Two brilliant minds of the same era
Seeing that Qi Luo's eyes glowed blue and Qi Shang's pupils also had an unusual color, A Qiu knew that what these two great witches could see was definitely not a world that ordinary people could observe.
She exchanged a glance with Sun Neiren and said, "Thank you for informing us, Great Shaman. In that case, let us try to see this Lord Liyang and ask him for guidance."
Qi Luo nodded quietly and said, "If there is really no other way, and even the God-King doesn't know, you can come back here to find me. When you do, remember to bring Shi'er with you."
Qi Shang finally spoke up to stop her, saying, "Sister, if you use the Divine Communication Technique to summon the gods, it will consume your own vital energy and fortune! Moreover, it is such a massive project as inviting the gods of a country and restoring the Six Generations Dance. It is so exhausting and mentally taxing, and it may even endanger your life!"
He looked at A Qiu and the others again, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and said aggressively, "Do you know why we refused to actually hold an altar to pray for the last emperor of the Former Huan Dynasty? It's because when shamans use their magic to communicate with the gods, they are not without restrictions and must also pay the price of their own essence and lifespan. Therefore, we have always avoided performing rituals if possible, and we are even less willing to disturb the heavens for the last emperor's selfish desires and delusions, thus wasting our cultivation."
Only now did A Qiu realize the weight of Qi Luo's promise. Her meaning was that if she could not get an answer from the God of Liyang, she would personally use the art of communicating with the gods to pray to the True God Haoyi, who symbolizes heaven and earth, for guidance and to request that he once again manifest the "Shao" and "Wu" music and dances used for sacrifices to heaven and earth.
Legend has it that ancient music and dance originated from divine revelation, and the rulers of that time, such as Yao and Shun, were priests who communicated between the gods and the human world.
Qi Luo looked tired but calm, and said softly, "Brother, don't forget that, in terms of inheritance, although the Zhu You Sect has always been hidden from the world, it also has its own mission to fulfill for the country and the people."
In fact, no one is immune to the general trend of the world, nor is anyone unaffected by it. Whether one escapes the world and fame to the mountains and countryside, or even to famous mountains and marshes, as long as one is still human, one will be subject to the constraints of the times, whether tangible or intangible. This is due to the inherent unity of all things.
Even someone as detached and reclusive as Li Wujiu, the leader of the Hidden World Sect, was forced to enter the world due to various human connections and karmic entanglements.
Qi Shang was about to speak again when Qi Luo interrupted him, saying, "Brother, there's no need to say more. My mind is made up. More than ten years ago, I didn't do my best for the imperial family at that time, which has led to this entanglement until now. If it is destined that we cannot escape, then this time we should not only think about our own safety and retreat or run away."
She said to A-Qiu again, "If you come here again, remember to bring Shi-er."
After speaking, Qi Luo no longer waited for A Qiu's response, turned around, and her figure slowly disappeared behind the Kui Dragon God statue.
Qi Shang paused for a moment before looking at A Qiu and said fiercely, "If my sister insists on sacrificing her life for this matter, then it's probably fate that she owes you, girl. But if you know what's good for you, then try to find a way on your own and don't come looking for me at the Zhu You sect!"
After saying this, he slammed his bone staff heavily on the ground and disappeared behind the hall.
At this moment, the hall was bright and clear, with a gentle breeze and clear moonlight outside the doors and windows, completely unlike the gloomy atmosphere when the prayers were being performed.
Zhang Exu said strangely, "These two people are really strange. The witch is very beautiful, but she always seems to be preoccupied. However, she is still easy to talk to and finally agreed to help us. But the male wizard is very wary, as if he is afraid that we will harm him. In fact, how could we, a few weak musicians, possibly harm such powerful people?"
Ah Qiu, however, knew the way of the shaman, which was to communicate with ghosts, spirits, and the yin and yang. Everyone these two had encountered in their lives had either sought their service or coveted their magic; none of them came seeking anything. And as Qi Shang had said, all supernatural powers and spells involved cause and effect, and the practitioner had to pay a price. Therefore, the two had to be cautious and wary of anyone who approached them.
She turned to her mistress and said, "Master, according to what the great shaman said, should we first go to the ruined palace of Liyang and seek the revelation of the Liyang God that the shaman spoke of?"
Lady Sun looked towards the rear of the palace, shook her head silently, and said with her lips moving, "Let's leave here first."
Ah Qiu clearly understood that he did not want to discuss this matter in the temple occupied by the great shaman, so he immediately followed Sun Neiren out with Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu.
After the three of them had walked quite a distance under the moonlight and were far away from the Temple of Music, Lady Sun said, "Although I don't understand the power struggles in the palace, I do know that witchcraft and supernatural beliefs have always been taboo in the palace. Although our Tangli Temple also had legends of ghost performers in the past, and these were deliberately preserved by our ancestors, they were only private legends within the Music Bureau and could not be made public. Do you understand?"
A-Qiu nodded in agreement. She also knew that while the emperor and palace servants might privately believe in ghosts and spirits, when it came to national music like the *Shao* and *Wu*, it was absolutely forbidden to openly mention consulting a shaman for incantations, otherwise, she would surely be impeached by the censors. This was because ghosts and spirits were not visible to everyone; without concrete evidence, who could know whether the summoned being was a demon or a ghost?
However, due to her connection with Guigu and Zhuyou Sect, she knew about the origins and abilities of the two great shamans and knew that what they said was absolutely true. She said, "But Master, if we follow what the great shamans say, at least we will have a clue to follow. But if we ignore the great shamans' advice, where should we look for the traces of 'Shao' and 'Wu' next?"
