Chapter 34: Is This the Great Scholar Chu?

Qian Zhongxian’s lips finally curled upward, unable to be held back any longer.

He thought to himself, *So, what if he is a Great Confucian? Even when I am not at my best, I still easily brought him to his knees!*

Qian Zhongxian’s status tags shifted: [The Emperor is a fool | The Princess is a fool | The Prince is a fool | The Great Confucian Chu is a fool! Once I ascend to the pinnacle of Confucianism, I shall suppress the ages!]

But he was in no rush. One must appear restrained to truly embody the style of a refined scholar.

He rose immediately, feigning composure, and said, "The Great Confucian is too kind; I am unworthy of such praise. Being unwell today, my crude performance was hardly worth hearing. It is truly..."

He intended to skillfully imply that this was not his optimal level of performance. Naturally, he also wanted to play the pity card: *Judge, I am actually a person with a disability, but music is my life...*

However, before he could finish, he saw Chu Yanxiu spring from his seat, staring with wide, aged eyes, and muttering to himself, "This melody belongs only in the heavens! What master could have played this?!"

Qian Zhongxian froze, thinking, *Is the master not standing right in front of you?*

But in the next instant, the Great Confucian Chu shot out of the cabin like a blur, plunged into the night, and vanished into the air!

Everyone was shocked!

"What happened?"
"Judging by Great Confucian Chu’s words, it seems he heard someone outside playing a divine melody?"
"Where? I didn't hear anything!"
"Nonsense, what is your cultivation level, and what is his?"
"Ah? So those words just now weren't meant to praise Qian Zhongxian?"
"Of course not! What kind of person is the Great Confucian? What melody has he not heard? Qian Zhongxian played well, but what right does he have to earn three 'goods' in a row? Is he dreaming?"

The crowd immediately turned their gaze toward Qian Zhongxian, who was still maintaining a posture of modest pride! Their expressions became playful.

Qian Zhongxian stood motionless, like a statue. His head was buzzing. He finally understood: the Great Confucian had not been praising him. Similarly, the Great Confucian’s entranced state had nothing to do with his own zither playing. Yet, he had already begun his humble-bragging...

At this moment, many people on board rushed out of the cabin, eager to see who the zither player was that could move the Great Confucian to such excitement.

Chen Qishan, son of the Prefect, passed by Qian Zhongxian, patted his shoulder, and chuckled with schadenfreude. "Steward Qian, don't be so modest. The Great Confucian wasn't even listening to you play, hehehe."

"Hahahaha!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and the air inside and outside the cabin was suddenly filled with mirth. Qian Zhongxian’s face turned bright red, his hands twisted together with nowhere to go, and his toes curled so hard they felt as if they would pierce through his shoes.

***

He felt like a mummified corpse drained of its vitality, collapsing back into his seat. But this movement jolted a certain area, and he "ow-ed" and jumped right back up again!

Qian Zhongxian was going mad! Who? Who was it that had caused him such physical and mental agony once again?

***

Meanwhile, aboard the official vessel where Xue Yuan was located!

Xue Yuan continued to stroke the ancient zither, his ten fingers dancing lightly across the strings, calm and detached. His technique had already reached the realm of perfection!

He discovered that as he played, various prompts appeared on the zither, telling him which string he had plucked too lightly or too heavily, or whether his finger placement should be shifted forward or backward. If he plucked it just right, a "Perfect" rating would appear.

This was an incomprehensibly "cheating" method. After all, even a master might not be certain which way to pluck every string for the best sound, but the system laid it out for Xue Yuan directly! It was teaching him step-by-step to become a Grandmaster of the Zither!

Nearby, Su Ruowei and Chen Qiluo were listening, dumbstruck!

From the opening melody, with its blend of reality and illusion that made them feel as if they were wandering through mist-covered mountains, to the subsequent clear harmonics and lively rhythm, it was as if they were listening to the flow of a mountain spring! Then, the melody rose and fell, like a lonely boat traversing a great canyon, witnessing the majesty of ten thousand streams racing together...

