The sound of the zither was mellow and pleasant like the whispers of a bird on an empty mountain and the sound of a clear spring.
It combined the most beautiful sounds between Heaven and Earth and yet did not seem cluttered. On the contrary, it was perfectly wonderful.
As the melody of the zither went on, a smile unconsciously appeared on the faces of the rubbernecking guests who were full of excitement.
Seeming to forget everything around them, they were completely immersed in the beautiful music.
On the eaves, countless birds dropped by to list.
All kinds of animals in a riot of colors tilted their heads and gazed at the highest point of the room. As if they could comprehend the meaning of this great piece of music, they stared, intoxicated.
Even Jiang Shengxie and Feng Nanming gradually stopped fighting.
They stood where they were, quietly listening to the crisp and ethereal music. Their miscellaneous thoughts were cleared away and the fact that they in the midst of a battle appeared to be obliterated from their minds.
Time ticked away. Except for the sound of the zither, there was no other sound in the entire Embracing Moon Brothel.
The minds of everyone had submerged into an ethereal state, wandering into a realm where there was nothing but beauty itself.
Gradually, the heavenly work of music came to an end. It slowly faded away, became more and more ethereal, and continued in a way that seemed as though the song was not playing anymore. However, an ending like this was able to induce the feeling of calmness in the hearts of people.
It seemed like this was the only way to capture that last lingering sound and not leave behind any regrets.
Ding!
A soft tone drew out the perfect finale for this musical piece.
At this moment, many guests in the Embracing Moon Brothel slowly opened their eyes and awakened from a state of deep intoxication.
At that moment, everyone seemed to have left the prosperous city and arrived at a deserted paradise.
Flowers were in full bloom, thousands of birds were singing, worldly troubles and distracting thoughts all forgotten.
It was like being reborn with a brand-new soul!
Without revealing herself, she rendered the conflict between Jiang Shengxie and Feng Nanming intangible with just the melody of a zither.
The most popular courtesan of the Embracing Moon Brothel, Miss Mingyue, was no ordinary lady indeed!
...
"Entering the path with a zither, the Ethereal State of Mind."
Elder Yan's voice sounded in Chu Xiaolian's mind.
He sighed with emotion, "The women around Li Hanguang are getting better and better!"
Chu Xiaolian asked curiously, "Master, what is an Ethereal State of Mind?"
Elder Yan said calmly, "The Ethereal State of Mind is the rare one of its kind. The enhancement it can bring to one's combat power isn't obvious. However, it is able to calm the minds of cultivators.
"When one's mind is in a tranquil state, their comprehension will be greatly improved.
"If you are able to find yourself a Cultivation Partner who has comprehended the Ethereal State of Mind, it will do you a great help in entering any path."
Chu Xiaolian asked curiously, "Is such a state of mind very difficult to comprehend?"
Elder Yan answered, "It is relatively easier for female cultivators who cultivate in the 'Path of Music' to comprehend the Ethereal State of Mind.
"As for techniques that could help one comprehend the 'Ethereal State of Mind', I'm afraid that the inheritance for that only exists in the Miaoyin Holy Land which specializes in the 'Path of Music'.
"It is precisely because of this that disciples of the Miaoyin Holy Land are favorites in the Eastern Desolate and even all of the Five Realms.
"All of their Holy Daughters are hailed as walking cups of tea for enlightenment!"
Chu Xiaolian was absorbed in thought. "Does this mean that Miss Mingyue's talent in the Path of Music is very good?"
Elder Yan nodded, "To have comprehended the grade-two Ethereal State of Mind relying on just mortal music, such talent is already enough to make the Miaoyin Holy Land devote their attention to her.
"If this girl joins the Miaoyin Holy Land, despite having just a mid-grade Spiritual Root, she is bound to be trained as a Core Disciple.
"She might even be bestowed fine elixirs that could upgrade her spiritual root!"
Listening to Elder Yan's praises of Miss Mingyue, Chu Xiaolian felt the profoundness of his Eldest Senior Brother.
She was such a fine woman and yet, she devoted all her love to his Eldest Senior Brother.
If the word about this were to spread, countless men would be heartbroken!
In all honesty, even Chu Xiaolian could not help but feel a little salty on the inside.
After all, he was a miserable person who had been dumped by his fiancé.
On the contrary of things, his Senior Brother had wooed so many ladies. It was true that constantly comparing oneself to others will only make one angry!
...
"Today is my 16th birthday. All of you gentlemen who have arrived at the Embracing Moon Brothel are my guests.
