Chapter 159 - Ambush from Ten Sides

Even after Xue Lan’s performance had concluded, many were still lost in the enchanting melody.

Xue Lan rose and bowed to the audience, acknowledging their applause. He then turned to Liu Wuxie with a challenging gaze.

“Liu Wuxie, it’s your turn now!” Xue Lan declared coldly. He had completed his performance, and it was Liu Wuxie’s turn. If Liu Wuxie’s performance couldn’t resonate with the audience, it would be his victory.

“Does anyone have a zither I could borrow?” Liu Wuxie asked, scanning the crowd. He didn’t have a zither of his own.

“Hahaha!” The Xue Clan’s disciples laughed. In their mind, Liu Wuxie would lose for sure. How could someone proficient in music not have any musical instrument with them?

The surrounding area soon filled with laughter.

“Liu Wuxie, don’t pretend to be something you’re not, lest you offend our ears,” Liu Kuo from the elite class taunted Liu Wuxie. He had been close to Bai Qiong and harbored a deep resentment towards Liu Wuxie for Bai Qiong’s death.

“Concede!” The students of Advanced Class Six rose in unison, their voices echoing throughout the venue. However, compared to previous rounds, their taunts had significantly toned down.

“Young Master Liu, if you don’t mind, I have a zither you can use,” a familiar voice offered as a woman clad in purple made her way through the crowd to stand before Liu Wuxie.

“Thank you, Lady Yan!” This woman was none other than Yan Ruyu, the alchemist who had represented Wu City in a past alchemy competition and had briefly interacted with Liu Wuxie. While Yan Ruyu had some knowledge of music, she wasn’t particularly skilled in it. Hence, she treated it as a hobby and always carried a zither with her.

“Don’t let me down!” Yan Ruyu, usually cold towards others, smiled brightly for Liu Wuxie. By standing up to support Liu Wuxie, she was effectively opposing the Xue Clan. Despite the presence of many others with zithers, only Yan Ruyu stepped forward.

The Imperial City had five major clans: Xue, Li, Yan, Bai, and Qin. In terms of status, the Yan Clan wasn’t inferior to the Xue Clan.

Without a zither, Liu Wuxie would be helpless, regardless of his talent.

The Xue Clan members could only grit their teeth in frustration as they hadn’t anticipated Yan Ruyu’s support for Liu Wuxie.

“I won’t let your zither down!” Liu Wuxie assured, settling himself on a blue rock amidst the ruins of the arena, the zither resting on his lap. The instrument exuded a faint fragrance, a testament to Yan Ruyu’s constant companionship with it.

“An excellent zither!” Liu Wuxie admired, running his hands over the zither after Yan Ruyu had left. The zither, crafted from rosewood and strung with the tendons of a century-old python, was capable of producing deep, resonating melodies. In comparison, Xue Lan’s zither seemed insignificant.

However, a music challenge depended more on the player's skills than the quality of the zither. Yet, a superior zither could indeed amplify the music’s impact.

“Liu Wuxie, what are you waiting for? Quick, play the zither!” Everyone ran out of patience, seeing that there was no movement from Liu Wuxie. After all, this was a pure waste of everyone’s time. The Xue Clan, in particular, was eager to unsettle Liu Wuxie’s mind.

Zuo Hong was in the same class as Yan Ruyu, and they sat together with anticipation on their faces.

“Today’s events remind me of a song. This song is titled ‘Ambushes from Ten Sides’. Please enjoy it!” Liu Wuxie announced, his hands poised over the zither. The song was apt for the current situation, where the Xue Clan had woven a web of plans around him.

“Well put! The arena is akin to a battlefield, surrounded on all sides. Yet, we can all learn from your ability to remain calm and composed,” Zuo Hong stood up and applauded, even before Liu Wuxie had begun to play the zither.

Those who had previously mocked Liu Wuxie fell silent, unable to find a reason to object. After all, who else dared to challenge the entire Xue Clan single-handedly? They had no right to ridicule him.

“Brother Liu, I stand with you!” Kuang He declared, rising to his feet. He owed Liu Wuxie a favor like Zuo Hong, so he stood up to support Liu Wuxie.

More and more people began to rally behind Liu Wuxie, the aptly chosen song winning their admiration. Despite the Xue Clan's schemes, the fact that Liu Wuxie could remain standing won their respect. The applause lasted for an entire minute before it gradually died down.

When the first tune sounded, it felt like the galloping of horses that made everyone’s hearts jump.

“What a powerful tune!” The crowd held their breath, afraid they might miss a single note. Xue Lan remained on the stage, silently observing Liu Wuxie.

As Liu Wuxie began to play the zither, the music grew louder and stronger, making their blood boil.

“Sorrowful winds in the night with the rising moon and shining stars...” Liu Wuxie began to sing. His voice, more of a powerful roar than a song, resonated through the night.

