Chapter 324
Chapter 324
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 324
Chapter Title: Spring Night Dream
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The streets of Bloodless erupted in great commotion at the sudden appearance of the young expert.
"Hey, did that young expert really knock out the Seductive Bewitcher in just one strike?"
"One strike? They say his forehead was smashed by a wine cup the young man threw."
"What? A thrown wine cup? Does that even make sense?"
"Hard to believe or not, it's true. I saw it with my own two eyes."
It had been less than an hour, yet the taverns and brothels scattered throughout the streets were abuzz with the tale.
It was an event too unbelievable to even imagine.
No matter that the Seductive Bewitcher had taken the title of Bloodless' top expert in place of the missing Poison Ghost Hand—he had been a renowned master long before that.
Yet he had been knocked unconscious by nothing more than a casually thrown wine cup.
By some unknown young expert.
"Who the hell is he?"
"From which sect? Or a wanderer?"
The chattering crowd lifted their heads.
Their gazes converged on the tallest building in Bloodless: Blazing Heaven Tower.
Bloodless was unlike other places, lacking any sect to govern or control it.
Perhaps because of that.
The power dynamics in Bloodless were always dictated by a single top expert.
Before, merchants and wanderers had watched the whims of the Poison Ghost Hand, Bloodless' former top expert. The same held true under the Seductive Bewitcher's influence.
Thus, those rooted in Bloodless watched Blazing Heaven Tower with tense faces, unable to tear their eyes away.
More precisely, they focused intently on the young expert who had entered it.
Was he merely passing through Bloodless?
Or had he appeared to claim dominion over these streets, following the Poison Ghost Hand and Seductive Bewitcher?
Meanwhile, the young expert drawing all that attention—Cheonhwi—was quite satisfied.
"Not bad."
The room he had been led to by Qinghua and Honghua suited him perfectly.
It was spacious, ornately decorated.
And the table was laden with exquisite delicacies from land and sea, along with bottles of fine liquor.
"You're quite perceptive."
"We're glad it pleases you."
Qinghua smiled softly as she spoke, then hurried to the table and uncorked a bottle of wine. She poured it into a prepared cup.
A gentle aroma of liquor filled the room.
"Please, have a seat, my lord."
As Qinghua pulled out a chair, Cheonhwi strode over and sat down.
He boldly lifted the cup and downed the wine in one gulp.
"Ahh, refreshing."
It went down smooth and clean.
Fine enough to be called a vintage.
"What kind is it?"
"Red Plum Wine, personally brewed by our Tower Mistress."
Qinghua refilled his cup as she answered.
Even before Blazing Heaven Tower rose to its current prosperity, the wines brewed by its Tower Mistress had been renowned.
Her aliases—Liquor, Moon, and Fragrance—had not been chosen lightly.
"Oh, right, my lord."
Qinghua suddenly made a face as if she'd forgotten something.
"Wouldn't a simple meal be a bit dull?"
She spoke amiably.
Blazing Heaven Tower had grown this large thanks to features that set it apart from other brothels.
The first was the Tower Mistress Ju Wolhyang's brews. The second was the talents of its courtesans.
And now, she intended to showcase hers and Honghua's.
"If it's alright with you, we'd like to play some music for you, humble as it may be..."
Cheonhwi chuckled.
Their intentions were obvious.
They were trying to build rapport.
Futile efforts.
Now that he had seen through them, it would be hard for things to go their way.
Cheonhwi twisted his lips into a smirk.
"Go ahead."
"We'll prepare at once."
With that, not only Qinghua but Honghua as well stepped back, both smiling.
Soon, Qinghua retrieved a seven-stringed zither that had adorned one wall, while Honghua drew a small transverse flute from her sleeve.
A striking red tongxiao.
Once their instruments were ready, the two sat gracefully.
Their silk robes, embroidered with silver threads, rippled and settled with their movements.
They exchanged a glance.
A brief moment.
But for the two who had performed together for years, it was enough.
Honghua promptly raised her flute.
Her ruby lips met the mouthpiece, and a clear tone resonated through the room.
That signaled Qinghua to move her slender fingers.
Her sleeves fluttered as she plucked the strings.
Ding-ding-ding—
The music began to flow.
The harmony of zither and flute created gentle waves in the room.
The low and high notes blended beautifully.
Just as the lively plucking of strings rang out, the flute's crisp tones chased right after.
They seemed to compete at times, yet merged into stunning melodies at others.
"Hm, not bad."
Cheonhwi tilted his wine cup, savoring the sounds.
To him, former Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, this performance was far from masterful.
But it was enjoyable.
A rare diversion after so long.
The tickling melody sent faint ripples of qi wrapping around his body.
Cheonhwi gazed at them intently.
Faint waves of inner energy emanated from their fingers and lips.
Sound arts.
Wait... that could be useful.
A brilliant idea struck Cheonhwi, curling his lips upward.
There was one reason he had entered Bloodless in disguise, hiding his identity.
To flush out Fengli, who was in hiding, and draw him into the open.
Fengli and the Black Ghost Troupe hadn't shown themselves since the initial intel. If he had entered quietly, they might burrow deeper or call for reinforcements.
But the sudden appearance of a mysterious figure would surely draw movement to uncover his identity.
In a time of war, they would need to assess his affiliation.
Cheonhwi had aimed for exactly that.
Thus, he had brazenly gone straight to the Seductive Bewitcher's haunt to draw all eyes.
He hadn't expected to provoke and drop him so swiftly, but even if he hadn't, Cheonhwi wouldn't have let him be.
Yet even with things going smoothly, he felt it wasn't enough.
If I use that...
As Cheonhwi's eyes darkened.
Ting—
The performance reached its end.
