Chapter 127: Reunion

The night was deep and silent. Feng Chuxun sat cross-legged in his room, the sword intent swirling around him like shadows of blades. Shen Qingyun opened his eyes and looked at Feng Chuxun with a trace of satisfaction. Perhaps Feng Chuxun’s talent for cultivation wasn’t the best, but even Shen Qingyun had to admire his grasp of sword intent.

“This kid’s achievements might not be inferior to yours,” Shen Qingyun thought to himself.

Standing up, Shen Qingyun left the room. Feng Chuxun seemed to sense something, his eyes slowly opening as he watched Shen Qingyun’s back and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Going out for a walk,” Shen Qingyun replied.

Hearing this, Feng Chuxun closed his eyes again and continued to immerse himself in the sword intent. Shen Qingyun descended from the loft, the evening breeze prompting him to stretch lazily. Looking toward the west, his brow twitched slightly as he listened carefully for a moment before murmuring, “Is that the sound of a zither?”

“Let’s go see,” he decided instantly, and with agile movements, he leapt several times before disappearing into the darkness.

Following the direction of the melody, Shen Qingyun stopped as the music became clearer and glanced back. “Who would be playing the zither alone on the mountain at this hour?”

Adjusting to the darkness, he could barely make out the surroundings. He was on the mid-slope of the mountain, and the music was coming from above.

Suddenly, the zither strings snapped with a sharp twang, abruptly ending the music. A flicker of suspicion appeared in Shen Qingyun’s eyes as he looked toward the mountaintop and continued onward.

“Qinyuan.”

Reading the two characters on the plaque aloud, Shen Qingyun looked down inside and was surprised to find the Qinyuan still open at this hour.

He refrained from using his divine sense to investigate. Where there’s something unusual, there’s often a hidden danger. That the Qinyuan was open at night with someone playing the zither inside suggested this might be the couple from the Zixiao Academy meeting here in secret. It was best not to pry with his divine sense lest he see something unintended.

Without using his divine sense, Shen Qingyun stepped into the Qinyuan, surprised that an academy devoted to cultivation would have such a place.

Using the zither as a path to the Dao was rare and difficult, demanding immense skill from the cultivator. Most regarded the zither simply as a musical instrument rather than a weapon. Yet, when the zither was infused with the Dao, it could become a silent and deadly weapon.

Walking down the corridor of the Qinyuan, Shen Qingyun noticed a faint flicker of light ahead and quickened his pace.

Inside the zither room, under dim candlelight, a woman with disheveled hair partially obscuring her face sat holding a zither, frustrated. “It’s ruined, what am I going to do? How did the string break?”

Her beautiful eyes filled with distress as she muttered to herself, “If I can’t fix this, I’ll definitely get scolded tomorrow!”

Outside the window, Shen Qingyun observed her. The woman’s profile was exquisite, and he imagined her full face must be equally stunning. Yet, something about her profile seemed familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

Her clumsy attempts to repair the string failed repeatedly, each failure deepening the anxiety in her eyes until tears threatened to fall.

Shen Qingyun smiled softly and entered through the nearby door. The woman, so absorbed in her task, didn’t notice him enter.

“Let me try!” Shen Qingyun said, snatching the zither from her hands and bending over the dim candlelight to begin mending the string.

Startled, the woman instinctively raised her hand to stop him but hesitated. Her hair still hid her face, but her eyes, watching Shen Qingyun, flickered through surprise, disbelief, and finally deep shock.

Shen Qingyun’s hands moved deftly, and soon the string was repaired. As he looked up to return the zither, their eyes met. The familiarity struck him even more strongly now that he saw her face fully.

“Your zither…” Shen Qingyun began, but the woman interrupted with a startled exclamation, “It’s you! It really is you!”

Shen Qingyun frowned slightly. Did this woman know him?

Though her face was familiar to him, she clearly recognized and had identified him.

“Do we know each other?” Shen Qingyun asked, trying to place someone similar in his mind.

