Every single person within the venue stood there, their expressions shifting with the rise and fall of the melody. When the Monarch raged, they raged with him; when the Monarch rejoiced, they rejoiced with him...
They were completely immersed, forgetting time, forgetting space, forgetting everything, as if they had truly returned to the Ancient Times, truly walking alongside the Monarch.
As the final note faded, no one spoke.
Everyone was still immersed in the madness of the Monarch's youth depicted in the song, unable to extricate themselves for a moment.
Especially Qing Xi.
After the song ended, she closed her eyes and murmured with a complex expression, "You were born before I was, I was born when you were already old. You regret my late birth, I regret your early birth.
You were born before I was, I was born when you were already old.
How I wish we were born in the same era, to share joy with you.
I was born when you were not, you were born when I was already old.
I am far from you as the horizon, you are separated from me as the sea's corner, I was born when you were not..." She admired the Monarch. Since hearing the stories of Monarch Chixiao from Old Man Kumu in her childhood, she had already admired him. As she learned more about the Monarch's deeds, her inner admiration grew stronger, especially after becoming fascinated with the Monarch's compositions—she had almost become infatuated with Monarch Chixiao.
Unfortunately, she was born in the wrong era, born in the wrong time. This had always been her greatest regret.
The rendition of "Journey of Youth" just now had allowed her to dream of returning to the Ancient Times, to wander spiritually through the Monarch's youth, filling her with immense excitement and exhilaration. Her inner admiration grew even deeper, and her infatuation likewise.
She envied that Red Sleeve from the Yunxia Sect who had stirred the Monarch's heart, even though her whereabouts were ultimately unknown—at least she had made the Monarch feel something.
She also envied Feng Zhuyue, the Queen of the Borderlands from the Yaoyue Palace, even though they ultimately did not end up together—at least the Monarch had gone mad for her.
She even envied her own master, even though she ultimately never met the Monarch—at least she had once been revered as a goddess by the Monarch.
She hated.
She hated those from the Ancient Times who branded the Monarch with the label of a demonic fiend.
She also hated those who hunted the Monarch everywhere.
She laughed.
She laughed at the young people of the present era who actually claimed that the Monarch's ability to dominate the Ancient Times and become a generation's overlord was due to luck.
Hah.
Was this luck?
From wandering in the Chiyan Ridge, the Monarch began battling all sorts of ferocious beasts, several times nearly losing his life.
After being expelled from the Yunxia Sect, he was hunted almost every day, teetering on the brink of life and death daily, experiencing cycles of reincarnation, brushes with death too numerous to count—and you actually say the Monarch relied on luck?
She admired, she was infatuated.
She admired the Monarch's unyielding defiance, and was infatuated with his stubborn persistence!
She admired the Monarch's solitary pride and overwhelming dominance, and was infatuated with his mad passion!
She admired everything about the Monarch, and was infatuated with everything about the Monarch.
Unfortunately.
Unfortunately, the Monarch was no more.
If he were still here, Qing Xi felt that even if it cost her everything, she would want to meet the Monarch just once—that would be enough for her.
Just as she was sighing with emotion,
Qing Xi suddenly realized a question that shocked her to the core.
That was, this fellow who called himself Young Lord Chiyan had actually...
had actually played "Journey of Youth" with such artistic conception, not only causing spiritual resonance but also making people dream of returning to the Ancient Times, to wander spiritually through the Monarch's youth...
Heavens!
How did he do it?
Regarding the composition "Journey of Youth," Qing Xi was all too familiar. Because it was her favorite piece, bar none. She had always been searching to see if the Monarch had left behind any original score. Unfortunately, the Monarch had not left behind an original score for "Journey of Youth" back then. Not to mention the versions of "Journey of Youth" circulating in the market, even those collected by some musical masters were adaptations by great experts from the Ancient Times.
The version of "Journey of Youth" she herself played was a gift from Fairy Suhua. And she clearly remembered Fairy Suhua saying that under the heavens, aside from Monarch Chixiao himself, there was probably no second person who could play out the artistic conception of "Journey of Youth."
If that was the case,
then why could this person play it out?
Could it be...
Could it be...
He was truly the Monarch's successor?
Was that it?
Qing Xi truly could not think of any other possibility.
"Wind Rises Over Great Green Mountain" had an original score left by the Monarch, and it contained spiritual essence within. Some musical prodigies, having seen the original, might truly be able to comprehend its mysteries.
But...
This "Journey of Youth" had no original score at all!
Even with the highest Comprehension, the greatest talent, without an original score, where could one go to comprehend it?
What could one use to comprehend it!
! There was only one possibility.
Either he was Monarch Chixiao himself.
Or he had received guidance from Monarch Chixiao.
This person, since he called himself Young Lord Chiyan, and claimed to be the Monarch's successor...
Could it be...
Qing Xi truly dared not continue thinking.
She was like this.
And the situation of Ouyang Ye, Han Dong, and Qian Shan in the distance was no better. The shock and confusion in their hearts were no less than Qing Xi's.
Qing Xi admired Monarch Chixiao.
Ouyang Ye admired him even more.
Because of Feng Zhuyue, Han Dong also had a certain infatuation with Monarch Chixiao.
Of course.
That wasn't important. What was important was that neither of them could understand why Lao Jiu could play this Monarch's "Journey of Youth" with an artistic conception that could make people dream of returning to the Ancient Times.
They both knew Lao Jiu was fake, an impostor.
Earlier, when they saw that Lao Jiu's physical body was similarly formidable, neither of them dared to believe it was true.
Just now, seeing Lao Jiu play "Wind Rises Over Great Green Mountain" and evoke the Chixiao Thunder artistic conception, they were even more unable to believe it.
They could accept Lao Jiu having a physical body as formidable as Young Lord Chiyan's, but they could not accept Lao Jiu's musical attainments also being peerless.
Taking a step back ten thousand times, even if Lao Jiu's physical body was formidable and his musical skill peerless, and he had thoroughly comprehended the original score and played out the artistic conception...
But...
This "Journey of Youth"—under the heavens, there was simply no original score to comprehend! If one could play it out, they were either Monarch Chixiao himself, or his descendant or successor!
This fellow wasn't even Young Lord Chiyan, how could he possibly be the Monarch's successor?
Or was it that this Lao Jiu fellow wasn't just acting to the point of obsession, but was actually the real Young Lord Chiyan, Gu Qingfeng?
Heavens!
This couldn't be true, could it?
Impossible, right?
She didn't know.
Han Dong's mind was in chaos, completely losing the ability to think. Ouyang Ye was even worse off; the whole person was stupefied, just standing there, eyes wide, staring at Gu Qingfeng in the pavilion, staring just like that, motionless as a statue.
"Miss Ouyang, is this person really someone you found to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan?"
Master Wenzhu asked with a choked voice, speaking gravely, "Or were you joking with this old man earlier? How do I feel that this person is Young Lord Chiyan? This 'Journey of Youth'...
In all the world, if someone can play out its artistic conception, that person is either the Monarch himself, or a successor he personally instructed. Even if not, they must have some connection to the Monarch!"
If speaking of shock and doubt,
Qian Shan was probably more shocked and doubtful than any of them.
No!
To be precise, at this moment, Qian Shan was more conflicted, more headache-inducing, more chaotic, and more unable to understand than anyone else. She was even beginning to doubt her own life.