Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Scheming Against Each Other

After sending the message to Li Tian, Lin Yun felt that Patriarch He’s presence here was unlikely to be a coincidence. However, since there was no longer any need to stay, Lin Yun prepared to leave.

Just as Lin Yun was about to turn, the He Family’s old steward saw him and whispered a few words into Patriarch He’s ear. Patriarch He then looked up and also saw Lin Yun standing at the door.

Hurrying to his feet, Patriarch He came before Lin Yun and said respectfully, ”Young Master Lin, what are you doing here?”

He had planned to leave, but now that Patriarch He had spotted him, Lin Yun was curious—especially about this Miss Xiaoqing, and why Patriarch He was here.

With a slight smile, Lin Yun looked at Patriarch He and chuckled. ”Heh, I didn’t expect to run into you here, Patriarch He.”

Lin Yun’s smile was roguish. Patriarch He gave a dry laugh and explained, ”Young Master Lin, I’ve always enjoyed coming here to listen to Miss Xiaoqing’s music. Since you’re here today, why don’t we listen to a song together?”

At his words, Lin Yun glanced at Xiaoqing, who was behind a gauze curtain. Although the screen obscured her, Lin Yun could still tell that this Xiaoqing was indeed very beautiful.

”Alright. In that case, I’ll have to impose.” Lin Yun laughed heartily and strode into the room.

As Lin Yun entered the private room, Patriarch He ordered the door to be closed. Now that Lin Yun was here, the environment naturally couldn’t be too noisy.

Miss Xiaoqing’s zither music had only recently become famous in Wind City; she herself had also appeared out of nowhere in the last little while.

Not long ago, the He Family’s old steward had told Patriarch He that Chunfeng Tower had a new Zither Master whose music was like the sound of heaven.

Out of curiosity, Patriarch He had come to Chunfeng Tower. As the patriarch of Wind City’s second-greatest family, he certainly had the means to hear Xiaoqing play a song.

It had to be said, ever since hearing Xiaoqing’s music for the first time, Patriarch He had truly fallen in love with her songs. He came to listen to a few pieces almost every few days.

The reason Patriarch He was here today, however, was because his old steward had told him that Miss Xiaoqing had composed a new piece. Upon hearing this, the idle patriarch couldn’t resist and had rushed over.

Lin Yun, unaware of all this, entered the room and naturally took the seat of honor. He Yuntian sat in the subordinate seat next to him and respectfully poured him a cup of fine wine.

”You seem to enjoy coming here, Patriarch He,” Lin Yun asked casually, taking a shallow sip of wine.

Hearing Lin Yun’s question, Patriarch He answered truthfully, ”To be honest with you, Young Master Lin, I’ve only started coming recently. Frankly, it’s only for Miss Xiaoqing’s music. Otherwise, I have little interest in such pleasure-seeking establishments.”

Hearing Patriarch He’s words, Lin Yun gave him a faint look, then turned his gaze back to Xiaoqing behind the curtain. A slight smile touched his lips as he said lightly, ”I wonder if I might have the honor of seeing Miss Xiaoqing’s true face.”

As Lin Yun’s voice fell, Xiaoqing’s voice came from behind the curtain. ”You jest, Young Master Lin.” With that, she pulled the curtain aside and gracefully came to sit in the chair opposite him.

Having never seen Guang Xuanji before, Lin Yun looked at the Xiaoqing before him with no idea that she was, in fact, Guang Xuanji. It had to be said, Guang Xuanji was indeed a great beauty.

However, Lin Yun had a high tolerance for beautiful women. It was no joke—seeing peerless beauties like Lu Bingning and Lan Xi every day, there were probably few women in the world who could catch his eye.

”I heard from Patriarch He just now that you only recently arrived in Wind City, Miss Xiaoqing?” Lin Yun asked lightly, personally pouring Guang Xuanji a cup of wine.

Hearing his question, Guang Xuanji smiled faintly. ”Yes, I have indeed just arrived in Wind City not long ago.”

”Oh? And where might you be from?” Lin Yun continued to ask.

”I am from Wood City,” Guang Xuanji replied.

’Wood City? The city with the Death Row Shelter?’ Just moments ago, Lin Yun had sensed Guang Xuanji’s cultivation and found she was only at the Qi Sea Realm. ’With such a low cultivation level and such beauty, traveling from Wood City to Wind City... she would have been devoured on the road, not even her bones left behind. Unless she has a powerful faction backing her, or some Spiritual Treasure to hide her cultivation.’

Though he was suspicious, Lin Yun continued to chat casually. ”You came all the way from Wood City to Wind City. With your skill on the zither, why would you end up in a pleasure house like Chunfeng Tower?”

”To be honest, Young Master Lin, I was merely a servant girl in Wood City. My master was deeply in debt, so I was sold to Chunfeng Tower,” Guang Xuanji replied.

As they talked, Lin Yun mulled over Guang Xuanji’s words. ’Her story is full of holes.’ At the same time, he noticed that whenever he asked about the He Family, Guang Xuanji seemed to be deliberately hiding something.

According to Guang Xuanji, she was originally just a servant girl who was sold to Chunfeng Tower because her master was in debt. ’That was strange.’

’If she was to be sold, why travel thousands of miles from Wood City to Wind City? Why not just sell her in Wood City? The price wouldn’t be much different, and they might have even gotten a better one there.’

There was another thing Lin Yun had keenly observed: Guang Xuanji would occasionally sneak a glance at Patriarch He. It was only for an instant, but Lin Yun still caught it.

After chatting for a while longer, Lin Yun asked, ”Miss Xiaoqing, the piece I heard you playing earlier, was that your own composition?”

”Yes, I composed it myself.” Hearing this, Guang Xuanji nodded in acknowledgment.

From the moment she sat down, Guang Xuanji had been completely different—meek and gentle, without a trace of her former allure. ’Her acting skills are truly impressive,’ Lin Yun thought.

Hearing Guang Xuanji’s answer, Lin Yun nodded slightly. ’Her own composition? Then why have I heard it before at the Qing Zhu Tavern in the Yanhuang Capital?’

’There could only be one answer: the Guang Xuanji before him was lying.’

’First of all, people from the Yanhuang Capital would never go to Wood City. A Martial Artist from the Southeast Domain going to Wood City, an unfamiliar and hostile place, would lead to only one outcome: death.’

’Since no one from the Qing Zhu Tavern had been to Wood City, a song originally composed by Xiaoqing would never have made its way there.’

’The only explanation was that Xiaoqing was lying. Moreover, she probably knew Qing Zhu. The two were either master and servant, or friends.’

Things were getting more and more complicated. Qing Zhu’s influence was like a vast net, making Lin Yun feel as if she were everywhere, somehow connected to everything.

Unsure of the connection between Guang Xuanji and Qing Zhu, Lin Yun decided not to dwell on it for now. What concerned him more at the moment was why Patriarch He had appeared here so coincidentally. And who exactly was this Xiaoqing?

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