Chapter 595: The Nine Strings Zither

Lu Zhou turned to look at the Empress Dowager and asked, “Is the Imperial tutor interested in music as well?”

The Empress Dowager sighed emotionally before she said, “The Imperial tutor knows the four arts, and he would play the zither from time to time. However, I’ve never seen him using this zither. This is an exquisite work of art. Perhaps, it’s some sort of ornament?”

Lu Zhou shook his head. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

The others might think it was a decoration. However, to the experienced and knowledgeable Lu Zhou, he knew the zither could be controlled with Primal Qi.

The system’s notification was proof of that.

The other continued to look at Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou released the Nine Strings Zither, and it hovered in front of him. He extended both hands…

Whizz!

The Nine String Zither shone with golden radiance and enlarged. Then, an energy seal appeared and merged with the enlarged Nine Strings Zither. The lines between his fingers were formed from energy.

Everyone stared at it with wide eyes.

Pan Litian said, “Someone once said that sound techniques are skills that require vast knowledge. Most cultivators would only stop at the brutish and unrefined stage of howling or hurling… A true master of melody knows how to bewitch the heart and mind with musical notes and could affect another person’s will. A masculine melody is speedy and fierce like a thunderclap while a feminine melody was gentle and enriching like flowing water…”

“Unfortunately, most cultivators would just go with the flow and cultivate the Eighteen Arms. After all, if they had the time to listen to music, they would have preferred to spend it cutting down someone else. They find that much more fulfilling.”

“Heh, Old Leng, you can’t resist bickering with me, can you?”

“I’m just discussing the matter.”

Under normal circumstances, many families would not have the resources to allow a member to learn elegant arts. If one were to place a zither or a knife before a child from an ordinary family, there was no doubt the child would choose the knife without any hesitation. Naturally, there were always exceptions.

Pan Litian asked, “How do you explain Conch, then?”

Leng Luo glanced at Conch who was standing at the side. He shook his head. “Although she’s special, it won’t change my views.”

“…”

‘You argumentative geezer!’

Lu Zhou ignored the duo’s bickering and moved his finger.

A cacophonous noise rang in the air.

Lu Zhou did not know how to play the zither at all. How could a modern young man who transmigrated here have time to learn to play the zither?

“Amazing! That’s some fine playing, Pavilion Master!” Pan Zhong applauded.

Everyone turned to look at Pan Zhong immediately.

Pan Zhong ceased his applause immediately as he mumbled, “It… It was… great…”

Zhou Jifeng looked at Pan Zhong scornfully. ‘You butter mouth. You’re a far cry from Mister Eighth… Wait, where is Mister Eighth? It’s not like him to miss such an occasion.’

Despite the cacophonous noise, everyone bore with it and listened.

After a while, Lu Zhou shook his head. “Although I know how to control Qi through melody, I’ve never practiced it. This Nine Strings Zither will surely be extraordinary in the right hands.”

Upon hearing this, Little Yuan’er said, “Master, why don’t you let Junior Sister Conch give it a try?”

Conch looked expectant. Since the Nine Strings Zither was revealed, she had not been able to tear her eyes away from it. It was obvious she liked the zither.

Lu Zhou almost forgot that among his ten disciples, he had one who knew how to control Qi with melody.

Lu Zhou retracted his Primal Qi; the Nine Strings Zither reverted to its original appearance. Then, with a wave of his sleeve, he sent the Nine Strings Zither to Conch.

Conch was clearly much more excited than usual. She picked the Nine String Zither up and would not put it back down. It seemed like she had forgotten that she had another instrument, the Lantian Jade Flute.

The Empress Dowager and Li Yunzhao simultaneously turned to look at Conch.

“Who’s this”

“My latest disciple, Conch,” Lu Zhou replied.

Li Yunzhao praised, “Those you accept as a disciple are always extraordinary, Senior Ji.” He could sense Conch’s cultivation base and the flow of aura in her, but he did not underestimate her.

“Focus your mind,” Lu Zhou said tonelessly.

“Oh.” Conch did as she was told. She loosened her hands. The Nine String Zither hovered before her.

Lu Zhou did not have to teach her what to do next. She knew what she was supposed to do.

Conch immediately condensed Qi into energy.

The Primal Qi that wrapped around the Nine String Zither instantly turned into a red energy seal.

A Nine Strings Zither compatible with her size appeared in front of her.

“Red… red energy?!” Li Yunzhao was shocked!

Lu Zhou knew this would certainly catch their eyes, but he did not mind…

Meanwhile, the Evil Sky Pavilion’s four elders, the disciples, and the others looked at Conch, puzzled.

Red energy? How was this possible?

Upon seeing their reactions, Lu Zhou gruffly said, “There’s no need to be so surprised.”

The four elders instantly understood what Lu Zhou meant. Lu Zhou could unleash golden and blue energy seals, after all. Was it really a surprise that his illegitimate daughter could unleash red energy?

Everyone’s eyes were trained on Conch as her fingers danced on the strings.

The zither sang. Her fingers produced a mellifluous tune.

Although Lu Zhou did not know how to play the zither, he knew that most zithers had seven strings. It was shocking that a nine-stringed zither could produce such a melody. The gears in his mind began to turn as he regarded Conch in shock. He connected the puzzles in his mind. Perhaps, Conch was from that place!

Shortly after, the notes formed by her energy drifted away and scattered into the surroundings like wind blades.

“This is bad!” Li Yunzhao immediately planted himself before the Empress Dowager.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The notes from the melody turned into sound blades that shot out into the surroundings.

The melody was like a storm now.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lu Zhou activated his protective energy.

Similarly, his disciples activated theirs as well and blocked the sound blades.

After the short performance, the inner warehouse was in a mess.

Conch hastily released her hands. She clenched them into fists.

The song ended.

The red energy lines faded away, and the delicate and exquisite Nine Strings Zither dropped back into her hands.

Conch said apologetically, “Master… I-I-I… It wasn’t my intention to do that…”

Lu Zhou stroked his beard and said, “You’ve just entered the Divine Court realm. Although you’re gifted in tune, you still have a lot to learn about controlling Qi with sound.”

“Understood. I’ll work harder.”

Lu Zhou raised his hand. His energy wrapped around the Nine Strings Zither, and it flew back into his hand.

Conch was crestfallen.

Lu Zhou said, “The Nine Strings Zither is something he left behind… I’ll hold onto it for now.”

Conch nodded.

When Little Yuan’er saw Conch was depressed, she quickly whispered into Conch’s ear, “Don’t worry. No one in the Evil Sky Pavilion knows how to play music. You’re the only one. It’ll be yours sooner or later…”

Conch thought Little Yuan’er’s words made sense. She was in a better mood now that she heard Little Yuan’er’s words. “Thank you, Ninth Senior Sister.”

“…”

‘I wonder what’s going on in that little girl’s mind.’

The Empress Dowager looked at the box on the floor with a sigh before she said, “My mission is done… From this day on, this mission shall be passed on to the Evil Sky Pavilion.”

“Mission? To protect the peace of the world?” Lu Zhou found the Empress Dowager’s words amusing. However, his expression was as calm as ever.

“I’m merely making a suggestion. It’s up to you what you want to do.”

The Nine-leaf stage would bring disaster. If Lu Zhou were to do as the Empress Dowager suggested, did it not mean he had to deliberately weaken his cultivation base? Most importantly, he was only at the Five-leaf stage! In the end, he only said, “What if the tides of the time can’t be held back?”