I Am Overlord c1-962

by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu

  Xiang Shaoyun could sense that the aura released by the old woman was even more terrifying than the aura Long Hui released. Realizing that, he knew that he might have to return empty-handed after all.

  But he was not one to give up easily. After taking a few steps backward, he shouted, "Gong Qinyin, come out and meet me!"

  "You are courting death!" the old woman berated with a sharp glint in her eyes.

  Just as she was about to attack, Gong Qinyin's voice rang out, "Granny Mei, please don't trouble him. He is here on my invitation."

  The old woman then stopped and gave Xiang Shaoyun a deep glance before vanishing into thin air.

  Gong Qinyin then appeared at the gate and asked anxiously, "Did Granny Mei hurt you?"

  Xiang Shaoyun patted his chest and said, "I'm fine. She did not hurt me."

  But inwardly, he was thinking, If you were even half a second slower, I would have suffered for sure!

  "Um. I had not expected you to come directly. Otherwise, I would have told Granny Mei in advance to allow you passage," said Gong Qinyin apologetically.

  Xiang Shaoyun smiled. "Don't worry. Look, I'm completely fine." He paused for a bit and continued, "You sure have a high status in the Cloud Margin Pavilion. You even have a King Realm expert serving as your guard!"

  Gong Qinyin answered, "That is all thanks to master."

  She did not linger on the topic and directly invited Xiang Shaoyun into the estate.

  Xiang Shaoyun thought there would only be Gong Qinyin. Thus, he was surprised to see another person there. That person was also an old acquaintance of his. She was none other than Li Yaxuan, the beautiful woman he once met at the Flame Mountain.

  She was currently dressed in a set of green muslin outfit that perfectly accentuated her alluring figure. Her delicate face emanated a bewitching charm no young man could resist. When Xiang Shaoyun was looking at Li Yaxuan, she was also sizing him up. A toying expression surfaced in her eyes.

  Chapter 226: Witness This Young Master's Grace

  Since Xiang Shaoyun had a different face when he had met Li Yaxuan previously, she did not recognize him. But she did know about Xiang Shaoyun's accomplishments, and she was here precisely because of him. As a vice house leader of the Red House, one could say that she was one of its most prestigious members.

  "Senior Sister Li, he is the Xiang Shaoyun we were talking about earlier." Gong Qinyin did not expose Xiang Shaoyun's identity and introduced him to Li Yaxuan as if he was a complete stranger.

  Li Yaxuan stood up and smiled gracefully. "You are indeed a young hero. No wonder Junior Sister Gong favors you. I am Li Yaxuan, pleasure to meet you."

  As she spoke, she did not forget to toss Xiang Shaoyun a seductive gaze. Any other man would lose their mind at this point. But Xiang Shaoyun had seen too many beautiful women. Thus, he had much more resistance to seduction.

  With an unchanging face, he replied, "I am Xiang Shaoyun. Pleased to meet you, Senior Sister Li."

  Xiang Shaoyun conducted himself in a refined manner, naturally emanating a grace only the nobility would have. Both Li Yaxuan and Gong Qinyin were women with extremely high standards, but even their hearts thumped when they witnessed Xiang Shaoyun’s demeanour.

  "Come on, sit down and talk over tea," invited Gong Qinyin, as she was the host.

  The three sat down while Gong Qinyin started preparing tea with the tea set she had on the stone table.

  The art of tea preparation and zither playing were both closely related to a person's state of mine. Great emphasis was placed on staying tranquil and even-tempered. When combined with graceful smooth movements that resemble nature itself, it would produce great tea and tune. Because of that, the art of tea was one of the things Gong Qinyin was learning.

  Soon, an aromatic tea fragrance filled the air.

  Li Yaxuan couldn't help but praise, "Great skills, Junior Sister Gong."

  "You are too kind, Senior Sister Li. Please, have a drink," said Gong Qinyin with a smile as she poured Li Yaxuan and Xiang Shaoyun a cup of tea each.

  Li Yaxuan directly downed the cup of tea, while Xiang Shaoyun took the time to gently sniff the tea's fragrance and to slowly sway the teacup before sipping on it.

  When Gong Qinyin noticed what he was doing, she couldn't resist asking, "Shaoyun, you know the art of tea as well?"

