Mystic Sound Pavilion, the Mystic Sound Fairy
Cause and effect? Me?
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
The noisy voice in my heart suddenly fell silent, as if it had been intimidated by something more powerful.
"Let's go out first."
Four words, as light as a sigh, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Before he finished speaking, the Void Divine Feather behind Qin Wangchuan suddenly unfurled, the purple-gold feathers bursting forth with dazzling spatial power.
"Whoosh--"
With a gentle flap of its wings, a spatial rift as thin as a hair slashed across the barrier.
The powerful restriction that had trapped her for ten years was silently sliced through like paper before these ancient Divine Feather that could cleave through star fields.
Su Yingxue stared blankly at the crack that had been cut open, her fingertips cautiously reaching out to touch the world outside the barrier.
Ten years have passed.
"I... can I get out?" she murmured to herself, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of disturbing the dream.
But the next second, she abruptly pulled her hand back, as if she had been burned.
"No... I can't go out..." Su Yingxue shook her head, took a half step back, and pressed her back against the cold palace wall. "Father said... I can't leave without permission... If I leave now..."
Her voice trailed off, filled with frustration and disappointment.
Su Yingxue definitely wanted to leave; she dreamed of it.
But where else can I go if I leave here?
In order not to lose her only place to live, she decided to endure it.
Thinking of this, Su Yingxue stepped back.
But just then--
Qin Wangchuan suddenly reached out, grabbed Su Yingxue's wrist, and pulled her out of the restraints.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, staggering out of her bedchamber, only to be firmly supported by him.
"How can that be considered unauthorized?" Qin Wangchuan looked down at her, his tone calm yet undeniable. "I am a guest, and you are a member of the Dayan Dynasty. Accompany me for a walk outside the Imperial Dynasty— "
He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, conveying a sense of certainty and composure.
"If your father knew, he would understand."
Su Yingxue froze, water droplets sliding down her damp hair and dripping onto their clasped hands.
The rain stopped quietly at some point.
--After ten years of cold rain, the sun finally shines.
I have truly... stepped out of the Cold Palace.
Fear and excitement intertwined in my pounding chest, transforming into an unprecedented, almost dizzying sense of freedom.
Qin Wangchuan gathered his Divine Feather, glanced down at Su Yingxue, and then looked up into the distance.
The State Lord stood side by side with the white-haired old man who had led the way, gazing at them from afar.
As his gaze swept over him, State Lord Su Yuze slowly lowered his head, his eyes filled with a dark abyss of pain and helplessness.
He dared not disobey the request of the Ninth Young Master, nor could he refuse.
Qin Wangchuan led Su Yingxue through the bustling streets of the Imperial City. The girl's steps were still somewhat unsteady, as if she were walking on clouds.
She gripped Qin Wangchuan's sleeve tightly, afraid that if she let go, she would fall back into that cold cage.
The street vendors selling sugar figurines, the stalls selling steaming Spirit Cuisine, the jingling magical Law Artifact at the waists of cultivators... a vibrant atmosphere unseen for ten years is palpable.
Su Yingxue's eyes shone brightly, yet she dared not look too closely, only glancing at everything out of the corner of her eye, like a frightened fawn.
Behind the two, Ye Jianwei followed obediently.
Mystic Sound Pavilion is located on the west side of the Imperial City. From a distance, its eaves are upturned and the vermilion pavilion is shrouded in mist, with faint sounds of Zither Music flowing through it, like a clear spring striking rocks.
"This is it." Qin Wangchuan suddenly stopped.
Su Yingxue followed his gaze and saw that from between the upturned eaves of the pavilion, the sound of Zither Music flowed down like a clear spring.
"Mystic Sound Pavilion?" she repeated the name softly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress. "Is it... a place to listen to music?"
An old nanny in the Cold Palace once said that the best musicians in the Imperial City were all in the Mystic Sound Pavilion.
"Hmm." Qin Wangchuan brushed away the crabapple petals that had fallen into her hair. "Go find someone."
Su Yingxue lowered her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly raised her head, her clear eyes filled with a mixture of timidity and expectation. "Can... I call you brother?"
Seeing Qin Wangchuan raise an eyebrow slightly, she quickly explained, "I... I don't have an older brother. When I was in the Cold Palace, I always heard the palace maids say that other young ladies all had older brothers to protect them..."
The voice trailed off, the girl's fingers unconsciously twisting together. "You brought me out, like... like the older brother they talked about..."
By the end, her earlobes were red to the point of bleeding, but she still mustered her courage and looked at Qin Wangchuan with teary eyes:
"May I?"
Qin Wangchuan remained silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on her reddened earlobes for a fleeting instant, before nodding. "Okay."