After a moment's thought, Sun Neiren said, "We originally came to find Senior Zhongli, but since she is not here, we have no choice but to look for someone else."
A Qiu, Zhang Exu, and Cui Luzhu exchanged glances for a moment, then exclaimed in unison, "Lord An!"
Sun Neiren said, “That’s right. Lord An has served in the palace since the previous dynasty and has lived in Jianzhang Palace for decades. He is very knowledgeable. If there really is such a thing as Lord Liyang, he must know about it. Moreover, the Music Bureau is under his jurisdiction. If we really intend to invite the gods to perform rituals, we must ask Lord An.”
A-Qiu said, "But I came here tonight to see Lord An, but he is not in the Music Bureau dormitory. Instead, it was you, Master, who came."
After a moment of contemplation, Sun's wife said, "Lord An rarely goes out. Logically, at this late hour, he should be staying quietly in his quarters and not going out. But if he has gone out, he is probably somewhere else."
A-Qiu asked, "Where?"
Sun's wife said softly, "Banyue Lake."
By now, A Qiu was quite familiar with the layout of the palace and would never make the same mistake as on her first night in the palace, when she mistakenly went to Qiwu and had to ask Gu Yi to bring her out. However, the name "Banyue Lake" still felt very unfamiliar to her, even after searching through her memories.
Seeing Ah Qiu's expression, Sun Neiren knew that she did not quite understand, so she explained again: "Banyue Lake is also one of the forbidden areas in the palace. Ordinary people rarely know about it because it is located behind the Zhaixing Tower where the Grand Palace Eunuch Rong Yu lives. Everyone in the palace is afraid of the Grand Palace Eunuch and rarely goes there unless there is something to do."
She continued, "When I was young, I once accompanied my old instructor and a group of dancers on a nighttime performance in the former dynasty. We happened to pass by Banyue Lake and heard the sound of a flute coming from the lake. I was amazed by the ethereal and distant sound of the flute and even wanted to leave the group to see what it was. However, my old instructor stopped me and whispered in my ear that it was the legendary Master An of the Xianshao Academy. He would come to Banyue Lake one or two nights a month and had been doing so for many years. He told me not to disturb him so as not to spoil his elegant enjoyment of reciting poetry alone and to be careful in the future. Actually, my old instructor was overthinking it. At that time, I was just a lowly dancer. The Master An of the Xianshao Academy, who was in charge of all the music departments, was an unapproachable figure to me. Since I knew it was the old Master An, how could I dare to offend him?"
A-Qiu said, "Now Master is different; he even dares to go to Banyue Lake to bother Lord An."
A smile appeared on Sun Neiren's stern face as she reached out and gently pinched A Qiu's nose, saying softly, "It's mainly because I've spent so much time in the palace and become quite familiar with Lord An. I know he won't blame me, and besides, we're not going to see him for personal matters. Alas, everyone in the palace has their own worries. Lord An, boating alone on the lake, probably has something on his mind. We haven't heard Lord An's flute for many years, and we truly miss it. I wonder if we'll hear it again tonight."
Upon hearing what Sun Neiren said, A Qiu couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master, my father, Shi Changqing, was known as the King of the Flute. May I ask how An Gong's skill in the flute compares to my father's?"
Even now, she has never forgotten her identity as "Shi Changqing's daughter" when she entered the palace. Her close relationship with Consort Sun was largely due to this identity, and after learning that Shi Changqing was her master Wan Qiqing, she couldn't help but feel apologetic towards Consort Sun, and consequently dared not mention the name "Shi Changqing" in front of Consort Sun too often.
But when she thought back, An Gong, once known as the "Flute Immortal," was a prominent young talent in the righteous path of the martial arts world. He was skilled in both the xiao and dizi (vertical flutes), but since entering the palace, she had never actually heard him play them. She could only speculate about the style of his xiao playing from his disciple, Xiao Chang'an. Thinking about it, she felt quite regretful.
Sun's wife's face showed a look of reminiscence, and she slowly said, "Your father's flute playing was deep and poignant, its power to move people's hearts was so strong that no one else in the world could achieve such passion. As for An Gong's flute playing, I only heard it once by chance, and I only felt that it was serene and elegant, ancient and far-reaching." She thought for a moment and explained, "Actually, thinking back, An Gong's flute playing was similar to the style of Shao Shi's qin music, deep and restrained, unlike your father's flamboyant style."
Upon hearing this, a look of realization appeared on her face: "That's probably why, when your father was serving in the palace, An Gong never played in front of others again. At that time, people almost forgot that An Gong was also skilled in the xiao (vertical flute).
A Qiu understood: for performance, a reserved and understated style is less impactful than a flamboyant and unrestrained one. And An Daoling, with his refined and detached nature, refrained from overshadowing Shi Changqing upon his arrival at the palace. However, the most likely explanation is that An Daoling sensed Shi Changqing's extraordinary background, recognizing him as no ordinary musician. He himself was a master musician hidden within the palace, and didn't want to attract Shi Changqing's attention unnecessarily, thus avoiding any opportunity to share the stage with him.
Sun's wife said softly, "Let's go."
A Qiu had visited the Star-Picking Tower with Gu Yi before. They were there to see Grand Eunuch Rong Yu about the matter of the Qi-Powder. However, she was busy at the time and did not look around to make sure she was aware of the surroundings. Gu Yi would not allow her to spy on Rong Yu's territory.
But as Sun Neiren walked along and became more and more familiar with the scenery, she knew that she was getting closer and closer to the Zhaixing Tower, and that Banyue Lake should indeed be near the Zhaixing Tower.
As an assassin, A-Qiu could never forget the appearance of any place he had been.
At the same time, a subtle yet unusual feeling quietly spread through my heart.
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