Supreme Master - Chapter 14: A Musical Prodigy

Translator – Misty

Chapter 14: A Musical Prodigy

“Gu Qingfeng?”
Seeing Master Wen Zhu seemingly recognizing Gu Qingfeng, Ouyang Ye worriedly and cautiously asked, “Master Wen Zhu… do you… do you know Gu… oh no, do you know the Young Master of Crimson Flame?”

“The Young Master of Crimson Flame?”

Master Wen Zhu looked at Ouyang Ye, then with confusion at Gu Qingfeng.

As for Gu Qingfeng, he leaned against the wall the whole time, casually crossing his legs, looking relaxed and comfortable. He was eating spiritual fruits and sipping wine. Seeing the tense expression of Ouyang Ye, Gu Qingfeng shook his head, smiling faintly, “I forgot to tell the elder, Crimson Flame is my Dao name.”

After saying this, Gu Qingfeng himself found it somewhat amusing. In his youth, when he practiced Taoism, his name was King of Crimson Heavens. He never expected that after spending most of his life and being reverted to his original state by the Heavenly Dao, he would mysteriously acquire another name, Crimson Flame. Indeed, he seemed to be fated with the word ‘Crimson’.

“So, the Young Master of Crimson Flame, who is well-versed in all the world’s melodies mentioned earlier, is actually you…”

Master Wen Zhu suddenly realized, stroking his white beard and smiling, “No wonder, no wonder… I thought I had encountered two musical prodigies in one day…”

“Old master is joking, I was merely idly accompanying some youngsters for fun.”

Gu Qingfeng was a very casual person, having seen through the fame and fortune of the world long ago. He didn’t insist on or refuse anything, pursuing a state of great freedom and natural flow, as he said, just looking for some amusement out of boredom.

However, the conversation between him and Master Wen Zhu was somewhat confusing. What did Master Wen Zhu mean by ‘thinking he had encountered two musical prodigies in one day’? What did that mean?
Not knowing and not having time to think further.

At this moment, Yun Hong and Ye Hui only wanted to expose the Young Master of Crimson Flame, thus embarrassing Ouyang Ye,
“Master Wen Zhu, since you know the Young Master of Crimson Flame, is he a dragon among men, a paragon of musical rhythm?”

When Ye Hui asked, Ouyang Ye’s heart leapt to her throat, as she had no idea that Gu Qingfeng and Master Wen Zhu knew each other. If Master Wen Zhu and Gu Qingfeng were indeed familiar, wouldn’t Gu Qingfeng’s impersonation as the Young Master of Crimson Flame be exposed?

Ouyang Ye’s heart throbbed rapidly, feeling like her heart would jump out of her throat. She couldn’t help but glance at Gu Qingfeng beside her, noticing that he was still leisurely sipping his wine.

Damn it!
The lie was about to be exposed, and he still had the mood to drink?
Does he really not care?
Wait a minute!

Even if it’s exposed, it’s I who will be humiliated!
Of course, he isn’t worried!!
“A dragon among men?” Master Wen Zhu pondered for a moment, then slowly said: “Considering his profound musical attainment, it’s not an exaggeration to call the Young Master of Crimson Flame a ‘dragon among men.'”

Upon hearing this, everyone was astounded.

Who is Master Wen Zhu? He is a musical authority in the Qingyang realm, and now he claimed that this young man’s musical talent was rare in the world? That seemed exaggerated.
Could it be true?
Impossible!
At least, Yun Hong and Ye Hui didn’t believe it. Yun Hong stepped forward, questioning, “Master Wen Zhu, he’s merely well-versed in the world’s melodies and learned, which hardly seems related to musical attainment, right?”

“Just learned?” Master Wen Zhu chuckled slightly and shook his head as if recalling something, “You may not know, but the musical prodigy I mentioned on stage earlier is none other than the Young Master of Crimson Flame.”

This statement stirred a great commotion.

