The two altars of the Ancient Music Cavern, Yin and Yang, differed entirely in shape and size—whether the sacred music itself was the same, only those who’d heard both could say.
On Ziqing’s side, things were oddly calm—calm enough that Ziqing herself could hardly believe it. After all, on her side were not only Chu Feiyan, but Xuanyuan Zhaoxi and the Empress of Eastern Qin as well.
Beside her, aside from the negligible presence of Yelu Qianqian, there was no one she could rely on at all. And yet, for a full half hour, absolutely nothing happened, allowing her to listen through the entire sacred music with complete, undisturbed attention.
Being someone deeply versed in music theory, everything Jun Beiyue hadn’t been able to make out, she caught every bit of it.
Had she not seen that totem at the cavern’s entrance, and those twelve notes on the stone tablet, or had she heard this sound without that context, she would have been utterly shocked.
This melody was precisely those twenty scrolls from the climax of Lishang!
The twenty scrolls that came after the ten scrolls of wedding ceremonial music, and before the thirty scrolls depicting the sound of waves in the sea valley of Qinse Mountains!
This sacred music, sure enough, was just like the resonant sound of the sea valley of Qinse—a natural melody, a force born straight from nature itself!
If Ziqing wasn’t mistaken, hidden somewhere unseen around them must be countless bells hanging in the air. Sacred music was an ensemble piece performed entirely by bells—the size, weight, and pitch of the bells could produce a whole range of different sounds.
And whoever struck those bells wasn’t a musician at all—it was the wind!
Ziqing could tell that the sacred music emanated from the same direction as that beam of light overhead—the bells must be suspended somewhere atop the mountain, and when strong winds swept through, creating varying currents of air, they struck against the bells, producing this divine melody.
Had Ziqing never visited the Qinse Mountains, had she never witnessed the wonder of that valley, she likely never would have guessed the truth, no matter how hard she thought.
A person could, through diligent practice and coordination, play the exact same melody in unison with others—but the sheer force, the precise pressure of impact, was something no human hand could ever control. And it was precisely that uncontrollable force that had struck out such an ethereal, soul-capturing sound.
The sound of the bells could travel very, very far. Ziqing thought Jun Beiyue must be hearing this exact same sound—but she couldn’t understand why there needed to be separate Yin and Yang altars at all.
The sacred music had faded away long ago, yet Chu Feiyan and the others showed no sign of stirring at all. Even if they had been genuinely enthralled, surely they should have woken by now.
Ziqing kept her head lowered, her eyes composed, giving nothing away as to whether she had come back to herself or remained entranced.
Since no one else was moving, naturally, neither would she.
That totem, those twelve notes, had never appeared again. In her mind, Ziqing silently continued writing out the musical score, once again attempting to insert the twelve notes into it. Unfortunately, the result remained identical to what she’d worked out before—there was clearly a gap, yet no matter how she tried to fill it, nothing worked.
Ziqing’s feelings toward the author of Lishang were a strange mixture of resentment and admiration—resentment that he’d buried every clue to finding the Isolated Isle so deeply, making it so agonizingly difficult for later generations to search it out; admiration, more precisely, respect that never wavered.
How much thought must it have taken to compose a piece like Lishang, hiding every single secret within one mournful elegy?
Such deeply concealed methods clearly meant the author had feared discovery by Nanzhao.
Ziqing had a vague sense that it wasn’t only Nanzhao seeking to destroy the Isolated Isle—it seemed there was some other force lurking in the shadows too. Otherwise, how could the Nanzhao royal family alone have wiped out an entire people so thoroughly, and how could the survivors have managed to leave behind such a deeply hidden secret for later generations?
Could the author of Lishang be connected to her somehow?
She’d been an orphan in her past life, and she had no family in this one either—she’d always yearned for that familial bond, something even love could never fully replace.
