Chapter 84: If you call it, will it respond?
Chu Yunfan frowned slightly, a hint of disapproval showing on his handsome face. He looked at Fang Li with a gentle gaze, carrying a reassuring meaning.
Shen Yunzhou's eyes grew even colder, and a chill permeated his entire being.
Ji Qianqiu scoffed, his face full of displeasure, and muttered gruffly, "Who is this? Quite the loud voice!"
Xie Chen's lips curled into a half-smile, but his eyes held no warmth.
Outside the secret realm, Master Qingxuan, who had been happily watching his beloved disciple's extraordinary adventure reflected in the water mirror, immediately frowned upon hearing that the Tianyin Sect elder was so unceremoniously trying to steal his disciple's opportunity. He glared, his beard bristling, and with a cold laugh, retorted without hesitation from afar:
"Elder Yun! How dare you speak so arrogantly! Finding treasures in secret realms depends on fate! This zither was found by my disciple after going through life and death and following guidance; that is her destiny! Just because you say it's yours doesn't mean it is! If you call it, will it answer? Does it recognize you?"
This barrage of barbs left Yun Miaomiao's face turning pale and then red, her chest heaving violently.
Yun Miaomiao was speechless for a moment, her face turning even more ashen. She said urgently, "Fellow Daoist Qingxuan! This zither is named 'Heavenly Melody', and its body bears a unique mark of our sect! It holds great significance for our sect and cannot be possessed by outsiders! Please, your sect..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Chen chuckled softly from the ancient palace at the bottom of the lake, his voice gentle yet sharp, interrupting her telepathic transmission: "Elder Yun, you are mistaken. As a sacred object, it possesses its own spirit and chooses its master. It has been dormant here for a thousand years, unnoticed, and has now reappeared in the world due to my junior sister's destiny. Perhaps this is the will of Heaven. Forcing it to belong to another would be against the harmony of Heaven and is not the way to treat a sacred object."
These words, though seemingly gentle, are actually quite sharp. They point out that the Tianyin Sect has failed to find the sacred artifact in a thousand years, while also leaving the choice to the guqin itself, implying that Yun Miaomiao's actions were coercive.
Being repeatedly contradicted, especially by the sarcasm implied in Xie Chen's words, made Yun Miaomiao, whose emotions were already stirred by the appearance of the sacred artifact, even angrier!
Faced with Fang Li, this disciple of Yixing Peak who had repeatedly gained opportunities and now "took a bite" at her sect's sacred artifact, her suppressed jealousy and resentment instantly overwhelmed her reason, and she blurted out in a harsh voice:
"Fate? What does a mere talisman cultivator know about the Great Dao of Music? She's ignorant of music theory and the sounds of nature, possessing a treasure trove without even realizing it! Such a sacred object in her hands is like a pearl covered in dust, a blatant waste!"
These words are blatant belittling and humiliation!
Inside the ancient temple at the bottom of the lake, the atmosphere instantly froze.
Shen Yunzhou's eyes suddenly turned icy, and his grip on his sword tightened. Ji Qianqiu's eyes widened in anger, about to retort. Chu Yunfan frowned slightly.
Fang Li herself didn't seem to feel much, but inwardly she complained to Tongzi, "Tongzi, she's getting anxious! She looks like she'd jump into the water to snatch it! But what she said does make some sense. I really can't fluff cotton, let alone play such a high-class guqin. Giving it to me seems like a waste."
[System: "Host! That's not the point! The point is she's looking down on you! Who does she think she is! Can you tolerate this? Absolutely not! This hairpin guided us here, which means this zither is destined for you! No matter what she says, it won't make a difference! Besides, so what if you can't play it? We can learn! Or... it seems quite convenient to use it as a brick to hit people? Cough cough, what I'm saying is that such spiritual objects have their own destiny, how can she, this idiot, determine their ownership with just a few words? It's infuriating!"]
And just as Yun Miaomiao finished speaking...
The suspended Jiaowei zither suddenly trembled!
The originally mournful and sorrowful melody suddenly rose to a high pitch, becoming extremely sharp and piercing.
As if offended by something detestable, it emitted a strong, resounding clang in resistance!
The seven strings vibrated violently, creating an invisible wave that pushed the lake water aside slightly, as if resisting the so-called "return" and "orthodoxy"!
At the same time, the jade hairpin in Fang Li's arms seemed to be enraged by the sharp zither music and Yun Miaomiao's derogatory words. Its originally gentle spiritual light suddenly became intense, and the warm white light became somewhat dazzling. It also emitted a deep, majestic hum, which faintly echoed and resonated with the sharp sound of the Jiaowei zither!
The zither and the hairpin seem to be of the same origin, and at this moment they both express a strong rejection of Yun Miaomiao's words!
Everyone was stunned by this sudden change.
Outside the secret realm, the misty clouds saw and sensed this scene through the water mirror, especially the ancient zither's obvious and overwhelming resistance. She was struck dumb, her face turned deathly pale, and she could no longer utter a word. She froze on the spot, her eyes filled with disbelief and immense disappointment.
Just then, Master Qingxuan's sneer rang out: "Hmph! A pearl covered in dust? I think some people are blind and incompetent, unable to even see that they themselves are not happy with the treasure!"
