Daishan Turns The Wind Chapter 8

The Zither Player Case (I)

Zishu City, Illusion Moon Pavilion.

Four of the six floors were packed with people, and the main hall was completely full, a cacophony of noise.

The young servants occasionally responded to customer requests with a hurried “Coming!”, but they couldn’t attend to everyone. They rushed past, carrying tea and snacks, their feet barely touching the ground as they hurried to the next customer.

Fortunately, everyone today was anticipating something more exciting and didn’t mind these minor details.

They whispered excitedly, unable to contain their anticipation, sitting down only to stand up again, as if their stools were on fire, sweating profusely from the urgency.

This was all because the zither player scheduled to perform was Gan Youyou.

A young genius with magical hands on the zither, he usually performed on the third day of every month. This month marked his twentieth birthday and also celebrated his three years of performing. He had prepared fourteen new pieces, to be played over seven consecutive days, making it a grand event in Zishu City.

This was already the fourth day, and the popularity remained explosive. Many more people outside hadn’t managed to squeeze in and could only wait for tomorrow or the day after.

But today seemed to have an unexpected delay. The guests waited for a while, and Gan Youyou still hadn’t appeared. The crowd grew restless, craning their necks and muttering about what was happening.

The waiter, Kang Xiaole, holding a tray in his left hand and a teapot in his right, squeezed through the crowd, nervously muttering, “Careful, careful,” and “Don’t bump, don’t bump.” Ahead of him appeared a person guarded by several attendants, with a stern face and expensive clothes. Kang Xiaole’s heart skipped a beat, and suddenly he stepped on a piece of fruit peel.

He tried to dodge sideways, but a woman holding a child was standing to his right.

His body was already leaning forward and couldn’t be pulled back. The tray was fine—just snacks and melon seeds—but the teapot contained hot water. Although not freshly boiled, it would still scald someone if spilled.

Kang Xiaole desperately wanted to direct the spout toward himself, but in that split second, he didn’t have the ability.

He was doomed! I’m sorry!

After closing his eyes, his arm was grabbed by a strong hand. An external force pulled him upright. The melon seeds and snacks didn’t spill, and the teapot didn’t tip over.

Kang Xiaole opened his eyes in confusion. The woman was clutching her child, looking at him in terror.

He didn’t dare look too closely at the stern-faced person. An attendant came over to lecture him: “Do you have eyes on the soles of your feet? You can’t even walk properly. What good are your legs?”

Kang Xiaole lowered his head, not daring to speak.

The owner of Illusion Moon Pavilion finally managed to push his way through and whispered something to the stern-faced person. Only a cold snort was heard, and the group headed outside.

Coming back to his senses, Kang Xiaole saw that a young master had saved him.

Even though he was used to seeing talented and refined people at Illusion Moon Pavilion, he was momentarily stunned by the young master’s ethereal aura.

He stared blankly until the indifferent eyes turned toward him. He shivered, whispered a thank you, delivered the items to the guest’s table, and then returned to the back kitchen to pick up the fruit peel.

When he came out again with a tray, he saw the young master giving up his seat for the woman, standing beside her instead.

He said nothing, looking around with the same indifferent gaze. Kang Xiaole, however, felt that he wasn’t waiting for the zither player Gan Youyou to appear, but was searching for something.

Their eyes met, and Kang Xiaole couldn’t help but feel nervous, quickly moving to pour tea for a guest.

Shan Wuzhou retracted his gaze. Although he had cultivated for a long time, the prolonged surrounding noise still affected him, causing him to frown slightly.

The woman felt she had caused him trouble and quickly stood up, saying she could stand. She bounced her crying child, looking very embarrassed.

Shan Wuzhou wasn’t good at comforting people. Thinking of his Ancestral Master, and what Feng Yuluo would do, he waved his hand, signaling her to sit down.

“I heard the zither player’s music is like the sound of nature. Since it’s so beautiful, of course, you should listen.”

This sentence was the best Shan Wuzhou could manage. He tried to think of something else to say, racking his brain, but the woman smiled gratefully. She took out a piece of candy, gave one to him, and slowly fed the other to her child, who quickly stopped crying.

The hall suddenly fell silent.

Red gauze curtains descended. The crowd gasped softly—he was taking the stage.

The owner of Illusion Moon Pavilion personally led the way. A figure in white gradually ascended the steps, holding an ancient zither, his demeanor proper and dignified. He stopped in the center and bowed slightly in greeting.