"Young Master Jiang, Young Master Feng, for my sake, could you cease hostilities and negotiate peace?"
From the Oiran's quarters came the crisp voice of a lady. It contained no trace of coquetry and yet, everyone could not help but be drawn to the voice.
It was a beautiful voice!
So beautiful that people simply could not turn down the request.
Feng Nanming glared at Jiang Shengxie and snorted, "Since Miss Mingyue has made a request, I will let this pass today!"
Although Jiang Shengxie was suppressed throughout the fight, it did not come to the point where the winner had already been determined.
He snorted, "Today is Miss Mingyue's birthday. For her sake, I will duel with you on another day."
Seeing that Jiang Shengxie was stubborn and reluctant to admit defeat despite being stomped on for the entire duration of the fight, Feng Nanming was so angry that smoke came out from his head. Yes, smoke literally came out from his head.
Earlier on, he went all out unleashing his Dancing Flames Sword Aura.
Overly hyped up by the battle, the fire in his body had not yet been vented thoroughly.
He thought for a while and snorted, "Junior Brother Jiang, do you dare make a gamble with me?"
Jiang Shengxie sneered and said, "You lose every gamble you make, Senior Brother Feng. If you're asking for an insult, I have no reason to refuse!"
Feng Nanming said, "Today is Miss Ming's 16th birthday. Why not we compete in whose gift will Miss Mingyue like more?"
The corner of Jiang Shengxie's mouth twitched.
In all honesty, he had no idea that today was Miss Mingyue's birthday.
After all, Miss Mingyue was a forbidden fruit that belonged to his Eldest Senior Brother alone and Jiang Shengxie had never once imagined himself engaging in anything with her. For human males...
If they had no feelings for a human female, they would usually not care about her at all.
Before he arrived at the Embracing Moon Brothel, he did not even know that Miss Mingyue's birthday was today, let alone thought of meticulously preparing a gift for her in advance.
"What is it, Junior Brother? Are not so stingy as to not prepare a gift for her?"
Feng Nanming revealed an enigmatic smile.
Jiang Shengxie was unwilling to be outdone. "Fine, what do you wish to bet on with me?"
Feng Nanming looked at the Devil-Subduing Sword on Jiang Shengxie's back. "If you win, I will give you my Phoenix Sword. If you lose, your Devil-Subduing Sword will belong to me."
For Swordsmanship Cultivators, the importance of affinity with their sword was self-evident.
Whether it was the Devil-Subduing Sword or the Phoenix Sword, both of them were high-grade Spiritual Weapons given to them by their respective masters which would provide significant boosts to a Revered Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Even with Jiang Shengxie and Feng Nanming's identity, it was still difficult for them to get another one of those.
Such a bet was an extremely heavy one!
...
"Fine! You better not go back on your word when you lose!"
Jiang Shengxie snorted and said, "Show us your gift then, Senior Brother Feng!"
Feng Nanming's face was full of confidence.
The Space Ring in his hands shimmered and a delicate zither appeared in his hands.
Crafted of beautiful white jade, the zither shone brightly. Its body was carved with the patterns of stars and a bright moon.
Underneath the lamplight, these patterns flickered in a way that made them look extremely gorgeous.
Feng Nanming looked towards the Oiran's quarters and said with a smile, "Miss Mingyue's skills with the zither are superb. She deserves to have a zither that fits her expertise.
"This zither is named 'Star and Moon'. It is a thousand-year-old ancient zither crafted purely of Nourishing Jade. Its strings are made of top-grade Enchanted Silk, allowing it to produce sounds with an ethereal feel.
"I believe that if Miss Mingyue uses this zither, her accomplishments in zither music will surely rise to the next level.
"Today is Miss Mingyue's birthday, so I'm willing to gift this zither to her.
"I hope that she won't dislike it."
Despite the humble words being said, he simply could not conceal the pride on his face.
It was noteworthy that 'Nourishing Jade' was an extremely precious type of jade that even a piece the size of a palm could drive many cultivators into a frenzy.
A zither that was made entirely of Nourishing Jade coupled with strings made of Enchanted Silk— such a zither was certainly an extremely tempting catch for cultivators!
A gift like that was absolutely luxurious!
...
Even with Feng Nanming's family background, obtaining this zither had been a big deal!
However, all this was definitely worth it!
As long I can win over Miss Mingyue's heart, make her my Cultivation Partner, I can use her Ethereal State of Mind to greatly boost my Cultivation Base.
Then, I'll have a chance to compete with Li Hanguang and reascend to the pinnacle!
I will never concede!
Never!