The White Moonlight Subdues Everyone with a Suona - Chapter 30
Chapter 30: Na Na Na Na Na Na
With Rong Qingyuan, this formidable titan, present, forget Master Qianming—even if Sect Master Chang Qingzi wanted to make things difficult for them, he would have to weigh the consequences carefully.
Who didn’t know that this master was fiercely protective of his own?
Let alone Yu Qianxue intentionally offending first and provoking repeatedly; even if the other party had merely mentioned a word offhandedly, if it came to his ears, it would inevitably stir up a fuss.
It was only because his temper had softened nowadays that he didn’t flip the entire Hall of Enlightenment with a single stroke of his Qin strings.
Chang Qingzi had always been one who loved a good show and possessed an uninhibited personality.
Had he not been the Sect Master, he wouldn’t be willing to play the mediator at all, wishing for nothing more than to grab some popcorn and watch the drama unfold!
“Alright, since that is the case, why don’t we all return to our respective peaks first?”
Chang Qingzi waved his hand, signaling his head disciple to lead the idle onlookers away.
He then looked at the several elders.
“The junior disciples have been in class for half a day and must be utterly exhausted. Hurry back and take a brief rest. As for this matter, we shall discuss it later.”
He made no mention whatsoever of punishing Ji Bingyu.
If nothing else, Chang Qingzi had served as Sect Master for many years and held a fair scale in his heart.
That child Shaoyang Yu had been at Changqing sect for so many years and was raised under the watchful eyes of old fellows like them; how many merits had she achieved in slaying demons and subduing evil in the past?
Now that someone was spreading rumors to stir up trouble, Chang Qingzi couldn’t strike directly as the Sect Master, but since someone was willing to do it on his behalf, why shouldn’t he just push the boat with the current?
The other elders thought the same in their hearts.
Thus, after Chang Qingzi spoke, even Master Qianming offered no further objections, merely letting out a cold snort before leading his people away.
With such a commotion, their midday gathering could no longer take place.
Ji Bingyu returned to Xueyu Peak on an empty stomach.
The moment she stepped off qin, she heard a chuckle from Rong Qingyuan.
“Alright, now that you are back, would you mind explaining everything clearly to your master?”
Before Ji Bingyu could finish fabricating a complete lie in her mind, Shen Hege had already taken a step forward, lowering his head and bowing as he laid out every detail with crystal clarity.
Not a single word off, completely devoid of personal bias.
Ji Bingyu: …
She couldn’t help but marvel in her heart that among the flock of eccentrics on Xueyu Peak, perhaps only her Third Senior Brother was a truly pure, harmless, and normal human being.
Unexpectedly, Ji Bingyu felt immensely relaxed, without the slightest panic of being reported.
A strange premonition told her that her bargain-bin master, Rong Qingyuan, wouldn’t be angry.
After all, judging from his previous performance, Rong Qingyuan was clearly a guy who wished for nothing more than chaos in the world.
Her Eldest Senior Brother, Li Fuqing, would also occasionally spill some of Rong Qingyuan’s past deeds when dragging her out for morning practice every day.
Tales like Tricking Master Qianming Thrice or Seven Entries and Seven Exits from Piaomiao Peak—these wild stories almost made Ji Bingyu dizzy.
Yet because of this, Ji Bingyu had nailed down Rong Qingyuan’s core personality: a relaxed eccentric who, from time to time, exuded a subtle waft of green-tea flair.
Even though he was the Peak Master of Xueyu Peak and nominally her “master,” after a few interactions, Ji Bingyu always felt there was zero generation gap between them.
Their chemistry was like partners-in-crime who could sneak out of school together.
Sure enough, after listening to Shen Hege’s account, Rong Qingyuan had no significant reaction.
He even found a moment to cast a smile-filled glance at Ji Bingyu, winking at her.
Ji Bingyu had realized that Rong Qingyuan genuinely loved smiling at her.
However, in the very next second, Rong Qingyuan pulled back the smile on his lips, addressing Shen Hege plainly.