“I’m me. Don’t you recognize me?” The woman pointed to herself excitedly, though a hint of disappointment surfaced in her beautiful eyes at his failure to recognize her.

“I’m sorry, none of the people I know hide their faces behind their hair,” Shen Qingyun said with a wry smile.

Suddenly realizing, the woman, flustered when the string broke, hadn’t noticed her hair covering her face. She turned away from Shen Qingyun and said, “Wait a moment.”

Shen Qingyun watched as she brushed her hair back, neatly tying it with a wooden hairpin.

“How about now?” she asked, turning around with a radiant smile.

Now that Shen Qingyun could see her clearly, his calm gaze rippled slightly, pupils contracting. “Qin Ning? It’s really you!”

Qin Ning snorted softly, a touch of grievance in her voice. “You only recognized me now? I recognized you the moment I saw you.” Shen Qingyun could only smile awkwardly.

With her hair so messy, it was almost uncanny he recognized her at all.

Before Qin Ning could continue her complaints, Shen Qingyun hurriedly asked, “How did you end up at Zixiao Academy?”

Qin Ning saw through his attempt to change the subject and shot him a glare. “Of course, my father sent me here. What about you? Why are you here?”

Qin Ning was curious too. After returning, she had asked Qin Haotian to investigate Shen Qingyun’s background. He was a disciple of Cangyun Sect, one of the five great sects under the Tianlan Dynasty, far from her own status. It was unlikely they would cross paths again, yet because of Shen Qingyun, Qin Ning was highly regarded by Qin Haotian and sent to train at Zixiao Academy.

Since coming to the academy, Qin Ning had lost track of Shen Qingyun and could only focus on her cultivation. Her remarkable talent was soon discovered and valued by the academy’s elders, leading her to forge a path of dual cultivation.

“I was sent here by your father, too,” Shen Qingyun smiled.

“Are you kidding?” Qin Ning said in surprise, her gaze full of suspicion. Their statuses were worlds apart, especially given his relation to the ruling dynasty.

“Believe it or not,” Shen Qingyun shrugged, not bothering to explain further. Honestly, no one believed him anyway.

Qin Ning stared for a moment, blinking, then decided not to probe further. Reunions between friends were naturally joyous. Glancing at the zither in Shen Qingyun’s arms, she felt a spark of pride and theatrically declared, “It’s rare to meet again. This princess will give you a show!” Holding out her hand, she said, “Give me the zither.”

Shen Qingyun handed it over with an earnest expression. “Why don’t you show me how you managed to break the strings?”

Qin Ning stiffened, gritted her teeth, and took the zither, shooting Shen Qingyun a fierce glare. “Go to hell!” she muttered. It surprised her how much she disliked this guy.

Shen Qingyun seemed immune to her hostility and shrugged, signaling her to begin.

“Please, show me your performance.”

Placing the zither on the table, Qin Ning sat down and fixed her gaze on it. Taking a deep breath, the moment her fingers touched the strings, she transformed. The fierce energy was replaced by elegance, and her already captivating face became even more enchanting.

Her fingers plucked the strings, and the music flowed. Shen Qingyun’s eyes flickered with surprise.

The melody was beautiful, but to Shen Qingyun, it still fell short.

“Well? Has this princess amazed you?” Qin Ning stopped playing and looked at him proudly.

Shen Qingyun wore an unimpressed expression, shaking his head. “The essence of the zither lies in its intent. Without that, no matter how well you play, you’ll only ever be fit for the banquet hall.”

Hearing this, Qin Ning’s proud expression immediately wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, and she muttered resentfully, “Why can’t you just compliment someone? You sound just like a tutor—no sense of romance at all.”

The joy of reunion was dampened by Shen Qingyun’s words.

Hearing Qin Ning’s low complaint, Shen Qingyun smiled and said, “Since you played a piece, I’ll return the favor. How about I play one to celebrate our reunion?”

“You can play the zither?” Qin Ning looked up at him, her expression and eyes full of doubt.