Chapter 83: Fake Qin
Indeed, it was disappointingly weak.
Xue Lingxue embodied a fusion of musical talent and cultivation genius. Her best-performing piece, "Morale-Boosting Melody: The Rise of the Azure Waves," showcased extraordinary power during her performances. She had strategically chosen this piece to assess Chu Liang's true cultivation level.
While one could mask their aura, controlling the abnormal phenomenon produced during the activation of the Qi-Circulation Technique was nearly impossible. The phenomenon would inadvertently disclose the practitioner's real cultivation level.
Xue Lingxue had never played the "Morale-Boosting Melody" for a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, but she was well aware of the expected phenomena showcased by practitioners of the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique of the Mount Shu Sect.
The Sea of Qi Phenomenon, the Transformation of Five Qi into One Phenomenon, and the Purity of the Heavens Phenomenon were distinctive occurrences for cultivators at the fourth, fifth, and sixth realms, respectively.
However, Chu Liang displayed nothing more than overflowing misty clouds, indicative of the Heavenly Qi-Circulation Phenomenon of a cultivator at the third realm. This revelation left Xue Lingxue genuinely taken aback. Regardless of how weak Chu Liang might be, Xue Lingxue had assumed he would, at the very least, be a cultivator at the fourth realm.
But was this truly the extent of his abilities? Or could it be that Chu Liang possessed some clandestine technique enabling him to suppress his Heavenly Qi-Circulation Phenomenon?
Xue Lingxue's gaze shifted, a subtle radiance flickering between her fingers as she augmented the foundational qi employed in her performance. Her aim was to unleash the full potential of the "Morale-Boosting Melody," probing deeply into Chu Liang's cultivation.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
The rhythm of the melody quickened, and the performance became more intense. Most of the people in the audience were just regular folks without any special skills, and some of them even felt tears welling up in their eyes because the music touched them so deeply.
Chu Liang sensed the intensifying effect. Despite feeling subtle shifts within himself amidst the mist and clouds, he didn't dwell on it too much.
Yet, at this moment, he detected a slight movement in the White Pagoda within him.
Using his divine sense, Chu Liang noticed that the cultivation speed of the Large-Headed Doll inside the pagoda had increased several times over, entering a frenzied state.
Chu Liang couldn't help but feel intrigued as he wondered if this musical piece could enhance the Large-Headed Doll's abilities.
In that case, having a Xue Lingxue doll would be ideal. Chu Liang could have the Xue Lingxue doll perform continuously for the Large-Headed Doll inside the White Pagoda, potentially amplifying its effects to the equivalent of five Large-Headed Dolls.
However... if there really was a Xue Lingxue doll, it would be a bit wasteful to only use her to perform for the Large-Headed Doll. He could have her earn money by performing at Mount Shu, which would undoubtedly generate a significant income.
As the misty smoke swirled around him, the qi within Chu Liang's body surged. Right at that moment, the White Pagoda trembled ever so slightly, and Chu Liang felt a sense of something unusual happening.
It was as though something within the White Pagoda was on the verge of awakening.
Simultaneously, everyone present witnessed the misty smoke surrounding Chu Liang take on the form of a white pagoda. Enveloped in a trance-like state, a majestic aura emanated from it, compelling an irresistible urge to kneel before its presence.
Clang—
Before anyone could fully comprehend the emanating aura, a clang reverberated through the air, and the music abruptly ceased as three strings snapped simultaneously.
With a look of shock in her eyes, Xue Lingxue sat in front of the guqin, gazing at her fingers, which seemed as pale as jade. There was a deep cut on her fingertips, and droplets of blood fell, yet she seemed entirely oblivious to the injury.
She turned to Chu Liang, questioning, "This..."
Chu Liang locked eyes with her and exclaimed loudly, "It's alright if the strings break, but how dare this qin hurt Miss Xue's finger!"
...
As the strings lay broken, the usual explanation would point to either a fault in the musician or a flaw in the instrument.
However, Xue Lingxue couldn't shake the feeling that there might be another explanation. During that strange phenomenon just now, a terrifying aura seemed to emanate involuntarily from Chu Liang's body.
