In the spectator stands, Ke Xueqing, the baby-faced senior sister who had used a healing melody to treat Gu Ningyun's injuries, was staring intently at Arena 2.
She had recognized Gu Ningyun the moment the girl stepped onto the stage holding her guqin and had been closely following the only music cultivation duel in the entire field.
Her friend was with her. With the hearing of cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining, the two naturally heard the conversations below the arena, as well as Gu Ningyun's bluff.
The friend nudged Ke Xueqing. “Do you music cultivators really have support melodies like that?”
“Music cultivation may be rare, but the heritage has lasted for hundreds of thousands of years. Countless scores have been accumulated. It wouldn’t be strange to have a few odd melodies, let alone a simple healing support song.”
As Ke Xueqing spoke, her gaze remained warmly fixed on Gu Ningyun.
Her friend teased her, “You really seem to like this junior sister—first treating her injuries, and now watching her match.”
“When I first saw her, I recognized her as the new disciple Martial Aunt Kong mentioned, the one who entered the Dao of Music in just one month.
Music cultivators are rare to begin with. It’s only right for fellow disciples to look out for one another.”
She then added with a light laugh, “If she’s willing to come to Music Peak in the future, that would be wonderful.”
“That’s hard to say.”
The friend sighed softly. “When she came out of the Trial Tower, she was brimming with sword qi and covered in bloody wounds. There’s no way she’s only practicing music.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Ke Xueqing had always been free-spirited and didn't care to dwell on the topic. Instead, she said, “I’m curious to see how far she can go in the individual competition relying only on a guqin.”
The friend replied, “A tall tree attracts the wind. She’s smart; she knows to hide her strength first. The less she exposes now, the safer she’ll be in the later stages.”
Gu Ningyun had no idea that the beautiful and kind baby-faced senior sister was watching her match.
After her bluff, she looked at the referee with a face full of sincerity.
The referee remained relatively calm. “There are more duels coming up. It’s too dangerous for him to sleep below the arena.
I could have someone carry him away, but since he isn't injured, he doesn't need to sleep for so long.
Do you have a way to wake him up now?”
Gu Ningyun sat cross-legged and positioned her guqin. “Martial Uncle, that’s exactly why I stayed. Leave it to me.”
To make 《Lingtai》 seem more like a sleep aid, she had intentionally used a bit more spirit energy during the duel so that he would stay asleep for eight hours.
Staying behind after the duel was for this exact moment—if they needed him awake, she would play the song in reverse; if they didn't, he would simply sleep for eight hours, proving her claim about the sleep aid.
After playing 《Lingtai》 in reverse, Shao Xingwen opened his eyes, looking dazed.
When he realized he was lying on the ground with the referee standing right next to him, he woke up completely.
He performed a quick kip-up to stand, his voice filled with disbelief. “I... I fell asleep during the fight?!”
The disciples watching near Arena 2 finally broke their silence and began discussing the match once more.
An enthusiastic disciple in the front row recounted everything that had happened before and after Shao Xingwen fell asleep.
After listening, Shao Xingwen began to question his life choices.
“When my vines couldn't keep up with her speed, I thought I might lose because I ran out of spirit energy. After all, my cultivation is lower, so my reserves are definitely smaller.
But I never expected that the reason for my ultimate defeat would be a beautiful support melody.”
Once Shao Xingwen was awake, the referee returned to the platform to preside over the duel for the thirteenth pair of disciples.
Gu Ningyun also packed up her guqin and headed toward Ruiyu Pavilion.
As she passed the disciples watching Arena 2, she could faintly hear their discussions.
“So support melodies can be used like that. I’ve really learned something today.”
“We haven't seen many music cultivators, so it’s normal not to understand their methods.”
“If someone blocks their hearing, would that sleep aid still work?”
“I’m not sure, but the song has a huge weakness: it takes effect very slowly.”
“You just have to defeat her before the song takes effect.”
“Can you keep up with her speed?”
“I’ve learned a movement technique. I could give it a try.”
Gu Ningyun silently listened to the discussions around her. Just before leaving the area, she let out a seemingly casual sigh. “It really is too difficult for a music cultivator once they leave their teammates.”
The voices behind her gradually faded. The last thing Gu Ningyun heard was a faint remark: “Support-type music cultivators really do struggle in solo combat. Even a peer at Qi Refining level three could keep her pinned down despite the level gap.”
She put her guqin into her storage bag and strolled back to Ruiyu Pavilion.
Her companions, who had watched her entire performance, greeted her with a synchronized cupped-fist salute.
Well, except for Jun Luo.
He ignored the three childish friends and met Gu Ningyun’s eyes.
He thought for a moment, his expression as composed as ever, but a hint of a smile touched his voice. “That was impressive.”
Gu Ningyun chuckled. “If cultivators didn't use meditation to replace sleep, I could have used this publicity to treat insomnia with my sleep aid and earn a fortune in points.”
Recalling how Gu Ningyun used to play 《Zongjiao》 in front of the Trial Tower every day, Jun Luo fell silent.
After a moment, once Gu Ningyun had settled into her seat, he said, “Perhaps you could earn a fortune in points just with 《Zongjiao》.”
Mu Chenze toyed with his folding fan. “You two change topics so fast. Weren't we talking about the duel? How did we get to earning points?”
Gu Ningyun asked, “When you went to Preaching Peak to learn alchemy, arrays, talismans, and forging, did you ever find yourselves short on points?”
Mu Chenze: “...”
Wen Xuan: “...”
Jiang Yao: “The world has suddenly become very quiet.”
Gu Ningyun glanced at Jiang Yao’s identity jade token, which was glowing green enough to illuminate his disciple robes. “It’s time for you to head to the waiting area, Jiang Yao.
Jun Luo is number twenty-five, so he won't be up until the afternoon. We’ll go eat after your match.”
The descriptions of Jiang Yao and Jun Luo in 《New Disciple Xiaosheng's Remarks》 were fairly accurate.
There was no need to intentionally hide parts that everyone already knew.
Therefore, when they were making their plan, they decided to let Jiang Yao and Jun Luo perform normally. It wouldn't hurt for them to appear strong.
Previously, Gu Ningyun and Wen Xuan had followed the route of turning the enemy's scheme against them, following the principle of “appearing incapable when capable.” They showed weakness to the enemy to hide their true strength.
Mu Chenze followed the route of “mixing the real with the fake,” winning through movement and wit without showing overwhelming power.
Jiang Yao and Jun Luo were the most important part of the plan. By showing great power, they would attract the attention of other equally powerful opponents.
With those two acting as foils, it would be easier for the other three to hide and disguise themselves.
This serial strategy was something Gu Ningyun had specifically devised after learning about the individual and team competitions and reading 《New Disciple Xiaosheng's Remarks》.
There was always a higher heaven and a greater person.
To take first place in the team competition and have all five of them reach the top ranks of the individual competition—this was the most cautious and effective method they could think of.
Rate on N.U.
