CHAPTER 177: CHAPTER 45: I’VE NEVER HEARD OF HIM [FIRST UPDATE]

The performance was splendid, and Gu Qingqing and the others watched until midnight before returning to the inn. Yue Zhao, Mu Chen, and Nan Hua were not interested in the performance and had returned earlier, while Yun Ran and Zhuo Tingqiu also returned halfway through, leaving only Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu to watch until late.

Gu Qingqing shared a room with Yun Ran, and after parting ways with Jun Wu, she returned to her room.

The next morning, when Gu Qingqing and her friends went out, the streets were filled with people heading towards the city center. There was a plaza where a stage had already been set up the day before, in preparation for today’s competition.

The beauty contest required each participating woman to perform, along with other competitions. Only the one with the highest final score could claim the first place.

To avoid chaos, only a portion of people were allowed to watch the competition near the stage; others could only watch from a distance, and those seats had to be purchased. This was a method for the City Lord Mansion to earn money.

Gu Qingqing and her friends didn’t mind spending money, and they bought seats closer to the front. Besides them, the surrounding seats were occupied by people who also spent money like them, as well as the nobility of Xiyuan City.

They didn’t arrive early, and many people were already seated. Since the competition hadn’t started yet, people were busy chatting and socializing, creating the impression of a large social gathering.

Gu Qingqing was engrossed in conversation with Jun Wu and did not pay much attention to her surroundings. But Yun Ran, seated on her other side, glanced around. When she saw a certain figure, she was surprised and widened her eyes before turning to tug on Gu Qingqing’s sleeve, prompting her to look.

"Geng Geng, do you see that person? Could it be Lu Ying, the one who was chased the other night?" Yun Ran asked Gu Qingqing in a hushed voice, pointing to a position not far away.

Gu Qingqing followed Yun Ran’s direction and also saw Lu Ying. At that moment, Lu Ying turned and saw her too. Their eyes met briefly in the air, and Lu Ying nodded with a smile, as if they were very familiar.

Raising her eyebrows slightly, Gu Qingqing naturally averted her gaze and did not return Lu Ying’s greeting.

"It’s him," Gu Qingqing said to Yun Ran.

"Why is he here? And look, he’s sitting at the judges’ table." Yun Ran glanced at those seats, a bit surprised at Lu Ying’s presence there.

"Maybe he’s part of a faction within Xiyuan City?" Gu Qingqing replied indifferently. Even though Lu Ying was quite handsome, comparable to Jun Wu, and Gu Qingqing had a thing for good looks, she inexplicably felt uneasy about Lu Ying, thus showing little interest in engaging with him.

"That makes sense; didn’t Brother Yue say that Lu Ying was an alias?" Yun Ran nodded, agreeing with Gu Qingqing’s reasoning. With her curiosity satisfied, she lost interest in Lu Ying and turned her attention elsewhere.

Seeing that Yun Ran had no more questions, Gu Qingqing turned back to talk with Jun Wu.

"So, Geng Geng doesn’t like that person named Lu Ying?" Jun Wu, understanding Gu Qingqing very well, was concerned at first when he saw Lu Ying’s appearance, knowing her penchant for attractive faces. But Gu Qingqing’s indifferent reaction to Lu Ying indicated that she didn’t like him.

"Not quite dislike, just that he gives me an uncomfortable feeling, and I’d rather not encounter him," Gu Qingqing said as she absentmindedly brushed a petal off her clothes.

Jun Wu glanced subtly in Lu Ying’s direction, frowning slightly, "Should I have someone investigate him?"

"No need, he’s not particularly important. Let’s just avoid crossing paths with him in the future," Gu Qingqing stopped Jun Wu, not wanting either of them to focus too much on Lu Ying, and shifted the topic elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Lu Ying was equally surprised upon seeing Gu Qingqing and her group. He had been curious about their identities, as they easily dealt with his pursuers, suggesting that they were not ordinary people. However, the situation back then didn’t allow him to stay, so he left without realizing he would meet them again in Xiyuan City.

