Zither Emperor

Chapter 41 – The Soul Attachment of a Silver Dragon (III)

The tall man nodded and said, "Has there been any news from Dark Phoenix?"

Krishna answered, "After the arrival of the latest news, she had not gotten in touch with me. I can tell that she is still very resistant towards us. If Dark Phoenix really succeeds in killing Silvio, will you hand over the position to her?"

The tall man's voice suddenly became glacial. "This is my matter; do not ask any more. Communicate to Dark Phoenix that if no opportunity arises, she is to return. Regardless of what is said, she is my daughter. I do not want any harm to come to her."

Krishna disdainfully snorted. "You have already injured her deeply a long time ago. At times, I think you really are very hypocritical."

The tall man suddenly stood up from his seat, intense violet light exploding from his body. "Krishna, do you want to fight with me?"

Krishna sneered and responded, "No, of course not. After all, we stand on the same battlefront. In fact, I was just speaking a line of truth, that's all." With a flash of darkness, his slender body quietly disappeared into the wall like Emerson.

The dangerously strong violet light gradually vanished. The tall man's eyes flashed with luster akin to the arctic ice.

✶

"You're all here!" To his surprise, when Ye Yin Zhu returned to the dormitory, he discovered that not only did Sura come back, Xiang Luan and Hai Yang were here as well. The three of them were sitting together chatting about something.

Upon seeing Ye Yin Zhu arrive, Xiang Luan hastily stood and spoke with a troubled tone, "Yin Zhu, are you alright? I heard that the people of Silver Dragon City had come to bother you."

Ye Yin Zhu smiled and shook his head, saying, "I'm alright! Uncle Silvio took very good care of me. Nothing will happen. Ten days from now, I will go to Silver Dragon City for a visit."

Xiang Luan was slightly shocked as she repeated, "Ten days from now? When did Silver Dragon City become so easy to negotiate with?"

Ye Yin Zhu's gaze shifted to Hai Yang as he explained, "This is many thanks to Generalissimo Seedorf as he deterred the other side and gave me ample time. Senior Hai Yang, you won't fault me for telling the matter of your medical treatment to Generalissimo Seedorf, right?"

Hai Yang was exceptionally intelligent and had naturally understood with clarity why Ye Yin Zhu had been allowed to stay for as long as ten days. She lightly shook her head. "Why would I blame you." Compared to when they had first become acquainted, Hai Yang's iciness had lessened significantly. Although she still dressed as she originally did, her current self had become more confident, and her complexion was not as wan as before.

As the Violet Bamboo Divine Needles unceasingly pierced her body during the treatment, the curse-corroded scar was no longer as lifeless as it previously had been, though it had yet to subside fully. It seemed as if every cell had been invigorated. Various kinds of sensations arose constantly. Hai Yang was indeed very strong, for regardless of any pain, numbness, ache, or itch, she endured it all alone. This attribute of hers helped Ye Yin Zhu understand her better, and he couldn't help but hold great admiration of her.

Ye Yin Zhu said, "There is still one final treatment left. This treatment will be somewhat different from the others. I will use the Violet Bamboo Divine Needles and force the poison to completely discharge from your face with dou qi. In addition, I will pour powerful life aura into your face, causing your scar to heal by itself. After this final acupuncture treatment, you might be completely healed in approximately a month's time. When the moment comes, I currently cannot guarantee the result, but from previous situations of stimulus, you might possibly regain your original features."

Hai Yang smiled faintly, her large, clear eyes staring at Ye Yin Zhu as she said, "Regardless of whether or not it is successful, I thank you for your assistance. In the future, if you have anything that requires my help, I will definitely not refuse."

Ye Yin Zhu crinkled his brows slightly and said, "Senior, we are classmates, and we can also be considered as friends. Is there a need to formulate a basis for this beneficial exchange of mutual assistance?"

Hai Yang stared blankly at him for a moment before her charming face flushed slightly. She said, "I, I didn't mean that. Don't misunderstand."

To the side, Xiang Luan giggled. "That what did you mean!"

Hai Yang hastily replied with embarrassment, "Older Sister Xiang Luan, why are you teasing me as well."