Strangely enough, he was surrounded by older people.
Even the youngest, Ye Jianwei, was the same age as him.
The teenage Su Yingxue clutched his sleeve, her clear eyes brimming with wonder at everything in the world, as if she had truly gained a younger sister.
This experience is quite novel.
"Is this Young Master also here to listen to Mystic Sound Fairy play the zither?" A servant from the Mystic Sound Pavilion greeted him warmly, his gaze sweeping over Qin Wangchuan before glancing at Su Yingxue beside him and Ye Jianwei behind him, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, Qin Wangchuan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Mystic Sound Fairy?"
The servant, all smiles, lowered his voice and said, "Young Master, you may not know this, but this is a very important figure from the Mystic Sound Immortal Pavilion. We don't even know her exact background. My pavilion Pavilion Master paid a great price to invite this fairy to stay for a year."
He shook his head, a hint of regret on his face. "But the time is almost up. For the past year Mystic Sound Fairy has played the zither every day, hoping to find a soulmate. What a pity..."
The servant lowered his voice, "None of those renowned musicians who came seeking fame could move the fairy."
"I heard even the young master of Heavenly Sound Valley returned disappointed. Now, every day we hear it is one less day we may have, so Young Master— "
He suddenly reached out his hand as he spoke:
"The entry fee is ten bottles of Spirit Marrow per person."
Where there are Undying Aristocratic Clan, there are naturally Immortal Power.
Mystic Sound Immortal Pavilion is one of them.
He entered the Dao through music, Tongtian and earth.
Its lineage can be traced back to Ancient Times. Legend has it that the first Zither Emperor came from here, which resonated with the Great Dao, and he eventually broke through the void and became an emperor.
From then on, the Mystic Sound Immortal Pavilion became Holy Land for music cultivation, and its disciples all proved their Dao through music. A single melody could shake mountains and rivers, and a single note could decide life and death.
'To be able to invite someone like this, Xu Qing must be quite capable.'
"Then let's see for ourselves."
Ten bottles of Spirit Marrow are considered expensive, but that's not a problem for Qin Wangchuan.
Ye Jianwei stepped forward on her own initiative, and with a light wave of her hand, thirty bottles of Spirit Marrow floated in the air like pearls and jade.
The servant's eyes lit up, and he quickly reached for it with a Storage Bag. The moment he probed it with his Divine Sense, his fingertips trembled slightly.
The Spirit Marrow in the bottle was crystal clear and contained spiritual light, its quality several times higher than that of ordinary Spirit Marrow!
These people are truly extraordinary!
He was inwardly alarmed, but dared not show it on his face. He simply smiled even more respectfully and said, "Please follow me, distinguished Esteemed Guest."
He turned and led the way, his back unconsciously bending lower, his tone becoming increasingly solicitous:
"The three of you have arrived at just the right time. In half an hour, it will be time for the Immortal to play the 'Nine Heavens Prelude Melody.' This piece is a closely guarded secret of the Mystic Sound Immortal Pavilion, and ordinary people may never have the chance to hear it even once in their entire lives..."
As he spoke, he glanced at the three of them. Leaving aside the girl for now, the other two remained calm and unmoved. He felt even more alarmed and quickly added:
"Of course, given the status and demeanor of the three of you, you must have already witnessed even more Profound Mystery celestial music. It was I who spoke out of turn."
This servant is quite interesting. Qin Wangchuan listened to him continue, pondering to himself.
'The Nine Heavens Prelude? It seems to have some connection with the Nine Heavens Phoenix-Leading Melody.'
The "Nine Heavens Zither Emperor Sutra" that Heavenly Emperor Li gave him previously contained the "Nine Heavens Phoenix-Leading Melody".
One of the pieces he played was also this one.
Su Yingxue stayed close to his side, her eyes sparkling as she looked around.
The Mystic Sound Pavilion with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding novelty everywhere.
The gilded incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, the ancient zither hanging on the wall gleamed with a warm luster, and even the tinkling of the jade pendants at the waists of the maids as they moved gracefully filled her with amusement.
The servant, seemingly eager to impress the Esteemed Guest, continued his incessant introductions until he led them to an elegant pavilion. Only then did he bow and step back, saying, "Please wait here for a moment, gentlemen. Please refrain from making noise while the fairy plays the zither."
After saying that, he closed the door and left.
Now that she was all alone with her, Su Yingxue visibly became nervous.
Qin Wangchuan chuckled at her expression, gesturing for her to sit down, and then said:
Let's have a chat.
"I heard that it was the Qin Clan who took your bones."
"If your bones hadn't been taken from you back then, you wouldn't have been imprisoned in the Cold Palace all these years. Have you ever resented the Qin Clan for this fate?"