In a private booth on the second floor of the Drunken Immortal Residence!
On the table were a few plates of snacks and a pot of clear wine.
Deng Tianyu and Qu Qirong sat opposite each other, while the female attendant Qing’er served at their side.
“So, the Lady Qingxue is actually you, Miss Qing’er.”
“And Miss Qing’er is even the contemporary successor of the Zither Sect.”
Deng Tianyu took a small sip of his wine, glanced at the female attendant, and smiled slightly.
The appearance of a Qin Fairy was indeed a scheme planned by him and Qu Qirong to establish the image of a fairy.
What surprised him, however, was that the Qin Fairy turned out to be their attendant Qing’er, and her identity as a disciple of the Zither Sect was actually genuine.
“Qing’er has been by my side for many years; we’re as close as sisters.”
“This idol group building plan is also a way to fulfill a wish of hers.”
“I’d like to toast Mr. Deng on her behalf.”
Qu Qirong parted her red lips slightly, picked up her wine cup, and took a delicate sip. Immediately, a touch of flushed pink graced her beautiful face, making her exquisitely alluring.
“Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Mr. Deng!”
With a moved expression, Qing’er bowed respectfully to Deng Tianyu and Qu Qirong.
She hailed from the Zither Sect, but she was its very last successor.
Both her late Shizun and every previous Sect Leader of the Zither Sect had hoped that the sect could reclaim the glory of its ancient days.
Unfortunately, since the ancient era, not a single successor of the Zither Sect had been able to cultivate the “Dream Return Immortal Chant” to perfection.
Even she herself had only reached the entry stage, far from the level needed to induce sudden enlightenment in cultivators.
But through this promotional campaign, the power known as the Zither Sect had reappeared in the world, and she had become a Qin Fairy. This alone was enough.
Deng Tianyu asked, “Miss Qing’er, I’m somewhat curious. When ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant’ was passed down, was some part of it lost?”
Qing’er shook her head. “This melody is the sect-guarding treasure of the Zither Sect. Every successor has diligently preserved it; it’s absolutely impossible that any part is missing.”
“Then why could disciples of the ancient Zither Sect cultivate ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant’ to perfection, yet now, no one can succeed?” Deng Tianyu asked, genuinely puzzled.
Logically, a cultivation art capable of being passed down should be easier to cultivate successfully after generations of accumulated insights and existing annotations.
“Perhaps it’s a matter of innate talent,” Qing’er sighed, her eyes lowering, her mood inexplicably somber.
Although the promotional campaign had brought a few sparks of luster back to the Zither Sect, she still hadn’t been able to cultivate the “Dream Return Immortal Chant” to perfection.
“Talent might play a role, but it’s not absolute. Could it be that some crucial information was omitted during the process of transmission?” Deng Tianyu mused thoughtfully and offered his analysis.
From the ancient era down to the present, the successors of the Zither Sect undoubtedly possessed unquestionable talent.
He refused to believe that every single later successor was inferior to the ancient Zither Sect disciples.
“Mr. Deng means that since the ancient era, Qing’er and every previous Zither Sect successor has overlooked something when cultivating ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant’?” Qu Qirong furrowed her dark brows, and after thinking more deeply, felt that Deng Tianyu had a point.
“A perfected ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant’ helps cultivators calm their minds for clarity, allowing them to enter sudden enlightenment at any time. It’s a one-sided act of sacrifice, which doesn’t quite add up,” Deng Tianyu said.
“Could it be that they are actually complementary? For instance, after a cultivator undergoes the baptism of ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant,’ they might provide feedback to the Zither Sect disciple—something like a ‘Zither Dao Intent’ that aids their own cultivation?”
After pondering for a moment, Deng Tianyu ventured a guess. He analyzed the issue from a different perspective.
No matter who it was, even a Saint, no one would purely sacrifice themselves for others without thought for their own benefit.
If that were the case, in the cutthroat world of cultivation where the weak are prey for the strong, how could the Zither Sect not understand this principle?
“Then, what does Mr. Deng suggest?” asked Qing’er.
Mentioning this point, Qing’er felt as if she had grasped something in her heart, but she could not articulate it.
Thus, she had no choice but to ask Deng Tianyu for his opinion.
“It’s simple. Don’t lock yourself in your room, playing ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant’ alone in solitude. Try playing this melody for more people to hear, and see if you gain anything from it.”
Meeting her gaze, Deng Tianyu voiced his idea.
“Right now, both I and Mr. Deng are building your public persona as the Qin Fairy. Don’t hold back or be hindered by the burdens the Zither Sect placed on you. Just play ‘Dream Return Immortal Chant’ in the way you enjoy most,” Qu Qirong said gently, smiling warmly at Qing’er.
“Exactly,” Deng Tianyu agreed.
For the image of the Qin Fairy to take deep root in people’s hearts, the support of numerous actors was indispensable.
Let these actors be the audience, and see if Qing’er could harvest some enlightenment in the Dao of the Zither from it.
Besides, they were paid in Spirit Stones, so it was a resource not to be wasted.
“Mm!” Qing’er nodded emphatically.
After resolving this matter, Qu Qirong gazed out at the bustling and lively scene outside. A look of longing rippled within her almond-shaped eyes.
Ever since being branded with the title “Sect Master’s Wife”, she had been fitted with a set of shackles.
No matter what she did, everything had to be proper and disciplined; there could be no transgression whatsoever.
She was like a canary kept in a cage by a wealthy family, forever locked away.
If not for the current dispute between the two factions over the position of Sect Leader, which required her to contribute behind the scenes for the Tongbao Merchant Guild, she would have been recalled back to the Spirit Treasure Sect long ago.
For some reason, Qu Qirong inexplicably thought of Purple Cloud Fairy from “A Chinese Odyssey.”
She had secretly descended to the mortal realm in search of true love. Even though she ultimately perished, she had no regrets.
Her thoughts pausing here, Qu Qirong suppressed the melancholy in her heart and said softly, “Mr. Deng, would you accompany me for a walk?”
“Madam, this…” Qing’er’s expression shifted slightly, hesitant to speak.
The Madam’s status was extremely special. If she were recognized outside, it might stir up gossip and slander.
After all, no matter what, Qu Qirong was the Sect Master’s Wife of the Spirit Treasure Sect. Her every move and action represented the dignity of the sect.
“If Madam doesn’t mind, I have no objections,” Deng Tianyu smiled, offering no refusal.
Maintaining good relations with business partners would also benefit the long-term cooperation between the Purple Cloud Sect and the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.
“It’s fine. Qing’er, use your disguise technique to alter my appearance,” Qu Qirong said softly, glancing at Qing’er.
“Yes, Madam!” Qing’er bit her lip, not daring to disobey.
In less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea, the originally breathtaking and gorgeous noblewoman was transformed into a plain-looking, average woman, leaving only her mature and curvaceous figure intact.
Qing’er then changed into Qu Qirong’s clothes, and after disguising herself, looked identical to the Madam.
“Alright, Qing’er, change into my appearance and return first. I will be back at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion before the designated time,” Qu Qirong said, looking at her changed reflection in the bronze mirror with satisfaction.
“But Madam, what if something unexpected happens…” Qing’er was still uneasy.
Because she knew that her Madam’s cultivation was merely at the ordinary Qi Drawing Stage.
“With Mr. Deng here, nothing will happen,” Qu Qirong smiled dismissively.
Though she had never seen Deng Tianyu make a move, she knew that anyone who could be Ning Wan’s disciple and be trusted so implicitly could not possibly be a mediocre person.
