Chapter 57: Qingyin Yage – Lü Zhu’s Threat

As long as one is not dead, one must endure under any circumstances—I always think this is the most basic requirement of being human. (Gu Long)
……
Watching the departing Wolf King and Shui’er, Liu Yi looked up at the sky and the rising sun, then said, “It’s time for us to set off too. Let’s head to Lotus Town to see what the world has to offer.”
Jili’er clapped her hands and said, “Great! I can almost see the snow falling in Lotus Town!”
Shi Jieyi stepped forward and said, “Boss, the horses are ready. I think we can start heading back to the Central Plains.”
Liu Yi gazed at the sky and said, “Yes. We’ve been traveling outside these lands for a while now. Once we pass Jianmen Pass, we’ll be in the Central Plains. I wonder if anything has changed over these months.”
A Jiu looked at Liu Yi and smiled, “Idiot, is this your first time traveling far? I was just like you at first, but now I don’t miss home at all. The outside world is so wonderful!”
Liu Yi glanced at A Jiu and said, “Who’s like you, a crazy girl?” Then he took Jili’er’s hand and headed toward the stables.
The group mounted their horses, chatting and laughing, and set off toward Jianmen Pass.
For several days in a row, they hadn’t entered any towns or stayed in inns; they had slept in the wild. With the presence of Shi Jieyi and Da Dao Wang, hunting wild game wasn’t a problem.
Finally, hard work paid off. Around noon, Liu Yi and his companions reached Jianmen Pass!
“Please stop, young masters!” The voice wasn’t too far away nor too close—it was very pleasant, and it was definitely a woman’s voice!
A Jiu said anxiously, “Idiot, isn’t it that fierce woman from your family chasing after us again?”
Liu Yi quickly glanced at Jili’er and snapped, “Don’t talk nonsense. What fierce woman from my family?”
A Jiu seemed not to understand and continued, “I mean July, the Lord of the Demon Sect, the one you… Oh, it’s not her!” Finally, as three women gently descended ahead, A Jiu finally shut her mouth.
Jili’er noticed Liu Yi’s frequent glances and smiled, “Scholar, why are you staring? Are you afraid I’ll get ideas?”
Liu Yi quickly replied, “No, hehe.”
The five of them stopped and examined the three women in front of them.
The woman at the front wore a green silk robe, her black hair neatly tied and falling symmetrically on either side of her shoulders. Her skin was as fair as snow, her eyes like those of a star, her nose high and beautiful, her lips slightly parted. Her hands, white and slender, held a guqin against her chest.
The two women in green robes behind her were also attractive, both appearing to be in their twenties. The only thing they had in common was that they each held a guqin.
The woman in green spoke up, “I wonder if among these young masters is a scholar from the south named Liu Yi.”
A Jiu quickly interjected, “Jili’er, you better control that ‘idiot’ remark. It seems he’s having good luck with women this year—always meeting beautiful ones. He might even run away with one of them.”
Jili’er smiled at A Jiu and said, “Does Sister A Jiu want to help me take care of the scholar?”
A Jiu also smiled and said, “Sure, I’ll keep an eye on him so those reckless women don’t pester him.”

The two were joking when Shi Jieyi suddenly sat on a fine horse and shouted loudly, “Who are you?”
A Jiu looked at Shi Jieyi and smiled, “I didn’t expect Shi Yiyi to be quite impressive too!”
Clearly, Shi Jieyi was so flattered by A Jiu’s words that he was stunned and couldn’t understand anything the woman in green said next!
The woman in green stepped forward gently and said, “I am Lü Zhu, the leader of the ‘Qingyin Yage’ in the human world. I’ve been waiting for Young Master Liu at Sword Gate for a long time.”
The Great Sword King said softly, “Qingyin Yage is the third-largest sect in the human world, filled with skilled masters who specialize in music. It is said that this sect does not get involved in worldly affairs, and its members are all women. In its hundreds of years of existence, it has never killed a single person. It can be considered the only paradise of music in the human world.”
Liu Yi waved his fan and bowed, saying, “Miss Lü Zhu, if you’re looking for trouble with Liu Yi, then it’s me.”
Lü Zhu glanced at Liu Yi, her right hand suddenly curling into a fist as she swung it to the side. Instantly, a small brown wooden stool was drawn over. She turned lightly and sat down, placing the guqin on her lap. “Young master, everyone in my Qingyin Yage loves music. I’ve composed a new piece called ‘Thoughts of the Night’ and would like to ask you to listen to it.”
Liu Yi waved his fan and bowed, saying, “Miss Lü Zhu, you’ve come to the wrong person. I’m just an ordinary scholar of the first rank; how could I possibly listen to such music…”
Before he could finish speaking, Lü Zhu’s ten slender fingers moved…
The sound seemed to come from all directions, converging together before entering everyone’s ears and hearts…
Light rain began to fall. As the music grew faster, the rain intensified. It was a deep, sleepless night. It seemed that everyone had their own worries at that time and sat up quietly.
The melody suddenly changed, becoming softer. The night was lonely and empty—something everyone had experienced. Yet no one disliked the night, for it was peaceful, the only time to relax after a busy day in this bustling world!
The sound grew softer and more beautiful. Everyone felt their bodies growing lighter, and slowly, they all flew up, soaring above rooftops and treetops, into the night sky, gliding among the endless stars…
Everyone was intoxicated by the beautiful music. But one person showed no signs of being moved—who was it? Of course, it was Liu Yi. While listening to Lü Zhu’s “Thoughts of the Night,” he indeed felt that the night was beautiful. Yet amidst the wonderful music, Liu Yi detected Lü Zhu’s scheme. Her heart was not at peace; she wasn’t fully committed, which made “Thoughts of the Night” imperfect…
Liu Yi channeled his true strength, activating his “Jade Flower Fingers,” ready to deal with Lü Zhu’s sudden attack at any moment. Now, Liu Yi knew that no one around him could be awakened, for he understood music too well—its power was no less than that of any advanced martial art!
Sure enough, at that moment, Lü Zhu moved. The instant she stopped playing, she leaped up and rushed straight at Liu Yi!
Liu Yi was prepared. The moment Lü Zhu approached, he also moved. He raised his right hand slightly, and a green light mixed with the scent of orchids shot toward her.

