Chapter 111: Water Demon Dance on Water

Qin Mu slowly exhaled, needing time to digest the astonishing news. Although the official position of Grand Libation of the Imperial College was only a third-rank office, it was incredibly important. The Imperial College oversaw all cultivation techniques and divine abilities across the land, compiling them into comprehensive records. It was, in essence, the supreme holy ground for martial arts and divine powers. Furthermore, many officials in Yan Kang Nation graduated from the Imperial College. Everyone who emerged from its halls was considered a disciple of the Young Ancestor, bound by a profound master-disciple relationship. The position itself wasn't high-ranking, but its influence was immense! Combined with the Young Ancestor's hidden identity, it became truly formidable.

"Since you've arrived, Young Master, please rest for a few days before heading to the Imperial College," Fu Qingyun said. "However, to enter the Imperial College, you must first pass some tests."

"What kind of tests?" Qin Mu wondered.

"The Imperial College isn't open to just anyone," Fu Qingyun explained. "You must first qualify as an Imperial Scholar to be admitted." She smiled. "The Ancestor's intention, of course, is for you to first become an Imperial Scholar. This year's Imperial Scholar examination is about to begin. You'll take the test alongside scholars from across the land, and once you pass, you can enter."

"Thank you, Sister Yun'er." Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "I haven't found a place to settle down yet, so I'll stay here with you for a few days, Sister Yun'er."

Fu Qingyun leaned in and whispered, "Of course you can stay here, Young Master, but be cautious of some of the girls. They're very cunning and would love nothing more than to usurp my position as the Cult Master's wife."

Qin Mu blushed profusely and stammered, "There's such a thing?"

Fu Qingyun chuckled. "Young Master, you won't be able to resist their advances like this. Come with me, I've arranged a room for you."

The room Fu Qingyun arranged was exceptionally elegant, though its decor seemed more suited for a young woman, with even the bedding exuding a fragrant scent. Fu Qingyun quickly explained, "This is where I usually take my naps. If you're not comfortable, Young Master, we can find you another room."

"No need," Qin Mu replied.

Qin Mu placed his satchel on the table. Fu Qingyun, still in the room, bit her crimson lips and softly asked, "Do you have any other instructions, Young Master?"

"No, thank you, Sister Yun'er."

As Qin Mu spoke, his satchel stirred, and a small white fox, carrying a tiny satchel of its own, peeked out. Fu Qingyun glanced at it, then turned to leave, muttering, "No wonder, he brought his own little vixen..."

A strong smell of alcohol emanated from Fox Ling'er. Qin Mu frowned. "Ling'er, you've been hiding in my satchel, secretly drinking!"

"No!"

The white fox, clearly intoxicated, suddenly burped, quickly clamped its mouth shut, then burped again. It stood on its hind legs, swaying precariously, almost toppling off the table.

Qin Mu was torn between laughter and frustration. He pulled an empty wine flask from his satchel. "Still denying it? These past few days, while studying the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture, I discovered a cultivation method perfect for you, called the Creation Spirit Art. I've already fully comprehended it and was planning to teach it to you, but here you are, completely drunk again."

The fox on the table finally toppled over. Qin Mu picked her up and gently placed her in the bedding, where Fox Ling'er promptly fell asleep, hugging a pillow. Exhausted from his escape from the Dragon Riders' pursuit, Qin Mu also lay down and quickly drifted into a deep slumber.

Later that night, he woke up feeling hungry. He got out of bed immediately, but seeing Fox Ling'er still asleep, he didn't disturb her.

Qin Mu took out his medicated cream and tooth-stick from his satchel, washed up, and stepped out of the room. A young girl was waiting outside the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Young Master is awake! My sister knew you'd be hungry, so she prepared your meal and sent me to invite you to dine."

Qin Mu thanked her and followed her to an elegant room in the Listening Rain Pavilion. Bamboo grew by the window, offering a serene view of a pavilion, rock garden, and pond beyond.

As Qin Mu sat down, several girls filed in, placing dishes until the table was soon laden with food. In the pavilion outside the window, a young woman in white arrived with a zither, sat down, and gently began to play. Moments later, more girls joined her, some carrying a pipa, others a long flute, and still others a guzheng, and they began to perform music and song.

Qin Mu ate his meal, utterly captivated by the performance, feeling a profound sense of peace and delight. His gaze settled on the zither player's nimble fingers. He unconsciously set down his chopsticks, his own fingers mirroring her movements. After a while, his attention shifted to the pipa player, carefully observing her finger techniques, then to the flutist's movements, completely engrossed in their performances.

"The 'Thunderous Pipa Hand' isn't just about plucking strings," he mused. "There are also techniques like sweeping, hooking, plucking upwards, striking, and muting..."

Qin Mu's eyes gleamed brighter and brighter. The intricate finger movements of the girls in the pavilion excited his own hands. Comparing them to the Eight Styles of Thunder Sound he practiced, he felt his comprehension of the 'Thunderous Pipa Hand' technique deepen, experiencing a sudden, profound realization. He yearned to leap out and play a passionate tune himself! Witnessing the girls' performance ignited within him a powerful urge to play. This desire burned ever more intensely, but as he knew little about music, he hesitated to rashly intrude upon these talented ladies. Nevertheless, the urge grew stronger and stronger.

