Supreme Master - Chapter 11: What's the Worth

Translator – Misty

Chapter 11: What’s the Worth

Gu Qingfeng’s familiarity with many tunes not only thoroughly amazed Ouyang Ye but also lent a hint of credibility to the fictional Young Master of Crimson Flame she had concocted. Most importantly, her reputation was preserved, at least for the time being.

However, Ouyang Ye didn’t let this get to her head, aware that a fabrication remains a fabrication. If they continued, Yun Hong and Ye Hui, the two annoyances, would surely try everything to test the truth, potentially exposing her. Should her deception be revealed, it would be a huge embarrassment.

Thus, seizing the opportunity, Ouyang Ye promptly moved to another spot with Gu Qingfeng. With the music festival about to begin, the venue was packed, leaving only a few tables and chairs in a corner. Though the location was less than ideal, it was sufficient to avoid Yun Hong and Ye Hui.

Gu Qingfeng was indifferent as long as there was food and drink.

“Thanks for earlier. Here, let me toast to you,” Ouyang Ye said, feeling happy and excited, especially thinking about the unpleasant faces of Yun Hong and Ye Hui. She wished she could kiss Gu Qingfeng again, drank her wine, and asked, “I really didn’t expect you to know so many tunes. It’s unbelievable… How did you do it?”

“How I did it… Well, I was obsessed for a long time in the past. I collected music scores everywhere. The more you see and hear, the more you know.”

Gu Qingfeng’s study of music was initially to please a woman, but he eventually became engrossed in it. He had traveled extensively to gather various music scores, even unearthing the cave dwellings of music masters.

“Tell me honestly, how proficient are you in music? What tunes can you play?”

“My proficiency in music? It’s quite high… As for the tunes, I know and can play so many that even I’ve lost count.”

“You really know how to brag!”

Ouyang Ye rolled her eyes and said, “You think just because you know many tunes, your skill is high? Each tune involves numerous techniques, strings, spiritual mantras… Just learning one technique takes a long time, not to mention strings, spiritual mantras… It’s all about comprehension… That’s just the tunes. To bring out the essence of a piece, which contains many tunes, without three to five years of practice, you can’t do it.”

Music, being one of the ten immortal arts, is naturally complex. As Ouyang Ye said, to play a piece with a profound feeling, one must learn various techniques and strings and comprehend spiritual mantras. Music is known as the highest and most challenging of the immortal arts because of its difficulty compared to martial arts, spells, and sword techniques.

Gu Qingfeng just smiled and didn’t say much. Looking around the crowded venue, he asked, “What exactly is this music festival for? Why hasn’t it started?”

“What’s the rush? It’s about to start.”

“And then?”

“Then? Everyone will take the stage to perform…”

“That’s it?”

“What else?”

“Everyone just goes on stage to play some tunes and that’s called a music festival? What’s the point?”

Gu Qingfeng couldn’t understand.

“Don’t say that. For us young musicians, it’s a great opportunity.”

Gu Qingfeng looked puzzled, “How so?”

“Performing on stage increases our fame and raises our worth. The price for playing a piece will go up, making it easier to earn spirit stones.”

“I see.” Gu Qingfeng nodded in understanding. Earning money through music wasn’t shameful. After all, cultivation requires many resources, like buying pills, magical artifacts, maintaining formations, and all require spirit stones. Ordinary families can’t afford these expenses. Gu Qingfeng himself had performed for spirit stones when he was short on them.

He asked with interest, “So, how much is your worth?”

“Me? Not much, just average. Outside, if I play a piece, I get about a thousand spirit stones…”

“A thousand? That’s a lot, isn’t it?”

In Gu Qingfeng’s youth, spirit energy was scarce, and spirit stones were highly valuable. In his memory, a thousand spirit stones were not a small amount in the secular world. He wondered if this was due to the value of spirit stones depreciating after the great calamity and the resurgence of all things, or was it because this girl’s musical skills were so high?

“Of course! I am quite famous in the Qingyang realm.”

“Your musical skills are that high?”

Gu Qingfeng could see that this young girl’s cultivation was only at the Innate Realm, not even at the Foundation Establishment stage. Such cultivation, although outstanding among her peers, was just that. Although the level of cultivation does not directly correlate with musical skills, music requires talent. And as the girl had said earlier, it is difficult to bring out the profound essence of a piece.

“I’m not that skilled in music, just average. But, I have a unique advantage: I can play two of the King’s pieces with some profoundness.”

“Just some profoundness, and you’re worth a thousand spirit stones?”

Each musical piece contains many mysteries. If played well, it can resonate spiritually. If it can evoke an ambiance, it can transport one to ancient times. What puzzled Gu Qingfeng was that this girl, playing her own pieces and bringing out just some essence, was valued at a thousand spirit stones. This seemed exaggerated.

“What do you mean ‘just some profoundness’?” Ouyang Ye glared at him, clearly annoyed, “The pieces I play are the King’s, known as the most mystical in the world and the most popular in this era. Among all the musicians here, hardly anyone can play the King’s pieces with any profoundness!”

Ouyang Ye, cracking sunflower seeds, said, “You know Master Wen Zhu, right? He’s the musical authority in our Qingyang realm. He’s spent his life studying the King’s pieces and can only play a dozen of them with some essence. And in the entire Qingyang realm, only he can play the ‘The Wind Rises Over the Great Qing Mountain’ with the right ambiance.”

“My… Oh, not mine… Gu Tianlang’s pieces aren’t that hard, right?”

Gu Qingfeng thought carefully. The pieces he composed were a bit strange, but they shouldn’t be that difficult.

Ouyang Ye gave him a look that screamed ‘ignorance is terrifying’ and said, “I don’t know why you bother remembering so many melodies when you don’t even understand how difficult the King’s pieces are. Your musical skills are lacking. I advise you to practice more. Just remembering the melodies is useless if you can’t play them properly.”

Gu Qingfeng shook his head, speechless, about to say something when suddenly, the crowd in the venue started bustling, with many standing and clapping in welcome.

What’s happening?

“Master Wen Zhu has arrived…”

Ouyang Ye excitedly stood up, clapping enthusiastically, “This festival is personally judged by Master Wen Zhu. Hehe, if I get praised by him later, my value will definitely skyrocket.”

Ever since arriving at this villa, Gu Qingfeng had heard Master Wen Zhu’s name more than ten times and wanted to see for himself who this legendary master was. Looking over, he saw an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a clean robe, accompanied by a seven or eight-year-old girl with purple hair.

Isn’t that the old man and the cute girl I saw in the garden?

“He’s Master Wen Zhu?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Ouyang Ye clapped vigorously and nodded, “I heard that Master Wen Zhu will also select a young musician to perform a duet… Oh, how wonderful it would be if I could play with Master Wen Zhu…”

(End of Chapter)