Ziqing pondered deeply, while the Empress of Eastern Qin sat perfectly composed, waiting for good news from the Second Beast Young Master’s side. Once Jun Beiyue was eliminated and Wuzheng seized, she’d love to see whether Han Ziqing would still refuse to bow before her—with both Wuzheng and Han Ziqing in her grasp, Xuanyuan Lige surely wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation.
Aside from Yelu Qianqian, that simple-minded girl, still immersed in the sacred music, everyone else harbored their own private thoughts. Chu Feiyan had already lifted her head, unable to conceal the fury in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to pounce on Han Ziqing and tear her face to shreds with her own teeth.
Whether or not Chu Tiange succeeded, her own fate would end here regardless—all of it, thanks to Han Ziqing.
Still, she held herself back. Once something happened to Jun Beiyue, Han Ziqing would be left isolated and powerless, without Wuzheng in hand—the Empress of Eastern Qin certainly wouldn’t treat her kindly. Chu Tiange had promised her that once the deed was done, Han Ziqing would be handed over to her for a day, and then she would tear that face apart bite by bite, making her taste what it truly meant to wish for death.
Xuanyuan Zhaoxi’s thoughts were even more venomous. A cold smile perpetually curved at her lips—she believed the best solution would be to hand Han Ziqing over to Jun Beiyao. A sister-in-law remarrying her husband’s younger brother was perfectly ordinary, after all, and if Da Zhou’s emperor came under Jun Beiyao’s control, restoring the great Qin empire would only be a matter of time.
Every hidden blade in the room was pointed at Ziqing, and she was well aware of it. Still, she smiled faintly—she knew that while things remained calm on this side, the other side was surely about to erupt into chaos.
This bunch really didn’t know how to accept defeat, clinging on stubbornly. Coming after her was one thing, but daring to come after Jun Beiyue too—that was practically asking to die.
It seemed Jun Beiyue would end up “causing trouble” before she did. At this thought, Ziqing couldn’t help but smile—and just then, a sudden, thunderous “boom” rang out, as if something had been violently broken open!
Everyone turned to look at once, and even Yelu Qianqian was jolted awake. Behind them, part of a wall had somehow been violently blasted open.
Behind that wall lay a hidden cavern!
There was no scent of gunpowder, yet the force behind it was every bit as powerful.
A gleam of delight lit up Ziqing’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but curve her lips into a joyful smile—that was the Gu family’s internal energy, that was wind-blade technique. Jun Beiyue had “caused trouble” indeed!
“What’s going on!”
Yelu Qianqian was the first to jump to her feet, pulling Ziqing toward the cavern, but Consort Qin suddenly snapped sharply, “Stay where you are!”
To everyone’s surprise, before Ziqing could even speak, the Empress of Eastern Qin cut in first. “Consort Qin, something this serious has happened—surely we should go take a look, regardless.”
“Indeed, indeed! What if this whole cave collapses!” Xuanyuan Zhaoxi added anxiously, hurrying ahead of Yelu Qianqian.
Chu Feiyan followed close behind—surely the Second Beast Young Master had succeeded. That man’s skills really were quite something, managing to kick open a stone wall in a single blow!
Now, this promised to be quite the show!
Consort Qin had no way to stop them, hurrying to rise and follow along as well. Ziqing, however, held Yelu Qianqian back, staying put.
Seeing this, Chu Feiyan sneered. “Yelu Qianqian, weren’t you so eager just now? Come on, there’s quite a show to see!”
Yelu Qianqian wasn’t foolish. Seeing this, she actually took a step back instead, murmuring quietly, “Ziqing, what’s going on?”
Ziqing opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped herself, her mood unusually good. She feigned a look of worry, holding onto Qianqian’s arm. “Don’t go. It’s dangerous.”
“Oh my, so even Prince Yao’s consort has moments of fear! Don’t worry, don’t worry, you’re Nanzhao’s honored guest—this princess consort will make sure to take good… care of you!” Chu Feiyan, thoroughly carried away with herself, approached warmly, reaching for Ziqing’s hand.