Cultivation Online

1292 Zither Goddess' Performance

"I will not repeat myself. Either you answer my questions or your hands go." Tan Songyun spoke after a moment of silence.

However, several figures suddenly appeared before them with their weapons already pointed at Tan Songyun.

"Who the hell are you? And why are you pointing your weapon at my disciple?" Long Yijun, Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple, inquired in a demanding tone.

"Sect Master! I don't know why, but she's inquiring me about Yuan!" Fei Yuyan said.

"Yuan?" Long Yijun frowned upon hearing this familiar name. "I don't care who you are or why you're looking for Yuan, but how dare you invade our sect and threaten one of our disciples?"

"And what do you think you can do to me with your cultivation bases?" Tan Songyun asked them as she used a movement technique, disappearing from her location like a ghost.

When she appeared again, she was right behind Long Yijun with her blade pressed against his neck.

"I could take out all of you without breaking a single sweat."

'What?! When did she get behind me?! I couldn't see her movements at all even though she was right in front of me!' Long Yijun cried inwardly.

"Sect Master!"

"Get away from the Sect Master, you fiend!"

The elders around them immediately released their cultivation bases.

"..." Tan Songyun released a sigh and unexpectedly lowered her weapon.

"Now!" One of the elders shouted and suddenly attacked.

"Wait—!" Long Yijun tried to stop him, but he was too late.

However, before the elder's weapon could even get close to her body, Tan Songyun's arm flickered, and the elder's weapon shattered like glass after being struck by a rock the very next moment.

Before the elder could even process what had just happened, Tan Songyun used her other hand to grasp his neck, lifting him into the air like nothing.

"Please! Wait!" Long Yijun cried out loud after seeing this.

Nobody there dared to move a muscle, fearing that she might snap the elder's neck the moment they did.

After a moment of silence, Tan Songyun swung her arm, flinging the elder to the side like garbage.

She then said, "The Soul Ensnaring Zither. Your friend took something that he wasn't supposed to, so I am looking for him."

"What…? The Soul Ensnaring Zither?" Fei Yuyan's eyes widened with shock as she came to a realization.

"You can't be… the Zither Goddess?!"

Tan Songyun removed her veil, revealing her beautiful face, and said, " I don't like that nickname. Tan Songyun is my name."

"..."

The place turned silent once again as everyone there tried to grasp the situation.

"Are you really the Zither Goddess?" Long Yijun couldn't help but doubt her identity.

Tan Songyun glared at him and said, "I don't have the time to entertain you. Tell me everything you know about Yuan and I will be on my way."

"I-If you play a song for us and prove your identity, I will tell you everything I know about Yuan." Fei Yuyan said, and she continued with a resolute face, "If not, I won't tell you anything even if you kill me."

Tan Songyun sucked her teeth in an annoyed manner, yet she did not reject Fei Yuyan's offer.

She then beckoned at Fei Yuyan, causing the zither in Fei Yuyan's arms to float towards her.

With the zither hovering in the air right before her chest, Tan Songyun immediately began playing the strings. Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire sect changed, filled with heavenly music resonating through the air.

Fei Yuyan and the others near Tan Songyun could see illusions around her, almost as though a world had been materialized by her music.

However, the music was cut short and stopped midway. It was such a blatant pause that it nearly made the audience puke out blood from anger.

"W-Why did you stop so suddenly?!" Fei Yuyan demanded an answer with a frown on her face.

"I didn't come here to perform for you. I should've proved my identity with that much. Now, tell me about Yuan."

"N-No! I requested for a song— not half a song!" Fei Yuyan did not want it to end there.

"Enough!" Tan Songyun roared, her voice carrying some of her cultivation base.

*Cough*

Fei Yuyang and those around her suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"My patience has run out. If you don't stop this nonsense right now, I will not hesitate to kill you. If you think you're my only option of finding Yuan, you can ignore my warning.

"A-Alright! I apologize for overstepping my boundaries, Zither— Senior Tan! Your music was so good that I couldn't help myself…" Fei Yuyan sighed.

"I'll tell you everything I know about Yuan, but let's go somewhere more private."

Fei Yuyan turned to look at Long Yijun and continued, "I'll be fine, Sect Master. Thank you for everything."

"I-If you say so…" Long Yijun and the other elders left them alone shortly after.

Fei Yuyang brought Tan Songyun back to her own living quarters, where she explained her relationship with Yuan and everything she knew about him.

'Even if he's a genius, the Soul Ensnaring Zither requires a unique technique that only I know to play, so how…? Did he create another technique for it? That's absurd…' Tan Songyun was not aware of teaching Yuan the technique, as that was something done by the Soul Ensnaring Zither on its own accord.

"And that's all I know about him. I know it's not much, but…"

"It's good enough." Tan Songyun interrupted and immediately made her way for the exit.

"W-Wait!" Fei Yuyang suddenly stopped her.

"What do you want?"

"I know this may be asking too much, but can you give me some advice on the zither? How can I play like you?" Fei Yuyan asked.

"You want to play like me?" Tan Songyun asked for confirmation.

"Yes!" Fei Yuyan eagerly nodded.

"Then you might as well quit playing the zither."

"Eh?" Fei Yuyan's eyes widened at her unexpected response.

"Are you playing the zither just to play like me, or are you playing it because you enjoy it? Everyone has their own style and uniqueness, and I don't have the authority to take that away from you."

Tan Songyun retrieved a small book and tossed it at the dazed Fei Yuyan.

"That will not teach you to play like me, but it might help you improve your own style—if you have the talents for it."

"T-Thank you, Senior Tan! I will not disappoint you!"

"I'm not expecting anything from you." Tan Songyun said before disappearing from her sight.

"Though she may appear cold and ruthless at a glance, she's actually very kind and thoughtful on the inside…" Fei Yuyan sighed as she stared at the book in her hands.

"Yuan… good luck."