"You know its origin?"
Luo Xin's breath hitched. A flush of excitement bloomed on her flawless cheeks. Her captivating eyes locked onto Ye Fan, brimming with anticipation. The crowd stirred restlessly.
Ye Fan smiled. "What I know… comes from a friend."
As he spoke, his spiritual energy vibrated imperceptibly, etching words directly into Beigong Qingtian's palm:
Ten million taels of gold. I'll credit you.
Beigong Qingtian's face remained impassible. His own energy vibrated a reply:
Ten million? Highway robbery!
Five million.
One million.
Deal!!
Ye Fan's instant acceptance stunned Beigong Qingtian. Damn! Should've gone lower! Regret washed over him—until he pictured Luo Xin's first night. A million? Worth it.
"The Third Prince shared this with me," Ye Fan announced clearly.
All eyes turned to Beigong Qingtian. He offered a modest salute, masking his unease.
"This is the Jasper Pool Immortal Melody," Ye Fan continued. "Not mere music. It is a high-grade Earth Tier battle art—a core legacy of the ancient Jasper Pool Sect from the Central Spirit Realm. Master its full melody, channel your spiritual force… and it kills without a sound."
He paused, letting the weight sink in. "Its creator was the Drifting Cloud Scholar. He loved Yao Ling, the Jasper Pool Sect's founding matriarch. But his low talent… barred him from her."
"Her master orchestrated his 'accidental' death—cast him into the Suppressing Heaven Abyss. Yet, he survived. Thirty years of solitary cultivation later… he emerged."
"Only to find…"
"Find what?" Luo Xin pressed. The audience leaned forward, enthralled by Ye Fan's storytelling.
"Only to find time had washed everything away." Ye Fan's voice held a tinge of bitterness. "Human feelings? Vows spoken? Dust in the wind. Within those thirty years… Yao Ling had wed another—arranged by that very master."
He shook his head, a personal shadow crossing his eyes. Thirty years… Tang Ling betrayed me faster.
"Thirty years is a third of a commoner's life! Hardly 'only'!" a pedantic voice interjected.
"For the weak? True." Ye Fan's tone turned icy. "For true powerhouses? A single seclusion may span longer. Yao Ling's talent made her a prodigy of the Central Spirit Realm. Founding a sect? Thirty years isn't 'only'… it's merely thirty years."
"Ha! First time hearing a brothel patron preach undying love!" someone sneered.
Beigong Xue scoffed inwardly. Hypocrite! Judging Yao Ling while pretending to be some tragic hero.
"Young master, what happened next?" Luo Xin urged, ignoring the mockery.
"Heartbroken, the Drifting Cloud Scholar vanished. He spent his life composing this melody—Jasper Pool Immortal Melody, or Fleeting Life Like Dreams. Years later, Yao Ling heard it… felt its sorrow. She sought the creator… and found his grave."
"Only a stone remained. Carved with his longing… his memories of her."
"Devastated, Yao Ling uncovered the truth—her master and her husband had plotted his doom. Consumed by regret, she renounced her sect. Founded the Jasper Pool Sect. Renamed the melody… enshrined it as their core art."
Ye Fan fell silent, his gaze shifting meaningfully to Beigong Qingtian. Don't forget the million.
"Such devotion…" Luo Xin murmured, cradling the zither. "No wonder its sorrow pierces. Did Yao Ling… slay them? Her master? Her husband?"
"Had she done so, I'd respect her." Ye Fan's laugh was cold. "**The Drifting Cloud Scholar? A pitiful fool. Loving hearts always meet heartless souls."
"That's unfair!" Luo Xin countered sharply. "One was her husband! One like a parent! Could she truly raise her hand? She did rebel! Founded her own path! Preserved his song!"
"For him?" Ye Fan's retort was brutal. "Or to seize a high-grade Earth Tier art?"
"How dare you presume her heart?" Luo Xin's voice tightened. "A sect-founder, a powerhouse… would she covet one technique? I believe her grief was real!"
A disdainful smirk touched Ye Fan's lips. He sat, sipping tea. A million gold secured. My goal's met. Luo Xin's favor? Utterly irrelevant.
His indifference stung Luo Xin. That scorn… feels meant for me.
Beigong Xue, however, reassessed Ye Fan. His words… echo my own doubts. If Yao Ling truly loved the scholar, why marry another in just thirty years?
Cultivators lived long lives! At the Nascent Soul stage, one shed mortality—lifespans stretched over a millennium. Thirty years? Like three to a commoner.
Plus… I watched them. Her eyes narrowed. Beigong Qingtian never knew this tale. Those hidden hand-signals… a deal was struck.
I thought he came for her… She glanced at Luo Xin. But he ignores her. Is he… not a lecher?
Unless… Her stomach lurched. He wants Li Xiangyu?
Ugh! That's not lechery—that's depravity!
"The Third Prince's knowledge astounds me," Luo Xin suddenly declared, bowing gracefully toward Beigong Qingtian. Her eyes, however, flickered to Ye Fan. Will this indifference crack?
Beigong Qingtian beamed.
"His generosity… sharing such lore…" Her voice turned pointed. "Unlike some… who borrow others' wisdom… just to bask in the spotlight."
She watched Ye Fan, waiting for a reaction. Ignore me? It's an insult! A denial of my allure!
Ye Fan sighed inwardly. You asked. I answered. I credited him. What's the issue?
The ancient sage Kong Ru Great Ascension was right:
"Only women and petty men are hard to nurture."