Everyone applauded and cheered excitedly.

One could vaguely see that Gan Youyou was not tall, even thinner than Feng Yuluo. His face was pale white, his thin lips slightly red, and his eyes were lowered, making him look delicate and endearing.

After he gracefully knelt and sat down, the owner signaled, and the venue instantly quieted. Eyes wide, everyone held their breath in anticipation.

The owner turned and nodded to Gan Youyou, indicating he could begin.

Gan Youyou leaned forward to return the bow, his every movement exceedingly graceful.

The crowded Illusion Moon Pavilion was inevitably stuffy, but influenced by his demeanor, it felt as if a cool breeze swept through, making the heat less oppressive.

The zither music began, flowing into people’s hearts like gurgling stream water in a mountain ravine. Everyone felt cleansed by the coolest water between heaven and earth, and expressions of tranquility appeared on their faces.

Shan Wuzhou unexpectedly gained a little peace as well.

It would be even better if he could listen to the music with Feng Yuluo.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have that good fortune, and a hint of bitterness rose in Shan Wuzhou’s heart.

While waiting for the second piece, a scholar-like figure came up and stood by the side of the stage to narrate the story within the music.

It turned out that for Gan Youyou’s seven-day performance, the first piece would always be a tune that was either gentle and peaceful or joyful and pleasant, soothing the mood. The second piece, however, concealed a story.

The story began with the carefree childhood of a young boy: playing with friends, walking the dog, visiting neighbors, playing house, climbing trees, and catching insects.

Later, while the boy was studying, he encountered a one-armed monster. But its palm was two zhang wide. After a struggle, the boy was snatched away by the monster’s palm.

The monster imprisoned him in a cave on the mountaintop, demanding that he clean the cave every day, or else it would throw him off the cliff to his death. The boy refused, and the two faced off, enduring countless torments.

That was the story from the first three days.

Today was the fourth day.

Later, the boy began to feign obedience, causing the monster to lower its guard. He was allowed to go out for a while each day to pick fruit on the mountain. He would sit by the cliff and sing. After several days, his singing attracted flocks of birds, who cried mournfully for him. He asked the birds to bring him dead branches.

The zither music contained compromise mixed with unwillingness, a sense of desolation, and the struggle for survival.

After the two pieces, Gan Youyou bowed again and gracefully stepped off the stage.

The crowd slowly returned to reality, all feeling pity for the young boy and wanting to know what would happen next. Moments later, some were still in shock, tears in their eyes, while others became incoherent, expressing their thoughts to each other.

“That was truly beautiful!”

“It must be what they mean by ‘ears momentarily cleared as if listening to celestial music’.”

“For our Zishu City to produce such a genius zither player is a sign of good fortune.”

“It’s just a pity that he lost his voice due to illness when he was little and can’t speak now.”

“A loss in one area is a gain in another. His mastery of the zither is surely a mercy from the heavens.”

“…”

The main hall became increasingly noisy and chattering. Some felt they had met a kindred spirit too late, and others, disagreeing, started arguing. A teacup was smashed with a sharp sound, prompting the running waiters to rush over to mediate and clean up.

The owner of Illusion Moon Pavilion frowned toward the commotion and quickly instructed his attendants to go and greet Gan Youyou. As Gan Youyou gracefully descended the stage, the gauze curtains fluttering, he looked even frailer.

Shan Wuzhou remained immersed for a moment, then walked toward the backstage, wanting to meet Gan Youyou. Predictably, he couldn’t even get within three zhang of him.

At an inconspicuous side door, Gan Youyou, looking exhausted, was helped by the person beside him to put on a cloak. He quietly covered his face, left the building, and departed in a carriage.

Those unaware of his departure were still pushing their way inside, hoping to meet Gan Youyou or give him flowers.

Kang Xiaole, juggling multiple responsibilities, was currently blocking people backstage. Many were enthusiastically trying to give gifts. He pushed people and was pushed in return, feeling like he had been walking in the air for the past few days of work, his feet never touching the ground.

Finally, he was pushed and hoisted up. He stretched out his hand, grabbing a pillar, and desperately shouted, “Let me down!”

Shan Wuzhou pulled him down.

In the blink of an eye, Shan Wuzhou was out the back door, watching the carriage disappear into the distance. Then he walked over to a roadside stall selling flutes and pipes, looking at his Ancestral Master, Feng Yuluo, who was squatting there, acting suspiciously and clearly thinking he was well hidden.