Chapter 27: To Go or Not to Go!
After the junior sisters left, the second round of the Talents Assembly had already begun.
As initially stated, this round’s competition involved musical instruments.
There were now only about a dozen young masters remaining in Jiangyue Building.
However, they were all vexed by one problem: how could they compete without musical instruments?
Yan Ruyu clearly noticed this issue and instructed her maidservants to bring out the instruments from the pavilion one by one.
Pipa, erhu, bianzhong, xiao, flute, se, qin, xun, sheng, and drums—they had everything.
“Young Masters may use any of these instruments to perform according to what you have learned,” the maidservant said, handing out numbered tokens to them.
Lin Mo looked at his number. He was last.
But there was something that annoyed him even more.
It was that his ‘instrument’ ability was indeed at ‘rank 7’, and he felt a sense of familiarity when looking at the different instruments, as if he could play them skillfully just by touching them.
The problem lay in the ‘music’.
In his past life, he knew nothing about music; he had no sheet music in his mind.
What use was skill without sheet music?
It seemed he could only ask the System.
“System, do you sell sheet music?”
[This System’s lottery prizes are all-encompassing, as long as you have the ability to win them!]
“Lottery? Can’t you just sell it?”
[No, this System does not have a mall function. Therefore, Host can lock the lottery content to ‘sheet music,’ but what song you draw depends on your fortune.]
(╯`皿´)╯ The System’s functions were sometimes truly useless.
Lin Mo was speechless, yet helpless.
The competition was already underway. The other young masters knew a little about instruments, but their skill levels varied. Only Nangong Xu was truly skilled at playing the xiao.
After his performance, the surrounding young masters praised him enthusiastically.
“Remarkable! It seems the top talent of this competition will undoubtedly be Young Master Nangong.”
“Alas, it’s a pity that only Young Master Nangong’s talent and aptitude can match this hostess.”
…
A bunch of sycophants. Lin Mo rolled his eyes.
After learning Nangong Xu’s true identity, the cultivators here intentionally or unintentionally tried to get closer to him. Only Lin Mo stood aside by himself.
Seeing that the young masters ahead had consecutively performed with their chosen instruments, Lin Mo initiated the System lottery.
He locked the prize to ‘sheet music.’
[Ding, congratulations to Host for obtaining the ‘Counting Ducks’ sheet music, universal version.]
[Ding, congratulations to Host for obtaining the ‘Leek Folding Song’ drum version.]
[Ding, congratulations to Host for obtaining the ‘Shamate Meets Barber’ erhu version.]
[Ding, congratulations to Host for obtaining the ‘Land of Ultimate Bliss’ erhu version.]
[Ding, congratulations to Host for obtaining the ‘Love Like Fire’ qin version.]
[Ding, congratulations to Host for obtaining the ‘Good Luck Comes’ flute version.]
…
???
What was all this?!
Lin Mo was going crazy. Why were they all accompaniments to modern songs?
Even nursery rhymes were included?
And ‘Love Like Fire’, System, you’re quite something, even giving me this.
Were there no more fitting ancient-style songs?
As his ten-draw was about to end, Lin Mo finally saw a very decent ‘sheet music.’
Just as he was about to show off his ‘rank 7’ instrument ability granted by the System, the maidservant announced loudly from the third floor, “Alright, young masters, the competition has concluded.”
Lin Mo was filled with questions. It ended before he could even perform?
His mood was like Uncle Da’s famous line: “I haven’t even gotten on the bus yet.”
The other young masters obviously noticed that Lin Mo hadn’t performed, but they paid it no mind, eager to know the competition results.
Nangong Xu appeared very confident. He believed his xiao playing was top-notch, and the piece he chose was a beautiful, cheerful, and difficult one. His performance was nearly perfect. He was confident he would be the champion of this Talents Assembly.
Just as everyone was waiting for the results, the maidservant said, “Young Masters who performed earlier may leave. The hostess has judged you all to be unqualified.”
Everyone was stunned.
Lin Mo was also stunned.
Did this mean that he, who hadn’t performed, didn’t need to leave?
Was there such good fortune?
At this moment, someone pointed at Lin Mo and asked, “What about him? He didn’t perform. Is he staying or going?”
This time, it wasn’t the maidservant who spoke, but Yan Ruyu: “This is not for you young masters to concern yourselves with.”
“What do you mean, ‘not for us to concern ourselves with’? We traveled a long distance to Daliang City to compete, and now you give us such an unclear result. Can we accept this?”
“That’s right! I admit my instrument skills aren’t great, but is this treatment from you, hostess, equivalent to toying with us?”
“I believe the best candidate for this round’s result is Young Master Nangong. We don’t care, but you owe him an answer.”
After the last person spoke, everyone else began to chime in. They all knew in their hearts that Nangong Xu’s performance was indeed better than theirs. Besides, since they had no hope of becoming the champion, they might as well use this opportunity to forge a good relationship with Nangong Xu and fulfill his wish.
Nangong Xu’s face showed a hint of smugness.
Yan Ruyu smiled and said, “The answer is my word.”
With that, a terrifying oppressive aura swept towards everyone.
The people who had spoken were instantly immobilized.
This included Nangong Xu, the only Golden Core cultivator present, and a Rank 7 Golden Core at that. He practiced a high-grade ‘low-tier’ Cultivation Technique. Facing Yan Ruyu’s aura, he felt an irresistible pressure.
