Yun Jin, Master Yun

Waterside pavilions, song and dance, glowing lanterns. With nothing to do today, he could while away the hours listening to opera.

Venti had left early to attend to something, leaving Lin Yi to wander around Wangshu Inn.

Wangshu Inn was a special sort of establishment.

Once inside, all private fighting was forbidden, and every feud had to be set aside for the time being.

Anyone fleeing pursuit could find a measure of protection here.

Even if the pursuer was a god, they had to show the inn some respect. It naturally carried a strong air of the martial world.

Lin Yi arrived at the Opera Stage.

On a whim, he stopped to watch.

Quite a few people had already gathered to listen, all eagerly anticipating the next performance.

The host wore Liyue-style clothing that harmonized beautifully with the stage's design.

"Our next performer is Master Yun Jin of Liyue. Please welcome her with a round of applause!"

Yun Jin glided onto the stage. Accompanied by the stirring sounds of traditional Liyue instruments, her distinctive operatic voice captivated guests from far and wide.

Lin Yi was slightly surprised.

"No wonder I haven't seen Master Yun since I arrived. She's been touring."

Originally, he had wanted to enrich Liyue's cultural life and give it a stronger classical flavor.

Lin Yi had planned to find Yun Jin and teach her classics he had enjoyed, such as The Injustice to Dou E and The Romance of the Western Chamber, so the people here could experience the culture of his former homeland.

Seeing Master Yun's masterful performance today, Lin Yi could hardly imagine finding anyone better suited to the task.

When the song ended, the audience cried out together that they hadn't had enough and wanted another.

But Master Yun had her own rules. Wherever she went, even if a god attended her performance, she would sing only one piece. Whether they got to hear more depended on her mood.

And sure enough, no matter how the audience pleaded, Yun Jin remained unmoved. After a brief curtain call, she prepared to leave.

A single performance was enough to earn Yun Jin a fortune, but she seemed uninterested in such worldly possessions.

She immersed herself in poetry and song, adored opera, and spent most of her time at her desk studying pieces.

Lately, however, her creative inspiration had dried up. She had actually prepared two pieces for today, but her poor mood had made her abandon the second.

Just as everyone was loudly complaining about their disappointment,

Lin Yi stepped out of the crowd.

Tall and slender, he stood a head above those beside him.

Seeing Master Yun's retreating figure as she left the stage, Lin Yi cleared his throat.

He shaped his distinctive voice into an operatic tone and began to sing.

"The shaman took a bribe and would not hear her plea. Beneath cruel torture, her poor mother-in-law's ten fingers split and bled, bled, till she fainted in the court, a sight too cruel to bear... Hearing these words, my heart ached. Maiden Duanyun cried out for the ill-fated girl, her heart breaking with grief."

The melody rose from the audience, rich with feeling.

It seemed to tell of a woman's endless grievances.

Yun Jin stopped in her tracks and turned an excited, ardent gaze toward Lin Yi's face below the stage.

At a glance, she remembered that he was Liyue's Geo Archon.

Once the song began, there was no turning away.

The first verse summoned ghosts, the second summoned gods; the third reached the four seas, the sixth reached mortal hearts.

His voice pierced their hearts, and everyone around him seemed to see the image of a wronged woman before their eyes.

Some wept in sorrow; others sighed with feeling.

To reach so deeply into people's hearts was the very level Yun Jin had always pursued.

Even snow in June and ten years of drought could not clear her name.

"Dou E was wronged!"

As the song ended, Lin Yi opened his eyes and found that the people around him had cleared a space for him.

Even the surrounding air had grown a little colder, as though telling of the woman's grief.

"Hey, look! Isn't that Liyue's Geo Archon?"

"Whoa, it really is the Geo Archon! His opera singing is every bit as good as Master Yun Jin's!"

Comparisons were taboo in opera. The spectators had no idea they had broken that taboo and crossed Yun Jin's line.

Yet the man before her was the Geo Archon, the lord who governed her homeland.

Besides, the artistry of Lin Yi's performance had been slightly above her own.

She admitted that she fell a little short. This was a fair defeat.

Still, she was in a poor mood today and would not choose to sing another piece.

But Lin Yi's rendition of The Injustice to Dou E had burst open the gates of Yun Jin's inspiration like a clap of thunder.

With Yun Jin gone from the stage, and after Lin Yi's performance, all the following acts seemed to lose their luster.

Lin Yi was nearly swallowed by the spectators' enthusiasm. Some even took advantage of the chaos to grope him.

When he finally managed to break free, he seized the chance to duck into a hiding place, at last escaping their enthusiastic pursuit.

Once he was certain the coast was clear, Lin Yi patted his chest.

"I never imagined I'd become so well-known after being here for such a short time."

Taking a closer look, he discovered that the place he had stumbled into was filled with the opera troupe's props and materials.

Realizing he had intruded, Lin Yi decided to leave.

Just then, a voice behind him called out.

"Lord Geo Archon, what brings you here?"

He turned to see Yun Jin, who had already changed back into her everyday clothes. The expressive shadow around her eyes, however, seemed to be natural.

Lin Yi scratched his head. He had stolen Master Yun's thunder during the performance, and now he had somehow wandered into her backstage area.

"I'm sorry, Master Yun. Please forgive my intrusion."

Yun Jin offered a graceful bow, naturally taking no offense.

But as she looked at Lin Yi, her mind was filled with The Injustice to Dou E. She knew perfectly well that it could not be the only piece he could sing.

"What is it? Have you been running short on inspiration lately?"

"You are perceptive, my lord. I've recently been working on a piece called The Divine Damsel of Devastation, but I've encountered several obstacles in composing it. Hearing your performance today gave me a sudden flash of inspiration."

Yun Jin's every movement was measured and gentle. Her bearing and grace made her seem born for opera.

For Liyue, competitive development and cultural development were equally important.

Increasing the diversity and richness of its culture was naturally essential.

"I fully support your efforts to create new pieces, Master Yun, but I've run into a few obstacles myself lately. I have a few songs that don't suit my voice. Why don't you give them a try?"

At those words, surprise and delight filled Yun Jin's eyes.

The lyrics of The Injustice to Dou E were among the finest in Lin Yi's former world. Other works, such as The Romance of the Western Chamber, were masterpieces as well.

Never mind singing them herself-even hearing them once would make her life complete.

"I..."

Yun Jin hesitated. These were Lord Lin Yi's pieces, after all. Wouldn't singing them herself be like taking over someone else's nest?

"Don't worry. Rather than calling them my creations, we might as well say they were tailor-made for you, Master Yun."

Without further ado, Lin Yi began copying out the lyrics, taking some time to write out The Romance of the Western Chamber neatly.

Yun Jin read through the lyrics at his side, utterly overwhelmed.

Just as he finished writing and relaxed his shoulders, something suddenly occurred to Lin Yi.

"Could I put together an idol group, use them to carry out a cultural invasion of other regions, and earn their Mora...?"

At that thought, Lin Yi instinctively put his pen to paper.

When Yun Jin saw the title, Huo Yuanjia, she instinctively began singing the lyrics.

"In the little town~ the years flowed by~ those clear eyes..."