A Harmony Unbroken

When Elder Zhai was posed with the question, a flicker of hesitation crossed his features.

While Mister Xiao’s travels through the martial world had practically become an open secret,

there was still a significant distinction between others inadvertently revealing it and them actively disclosing it themselves.

The Pavilion Master was currently overseeing matters at Wangjiang Tower, personally directing the situation, making it imperative not to carelessly reveal his whereabouts.

Realizing this, Elder Zhai intended to simply chuckle and sidestep the query.

Suddenly, the masked woman spoke up, her voice gentle yet inquisitive.

“Young hero, I wonder if our paths have crossed before?”

Ye Di followed the sound, his gaze falling upon the woman. She possessed a graceful figure, and her eyes, like clear autumn waters, sparkled with an unwavering, playful gaze fixed solely on him.

Ye Di chuckled.

“Even if we have, since you refuse to show your true face, I cannot be certain.”

With a mock scowl, the masked woman retorted, “Oh, really? Do you think a lady’s face is for just anyone to see? Aren’t you afraid I’ll pluck out the eyes of a scoundrel like you afterwards?”

Elder Zhai knew she was merely teasing the young man, drawn by his handsome looks.

He was about to intervene when another voice suddenly cut through the air.

“So, when disaster strikes, all you know is how to hide behind women and fawn over others. A petty person like you isn’t even worthy of touching my Senior Brother’s little toe!”

The masked woman’s delicate brows furrowed.

“Young hero, who is this raving, screaming child?”

Ye Di shook his head.

“I am not acquainted with her.”

At this, Ji Yuchang grew instantly agitated.

“You just shamelessly tried to share a table with me, and now you deny it? Turning around to flatter another girl—you’ve truly shamed all men in this world!”

Ye Di’s expression finally darkened, a visible ripple of anger gathering between his brows.

Not only had she completely disgraced all young ladies in the world, but if the sect continued to let her roam the martial world, there was no telling how many people she would offend.

Ye Di, in truth, was quite accustomed to such tempers.

The root of her anger lay not in genuine dislike for him, but in the stark contrast of their current situations.

Ji Yuchang’s fellow disciples had been utterly routed by the Zhaixing Pavilion members, left in disarray.

Yet, Ye Di, who had never given her a pleasant look, was conversing and laughing freely with the Zhaixing Pavilion members, seemingly disregarding her and her companions entirely.

In this stark comparison, Ji Yuchang felt she was no longer the center of attention.

She felt more like an abandoned bystander in a corner, her feelings unnoticed by anyone.

Such individuals often prioritize their own emotions above all else.

Valuing one’s emotions is inherently good.

However, allowing them to run wild, without any attempt at control or management, can adversely affect everyone around them.

The masked woman noticed Ye Di’s displeasure.

She let out a soft, charming laugh.

“Ah, I understand now. It must be quite vexing to encounter a little sister like that, wouldn’t you agree?”

Ye Di remained noncommittal, simply stating, “At least there will be plenty of vexed people in the future; it won’t be my turn yet.”

The masked woman smiled playfully.

“Perhaps she’s just being so stubborn and willful because she likes you?”

This time, Ye Di couldn’t help but glance up at her.

He saw her eyebrows arched in a teasing manner, a clear hint of playful provocation in her gaze, and knew she was merely jesting.

Ye Di returned her smile.

“Some girls’ love is rooted in ‘taking’ from the very beginning. For them, their partner is merely ‘useful’ or ‘useless’. If their emotions aren’t catered to, if they don’t feel convenience, or if the flame of their love grows cold, they will cast them aside without hesitation.”

The masked woman seemed surprised.

“You’re quite young, young hero, yet you seem to possess profound insights.”

Ye Di merely smiled, offering no further reply.

He had, in fact, once viewed the young woman in a similar light.

Even though she had tirelessly pursued him for a thousand li, openly expressing her affection for him,

Ye Di had still believed it was nothing more than an impulse driving her actions.

He thought that once the initial passion cooled and reality set in, she would realize how foolish her actions had been.

However, Ye Di later discovered he had been mistaken.

Xu Niantang’s deep affection for him didn’t stem from mere impulse; it was simply her nature, like a radiant sun.

She had received an abundance of wonderful love, and so she freely offered it to others. She burned brightly, like the sun, never fearing that she would turn to ash.

In Quzhou City, when he witnessed Xu Niantang cut her wrist to draw blood, scaring away the surrounding horde of corpse puppets,

he discerned no despair, fear, or resentment in her eyes—only an unwavering, resolute will.

Ye Di mused, ‘A girl like her, her world must be vastly different from mine.’

She was a child raised in sunlight, her path adorned with lush foliage and blooming flowers.

She was mischievous and willful, often playing pranks on others, yet never did she exude the slightest hint of malice.

If her willfulness genuinely upset someone, she would immediately lower her head and humbly apologize.

And when teased by someone she liked, she would never grow angry easily; instead, she would naturally interpret it as a gesture of kindness.

Lost in these thoughts, Ye Di couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

The masked woman, observing him, seemed to catch a hint of something, and teased, “What, young hero, have you suddenly thought of your beloved?”

Ye Di’s smile faded, and he replied earnestly, “I merely recalled something joyful.”