  Only those who knew tea would know the correct way of tea tasting. Xiang Shaoyun's action made it clear what he knew.

  Xiang Shaoyun placed the cup down and smiled. "I know a bit."

  He wasn't trying to be humble at all when he admitted it. In fact, he felt somewhat proud.

  His answer made Gong Qinyin curious as she said, "Would you mind giving me a pointer or two?"

  Li Yaxuan looked at Xiang Shaoyun with a toying gaze, seemingly waiting to hear his wisdom.

  After taking another sip of the tea, Xiang Shaoyun said, "The water and tea leaves used, one's grasp over the tea set, the temperature of the water, how long to boil the water, and the amount of tea leaves used…these are all the basics in the art of tea, and you already have a good mastery over them all. Unfortunately, you placed too much emphasis on the form of the tea, losing a tiny bit of soul that could have been in it."

  "What do you mean by having a form without a soul?" Gong Qinyin asked in astonishment.

  "It has the similar concept as playing the zither. The thickness of the tea originates from one's heart. There is no need to do everything in a textbook-correct manner. Follow your heart, pour your heart into it, and both your tea and zither tune will be able to leave a rich aftertaste in all who have tasted them," explained Xiang Shaoyun solemnly.

  Those words completely stunned Gong Qinyin. Li Yaxuan had no idea what they were talking about, so she decided to not interrupt. But now, her gaze when looking at Xiang Shaoyun had turned into one of curiosity.

  After a while, Gong Qinyin recovered from her reverie. She was filled with excitement as she said, "Shaoyun, what you said is almost identical to what my master said! I did not expect that you actually know so much! You must be great in the art of tea and zither as well, then?"

  "Haha, I am only a critic and can't do any of that," said Xiang Shaoyun, finally acting humble for once.

  In the past when he had too much free time on his hands, he did learn a bit of the two. But he was still a kid back then, and with the short attention span of a kid, he moved on after mastering a bit of the essence of the two arts.

  After all, for him, they were only entertainments and would never be things he specialized in. But Gong Qinyin did not buy any of his words. She pressed on, "I don't believe that. Why don't you make us a pot of tea as well? Or maybe play us a tune with the zither."

  She wished more and more that Xiang Shaoyun would have similar interests. That way, they would simply be a match made in heaven.

  What is wrong with me? Have I really fallen for him? Gong Qinyin couldn't help but ask herself.

  In truth, she had been having those thoughts for a while now. She had merely been suppressing them. But now, it seemed she wouldn't be able to keep suppressing her feelings any longer.

  Xiang Shaoyun wanted to refuse, but Li Yaxuan interjected and egged him on, "Yes, that's a great idea. I am curious as to what this junior brother is capable of. Come, expand your senior sister's horizons."

  Looking at the two great beauties before him, Xiang Shaoyun had the urge to show off.

  "Fine, today, you shall witness this young master's grace!" said Xiang Shaoyun in a narcissistic manner.

  He then exchanged seats with Gong Qinyin. Using the clean water stored beside the seat, he washed his hands thoroughly. An approving look covered Gong Qinyin's eyes when she saw what he did.

  Cleaning one's hands was the basic requirement for those dabbling in the art of tea. One must ensure one's hands were clean, as it was a sign of respect toward the tea and the drinker.

  A calm smile hovered on Xiang Shaoyun's face as his mood seemed to have instantly turned cheerful. Recalli
ng his free and leisurely life of the past filled him with melancholy. Thinking of it, he started moving. The long-gone feelings returned to him as his stiff motion slowly turned smooth, giving off a feeling of absolute harmony to those looking at him.

  Gong Qinyin was completely infatuated with what she was looking at. Inwardly, she cried out, Sooo handsome!

  As for Li Yaxuan, although she did not know tea well, her attention was drawn in by Xiang Shaoyun's harmonious actions and the smile hanging on his face. She had never thought that just someone making tea would be such a pleasurable sight to behold. It was most likely completely due to the person who was making the tea.

  Why is he giving me such a familiar feeling? I feel like I have seen him somewhere before! Li Yaxuan started asking herself. After a while, Xiang Shaoyun finished making the tea. At that instant, the courtyard was filled with its fragrance, giving one an extremely refreshing feeling.

