Chapter 35 – Who Wins and Who Loses
It was a killing weapon!
Ouyang Shaochen’s eyes turned icy. He held the teacup, a blade of ice formed and floated to the surface of the tea. He had prepared it to save Murong Xue.
Unexpectedly, Murong Xue saw it coming. She hugged her Yangqin and swiftly turned into her body the nick of time to evade the ominous energy.
“Vong!” the energy struck the wall and splinters of wood exploded out of it.
As a result, long, thin marks were etched onto the wall. It had exposed the cement behind the wall.
The crowd gasped as they saw the deep markings left behind.
Murong Xue had escaped, unhurt. There was a tinge of amusement in Ouyang Shaochen’s eyes. He loosened his grip on his teacup and the ice blade turned into harmless tea water.
Using the Yangqin as a murder weapon, Qin Yuyuan’s skills were truly staggering. If that had hit her own arm, it would have splintered the flesh to the bone, making her unable to play any longer.
Since she couldn’t outplay her, she sent a weapon spiraling towards her. She had used such a despicable tactic to win...I won’t treat her with courtesy any longer!
Murong Xue’s mouth curved to reveal a sneer. She placed her hand on her Yangqin and lightly plucked. The melodious music drifted, a note was fling towards Qin Yuyuan. In it, a sinister weapon was hidden.
“Thunk!” the weapon met another note drifting and coincided! It disappeared but the musical note reflected towards the Meixiang private room.
Qin Yuyuan squinted, gazing intently and saw that the musical note was held at the strings of Murong Xue’s Yangqin. That same note repelled hers but it also went back to her Yangqin.
She knew that the strings had certain elasticity. But the most skilled players could only fling a note half a meter across. The two private rooms were 8 to 9 meters apart; the repellence was met in the middle of the two rooms. The note was flung at least 4 to 5 meters across! Murong Xue was no simpleton.
She hadn’t met such a strong opponent in a long time; inside, she was boiling with excitement!
Qin Yuyuan’s mouth tilted, it revealed a half-smile. Her slender fingers swiftly glided across the Yangqin, streaming out music but at the same time, daggers of malignant energy were strung out, mercilessly aiming at Murong Xue.
Murong Xue raised both her brows, her fingers glided across faster on her Yangqin, making it pour out fleeting music, blades of energy gathered within the strings. She then tossed it across to Qin Yuyuan!
“Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!” the notes and the energy clashed and coincided together in midair, slicing through walls, railings, wooden doors, banisters, making it rain splinters of wood and dust. Some of which ricocheted into the dining hall.
The ones in the dining hall had left their seats but did not leave the restaurant. They ran and hid at the foot of the wall. With eyes gleaming with excitement, they craned their necks to try to witness the event.
In the air, rhythmic music drifted, but in the front lines, blades of ominous energy were at war. This competition of music playing and fighting was a rare and fascinating scene to behold. Even if it was the end of the world, one mustn’t miss it!
Qin Yuyuan gently stroked the strings, soothing music came streaming out. The crowd became captivated but then grieved at the sound of it too.
Sinister blades of energy came jetting out with the flow of music. The first few blades came in loose order, the rest came one after another with dizzying speed.
Murong Xue quickened her pace in playing, the notes became higher and more compelling, bringing a powerful emanation into the air.....
The notes, hovered in mid-air as if dancing, were actually almost as fast as light. The crowd couldn’t even see how many strokes there were. The notes continued its dance as the energy repelled each other again and again. However, they were slowly getting closer towards Qin Yuyuan.....
The tune was almost at its end when Murong Xue heightened her playing, her playing got faster and faster. Without toleration, Qin Yuyuan glared at her and did the same. She launched a blinding white light towards Murong Xue......
Qin Yuyuan has already prepared to launch her ultimate weapon! Despicable!
Is that stream of white light a silver needle or a dagger..?
No matter, it doesn’t matter; Qin Yuyuan wants to win doesn’t she? She will never let her!
Murong Xue’s gaze turned icy, her hand made a sudden stroke and a note was sent flying directly at that blinding light. The light was deflected so fast that the crowd couldn’t quite get a glimpse of it.
With blinding speed, it sliced through the Jiaowei Yangqin!
“Twang! Twang! Twang!” the strings of the Jiaowei Yangqin were sliced clean!
“Vong!” the drifting energy that broke the strings returned to Murong Xue’s Yangqin. Its lengthy tail drifted in the air for a moment before returning.
With that, Murong Xue ended the tune!
Gazing at the Lanxiang private room, she saw Qin Yuyuan sitting stoned-faced. Her slender hands were still in mid-air. She was staring at her Jiaowei Yangqin. The strings had all been sliced-through and were scattered on her Jiaowei Yangqin. She didn’t even get to finish the last few notes of the tune and she will never be able to do it now.....
Yueyang Restaurant became hushed. The crowds were looking at one another, astonished: This was the competition between the future queen of Qinyang and the first wife-to-be of Prince Jing, it was incredible!
Suddenly someone in the crowd shouted, “Incredible!”, and the other customers returned to their senses started shouting praises too. Yueyang Restaurant was in a frenzy, their shouts and cheers shook the heavens.......
They gathered together in groups and started debating among themselves: “This competition, who won? Who lost?”
“Needless to say, Princess Qin lost and Miss Murong won......”
“You’re right, Princess Qin’s playing was excellent and her skills were better than Miss Murong.
“However, Princess Qin’s playing was turned barely audible by Miss Murong and she didn’t even finish the last few notes, of course she lost..... ”
Murong Xue smiled while looking at Qin Yuyuan: “Princess Qin, do you have any objection regarding the result of this competition?”
Most of the customers in Yueyang Restaurant were people who do not play the Yangqin, but there were some of noble background who did. The result was evaluated by them. How could she object?
“No!” Qin Yuyuan replied with a gentle voice though there was a measure of resistance in it.
“Well, then your JiaoWei Yangqin belongs to me now!” Murong Xue said as she navigated through the crowd.
Gracefully, she walked towards Qin Yuyuan and flauntingly hugged her newly-owned Jiaowei Yangqin.
She smiled and said, “Thank you Princess Qin!”
Qin Yuyuan go livid inside. Under her long sleeve, her hand curled into a fist: She was the desert’s goddess of music, how could she lose in playing Yangqin, moreover, to Murong Xue who possessed an average skill! It was humiliating.......
“Princess Qin, are you reluctant to give away your Jiaowei Yangqin?” Murong Xue asked, looking at her with her innocent eyes.
In Qin Yuyuan eyes, she saw a deep hatred boiling.
That Jiaowei Yangqin was hers; of course she was reluctant to give it away. But Murong Xue had won in front of a public crowd, if she had said she was, it would’ve meant that she had cowardly backed out of the deal made initially. The citizens of Qingyan city would despise and ridicule her for not keeping her promise...........