Chapter 106: World Three [20]

The so-called Elder position in the Martial Arts Alliance was something Luo Yuezhu didn’t want. After Jing Ke made her statements, the Alliance was also eager for her to refuse it.

They coveted the Heavenly Derivation Sect’s mental cultivation methods and secret manuals, true, but that didn’t mean they intended to tear up their relationship with the Imperial Court and directly oppose it.

Therefore, after Luo Yuezhu refused the Elder position and its associated benefits, the Martial Arts Alliance very sensibly converted the previously promised position into one hundred thousand taels of silver notes and gifted them to her. Then, they brought the half-dead Lin Yuxiu out from the prison cells and handed him over to Jing Ke as a show of their sincerity.

Jing Ke had no good feelings towards this person chosen by the rules. Adhering to the idea of saving the Martial Arts Alliance some medicinal herb expenses, she used the weapon they provided to end Lin Yuxiu’s life.

After spending half a day handling this matter, Jing Ke left Yangzhou with her little disciple as agreed, not staying even a single extra night.

The two traveled for half a month from Yangzhou to Peace Offering City. The expression on the little disciple’s face gradually relaxed along the way. Passing by a village with beautiful scenery, they even stayed there for a few days. Before leaving, they helped the villagers hunt quite a bit of game in the mountains as payment for their hospitality.

After their leisurely journey, when they finally returned to the Luo Residence in Peace Offering City, Little Mu hugged Luo Yuezhu and burst into tears, crying as she praised her young miss’s prowess.

“Miss, Miss, I’ve heard all about it! You were the champion of the Martial Arts Tournament! The Alliance Leader’s disciple was no match for you. You are the undisputed Number One in the World!” Little Mu said, extremely excited.

“After the news spread, the shop’s business has gotten so much better. The Yamen and many other people sent gifts over. The shopkeepers from the shops outside the city also sent many things.”

Little Mu continued, “I didn’t want to accept them at first, but they all said they were for you, Miss, to congratulate you on becoming Number One in the World. I really couldn’t refuse, so I kept them.”

Luo Yuezhu patted Little Mu’s shoulder, suddenly appearing much more mature and steady. “Alright, I understand. You’ve worked hard these past few years.”

“Not hard at all, not hard at all! Miss, now that you’re back this time, will you continue traveling the outside world? Or will you be staying at home?” Little Mu asked, her tone full of hope. She wanted to hear a positive answer.

Luo Yuezhu didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked towards her Master.

“You are already Number One in the World. You are an adult capable of making your own decisions now,” Jing Ke said with a smile.

Enemies and troublesome pests had all been dealt with. The Devil Sect wouldn’t harm her little disciple, and the Martial Arts Alliance shouldn’t be that foolish either.

Unless the Emperor had truly lost his mind, her little disciple’s remaining life would certainly be peaceful and smooth. She could do whatever she wanted, unrestrained, with no one to be her obstacle.

Thinking of this, Jing Ke’s eyes couldn’t help but carry a trace of affection as she looked at her disciple.

This was how it should be. A little disciple she had raised herself should be welcomed by a smooth path, not forced to endure unnecessary hardships under the deliberate design of the rules.

Sensing her Master’s indulgence, a subtle change flickered in Luo Yuezhu’s eyes. Turning to Little Mu, she happily agreed.

“Mm, I won’t be leaving this year. Master and I will stay at home and celebrate the New Year with you all,” Luo Yuezhu said.

“Great! I’ll go to the kitchen right now and prepare a big feast!” Little Mu’s lips curled high, her brow unable to hide her joy. “Miss, while you were away, the shop business has been consistently good. I’ve checked the account books for each quarter several times over. They’re all in the study.”

“Good, I knew you could do it,” Luo Yuezhu said with a smile, having no intention of checking the books. This was a level of trust she could easily afford.

–

To celebrate their young miss returning home, Little Mu, acting as the butler, gave all the long-term workers in the residence an extra month’s wages as a reward, letting them share in the good fortune.

After the news that Luo Yuezhu had returned with her Master spread, the Yamen and the wealthy families in Peace Offering City all sent visiting cards at the first opportunity. Either they were inviting Luo Yuezhu out to some banquet, or proposing to pay a visit in the next day or two.

