Chapter 9: [009] A Stunning Entrance

Soon, Shangguan Xiyu finished her dance. Her movements were graceful and heart-stirring, leaving everyone present in awe. The old man, Shangguan, stroked his beard, enjoying the praise everyone showered upon his daughter, his mood exceptionally pleasant.

After Shangguan Xiyu left the stage, Murong Caiwei appeared in everyone’s sight, leaping forward with a green sword in hand. Her light cyan figure was as nimble as a fledgling swallow. Accompanied by the faint sound of a zither, she drew the green sword from its scabbard with a delicate hand. As her wrist rotated gently, the sword flashed as quickly as lightning. The shimmering sword light blended perfectly with the woman’s soft, cyan silhouette. The green arc of the blade traced through the air, and the woman’s waist bent to follow the light, only for her to flick out her water sleeves at the moment she touched the ground. Hooking onto the rafters, she circled the grand hall like a celestial being amidst the green sword light. In an instant, she spotted the scabbard in a palace attendant's hand, retracted her sleeves, and struck a pose like a flying immortal. She then flung the green sword from her hand, landing it perfectly into the scabbard, as she and her cyan silhouette descended together.

Before the crowd could recover, Murong Caiwei pursed her lips and said softly, "I have embarrassed myself with this clumsy display."

Suddenly, thunderous applause erupted in the grand hall. This Miss Murong was truly a heroine who did not yield to men!

Amidst the admiration, Murong Caiwei walked slowly off the stage with her green sword. Just then, Qumu Yanyu, who had been sitting to the side, suddenly stood up. Everyone thought she was about to perform, but to their surprise, she said something that struck them as utterly ridiculous.

"Your Majesty, my younger sister is exceptionally intelligent and pure of heart. Why not let her come up and perform now?"

A wave of whispers rippled through the crowd. Had the second young lady of the Qumu family lost her mind? Who in the world didn't know that Qumu Ningbi was the furthest thing from those descriptions? Exceptionally intelligent? She was nothing but a mad, foolish girl. Pure of heart? Qumu Ningbi couldn't even recognize a single character; it was truly laughable.

Just as everyone turned their scornful gazes toward Qumu Ningbi, they discovered she was nowhere to be found. Qumu Yanyu’s face turned livid; Qumu Ningbi had undoubtedly left her unable to step down. Just as she was secretly fuming and wondering what to do, the dim candlelight in front of the palace doors cast a hazy glow. A woman in white, wearing a white veil, was seen leaning against the shadows of the wall. An ancient zither rested casually against the wooden door, and her entire posture was one of languid indifference. People could only see the white dress and the white veil...

At that moment, a cold, mocking voice drifted from the young girl’s lips, instantly spreading throughout the entire palace. This ethereal and spirited scene made everyone’s hearts beat wildly...

As her incredibly arrogant words fell, the entire palace fell into dead silence. All eyes were fixed on this hazy figure. The woman in white swept her gaze over the crowd, her expression of disdain causing everyone’s chests to tighten. This invisible pressure made them forget that this woman was the "useless" Miss Qumu Ningbi they had been talking about!

Ningbi’s gaze met Qumu Yanyu’s. With a cold snort and a curl of her lips, she thought: *You want to see me make a fool of myself? Let’s see if you have the capability...*

She bowed slightly and sat down gracefully. Lifting her slender, fair fingers, she placed them upon the zither. Gathering her focus, the sound of the zither suddenly rang out through the hall. The melody was gentle yet resolute, flowing steadily like a high mountain stream, bubbling with profound charm...

A clear, resonant voice began to sing, moving everyone along with the music.

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"The Yihong Villa stands before the Misty Rain Pavilion"

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"Stopping at the steps, I didn't stop myself from walking further and further away"

"Drunk on beauty, or perhaps the strings have snapped"

"If you were me, would you linger in the mortal world"

"Obsessively, oh..."

"This is a weariness, and also a fixation"

"The absurd thing is that I am merely an ordinary person"

"If there were three thousand beauties, it wouldn't compare to meeting one soulmate"

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"Others laugh at me for being too crazy"

"I laugh at them for not seeing through it"

"This is not the tomb of a hero from Wuling"

"No flowers, no wine, just hoeing the fields"

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"The absurd one is you"

"You don't understand, so you call me pitiful"

"Oh... so pitiful"

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"Golden armor and jade robes are just like coarse cloth and monk's robes"

"I want to ask Heaven, tell me, what is real and what is fake?"

"Giving up the world, and giving love to others"

"If you were me, would you treat wealth and glory"

"As a pile of yellow sand..."

Her singing voice was beyond description—desolate and forlorn. It was pure, resonant, ethereal, and melodious. The melody bloomed like flowers that never ceased to open, with hidden depths like high mountains and flowing water. Her laughter was like silver bells, leaving everyone utterly intoxicated.

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