Xuan City, within Xiaoxiang Elegant Garden!
“Ding-dong… Ding-dong…”
The sound of a zither rang out. A veiled woman in a snow-white, wide-sleeved flowing immortal dress sat within the waterside pavilion, her jade-like fingers dancing across an ancient zither on the jade platform.
Her beautiful eyes seemed veiled by a layer of mist, and with the cover of her gauzy veil, she possessed an otherworldly aura, completely detached from mortal concerns.
“Ding-dong… Ding-dong…”
The zither’s music flowed and rippled, like a cool breeze under a bright moon. Invisible ripples washed over the entire garden.
As the ethereal notes lingered, shimmering light fell like rain, bright and crystalline, drifting in abundance.
A riot of colorful koi in the pond were drawn to the surface, leaping out in an endless stream, scattering crystalline droplets of water.
In the flower beds, tender grass grew, and flowers bloomed.
Countless vibrant butterflies were also drawn by the music, dancing gracefully in the air around the veiled woman.
After a long while, the song ended. The butterflies lingered, unwilling to leave, and the koi slowly sank back into the water.
“Lady Qing’er, your mastery of the zither grows ever more exquisite.”
“Although the Dream Return Immortal Chant hasn’t yet reached that transcendent state of sudden enlightenment, at this rate, you’re not far from it!”
In the pavilion, Deng Tianyu took a sip of fragrant tea and praised her.
It wasn’t his first time hearing the Dream Return Immortal Chant, so he could naturally feel the subtle changes within it.
In the music just now, he felt an unprecedented serenity settle over his heart.
It was like a lake—a gentle breeze blowing, soft light falling—but without a single ripple disturbing it.
“Mr. Deng, you flatter me!”
“If not for you, I would never have grasped the true essence of the Dream Return Immortal Chant,” Qing’er said softly, her voice filled with gratitude.
As Deng Tianyu had said, while building her public image as the Qin Fairy, she repeatedly played this piece with full sincerity and finally reaped the rewards.
Because in that endless repetition, she began to feel the emotional shifts of her listeners—whether they were joyful or sorrowful, calm or stirred.
And it was this spectrum of emotions that somehow became interwoven into the music itself.
In that instant, Qing’er understood!
This was what Deng Tianyu must have meant by mutual fulfillment. Her Dream Return Immortal Chant brought tranquility to the hearts of her listeners.
Correspondingly, the listeners gave back feedback—a form of recognition and enjoyment—after hearing the piece.
She called this feedback and recognition the Intent of Zither Appreciation. As she integrated it into her Zither Dao, changes began to occur.
First, her Zither Dao mastery grew by the day, and her cultivation improved alongside it.
Second, infused with the Intent of Zither Appreciation, the Dream Return Immortal Chant touched the hearts of listeners more deeply, as if it could purify the soul.
Through these improvements in her Zither Dao and her comprehension of the Chant, she actually forged her own Heart of Zither Dao.
Qing’er had heard the term “Zither Heart” before—the heart coveted by disciples of the Zither Sect who cultivated the Zither Dao.
Even in the ancient Zither Sect, disciples who possessed a Zither Heart were exceptionally rare.
She never imagined that she, now, would actually forge a Zither Heart!
Perhaps Deng Tianyu hadn’t directly helped her forge it, but he had shown her the path that led straight to its gate.
Without him, how could she have ever grasped it?
“Qing’er’s gains have been truly substantial.”
“Given time, the name Qin Fairy will surely spread throughout the Nine Provinces.”
Qu Qirong smiled gently, her gaze towards Deng Tianyu filled with tenderness.
Today, she wore no makeup; her naturally charming and rosy face surpassed any adornment.
Her attire was also very casual—just a plain long dress, her previously coiled black hair cascading freely down to her slender waist, exuding an air of elegant poise!
Meeting her gaze, Deng Tianyu asked, “Aunt Rong, how are the sales of the Embroidered Flowing Immortal Dress?”
