Chapter 60: Chapter 56: Behold the Dragon Gate, a Heavenly Deluge

Inside the room.

“Your Highness has a guzheng in your room?”

Qi Muxue noticed that many new furnishings had been added to the main hall, finding it quite novel.

Lu Mingyuan waved his hand dismissively. “My mother said the room was too empty, so she brought a lot of things over. They’re just for show.”

’It was just like how wealthy families in his previous life always had a piano on display. It was all about raising one’s social standing.’

But Qi Muxue walked over to the guzheng, plucked a string, and produced a heavenly note.

“How about I play a song for you, Your Highness? As a token of my gratitude for what just happened.”

She looked up at Lu Mingyuan, asking for his approval.

“Of course. Play whatever you’d like.”

Lu Mingyuan agreed readily.

Qi Muxue moved a chair in front of the guzheng.

She stepped before the instrument, rolled up her sleeves to reveal a pair of flawless, pale wrists, and soon, a series of clear, ethereal notes began to flow from her snow-white fingertips.

The melody was low and profound, seeming to paint a picture of the quiet and boundless dusk over an autumn river.

Lu Mingyuan closed his eyes to listen, sighing internally. ’She truly is a talented woman. Her skill is in no way inferior to the court Musicians in charge of rites and music in the palace.’

The original owner of this body was born into the Emperor’s family and had been accustomed to scenes of peace and prosperity, of drums, zithers, rites, and music since childhood. He frequented brothels, interacting closely with the Qing Guan, and the images of dancing girls and plucked strings were as if engraved in his memory. The body was highly sensitive to music, possessing an innate ability to appreciate any fine tune or dance.

When it came to music, he knew what was good.

The piece didn’t seem very long, and after a short movement, the music came to a close.

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but praise her aloud, “That piece was beautiful, better than many I’ve heard. I once wanted to learn to play myself, but I ended up injuring my hands and had to give it up. Thinking back on it now, it’s truly a shame.”

He had always admired people who could play musical instruments, whether it was the guitar and piano of his past life or the guzheng and pipa of the present. What he said was true; he really had tried to learn in his past life, but he had given up halfway through.

“I didn’t realize Your Highness also understood music.”

Qi Muxue looked surprised, her beautiful eyes staring at him without blinking. Even though Lu Mingyuan had lived two lives, he felt a little embarrassed. But then he remembered his public persona.

He had no choice but to cough and say, “All that time listening to music in the pleasure houses wasn’t for nothing.”

Upon hearing this and understanding its meaning, Qi Muxue broke into a radiant smile.

“How about I teach you, Your Highness?”

“Alright.”

Hearing her offer, Lu Mingyuan also came and knelt by the side of the table. Gazing at the woman only a foot away and inhaling the faint fragrance in the air, his breathing suddenly grew heavier.

’My predecessor saw countless women and was used to being surrounded by beauties. How could I be getting nervous?’ he mocked himself.

With his “Hidden Dragon” Fate Grid, Lu Mingyuan was an extremely fast learner. Before sunset, he had more or less mastered the basics.

Qi Muxue was also astonished that he could learn so quickly.

’But then again,’ she thought, ’considering his experience of visiting brothels every day, it’s reasonable that his talent for music would be astonishing.’

She looked up at the sky and, knowing it would be inconvenient to stay any longer, said, “It’s getting late. I’ve imposed on you enough today. I’ll take my leave now.”

Lu Mingyuan nodded and walked her to the door.

“PLIP… PLOP.”

Just then, droplets of water began to fall from the sky.

Lu Mingyuan looked up. He didn’t know when the sky had turned so gloomy. The dark clouds hung over the city, threatening to crush it.

As the rain fell, it heralded the coming of a great downpour.

Qi Muxue also looked at the sky and murmured,

“That’s strange. The Observatory didn’t say it would rain today.”

…

The Sixty-Eighth Year of Yong’an.

Early spring.

Vast dark clouds gathered over the Imperial Capital, and a torrential rain began to fall. At first, people thought it was just an ordinary storm and stayed home to take shelter. The brocade-clad members of the Bright Lamp Bureau, wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats, remained at their posts in watchtowers and on every corner, monitoring everything.

But soon, Qi Cultivators from the Taoist Sect noticed that something was wrong.

The great rain fell for three days and three nights without ever stopping.

The rain was so heavy that it submerged all the low-lying fertile fields and farmland in the Imperial Capital. Houses were flooded, and many commoners were displaced, forced to take shelter in caves on the mountainsides, gazing forlornly at the magnificent Imperial City.

In early spring, a year of violent storms, a great flood descended from the heavens.