But that jade-green light lost its target, for as Liu Yi released the “Jade Flower Finger,” Lü Zhu disappeared, leaving only a wisp of orchid fragrance in the air. Suddenly, Lü Zhu appeared beside Liu Yi as she descended from the sky. Liu Yi quickly activated the “Jade Flower Finger” again, ready to shoot at her a second time. Just as Lü Zhu landed in front of him, she moved—gently touching the ancient zither in her hands. With a sound from the zither, a crescent-shaped aura of energy was released straight at Liu Yi. Realizing the situation was critical, Liu Yi leaped into the air to avoid her zither energy!

At that moment, Lü Zhu smiled, for her plan had succeeded. Her target wasn’t Liu Yi but Jili’er, who was standing beside him. Lü Zhu picked up Jili’er, who was still lost in thought about the zither music, and turned to fly back.

Liu Yi froze mid-air and tried to use the “Jade Flower Finger” once more, but… he didn’t dare shoot. He was afraid Jili’er might also get hurt. His heart softened, and he gently landed back on his horse, staring at Jili’er standing beside Lü Zhu.

Liu Yi shouted loudly, “What do you mean by this?”

His voice was loud enough to wake up the Great Sword King, Shi Jie Yi, and A Jiu. They saw that Jili’er, who had been beside them, was now standing next to Lü Zhu.

Shi Jie Yi snapped, “Damn it! I hate people who play such ambiguous games the most.” He prepared to charge forward.

Liu Yi urged, “Stop, Shi Jie Yi!”

Hearing Liu Yi’s words, Shi Jie Yi could only suppress his anger and stop moving.

Lü Zhu smiled and said, “It seems Lord Liu is truly a devoted man. Although we don’t kill, we know how to hurt people. If any of you come over, I can’t guarantee I won’t ruin this pretty girl’s face, break her tendons, or…” “Enough! What exactly do you want?” Liu Yi couldn’t take it anymore and shouted urgently.

Lü Zhu adopted a serious expression and said, “Our sect leader heard that there’s a scholar in the Jiangnan region who once challenged the master of the Divine Gate in a zither competition. So, she’s very interested in Lord Liu and sent us three sisters to invite him to the Qingyin Elegance Pavilion!”

The Great Sword King cursed angrily, “Damn it! Is this an invitation or a threat?”

Lü Zhu quickly took out a red pill from her waist, forced open Jili’er’s mouth, and fed it to her. Then she untied the seals on Jili’er’s meridians. “As long as Lord Liu agrees to return to the Qingyin Elegance Pavilion, I’ll personally apologize.”

Jili’er moved slightly and asked, “What did you give me just now?”

Lü Zhu smiled and said, “A dose of poison that will last ten days. Without the special antidote from the Qingyin Elegance Pavilion, you’ll go blind in ten days, deaf and mute in fifteen, lose the use of your legs in twenty, and your arms will become weak in twenty-five. But you won’t die. In thirty days, your whole body will age.”

After hearing this, Jili’er rushed to Liu Yi’s side, mounted her tall horse again, and said, “Scholar, let’s go! Jili’er isn’t afraid of these things.” Then she tried to drive the horse away.

Liu Yi firmly grabbed Jili’er’s hand and said, “Jili’er might not be afraid, but I am. I really don’t want Jili’er to get hurt in the slightest.”

Liu Yi turned to A Jiu, the Great Sword King, and the Ten Heroes and said, “Today I’ll go to Qingyin Yage with them. Will you go to Lianhua Town first or come with me?”
Before anyone could reply, Lü Zhu couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Sir, the girls at Qingyin Yage all love music. There’s no rush for them to like you! Why do you speak as if we’re wolves, afraid we’ll eat you?”
Liu Yi snapped, “You’re not wolves—you’re snakes, poisonous snakes! Why give Jili’er poison? If you’ve got the guts, give me a dose too so I can try it.”
Seeing Liu Yi’s anxious expression, Lü Zhu said, “I’m sorry, but I only have one dose of poison. But don’t worry, once we get to Qingyin Yage, we’ll remove the poison from your wife. Then, sir, you can eat as much as you want.”
Liu Yi thought to himself, “Are they mocking me? Even after Jili’er’s poison is removed, they still say I can eat as much as I want.”
At that moment, the Great Sword King laughed and said, “Since there are so many girls at Qingyin Yage, of course the Great Sword King must go.”
The First of the Ten Heroes quickly said, “Wherever the leader goes, I’ll go there.”
A Jiu added, “I need to watch over Liu Yi for Jili’er. I must go—otherwise, with thousands of people at Qingyin Yage, I’ll go crazy!”
Watching their strange behavior, Lü Zhu hurriedly said, “Everyone, don’t think of Qingyin Yage in such a negative light. Lü Zhu really had no other choice but to resort to this trick to invite the sir. It’ll only take a month. With your guidance, we’ll do well. We promise to take good care of all of you every day!”
Jili’er glanced at Liu Yi and suddenly laughed heartily, “Great! I can go find more beautiful girls for the scholar…”
“Ah…”
“Ah…”
“Ah…”