“You have always abided by the conduct of a gentleman. Why did you stand by and watch your junior sister hit someone this time without offering any advice to stop her?”
Ji Bingyu: ???
How does this man switch faces faster than flipping a book???
She really couldn’t bear to watch her senior brother get reprimanded for protecting her.
Just as she was about to step forward to explain, she saw Rong Qingyuan’s gaze sweep past her.
…Understood.
Her master was eight out of ten chance about to pull off another outrageous move.
Sure enough, in the next second, Shen Hege knelt on the ground. He didn’t defend himself, merely stating, “This disciple knows his mistake.”
There were still sharp gravel pieces on the ground!
With a strong sense of empathy, Ji Bingyu felt her own knees starting to ache.
“Knows your mistake?”
Rong Qingyuan wasn’t annoyed either.
His sleeves lightly brushed against the tree shadows on Xueyu Peak as he walked over to Shen Hege.
“Tell me, where did you go wrong?”
Shen Hege lowered his eyelashes, his light lashes trembling as he spoke in a low voice.
“This disciple had selfish motives.”
“This disciple was momentarily unable to make a move against Junior Sister Yu, yet upon seeing Junior Sister Ji act, my heart was filled with complete gratification, without a single shred of pity,” Shen Hege said.
“Not only that, this disciple secretly shielded Junior Sister, which was why the Sect Master and Uncle Masters didn’t notice immediately.”
Rong Qingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Is that so? Yet as I see it now, you show no sign of remorse at all.”
“Hege, if given another chance, would you stop your junior sister?”
—
Shen Hege’s frame trembled, his hands clenching into fists.
After a long moment, he released them.
“This disciple would not.”
Even if time turned back and the hours rewound, returning once more to the moment when Ji Bingyu was beating someone up, if Shen Hege were made to choose again, he still would not stop her.
Due to his past experiences, Shen Hege always preferred to shoulder all wrongs onto himself, deeply terrified of implicating or hurting others.
Thus, he holed himself up on Xueyu Peak, unwilling to step into the mundane world.
Yet after experiencing what had just transpired, Shen Hege suddenly realized that he wasn’t as calm and gentle as he had imagined.
He couldn’t maintain a peaceful mindset when watching others spread rumors and defame his Second Senior Sister.
In fact, when his junior sister delivered the beating, Shen Hege felt a sense of gratification he had never experienced before.
Even if given another chance, he would still choose to indulge Ji Bingyu in hitting others, and then shoulder the blame himself afterward.
“Master, please judge: it was this disciple who failed to look after my junior sister and disregarded the bonds of fellow disciples.”
Shen Hege pursed his lips tightly as he knelt on one knee, his back pulled into a rigid line.
Ever since he was brought back by Rong Qingyuan, he had always been sensible and quiet, never committing the slightest act of defiance.
What didn’t even count as a minor incident in Ji Bingyu’s eyes was already extremely out of line for Shen Hege.
As if recalling something, his fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
“Should the Sect Master and Master wish to punish me, this disciple is willing to bear it all alone.”
Rong Qingyuan lowered his brows and let out a soft sigh, a trace of helplessness surfacing in his eyes.
“When did I ever say I was going to punish you?”
He raised his hand, channeling the spiritual energy in the air to lift Shen Hege up.
“Hege, this time, you did very well.”
This voice was as clear as spring water striking jade, or like the morning sun breaking through the dawn, brilliantly shining to dispel all gloom.
Shen Hega snapped his head up, looking at the hand on his shoulder in some bewilderment, stuttering out, “V-Very well?”
Rong Qingyuan patted Shen Hege’s shoulder, saying helplessly, “Above, you know to protect your senior sister; below, you know to cherish your junior sister. What is there for your master to punish?”
“You used to overthink everything and were poor at saying no. Had you continued like this, your Dao heart would inevitably falter. However, your master feels that ever since the Newcomer Trials, you’ve improved quite a bit on this flaw.”
“Besides, if I were to punish you today, wouldn’t your junior sister fight me to the death afterward?”