Ye Yin Zhu said, "Senior Hai Yang, there are still nine more days before the last acupuncture treatment. Because this is the last treatment, it is very important. I cannot receive any disturbances that day, so it can only be us two during the acupuncture treatment. I will ask Sura to act as our guard. There is an important matter I must warn you of first. During this acupuncture treatment, I might need to position needles further down your body. I hope you can mentally prepare yourself."

"Ah?" Hai Yang couldn't help but be alarmed upon hearing Ye Yin Zhu. Staring at him, her complexion became even redder. How could she not understand the meaning in Ye Yin Zhu's words?

Xiang Luan placed both hands on her hips and glared at Ye Yin Zhu. "Repulsive boy, you aren't wanting to take advantage of Hai Yang, right?" Just as she said this, she couldn't help but recall that day in the main hall of the Milan Imperial Palace when Ye Yin Zhu had accidentally molested her and touched the two most treasured places of her body. Her beautiful face inadvertently reddened as well.

Ye Yin Zhu firmly said, "Senior Xiang Luan, am I that sort of man? The only way for the rest of the poison to successfully flush out through all the meridians in the body is for me to continuously switch needles in and out."

Xiang Luan looked Ye Yin Zhu up and down. Although she believed him in her heart, for some unknown reason, her mouth was deliberately making things difficult for him. "That is very difficult to say."

Hai Yang lightly tugged on Xiang Luan's sleeve and said, "Older Sister Xiang Luan, I believe him." After she said this line, she hastily lowered her head, not daring to look at Ye Yin Zhu.

Xiang Luan sighed and looked at Hai Yang with a smile, yet not. She exclaimed, "When a girl is of age, she must be married off! It seems that our little Hai Yang's heart has been tempted to love as well."

Ye Yin Zhu awkwardly looked at the two girls, momentarily not knowing what he should say. He had a rough understanding of the feelings between a man and a woman through reading romance novels. He had seen many beautiful women. Xiang Luan, Hai Yang, and even Anya all had favorable impressions in his heart, but it had not been said in those romance novels that having a racing heartbeat upon seeing them would be like electrocuting anesthesia. After all, he wasn't even seventeen yet. As far as romance was concerned, he was still in a very ignorant phase, unlike girls who mature early.

Ke—ke— Sura coughed lightly and interjected, "Are both Seniors staying for the meal?"

Hai Yang hastily stood up and said, "No, we need to return." After she said this, she seemed to flee to the doorway. Xiang Luan grimaced at Ye Yin Zhu before catching up to Hai Yang.

Just as Hai Yang reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped. Without turning her head around, she said, "I, I will come here, seeking you, nine days from now." After she finished speaking, she immediately fled.

Ye Yin Zhu yelled out in the two girls' direction, "Remember to come at noon! Yang energy is vigorous at that time and thus most suitable for acupuncture!"

Sura slowly walked up to the door and closed it. He turned around to say to Ye Yin Zhu, "When all is said and done, do you like Hai Yang or Xiang Luan better. In any case, you cannot like them both, okay? I can tell that they both have very favorable impressions of you."

Ye Yin Zhu stared blankly for a moment and said, "I naturally like them both."

Sura violently turned around, his eyes filled with astonishment and ice. "Like them both? Ye Yin Zhu, I didn't expect you to unexpectedly be this sort of person."

Ye Yin Zhu, befuddled, said, "Sura, what's going on with you? Your complexion is so unsightly. Which sort of person are you saying I am?" As he said this, he had walked up to Sura and pressed his right hand to Sura's cold forehead. "You don't have a fever! It's unlike you to speak nonsense."

"You…" Sura slapped Ye Yin Zhu's hand away. "A person's heart is finite. How can you possibly like two girls at the same time? This, this kind of thing, they will not be happy and can only suffer because of you."

Ye Yin Zhu foolishly stared at Sura. "Where is your mind thinking to? I said like as in friends! I like them, and I also like you. I like all my friends! Don't tell me that you were speaking of that kind, like those between a man and a woman? That is love, not like. Heavens! Sura, your thinking is too complicated. I'm only sixteen."

Sura sneered. "Pretend, continue pretending. Do you still need to pretend in front of me? Don't tell me that you haven't felt a bit of this love for either Xiang Luan or Hai Yang? No matter what you say, Senior Xiang Luan is, after all, the most beautiful woman of our Milan Institution for Magic and Martial Arts."