Everyone looked at Yan Ruyu with a newfound awe and fear.
Only Lin Mo, who had known from the beginning that Yan Ruyu was no ordinary person, was not overly surprised.
However, to his surprise, Yan Ruyu’s aura did not seem to be directed at him.
What was going on?
Since the competition was over, Lin Mo didn’t intend to stay.
Just as everyone was marveling at the terrifying power of the Jiangyue Building hostess, an untimely voice rang out.
“Since the competition has ended, I shall take my leave!” Lin Mo bowed respectfully with clasped fists and prepared to slip away.
‘Why is he fine?’ everyone thought, looking at Lin Mo.
Nangong Xu frowned. He could see that Lin Mo was only at the Foundation stage. To be able to move freely now meant that the Jiangyue Building hostess was not targeting him.
“Young Master, please stay!” Yan Ruyu called out softly.
Hearing this, Lin Mo quickened his pace. When things seem too good to be true, it’s time to run.
Watching Lin Mo speed away, Yan Ruyu was silent for a moment, then beckoned with her finger. An invisible force pulled Lin Mo back.
“Did Young Master not hear me?” Yan Ruyu frowned.
“Ah, what did Miss say? I suffer from an ear condition and have had poor hearing since I was young.” Patting his ear, Lin Mo sighed theatrically.
“So that’s how it is. I just had a gu insect enter my ear—it can perfectly cure this ear ailment.”
“That’s unnecessary!” At this, Lin Mo straightened up. “My ear problem comes and goes quickly!”
“That’s good then. My gu insect is dormant right now anyway.” Yan Ruyu smiled. How could she not see that Lin Mo was trying to avoid her? The ‘gu insect’ was just something she made up.
Lin Mo clearly saw through this and felt both amused and helpless inside, not understanding why she was keeping him.
Could it be that she fancied his dashing and handsome appearance?
“Does Young Master not wish to spend a pleasant evening with me?”
So direct?
She really fancied him!
Lin Mo said without hesitation, “I do!”
He was no fool. If he answered no, it might displease her, and what if she decided to… get rid of him?
But answering too directly was also not ideal.
So he continued, “However, I know I am unworthy. Miss is like a white lotus in a pool, emerging from the mud unstained, clear and pure without being seductive. Just to behold you from afar is enough!”
Hearing this, the other young masters at the Talents Assembly, who were also talented, couldn’t help but praise Lin Mo’s cleverness.
Yan Ruyu also did not expect someone to compare her to a white lotus. She was now truly curious about what Lin Mo had written in the first competition.
She beckoned with her finger again, and the paper from the first round floated into her hand. Seeing the poem on it, her eyes gleamed, and she couldn’t help but read aloud: “Your clothes mirror the clouds, your face the flowers so bright; Spring breeze caresses the balustrade, dew beads shine with light.”
Seeing Yan Ruyu’s expression upon seeing his work, a thought arose in his mind. Could it be that in the first round, the hostess had passed him without even looking at his work?
Lin Mo hadn’t worried about failing the first round before, after all, it was the immortal poet Li Bai’s superb description of Yang Guifei!
But he truly hadn’t expected to be passed without even being looked at.
Could he really be treated like this?
Was she really taken by his appearance?
Could it be that a freebie was actually happening to him…
“Young Master, it seemed you intended to perform at the end?” Yan Ruyu’s favor towards Lin Mo deepened.
“I originally did, but Miss said the competition was over…” Lin Mo was also speechless. He had spent two thousand Regret points to draw for sheet music, aiming to win this competition, only to have this result.
That was two thousand Regret points!
It was a huge loss.
“Then Young Master, you can perform now!”
What…
What exactly did she mean by this?
If you fancy me, I’ll go with you, why make things so complicated?
Lin Mo was speechless, and the others were even more so. They could all see that the Jiangyue Building hostess clearly had feelings for Lin Mo. Since she was already giving him special treatment, why was she acting so unnecessarily now?
Nangong Xu also cast a look of displeasure at Lin Mo. This person’s Cultivation Level and appearance were inferior to his. He truly couldn’t understand what the Jiangyue Building hostess saw in him.
Lin Mo went on stage decisively, picked up a flute, and began to play. He performed the piece ‘Scattered Red.’ The entire piece evoked a mood of sorrow and melancholy, with emotions twisting and turning, as if words were about to be spoken but tears had already fallen.
In his past life, Lin Mo also loved this piece. As he played, even he was drawn into the music. The flute’s melody was desolate and lonely, like a thousand-year longing, and the performer’s state was completely immersed, as if waiting for someone who would never come…
The flute melody stopped, the performance ended, and the ladies in Jiangyue Building couldn’t help but shed tears. The young masters who had initially supported Nangong Xu were now silent.
There wasn’t a significant difference between the xiao and the flute; the skill levels of the two were clearly distinguishable. Besides poetry, Lin Mo had also dominated the instrument competition.
At some point, Yan Ruyu had disappeared.
The maidservant came to Lin Mo’s side, looking at him with admiration. “Young Master Lin, you have won the championship of this Talents Assembly. The hostess is waiting for you in the private room on the third floor.”
Uh…
Lin Mo was now faced with two choices: to go or not to go.