  Xiang Shaoyun served them a cup of tea each and said in a gentlemanly manner, "Both of you, please have a drink."

  Gong Qinyin raised the cup impatiently and started tasting the tea.

  Even Li Yaxuan drank slowly this time.

  The moment they tasted the tea, they felt an indescribable flavor fill every fiber of their beings. They felt completely relaxed, as if all their worries were instantly flushed from their minds. Completely immersed in the comfortable sensation, they felt as free as unfettered clouds.

  Chapter 227: I Will Play You a Song

  When Xiang Shaoyun saw the two women's pleasurable expressions, a smile he rarely showed formed on his face.

  It was a special kind of smile—a smile usually only silkpants would have.

  He once lived a life of drowning in beauties. Now that there were two beauties before him, he had an illusion he had returned to the past.

  Li Yaxuan was the first to recover. She smiled and said, "Excellent tea, Junior Brother Xiang. I can't really explain it, but it feels better than Junior Sister Gong's tea." She looked at Gong Qinyin and said, "Junior Sister Gong, don't blame your senior sister for being direct."

  Gong Qinyin also finally recovered from her reverie when she heard those words. She opened her eyes and said, "Senior Sister Li, I am not a narrow-minded person like that." She then looked straight at Xiang Shaoyun and asked, "Is that the feeling of having both form and soul present? For some reason, I can feel joy rushing out of my heart uncontrollably. My master said that when tasting tea, one is mainly tasting the state of mind. Shaoyun, you have actually accomplished something only my master could. It's amazing!"

  The admiration in Gong Qinyin's eyes was too much; even Xiang Shaoyun started blushing.

  "Don't stare at me like that. I'm shy," said Xiang Shaoyun bashfully.

  The two women burst out in laughter like two blooming flowers when they heard him. The two were incredibly beautiful, and when they smiled, they seemed to overshadow even the world around them.

  "Junior Brother Xiang is a funny person," said Li Yaxuan in between her giggles. She rarely saw a young man as bold as Xiang Shaoyun. Even among the Cloud Margin Pavilion members, very few young men dared to speak like that to her.

  Gong Qinyin said, "Shaoyun, you are definitely good at tea making. Now, it's time you play us a song. I've only been playing zither for a year. I still have a lot to learn."

  Xiang Shaoyun replied, "Can I say no?"

  "No!" Gong Qinyin and Li Yaxuan said at the same time.

  "But I'm afraid the two of you will become my fans after listening to my song," said Xiang Shaoyun shamelessly while rubbing his chin.

  The two women were completely amused by his words.

  "If you are really that good, I don't mind. What, do you think it is embarrassing to have fans as beautiful as us?" Li Yaxuan teased.

  "Haha, no, that will certainly be glorious. Ok, let me play you a song then," said Xiang Shaoyun with a hearty laugh. He then walked toward the table with a zither on it. Xiang Shaoyun sat down but did not immediately start playing the zither. Rather, he lightly picked at the strings, causing a melodic tune to ring in the air.

  "This is a zither of common quality, but I guess it would suffice," said Xiang Shaoyun.

  Gong Qinyin argued, "This is a zither my master gave me. How is it only a common zither?"

  Xiang Shaoyun smiled and did not answer. He sank into focus and relaxed his entire body as his hands slowly rested on the zither. A mask of concentration covered his face as his fingers started plucking on the strings.

  A melodious tune started fluttering about in the air. Xiang Shaoyun opened with a common ballad that was light and cheerful. Li Yaxuan was slightly disappointed when she heard what he was playing.

  On the other hand, Gong Qinyin was paying full attention to each of Xiang Shaoyun's motions. She could see the absolute grace he was radiating with each motion. He looked like a grandmaster of the zither.

  Even so, that was not good enough to win Gong Qinyin's admiration. At most, she would only feel that Xiang Shaoyun was a better zither player than her, which was still far from the level of accomplishing the dao through the zither.

  Just as the two women were feeling slightly bored, the tune suddenly changed. Impassioned tunes started resounding throughout the courtyard. A scene appeared in the heads of the two women. They saw a tiny beast in a forest. It was being attacked and bullied by numerous powerful beasts. Again and again, the little beast resisted and fought back. They also saw the scene of a battlefield, witnessing the sight of someone being stabbed in the back by a comrade, sensing the sorrow of betrayal...

