Translator – Misty

Chapter 10: Omniscience

“Amazing! Truly amazing! Even we, the elders of the music realm, would not dare to claim that we could accurately answer all thirty-six melodies posed by Young Master Yun Hong. Yet, you not only answered them correctly but also detailed every technique, string, and spiritual mantra so precisely. It’s truly incredible!”

Elder Qin Baili and other seniors in the music field nodded in awe.

Gu Qingfeng, not one to be modest, laughed heartily after drinking, “Just a few obscure tunes, how could they possibly trouble me? I, the Young Master of Crimson Flame, am a dragon among men, knowledgeable of all the melodies in the world.”

Such a boastful claim even made elders like Qin Baili feel uneasy.

This young man is too arrogant! Claiming to know all the melodies in the world.

“Oh? Since the Young Master of Crimson Flame says so, may I inquire about a few?”

“Come, come, inquire about anything you wish!”

So arrogant,
So domineering!

They had seen arrogant youths before, but never one as audacious as this young man.

The elders, including Qin Baili, exchanged glances. An old man stepped forward, asking, “Does the young master know the melody ‘Moon Robe and Cloud Silk’?”

“The melody ‘Moon Robe and Cloud Silk’…”

Gu Qingfeng, leaning sideways and supporting his head with his arm while drinking, said, “Originates from the ancient era, from the ‘Great Moon Tales’ by Goddess Yun Ye, requiring six techniques, seven strings, and twelve spiritual mantras…”

“Do you know the melody ‘Hidden Emptiness’?”

“The melody ‘Hidden Emptiness’… originates from the ‘Great Ease Amidst Clouds and Emptiness Mantra’ by the Buddhist monk Xuan Ku, requiring nine techniques… sixteen strings, thirty-one spiritual mantras…”

Elder Qin Baili and other music veterans took turns asking about various and peculiar tunes. There were melodies from the ancient and remote past, some from the immortal and some from demonic realms… Incredibly, the Young Master of Crimson Flame could answer them all, without any mistakes, detailing every technique, string, and spiritual mantra with precision and depth, even more so than the music scores.

No one else in the audience dared to ask further. The elders, including Qin Baili, were utterly astonished, unable to fathom how this seemingly twenty-something young man could possess such profound knowledge of music, as if there was no melody in the world that he did not understand.

The most surprised in the audience was Ouyang Ye. At this moment, she was completely stunned and her thoughts were in disarray. Her mind was blank, and she stared at Gu Qingfeng with a dumbfounded expression.

Although she had known Gu Qingfeng for less than a day and was unaware of his specific background, she guessed he must have been an exceptional genius in the past. She knew that anyone who could establish a foundation before thirty was a top contender among their peers. Given that Gu Qingfeng appeared to be in his early twenties, despite his failed foundation establishment, there was no denying that he must have been an extraordinary talent. But even for a genius, this seemed exaggerated.

Being able to answer Yun Hong’s thirty-six obscure melodies was one thing, but now, even the various melodies posed by music elders like Qin Baili were answered by him with precise accuracy.

It was simply unbelievable!

Even if he had been reading music books since the womb, how could he remember so many tunes? How many pieces and books must one read to remember so many melodies? Moreover, who would spend all their time reading music books without practicing cultivation, meditating, or breathing exercises? His answers were so detailed, more like a music encyclopedia than mere understanding. Could he have spent over twenty years just reading music books?

It was utterly inconceivable!

“Young Master of Crimson Flame is indeed a man of great talent; I, Qin Baili, am impressed!”

“I have never encountered someone so proficient in music; it’s truly an eye-opener…”

“Yes! This young man’s understanding of music is truly astounding!”

“I have lived for a hundred years and studied music all my life, thinking I understood it well. Only today do I realize how little I know.”

Elder Qin Baili and other music experts were full of admiration.

As for Gu Qingfeng, this wasn’t his first time showing off. In his youth, he often boasted to impress young girls. However, since ascending to the celestial realm, he rarely showed off. Now, after many years, he felt nostalgic, as if he were back in his youth. The only difference was that he used to show off in front of young girls, and now he was doing it in front of old men, which he found amusing.

Beside him, Ouyang Ye, suppressing her shock and confusion, inquired telepathically: “Hey, Gu Qingfeng, how do you know so much about music?”

Gu Qingfeng, holding his wine cup, glanced at her and replied telepathically: “Didn’t I tell you already? There’s no tune in the world that I don’t know. What about it? No one doubts that I’m the Young Master of Crimson Flame now, right? I didn’t let you lose face, did I?”

Ouyang Ye nodded vigorously, her heart racing with excitement, especially when she saw the displeased faces of Ye Hui and Yun Hong. She wanted to sing with joy. Ever since she inadvertently fabricated the Young Master of Crimson Flame, Ouyang Ye had been troubled, particularly since Ye Hui and Yun Hong deliberately spread the lie, forcing her to maintain it. With their frequent mockery and skepticism, Ouyang Ye had been under great strain for the past year.