The Celestial Mandate of Great Yan was aligned with fire, and water extinguishes fire.

This was an inauspicious omen.

Soon, the heavy rain began to spread from the Imperial Capital to the entire Capital Region, then to Nanyu Prefecture, Hezhong Prefecture, and on to a total of five prefectures, seven states, and thirteen counties, all of which were submerged by the floodwaters.

For a time, all of Great Yan was in turmoil. People burned incense and prayed in temples to the gods and buddhas. Even the Dragon King Temples in many places were overflowing with worshippers and their offerings.

The Court Cabinet immediately convened a meeting to investigate the rainfall, determined to find its cause.

The Thunder Pool Daoist Academy was the first to act. Several Taoist Immortal Masters, under a Court decree, visited Dragon King Temples and City God Temples to apprehend anyone causing the rain without authorization. They discovered many unsanctioned temples housing Demon Flood Dragons that dared to divide the Mortal World’s incense offerings without a Great Yan imperial edict. Their Divine Souls were scattered on the spot, a hundred years of Dao Practice destroyed in an instant, yet the great rain still showed no signs of stopping.

The Vice Mountain Master of the Daoist Academy, Xu Changqing, stood firm in the void with a Peach Wood Sword on his back and an Eight Trigrams Mirror at his waist. The surrounding rainwater formed a silhouette around him, unable to get close.

He narrowed his eyes, a flawless golden light appearing in their depths, and gazed into the space high above the Great Yan Imperial Palace.

He could faintly make out a Celestial Gate.

It was a scene of a Celestial Gate amidst a sea of clouds, with a golden fish swimming beneath its massive archway.

The Celestial Gate was wide open. This was the phenomenon of a golden carp leaping through the Dragon Gate.

Someone was trying to break through to the Dragon Gate realm.

Xu Changqing chuckled. “To think that someone would insist on using the National Fortune just to pass their fourth Dragon Tribulation. They’re really sparing no expense.”

“It’s just the common people of Great Yan who will suffer for it.”

…

「At this very moment.」

Lu Mingyuan was also taking refuge on the mountain behind the palace. Qingzhu Hall was now completely filled with floodwater that reached up to his chest, and the Imperial Palace’s drainage system had completely failed.

He wasn’t the only one; many Consorts, eunuchs, and Palace Maids were also hiding on the mountainside behind the Imperial Palace.

Numerous members of the Imperial Guard were maintaining order, but the buzz of discussion was incessant. The once-spacious rear mountain had become as crowded as a vegetable market.

The Imperial Guard didn’t dare to offend anyone, so they could only put on a show of keeping order.

“Well, if it isn’t the Sixth Prince. It’s been a long time.”

Amidst the crowd, a burly man happened upon Lu Mingyuan and came before him to bow.

Lu Mingyuan looked at the man before him.

He thought for a moment, and his “Recognizing People” ability activated, jogging his memory.

Zhou Pingfu, Fourth Realm, the former Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard.

’I really haven’t seen him in a long time.’

Lu Mingyuan smiled. “So it’s you. I didn’t expect to see you again. When did you return to the palace?”

Zhou Pingfu seemed quite emotional as well. He clasped his fist and said, “This humble general has been wanting to thank Your Highness, but I never had the chance.”

“A while ago, I followed the Holy Emperor on the eastern expedition, so I wasn’t in the Imperial Palace. I was fortunate enough to claim the top merit and have now been transferred back to the palace. I am now one of the Commanders of the Imperial Guard.”

Lu Mingyuan studied him closely and indeed noticed that his aura had become much more stable. Lu Mingyuan himself was now at the Fifth Realm of Furnace Building.

He could tell that Zhou Pingfu’s realm had advanced, clearly the result of another breakthrough on the battlefield.

“Then you could say your misfortune turned into a blessing. Not bad. Keep up the good work.”

Lu Mingyuan recalled the past, when Zhou Pingfu had been investigated to no avail and had knelt in the heavy snow for seven days and nights. To think that was already last year.

At that moment, text appeared before his eyes.

[Fluorescent Green Fate Grid – Reading the Room, Refinement Level increased to 50%]

[Recognizing People (High Level): Utilize all things, and employ all people to their fullest potential. Judge loyalty and treachery, good and evil; distinguish lies from truth. You can see those with potential.]

Following a cool sensation that washed over him, Lu Mingyuan found that his perspective on the world had drastically changed.

From the envy on the faces of nobles discussing how large the breasts of the Consort next door were,

down to the flirtatious glances exchanged between the Imperial Guard and Palace Maids.

Nothing escaped his sight.

…

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