Everyone vividly remembered the musical prodigy mentioned by Master Wen Zhu, who played the famous king’s song ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea’ with various mysteries and even played out the legendary mood of the song.

It was known that even Master Wen Zhu couldn’t play the mood of ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea’, not to mention Miss Su Xian, celebrated as a musical genius, couldn’t play it either.

Could it be… could it really be that this young man could play it?

Was that possible?

If someone else had said this, no one would have believed it. But coming from the highly esteemed Master Wen Zhu, no one doubted it.

But believing and accepting are two different things.

To say it was shocking, to say it was astonishing, would be an understatement.

The shock in Ouyang Ye’s heart was greater than anyone else present, because she knew better than anyone that this man was someone she had hastily found to impersonate the Young Master of Crimson Flame. She was already deeply surprised that he was well-versed in the world’s melodies, but Ouyang Ye could never believe that he was actually the musical prodigy that Master Wen Zhu spoke of.

Yes, it was true.

She remembered clearly that he had said he had met Master Wen Zhu in the garden and claimed to be a musical prodigy in his youth.

Oh heavens!

It was all true…

Everything he said was true.

But how could this be possible!

That was ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea’, a famous piece passed down from the king, which even Sister Su Xian couldn’t play the mood of. How could he possibly do it?

Wait a minute!

He failed in his foundation building, just a trash with no spiritual power in his body, completely unable to use any spiritual tactics. How could he possibly play the mood of ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea’?
Realizing this issue, Ouyang Ye didn’t ask out loud, as doing so would be like admitting guilt.

However, just because she didn’t ask didn’t mean others wouldn’t.

Yun Hong immediately raised doubts: “Master Wen Zhu, could you be mistaken? This Young Master of Crimson Flame had a cultivation mishap and can’t use spiritual power. Since he can’t use spiritual power, it means he can’t perform any spiritual tactics. We all know that if a piece of music isn’t infused with spiritual power, it’s like it lacks a soul; let alone the mood, even the mysteries can’t be played.”

“Although I don’t know what mishap befell the Young Master of Crimson Flame in his cultivation, when he played ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea’ in the garden earlier, he did not use spiritual power, nor did he use any spiritual tactics. He played the piece empty-handed, and yet he brought out all its mysteries and reached its mood. That’s what impressed me the most,” replied Master Wen Zhu.

Empty-handedly playing ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea’… Not only bringing out all its profound essence but also reaching its mood?

Oh heavens!

When Master Wen Zhu’s words reached the ears of the crowd, it was like a thunderclap in everyone’s minds.

It’s true that a piece without spiritual power is like one without a soul, without life – a universally accepted notion. But it’s not absolute. At least in ancient times, many musical masters could bring out the mood of a piece empty-handed.

But those were musical masters, each with hundreds or even thousands of years of experience in music, with profound and inscrutable attainments.

Of course, aside from these musical masters, some highly talented musical prodigies could also do it, like the contemporary musical genius Miss Su Xian, who could bring out the mood of many pieces empty-handed.

Could it be that this person is like Miss Su Xian, a one-in-a-million musical prodigy?
Really the Young Master of Crimson Flame, the musical paragon that Ouyang Ye mentioned?

Yun Hong and Ye Hui couldn’t believe it, but Master Wen Zhu’s words forced them to.

The two stood there, their faces somewhat ugly, their expressions bewildered, staring at Gu Qingfeng, unable to believe what they saw.

Everyone in the room, without exception, looked at Gu Qingfeng, their eyes filled with shock, envy, and skepticism.

And Gu Qingfeng seemed unaffected, neither arrogant nor humble, neither proud nor modest, just sitting leisurely, crossing his legs, continuing to eat fruit and sip his wine, glancing here and there as if the events happening around him were unrelated to him, more like a second-generation heir seeking amusement and watching the excitement.

Yes!

That was the impression he gave, like a young heir sitting in a tavern, listening to music, and seeking pleasure.

Indeed, that was what Gu Qingfeng was doing: watching the excitement for amusement.

(End of Chapter)