Greeting Gu Qingqing was meant as a friendly gesture, an attempt to approach them. But to his shock, Gu Qingqing simply turned away, pretending not to see him.

His gaze lingered on Gu Qingqing for a moment until someone beside him called his attention, and he turned away to converse with them.

A quarter of an hour later, the competition began.

The host introduced the judges first, followed by the entry of all the women contestants. Each was dressed in elaborate skirts, adorned with beautiful accessories, and had exquisite make-up, all looking exceptionally lovely.

"Geng Geng, I think the girl in the lake-green short jacket is the prettiest. What do you think?" Yun Ran whispered to Gu Qingqing while keeping her eyes on the stage.

"I think the girl wearing the pink-blue dress is quite beautiful too. She has a unique aura about her," Gu Qingqing replied, whispering back to Yun Ran.

Yun Ran looked at the girl Gu Qingqing mentioned and found that she indeed possessed a distinct charm, setting her apart from the others.

Not everyone could pull off pink-blue, but it looked magnificent on her, highlighting all her strengths!

"I heard that besides beauty, this contest also tests skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The one with the highest total score in all categories wins first place and the reward from the City Lord Mansion," Yun Ran said, having gone out of her way to gather information, whispering to Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing’s eyes reflected surprise, "It truly is a well-rounded competition!"

Yun Ran nodded, and at that moment, the first competition, music, began on stage.

The women who reached this stage were selected through rigorous rounds, each possessing commendable talents, performing their best pieces, judged by the panel to see who played the best.

Of the ten contestants, the standout was precisely the girl Gu Qingqing had mentioned earlier, dressed in pink-blue, named Song Xue’er. She played a lively spring tune, surprisingly attracting butterflies that danced around her, drawing gasps from the audience.

"Mere trick!" Yue Zhao, who had been silent, couldn’t help but snort disdainfully upon seeing the butterflies, his expression full of contempt.

Gu Qingqing and her friends understood Yue Zhao’s mastery in the Music Path and knew his words were not just idle talk, though others were unaware.

A middle-aged man seated in front of Gu Qingqing and her friends smiled slightly when he saw Song Xue’er summon butterflies. He was Song Xue’er’s teacher and had been invited as a judge by the City Lord Mansion, but he declined to avoid any conflict of interest. He had complete confidence in Song Xue’er’s musical skills, and while he reveled in her achievement, someone’s comment angered him.

He turned to look behind him and fixed his gaze on Yue Zhao.

"The young master just called that a mere trick. He must be highly skilled in music. May I challenge the young master to a match?" With anger and disdain in his eyes, he challenged Yue Zhao directly.

"Who are you, and why should I agree to it?" Yue Zhao’s lips held a smile. Though he looked every bit the gentleman, his words were merciless.

The man clearly hadn’t expected Yue Zhao’s response. Since becoming a master, people had always treated him with respect. No one had dared to speak to him this way.

He glared at Yue Zhao, his eyes almost aflame.

"I am Han Wenxin, also known as Master Wenlian, the master of that girl on stage." He bit his teeth and said proudly.

Upon hearing him, Yue Zhao and the others hadn’t reacted yet, but the people nearby gasped.

"It’s Master Wenlian! The living Master Wenlian!"

"Yes, I’ve heard that Master Wenlian’s musical skills are incredibly advanced, and his cultivation is quite remarkable."

"No wonder Song Xue’er is so good at playing the qin, being able to attract butterflies!"

"..."

Hearing the discussions around him, Han Wenxin was very satisfied, looking at Yue Zhao with even more pride, thinking Yue Zhao, upon hearing his name, would surely apologize!

Unfortunately, he had sought the wrong audience; Yue Zhao and the others hadn’t even heard of Han Wenxin’s name. It was only through the surrounding discussions that they realized Han Wenxin seemed to be quite formidable.

"Sorry, I’ve never heard of it." Yue Zhao looked at Han Wenxin and said in a light tone.

Han Wenxin’s expression froze, seemingly unable to believe it. His eyes widened, his chest heaving violently, as if he were about to faint from either anger or bewilderment.

"You, you..." He pointed at Yue Zhao, his cheeks flushed, too choked with anger to finish his words.