Today, she finally had a chance to hold her head high. Delighted, she kissed Gu Qingfeng on the cheek, then, holding his arm, she smugly said to Ye Hui and Yun Hong, “How about it? Sister Ye Hui, didn’t you always doubt the existence of the Young Master of Crimson Flame? Didn’t you always think I was making it up? Hehe… What now?”

“And you, Brother Yun Hong, please don’t always show off your musical knowledge in front of me. You think I don’t know where you got those thirty-six obscure melodies? You’ve been showing off everywhere, sometimes even using them to mock our seniors. I didn’t bother to say anything, but today you had to show off in front of the Young Master of Crimson Flame, huh! Hehe! See? I told you, the Young Master of Crimson Flame’s musical skills are very high…”

“You!”

Ye Hui and Yun Hong, sitting opposite, had ugly expressions on their faces. They had planned to use this opportunity to expose the impostor Young Master of Crimson Flame, hoping to embarrass Ouyang Ye. This would have satisfied Ye Hui’s jealousy and Yun Hong’s embarrassment from being rejected.

But they never expected this seemingly ordinary man to have such profound musical knowledge. Instead of embarrassing Ouyang Ye, they ended up letting the man she brought steal the spotlight.

Could he really be the Young Master of Crimson Flame?
They didn’t know.

Previously, they might not have believed it, but after witnessing his musical talent, they weren’t so sure.

Yun Hong was unconvinced.

In his mind, even if this man was the Young Master of Crimson Flame, he couldn’t be a music expert, let alone a dragon among men.

“Knowing a few tunes is no big deal.”

Yun Hong drank his wine in one gulp, saying discontentedly, “It’s just a matter of reading a few music books. Anyone who reads them can talk about these tunes. But talking is one thing; being able to play them is another.”

Hearing this, Ouyang Ye chuckled, “Just now, Elder Qin said that for us who study music, knowing thousands of tunes is a form of self-improvement.” She paused, then added with a smile, “You say that reading a few music books is enough to know these tunes? Brother Yun Hong, you really dare to say… The tunes Elder Qin mentioned span from ancient to remote eras and include immortal and demonic famous pieces. Can you learn about them from just a few books?”

“Humph!”

Yun Hong snorted coldly and arrogantly said, “Young Master of Crimson Flame, merely stating theoretical knowledge of some tunes is not a true skill. The real ability is in playing them. Do you dare to compete with me?”

“Another competition?”

Gu Qingfeng stroked his chin, pondering whether he should show off again. It’s one thing to do it once for fun, but constantly doing it would be too much.

Looking at Ouyang Ye, the young lady quickly said, “Why compete? There’s nothing to compare.”

“He must be afraid.”

Ye Hui also mocked, “Putting aside whether he is the real Young Master of Crimson Flame, even if he is, he’s all talk and no skill.”

“What a joke… If the Young Master of Crimson Flame is proficient in all tunes, do you think his musical skills would be inferior?”

Ouyang Ye was also quick-witted in verbal battles, never backing down when she had the upper hand. As for Gu Qingfeng’s actual musical skills and whether he could play any tunes, Ouyang Ye didn’t know. One thing was certain, even if he was highly skilled, he couldn’t play any tunes since he had failed in his spiritual foundation and lacked any spiritual power. Any tune he played would be empty, lacking any profoundness.

“If that’s the case, why not dare to compare skills with me?”

Yun Hong, having lost face earlier, felt the need to redeem himself.

“Why? I’ll tell you. The Young Master of Crimson Flame had a mishap in his cultivation and temporarily can’t use his spiritual power.”

“A mishap in cultivation? Haha!” Ye Hui sneered, “What an excuse!”

“Haven’t you noticed that there is no sense of spiritual power emanating from the Young Master of Crimson Flame?”

When Ouyang Ye stated this, everyone around used their spiritual perception to check, and indeed, they could not sense any spiritual power from the Young Master of Crimson Flame. It seemed Ouyang Ye was right; the Young Master of Crimson Flame really had a cultivation mishap and couldn’t use spiritual power. Since he couldn’t use spiritual power, everyone knew he couldn’t play the profoundness of the tunes.

“If you want to compare, wait until the Young Master of Crimson Flame recovers and his playing will scare you to death!”

Ouyang Ye didn’t want to continue this endless dispute. Taking advantage of her current upper hand, it was better to leave. Holding Gu Qingfeng’s arm, she was ready to leave.

“Ouyang Junior Sister, why? Are you leaving? Are you afraid of being exposed?”

“Tch.”

Ouyang Ye rolled her eyes, “I just don’t want to sit with you annoying people.”

“You!”

Ye Hui was furious, stood up, glared fiercely, and said through gritted teeth, “Ouyang Ye, don’t be too proud!”

“Why not? I am proud… I laugh proudly, laugh proudly… Hahaha!”

Ouyang Ye laughed triumphantly, her laughter almost maniacal!

(End of Chapter)