My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 33.2

The Emei Sect Leader pondered for a moment before saying:

“Perhaps it’s an issue with the qin? As you mentioned, using an ordinary qin from your training hall nearly injured even you. But did the same happen when you used the Flying Waterfall and Pearls?”

Du Yunge thought for a moment. “Actually, no! But even so, the Flying Waterfall and Pearls isn’t suitable for playing the Heavenly Demon Enchanting Melody either.”

“If it’s true that the better the qin, the less backlash and impact it has on the player, then wouldn’t we need an unparalleled, exceptional qin to match the Demonic Melody of the Heavens? But Feipu Lianzhu is already a rare treasure, worth a thousand pieces of gold. There are only a few qins that can even be compared to Feipu Lianzhu would we have to try them all one by one?

Families that possess such rare qins would likely never bring them out. The only reason we managed to acquire Feipu Lianzhu back then was pure luck the family that owned it had been utterly defeated in a political struggle, left with no choice but to sell their heirloom qin on the streets for money. Now, where could we possibly find another family in such dire straits, on the verge of bankruptcy or demotion, forced to sell their priceless treasure?

Just as Du Yunge was lost in frustration, the Emei Sect Leader spoke thoughtfully:

‘Now that you mention it. I seem to recall something about the qin of the first sect leader of the Miaoyin Sect. Although it’s widely rumored in the martial world that Sect Leader Du Baoqin’s personal qin and its score have been lost for a long time, since the score is hidden here with us, her qin must also be hidden somewhere in the world. If the sect leader is determined to find it, it will surely be found.’

At first glance, this sounded reasonable, but upon closer thought, it seemed like useless rambling. Yet, thinking even deeper, there was a subtle, inexplicable Zen-like wisdom to it. Du Yunge thought to herself, truly, this is a renowned sect from Mount Emei even their words carry profound meaning. It’s best not to ponder them too deeply, or you’ll end up lost in the clouds.

Just then, the Emei Sect Leader spoke again:

‘Has the sect leader ever heard of the Jiuxiao Huanpei?’

Du Yunge thought, of course she had, it was a treasure mentioned alongside famous qins like Lüqi, Jiaowei, Chunlei, and Feipu Lianzhu. The wood used to craft it was even cut from their own Emei Mountain. She nodded and replied:

‘Naturally, I have heard of it.’

‘If the sect leader is truly intent on cultivating the Demonic Melody of the Heavens, then you must try the Jiuxiao Huanpei.’ The Emei Sect Leader took a sip of tea and continued calmly:

‘Everyone knows that the sect leader’s current qin, Feipu Lianzhu, is a priceless treasure. Not that it’s a bad qin Feipu Lianzhu was crafted by the prince of the previous dynasty, praised as “Enlightened by Heaven’s Wisdom.” He was well-read, called himself a man of extraordinary talent, and studied under many renowned masters from a young age. Undoubtedly, he was highly accomplished in the six arts of a gentleman, so using his qin to play ordinary pieces would surely yield no issues. But if it’s to be used as a weapon to cultivate a martial art as intricate as the Demonic Melody of the Heavens, it lacks a certain decisiveness.’

‘After all, the maker of this qin achieved little else in his life. During the Jingnan Campaign, he failed to raise an army, was taken hostage, and stripped of his military power. Later, the Prince of Yan never fulfilled his promise to “share the empire equally after success.” How could one use a qin made by such a man to cultivate the Demonic Melody of the Heavens, created by the first sect leader of Miaoyin to take lives amidst thousands of troops? How can an elegant qin be used to play a melody of slaughter? It is truly inappropriate.'”

Du Yunge thought it made perfect sense indeed, with age comes wisdom and humbly asked, “Then, in your esteemed opinion, how do other renowned zithers like Lüqi compare to the Jiuxiao Huanpei and Feipu Lianzhu? Why must the Jiuxiao Huanpei be chosen to cultivate the Demonic Heavenly Melody?”

The Emei Sect Leader smiled and leisurely dismissed those other zithers as utterly worthless. Fortunately, they were in the innermost tearoom of the Emei Sect, where no outsiders could intrude. Otherwise, given the Sect Leader’s blunt remarks, they would likely face more than just harsh criticism from pretentious literati and connoisseurs:

“If even the Feipu Lianzhu is unworthy of the Demonic Heavenly Melody, then zithers like Raoliang, Lüqi, Jiaowei, and Chunlei would likely snap their strings and crack before even producing a single note.”

“King Zhuang of Chu was so captivated by the Raoliang zither’s music that he neglected court affairs for seven full days, only awakening to reason after his consort Fan Ji admonished him. He then destroyed the Raoliang. Leaving aside that Raoliang no longer exists today, even if it had survived, it would be an ill omen of a fallen kingdom and must never be played. Sima Xiangru used the Lüqi zither to play ‘The Phoenix Seeks His Mate’ and woo Zhuo Wenjun. Yet after rising to prominence, he regretted his marriage and sought to divorce her. In anger, Zhuo Wenjun composed ‘Song of White Hair’ with a farewell letter: ‘The river flows on and on, forever parted from you.’ Though they eventually reconciled, it was hardly a joyous tale. Such a zither of separation must not be played.”