The people nearby saw Han Wenxin like this and hurriedly went up to help soothe him, looking at Yue Zhao and the others with a mix of reprimand and curiosity, as they hadn’t expected anyone to speak to Han Wenxin like that knowing his identity!

The commotion attracted the attention of those at the judges’ seats, and the butler beside the City Lord came over to inquire about the situation. Upon learning Han Wenxin’s identity and Yue Zhao’s remarks, he looked at Yue Zhao and the others with amazement.

He quickly returned to inform the City Lord, who came over directly.

"Did you just say you want to compete with me?" Yue Zhao glanced at the approaching City Lord, then calmly turned his gaze back to Han Wenxin.

"That’s right!" Han Wenxin nodded, his face darkened with anger.

"What’s at stake?" Yue Zhao elegantly adjusted his clothing and asked.

"What do you want?" Han Wenxin stared at Yue Zhao and asked.

"That depends on what you can offer." Yue Zhao’s smile remained, but his words were infuriating!

"Fine, fine!" Han Wenxin once again felt angered, pointing at Yue Zhao with a twisted expression, "If you win, I’ll give you the score of ’Sea Falling Tide Song’ that I’ve treasured for years!"

Upon hearing ’Sea Falling Tide Song,’ Yue Zhao’s eyes flickered with a bright gleam, his smile deepening, "Deal!"

"And if you lose, you must apologize to me in public and never play the qin again!" Han Wenxin added when he saw Yue Zhao agree.

At this, Yue Zhao’s smile widened, "Fine, as you say!"

After agreeing, Han Wenxin also smiled, seemingly confident of his victory.

Those who knew Han Wenxin’s name looked sympathetically at Yue Zhao, convinced that he would lose, while Gu Qingqing and others looked at Han Wenxin with a gaze of affectionate concern for a fool!

Competing in musical skills with Yue Zhao is like an old man hanging himself—he’s tired of living!

When the City Lord arrived, the two had him act as the judge. The City Lord, intrigued by the bet, agreed immediately and paused the beauty contest, letting the ladies step down and giving the stage to Yue Zhao and Han Wenxin.

Yue Zhao and Han Wenxin both stepped onto the stage. Compared to Han Wenxin, Yue Zhao was not only younger and more attractive, but his overall demeanor was that of a noble gentleman, inspiring worship in others.

However, upon learning Han Wenxin’s title, people shook their heads, looking at Yue Zhao with eyes full of pity, as if they were certain he would lose!

Yue Zhao completely ignored these looks, focusing on Han Wenxin.

"How do you want to compete?" he asked.

"We’ll use the qins from the beauty contest, play the same piece, and see who plays it more movingly—a single round decides the winner!" Han Wenxin pointed at the qins that Song Xue’er and others had used.

"Alright." Yue Zhao smiled and walked over, casually picking up a qin then returned to his spot.

Seeing Yue Zhao’s decisiveness, Han Wenxin wasted no time, selected a qin for himself, and returned to his original position.

The two sat down simultaneously, with the City Lord selecting a piece for them, a very simple ’Qingping Song.’ Just like the simplest recipes, the simplest pieces test one’s foundational skills the most.

"You are the elder, you go first." Yue Zhao gestured at Han Wenxin.

Eager to defeat Yue Zhao, Han Wenxin didn’t hesitate. He quickly readied himself, placed his hands on the strings, and began to play.

’Qingping Song’ is a piece depicting rural life, giving a very comfortable, joyous feeling, like seeing a lively painting. At dusk, workers return home, each household raises cooking smoke, children play in the streets, and occasionally, small animals run by, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Han Wenxin’s skill in performance was indeed remarkable; he rendered the whole realm vividly, drawing the audience in, and unconsciously, they wore smiles and felt a sense of ease!

After playing, Han Wenxin was very pleased with his performance, his eyes on Yue Zhao calm, though the tilt of his chin displayed his smugness.

Yue Zhao’s expression remained unchanged throughout, his gaze towards Han Wenxin completely calm, unfazed by him.

He smiled, placed his hands on the strings, and began to play!