Chapter 118: Is It Really the First Time?

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Is It Really the First Time?

Everyone finished packing and set off on their journey back. It was only just noon. Lin Siheng was tossed into the back of the carriage carrying their hunted prey, while Lu Yuan rode his horse alongside Lin Siyao’s carriage.

"Who is that guy?" Chang Xiu asked, pointing at Lu Yuan with her riding crop as she rode alongside Mu Lingche. She knew everyone here except for him. Was he from the Lin Family? Judging by his attire, he didn’t look like a servant, and he seemed quite close to Lin Siyao and her brother.

"Lin Siyao’s fiancé," Mu Lingche answered. At first, he had assumed they were just childhood sweethearts, until he heard Lin Siheng treat the man like his future brother-in-law.

"Her fiancé?" Chang Xiu’s eyes lit up, her interest immediately piqued. "Isn’t the Lin Family supposed to be really powerful? Madam Lin is even the true disciple of the Sect Leader of the Southwest Cyan Nether Sword Sect. What’s so special about Lin Siyao’s fiancé? Is he very strong?"

"His Archery Skill is exceptional," Mu Lingche said after a moment of thought. It was the only thing he somewhat admired about the man, as Lu Yuan had mastered it in less than ten days. "He is also skilled with Dual Blades..."

"Archery Skill? Dual Blades?" Chang Xiu shook her head. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She wanted to know about his innate talent, his aptitude, and his future potential. Archery Skill and Saber Technique were things that could be honed over time with hard work. Cultivation was the true foundation. If his Cultivation was lacking, everything else would amount to nothing.

"What is his Cultivation? What kind of talent and Root Bone does he have?" she pressed.

"High Tier Eighth Grade, and a medium-grade Root Bone," Mu Lingche replied. Based on his observations, the man’s Root Bone was likely average.

"Only a medium-grade Root Bone?" Chang Xiu instantly lost interest. Without an Upper Class Root Bone, his future potential was limited; he wasn’t even worthy of her attention. In top-tier noble families, only those with an Upper Class Root Bone—or some special innate talent—were valued and given priority nurturing. As for his Cultivation, High Tier Eighth Grade wasn’t low, but it had to be weighed against his age, the resources he regularly consumed, and the Pills he took. That Lu Yuan didn’t look any younger than Lingche. If he had an ample supply of Pills, reaching High Tier Eighth Grade was nothing special.

"However, given how fragile Sister Lin is, the two of them are quite a match. Hehe."

Mu Lingche shot Chang Xiu a speechless glance. This brainless woman never paid attention to what actually mattered, yet she constantly obsessed over useless things. Was the Profound Yin Body just some ordinary physique? There were very few constitutions in the world that could surpass it. She herself only had a regular Upper Class Root Bone, making it difficult for her to even reach the Fourth Grade in the future... Of course, he wasn’t going to point that out. A person like Chang Xiu wouldn’t listen anyway.

The group soon returned to the Jade Capital and went their separate ways. At the entrance of the Lin Family residence, Lu Yuan helped Lin Siyao down from the carriage, retrieved his three sabers and bow, and settled the bill. The driver then took the carriage away.

"Wait for me, I’ll be right over," Lu Yuan said, giving Lin Siyao’s hand a gentle squeeze.

"Okay," Lin Siyao nodded softly, leading her brother, Lin Siheng, into the courtyard.

SWOOSH.

Lu Yuan quickly hurried to his own house. He set down his weapons, did a bit of tidying up, and then...

"You, get out! Why do you stink so much?" The disgusted voice of his future mother-in-law, Song Yumeng, drifted over from next door.

"Stink? Where do I stink?" Lin Siheng immediately retorted. He was clearly oblivious to his own state, his nose having long since gone numb to the smell.

"Get out! Get out right now! Take off those clothes and throw them away! Go wash yourself clean with water! Hurry up!"

"I’m not going out!"

SMACK! SMACK!

"Ah! Ah! Mother, why are you hitting me? Why are you hitting me?"

Soon, the sound of a ’loving’ mother disciplining her son echoed from next door.

Lu Yuan quickly took a bath and changed his clothes, waiting until the commotion next door died down before walking over.

"Brother Yuan," Lin Siyao greeted him. She was already prepared. A stand had been set up in the courtyard, along with a zither and two stools. Naturally, moving the stools was a job reserved solely for Lin Siheng. The boy was resilient; a little beating wouldn’t break him.