This was not just playing with intent, rhythm, and emotion; it was as if they were physically present, immersed in the high mountains and flowing waters!

Neither woman could have imagined that this "fool" possessed such musical mastery! But that wasn't the key; the key was that they had never heard this piece before. Which meant it was highly likely that this fool had composed it himself!

Su Ruowei and Chen Qiluo were both well-educated women; they knew that being a fool did not necessarily mean one could not understand music. After all, there were precedents of madmen becoming martial arts experts, idiots becoming master painters, and even those who couldn't learn to speak becoming grandmasters of Go! They just found it hard to believe that Xue Yuan had such attainments in music.

*Is this guy actually a musical genius? And why does he look so pleasing to the eye while playing?* Chen Qiluo thought, clearly ignoring the fact that she had been touched in an inappropriate place by this fool moments ago.

Su Ruowei, who was well-versed in the zither, thought more deeply. *This music contains the vastness of heaven and earth and the clarity of mountains and water. It has the tranquility of non-contention, yet the magnificent passion of struggle. If he truly composed this himself, what kind of vast world must be hidden in his heart? What kind of immense spirit must he possess? Perhaps this music unintentionally reflects his true inner world? It is a pity he became a fool... If he were not a fool, what talent and ambition would he have? How could ordinary men compare to him?*

As the two women were lost in thought, a figure suddenly flashed in!

Seeing the figure move with the force of a gale, Chen Qiluo was startled, fearing an assassin targeting the Prince, and instinctively stepped forward to block! But before she could reach him, she felt as if she had collided with a wall of wind, and her body was rebounded three or five paces!

Chen Qiluo was shocked and about to draw her sword, but fortunately, her spirit was sharp, and she quickly realized the man was the Great Confucian Chu Yanxiu, so she stopped! But in her heart, she sighed, "So strong!"

The Great Confucian Chu Yanxiu’s face was filled with a shock no less than Chen Qiluo’s!

*It’s him?!*

Chu Yanxiu naturally knew the Prince of Ning, and he knew the Prince was a fool! But from the moment he heard the music on that other ship, he had been convinced the player must be a world-weary old man. Because the music contained great insights into the world—without the life experience of observing the myriad states of humanity and the stars of the universe, it would be impossible to play with such depth!

*Yet, it is a twenty-year-old fool?* Chu Yanxiu could not believe it!

At this moment, Xue Yuan stopped playing. After all, anyone would be startled to see a fierce old man suddenly burst in and stare at them with bulging eyes!

Chu Yanxiu stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, where did you get this music, and how did you learn it?"

"Ah?"

Xue Yuan was panicking a little. *Damn it, I just wanted to show off a little in front of the pretty girls. How did I summon a big shot?*

Seeing Xue Yuan’s foolish expression, Chu Yanxiu grew anxious and said, "Don't panic! What are you panicking about? I am Chu Yanxiu, the founding Dean of the Bailu Academy. I won't hurt you!"

Xue Yuan felt a slight jolt. *So this is the Great Confucian Chu Yanxiu? Good guy, I was just worrying about how to suck up to—ahem, get to know—this old tree, and he delivered himself to my doorstep? Time to act!*

He immediately shrank his neck, lowered his head, and said with a look of extreme terror, "Teacher, please don't be angry. I... I dreamt of it. I'll never play it again..."

As he spoke, he glanced up cautiously at Chu Yanxiu! Yes, the main strategy was to play the part of the long-bullied underdog! A person like Chu Yanxiu, possessing great talent and pride, would never be impressed by someone trying to act arrogant in front of him. Conversely, showing weakness, backed by genuine talent, was the only way to stir his appreciation for a protégé!

Seeing the Prince behave like this, Chu Yanxiu frowned, but his tone softened. "Tell me honestly, did you truly receive this in a dream?"

"Yes."

"To receive heavenly music in a dream... is this not the mark of a heaven-sent talent?" Chu Yanxiu pondered for a moment and then asked, "Do you know the name of this piece?"