Oh?
Hearing Huang Yunchong's words, the Li brothers' eyes immediately lit up with the gleam of gossip.
Especially Li Zuiyue.
At this moment, not only were his eyes blazing with interest, even the third Sword Dao Dharma Eye at the center of his brow couldn't help but widen.
Even Li Longji, who had been sleeping sweetly, seemed drawn in.
However, he didn't wake up.
He just kept snoring with his eyes closed while silently perking up both ears.
The "cool aloofness" of Sword Vein disciples was on full display in this moment.
Among the group, if anyone could be called the most calm and collected, it had to be Wang Xiu.
On one hand, having lived two lives and spent years alone on the Divination Vein, his state of mind had long been still as an ancient well.
On the other hand, Wang Xiu's life experience far surpassed those four simpletons of the Li family. He could tell at a glance that Huang Yunchong was blowing hot air.
[Ding!]
[Detected someone blowing hot air. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Magic Power +88.]
"As expected of you, Senior Brother Huang."
Wang Xiu praised him, "I knew your reputation as the Knowledgeable Sage at the foot of the mountain was no empty boast."
"Since Miss Feiyin was willing to reveal her true identity to you, you must have understood her guqin music and been recognized by her as a true kindred spirit!"
Huang Yunchong felt awkward. "Cough... y-yes, that's right."
[Ding!]
[Detected someone blowing hot air. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Magic Power +88.]
The gazes of the four Li brothers grew even more gossipy.
Though it is said that a gentleman admires a fair maiden, if it was a bro getting together with the school beauty, the first reaction wouldn't be jealousy — it would be gossip.
This was a perfectly normal trait shared by most young men.
The corners of Wang Xiu's mouth curled up slightly.
Then, his expression shifted to one of regret, and he sighed, "In that case, I shall not press further."
Li Zuiyue: (_?)
Hao, Ji, and You: (_?)
We already took our pants off, and now you're telling us you're not going to ask?!
Wang Xiu said in a gentle tone, "Miss Feiyin stated from the outset that the friendship between gentlemen should be as pure as water — that she would commune with the chosen talents of Vermilion Bird City through the art of music."
"If one could understand her guqin melodies, they would naturally be qualified to know her true identity."
"Miss Feiyin revealing her true identity to you, Senior Brother, is a mark of her recognition and trust in a kindred spirit. I have no skill in the Way of Sound, and have not earned Miss Feiyin's recognition — it is simply not meant to be."
"And since it is not meant to be..."
"To insist that you tell us her identity would be forcing you into an unfair position, wouldn't it?"
"Rest assured, Senior Brother Huang. Although the four Senior Brothers Li and I are all terribly curious about Miss Feiyin's identity, if you'd rather not say, we absolutely won't press you."
Huang Yunchong: o(^▽^)o
Whew~
The man with dark circles under his eyes sincerely breathed a sigh of relief.
Wang Xiu added with a smile, "However, while we shouldn't press about Miss Feiyin's identity..."
"The story of how you and Miss Feiyin met and came to know each other — I'm genuinely very curious about that."
"I imagine..."
"It must be a legendary and romantic tale!"
Huang Yunchong: ???
Good heavens.
One wave hadn't even settled before another rose — what kind of romantic story could I possibly have with Miss Feiyin?!
I haven't even seen her face before.
Wait a minute~
Suddenly, Huang Yunchong spotted the key detail.
While he didn't know who Feiyin was, these guys didn't know either!
Since none of them knew...
Then he could just make up whatever story he wanted!
Having discovered this exploit, Huang Yunchong instantly perked up.
"Of course it is!!!"
Huang Yunchong slapped the table, his face flushed with excitement, and declared, "Junior Brother, I'm not bragging here!"
"The feelings between Feiyin and me are absolutely sincere, unwavering, mutual, and eternal — through thick and thin!"
"To tell you the truth, Little Yin regards me as her kindred spirit and has invited me to her pavilion to listen to her music on many occasions."
"She even..."
"She even fell deeply in love and swore she would marry no one but me!"
[Ding!]
[Detected someone blowing hot air. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Magic Power +88.]
Immediately.
Li Zuiyue perked up.
Li Longhao perked up.
Li Longyou perked up.
Even Li Longji's snoring grew quieter, his ears sticking straight up, twitching up and down.
Seeing everyone staring at him with faces full of "admiration" and "envy," Huang Yunchong grew even more animated.
He even experienced a certain perverse thrill.
He made a grand sweeping gesture and said, "It was a bright moonlit night. Having just finished my cultivation and still in sage mode, I was wandering the streets out of sheer boredom."