He turned to Elder Zhai.

“I just heard this guqin piece, and it seems to have some incomplete parts. I have a rudimentary understanding of music, and I humbly ask to discuss it with you, to help complete the score. What do you think?”

Elder Zhai was startled by his words.

The score for ‘Phoenix Perching on the Wutong’ was indeed incomplete.

Mister Xiao himself would often sigh with regret whenever he played it.

He would say, “This piece, even with just half of it, is already so desolate and sorrowful. If the other half were completed, what kind of scene would it evoke?”

Ye Di’s immunity to the guqin’s influence earlier, and his accurate naming of the piece, had already earned him a measure of respect from Elder Zhai.

Now, faced with Ye Di’s request, he did not equivocate. He immediately rose.

“Then I shall respectfully listen to your refined performance, young hero.”

Ye Di sat before the Scorched-Tail Guqin, first glancing up at the inn’s second floor.

He thought to himself that this piece was originally a spontaneous creation, only half-composed. Its audience had only ever been Murong Qihuang, Lin Ke, Xiao Wushang, and a few others.

For some unknown reason, he suddenly felt an urge to complete it now.

He sat upright at the table, his fingers tracing the silk strings, and ethereal guqin music flowed from his fingertips.

The piece was meant to be played for one person only, but she was, for now, unable to hear it.

Ye Di smiled and shook his head, thinking, ‘Indeed, life is unpredictable; who can truly foresee anything?’

As he played, fragments of memories surged into his mind, like flashbacks from a century ago.

Occasionally, when his memory broke and he returned to the mundane world, he felt a taste of profound, pure joy.

The incessantly tangled past sank like a small black pebble, descending lower and lower, through his throat, to the bottom of his heart, finally transforming into a warm current in his lower abdomen.

His whole body was suffused with warmth, feeling as light as a sailing ship with its sails unfurled.

When the music ended, the room was enveloped in a profound silence.

A few people present actually hadn’t fully understood the music and longed to speak.

However, seeing their leaders with complex expressions, mouths slightly agape, gazing at the man playing the guqin, they kept their mouths shut, pretending to listen intently to the music.

Ye Di hadn’t expected the group to be so quiet. After he finished playing, no one spoke.

He discreetly cleared his throat twice.

“Could it be that my guqin skills are rusty, and I have offended your ears, esteemed guests?”

No one responded, save for Elder Zhai, who stumbled closer, swaying like straw in the wind. He bowed deeply to Ye Di, his back trembling slightly, his voice hoarse.

“Once you’ve seen the vast ocean, other waters are mere streams; once you’ve witnessed the peaks of Wushan, other clouds are but wisps. Now that Zhai has heard this melody, there is no other music in the world. I should smash my guqin in gratitude.”

He picked up the Scorched-Tail Guqin in front of him, and with a surge of energy in his fingertips, he prepared to snap it in half.

Ye Di thought, ‘This scene seems eerily familiar.’

After Lei Ling’s martial arts match with him, Lei Ling had also loudly declared, ‘I will never practice the blade again,’ and threatened to break his Nine-Ring Fury Blade.

Now, another person was declaring, ‘I will never play the guqin again,’ and intended to break such a fine instrument?

He quickly reached out to stop him.

“There’s no need for such drastic measures, esteemed Elder. There are many in this world who play the ‘Phoenix Perching on the Wutong’ far better than I.”

Elder Zhai simply wouldn’t believe him.

“Young hero, please don’t mock this old Zhai. Your understanding of this guqin score has reached a transcendent realm; no one in the world can compare.”

Ye Di thought, ‘This piece was composed by me, so my understanding is the definitive answer. Of course, no one can compare.’

He could only forcefully change the subject.

“By the way, you all seem to be in a hurry. Where are you headed?”

At Ye Di’s question, the atmosphere in the room immediately grew solemn again.

The Zhaixing Pavilion members had originally set out to apprehend Lin Ke, retrieve the Tangxi, and report back.

Unexpectedly, the mission had failed, forcing them to return in disgrace.

Elder Liu mused that this man possessed exceptional guqin skills and unfathomable martial arts prowess.

With various sects now responding to the call to attack the main Zhaixing Pavilion in Luoyang, it would be best to reduce the number of enemies for the Pavilion Master.

Thus, she consulted with Elder Zhai, the masked woman, and the robust man in plain clothes.

“This person’s origins are unknown, and we cannot yet discern his true capabilities. We must endeavor to befriend him. Even if he cannot become an ally in the future, at the very least, we must not make an enemy of him.”

The other three nodded in agreement.

The masked woman smiled. “Such a handsome gentleman—I don’t have enough time to like him, so why would I make him angry?”

Elder Zhai nodded repeatedly. “In ancient times, there was Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi, who found a true kindred spirit. Today, we have Zhai Dingbo encountering this mysterious young hero, haha! This shall surely become another beautiful tale.”

The robust man in plain clothes stated, “Though I don’t understand your jabbering, this lad’s kung fu is extremely high; I can’t see through him. Therefore, it’s best not to fight him.”

Having concluded their discussion,

Elder Liu, as their leader, addressed Ye Di. “Our destination is Wangjiang Tower. What are your plans, young hero? If our destinations align, perhaps we could travel together and look out for one another?”