The lute’s uniquely bright and clear timbre, imbued with rapid, fierce granularity, echoed throughout the venue.
Shi Mei’s eyes were closed; she was utterly oblivious to the emotions of the audience below.
Having not touched the lute for too long, Shi Mei did not feel the slightest bit of awkwardness.
As a child, she had been coerced by her grandmother into practicing the instrument.
The lute was the only musical instrument that had accompanied her since she was four years old.
This piece was her grandmother’s most proud repertoire.
Shi Mei did not need to look at the strings to find any note with ease.
The style of the music gradually turned more piercing, with emphatic contrasts and pauses.
It was as if the great battle of past years reappeared in her mind, surrounded by enemies on all sides, with danger lurking everywhere.
Suddenly, it was as if thousands of swords were unsheathed concurrently, and warriors clashed in battle.
Amidst the helmets and armor, corpses lay scattered everywhere.
Those who had questioned her earlier had now lost all words; the only thing remaining in their hearts was shock!
Everyone in the venue, including the staff, without exception, paid rapt attention to the slender figure on stage.
What they saw was a performer, but in their minds unfolded a scene of an epic and tragic war.
Granny Tang watched Shi Mei on stage, tears brimming in her eyes, grasping Tang Jingming’s hand.
The pewter jar cracked and the contents surged out, iron cavalry burst forth with blades and spears clanging!
Indeed, far better than her own mastery of many decades!
Such skill, such presence, could only be played out with over a decade of foundation!
The vivid killing intent in the music instilled fear and trepidation in the listeners!
But how could a young girl possess such immense killing intent?
For some reason, Granny Tang’s heart felt more and more pained.
She couldn’t help but superimpose the young girl on stage with Xiao Wu.
She wanted to hug her, touch her, call her Xiao Wu and hear her call back ’Granny’.
In this life, that would be enough.
But she knew better than anyone that Xiao Wu was dead.
She had seen Xiao Wu, bloody, being pushed out of the emergency room with her own eyes.
It was also she who consented to Xiao Wu’s heart to Bai Yuejie.
Her Xiao Wu was gone.
Granny Tang wiped away her tears, once again focusing her gaze on the stage.
Meanwhile, not far away, Bai Yuejie, listening to the music filled with killing intent, felt her heart tighten painfully.
Her breathing became more rapid and, for some reason, she had a strange illusion.
As if the Senior Sister’s killing intent was directed at her!
This feeling was bizarre, and Bai Yuejie’s heart felt increasingly uncomfortable.
She couldn’t stay any longer, she needed to leave.
But suddenly, as if the woman on stage sensed her intent, her eyes abruptly opened.
Her gaze accurately and unwaveringly fell on Bai Yuejie.
The dark, bright eyes, full of sharpness, seemed to tear someone apart.
Instantly, Bai Yuejie felt as if a cold breath had penetrated her whole body, cold sweat silently covering her.
Her thoughts blanked for a moment, her eyes locked with those on stage, and in her entire world, there was nothing but the sound of the lute in her ears.
The music turned mournfully tragic, as if before her very eyes, thousands of soldiers were decapitated under the throes of war.
On the yellow earth, the blood flowed like rivers.
And she became the Overlord of Western Chu in the battle of Gaixia, outnumbered and alone.
The tune concluded as if in a painter’s final stroke, and with the last pluck of the strings, it sounded like tearing silk!
On the final note’s fall, killing intent surged toward her, as if an invisible force aggressively pushed against her.
Bai Yuejie’s heart constricted, a twisting pain as if tearing itself from her bones.
In the moment of her collapse, the last thought in Bai Yuejie’s mind:
This person, cannot be spared!