The other sect elders had different expressions as they watched this dramatic scene, their thoughts in turmoil.
The sacred artifact of the Heavenly Sound Sect resisted the sect elders and instead made contact with a junior disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Sect. If this news gets out, the entire cultivation world will probably be discussing it for a while.
Hua Qianmei covered her mouth and chuckled, looking on with anticipation. Shi Potian scratched his head, thinking that this zither had quite a temper. Mu Changchun looked worried, while Fang Zhengyan's face was full of disbelief.
Ye Wuyang's gaze swept over the jade hairpin and guqin, their spiritual light reflecting off each other in the water mirror. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Looking at the jade hairpin and guqin that were buzzing and reflecting each other with spiritual energy, Fang Li felt a surge of resentment.
So what if she doesn't understand music? This broken zither and hairpin clearly like her spiritual power!
"Tongzi said it wouldn't work, but I'm going to try anyway!" Fang Li made up her mind and, following the subtle guidance of Tongzi and Yuzan, stretched out her finger again, carefully mobilizing the wisp of chaotic spiritual power within her body, and slowly channeling it into the cracked body of the Jiaowei Qin.
The moment that chaotic spiritual energy touched the charred body of the zither.
Buzz...
The guqin emitted a vibrato and soft resonance completely different from before, like parched trees receiving rain after a long drought. The jagged cracks on the instrument began to heal and close up at a visible speed, albeit very slowly! Although it was far from being completely repaired, the change was clearly visible!
The originally mournful and sharp zither music gradually became peaceful and clear. Even more surprisingly, the zither seemed to have its own consciousness. The body of the zither tilted slightly and slowly danced around Fang Li. The Taoist charm it emitted was full of intimacy and dependence. There was no trace of the resistance from before.
This scene left everyone at the bottom of the lake, and even the elders of various sects in front of the secret outer water mirror, completely dumbfounded!
A barely perceptible hint of surprise, even pride, flashed across Shen Yunzhou's cold eyes...
Ji Qianqiu grinned widely and chuckled foolishly, as if he himself were the one who had restored the guqin.
Xie Chen couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. Chu Yunfan, on the other hand, was filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Fang Li herself was a little bewildered. Looking at the guqin circling around her, its sound growing more and more beautiful, she felt a surge of joy: "Wow! It can really repair things? Did I inexplicably unlock the instrument repair skill? System, is this a hidden life skill? Can I make a fortune by setting up a stall to repair magical artifacts in the future?"
"Host is awesome!!" The system's electronic voice trembled with excitement. "Chaotic spiritual power is amazing! As expected, everything can be played with! This zither's spirit hasn't faded; it recognizes you! It absolutely recognizes you! Hahaha, let's see how that old woman from the Heavenly Sound Sect can still be so smug!"
Outside the secret realm, Yun Miaomiao stared at the unbelievable scene reflected in the water mirror. Seeing her sect's sacred artifact not only fail to recognize her, but instead be repaired by a talisman cultivator who "doesn't understand music," and display unprecedented intimacy, her face instantly turned deathly pale. Her lips trembled, and she muttered in despair, "Impossible... How could this be... How could she... Why is the sacred artifact..." The collapse of her faith almost made her lose her balance.
Meanwhile, Ye Wuyang, who had been indifferent and kept his eyes down in the airship, had his gaze fixed on the girl in the water mirror who was surrounded by soft spiritual light and clear zither music.
When he saw the primordial spiritual power flowing from Fang Li's fingertips, resonating perfectly with the guqin and jade hairpin, repairing the instrument and attracting spiritual beings to return to it.
A surge of emotion finally welled up in the depths of his empty, indifferent eyes.
"The Chaotic Dao Foundation... autonomously repaired the Crane-Returning Harp... its spirit returned to its rightful place... indeed! It's her... it really is her..."
That tranquil lake of the heart, silent for millennia, seemed to be gently grasped by an invisible hand, bringing a long-lost tremor and a touch of bittersweetness.
"She has been reincarnated here, so ignorant and oblivious to her past life."
Then, he "heard" Fang Li's inner thoughts about "hidden professions" and "making a fortune by setting up a stall," and that initial excitement was immediately replaced by a sense of helplessness: "...Still so...unconventional."
With a barely perceptible twitch of his fingertips, a wisp of invisible divine thought, more solid and closer than before, quietly attached itself to the hem of Fang Li's clothes, like a silent guardian.
Just then, the Jiao Wei Guqin, which had been partially repaired and greatly enhanced in its spirituality, suddenly stopped spinning, its body trembled, and emitted an exceptionally clear and melodious long sound!
Buzz—!
The sound of the zither transformed into a gentle sound wave, spreading out like ripples on water, sweeping directly towards the ancient rock wall behind the altar!
Under the influence of the sound waves, the solid rock wall rippled like water, slowly parting to reveal a deep passage leading to an unknown area! The passage was filled with a hazy glow and an even stronger sense of antiquity.
Everyone's attention was drawn to this sudden change.
The guqin vibrated gently, its sound carrying a hint of urging, pointing towards the newly appeared passage.
Fang Li looked at the suddenly appearing passage, then at the guqin beside her humming and urging her on, and blinked: "This...is it asking us to go in?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