“When Cai Yong was exiled and wandered to the Wu region, he heard an extraordinary sound from a farmer’s stove and rescued a half-burched log, which became the body of the Jiaowei zither. No matter how exquisite its tone, it remains a zither born of hardship. As for Chunlei, need I say more? It fell into the hands of barbarians, passing among them for decades, likely ruined by their reckless misuse. How could a zither that endured war and displacement into barbarian hands possibly produce the decisive, lethal notes of the Demonic Heavenly Melody?”

This analysis was both logical and richly supported by classical references, earning Du Yunge’s repeated nods of agreement. She praised the insightful use of allusions particularly:

“I understand now.” If one must choose a zither, the Jiuxiao Huanpei is indeed an exceptional instrument.”

The Jiuxiao Huanpei is one of the few zithers still in existence today, crafted during the glorious Tang Dynasty by the renowned luthier Lei Wei. Before Lei Wei, most luthiers used paulownia wood exclusively for both the soundboard and back of the zither. But Lei Wei was different.

Throughout history, masters who achieved greatness in their fields often had peculiar quirks. For instance, the calligraphy master Wang Xizhi adored geese so much that a Taoist priest from Shanyin once traded a flock of geese for his handwritten copy of the Dao De Jing. Ni Zan, fastidious by nature, never allowed guests to stay overnight, fearing they would sully his home. As for Lei Wei, he would venture alone into Mount Emei during thunderstorms, specifically selecting wood that produced beautiful, resonant sounds under the fury of wind and lightning. He used cedar for the back, paulownia for the soundboard, and applied purple lacquer with cloth backing. The resulting zithers produced tones ten or even a hundred times more exquisite than those made purely from paulownia.

But the marvels of the Jiuxiao Huanpei did not end there. Throughout the ages, zither enthusiasts and masters have revered it as a “transcendent-grade” instrument, a rarity encountered once in a millennium. Even Du Yunge’s customary Feipu Lianzhu, though exceptional, ranked only as a “grand-grade” zither, a step below the transcendent.

Du Yunge earnestly pressed further, “Then, may I ask if the Sect Leader knows where this qin is now?”

The Emei Sect Leader’s expression turned solemn as she let out a long sigh, her voice tinged with melancholy as she slowly replied:

“This was an imperial treasure. During the reign of the Empress, it was still preserved in the palace. But then came thirty years of turmoil and the chaos of the Five Barbarians. Although the emperor at the time, building upon the foundation laid by the Empress, eventually repelled the barbarians, in such turbulent times, it was difficult enough for people to protect themselves, let alone an inanimate object.”

“During the upheaval of the Five Barbarians, the qin was lost from the palace and has been missing for a long time. There are even rumors that it is now in the hands of the barbarians. If that is truly the case, then the ‘Nine Heavens Circling Jade’ has suffered a great misfortune.”

Du Yunge felt as if a surge of icy blood was stuck in her throat, unable to rise or fall. A thousand words clamored to be spoken, yet in the end, they condensed into a single sentence:

This damned world won’t even let a qin live in peace.

Perhaps because she had drunk too much tea at the Emei Sect Leader’s place during the day, Du Yunge found herself unable to sleep that night. She tossed and turned in bed repeatedly, feeling utterly out of sorts. Even when Xue Shuyan had shared her bed the previous night, she hadn’t felt this restless.

After much contemplation, she decided to attribute the source of her unease to the missing qin, the “Nine Heavens Circling Jade,” whose whereabouts remained unknown.

Her restlessness did not go unnoticed by Xue Shuyan outside. It wasn’t that Du Yunge was disturbing her; rather, Xue Shuyan was unwilling to miss any opportunity to be close to Du Yunge. Even a brief moment of companionship or a fleeting embrace was enough to satisfy her. So, after what seemed like the umpteenth time Du Yunge turned over, Xue Shuyan finally whispered through the green gauze screen:

“If you can’t sleep, Yun’ge, would you like me to come keep you company?”

Du Yunge thought for a moment and realized that perhaps it was precisely because no one was with her tonight that she felt so agitated. “Alright, please come over and talk with me, Shijie.”

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

【Mini Theater: The Sound of Longing for a Rich Lady】

The neglected Lüqi: Whimpers!

The neglected Jiaowei: Thumps!

The neglected Chunlei: Dings!

The neglected Feipu Lianzhu: Twangs!

Xue Shuyan: Yun’ge, let’s talk.

Du Yunge: Yes, Shijie! No problem, Shijie! What would you like to talk about?

All the neglected qins: ?????????? Is this even fucking fair????????!!!!!!!

Support