C12 Innate Seventh Level

Reflecting on this, he quickly gestured with his hand, "I'm willing to teach you the piece, but you must promise not to play it in front of my father. It's a novel experiment, and not everyone might be receptive. If my father finds it intriguing, that's one thing. But if he's in a foul mood and it provokes his wrath, the consequences would be severe."

Chunwan, having been in the palace for quite some time, had become quite astute. Grasping the implications of Qin Xuan's words, she agreed, "Absolutely, Your Highness. We mustn't play this piece before the Emperor!"

Seeing their earnestness, Yanyu had no choice but to agree, "Very well, I will heed Your Highness's advice."

Qin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, "In that case, if there's anyone else who wants to learn, let's all learn together!"

He was in high spirits that day, and teaching one person was the same as teaching a group. Besides, basking in the adoration of so many beautiful women wasn't too shabby.

At his invitation, numerous musicians approached with their instruments, but with Chunwan, the chief musician, present, they hesitated to speak up.

Chunwan, however, shared Yanyu's sentiment. Such a beautiful composition shouldn't be wasted. It wasn't every day that His Highness was willing to share such a treasured melody. To not seize this opportunity would be foolish.

Casting aside any pretense of modesty, she instructed a young palace maid to fetch her zither and secured the prime spot.

The rest followed suit, and before long, they had encircled Qin Xuan.

What does it mean to be the star of the show, the focus of everyone's attention?

This was it!

Qin Xuan felt like a dazzling celebrity, encircled by his adoring fans. This sense of achievement was incomparable to the burdens of an emperor.

"Let's begin!" he announced.

He rolled up his sleeves and extended his hand, his slender fingers gracefully touching the zither strings. With a gentle pluck, he seemed to be stirring the hearts of all the beauties around him.

"The essence of the Wyrmflight Dance boils down to one thing: 'enthusiasm'! To captivate the audience, the musician must first be brimming with enthusiasm, then channel that energy into the zither's melody. Only then can the audience truly connect with the performance..."

As his words trailed off, his fingers danced across the zither strings, inspiring the other musicians to follow suit. In a flash, the Melody House was filled with music so powerful it seemed to shake the heavens, creating an incredibly festive atmosphere.

Butterflies are drawn to flowers, and flowers to butterflies, in an endless, entwined dance, oblivious to the passage of time.

Qin Xuan had always been fond of beautiful women, and today, surrounded by so many, he was even more thrilled than if he were wandering through a garden of blossoms!

Had it not been for the late hour and the musicians' need for rest and meals, he would have been loath to leave the Melody House!

As he walked, he hummed a cheerful tune, feeling more content than he had in ages. If he had known the Melody House was this delightful, why would he ever have thought to venture elsewhere?

Squirt, trotting alongside him, occasionally lifted his sleeve to his nose, chuckling with simple joy. "Your Highness, Miss Ruyan's scent is really lovely."

"Do you fancy Miss Ruyan?" Qin Xuan asked, one eyebrow arching playfully.

The sound of stifled giggles came from the group of maids trailing behind.

"No... Not at all!" Squirt protested, his hands flailing and his cheeks flushing. "You've always said that everyone appreciates beauty. I just think Miss Ruyan is like a goddess, deserving of admiration and reverence... Please don't misunderstand!"

"Who is Miss Ruyan?"

The cool, detached voice startled everyone.

Looking up, they saw Wu Ji, who had appeared unnoticed.

Bathed in the moonlight, her tall, proud figure exuded a striking, heroic presence.

Squirt, visibly shaken, stammered, "She's... She's the courtesan of Sky-Kissed..."

Wu Ji's expression turned stern, her piercing gaze fixing on Qin Xuan like a drawn sword. "Have you been sneaking out of the palace again?"

"Of course not!" Qin Xuan protested, his face a picture of innocence. "With all those eyes watching us, I'd hardly be able to slip away."

"Oh? So where have you all returned from?"

"Your Highness, we've just been to the Melody House! Miss Ruyan was at the palace today in her capacity as a musician. I happened to run into you on the way, so..."

Squirt was still buzzing with excitement, blissfully unaware of the terrifying look in Wu Ji's eyes.

Qin Xuan, on the receiving end of Wu Ji's intense stare, felt like the primary victim, his nerves so rattled that he kicked Squirt hard. "I'm starving. Get a move on and prepare dinner!"

Squirt, taken aback by the kick and clueless about the reason, scrambled to his feet and hurried off to the dining hall.

The other young maids sensed the tension and quickly dispersed, leaving Qin Xuan alone to bear the brunt of Wu Ji's silent fury.

Whoosh~

A chilly breeze swept through the night, making Qin Xuan huddle up as he felt the cold.

How could a summer wind be so chilling?

"Um... have you had your dinner yet? Maybe we could eat together..."

"Did you enjoy yourself today, Your Highness?"

Wu Ji cut him off abruptly with her question.

Qin Xuan shuddered, "Cough, it was fine. It's just that my hands are a bit sore from playing the zither too much..."

Whoosh!

A dazzling flash of white light zipped by, bringing a chill with it!

Qin Xuan instinctively dodged, but the force of the sword qi still made him stagger.

Before he could regain his balance, a dull thud resonated from the pillar behind him, accompanied by a faint buzzing in his ears!

Had he not moved quickly, the sword would have cleaved his forehead!

"My dear, are you trying to murder your own husband?" he exclaimed, heart still racing.

Wu Ji huffed, "If I truly wished to end your life, do you think you'd still be here?"

With that realization, Qin Xuan understood that the sword thrust was merely a probe, or perhaps a warning. She had aimed for the pillar all along, and his evasion was not by sheer luck!

What was this woman trying to convey?

Wu Ji extended her hand, and with a swift motion, the sword that had been lodged in the pillar flew back to her grip!

She then slid the sword into its scabbard with an elegant, decisive movement.

"I only exerted 30% of my strength with that strike, and you couldn't even defend against it. How do you expect to stand a chance against Yu Lin?"

It was a test all along!

Qin Xuan's anxiety slowly subsided. "I was caught off guard. It'll be different when we're actually on stage, with the adrenaline and all..."

"But he'll be facing you with the intent to kill! And..." Her gaze grew darker, "he's concealing his true power."

Qin Xuan was taken aback. "Isn't he at the Innate fifth level?"

Wu Ji's face grew increasingly grave, her concern for Qin Xuan's well-being evident. "I've just learned that his power is at least above the Innate seventh level."

"The Innate seventh level..." Qin Xuan's brow furrowed. How had this possibility eluded him?

If he could mask his power level, so could others.

He had assumed that someone like Yu Lin, who was boastful and prideful, would claim to be at the Innate fifth level if he were actually at the fourth level, never hiding his true strength. It seemed he had been too naive.