"How was it?"
Qinghua asked, her face flushed from the lingering afterglow of her all-out effort, a hint of confidence in her voice.
"Good. What's the piece?"
"It's called Spring Night Dream."
"Spring evening's dream..."
A fitting title.
The performance had been warm yet cool, soothing the heart.
Cheonhwi mulled the name briefly, then reached out.
"Mind if I borrow the zither for a bit?"
The moment the words left his mouth.
"...!"
Qinghua's eyes widened.
The zither, resting primly on her lap, had suddenly floated into the air.
Thud.
Beside her, the flute dropped to the floor.
Honghua, too, gaped in shock at the astonishing sight, her grip loosening.
Qinghua and Honghua were speechless.
They had heard tales of masters shattering mountains and cleaving rivers.
But they had dismissed them as exaggerations.
Yet now, before their eyes, something godlike was unfolding.
As the two stared blankly.
Whoosh—
The floating zither glided straight to Cheonhwi.
How did it go again?
Cheonhwi looked down at the zither.
He had never played an instrument himself, even across his past life.
But in his mind lingered the finger movements of every performer he had ever seen.
Cheonhwi extended his fingers.
Toward the strings.
Twang—
A string sang out.
But it felt awkward.
Not quite.
Recalling Qinghua's performance in detail, Cheonhwi plucked again.
Thrum, ding-ding-dang.
His long fingers danced freely over the seven strings.
A low, heavy tone flowed out.
Opposite to Qinghua's style, but Cheonhwi's eyes lit up.
Yes, that's it.
Having found his groove, Cheonhwi's hands moved.
Recalling the inner energy circulation she had used, his fingers made the strings resound.
Whoosh—
In an instant, qi bloomed from his fingertips, amplifying the melody.
If I spread this sound everywhere...
The thought became action.
Hummmm—
The qi-infused tones vibrated the air, pressing down on the room and beyond, into Blazing Heaven Tower itself.
Qinghua and Honghua, still dazed, felt chills crawl up their spines and straightened instinctively.
Eerie.
Cheonhwi's posture on the zither was utterly clumsy, and the music up to moments ago had been far from skilled. Yet now, the melody was extraordinary.
Like the waves of the Yangtze.
Spring Night Dream was soft yet cool... but this is so intense.
The two felt as if the Yangtze's waves were crashing over them.
Overwhelming.
And it wasn't just them.
"...".
Blazing Heaven Tower fell deathly silent in an instant.
The drinking patrons, the smiling courtesans. All held their breath, ears attuned to the sudden zither sounds.
Even those passing corridors halted.
Everyone closed their eyes, savoring the low, heavy melody.
"Mm, splendid performance."
"Who could be playing?"
How long had everyone listened, entranced by the music alone?
Ding—
Cheonhwi stopped his hands.
He had already released the strings.
The performance had ended.
But Blazing Heaven Tower remained hushed.
No one spoke.
They were all lost in the lingering echoes of Cheonhwi's Spring Night Dream.
Meanwhile, having finished, Cheonhwi set the zither aside with a languid expression.
He murmured softly.
"A bit lacking, but this should suffice."
He had grasped the presences throughout Blazing Heaven Tower.
The dazed ones, and even those stealthily observing while masking their qi.
Sensing their hurried presences, Cheonhwi smiled faintly.
A smile as cold as winter's chill.
This should draw their eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a dark room lit only by the flickering lantern, a single man sat.
A raggedly dressed man—Fengli.
"Intriguing."
His eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Cold and chilling.
"A young expert who looks barely past thirty."
His blue eyes pierced ahead.
"Have you identified him?"
At the question, the shadows rippled.
A man in gray robes emerged, kneeling on one knee.
"Apologies. We're still investigating."
"What about the Hao Clan?"
"They seem clueless as well."
"Troublesome."
Fengli crossed his legs while seated.
The man quickly added,
"Also, the Murim Alliance's detachment has passed Bloodless toward Mansu Gate."
"Not coming to Bloodless?"
"Yes."
Fengli's eyes sank darkly.
"Then has the Murim Alliance allied with the Against-Heaven Society?"
"Unlikely."
The man replied lowly.
"If they had joined hands, they would have linked up before heading to Mansu Gate."
"Then what is it?"
"We're still confirming details, but they may be scouting if the Nangong Clan is truly attacking Mansu Gate. The Alliance can't ignore the Against-Heaven Society's movements. Or perhaps some other scheme."
"Other scheme."
"Several possibilities, but to move covertly, they could have. Yet they're moving openly, as if advertising their path."
"Could be bait."
"Precisely."
Fengli stroked his chin.
Checking the Against-Heaven Society, or some hidden agenda.
Both speculations made sense.
But with the current lack of intel, he couldn't determine the truth.
He shook his head and spoke.
"In any case, what a pity."
A feral voice emerged.
Sharp, like a starved beast sighting prey.
The man flinched, neck shrinking.
For an instant, he felt as if fangs might rip out his throat amid that savage aura.
Swallowing hard, he forced his trembling lips to move.
"Once word spreads, they'll come eventually."
The oppressive pressure vanished instantly.
Fengli's eyes flashed.
"I certainly hope so."
Nodding, he continued.
"Anything else to report?"
"No."
"Then leave."
"Understood."
At Fengli's dismissal, the gray warrior vanished swiftly.
Silence enveloped the room.
"The war's dragging on longer than expected. At this rate, both sides might collapse."
Muttering, Fengli rose and stared at the swaying lantern.
Soon, his white teeth gleamed.
"Heaven aids 'us'."
With those meaningful words, he blew out the lantern.
Moments later, thick darkness blanketed the room, and an icy silence descended.