Shen Hege was dazed by the praise. He instinctively turned his head, just in time to meet Ji Bingyu’s smiling eyes.
“Is that not so?”
The wild child Ji Bingyu was also floating with praise.
“If Master really wanted to punish Senior Brother, I would—”
Rong Qingyuan raised his eyelids.
“You would what?”
Such intense killing intent!
Ji Bingyu immediately pivoted on the spot.
“I would instantly slide into a kneel before Master, hug your thigh, and cry out for you to let go of my poor, helpless Third Senior Brother! If that still doesn’t work, I’ll use my natal divine artifact to play a few tunes for you, treating it as performing in colorful robes to entertain my elder!”
“As long as my heart is sincere enough, even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle!”
Rong Qingyuan: …
Shen Hege: …
A vivid mental picture suddenly popped into their minds.
Jokes aside, this was genuinely something Ji Bingyu would do.
Rong Qingyuan tapped her forehead lightly with the pad of his finger, laughing helplessly, “You, if you just trouble me a few fewer times, that will already be good enough.”
Ji Bingyu giggled, rubbing her forehead.
Her master was truly as beautiful as a flower and kind-hearted, treating his disciples beneath him better than anyone could!
Having received permission, Ji Bingyu bounced over to Shen Hege’s side.
Seeing that he still seemed a bit dazed, she grabbed his sleeve and said to Rong Qingyuan, “Senior Brother promised me earlier that once I successfully drew Qi into my body, he would teach me the spell to control the forms of divine artifacts. If Master has no other matters, we shall take our leave first!”
Rong Qingyuan curved his eyes, an uncontrollable smile spilling from his gaze.
“Go on then.”
Receiving the order, Ji Bingyu happily dragged Shen Hege away.
She was starving to death! She had to hurry up and find something to eat!
…
Rong Qingyuan gazed at the receding figures, especially the messy, unrefined posture of the young girl in silver and green attire, and a smile surfaced in his eyes once more.
[See! I, the Heaven’s Will, would never lie to you!]
If Ji Bingyu had been here, she would have certainly felt exceedingly surprised.
The Heaven’s Will, who had not been seen for a long time and almost never showed its human form, was currently standing right beside Rong Qingyuan.
Its face bore a trace of dissatisfaction, but even more so, dread.
[We had a deal! I help you change these people’s fates, and you remember to assist in rebuilding the Heavenly Pillar!]
Rong Qingyuan turned around, the hem of his robe sketching a ripple in the air.
The blending of vivid crimson and dark teal looked as though a raging fire were searing withered wood.
He smiled faintly: “Depends on my mood.”
Heaven’s Will: ???
Feeling that he was utterly shameless, the Heaven’s Will couldn’t help but shout loudly: [This was what we agreed upon!]
“My exact words that day were ‘do my utmost.'”
Rong Qingyuan coughed softly a few times, his willow-leaf brows slightly knitting together.
A few strands of raven-black hair fell beside his face, making his complexion appear all the paler, carrying a delicate, frail appearance as if he were too weak to bear the weight of his clothes.
Under the Heaven’s Will’s dumbfounded gaze, Rong Qingyuan spoke ‘weakly’, “How much capability can a plain, ordinary invalid like me possibly have? It all relies on Lord Heaven’s Will to take good care of me.”
Even though his mouth said ‘Lord Heaven’s Will’ with what sounded like extreme deference, Rong Qingyuan’s expression was so teasing it was as if he had spotted a rare plaything.
The spring breeze swept by, the tree shadows swayed, and the sunlight scattered over Xueyu Peak.
Most of it was shielded by the towering trees, making it neither too hot nor excessively chilly.
Amidst such a harmonious atmosphere, the Heavenly Will held it back again and again, but ultimately failed to restrain itself.
[Rong Qingyuan, I say, can you old fellow show even a tiny bit of shame!]
…
Ji Bingyu knew nothing of all this.
