Young Lord Gu?
Seeing Master Wenzhu appear to recognize Gu Qingfeng, Ouyang Ye, fearing exposure, quickly tested the waters: "Master Wenzhu...
You...
You know Gu...
Oh no, you know Young Lord Chiyan?"
"Young Lord Chiyan?"
Master Wenzhu looked at Ouyang Ye, then turned a puzzled gaze towards Gu Qingfeng.
As for Gu Qingfeng.
He had been leaning against the wall the entire time, one leg crossed over the other, a picture of leisurely ease. He munched on spirit fruits and sipped his wine. Glancing at the visibly nervous Ouyang Ye, Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled faintly. "I forgot to tell you, elder. Chiyan is my Daoist title."
Having said that, Gu Qingfeng himself found it somewhat amusing. Back when he was young and cultivating, his Daoist title had been Chixiao. Who would have thought that after a lifetime of experiences, being struck back to his original form by the Heavenly Dao, he would inexplicably gain another title containing the word 'Chi'? It seemed fate truly bound him to that character.
"So the Young Lord Chiyan, whom everyone speaks of as being versed in all the tunes of the world, is you..." Master Wenzhu suddenly understood, stroking his white beard as he smiled. "No wonder, no wonder...
This old man thought I had encountered two Musical Prodigies in a single day..." "You jest, elder. I was merely bored, playing along with a few youngsters for fun."
Gu Qingfeng was a man of great spontaneity. He had long seen through worldly fame and fortune, neither forcing nor refusing anything, pursuing a state of great freedom and following nature's course. Just as he said, he was simply seeking a bit of amusement out of boredom.
However, the conversation between him and Master Wenzhu was truly baffling to the listeners. What had Master Wenzhu just said? What did he mean by 'thinking he had encountered two Musical Prodigies in a single day'? What exactly was the meaning?
No one knew, and there was no time to dwell on it.
At this moment, Yun Hong and Ye Hui only wanted to expose this Young Lord Chiyan, thereby causing Ouyang Ye to lose face. "Master Wenzhu, since you know Young Lord Chiyan, then is he a dragon among men? Is he a leading talent in the Musical Arts?"
When Ye Hui asked, Ouyang Ye's heart leapt into her throat, because she had absolutely no idea that Gu Qingfeng and Master Wenzhu actually knew each other. If Master Wenzhu was very familiar with this fellow Gu Qingfeng, wouldn't his impersonation of Young Lord Chiyan be exposed?
Ouyang Ye's heart pounded wildly, feeling as if it might jump right out of her mouth. She couldn't help but glance at Gu Qingfeng beside her, only to find this fellow still leisurely savoring his wine as if nothing was wrong.
Damn it!
The lie is about to be exposed, and this guy still has the mood to drink?
Are you truly unafraid?
Wait!
Even if exposed, the one who'll lose face is me!
Of course this guy isn't afraid!
"A dragon among men?"
Master Wenzhu pondered for a moment, then spoke unhurriedly, "Young Lord Chiyan's attainment in the Musical Arts is exceedingly rare in this world. Judging from his Musical Arts attainment alone, calling him a dragon among men is not an overstatement at all."
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Who was Master Wenzhu? He was the leading authority on Musical Arts in the Qingyang region. To hear him now say that this young man's Musical Arts attainment was 'exceedingly rare in this world'?
Wasn't that too exaggerated?
Could it be true?
Impossible!
At the very least, Yun Hong and Ye Hui didn't believe it. Yun Hong stepped forward, questioning, "Master Wenzhu, he merely knows all the tunes of the world, his knowledge is just a bit extensive. That probably has little to do with actual Musical Arts attainment, right?"
"Merely extensive knowledge?
Heh..." Master Wenzhu shook his head slightly, as if recalling something. "Everyone may not be aware, but the Musical Prodigy I spoke of earlier on the stage was none other than Young Lord Chiyan."
As the saying goes, a single stone stirs up a thousand ripples.
Once Master Wenzhu uttered these words, everyone present was stunned, shocked into speechlessness.
Everyone clearly remembered the Musical Prodigy Master Wenzhu had mentioned, who played a famous piece by the Monarch, 'Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea,' bringing out all its profound mysteries and even evoking its legendary artistic conception.
One must know that even Master Wenzhu himself could not play out the artistic conception of this Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea. Not only Master Wenzhu, but even the renowned and celebrated musical prodigy of the world, Lady Suhua, couldn't evoke the artistic conception of this piece.
