Chapter 20: Listening to Music and Killing! |
The theater was the largest and most luxurious in Coldwind City. The pavilion cornices were antique. Not only did it cover a huge area, but it was also decorated magnificently. The vermillion gate stood there imposingly. There was a black plaque on the main door.
The plaque had three gilded words:
Moon Watching Pavillion.
When the servant in front of the door saw Li Ran, he quickly walked up.
"Young Master, are you here to listen to music or to watch the theatre?" He had seen countless people and had a keen eye for guests. From Li Ran’s clothes and temperament, he could tell that Li Ran was definitely a noble guest.
Li Ran took out two tickets and handed them to him.
The manservant looked at the ticket and his eyes lit up. "So Sir turned out to be an honored guest!"
His attitude became more respectful as he cupped his hand and led Li Ran inside.
"This is a ticket for two guests. There should be another guest, right?" The servant boy asked.
"All right."
“One honored guest!” The servant shouted and led Li Ran into the luxurious private room in the center.
The decoration in the room was even more magnificent. It was as resplendent as a palace, and the fragrance of the spiritual wooden furniture was present everywhere.
Even the tea leaves and fruits here were more expensive than those in the hall.
It could be seen that this place’s master understood the mentality of rich people.
Li Ran and Leng Wuyan finally sat down in their respective seats.
There were only two of them in the private room. They could see the entire stage from above, but the guests in the hall could not see them.
This gave them a sense of privacy.
For some reason, Leng Wuyan suddenly felt a little nervous.
Li Ran handed her a cup of hot tea. "Master, please have some tea."
"Yes."
She picked up the teacup and asked, "What tune are we listening to today?"
Li Ran thought for a moment. "There are a total of five songs. The first one seems to be called Chun Ting Qiu Yue." (Note, 春廷秋月/Chun Ting Qiu Yue, Spring Courtyards and Autumn Moon.)
"Good."
The two arrived earlier and had to wait a while before the performance began.
A beautiful lady walked onto the stage with her pipa in her arms and sat on the high stool in the middle.
As soon as the song started, the hall fell silent.
The melodious and mournful sound of the pipa resounded in the theater.
It was as if a young woman was standing in the courtyard. She was mourning over the withered leaves. Beside her, there was only an autumn moon accompanying her.
This piece flawlessly expressed the loneliness of love. The musician was very skilled and perfectly conveyed the essence of the song to the audience.
Even Leng Wuyan's eyes became blank. She recalled the days when she was alone. She cultivated alone amidst the fallen leaves… she cultivated alone amidst the falling snow…
It was clear that those days were real, but she did not have much of an impression of it, nor could she recall much of those experiences.
On the contrary, in the short two days after Li Ran had confessed, she could remember everything that happened and every conversation they had very vividly.
When she was alone, Leng Wuyan thought that this was for the best.
However, after falling in love, she found out how difficult it was to have such a day. She felt like she could never go back to that life.
Leng Wuyan stole a glance at Li Ran. She saw that he had also sensed it and his face was as sharp as a knife at this moment.
"Since you can’t go back, just forget about it.”
"In fact, this feeling… is also very good." A smile appeared on her lips.
At the end of the song, the audience was still immersed in their emotions. They were unable to recover for a long time, and there were even suppressed sobs.
“This musician is great. She has the skills and the emotions. Her playing can move one’s heart.” Li Ran praised.
"Yes, she’s really skilled." Leng Wuyan agreed with him.
Just in the middle of the recess, a sound came from the private room next door.
A loud voice rang out, "This is the best theatre in Coldwind City? I think it's so-so."
The others chimed in, “Just like what Young Master Wang had said, it is indeed so-so.”
Young Master Wang continued, "If you want to play a song, better play something cheerful. Such as Night Song, Mo Chou Yue, or something like that. To play such a miserable tune, it's like a bitch that no one wants!"
"Hahaha, that's right!"
Night Song and Mo Chou Yue were well-known folk tunes. The tunes and lyrics of these songs were vibrant and could only be heard in red-light districts.
Li Ran and Leng Wuyan looked at each other, shook their heads, and smiled.
No matter where they go, there is no shortage of these kinds of people.
That Young Master Wang had obviously drunk quite a bit of wine, and he couldn't speak clearly. "Mentioning the tragic woman, there's one on Mount Xuan Ling, isn’t it? That old woman is suitable to listen to this song.”
"Who is Young Master Wang referring to?"
"Other than that cold demoness, who else could it be?" Young Master Wang said teasingly. "I heard that the old woman hasn't been wanted for hundreds of years, and she won't even let her disciples fall in love. Isn't she psychopathic?"
"Shh! Young Master Wang, don't dare talk nonsense! That person is an emperor-level cultivator, how could you casually talk about her? This is a matter of losing your head!" The others hurriedly stopped him.
“Look at your guts! There are many people talking about her in the entire world. Was she able to kill them all? I guess she's old and ugly, so that's why she's been single for hundreds of years, right? Hahaha!” Young Master Wang smiled mockingly.
"Young Master Wang, stop talking…"
"Let’s toast!"
—
Silence.
A moment later, Li Ran stood up silently and walked towards the door.
"Ran'er, what are you going to do?" Leng Wuyan asked aloud.
Li Ran's eyes were as cold as iron.
"Kill!"
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