On stage, Xi Ruzhu, whose presence had completely faded to that of a human-shaped lamp, clutched her fingers until they turned white.
The more dazzling Zuzi was, the more Xi Ruzhu regretted it. She had actually invited Zuzi to the stage, only to be embarrassed.
Please leave the stage.
Idiot, get off the stage, just get off!
She begged and pleaded in her heart.
As long as Zuzi left, the stage would still be hers. She had to find a way to win back the audience and make everyone forget about Zuzi, so she could remain the favorite of her teachers and family...
She endured, she held on, until Zuzi gracefully put away her instrument and stepped off the stage.
Zuzi had just taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped midway.
Resting her chin in contemplation, her eyes gazed thoughtfully out the window at some unknown point.
"Why hasn’t that idiot left yet..." Xi Ruzhu’s mind was a chaos, as if a cat was scratching inside, on the brink of breakdown.
Intense lightning surged forth, splitting half the sky, as if about to burst open above Qingcheng!
The entire auditorium seemed to shudder thrice.
The crystal chandelier from the ceiling wobbled, flickering in and out!
Oh my, is this an earthquake?
Everyone was deeply shocked.
A moment later, everything finally returned to normal.
The crowd remained in shock.
When they looked again, they found that in Zuzi’s hands was an instrument no one had ever seen before!
Crowd: "..." There’s actually even, even, more?
Xi Ruzhu: "..." She tasted the bitterness of despair!
In Zuzi’s hands, this new instrument was narrow and long like an ancient zither, yet its texture was unlike any common zither.
The body was made of jade, with jade silk strings, exuding a deep, mystical glow!
It seemed like it should be a heavy instrument, yet in Zuzi’s hands, it was as light as a feather.
The zither even seemed like a living thing, gently caressing under Zuzi’s delicate fingers, as if trying to please her!
"Heavenly Silkworm Silk! The strings are Heavenly Silkworm Silk, a precious green gemstone, priceless..." Dean Huangfu’s voice trembled with awe at the sight of the zither.
The others, lacking musical knowledge, curiously asked: "If it uses Heavenly Silkworm Silk for strings... then what kind of zither is it?"
Dean Huangfu, with a raspy voice, could not speak for a moment.
It was Xing Yue who, after a moment’s thought, tentatively asked: "Could it be the... Fu Xiqin recorded in historical texts?"
Even she found it hard to believe what she’d just said.
Ancient Divine Artifacts only existed in legends; who had really seen one?
Unless, when this zither was played, it really could change the colors of the sky and earth, make all beasts prostrate in worship as the legends said!
"Zuzi, play us a tune, would you?" Dean Huangfu earnestly requested.
Zuzi furrowed her brows slightly, seeming a bit disdainful of the zither in her hand: "No."
She regretted acting on impulse to play a tune earlier.
Her rival’s personal Divine Artifact had followed the melody of her Black Jade Flute to find her.
Yet the villain himself hadn’t appeared?
Could it be his Divine Soul had perished? Or was there some hidden trick?
She had no mood to entertain these youngsters’ requests, her mind full of thoughts on how to contend with her rival.
With a thought, she carried the Fu Xiqin in one hand like a cat carrying a dead mouse, and floated off the stage, heading out of the auditorium.
Now the entire auditorium erupted!
No one had any interest in listening to Xi Ruzhu’s concert now; everyone wanted to rush out.
Even if they couldn’t hear the legendary "play a tune to kill thousands", a closer look would still be worthwhile.
Outside the auditorium.
The night sky crackled with endless lightning, and finally, the rolling thunder roared.
"Boom, boom, boom——!"
Inside the auditorium.
Everyone’s phone simultaneously received a shocking news alert——
"Ancient tomb on Qingcheng Mountain collapses tonight due to lightning strike, with heavy casualties!"