Chapter 100: The First Songstress of Dongguan

“Are you truly determined to go?”

The red figure turned around, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty, with crimson lips and pearly teeth, eyes and brows as if painted. Suddenly, she smiled with a lively radiance. “Why, did it ask you to come and reclaim your favor from me?”

Siming grew vexed, fearing that if he delayed another moment, the person before him would vanish. “I’m asking you—are you really going?”

The woman in red withdrew her smile. “I, too, was born of heaven and earth. Since it requires me to fulfill this mission, does it not make little difference to me?”

“Does he know?”

“He does not.”

“Do you think that now you've grown up, your divine power increased, you are invincible? Do you realize this is asking you to exchange yourself for these three thousand worlds? Can you be sure that once you’re gone, he won’t tear apart all the worlds in his rage?”

The woman in red's gaze turned distant, filled with loneliness and regret. “I have already sealed his memories. From now on, all that remains between us is the bond of Lord God and goddess.”

Siming found himself more and more unable to understand the woman before him. “Chonglian, you truly… are heartless…”

“Heaven and earth give birth to all things, and all things give rise to evil. Someone must bear the burden. Did not Chongye also inherit his destiny, becoming half of the Heavenly Dao?”

Chonglian pressed her lips together, a faint smile appearing. There was no fear in her heart, save for the one person she found hard to let go.

“The hour has come; I must take my leave.”

Siming stepped forward. “Did you foresee I would come and wait here especially for me?”

Chonglian did not reply, only gazing at the distant sky—who knew how many centuries would pass before she could return to this tranquil place? By then, no doubt, the divine realm would be even more splendid.

Then, like a kite with its string cut, she drifted down from the thick clouds underfoot, and Siming had not even the chance to utter a word to bid her stay.

Siming gazed at the now silent Boundless Sea. For the centuries to come, would anyone return here to listen to the wind?

“Chonglian, you have truly grown. Among uncountable living souls and your own choices, you did not hesitate to safeguard the peace of the divine realm and all the worlds…”

As Siming turned to leave, his appearance shifted utterly with each step. The gentle youth transformed into a small, white-haired old man, the elegant folding fan becoming a crutch, the jade hairpin in his crown replaced by a vine branch.

From then on, the divine realm would never again see that refined young master Siming, but only the old Star Lord ever plagued by lightning.

…

The crane, seeing the Star Lord lost in memories, flapped its wings and flew away from Siming’s residence.

Siming returned to himself only to realize that at some point, the surroundings had become utterly deserted, not a single god in sight.

Chonglian, the divine realm is more peaceful than before, the kind of place you always loved. The wind here is gentler than in the mortal world. Come back soon…

…

The Kingdom of Dongguan.

Luoyue had become mostly acquainted with the other girls at the Shadow Pavilion, while Nanyan, though still calling her and the others sisters, was often distracted.

Luoyue guessed that perhaps Nanyan was wondering why someone thought dead could awaken alive, or perhaps was worrying she hadn’t put enough poison in the wine.

Since the incident with Luoyue, the Shadow Pavilion had lost more than half its clientele. On this street of red lanterns, only the Wind and Moon Pavilion could still compare to the Shadow Pavilion’s former glory.

After Luoyue’s affair, the title of Flower Queen was stripped from her, and the glory of First Songstress vanished. Naturally, the Wind and Moon Pavilion became the foremost brothel on the street.

Though Madame Matchmaker was busy, she still spared time to talk with Luoyue, trying to help her untangle her heart’s knots.

Madame Matchmaker had found Luoyue among a heap of beggars; then, she was a delicate, porcelain doll of a child, with a crescent jade pendant around her neck—a child from a wealthy home, clearly, now abandoned among beggars, at the mercy of countless cruelties. Madame Matchmaker’s heart ached for her and took her back to the pavilion at once.

The little girl was sensible and lovable. Later, discovering her marvelous singing voice, Madame Matchmaker became all the more attentive, truly cherishing the girls as her own daughters.

When Luoyue lay lifeless on the ground, Madame Matchmaker’s heart twisted in pain, nearly causing her to faint. When Luoyue miraculously survived, she was so overjoyed she could not sleep, praying all night it was not a dream.

Madame Matchmaker was preoccupied with the problem of customers, but the root of it lay with Luoyue herself. If she wished to win back those former patrons, she would have to start with herself.

Luoyue took out the Nirvana, stored in her personal space, which she hadn’t used for some days and wondered if her hands would be clumsy.

She set the Nirvana before her and lit incense.

Each note she plucked tugged at the heartstrings, winding and plaintive. Perhaps because she had reached the third level of the String-killing Art, her mastery of the guqin had surpassed what it once was.

The tune she played now carried the emotions the original owner had left her upon first arriving here.

The notes tinkled like a brook winding at the foot of a mountain, yet they had not a hint of cheer—they were steeped in sorrow.

Within the Shadow Pavilion, every working maid was first startled, then lost themselves in the exquisite melody.

“I wonder which young lady is playing—that’s truly beautiful…”

“Isn’t Nanyan the only one in the house skilled at the guqin?”

Just then, Nanyan, drawn by the music, heard the two maids’ conversation. Her face flushed with embarrassment and she was about to slip away when she was stopped.

“Hey! Nanyan! Then who’s playing the guqin? Is it Qiuyue or Dieyuan?”

A burning pain stung Nanyan’s cheeks; these two maids were saying such things right in front of her, ha.

The maid beside her tugged her companion’s sleeve. “Nanyan doesn’t look well. She should go rest.”

The other caught on. “Indeed, Nanyan has been working so hard for the house lately—she must be exhausted.”

Nanyan’s color returned a little. At least these two had some tact, though she showed nothing on her face, only managing a weak smile. Her two dimples made her look harmless. “Perhaps I am tired. I’ll go rest.”

Only after slipping into her own room, supporting her slender waist, did she realize the music came from the south, and the only one living in the south wing was the Flower Queen, Luoyue.

Who would have thought, despite the rumors of lip-synching, this dear sister had secretly learned the guqin, never once telling her.

Nanyan had hesitated at first, and when she’d poisoned Luoyue’s water, had used only a trace of the deadly powder, which allowed her to survive.

She had intended to let Luoyue off, not wanting to see their sisterhood dissolve to nothing. But now, Nanyan would no longer think so. Luoyue’s secrecy showed she had never truly regarded her as a sister!

Luoyue knew nothing of Nanyan’s thoughts. Her guqin skill had improved greatly, and aided by the second layer of the String-killing Art’s hallucinatory effect, it would not be hard to lure back the lost clientele.

All she needed to do now was discuss a time with Madame Matchmaker and spread word of the event. No matter how many came, so long as she performed well, every visitor would become her target, their mouths the best advertisement!

Madame Matchmaker arrived uninvited, drawn by the music. Seeing Luoyue’s renewed spirit, she was truly delighted: the peerlessly beautiful songstress had returned!

No! That was not right! She had been reborn from the ashes—now she would become a master of the guqin for a generation!

(The end of this chapter)