She had just finished a bowl of plain noodle soup and was chewing on the osmanthus cake her Second Senior Sister had specially bought for her from down the mountain earlier, staring wide-eyed at Shen Hege.
Upon swallowing the last bite of the osmanthus cake, Ji Bingyu finally understood what Shen Hege meant.
“So the spiritual artifacts of us Sound Cultivators can transform their shapes according to the thoughts and wishes of the artifact’s master?”
Shen Hege nodded.
“Correct. As long as you enhance your synergy with the spiritual artifact, you can manipulate and alter its form at will. For instance, Uncle Master Leshui’s natal artifact is a drum, which has now transformed into prayer beads wrapped around his wrist.”
“And if one reaches the realm of heart-to-heart communion, one can achieve the unity of heaven and man,” Shen Hege said.
“For example, Master’s sword-in-qin is a unique existence unequaled in the world.”
Ji Bingyu listened to the stories with great relish, even eating three extra willow-leaf cakes.
Her Third Senior Brother was handsome, had a gentle voice, and possessed an exceptionally good temper—he was simply far too endearing!
Listening to Third Senior Brother tell stories was truly a pure delight in the mortal world!
Once Shen Hege paused his speech, Ji Bingyu took a sip of tea with great satisfaction.
Just as she was preparing to bid farewell and leave, she heard Shen Hege say, “Since Junior Sister has eaten enough, let us begin cultivating.”
Ji Bingyu: ???
She raised her head in complete bewilderment, only to see Shen Hege—who was usually gentle, kind, and made people feel as if they were bathed in a March spring breeze—patting her head and saying firmly, “Junior Sister has just drawn Qi into your body today, so you should take this opportunity to lay a solid foundation and strengthen the connection and interaction with your natal artifact.”
Shen Hege had already recovered his spirits.
He was both moved by his master’s earnest guidance and touched by Ji Bingyu’s protection of him before their master today, ultimately resolving to cultivate his little junior sister properly!
Study hard and make progress every day!
Work tirelessly to enhance cultivation and attain immortality early!
Ji Bingyu: ???
Son of a bitch!
She had exerted so much effort to maintain peace in the sect, working hard morning to night from nine to five, for what?!
Was it for her own cultivation? Was it to raise her own realm?
No!
She, Ji Bingyu, possessed boundless love and cherished all living beings!
—She was doing it so that they would cultivate properly, raise their realms, and ensure complete harmony within the sect so that she could hide behind everyone’s backs and be an elegant, gentle White Moonlight King of Slacking Off!
Ji Bingyu made a final, struggling effort.
“Senior Brother, I feel there’s no need to waste effort. To tell you the truth, I feel I have no talent in the path of cultivation—”
“Junior Sister must not speak nonsense!”
Shen Hege, who always presented a gentle demeanor, pulled back his smile for the first time, saying seriously and solemnly, “At such a young age, Junior Sister was the champion of this year’s new disciple trials, and after joining the sect, you were chosen by a divine artifact. Although your cultivation was delayed due to past circumstances, leading to a slightly late entry into the Dao, you jumped three minor realms in a row right after drawing Qi into your body today, reaching the late stage of Qi Refining. With such natural talent, how can you say you have no talent?”
Ah, this—how did he even come up with the excuse for her late entry into the Dao for her?
A bad premonition slowly rose in Ji Bingyu’s heart.
The spirit of slacking off forever flowed in the blood of a corporate wage slave.
Participating in the new disciple draft trial 101 was already Ji Bingyu’s limit; making her continue 007-style cultivation was a flat-out impossibility.
(T/N:In internet culture and web novel slang (particularly in Xianxia and workplace-themed web novels), “007” refers to an extreme, relentless work schedule where someone works 7 days a week, from 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM (24 hours a day))
As a master of slacking off, Ji Bingyu had even already planned her future retirement life.
Since she had already entered the Dao, no one could keep badgering her about this matter anymore, which proved she could work nine-to-five, clock in at the Hall of Enlightenment by day, admire flowers on Xueyu Peak by night, and tease dogs in her spare time. That was the life a tough girl was supposed to live!