Ye Yin Zhu helplessly said, "Senior Xiang Luan is indeed very beautiful. I don't know if it's because my age is too young or because of something else, but when I first met her, I indeed found her appearance attractive, but after getting to know everyone more, she is like you, also my friend! I haven't felt that feeling described in romance novels. As for Senior Hai Yang, I merely think she is very pitiful. Her beauty spoiled since she was a child, to a girl, this blow is tremendous! So, I must help her with all my strength, hoping that she can resemble Senior Xiang Luan and be happy every day. Only, Sura, you seem to have a very high understanding of the affairs of a man and woman!"

Sura's face flushed as he lowered his head, a cheerful look flashing through his eyes. "What understanding? We are friends. I merely don't want you to stand with each foot in a different boat, that's all."¹

Ye Yin Zhu unhappily remarked, "You slandering me like this; shouldn't it deserve a punishment?"

Sura raised his head to look at him and giggled. He replied, "What punishment?"

Ye Yin Zhu chuckled and said, "How about this; my clothes will also be taken care of and washed by you. Aren't I very magnanimous."

Sura kicked Ye Yin Zhu's leg, scaring Ye Yin Zhu into rapidly falling back. Sura glared at him and said, "Yin Zhu, you have been corrupted by bad examples. It seems that in the royal library, you must not have read good books."

"Wronged! Aren't I studying all kinds of knowledge?! Interpersonal relationships are included in this! If you are unwilling, I'll wash them myself."

Sura curled his lips and grudgingly said, "I fear you.² I have long been your housekeeper anyways. If I must wash, I'll wash. I'll go prepare dinner now."

Ye Yin Zhu looked at Sura with slight amazement. He had actually been joking and didn't expect Sura to actually, genuinely agree. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Sura, sometimes I really feel as if you are a perfect person. If you were a girl, I certainly would not let you slip away. Books say that marrying a wife is to marry virtue. If you were such a wife, then I will die happy."

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1. "To stand with each foot in a different boat" = to have two lovers at the same time ↩
2. Moonclipse's comment: It's sarcasm in case you didn't get it ↩

Chapter 42 – The Forbidden Incantation of Light and Darkness (I)

"Pei. Is that you taking a wife or taking a young slave! I really don't know what you're thinking. Come, come with me to the kitchen. I still have a few things to ask you." As he said this, he took the lead and entered the kitchen first.

Ye Yin Zhu entered the kitchen and leaned against the doorway, asking, "What else do you want to ask about?"

Sura replied, "How much do you understand of Silver Dragon City?"

Ye Yin Zhu said, "I roughly know of their situation. Silver Dragon City is one of the seven dragon cities; as to where exactly it is, that is hard to say. They are definitely, however, within the borders of the Milan Empire. They have a strategic cooperative alliance with the Milan Empire. Amongst the seven great dragon cities, Silver Dragon City should have roughly the same level of strength compared to Onyx Dragon City and Golden Dragon City. This is roughly all of my knowledge on it."

Sura explained, "The seven great dragon cities are similar to the human powers on the Longinus Continent and are also divided into two factions that are headed by Silver Dragon City and Onyx Dragon City. This Silver Dragon City that is calling on you only wants to see if your power can be of use to them and help them deal with with the dragons in the faction headed by Onyx Dragon City. Silver Dragon's side have always won through numbers, yet Onyx Dragon City and Golden Dragon City have individual strengths that surpass the Silver Dragon faction. Therefore, the Silver Dragons had never dared to launch a strong attack on the Onyx Dragon faction, afraid that they will be struck by their opponents one after another and be defeated. Yin Zhu, you must be more careful this time. It would be better if I went with you. After all, I am a Silver Dragon Cavalry Knight and have the right to go to Silver Dragon City."

Ye Yin Zhu shook his head and said, "No need. Yin Bi is still young. In addition, even though we have the reverse scales as proof, I think that it's better if you don't interact with Silver Dragon City so early. Those Silver Dragons appear to be very arrogant; it's not good to have dealings with them. Don't worry, I'll be careful this time. If I truly am in trouble, I will find some way to run away." What was an easier escape method than the Equal Life Contract? If he felt that the situation was far from good, then he could, at any time, have Zi summon him over through the spiritual connection they had. That was only after utilizing every other kind of escape methods, of course. Ye Yin Zhu believed, though, that it wasn't likely he would run into this kind of situation.

