Chapter 244: A Song That Breaks the Liver and Intestines

The door on the second floor opened, and a graceful figure slowly walked out, approaching the beaded curtain. Although her face was veiled, a dazzlingly beautiful and captivating face, provoking endless fantasies, appeared before everyone.

The entire hall immediately fell into an eerie silence. Those who could attend such an event today were all accustomed to seeing beautiful women. However, the woman before them was strikingly different from any they had seen before.

Beneath delicate eyebrows, as elegant as distant mountains, lay a pair of misty eyes, seemingly veiled by an ethereal mist, compelling anyone who gazed upon them to instinctively desire to protect her. A faint smile seemed to play on her lips, which were soft, plump, and alluringly dewy, as if moistened by crystal clear morning dew, exuding a charm that made one's mouth go dry.

As the woman's eyes drifted, everyone instantly felt the same sensation: as if she was gazing at them with deep affection, her eyes filled with a special tenderness meant only for them, distinct from how she looked at others. At this thought, everyone in the Divine Abode, from the octogenarians to the teenagers, found their breathing quickening.

Gulp~

No one knew who started it, but the sound of people swallowing echoed one after another. Those who received invitations today were prominent figures in the city, and such a loss of composure made their faces flush. Yet, no one felt there was anything amiss, as if such a reaction was only natural when faced with a woman of such unparalleled beauty.

“What powerful allure!” Pei Mianman, who had been observing the second floor from her private room, secretly clicked her tongue. As a woman, she was skilled in such arts herself, so she wasn't overly affected by the woman's charm. Seeing the disgraceful state of the men in the hall, utterly captivated, she sneered inwardly, “They're all just lechers and pleasure-seekers.” Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she instinctively looked in a certain direction, only to find that Zu An's eyes were clear, not lost in infatuation like the other men.

“This fellow actually has some potential,” Pei Mianman's lips curled into a slight smile, her momentary charm when smiling surpassing even a field full of blooming flowers. Unfortunately, no one witnessed it. She didn't know what Zu An was thinking at that moment; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have praised him like that.

After all, Zu An was from a previous life. He had seen countless female celebrities on screens, scrolled through beautiful women on TikTok, and encountered many perfect, non-existent women in the two-dimensional world. This exposure had broadened his horizons far beyond those of men in this world. Moreover, his own wife was the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City. No matter how stunning Qiu Honglei was, she couldn't surpass his wife, could she? Then there were Empress Sister, the beautiful Headmistress, Shang Liuyu, and others—any one of them was no less attractive than Qiu Honglei. He conversed with these women regularly, so his resistance to beauty had long since, unknowingly, increased. Furthermore, the woman's temperament and grace instinctively reminded him of Pei Mianman. The two women actually had somewhat similar temperaments, though one was more enchantingly seductive, while the other's allure was tempered with a touch of refined elegance.

But Pei Mianman's chest was much more ample than hers! Zu An carefully observed Qiu Honglei's chest. While it could be considered impressive, it was still slightly less voluptuous compared to Pei Mianman's. If Pei Mianman knew what he was thinking at that moment, she wouldn't know whether to be angry or to laugh.

Throughout the entire process, Qiu Honglei appeared to be looking at everyone, but in reality, half of her attention was on Zu An. Seeing his eyes quickly regain clarity, she was momentarily greatly surprised. She was quite confident in her own charm, as evidenced by the reactions of the others below. “This man truly isn't ordinary,” Qiu Honglei mused, while also reminding herself to be even more careful when interacting with him in the future. She was, of course, the stunning woman who had been observing Zu An with her senior martial brother in the room earlier. After changing her clothes, she noticed the situation below was getting out of hand, so she deliberately appeared to subtly avert a life-or-death confrontation.

Just as she was lamenting that Zu An was a true gentleman, she suddenly noticed his gaze impudently fixed on her chest. “This fellow is truly...” She was momentarily at a loss for words to describe her feelings. One moment she was praising him, the next she realized she had been wrong. For some reason, she could remain completely at ease even under the intense gazes of everyone in the hall, without a single ripple in her heart. But that fellow's gaze, as if it were tangible, made her feel as though she were unclothed, causing her to subconsciously pull her collar tighter. Her art of allure was already perfected. Even an unconscious movement, every gesture she made, exuded endless charm, revealing the beautiful curves of her body in a captivating way. Her movement did not escape the notice of the other men in the hall, eliciting further gasps of admiration.

Unlike the frenzy of others, Zu An was inwardly complaining. In his previous life, he had watched period dramas where some heroines often wore thin veils that were almost transparent, making him wonder what purpose they served. He never expected this woman to play the same trick. How did the thin veil on her face conceal even a hint of her beauty? Was she wearing it to enhance her mystery and allure? It would be more effective if her clothes were a bit more transparent!

His expression did not escape Qiu Honglei's eyes. Noticing his teasing look, Qiu Honglei couldn't help but feel a touch of annoyance.

Rage value from Qiu Honglei +33!

Seeing the rage value notification in his backend, Zu An was stunned. What was going on? How had he angered her? He knew they hadn't met before, and he was just one face in a crowd. Logically, even if she was standing above, it would be difficult for her to notice him. He looked up at the second floor in confusion, only to find that Qiu Honglei had already averted her gaze.

“I have a melody here, and I hope you all will favor me with your critiques,” she said. As she spoke, the corners of her lips curled slightly, as if holding a faint, ethereal smile, and her voice was soft and gentle, carrying an indescribable hint of ambiguity. A thought arose in everyone's mind: What a captivating enchantress!

