Chapter 542: Chapter 543: Can You Only Play One Song?
 

“Hum!”

As soon as these words were uttered, the qin music abruptly stopped, and the myriad phenomena that had sprung up in the void instantly dissipated like smoke and clouds, returning the interior of the tower to the cold and clear scene enveloped by moonlight.

There was silence in the hall, and everyone stared blankly at Li Xiaobai.

What had this person just said?

Did he ask what nonsense the Immortal was playing with her qin?

The Immortal’s mastery of the Path of Qin Music was unmatched in the world, and yet, today there would be such a blind person questioning what she was playing?

Wasn’t this openly slapping the Immortal’s face and sabotaging the event?

“Naive child, hold your tongue. The Immortal’s qin skills have reached the pinnacle of perfection; how could they be casually judged by the likes of us?”

“Exactly, you have no reverence for the Immortal. Who allowed you to come here?”

“Throw him out!”

The cultivators were indignant, their eyes ablaze with flames. Had it not been for the rules of the city, they would have already dealt with this arrogant and ignorant youth.

The Immortal’s qin music was not something that just anyone could casually evaluate, was it?

If Long Xue played in such a manner, it must be for her own reasons. Even if others could not understand it or feel its implications, they were absolutely supposed to praise its divine wonder.

How could they be like this sharp-tongued youth, audaciously mocking the Immortal’s faults? It truly infuriated them.

What if they angered the Immortal? How would they save face then?

“Did the young master just say that the young lady was playing some kind of nonsense?”

“Do you think that the young lady was playing the qin arbitrarily?”

A look of astonishment also appeared on Long Xue’s face; she could not have imagined the other party would utter such words. For a moment, she felt extremely wronged.

Hadn’t there been some reaction to her qin music just before?

Why had he changed his tune so quickly?

What exactly was the problem?

Seeing the confusion on Long Xue’s face and the reluctance and desolation deep in her eyes, the hearts of the cultivators present were melting.

“Immortal, pay no attention to this child’s bewitching words. This person simply does not understand music at all and must have sneaked in!”

“Indeed, earlier I saw this person was with the son of the Beichen Family. It seems he sought Brother Beichen’s help to gain some experience but, unexpectedly, he turned out to be such a frivolous person!”

Some cultivators attempted to shift the blame, pointing the finger at Beichen Shixi’s party, attempting to provoke a conflict between the Xiao Longnvu of the Eastern Sea and these people.

“The Immortal’s qin music is a divine melody from the heavens; how could a mere mortal like you understand it?”

“Indeed, such music should only exist in heaven. How often can it be heard on earth? It is rare for the Immortal to perform so earnestly, and yet you, this boy, have not a shred of reverence. A cultivator like you does not deserve to sit with us!”

The other cultivators were also furious, verbally attacking Li Xiaobai, intent on executing their own form of justice upon him.

“Brother, why are you being so disrespectful? That one before you is the granddaughter of the Old Dragon King.”

The white-clothed chubby man also spoke in a low voice, feeling somewhat astonished by Li Xiaobai’s shocking remarks.

Li Xiaobai looked around at the angry faces and suddenly smiled, “Once, I too attended a gathering of geniuses. At that time, many outstanding young cultivators asked me if I had studied the works of Master Tang Guohu. When I said I had not, I was ridiculed as an ignoramus.”

“Afterward, I asked everyone if they had studied the calligraphy of Master Yuan Guang. Nearly all the geniuses present nodded their heads, even going so far as to make deductions and speak with great authority. What they didn’t know was that this Master Yuan Guang was simply a figment of my imagination,”

Li Xiaobai spoke indifferently.

“What is the meaning of telling such a story, Young Master?”

“Could it be you are suggesting that the music from the Path of Qin Music of the young lady is just like that of Master Yuan Guang, a false sound, unworthy of attention?”

From upon the stage, Long Xue asked somewhat anxiously, not understanding the intention behind Li Xiaobai’s words.

“The Immortal has misunderstood. My telling of this story is not tailored toward anyone in particular, but is meant to convey that everyone present is rubbish!”

“A bunch of people fishing for fame and pretending to appreciate culture, thinking themselves high and mighty, yet here they are discussing the intricacies of musical rhythm. It’s the greatest irony.”

“As for your judgement of the Path of Qin Music, what you folks probably consider isn’t whether it’s pleasant to listen to or not, but rather, whose reputation is greater, or maybe, who is more attractive, right?”

“To you, even a fart from the Immortal would seem fragrant. In my view, you bunch of hypocrites are the real stumbling blocks on the Path of Qin Music for the Immortal,”

Li Xiaobai looked around, speaking calmly, without giving any importance to the many talented cultivators present.

It was as though the ones seated here were indeed just rubbish.

“Preposterous talk! To utter such vulgar words within the Linglong Pagoda; Immortal, we plead for the permission to throw this wretch out of the Chunxiu Tower!”

As soon as he said this, the whole place was in an uproar. Li Xiaobai was outrageously arrogant to openly scorn all those present. Did he not know how to write the word ‘death’?

Did he still expect to gain a foothold in Aolai Country afterwards?

“Gentlemen, I beg you to keep calm!”

Long Xue knitted her brows slightly, parted her red lips, and raised her hand gently to quiet everyone down, her soft, boneless voice soothing the hearts and minds of the many cultivators, calming the anger and hostility in the room.

Li Xiaobai couldn’t help but take a new view of Xiao Longnvu, impressed by her action; she managed to bring the cultivators present into a state of focused tranquility in an instant—truly befitting of the Old Dragon King’s granddaughter.

“Young Master, may I boldly ask where exactly the music from my qin was unsuitable? I hope the Young Master can enlighten me.”

Long Xue bowed, appearing utterly humble and sincere. She genuinely wanted to know why her music had failed to move Li Xiaobai and where she might have gone wrong.

As for the ‘naive child’ spoken of by so many cultivators, she didn’t take it to heart. Someone who remained unaffected by her music was certainly no ordinary person. How could such an individual be seen as ignorant and intentionally troublemaking?

Hearing this, Li Xiaobai smiled faintly and said, “Actually, when the Immortal started playing, I found the tune quite pleasant to listen to. But as it went on, it became incomprehensible to me, like a chaotic strumming of the qin.”

“Though I may not understand the musical rhythm, I can still perceive that as you continued to play, you lost all sense of rhythm, and it sounded stranger and stranger, more and more bizarre, as if you would play just a few notes from one tune before stopping. Do you only know one or two phrases from each piece?”

“I…”

At these words, Long Xue was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. She certainly couldn’t admit that she was tailored her performance to target Li Xiaobai.

But what the other party said was not without merit; she had indeed been frequently switching tunes so much that she had forgotten that rhythm was the foundation of a piece.

Wait a minute!

Rhythm?

Yes, a piece, no matter how mystically effective, is after all just a piece, and rhythm and melody are the foundation. Yet, she had overlooked this aspect. Could this oversight be why she couldn’t affect Li Xiaobai?

Truly insightful, with just a few words, he pinpointed the deficiencies in her music. This person is, without a doubt, an unparalleled genius!

Long Xue’s eyes grew brighter, and she seemed to have touched upon her own shackles, finding the method to break through to the next realm!