Could it be...
Could it be that this young man before them could truly play it out?
Was that possible?
If someone else had said this, probably no one would dare believe it. However, these words came from the highly respected Master Wenzhu, and no one dared *not* to believe.
But believing was one thing; accepting it was another.
If one spoke of shock, of astonishment.
The shock in Ouyang Ye's heart was greater than anyone else's present, because she also knew better than anyone that this fellow was someone she had temporarily found to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan. Earlier, his knowledge of all the tunes of the world had already given her a huge surprise, but Ouyang Ye absolutely could not believe that the Musical Prodigy Master Wenzhu spoke of was actually him.
Yes, it was true.
She clearly remembered this fellow saying earlier that he had met Master Wenzhu once in the garden, and he had claimed that in his youth he was a Musical Prodigy.
Heavens!
It was all true...
Everything this guy said was true.
But... how was this possible!
That was 'Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea,' a famous piece passed down by the Monarch! Even Elder Sister Suhua couldn't evoke its artistic conception. How could he?
Wait!
He failed his Foundation Establishment, he's a Foundation Establishment cripple. He doesn't have a shred of Spiritual Power in his body, utterly incapable of performing spiritual techniques. So how could he possibly evoke the artistic conception of Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea?
Although she realized this problem, Ouyang Ye didn't voice the question. If she asked, wouldn't that be admitting guilt without being pressed?
However, just because she didn't ask didn't mean others wouldn't.
Yun Hong was the first to raise a doubt. "Master Wenzhu, could you have mistaken the person?
This Young Lord Chiyan's cultivation went awry; he fundamentally cannot utilize Spiritual Power. Since he cannot utilize Spiritual Power, that also means he cannot perform any spiritual techniques. We all know that if a piece of music is not infused with Spiritual Power, it's like having no soul. Forget artistic conception, I'm afraid even its profound mysteries cannot be played out."
"Although this old man does not know what went wrong with Young Lord Chiyan's cultivation, earlier in the garden, when Young Lord Chiyan played Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea, he did not utilize Spiritual Power, nor did he employ a single spiritual technique. He played the piece empty-handed, yet brought out all its profound mysteries, directly reaching its artistic conception. This is precisely what this old man admires most about him."
Playing Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea empty-handed...
Not only playing out its various profound mysteries but directly reaching its artistic conception?
Heavens!
When Master Wenzhu's words reached everyone's ears, it exploded in their minds like a sudden clap of thunder on level ground.
It is true, and widely accepted, that a piece of music without infused Spiritual Power is like a soulless, lifeless thing. But this is not absolute. At least in ancient times, many great masters of Musical Arts could evoke a piece's artistic conception through empty-handed playing.
But those were all great masters of Musical Arts, each having practiced the art for hundreds or even thousands of years, their attainments profound and unfathomable.
Of course, apart from some great masters, some exceptionally gifted Musical Prodigies could also do it. Like the contemporary Lady Suhua, celebrated as a musical prodigy; she could evoke the artistic conception of many pieces through empty-handed playing.
Could it be that the person before them was truly, like the musical prodigy Lady Suhua, a one-in-ten-thousand Musical Prodigy?
Was he truly the leading talent in Musical Arts, the dragon among men that Ouyang Ye spoke of, Young Lord Chiyan?
Yun Hong and Ye Hui couldn't believe this fact, yet Master Wenzhu's words forced them to believe.
The two stood there dumbfounded, their expressions somewhat ugly, their spirits somewhat dazed, staring intently at Gu Qingfeng. No matter how they looked, they couldn't believe it.
Without exception, everyone in the hall looked at Gu Qingfeng—some with shocked gazes, some with envious gazes, and some with skeptical gazes.
As for Gu Qingfeng, he didn't seem particularly unusual—neither arrogant nor impatient, neither humble nor haughty, neither putting on airs nor feigning modesty. He simply sat there with leisurely ease, legs crossed, continuing to eat his fruit and sip his wine, glancing around at this person and that, as if the events happening here had nothing to do with him. He looked more like a pampered young master seeking amusement and watching the spectacle.
That's right!
This fellow gave off the feeling of a pampered young master sitting in a tavern, listening to tunes while looking for fun.
And indeed, that was exactly what Gu Qingfeng was doing—watching the spectacle and seeking amusement.