In a private room on the second floor, Xie Daoyun also couldn't help but sigh, “I've always held myself in high regard, but in terms of temperament and charm, I'm outmatched by her.” Xie Xiu, standing nearby, tried to console her, “Sister, you're being superficial. You are the esteemed daughter of the City Lord and a renowned talented woman. No matter how beautiful or charming she is, her allure is merely a brothel trick; how could she compare to you?” He frequently frequented places of pleasure and was a playboy who had broken countless young girls' hearts. He saw through such matters long ago, and it didn't take him long to recover from Qiu Honglei's enchanting spell. If there was any man in the hall who remained completely clear-headed besides Zu An, it was probably him.

A blush appeared on Xie Daoyun's fair, snow-white, oval face. “You smooth-talker! With your talent for deceiving girls, it's no wonder so many young ladies have fallen for your tricks.” Xie Xiu protested loudly, “Sister, I was just trying to comfort you.”

“Shh, she's starting to play,” Xie Daoyun made a silencing gesture and prepared to listen attentively to the zither music. As a famous talented woman, her zither skills were naturally impeccable. Now, judging with a professional eye, she became unprecedentedly serious. The momentary self-consciousness she felt just now unconsciously vanished, and her cheeks unconsciously emanated a serious yet sacred glow.

Xie Xiu, observing her incredibly delicate face, couldn't help but exclaim, “What a beauty! What a pity, truly a pity.” Although Xie Daoyun was about to seriously evaluate Qiu Honglei's zither skills, she turned back curiously upon hearing his words. “What's a pity?” Xie Xiu blinked and gave a mischievous smile, “It's a pity you're my older sister, otherwise, I wouldn't need to look for any other girls.” After saying this, he quickly jumped away. Xie Daoyun was indeed both shy and annoyed. “You rascal! How dare you even tease me!” She quickly ran to chase and hit him, finally catching his ear and twisting it hard.

“Sister, mercy~” Just as Xie Xiu was pleading, a clear and melodious zither melody suddenly began. Qiu Honglei had started playing. Everyone pricked up their ears, listening attentively to the celestial music, as there was a rumor that Qiu Honglei would choose a favored guest tonight to be her special companion. But how she would choose, no one knew. Therefore, no one wanted to miss any clue. Perhaps she would ask someone to critique her zither skills after playing.

Just then, the procuress Hua Weimian, who had seemingly appeared from nowhere, approached Chen Xuan and said, “We apologize for our oversight in not preparing an invitation for you earlier. The Divine Abode has specially arranged a table of drinks and food for you, please be seated.” Now that they knew he was a sixth-rank master, the Divine Abode's attitude had changed. After all, in this world, might makes right, and in Brightmoon City, a sixth-rank master was already considered a top expert. Such an expert was worth winning over and showing favor to. No one around them showed any surprise, as this was simply too normal—it was the rule by which this world operated.

Chen Xuan frowned. He still had unfinished business with Zu An, but now that Qiu Honglei had started playing, causing a disturbance at this moment would both ruin the atmosphere and likely provoke public outrage. Moreover, he had also become interested in this captivating beauty, so he wanted to listen carefully to her playing, preparing for the assessment that would follow. Therefore, unwilling to cause further complications, he simply nodded and, led by a Divine Abode staff member, went to a table on the other side.

Hua Weimian then swayed her hips over to Zu An and his companions, apologizing profusely to Wang Yuanlong and the Chu brothers, arranging a new table of refreshments for them, and announcing that all their expenses for the day would be waived. As the saying goes, one does not hit a smiling face. The group naturally found it difficult to refuse, and they were also worried about missing any information conveyed in the music, especially Chu Hongcai, who stretched his neck eagerly and was unwilling to waste more words with Sister Hua. They all hastened to agree.

Zu An inwardly marveled, Sister Hua was truly a formidable character; her timing was impeccable. Just moments ago, when the two sides were fighting tooth and nail, she seemed to have vanished into thin air. Now, by intervening while Qiu Honglei was playing, a conflict was instantly diffused. Of course, Zu An said nothing. This was simply the wisdom of survival, and there was nothing objectionable about it.

Before long, he too was captivated by the music. The zither's melody seemed to possess a unique magic. Though wordless, it conjured vivid scenes in everyone's minds:

A gentle breeze swept by,Petals fell in profusion,A man drank alone in a lakeside pavilion,Like an immortal banished from heaven.A woman's heart stirred, and she bravely stepped forward.Beneath flowers and moonlight, they lived in harmony and mutual respect.One day, the man left without a word.The woman waited by the lake every day,But sadly, the man never returned.

Years later, when the man returned, his face weathered by time, to look for the woman,He couldn't find her anywhere.Believing she had long since departed,He sought solace in wine by the lake, heartbroken.But from a fisherman by the lake, he learned that...Years ago, a woman had also sat there, waiting for her lover.Sadly, he never arrived.One day, she took a pot of wine,Sat by the lake, drinking and weeping.By the time people found her,She had drowned in the water.It was unknown whether she had accidentally fallen or deliberately taken her own life.Upon hearing all of this, the man burst into uncontrollable sobs.

...

Listening to the poignant, sorrowful music, the many men in the hall, who had originally come for pleasure, found themselves in tears.

---

The second update will be around 12 o'clock.

Today, I went to the after-sales service center to repair my computer. The feedback was that the motherboard was broken, and repairing it was pointless because it was too expensive; it would be better to buy a new one. Fortunately, the hard drive wasn't damaged, and the data was finally copied out. It cost nearly ten thousand and broke after just over three years of use. I'm really frustrated. I'm also curious: if only the motherboard was broken, why did the repairman consider the rest of the computer's components utterly worthless, except for the hard drive? I thought I could at least sell it for some money back...