The string shocked the four audiences and first showed its brilliance
Back at the villa, life seemed to have returned to its previous tranquility, but beneath the surface, the waves were growing increasingly turbulent. The news of Song Jiang's escape was like a boulder dropped into a tranquil lake, sending ripples through the villa. While Chao Gai and the others were relieved that Song Jiang had escaped, they also knew that once this "timely rain" arrived at Liangshan, his reputation and skills would undoubtedly disrupt the existing order.
Wu Yong became busier, his secret talks with Chao Gai and Gongsun Sheng becoming more frequent, sometimes even stretching through the night. Liu Tang's temper also worsened, often cursing at the air, resenting the government's excessive pressure and fretful about the uncertainty of the future.
I became even more silent, shutting myself away in the side courtyard, spending most of my time practicing the piano. However, the focus of my practice had quietly shifted. I no longer focused on imitating Gongsun Sheng's mysterious "Tao sound," but instead began trying to control the "soul sound" that had inadvertently erupted that night.
Since Gongsun Sheng believes that this power derived from one's own emotions is "indeed a kind of power", then mastering it may be more practical and urgent than pursuing the illusory "sound of Tao".
I repeatedly recalled the extreme fear and desire to survive that night when the blade was about to strike my body, trying to find the trick to induce the "soul sound". But when I tried deliberately, the sound I produced was either ordinary noise or an empty shell with only form but no essence, and it was impossible to reproduce the effect of shocking the soul.
It seems that this kind of power cannot be forced and can only be stimulated under a specific emotional state.
The atmosphere at the villa was particularly tense that day. The maid who brought the food whispered that a reply letter had been received from Wang Lun of Liangshan, and the contents of the letter did not seem friendly.
Sure enough, in the evening, I was invited to the same study room.
Inside the study, Chao Gai, Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, and Liu Tang were all present, their faces solemn. The air was filled with suppressed anger and disappointment.
"Miss Bu, please take a seat." Chao Gai forced a smile and motioned for me to sit down.
I sat down as I was told, wondering why I was called here.
Wu Yong pushed a letter in front of me and said in a deep voice, "Miss Bu, this is a reply from the current leader of Liangshan, the 'Scholar in White,' Wang Lun. The words in the letter are arrogant and evasive, showing no willingness to accept our joining forces for a common cause!"
I picked up the letter and quickly skimmed it. True to the original novel's description, Wang Lun's words were seemingly polite, but in reality, he was veiled in venom. He politely declined Chao Gai and the others' request to join him in the mountains, citing a shortage of food and shelter in our small camp, fearing the future of all the brave men would be jeopardized.
"Wang Lun, you little brat, are going too far!" Liu Tang slammed the table, his hair standing on end. "We sincerely want to surrender, but he's so reluctant! In my opinion, we should just go up the mountain and take his throne!"
"Brother Liu Tang, please calm down." Wu Yong held him down, but his eyes turned to me. "Miss Bu, what do you think about this?"
Here he goes again. He's still testing me, trying to get some "different" perspective from me.
I knew I couldn't hide my incompetence any longer. Gongsun Sheng had brought me to witness Song Jiang's actions, and Wu Yong had repeatedly tested me, indicating they were beginning to take me seriously as a "variable." If I continued to be worthless, I was afraid I would truly be discarded as useless.
I put the letter down, pondered for a moment, and composed my words. Then I slowly spoke, "Although Village Leader Wang Lun didn't explicitly state it in his letter, his intentions were clear. He wasn't worried about food, fodder, or shelter. He was actually wary of the prestige and power of King Chao and the other heroes. He was afraid you might come up the mountain, turn the tables, and undermine his position as leader."
This analysis is reasonable and logical. It not only points out Wang Lun's true thoughts, but also does not exceed the judgment of ordinary people.
Chao Gai nodded and sighed, "Miss Bu's analysis is identical to that of the scholar (Wu Yong). However... if Wang Lun insists on refusing to accept our proposal, what should we do? Are we really going to follow Brother Liu Tang's advice and storm Liangshan? Wouldn't that make the heroes of the world laugh at us for having nowhere to stay and being forced to bully the weak?"
"A violent attack is a bad idea," I echoed his words, recalling the events of the novel. "I believe that although Wang Lun fears you, he's not the sole ruler of Liangshan. I've heard there's another instructor on Liangshan, Lin Chong, a skilled martial artist. He was originally the instructor of Tokyo's 800,000 Imperial Guards, but was forced to join Liangshan by Gao Qiu, where he often harbors frustrations and frustrations..."