“After Qing’er started wearing it, sales have skyrocketed.”
“In just a few short days, many shops have completely sold out of their stock,” Qu Qirong answered.
Her fair hand lifted slightly as she picked up a slice of Fire Crab. She dipped it in the sauce, parted her red lips, and gracefully placed it in her mouth, savoring the freshness.
It wasn’t that she’d never eaten Fire Crab before, but this was the first time a thoughtful junior like Deng Tianyu had filially offered it to her.
And this steamed method with dipping sauce suited her preference for lighter, fresher tastes.
“Drip… drip…”
A few drops of Filial Piety Water fell into Deng Tianyu’s account. He smiled and said, “Judging by this situation, the Qin Fairy’s public image should be firmly established by now.”
Over these past days, both the Purple Cloud Sect and the Spirit Treasure Pavilion had spared no effort in crafting the Qin Fairy’s image.
As a result, in every city of Youzhou, from the main streets to the small alleyways, in teahouses and taverns, everyone knew of the Qin Fairy’s story.
Combined with Qing’er’s increasingly exquisite Zither Dao, the Dream Return Immortal Chant had become a household name.
He could already guess the reaction of both male and female cultivators when they learned that the Qin Fairy wore the Embroidered Flowing Immortal Dress.
They would undoubtedly swarm to buy one, eager to get their hands on this Dharma Robe immediately.
Male cultivators would buy it for their Dao Companions, female cultivators would buy it for themselves. Who hadn’t fantasized that they—or their Dao Companion—could be that peerless, universally adored Qin Fairy?
Though they couldn’t actually become her, they could wear the same Wide-sleeved Flowing Immortal Skirt!
This was perhaps the terrifying power of celebrity.
As for whether other forces would try to imitate it, that was nothing to worry about.
Because the Embroidered Flowing Immortal Dress, like “Unyielding Devotion,” was listed as a special sect garment of the Purple Cloud Sect.
With the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s deterrence, no one yet dared to produce counterfeits.
As if remembering something, Deng Tianyu asked again: “Aunt Rong, are you fully confident in this commercial dispute between the Tongbao Merchant Guild and the Mysterious Spirit Sect?”
After they recognized each other, Aunt Rong had informed him about the two factions’ dispute over the position of Sect Leader.
At the mention of this, Qu Qirong’s expression grew serious, and she slowly explained: “‘Unyielding Devotion,’ ‘Deeply Rooted Affection,’ ‘Tender Affection,’ and now the Embroidered Flowing Immortal Dress—these four are strong in their wide appeal and sell in huge quantities.”
“While the Youth-Preserving Pill is extremely expensive and few can afford it, each sale generates an absolutely terrifying profit in Spirit Stones.”
“I received word today that the profits from both ventures are actually even!”
Today marked the end of the one-month period, so she now knew the result of the commercial dispute.
“Even?” Deng Tianyu looked surprised.
He had always managed the collaboration between the Purple Cloud Sect and the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.
So he knew very well the amount of Spirit Stone revenue involved.
Yet, despite such substantial earnings, the opponent had managed to match them.
This alone showed just how terrifying the Spirit Stone profits from the Youth-Preserving Pill truly were.
Though typical cultivators wouldn’t choose to buy it, there were always plenty of people willing to spend extravagant sums of Spirit Stones for beauty’s sake.
Much like luxury goods, the customer base was small, but the profit margins were immense.
“Yes, the Spirit Stone revenue from both ventures is nearly identical, with a negligible difference.”
“Therefore, the two factions have decided to issue one final test.”
“This time, they will set the topic. Both ventures must employ their own commercial strategies, and the winner will be determined by the final profit,” Qu Qirong said, massaging her brow with her delicate fingers, looking somewhat fatigued.
She had poured her heart and soul into this commercial competition over the past days, only for the result to be a tie!
