a traditional Celestial Dynasty wedding procession.]
[Tanaka: You call this damn thing music?!]
[The only thing missing from An Xinghe's performance is a suona to play along with him!]
[I just remembered my sister's wedding...]
[Move aside! I'm sitting at the children's table!]
Part 72: Hidden Quest!
An Xinghe played through every wedding rhythm he could remember.
Afterward, he got addicted and played "The Newsboy's Song" and "One Fen" as well before finally stopping.
By then, Tanaka's face had already turned green!
He could not understand why this man was producing such undignified sounds in the music classroom!
He did not even look the slightest bit guilty!
Although An Xinghe's playing sounded almost like noise, it was also extremely down-to-earth! At least, one could hear the joy at the heart of the music.
Tanaka's violin, on the other hand, was not in tune at all!
It seemed Duoshi Huali's claim that his talent was terrible had not been an exaggeration!
Amid Tanaka's wails, his figure gradually grew fainter until it finally vanished into nothingness.
[Ding! Player An Xinghe completed the Bloody Case of the Music Classroom, one of the five Campus Horror Legends, by means of a Hidden Quest.] [Ding! Player An Xinghe obtained the hidden reward Snow Rice Cake.] [Current Quest Progress: 3/5] [Name: Snow Rice Cake] [Type: Consumable] [Quality: Common] [Special Effect: After eating it, you can summon a clone possessing half of your own strength. Duration: one hour]
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