While they talked, Sura washed the dishes, his movements swift without even being a bit sloppy. After working for a while, the entire kitchen brimmed with the aroma of food. Ye Yin Zhu was unable to refrain from being moved to eat as his mouth watered.

"I'm done. You can go out first; the smoke is thick here." Sura pushed Ye Yin Zhu out of the kitchen. Just as he was about to return to the kitchen to bring out the meal, Sura's pupils rapidly shrunk all of a sudden. He quickly tackled Ye Yin Zhu. Not waiting for Ye Yin Zhu to react, the two of them were sent rolling to the ground.

A violent stream of black energy broke through the window, permeating the entire room in a flash. Although the black energy hadn't directly targeted Ye Yin Zhu and Sura, the two of them abruptly felt their bodies become sluggish, their senses dulling significantly.

A deep and aged voice echoed throughout every room. "The Ruler of Darkness governs all four realms, following the karmic fragments of your esteemed self, by means of your power, be led to the nothingness of darkness, sealed by this. ——Isolation of Darkness."

Any form of illumination within the room vanished completely. Ye Yin Zhu and Sura could only see a violet six-pointed star. In an instant, they seemed to have become completely isolated from the outside world. Any noise or light seemingly disappeared. Their dormitory had become a bizarre jail of darkness as an intense feeling of oppression, filled with an icy, sinister aura, surrounded them. Everything around them seemed to have frozen.

Sura called out beneath his breath, "Dark Magic Great Magister."

A black figure slowly came into view. Contrasted against that violet six-pointed star, Ye Yin Zhu could clearly see the pale complexion of that newly arrived black-clothed man. His entire body was shrouded by a black chang pao, and his two eyes unexpectedly had no whites; they were completely ink-black. Their entire surroundings seemed to have frozen when his demonic, unusual gaze firmly settled on Ye Yin Zhu and Sura.

Ye Yin Zhu slowly got up from the ground. With Sura behind him, he softly said, "Who are you?"

The deep and aged voice disappeared, replaced with a demonic, unusually young voice that sounded sharp and ear-piercing. "You are Ye Yin Zhu?"

Ye Yin Zhu nodded. "Correct, I am."

That demonic, unusual youth smiled strangely. "Then I have not sought out the wrong person. Follow me. Don't make me waste energy. This way, you will suffer less hardship." In fact, he was internally astonished. When faced with the pressure he was exerting, this boy actually had no fear at all. This almost ordinary human accomplished something a strong person would find impossible to achieve.

Ye Yin Zhu snorted coldly. "Why should I follow you?"

The demonic, unusual youth said, "Because this is I, Ye Xing Xu, speaking."

Ye Yin Zhu looked at him in slight surprise. "With a voice like yours, don't tell me you are also a dragon? From your magic capability, are you an Onyx Dragon?" Although the magic was completely different, this person before him called Ye Xing Xu had a similar pressure to Lisha.

Ye Xing Xu stared at Ye Yin Zhu with slight shock and said, "I didn't expect a human like you to be so clever. Since Ye Yin Zhu shook his head and said, "No, I cannot come with you."

Ye Xing Xu disdainfully asked, "Why? Do you still think you can resist me? On the basis of you two humans?"

Sura bellowed, "Don’t forget that this place is Milan Institution for Magic and Martial Arts. Even if you are an Onyx Dragon, you cannot provoke this place."

Ye Xing Xu said, "Of course I know that this place is Milan Institution for Magic and Martial Arts; otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to use Isolation of Darkness just a moment ago. This room has already been cut off from the rest of the world. Even if a forbidden incantation is cast here, as long as it isn't greater than my Isolation of Darkness' magic, it would be impossible for the outside to know."

In a flash of light, the Waterfall of Connecting Pearls Zither manifested with Ye Yin Zhu's hands hovering above it. Facing this powerful enemy, he chose his most powerful, divine level guqin. A wave of energy brimming with a sorrowful aura undulated, torrentially pouring out of the Waterfall of Connecting Pearls. The surrounding, oppressive darkness was immediately forced to disperse a bit.

Ye Xing Xu's pupils shrunk, his gaze unable to refrain from concentrating on the guqin within Ye Yin Zhu's hands. He blurted out, "Good zither."

