"Qinglian, mind your manners."
Old Master Ku Mu said, "The Monarch's piece, Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain, is layered with profound mysteries. Even we old-timers who have studied music for over a thousand years find ourselves inadequate before this composition. For Young Lord Chiyan to be able to play Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with a hundred layers of profound mystery in just a decade or two is already a remarkable achievement!"
Old Master Ku Mu's words found agreement with many, especially fellow senior experts equally versed in the art of music. Each of them had studied music for over a millennium, yet even after all these years, they could at most play the piece with a hundred layers of profound mystery. Compared to them, Chiyu absolutely deserved the title of musical genius. At the very least, they couldn't match him, and neither could prodigies like Ding Rui or Leng Yefei.
Old Master Ku Mu's words somewhat alleviated Chiyu's embarrassment. He no longer looked as awkward as before. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Wei Chaoqun, if I recall correctly, you could only play Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with seventy or eighty layers of profound mystery, right?"
Wei Chaoqun responded indifferently, "That was only in the past."
"Oh? So you've gained further insights over the years?" Chiyu said with a hint of hostility. "I wonder how many layers of profound mystery you can play now?"
"Although I still cannot compare to Daozun Ku Mu," Wei Chaoqun picked up a cup of wine and smiled, "I can at least play more than you."
"Anyone can boast."
"Heh..." Wei Chaoqun chuckled without further words, then produced a violet-green jade zither. Many in the audience were knowledgeable and recognized at a glance that this zither was crafted by a master.
Without further ado, Wei Chaoqun's hands danced across the zither. The music began—it was also Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain.
Boom!
One clap of thunder!
Ten...
Fifty...
When a hundred claps of thunder resonated within the music, the crowd began to stir with astonishment, and Chiyu's expression grew uncertain.
Whoosh!
One hundred and ten!
One hundred and thirty...
As the piece concluded, a full one hundred and thirty-six claps of thunder had sounded within the melody.
This meant Wei Chaoqun had played Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with one hundred and thirty-six layers of Crimson Thunder Profound Mystery.
Many remembered that just a few years ago, Wei Chaoqun could only manage seventy or eighty layers. Who would have thought that in just a few short years, he could now play it with one hundred and thirty-six layers? It was truly an eye-opener.
Just as the crowd was marveling, another voice chimed in: "Merely one hundred and thirty-six layers of Crimson Thunder Profound Mystery."
Everyone looked over. The speaker was a young lord who appeared rather sinister. Even those standing beside him shared this aura, their spiritual auras growing increasingly malevolent. Clearly, they were from the Black Wind Cave, and the speaking young lord was Li Qianhua of the Black Wind Cave.
Little was known about Li Qianhua, only that his status within the Black Wind Cave was exceedingly high. Not to mention the Eight Freaks of Black Wind, even the Twin Evils of Black Wind regarded him with trepidation.
He sat in a pavilion, one hand stroking a zither, also playing Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain.
Boom!
A clap of thunder erupted.
Ten, a hundred, one hundred and thirty, one hundred and fifty...
As claps of thunder continuously exploded within the music, the expressions of the crowd grew increasingly shocked. When the piece ended, everyone was wide-eyed with astonishment, their amazement even greater than their shock. For Li Qianhua had actually played Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with a full two hundred layers of profound mystery!
Two hundred layers!
One must know that even Old Master Ku Mu, a top-tier music master in the Great Northwest, was only at this level!
"Truly, the younger generation surpasses the old..." Old Master Ku Mu sighed, and the others felt the same, thinking the youths of today were truly formidable, each generation more incredible than the last.
"A mere two hundred layers of profound mystery is hardly worth mentioning," Li Qianhua said, the smile on his lips as sinister as his demeanor. Without looking up, he continued, "At the very least, I know this is nothing to Young Lord Wuhen."
Wuhen?
Young Lord Wuhen of the Changhong Branch?
The crowd looked over, only then remembering that among the Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Changhong Branch attending the Five-Colored Flower Festival today, besides Chiyu, there was another of the Nine Dragons—this Young Lord Wuhen.
Regarding the Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Changhong Branch, everyone was quite familiar with the Eighteen Elephants, but knew very little about the Nine Dragons.
And this Wuhen was undoubtedly the most low-key among the Nine Dragons.
So low-key that everyone only knew he was one of the Nine Dragons of the Changhong Branch, and nothing else—his cultivation level, his strength, all unknown. However, one thing was clear: since he was one of the Nine Dragons of the Changhong Branch, he was certainly extraordinary. Moreover, even the arrogant Chiyu, another of the Nine Dragons, showed him such respect. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Wuhen was absolutely no simple figure.
He appeared even more like an elegant, refined noble young lord than Chiyu. Sitting in a corner of the pavilion, he seemed to be reading a musical score. Even as all eyes locked onto him, he merely looked up with a faint smile and said, "Brother Li is just joking. Everyone, please don't take it seriously."
"It's been years, yet Young Lord Wuhen remains as modest as ever," Li Qianhua said with a laugh. "If I recall correctly, you had already played Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with two hundred layers of profound mystery several years ago. With your comprehension and talent, by now you should be able to play at least over three hundred layers."
His words stirred up a thousand waves.
As Li Qianhua's voice faded, the venue erupted in an uproar.
All eyes were fixed on Wuhen, eager to know if he could truly play Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with over three hundred layers of profound mystery.
But Wuhen showed no intention of playing. He merely said softly, "With Miss Qingxi here, how could I dare to make a fool of myself?"
"You are too modest, Young Lord."
Hearing Wuhen mention Qingxi, everyone remembered the rumors that Miss Qingxi had far surpassed Senior Ku Mu in playing Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain years ago. But whether it was true or not, no one knew. So, they all clamored for Qingxi to perform Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain on the spot.
Qingxi was somewhat hesitant, not for any other reason, but because playing the piece consumed both mental energy and spiritual power. Later, she still needed to play two of the Monarch's pieces—'Youthful Journey' and 'Dust Settles on Five-Colored Mountain'—as gifts for Old Master Ku Mu. She hoped these two pieces would help the old master let go of his guilt towards the Monarch from back then. Between the two, 'Dust Settles on Five-Colored Mountain' wasn't too demanding, but 'Youthful Journey' required a massive expenditure of mental energy. After playing it once, her spirit would be completely drained.
"My senior sister still needs to play the Monarch's 'Youthful Journey' later. To perfectly present the Monarch's journey through the Northwest in his youth, my senior sister shouldn't expend her mental energy now," Little Qinglian said, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "However, I can tell you this: my senior sister can now play the Monarch's Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain with six hundred and eleven layers of Crimson Thunder Profound Mystery."