These were matters Luo Yuezhu could already handle proficiently four years ago, let alone now.

After writing a reply letter to the County Magistrate, the remaining visiting cards were set aside by Luo Yuezhu.

Luo Yuezhu did intend to reside in Peace Offering City, but she had no plans to expand her business empire. The one hundred thousand taels of silver she obtained at the Martial Arts Tournament alone was enough to allow her and her Master to live a very prosperous life.

Moreover, neither Luo Yuezhu nor Jing Ke had high consumption desires. They lacked extravagant hobbies and were unlikely to engage in lavish spending.

After spending most of a month dealing with miscellaneous trivialities, Luo Yuezhu suddenly felt a sense of idleness.

Since she won the championship at the Martial Arts Tournament, her Master no longer supervised her daily training. Besides the occasional sparring, it seemed her Master had no further demands of her.

Did Master think she had already grown up, so she was no longer managing her?

Realizing this belatedly, Luo Yuezhu quickly knocked on her Master’s door and voiced her question.

“Hmm? You’re already so formidable. Do you still need Your Master to follow behind you and urge you to practice your sword every day?” Jing Ke raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of incomprehension hidden in her dark pupils.

Didn’t her little disciple want to grow from a child into an adult? She was just loosening her grip a little, letting her experience the feeling of being an adult.

“Master, I feel I still have many shortcomings…” Luo Yuezhu said, unable to keep from lowering her head.

I am truly a contradictory existence. When Master says I’m a child, I always want to prove that I’ve grown up.

But when Master acknowledges I can stand on my own and thinks I’m an adult, I want to turn around and have Master treat me like a child again.

“It’s alright, you’re only fifteen. It’s normal to have things you don’t understand. You can try to find the answers yourself, or you can always come and ask me.” Jing Ke couldn’t fathom where her little disciple might have suffered a blow, but that didn’t stop her from comforting the girl.

“Take Your Master, for instance. I’m merely twenty-five now. I’m still considered a young heroine in the Jianghu. Occasionally, I also encounter things I can’t figure out,” Jing Ke consoled.

That’s right, Master is only twenty-five. She’s just two years older than my elder sister.

Luo Yuezhu looked up at her Master. A certain hidden feeling began to break through the soil, slowly sprouting and growing.

“Master, can you tell me your birth date? I want to celebrate your birthday once,” Luo Yuezhu asked.

She had asked this question many times before, but it was always brushed aside by her Master, leaving her still ignorant of the answer.

“It’s not that Your Master won’t tell you, but I can’t remember clearly myself. It was probably in winter,” Jing Ke said.

Jing Ke truly had no relevant memories in her mind. Her birth was a somewhat insignificant accident. In Jing Ke’s memory, she had never received a so-called birthday gift.

Unlike the previous two worlds, this era didn’t have ID cards recording date and place of birth, so Jing Ke didn’t know her specific birth date.

“Winter?” Luo Yuezhu wore a thoughtful expression. It was only July now. There were still about three months until winter, plenty of time for her to prepare a gift.

“Enough, don’t dwell on this issue. I don’t celebrate birthdays,” Jing Ke patted her little disciple’s shoulder. “Remember, practicing martial arts is a matter of persistence. Although your strength is already quite good, you must still dedicate at least a Shichen of time to it each day.”

“Yes, Master. I will persist in practicing my swordsmanship every day,” Luo Yuezhu answered obediently, but the idea of preparing a gift for her Master had not been dispelled in the slightest.

–

The July sun was still somewhat hot. Even though both could use their Inner Strength to regulate their body temperature, they still followed the crowd and rested in the residence’s courtyard to cool off.

Jing Ke didn’t overly restrict her little disciple’s life. Having acquired vast amounts of free time, she began finding other things to pass the time.

Jing Ke had absolutely no interest in poetry or song verses. The emotions contained within some poems were something she could never comprehend, no matter what.

Feelings like unrecognized talent or bitter boudoir resentment all seemed to Jing Ke like painting oneself into a corner. Why place your hopes on others? One should rely on oneself in all matters.

After ruling out poetry, the other three arts—the zither, chess, and painting—were all accepted by Jing Ke.