"Suddenly, I heard a haunting melody drifting through the night sky — sorrowful and plaintive, carrying an indescribable sadness."
"I..."
"I followed the sound of the music and saw a young woman sitting alone in a lakeside pavilion, all by herself."
"Not to brag, but..."
"Having known countless women, I could tell at a glance the fragility deep within her heart!"
"In that moment, I knew — she needed me!"
[Ding!]
[Detected someone blowing hot air. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Magic Power +88.]
Having said that, Huang Yunchong paused and sighed softly, as if lost in memory.
Li Longhao, being the most impatient, quickly pressed him, "Senior Brother, then what happened? Was that young woman Miss Feiyin?"
"Don't rush~"
Huang Yunchong said helplessly, "Give me some time to com... to, um, sip my wine and gather my memories."
For heaven's sake.
Making an old loner with practically zero romantic experience compose a beautiful pure love story on the spot — wasn't that bullying an honest man?
Oh well!
He might not have played the pure love game, but Huang had played with plenty of girls.
Stories?
Huang had heard more than a few!
Right — he could just adapt the stories those girls had told him.
Huang Yunchong said in a wistful tone, "I walked up to her and asked the young lady why her music was so sorrowful."
"She said..."
"She said she was born into a poor family in a remote mountain region. Her mother had passed away early, her father was lazy and good-for-nothing, and she had a frail and sickly younger brother at home..."
Hold on!
The corner of Li Zuiyue's mouth twitched as he interrupted Huang Yunchong, "Miss Feiyin's mother passed away early, her father is lazy and good-for-nothing, and she has a frail and sickly younger brother?"
Isn't that a bit too ridiculous?
Are you sure you're talking about a true disciple of the Sound Vein? Why does it sound so absurd!
Ahem.
Huang Yunchong also realized something was off. His old face flushed slightly as he grunted, "Don't rush me!"
"Uh, she said her family situation was very difficult, and the livelihood of the household basically rested entirely on her shoulders. Fortunately... she encountered an immortal."
"The ancient immortal brought her to the Sanqing Immortal Sect and had her join the Sound Vein to cultivate the arts of music."
"Only after that did her life begin to improve."
Li Longhao asked again, "If her life had already gotten better, why was she crying?"
Huang Yunchong: Awkward.
She...
She...
"Her cat died!"
Huang Yunchong said, "Yeah, the cat died."
"She had kept a cat by her side — one she'd raised since she was little."
"After joining the immortal sect, she left her family behind, and that cat was her last remaining companion."
"Her cat died and she was heartbroken. That makes perfect sense, right?"
Perfectly reasonable...
My foot!
Wang Xiu barely suppressed the urge to violently roast him and burst out laughing. Instead, his face showed pure curiosity: "And then, and then! How did you comfort her, Senior Brother?"
How did he comfort her?
The corner of Huang Yunchong's mouth curled into a proud smile, clearly quite pleased with the story he'd just come up with on the fly. "I told her that I also kept a cat, and that we could share our love for cats together."
"And what's more — my cat can do backflips!"
[Ding!]
[Detected someone blowing hot air. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Magic Power +88.]
Li Zuiyue: ???
Hao, Ji, and You: ???
Wang Xiu: ???
...
Meanwhile, high above, in the private chambers.
Behind curtains that could block spiritual sense detection, a graceful figure dressed in white slowly walked by.
She carefully released her spiritual sense and scanned the area repeatedly, making absolutely sure no one was spying, before slowly removing the white mask from her face.
As the mask came off, a pale and handsome man's face was revealed. The once-graceful, slender figure gradually grew tall and broad-shouldered.
"Sigh~"
"I wonder when these days of performing in women's clothing will ever end."
Qin Guangling, the true inheritance eldest disciple of the Sound Vein, let out a long sigh. "I, Qin, am a full-grown man of honor, with iron bones and an unsullied Sound Heart. I truly have no desire to engage in such underhanded antics."
Especially sitting on the high platform, facing the ravenous, wolf-like gazes of all those male prodigies.
Qin Guangling always felt his backside clench up tight.
He was terrified that one careless misstep would blow his cover.
He had sworn more than once: this is absolutely the last time I'll ever cross-dress — never again.
But alas~
Alas~
When performing the "Misty Cloud Melody" at the same Minor Accomplishment realm level, Feiyin's appearance fee could be three to five times higher than Qin Guangling's.
The gender bonus was simply too enormous — so huge that even he, the foremost genius of the Sound Vein, couldn't help but abandon his dignity.
There was no helping it — the Sanqing Immortal Sect was just too poor~
Gotta make money somehow!
Nothing shameful about that~
[
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