The faint trace of this majestic aura made her heart skip a beat, leaving her arm numb and trembling uncontrollably. The snapped strings were a consequence of the overwhelming and imposing aura at that moment, which the sandalwood kite-shaped guqin couldn't withstand. But she remained clueless about what exactly had caused it.
Chu Liang, too, found himself puzzled by the incident. He only knew that this incident was likely linked to the White Pagoda inside him. Just moments ago, the white tower had shown signs of activity, and the misty smoke surrounding him had taken on a different form. This genuinely surprised him.
Out of all the things he kept secret, the White Pagoda was the most important. If anyone found out about it, it could seriously endanger his life.
Fortunately, the White Pagoda had only manifested briefly, and it seemed unlikely that anyone had taken notice.
As the strings broke and the music abruptly halted, Chu Liang's mind raced. To divert suspicion away from himself, he needed to shift the focus elsewhere.
However, he couldn't blame Xue Lingxue's technique for the mishap, so he had to suggest that there was an issue with the guqin itself.
And so, with a loud voice, he quickly exclaimed that sentence which hinted at something else.
Everyone present was sharp-witted, especially after the morale-boosting effects of the melody they had just experienced. With everyone being at their peak mental state, they processed his words extremely quickly.
Upon hearing Chu Liang's words, they concluded that such an incident should not occur during a performance at South Melody Conservatory. It couldn't be Xue Lingxue's technique at fault; it must be an issue with the guqin itself.
But how could there be a problem with the sandalwood kite-shaped guqin? Unless it was fake.
Immediately, numerous glances converged on the Lord of the Marquessate, Xia An. Although no one spoke, Xia An could already hear the whispers of "Lord Xia of the Marquessate gave a fake qin" in his ears.
He abruptly stood up, intending to shout at Chu Liang on stage and accuse him of baseless slander,
However, he halted mid-sentence, uttering only the word "You..."
At this moment, Chu Liang had discreetly pointed a finger at him, which Lord Xia had not noticed.
Evil-Dispelling Spell...
Chu Liang had keenly sensed Xia An's hostile gaze from the moment he stepped on stage. In fact, it seemed that Lord Xia was angry at him, and understandably so. Xue Lingxue had chosen Chu Liang to assist with the performance using the qin Xia An had given her.
Undoubtedly, Chu Liang had stolen his limelight. However, Chu Liang had not had a better option and could only let Xia An be angry.
If Chu Liang aimed to redirect the blame onto Xia An's qin, he couldn't allow Xia An to voice any rebuke.
Observing Xia An on the brink of expressing his anger, Chu Liang recalled the Evil-Dispelling Spell he had obtained earlier. Since the opportunity presented itself, he pointed directly at Lord Xia.
Whish~
The moment he cast the spell, a green halo, visible only to Chu Liang, appeared on top of Xia An's head.
In the glow of the green light, Xia An's mindset shifted.
Lord Xia suddenly thought that Chu Liang likely hadn't intended to steal his limelight. Chu Liang was unfamiliar with Xue Lingxue, and perhaps she had only sought his assistance because he was a disciple of Mount Shu.
If he got mad for this, would it seem like he was being too petty?
Even if Chu Liang suggested there was an issue with the qin he had given, it wouldn't be unreasonable. After all, once those strings snapped, everyone would have the same suspicion.
Although Xia An knew that the qin he had gifted was real, others couldn't be certain. It was natural for them to harbor suspicions, and it was fine as long as he clarified the situation properly.
Moreover, could he really confirm the authenticity of this sandalwood kite-shaped guqin? It might not be real.
He didn't possess extensive knowledge of guqins. Although he trusted his father, there was a chance he had been deceived, or perhaps he himself had been misled.
Regardless of the truth, getting angry wouldn't serve any purpose. He should extend forgiveness to Chu Liang.
As this realization dawned on Xia An, he addressed Chu Liang with remarkable gentleness, "Please, my friend, let's not dwell on that. First, let's tend to Miss Xue's injury."
Those present in South Gate City were well aware of Lord Xia's temper. As they witnessed him speak so softly at this moment, they couldn't help but silently exclaim in their hearts.
He feels guilty!
This qin is definitely fake! There's no way it is not!
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