Jing Ke’s painting skills were already quite good. The birthday gift she gave her little disciple for her twelfth birthday was a personally painted snowscape. So in her leisure time, Jing Ke quite enjoyed depicting her little disciple’s image on paper.

As for chess, Jing Ke could also ponder it alone. By playing matches against herself, she quickly thoroughly understood a pile of chess manuals.

Regarding the zither, playing a tune according to the sheet music wasn’t difficult for Jing Ke; her learning ability had always been exceptionally outstanding.

But music also emphasizes mood and artistic conception. The same music sheet could be mere decadent sound in some hands, but in others’ hands, it became celestial music.

Not everyone could play the zither, but simple appreciation only required ears. It didn’t matter if you couldn’t perceive other sensations, as long as you could judge pleasant from unpleasant, that was enough.

Luo Yuezhu was one who understood a little about appreciation. After listening to the zither score her Master had learned by herself, Luo Yuezhu furrowed her brow and thought for a short moment.

“Master, you didn’t play any wrong notes, but I can’t seem to feel the emotion contained within the music…” Having inherited a portion of good character from her Master, Luo Yuezhu stated truthfully.

“Then did you identify what the problem is?” Jing Ke asked. She also felt her playing had a minor issue.

Luo Yuezhu shook her head. “I can’t hear any portion where Master played incorrectly, but the music seems to lack its intended emotion. The piece Master played should be a score carrying a hint of grief and indignation, but all I hear is calmness.”

To put it simply, this piece should make the listener feel immersed, experiencing sadness and anger from a first-person perspective.

But under Jing Ke’s performance, the listener was entirely in a third-person view, calmly spectating someone’s grief and indignation.

They knew that person was grieving, angered, roaring, dissatisfied, but they could only know it—they could not empathize with or feel that emotion.

“So, it lacks emotion.” Jing Ke rubbed her chin, thinking she should find a professional to consult, to learn how to make her zither music more emotional.

There weren’t many outstanding musicians in Peace Offering City. The most skilled batch of them seemed to all be at the Phoenix Cry Tower.

Thinking of this, Jing Ke subconsciously glanced at her little disciple. Although fifteen-year-olds were considered adults here, a place like Phoenix Cry Tower… it was probably better not to bring her disciple there.

“Yuezhu, after dinner this evening, I need to go out. Remember to rest early. Don’t wait up for me,” Jing Ke said, deciding she would personally make a trip to Phoenix Cry Tower tonight to discuss things with the most outstanding Flower Queen in zither skills.

“Is Master going out on business?” Luo Yuezhu looked at her Master and asked. “Can Master return before curfew?”

“That’s uncertain. I plan to find a musician to discuss zither skills. I might not be back by Xu Shi (7-9 PM), but it won’t be later than Zi Shi (11 PM-1 AM) at the latest,” Jing Ke said.

I’m going to discuss musical theory, not to seek pleasure and stay overnight at Phoenix Cry Tower. I should be back before Zi Shi.

“Alright, then Master, be careful.” As a disciple, Luo Yuezhu wasn’t in a position to press further, nor could she stop her Master.

So what Luo Yuezhu could do was sleep a little later, study the Internal Cultivation Method a bit more, and wait obediently at home for her Master’s return.

–

In Jing Ke’s expectation, she only needed to arrive at Phoenix Cry Tower, state her purpose, pay the silver, and then smoothly meet with the most skilled Flower Queen in zither skills.

But some things were just this untimely. When Jing Ke arrived at Phoenix Cry Tower, she learned it was the tower’s monthly grand event.

A grand event, as it turned out, was simply the time when a few individuals who usually only sold their art, not their bodies, ended up selling both.

In the current society, places like Phoenix Cry Tower were tacitly permitted by the authorities. The law only nominally restricted court officials from appearing in such places.

Jing Ke had no overflowing sympathy, and naturally, she had no interest in spending money to buy the freedom of someone she didn’t know.

After striding directly past the threshold, Jing Ke’s outstanding features and the sword at her side attracted the attention of many. Some recognized Jing Ke as the Master of Luo Yuezhu, the Number One in the World, and their gazes toward her instantly heated up.

However, the Madam seemed not to recognize Jing Ke. Upon hearing that she wanted to meet the Flower Queen, her face showed an awkward expression.

