Chapter 103: The Top Songstress of Dongguan County

“Have you heard the news? The feud between the Other Studio and the Wind Moon Pavilion has become quite the scandal,” an elderly woman said as she cracked sunflower seeds, taking advantage of the brief pauses when spitting out the shells to share some gossip.

“My husband has been restless lately. It’s one thing for him to visit the Other Studio, but he’s completely captivated by those fox spirits at the Wind Moon Pavilion! Every time I mention it, he talks about divorcing me. Sigh.”

The woman scooped a handful of seeds into her pocket. “Don’t you know? Lately, the women at the Wind Moon Pavilion pounce on any man they see, and those poor fools actually like it! The Other Studio is a respectable establishment. I used to enjoy listening to the songs there, but ever since Miss Luo was accused of lip-syncing, business has been dismal for the past month. When my sisters don’t go, I find it dull too.”

Another idle lady, fiddling with embroidery thread and needles, stopped her work and leaned in. “Do you think those girls at the Wind Moon Pavilion might be little demons? My son’s head is spinning from their charms. He even says he wants to buy the freedom of one of them and marry her!”

“That serious? Did you agree?”

“How could I? My son is a scholar and a teacher. If he spends all his time lost in the red dust, how can he educate others? It’s an injustice! So I reserved a seat for him next month at the Other Studio to watch Miss Luo Yue perform, hoping to clear his head.”

“Miss Luo might lip-sync, but she doesn’t seduce anyone. She’s beautiful, too. If my son brought home a girl like her, I’d be delighted.”

The seed-cracking woman pulled out the handful of seeds again, speaking between spits. “To be honest, I heard most of the girls at the Other Studio are orphans—fatherless and motherless, quite pitiful. Thankfully, the housekeeper is kind, or else so many good girls would be lost.”

More ladies gathered, turning the alley entrance into a lively chat spot.

“Yes, as women we understand, but blind men just don’t get it. Do they really just like a woman’s looks?”

“Not exactly. Look at Lord Qingyi and his wife—they’re so affectionate.”

The embroidery lady suddenly pricked her finger, a drop of bright red blood appearing. She wiped it with a cloth and sucked on the wound.

“Such bad luck lately. So many worries, especially with the Wind Moon Pavilion constantly tempting my son’s soul.”

The women laughed and chatted through the afternoon, only parting when the moon rose, two by two heading home.

Everyone desires beauty. If an ordinary person has a modest love for it, then the Dongguan Kingdom’s passion is sevenfold.

Though the kingdom’s territory is small, it produces many beauties. The imperial court’s Hundred Flowers Banquet has always been a contest of the concubines’ charm.

The empire’s grandeur extends to the common folk. Men and women alike have the habit of judging people by their faces.

If you are beautiful, you earn admiration; if you look average, you become a sisterly companion; if you are ugly, you’re politely excluded.

It’s not prejudice but rather an extreme pursuit of beauty. This is why the Dongguan Kingdom boasts a famous red-light district lined with numerous brothels.

Two recent major events shook Dongguan.

First, the king’s fiftieth birthday approached, and he sought the kingdom’s most beautiful courtesan to perform music and dance in the palace.

Second, the Wind Moon Pavilion declared war on the Other Studio. A month later, both establishments would hold rare performances, the victor determined by the number of guests they attracted.

The Other Studio poured their efforts into preparing Luo Yue’s stage while keeping the other girls’ training on track.

Since that little brat’s scare, Nanyan had been surprisingly well-behaved.

Perhaps the written note had worked, as the Wind Moon Pavilion hadn’t secretly contacted Nanyan for half a month.

For now, the Wind Moon Pavilion would only compete for clientele. Whether they trusted the note bearing Nanyan’s name was still unknown.

Luo Yue plucked a few notes on her lute.

Half a month into her stay in Dongguan, there was still no news from Chong Li. Her mood was as gloomy and restless as the persistent drizzle outside.

[Master, are you sure you want to play “Shui Diao Ge Tou”? The tune from that other world that Tao Tao hummed? It’s not as good as the sheet music I found for you…]

The little brat couldn’t come up with many convincing reasons. Tao Tao used to hum melodies daily, which Lotus wrote down. Yet none of the tunes were the same, though the lyrics remained consistent. Off-key notes and broken chords were common.

The little brat wasn’t sure if the master could perfectly reconstruct the entire score, especially since the master was a self-taught musician, unlike a professional.

Playing music for an audience and playing for a dying person were two very different things.

[Master, I’ve heard you practice many times, but it’s always missing something. Why not study a bit more?]

Luo Yue herself had noticed since reaching the third level of String Killing Technique that her music lacked a certain feeling.

If only Chong Li were here, he would surely point out what was missing.

Chong Li was a master of music. With him around, such problems were trivial. But relying on him constantly... what if he left one day?

“Little brat, go find me more books on music theory.”

[Master?]

A calm and confident gleam shone in Luo Yue’s beautiful eyes. “This time, I seek myself.”

The little brat’s eyes, as round as mung beans, spun eagerly. [Don’t worry, Master! Little brat and Little Spirit Brother will always be with you!]

Little Spirit Brother was none other than the Shen Spirit—but the Shen Spirit’s true form… wasn’t it a girl?

At that moment, Luo Yue’s thoughts were drawn away by the books the little brat brought. As for the Shen Spirit’s true gender, it puzzled the little brat for over two centuries until the two finally took their true forms.

***

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