I stopped there and didn't say the word "fight" directly, but the meaning was very clear - we can fight for Lin Chong!
The study suddenly became quiet.
Chao Gai and Liu Tang were surprised. They obviously didn't expect that a "musician" like me would know so much about the people inside Liangshan!
Wu Yong's eyes flashed, and the speed of his feather fan slowed down. He stared at me closely. "How did Miss Bu know about Master Lin? And it seems that she has a good understanding of his state of mind?"
What's coming will eventually come. I took a deep breath, knowing that I had to give a reasonable explanation.
"Master, and all the heroes," I stood up and bowed to them, keeping my composure. "I've traveled extensively and have a talent for music. I can also... at certain moments, capture certain 'echoes' or 'fragments' that are difficult for ordinary people to perceive."
I vaguely explained my ability as a musical talent similar to "clairvoyance" or "supersensory perception". This is easier for people to accept than directly saying "I know the plot" and it is also consistent with my identity as a "musician".
"Echo? Fragments?" Liu Tang widened his eyes, confused.
Wu Yong seemed to understand something and asked, "Miss, you mean that you can sense traces of certain things...that have happened or are about to happen through music?"
"It's not always possible, nor is it always clear and complete," I added cautiously, leaving myself ample room for error. "It's just that occasionally, through objects, places, or specific emotional resonances related to the person or event, I can capture some vague information. Regarding Master Lin, I picked up a few fragments the other day when I accidentally touched a weapon left behind by a hero who had passed through Liangshan."
This explanation is half true and half false, packaging "prophet" as some kind of mysterious "perception" ability.
Gongsun Sheng sat aside and didn't say a word from beginning to end. He just looked at me quietly with deep eyes, and I don't know what he was thinking.
Chao Gai was skeptical, but there seemed to be no better explanation at the moment. He looked at Wu Yong and said, "Scholar, look..."
Wu Yong pondered for a moment, then began to wave his feather fan again. A confident smile appeared on his face. "If what Miss Bu said is true, then this matter... can be turned around. Lin Chong is a man of extraordinary martial arts and has a certain prestige in Liangshan. If he can stand on our side..."
He didn't say anything else, but the meaning was self-evident.
"Alright!" Chao Gai slapped his thigh, a surge of heroic spirit rising. "Since that's the case, we'll write another letter and secretly give it to Instructor Lin, explaining the pros and cons and inviting him to join us in this cause!"
Now that the strategy was set, the atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed.
Liu Tang approached me curiously and asked in a muffled voice, "Miss Bu, your ability is truly amazing! Can you sense anything else? For example, whether I, Old Liu, will be able to marry a beautiful woman in the future?"
I was so amused by his question that I could only say, "Brother Liu Tang, you're joking. Such private matters are not for a little girl to pry into."
Everyone laughed.
Just then, a farmhand hurried in to report, "Master, Mr. Wu, there are a few unfamiliar peddlers wandering around outside the farm. They look suspicious, like spies from the government!"
The atmosphere instantly became tense again!
"As expected, he's here!" Chao Gai stood up suddenly, his face ashen.
Wu Yong frowned: "This place is no longer safe, we need to move as soon as possible!"
"I'm afraid it's too late," Gongsun Sheng suddenly said. He walked to the window and looked outside the manor. "It's not just the peddler coming. There are at least thirty or fifty skilled fighters lying in ambush in the woods outside the manor, ready to surround it."
His spiritual perception is far superior to that of ordinary people, so his judgment is naturally correct.
The study was completely silent. Thirty to fifty skilled fighters, lying in ambush, had clearly come prepared, intending to capture them all in one fell swoop!
"Damn it! Let's fight them!" Liu Tang picked up the machete at hand and was about to rush out.
"Don't fight head-on!" Wu Yong hurriedly stopped them. "The enemy is in the dark and we are in the light. The difference in strength is huge. A head-on attack will play into their hands!"
"What should we do? Should we just sit there and wait for death?" Chao Gai paced anxiously.
Everyone's eyes subconsciously turned to Gongsun Sheng. At this time, he, the "Cloud Dragon" with his extraordinary skills, became his greatest support.
Gongsun Sheng's expression remained calm, but his eyes had become as sharp as a knife. He said slowly, "I can try to create chaos and distract some of the enemies. You can then evacuate through the secret passage."
This means I have to cover the rear alone! The risk is huge!
"No! How can we let you take the risk alone?" Chao Gai flatly refused.
"Yes, Taoist priest, I, Old Liu, will go with you!" Liu Tang also shouted.