He was so engrossed that he forgot to eat, his fingers unconsciously mimicking various musical instruments: sometimes stroking a zither, sometimes plucking a pipa, sometimes pressing together as if playing a flute, and sometimes strumming a guzheng.

The girls in the pavilion seemed to notice the young man at the window. One whispered with a giggle, "Sister Yue'er, the Young Master is watching you! It looks like he's taken a liking to you!"

The girl shyly lowered her head, not daring to look up.

At that moment, Qin Mu finally lost himself in the moment. He stood up, took a stride, and with a crash, shattered the window frame. In a few steps, he was in the pavilion. Without a word, he reached out and snatched the pipa from Sister Yue'er's hands.

The girls in the pavilion initially braced themselves, expecting the Young Cult Master to act roughly and abduct the maiden. To their surprise, he didn't seize Sister Yue'er; instead, he grabbed the pipa.

Qin Mu seemed to enter a marvelous state. He cradled the pipa and gently plucked a string, but instead of clear, melodic notes, the instrument emitted sharp, crackling thunderous sounds that startled all the girls! Qin Mu played with wild abandon, his fingers flying across the pipa strings. To his ears, each thunderous sound transformed into beautiful, melodious music, disrupting the girls' zither, flute, and guzheng pieces.

These girls had put immense effort into their musical skills. Though their melodies were initially disrupted by his thunderous sounds, they quickly readjusted, resuming their play with serious expressions, determined to suppress the cacophony Qin Mu was producing. Clang! Clang! Clang!

Qin Mu's thunderous playing suddenly shifted, becoming powerful and resonant, like the clang of metal and stone, an overwhelming aura of battle erupting forth. It once again suppressed the girls' melodies. The pipa, played by him, produced such strange and discordant sounds that the girls exchanged bewildered glances.

The girls, however, felt a surge of competitiveness. The zither player slapped her instrument, causing the guzheng to stand upright, about a foot off the ground. She played it vertically, her fingers flying, the melody pulsating so rapidly that it was impossible to distinguish individual notes. The flutist stood up, her steps unconsciously moving. With each stride, her aura intensified, and the flute's tone grew clearer. Her melody soared upwards with ornate flourishes, determined to suppress the strange sounds Qin Mu was producing.

A nearby woman picked up a ruan, ribbons fluttering behind her. Occasionally tapping the ground, she ascended into the air, trying to suppress Qin Mu's bizarre sounds from above. Another girl quickly ran out of the pavilion. The next moment, she pushed a large dulcimer out from a room. Its strings resonated with clear, stirring melodies that seemed to manifest as divine abilities, pushing the girl and her instrument forward, pressing down on Qin Mu and the cacophony he was creating.

Yet another girl rushed out of the pavilion. With a resounding crash, she actually tore down a door and pushed out a set of fifty-six chimes of varying sizes. The girl wielded a hammer, striking the bells. Their loud, distinct sounds boomed from all fifty-six chimes, assaulting Qin Mu.

Qin Mu, completely lost in the moment, laughed heartily as he clutched the pipa. Although the instrument's musical range was limited, in his hands, it conjured sounds of clashing weapons and charging horses, as if transporting them to a battlefield of gods and devils shrouded in dark clouds, where lightning flashed and thunder roared as deities unleashed their fury, displaying their awe-inspiring might! In his mind, all the techniques he had learned—Grandpa Ma's Eight Styles of Thunder Sound, the Village Chief's sword forms, Cripple's legwork, Butcher's knife skills, and Mute's hammer techniques—were seamlessly woven into his performance. Chapters on music from the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture also surged into his mind, making his pipa playing increasingly urgent and intense, infused with a growing martial intent. Faintly, the pipa seemed to interweave divine melodies, demonic sounds, and subtle Buddhist chants.

Suddenly, the pavilion, unable to withstand the combined musical forces, shattered into pieces. As the girls and Qin Mu were about to plunge into the pond, they swiftly unleashed their vital qi, enabling them to stand on the water's surface. The girls moved across the water, continuously circling Qin Mu, their melodies growing more urgent and intense. Qin Mu's vital qi surged. The pipa stood upright in the air, his ten fingers dancing as its tumultuous sounds resisted the barrage of music from all directions.

Suddenly, the pipa strings began to snap one by one. Qin Mu discarded the instrument. The girls' hearts leaped with joy, but then the pond water suddenly rose, forming numerous water threads that encircled Qin Mu. No longer constrained by the pipa's size, Qin Mu used the surrounding water threads as his new strings. As he plucked them, thunderous sounds erupted, causing the girls to stumble and sway.

"What's all this commotion?"

Fu Qingyun approached and saw the girls steadily losing ground. Suddenly, one girl burst into laughter, tossed aside her bamboo flute, and began dancing wildly to Qin Mu's music, completely abandoning all restraint, her clothes disheveled. Fu Qingyun's expression turned to surprise. She quickly returned to her room, retrieved her own pipa, and declared, "The Young Master is comprehending divine abilities! Sisters, withdraw! I will lend him a hand!"

Even as she spoke, the girls were utterly defeated, manipulated by Qin Mu's music. They danced and sang wildly on the water, their laughter sounding eerily demonic. Fu Qingyun shook her head repeatedly. Her pipa resonated, suppressing the melodies Qin Mu was creating with water. Only then did the girls regain their composure. They swiftly bowed to Fu Qingyun and retreated from the pond.