  Both women were completely dazed. They had never expected that a song could penetrate their hearts like that. They could clearly sense what the song was trying to portray, that this was a dog-eat-dog world. They could also clearly sense the pain of betrayal, sinking them into a bottomless abyss of sorrow.

  At a certain hidden corner of the estate, Granny Mei was also fully focused on the song. An incredibly sharp glint appeared in her eyes as she listened on.

  Inwardly, she cried out in alarm, Inserting intent in the zither, filling the song with the sorrow of betrayal. This is someone with a vengeful heart. Nevertheless, his dao of zither has reached an extremely high level. If he pours his astral energy into his tune, he would be able to harm others with just his tune. This kid is a rare talent!

  From the initial anger, the melody transformed into an entirely different feeling. It started turning encouraging, as if the one who was bullied had transformed into a completely new person now treading a path of unyielding growth.

  The mood of the melody had completely infected the two women and the hidden old lady, pulling them out from the sorrowful sensation and filling their hearts with a resolute fighting spirit.

  It was clear that they were completely immersed in the melody and were able to clearly feel every emotion the song portrayed. Even Xiang Shaoyun himself was completely engrossed in his own melody.

  He found himself thinking a lot as scenes from his past flipped through his mind one after another, revealing the true emotions he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time. Completely engrossed in the song, he unknowingly triggered a certain power within him.

  Strands of astral energy started flowing out of his fingertips into the zither, filling each tune he played with a wondrous power to control the emotion of others. It was a power capable of trapping a person in music forever. Fortunately, Xiang Shaoyun had never cultivated mind control techniques or killing zither techniques. Otherwise, both Gong Qinyin and Li Yaxuan would be seriously harmed.

  Xiang Shaoyun was completely engrossed in the world of zither, to the point he no longer heard what he was playing himself. He didn't even know to stop. At a certain estate within one of Cloud Margin Pavilion's restricted zones, a person was standing silently on a roof, gazing toward the direction of Gong Qinyin's estate.

  "Is that Qinyin? No, that's not her. She has yet to reach this human zither unity stage where one can control the zither through intent. If this
playing is combined with a killing technique, even Skysoar Realm cultivators can be killed before they know what was going on. Unfortunately, this player still lacks the skill of self control when playing the zither," muttered the person with a slight sigh.

  They then vanished from the roof before reappearing within Gong Qinyin's courtyard.

  Chapter 228: You Better Not Attack for Real

  The moment this person appeared, all the energy in the area seemed to immediately come under her control. Instantly, Xiang Shaoyun, who had become one with the zither, and the three listeners who had completely sunk into his music were all awakened from their state of reverie.

  It interrupted Xiang Shaoyun's flow, causing a series of disorderly tunes to resound in the air. With the stop of his playing, the power he had awakened when playing the zither nearly went out of control. Fortunately, the power wasn't too strong yet. Otherwise, he would have suffered internal injuries.

  After Gong Qinyin and Li Yaxuan recovered, they quickly stood up and saluted the newcomer. "Greetings, master (Zither Empress)."

  The newcomer was none other than Gong Qinyin's master, the Zither Empress. Granny Mei, who was observing in secret, also came out to salute the newcomer before she went back into hiding. Xiang Shaoyun stared at the newcomer in astonishment. He was shocked to learn that this person was the Zither Empress, a person at the very top of the Cloud Margin Pavilion.

  After all, the person standing before him was a beauty who did not look much older than Li Yaxuan. It was very hard to imagine that she was an Emperor Realm cultivator, one so high above many others. The Zither Empress's real name was Hua Cheng, a very poetic name.

  She was an exceptionally talented woman who was good in the four arts, which consisted of zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. She had an extraordinary temperament, and standing there, she looked like a woman of unmatched beauty out of a painting. Her beautiful face and graceful figure was akin to a ripe honey peach that gave one an urge to give her a bite. She also had a scholarly aura about her, one that not many people could compare with. Just by standing there, the entire atmosphere of the area turned tranquil and comfortable.