Just as everyone was arguing, I suddenly spoke. My voice was not loud, but it made everyone quiet down.
"Perhaps... I can give it a try."
Everyone looked at me in surprise.
I took a deep breath and hugged the pipa tightly in my arms. My fingertips trembled slightly with nervousness, but my eyes were resolute. "I may not have the omniscience of a Taoist priest, nor the courage of you heroes, but I may be able to use this pipa... to create even greater chaos."
Wu Yong's eyes flashed: "Miss Bu, are you referring to...your 'Soul Sound'?"
I nodded. "Indeed. This sound can shock the soul and make people feel dazed. If it is launched suddenly when the enemy is caught off guard, the coverage area may be quite large, which should create an opportunity for you to evacuate."
This is the solution I can think of, the one that best reflects my own value and is currently the most feasible. It can not only save me, but also prove to Chao Gai and others that my "difference" is not empty talk, and it can also let Gongsun Sheng see my "usefulness".
Gongsun Sheng looked at me deeply. For the first time, his eyes no longer had that transcendent calmness, but instead contained a hint of scrutiny, a hint of consideration, and a hint of... a very faint, indescribable complex emotion.
"How sure are you?" he asked in a deep voice.
"Five points," I answered honestly. After all, I'd only succeeded once, and that was in a life-or-death situation.
"Five points... is enough." Gongsun Sheng's lips suddenly curled up slightly, revealing a faint, yet reassuring smile. "I'll follow your plan. I will protect you."
He actually agreed! And he was willing to protect me!
Chao Gai and Wu Yong exchanged a glance and finally nodded: "Okay! Then I'll leave it to Miss Bu!"
With the plan in place, everyone immediately took action. Chao Gai, Wu Yong, and Liu Tang quickly organized the farmhands and prepared to evacuate through the secret passage. At Gongsun Sheng's beckoning, I ascended to a loft in the front yard of the villa, offering a relatively unobstructed view.
The attic window faced the ambush woods outside the village.
The night was dark and the woods were silent, but one could vaguely sense the murderous intent hidden within.
I stood by the window, closed my eyes, and tried to recall the fear of the knife approaching my body that night, the confusion of being stranded in another world, and the uneasiness of being treated as an "outlier"... All kinds of negative emotions gathered and brewed in my heart.
Gongsun Sheng stood not far from me, his aura deep and composed, as if blending seamlessly into the surroundings. He didn't rush me, simply waiting quietly.
Below, the farmhands had already prepared to evacuate, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Now is the time!
I suddenly opened my eyes, put my hands on the strings, and poured all the brewing emotions, along with the unwillingness to accept my own situation and the anger at the fate's tricks, into my fingertips!
“Zheng——!! Buzz——!!!”
It was no longer a single broken sound, but a series of sharp, distorted notes full of chaos and pain. Like invisible sharp thorns, it spread out from me to the woods outside the village!
The sound was not loud, but it seemed to be able to penetrate directly into people's brains and stir their souls!
In an instant, the originally quiet woods outside the village suddenly became agitated like water surface into which a stone was thrown!
"Ah! My head!"
"What's that sound?!"
"Ghost! There's a ghost!"
Cries of surprise, screams, and the sound of weapons crashing to the ground echoed one after another! The previously tight ambush circle was instantly thrown into chaos by this sudden spiritual shock! Many ambushed officers and soldiers rolled on the ground holding their heads, and those with weaker willpower even foamed at the mouth and fainted!
The effect is better than expected!
I was delighted, but then I felt a wave of dizziness and nausea. My fingers softened, and the music stopped abruptly. Performing this "Soul Sound" was indeed a huge drain on my mental energy.
"Let's go!" Gongsun Sheng shouted in a low voice, and supported me who was almost exhausted. In a flash, he went down from the attic and met up with Chao Gai and others who were waiting at the entrance of the secret passage.
"Miss Bu, are you okay?" Chao Gai asked with concern, looking at me with eyes full of surprise and gratitude.
"No...it's okay." I forced myself to stand up straight.
"Hurry up!" Wu Yong urged.
Without hesitation, everyone quickly dived into the secret passage. Amidst the still chaotic screams and cries behind us, we quietly evacuated the exposed villa.
The secret passage was dark and damp, but a light seemed to be lit in my heart.
I know that from tonight on, I am no longer that insignificant "oddity" or "burden" that needs to be protected.
I, Bu Luanyin, have officially left my own unique mark in the Water Margin with a soul-stirring song.
Gongsun Sheng, who was walking beside me, was still silent, but I could feel that the way he looked at me was different.
(End of Volume 1)
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