If she still had to rack her brains to cultivate, how would that be any different from being a corporate wage slave!
Ji Bingyu attempted to explain, “I didn’t mean it that way, Senior Brother, but I… I am really tone-deaf.”
“There is a first time for everything,” Shen Hege comforted.
“Junior Sister said yourself, ‘since you’re already here.’ In that case, just give it a try.”
Gazing into Shen Hege’s smiling eyes, Ji Bingyu understood for the very first time what it meant to lift a stone only to drop it on her own foot.
She wiped her face, pulling the suona out from the newly acquired storage ring.
Fine, if I must practice, I’ll practice. Since it’s rare for Third Senior Brother to be in such a good mood, I’ll just treat it as performing in colorful robes to entertain him.
…
Two hours later.
Ji Bingyu stared fixedly at the suona on the table, asking calmly, “Third Senior Brother, do you think it has changed at all?”
Shen Hege: “…”
He fell into an eerie silence. A moment later, he ventured tentatively, “It seems… at the edge, there is a tiny bit of change?”
Saying these words, even Shen Hege himself was uncertain.
The suona on the jade table was jet-black all over.
As the sun set, tiny flecks of light cast upon its body through the gaps, yet it still exuded the cold sheen of a woody texture, looking incomparably aloof and noble.
And another thing.
After these two hours, no matter what spell Ji Bingyu cast on it, it stubbornly remained completely motionless.
Shen Hege observed it for another long moment before comforting.
“I observe its length has shortened a bit, by roughly one-tenth of an inch.”
Ji Bingyu converted it in her mind.
One inch equals 3.3333 centimeters.
Then one-tenth of an inch…
This level of micro-manipulation—even if a master of micro-management came here, he would have to concede defeat and yell ‘motherfucker’!!!
Ji Bingyu stared at the suona in speechless dismay, her mood feeling a tiny bit hurt.
Her wanting to slack off was one thing, but working hard and failing to achieve it was quite another.
The former was a sign of wisdom, while the latter was a display of foolishness.
From her transmigrating until now, Ji Bingyu—who had experienced smooth sailing all along—rarely felt such a sense of defeat.
It was just like not wanting to do homework versus not knowing how to do homework; the two mindsets were completely different.
Everything before had been far too smooth: first the champion title, then the divine artifact, and even her master was out of the ordinary, seeming to be a big shot related to the Heaven’s Will. All of this inevitably bred a bit of the arrogance of a chosen one within Ji Bingyu.
Now, when even her own natal artifact wasn’t in heart-to-heart communion with her, the more Ji Bingyu thought about it, the more unpleasant it felt, and she let out a deep sigh.
As if sensing Ji Bingyu’s frustration, Shen Hege hurriedly said, “Junior Sister is already very amazing. Let alone the fact that divine artifacts are extraordinary to begin with, if you practice diligently in the future and visit more martial arts contests and secret realms, there will definitely be improvements.”
“Counting strictly, it hasn’t even been a full month since Junior Sister got the artifact. You are probably just not used to it yet, which is why you haven’t fully achieved heart-to-heart communion with it or exerted its maximum effect. This is truly normal, so Junior Sister doesn’t need to worry—I was just being a bit too impatient.”
After hearing such a piece of advice from Shen Hege, Ji Bingyu suddenly gained an epiphany, and her previous minor annoyance instantly vanished into thin air.
“N-No, it’s not Senior Brother’s fault!”
Ji Bingyu took Shen Hege’s hand, shaking it vigorously with eyes full of emotion.
“Senior Brother is so right! Your junior sister has comprehended!”
To hell with frustration, to hell with depression, to hell with the sense of defeat!
Ji Bingyu had attained complete enlightenment!
Being unable to achieve heart-to-heart communion with one’s natal musical instrument might be a huge blow to other Sound Cultivators, or even something unfathomable that would make them despondent and feel as if their world were collapsing—
But for her, this was simply far too normal!
—What normal person the fuck could achieve heart-to-heart communion with a suona anyway!
