Sua Qiyi asked her father for a high grade Qin just as she came back from her outing.
Why?
Because the 'Ten strokes of hell' is a sound based skill.
It requires a stringed instrument. What would be better than a high grade Qin.
Her father was happy to receive a request from his dear daughter and told her to wait for three days and he would give her the best Qin.
Qiyi smiled at her father's doting and left his quarters with a bow.
It has been three days and the Qin was finally brought over by Anya.
"Miss, Master has sent this earth grade Breezy Night Qin for you."
Qiyi looked over at the Qin made of strong and polished black wood. It had pure white Strings unlike the sliver ones.
It also had a beautiful white spider Lily drawn at the tip of the black wood.
It looked so very beautiful and was releasing an incredible aura.
"Place it on the table."
Anya followed her miss' instructions and placed the precious Qin on the table.
Qiyi brushed her jade like fingers over the white Strings and smiled unconsciously.
"Miss, this ring is able to store the breezy night Qin."
Anya brought forward a silver ring which had a black thin line running around the centre.
Qiyi put on the ring and then bit her finger drawing some blood and let it drop on the ring.
The ring absorbed the blood and the originally big ring shrunk to fit the size of Qiyi's index finger.
The qin's originally white flower now had a faint blue hue on it.
"Thank you Anya. You may leave now. Allow no one to disturb me."
Anya bowed and left to guard the door.
Qiyi sat on the table's seat and took out the skill manual.
She read the first step.
She must first 'feel' the aura of the Qin.
Qiyi closed her eyes and placed both her hands on top of the Qin's pure white Strings.
She began strumming every string.
Her eyes were closed so she didn't see the faint white fog surrounding the table.
The surroundings were freezing and cold winds encased the entire room.
Finally, she opened her eyes Aftet she confirmed that she had 'felt' enough of the qin's aura.
Opening Her eyes, she was shocked.
The table and some area around it were completely frozen. The room was foggy and the entire room was chilly.
"What power!"
Qiyi smiled and stroked the Qin and I'm an instant the fog was sucked in by the Qin.
As for the frozen table, she decided to leave it as such for now.
She proceeded to the next step.
"So, I need to play a slow beat..."
The second step was the first stroke.
The first stroke was known as the 'Weakening Stroke.'
Whoever listens to the slow beat will start becoming dazed.
Their thinking capability would start lagging.
Of course, the slow beats also had a secret pattern and it wasn't easy to practise it unless you are a Qin master.
Thankfully for Qiyi, in her last life, Her mercenary missions allowed her to learn many instruments and Qin was one of them. You could basically call her a Qin Queen.
She read the music notes in the manual and processed them. After she was sure that she had learnt them fully, she began to play the slow beat.
The beat was catchy and extremely complicated.
There would be some parts which were too fast and they had to be changed into a slow beat immediately after the fast pace was over.
After an hour of playing the first stroke, Qiyi finally stopped playing.
"Done!" She had finished mastering the first stroke.
She was very happy with this skill.
It was only around 10 am so she decided to take a break. She was going to rest when Anya's voice rang out.
"Miss, you have an invitation to a Tea Party today."
Qiyi skimmed through her memories finding out that she indeed needs to attend a tea party at Lady Guo's.
Lady Guo, Mei Le, was the wife of Minister of Human Rights, Guo Heng.
Qiyi turned 15 five months back and it was time for her to start attending such events. She decided to attend this tea party at it was a girl's only event.
The venue was Lady Guo's famous daffodil garden.
Qiyi called in Anya.
"Get me a white dress with light blue flowers. Not too flashy and some silver jewellery. Nothing more."
"Of course miss!" Anya rushed to the clothes room and brought out three outfits fitting Her miss's description.
Qiyi chose the second one and started changing while Anya went to fetch the jewellery.
Qiyi was done changing and was sitting in front of the mirror waiting for her hair to be done.
Anya came back with a tray full of silver jewellery.
"What would you like miss?"
Qiyi skimmed over the jewellery and chose some jewellery.
Anya began arranging Her hair into a beautiful braid. She tied her hair with a white band which had a beautiful artificial blue flower. Anya used a light blue silk ribbon and interlocked it with the braid which made the black colour pop out. It seemed simple but stunning.
Anya adorned her miss with a pair of silver dangling earrings and a white jade tassel which had a rose carving.
Qiyi looked at herself and nodded at Anya's fashion sense.
Qiyi looked at Anya who had a tender face and remembered that even though Anya was a strong guard she was also a girl.
Qiyi pulled Anya to her clothes room and chose a light blue hanfu with deep blue and white sleeves. It was simple but better looking than Anya's current grey hanfu.
Anya refused to wear it but Qiyi forced her in the end.
Anya changed and she looked very lovely in that new outfit.
"That's better."
Saying that, Anya was once again dragged by Qiyi to the dressing table with the mirror.
She undid Anya's high bun and brushed it to smooth out the ends.
She then made a low bun and added a wooden hairpin with a white flower.
She decided on a wooden hairpin as she knew that Anya wouldn't accept any other jewellery.
"Let's go now."
Qiyi said and was heading out when she heard Anya's shaking voice, "Thank you miss."
She smiled and replied, "Hurry up."
As such, they rushed to the carriage waiting outside their residence.
The Great General's mansions insignia was a tiger while the Prime minister's insignia was a wolf.