“I’m truly sorry, but Qiu Yue is set to perform on stage tonight and is currently preparing. If the guest truly wishes to meet Qiu Yue, why not stay a little longer and buy her time for tonight?”

The Madam wasn’t encountering a heroine visiting Phoenix Cry Tower for the first time, so her conversation with Jing Ke was very natural, simply handling things according to the rules and procedures.

“How much longer?” Jing Ke asked.

“In half a Shichen, it will be time for Qiu Yue to go on stage. After the performance ends, it will be time for the guests to bid,” the Madam said with a smile.

The Madam continued, “If the guest wishes to stay, there are private rooms on the 2nd Floor with a good view.”

Jing Ke considered. Half a Shichen wasn’t very long. It was only the end of You Shi (5-7 PM) now; she had two full Shichen left.

“Fine, arrange a private room for me,” Jing Ke agreed.

Qiu Yue’s stage performance time was in half a Shichen, but during that half Shichen, the stage wasn’t idle either. There were dancers, zither players, and singers performing gentle Jiangnan tunes.

During the penultimate act, Jing Ke even saw someone perform a Sword Dance. Judging by the person’s moves and agility, that performer even possessed Inner Strength.

Their internal cultivation wasn’t very high, but in Peace Offering City, casually showing off a couple of moves would probably easily make them an honored guest in wealthy households.

It seems Phoenix Cry Tower is also a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers reside, Jing Ke thought. Perhaps there’s even a large Sect backing it.

–

Hearing that the Flower Queen, Miss Qiuyue, was about to take the stage, Jing Ke perked up slightly, picked up her tea, and took a sip, waiting for Miss Qiuyue’s performance.

Miss Qiuyue’s zither skill was the most outstanding in Peace Offering City. In this setting, she naturally chose the guqin, her specialty, for her performance piece.

Music soon flowed from the stage. The previously somewhat boisterous main hall instantly quieted down, everyone listening intently.

Jing Ke was no exception. She closed her eyes and seriously absorbed the music coming from the stage.

The piece Miss Qiuyue played wasn’t an obscure composition; it was an ordinary courtship melody expressing love.

But again, the same score played by different people gave entirely different feelings.

As Jing Ke allowed herself to become immersed in it, deeply buried memories from her heart were forcibly drawn out. She couldn’t help but recall certain heartwarming fragments.

A lifetime with a single person forever was an incredibly wonderful thing.

If the person by your side could also understand you, achieving a spiritual resonance with you, then it truly was a case of envying mandarin ducks, not immortals.

After listening to Miss Qiuyue’s performance, Jing Ke couldn’t help but focus more attention on her. The desire to discuss musical theory with her became even more resolute.

Truly worthy of being Peace Offering City’s most skilled zither musician! She indeed possessed genuine skill! Waiting for half a Shichen was absolutely worth it! I will surely have great gains tonight!

After the piece ended, it was time for the bidding.

Miss Qiuyue, as the Flower Queen, was inherently expensive. Add to that the fact this was her first time receiving a patron, the Madam directly set a base price of one hundred taels of silver.

“I bid! One hundred fifty taels!”

“Two hundred taels! Plus a string of pearls!”

“Two hundred thirty taels! Plus a set of head ornaments!”

In just a short moment, the original one hundred taels had been raised to five hundred, and people were still increasing it by ten or twenty taels at a time.

Jing Ke wasn’t short on silver, but thinking about spending so much for just one evening, she felt it wasn’t a good deal at all. She pondered whether she should just come back tomorrow.

Theoretically, there would certainly be a huge difference between tonight’s price and tomorrow night’s price. It was only a day; Jing Ke could afford to wait.

Just as Jing Ke was about to leave early, the Sword Dance performer who had been the penultimate act suddenly stepped onto the stage, directly pulling out ten one-hundred-tael silver notes.

“One thousand taels. This is my bid,” the Sword Dance girl said with a cold face.

Huh? What’s this about? A lady from Phoenix Cry Tower wants to pay out of her own pocket for the Phoenix Cry Tower Flower Queen’s first night?

Jing Ke’s interest was instantly piqued. No longer in a hurry to leave, she sat back down in her chair, watching the commotion erupt among the crowd in the 1st Floor hall.