"It is a good zither." Ye Yin Zhu replied as his left hand grasped the zither, his right hand rapidly streaking across the seven strings. He didn't believe that in such a narrow space, his opponent would give him a chance to play the zither, so he immediately used his consummate skill——Seven Note Linked Explosion.

Brimming with vibrato, the seven notes hummed a cry and seemed to ring like a silver bottle abruptly breaking. That clear, humming cry, similar to jade beads falling upon ceramic, momentarily reverberated throughout the entire room. At the same time, seven hazy yellow sound blades surged out. With such close distance and instantaneous casting, the sound blades' speed simply couldn't be dodged by anyone. Originally, by relying on this, he had eliminated an Indigo Rank mage of the Wavast Kingdom in the Arcadian Magic Guild. Compared to that time, the current Ye Yin Zhu not only had progressed significantly in dou qi, his zither magic had also accordingly improved. Even more importantly, this Waterfall of Connecting Pearls Zither in his hands was a genuine divine device.

Ye Xing Xu was just like Lisha when she had first seen Ye Yin Zhu; he simply didn't pay attention to his opponent, and the sudden emergence of the Seven Note Linked Explosion rushed at him with a tremendous amount of spiritual force imbued within.

How could a divine level zither be ordinary? Even with the huge disparity in spiritual force, the Waterfall of Connecting Pearls Zither produced sonic booms that could cause Ye Xing Xu's thought process to be interrupted even though it threw Ye Yin Zhu's spiritual ocean into chaos. At this moment, those seven hazy yellow sound blades already superimposed over one another. Because his opponent was formidable, Ye Yin Zhu's sound blades advanced as a superimposed attack.

A mournful snarl suddenly exploded from Ye Xing Xu's mouth. A strong violet mist exploded from his chest and the dark elements within the room suddenly became incomparably berserk. Ye Yin Zhu's body suddenly flew away, the Divine Celestial Protection bursting forth to release a gentle defense against the corrosive dark energy. Meanwhile, Sura had already stealthily withdrawn Angel's Sigh and raised his hand at the same time as this sudden explosion of berserk dark elements.

Ye Xing Xu's eyes had already transitioned into a dark red color. On his chest, there was a wound so deep the bone could be seen. In general, when facing Ye Yin Zhu's Seven Note Linked Explosion, it was impossible for him to resist even slightly. He could only rely on the protection of the dark elements and his body's defense capability to bear the might of the Seven Note Linked Explosion.

After all, a divine device was a divine device. Waterfall of Connecting Pearls Zither released sound blades that had an intensely strong cutting power due to its vibrations, forcibly cutting through the dark elements protecting his body and also rapidly searing through his chest. A Black Dragon's defensive power was more powerful than a Silver Dragon, but even so, his skin, which were comparable to scales, was still completely cut open. Fortunately, upon receiving the agonizing pain, Ye Xing Xu promptly woke up from the sonic boom and discharged an explosion of dark elements with all his strength. This completely dissolved the sound blades Ye Yin Zhu had issued.

Having experienced many battles as well as straddling the borders of life and death before, Ye Yin Zhu refused to give his opponent any opportunity to attack. If a Violet Rank explosion occurred, then he and Sura would only have one fate.

"Magical Dragon Lisha, I, whose name is Ye Yin Zhu, summon you."

A silver six-pointed star flashed between Ye Yin Zhu's brows before bursting forth, rays of light sparking. The magical elements in the air grew intense as it undulated, but since Isolation of Darkness was active, the other elements in Ye Yin Zhu's dormitory seemingly weakened significantly.

Lisha's ice-cold voice rang out. "So quick to take advantage of summoning me. I had said that I will not help you do anything."

In the wake of her voice's emergence, silvery light flashed as Lisha's attractive body appeared in front of Ye Yin Zhu. At this moment, the furious dark dragon Ye Xing Xu's hands aimed a dark arrow brimming with penetrative, destructive power in Ye Yin Zhu's direction.

"Onyx Dragon?" Lisha cried out. She reacted with lightning speed. Both her hands crossed over her chest, and violet magic bubbled forth. A shield of water, fire, earth, and wind elements suddenly appeared, forcefully blocking the dark arrow filled with fury.

Lisha was stunned. Ye Xing Xu was also shocked, his eyes brimming with killing intent as he glared at Ye Yin Zhu. "You unexpectedly signed a contract with a Silver Dragon."

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