The carriage Qiyi would be travelling in was made of chocolate brown wood and was a bit bigger than a normal carriage. On the front of the carriage was a small hanging board which had the carving of a wolf signifying that the carriage was from the Prime minister's household. The carriage was driven by two brown horses of good breed.
The driver was the son of the head manager of the household, Pin Mo.
Anya and Qiyi stepped into the carriage and it drove off in the direction of the Guo household.
They were a bit late but that was fine as their standing was the highest in that event.
When the ladies present saw Qiyi who had worn a white veil, they first questioned in her identity.
Lady Guo recognized the veiled girl instantly as she had delivered to Qiyi personally.
Even before, the original Qiyi used to hide her hideous face with a veiled hat or the sort so Lady Guo was able to discern Qiyi.
She rushed to Qiyi's side and greeted, "Many thanks to Lady Sua for coming to this little one's tea event."
Lady Guo was always a smart woman and knew when to be humble.
"No at all. Qiyi is thankful to have received your invite. Qiyi doesn't have much to offer but please accept this small token."
Qiyi waved her hand and Anya came forward with a small wooden box in her hand.
"Ho-Ho! This lady will accept it. Many thanks."
Lady Guo personally accepted it and opened the box and too stunned to even speak.
"This is a... high grade emerald?"
Inside the box was a fist sized emerald which was shining under the Ray's of the sun. It looked so very beautiful and precious.
"Lady Guo is right. Please accept this as an apology for arriving late."
Lady Guo was more than happy and thanked Qiyi and led her to the biggest table in the venue.
They were talking and talking when a voice was loud whisper was heard.
"I thought lady sua was supposed to be disfigured? Isn't that why she stayed hidden for so long?"
The one speaking was the daughter of a small Minister.
"You!"
Her mother was sitting beside her and slapped her head with her hand fan.
"Apologies Miss Sua. My daughter hasn't been disciplined properly. Please forgive us."
Sua Qiyi didn't care much about it.
"No problem Lady Wan. There is no need to beat a child. She looks barely 13. I wouldn't get annoyed at a child's ignorance."
Qiyi was calling her an idiot and letting her off.
"Um.... yes..... thank you for your benevolence."
Lady Wan was at least glad that they came out unscathed.
She quickly dragged her idiot daughter away.
"Greetings to Lady Sua."
Just when a trouble had gone away another came to say hello.
Qiyi looked behind her and smirked knowing the identity of the speaker.
She stood up in greeting.
"Greetings to Lady Ao."
This girl who was around the same age as Qiyi was the first miss of the great general's household, Ao Ming Lan.
She had a big headed personality but she was still smart and knew when to go easy and when to go hard.
"I wonder if I would have the privilege of talking to Lady Sua privately?"
Ao Ming Lan asked which stunned the elders around the table.
Qiyi smiled and nodded.
"Please lead the way Lady Ao."
The two slowly walked to the small fish pond which had a table for two.
They sat opposite to each other.
"I wonder what Lady Ao wanted to talk to Qiyi about?"
Qiyi looked at Ming Lan and asked straight up front.
"I wanted to.... "
Ming Lan's ears were turning red.
"Are you alright lady Ao?"
Qiyi asked worriedly.
She secretly thought, "Why is she turning red like I bullied her?"
Mung Jan stuttered but she finally blurted out.
"Please be my friend!"
"..."
"..."
"Sorry? What Did miss Ao say?"
Qiyi thought her ears were ringing. 'Wasn't she doing to fight or bully me?'
"I-I-I said let's be friends!"
Ao Ming Lan was now totally red like a ripe tomato.
Qiyi processed Her words and laughed out loud.
She laughed so hard that tears could be seen.
Qiyi finally understood what Ming Lan wanted.
Since their families were so high in the society so this young girl also didn't have any friends her age as there were too many foxes who wanted the position of their friend. They were not genuine and we're greedy thus this lady Ao who found that Qiyi was around her age and was also from a high family and didn't need to be greedy was the perfect friend.
"Lady Ao, I would be happy to be your friend."
Qiyi smiled at this little girl who reminded her of a cute baby deer.
She had the kind of naive feeling that Qiyi had long lost.
"Really?"
Ao Ming Lan asked with her joyous voice.
"Yes. Please feel free to call me Qiyi."
Ao Ming Lan nodded and said, "If so then Qiyi must call me Ming Lan too. Lady Ao is too formal."
Qiyi was happy to make a friend like Ming Lan.
"Of course, Ming Lan."
The two friends stayed there and chatted and laughed together during the entire event.
The elder ladies and younger ladies looked at the 'normally would be enemies' ladies and stood stunned.
"Weren't they supposed to try and scratch each others faces like cats and dogs?"
Every lady present had the same thought so when they saw the two friends talking and chatting like they were in their own world, they felt really weird.
They thought they would eventually fall out midway but till the end if the event they chatted and in the end they even left together and they even heard the two girls deciding to write letters to each other and planning their meet up soon.
And as such, the ladies looked at the parting backs of the two ladies who were at the top of the food chain.
They were below the royal family but above everyone else.
This was their identity which they really envied but they couldn't do anything about it.
.
.
.
Qiyi returned home tiredly and thought of her friend and happily went to sleep early.
Their exiting chat had left her too tired. She had never felt this excited for a long time.
Sleep took over and she feel asleep on her bed.