Snow began to fall from the sky, with stars decorating it, and this scene dragged everyone into it involuntarily.

Many in the crowd were moved to tears by Liu Wuxie’s music. After all, who among them hadn’t faced hardships? Who hadn’t been ambushed or wronged at some point in their lives?

Liu Wuxie’s music was a language in itself, transporting everyone to an unexplored realm. The melody resonated with them, stirring their hearts.

As Liu Wuxie’s song progressed, it ignited a fire within everyone, a fire that seemed ready to engulf everything in its path.

The zither's rapid rhythm echoed in every academy's nook and cranny.

Fan Zhen sat on a mat when the music penetrated the mountain range and entered his ears, pulling him out of cultivation.

“Who’s playing the zither?” More ancient beings in the academy were alarmed by the music; one piece of music had caused such a great uproar.

Baili Qing was in her room, preparing to rest. But when the melody reached her, she turned to look at the martial arts field.

One after another, more people left their abode as they appeared in the dark corners of the venue, quietly looking at the youth playing the zither. Each note and rhythm was like a sword piercing into their hearts.

“It’s him!” Baili Qing narrowed her eyes. She already knew that Liu Wuxie had joined the Imperial Academy.

When Fan Zhen’s gaze fell onto Liu Wuxie, a strange smile rose on his lips.

“Ten-sided ambush on me, only to run into an elite army.” Liu Wuxie’s voice conveyed desolation and resentment that reached everyone’s hearts. They could all feel the anger within Liu Wuxie. The hatred came from the Xue Clan’s provocation and everyone’s mockery. As these scenes unfolded in their hearts, a fiery anger was kindled within them.

At this moment, they found themselves standing with Liu Wuxie, drawn into his inner world by his music. Many women wept quietly, their sympathy for Liu Wuxie fueling their resentment towards the Xue Clan. Even those who had previously remained neutral were swayed by Liu Wuxie’s captivating song.

Xu Lingxue covered her mouth, looking at Liu Wuxie with disbelief. She had never heard Liu Wuxie play such a piece of beautiful music before. The music alone was enough for Liu Wuxie to become famous in Azure Billow City.

“Born a hero and died a hero, oh, the ambush of ten sides!” The zither music sounded like a lament, brimming with sorrow, expressing his despair at the world’s unfairness. The sound of sobbing grew louder around them, tears falling freely.

Xue Lan’s music could only pique everyone’s emotions, but Liu Wuxie’s music could control their hearts, drawing them into his music involuntarily. Perhaps even the heavens had sensed Liu Wuxie’s fury, for snow had begun falling.

“Mourn for the hero in troubled times, mourn for the scarcity of true friends in the world, and mourn for the peerless talent caught in an ambush.” A sense of desolation filled the air as everyone could perceive the solitude in the music.

No one could truly comprehend Liu Wuxie’s inner world. The loneliness and bitterness coalesced into a warm current, flowing into their hearts, causing tears to fall spontaneously. They mourned for the hero in troubled times and the lack of true friends in the world.

Xu Lingxue couldn’t bear her tears at this moment as they streamed down her cheeks. She clenched her fists, never having imagined the depth of bitterness in Liu Wuxie’s heart. She muttered, “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

After his transmigration to the True Martial Continent, Liu Wuxie had so much he wanted to express, but he didn’t know who to confide in. He knew people might think him mad if he shared his feelings.

What a sorrowful and domineering song!

Fan Zhen commented in his heart. The song released Liu Wuxie’s inner anger, which was incredibly impactful.

“Scorching sun blazed on the vast desert. Running into the Jade Encounter Pavilion and recalling the peace back in the years.” Liu Wuxie recalled the Jade Tower where he lived, holding the stars in his grasp and stepping on the sky. He was almighty but was reduced to the point that he could only suffer humiliation now.

Each word was stirring to the heart. Even in prison, he would clench his fist and open a new world.

“Dreams end as fire crackles, sighing at the plight. On the boundless sand, the defeated army's remnants have nowhere to go.” Liu Wuxie’s mood changed once more as he recalled how he was ganged up upon and lost his life.

A deathly silence surrounded the venue, and only Liu Wuxie’s music could be heard.

“A violet gale sweeps the desert, carrying the sounds of war horses galloping. All hope has vanished, the river water has dried up, leaving behind bones of regret.” Liu Wuxie continued to sing the tale of an Immortal Emperor who fell on the battlefield.

Liu Wuxie sank into his own world, forgetting about the challenge or where he was. His sole desire was to express his pent-up emotions.

“The ambitions of a man remained unclouded through eighteen years of reincarnation. When the war song ends and war horses neigh, generals follow their lord to the end, casting aside their mortal bodies and leaving behind bones of pride.” As Liu Wuxie sang the final word, the music ceased and he exhaled a long breath. Through his music, he had unburdened the secrets suppressed in his heart.