"Brother Yuan, I’ll teach you the Fingering Technique first," Lin Siyao said, brimming with enthusiasm as this was her first time teaching someone.

"Alright," Lu Yuan agreed, listening and learning patiently. Even though he possessed the Sound Dao prodigy talent and had an innate understanding of basic music, there was no harm in earnestly listening to Lin Siyao’s instruction. Her soft, gentle voice was incredibly pleasant to the ear, far more moving than any melody.

"Try it yourself," Lin Siyao said, making some room for him.

"Okay." Lu Yuan shimmied over. The most important aspect of cultivating the Martial Dao was control! Controlling oneself, controlling one’s surroundings, and controlling heaven and earth! Reaching perfection in Basic Martial Arts generally allowed one to completely control their own body. Reaching perfection in a Superior Technique allowed for complete control over Gang Qi and Blood. Therefore, Lu Yuan faced no hurdles whatsoever when playing the zither; he only needed to pay attention to one thing: his applied force.

PLUCK PLUCK PLUCK.

Lu Yuan’s ten fingers danced continuously, and the sound of the zither quickly flowed from the strings. Once he calibrated his force the first time, there were no subsequent issues; his playing was exceptionally precise, without the slightest margin of error.

Lin Siyao’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Brother Yuan, you are very talented." She wondered why she had never noticed this before.

"I’m alright," Lu Yuan replied modestly. He practiced simply for a short while.

"Play a complete song for me," Lu Yuan requested.

"Alright, then I’ll play the Spring Snow Melody," Lin Siyao replied. She seated herself properly, calmed her mind, and then her jade-like fingers began to dance.

PLUCK PLUCK PLUCK.

Instantly, a beautiful, clear, and resonant melody drifted out, quickly drawing listeners into a gorgeous artistic conception of a warm spring sun and the revival of all living things. Even someone who knew nothing about zither music would find it beautiful, become engrossed in it, and then suddenly awaken to praise the performance. However, Lu Yuan was now a Sound Dao prodigy, so...

[Congratulations to the host for gaining an epiphany through listening to music. Reward: 100 Experience Points...]

[Congratulations to the host for gaining an epiphany through listening to music. Reward: 100 Experience Points...]

[Congratulations to the host for gaining an epiphany through listening to music. Reward: 100 Experience Points...]

He had actually gained an epiphany in Martial Dao experience just from sound waves. He truly was a prodigy!

It wasn’t long before the song ended. Lu Yuan kept his eyes closed for a moment longer before opening them. "Great song. Very nice."

"How much did you memorize just now, Brother Yuan?" Lin Siyao asked with a smile.

"About eighty or ninety percent," Lu Yuan said, reaching his hand out. "Give me the zither."

"Eighty or ninety percent? Really?" Lin Siyao was astonished. If he remembered eighty or ninety percent, that meant he had memorized almost the entire piece. Being able to memorize everything after just one listen was a feat reserved only for peerless geniuses of the Music Dao. She found it a little hard to believe.

"Mhm," Lu Yuan hummed in confirmation.

Lin Siyao pushed the zither over to him.

Lu Yuan rested his ten fingers on the instrument and gave a gentle pluck...

PLUCK PLUCK PLUCK.

The sound of the zither rang out. His posture was beautiful, the tone was beautiful, the melody was beautiful, and the artistic conception was flawless. Everything was absolutely perfect.

Lin Siyao fell into a daze. It was as if the person sitting in front of her wasn’t her Brother Yuan, who constantly practiced martial arts and loved to playfully tease her, but rather a refined scholar who had grown up loving the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, steeped in years of academic study. The transformation was so drastic that she could hardly believe it. Was it truly his first time playing?

Song Yumeng had appeared in the doorway at some unknown point, her eyes flickering continuously as she watched Lu Yuan. This boy was changing more and more. How could he have transformed so drastically? Did he actually have a talent for the Zither Dao? Had he experienced a sudden enlightenment? He hadn’t been secretly replaced by someone else, had he?

HUMMMM.

The song came to an end, and Lu Yuan withdrew his hands.

CLAP CLAP CLAP.

Lin Siyao applauded enthusiastically. "Bravo! That was wonderful! You played so beautifully, Brother Yuan!"

"Not bad," Song Yumeng remarked, walking over as well. "Did you learn from someone before? Or have you been secretly practicing hard? How did you suddenly become so good at playing?"