The White Moonlight Subdues Everyone with a Suona - Chapter 40
Chapter 40: Na Na Na Na
The Golden Core tier matches had not yet begun.
For one thing, there were not many disciples whose cultivation had reached the Golden Core stage to begin with. For another, those who could achieve the Golden Core level were already considered cream of the crop, elite among elites. Thus, the Golden Core arena usually attracted the largest audience of disciples every year, all hoping to gain insights to improve themselves.
So this time, Sect Master Changqingzi deliberately delayed the Golden Core matches so that more disciples could learn from the experience.
As Golden Core disciples, Li Fuqing and Shen Hege had neither matches to fight nor tasks assigned to them. The two navigated through the various arenas, attempting to locate Shaoyang Yu and Ji Bingyu, who were participating in the tournament.
“Searching like this isn’t a viable solution.” Shen Hege hesitated for a moment, shaking his head at the persistent Li Fuqing.
“Leaving aside the fact that all participating disciples are using aliases this time, given the sheer number of arenas alone, finding Second Senior Sister and Little Junior Sister is truly a bit difficult.”
Li Fuqing had no choice but to admit that Shen Hege was right.
Aside from dividing into Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core tiers, this year’s Qingyue Tournament featured various smaller sub-arenas.
Categorized by the “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches,” each cultivation tier module was further divided into twenty-two rings.
Setting everything else aside, they didn’t even know Ji Bingyu and Shaoyang Yu’s aliases, let alone which ring they were on or in which match they would appear.
Li Fuqing paced around, resting a hand on his lips in a deeply profound posture, and began his analysis.
“I can’t guess Second Senior Sister’s alias, but her fighting style has always been sharp and direct, cold and ruthless like autumn winds sweeping away fallen leaves. Furthermore, compared to others, Second Senior Sister often takes on missions down the mountain and has more experience. Later, as long as we look for whoever finishes her match the fastest, we’ll definitely be able to guess it.”
“As for Little Junior Sister…”
Li Fuqing furrowed his brows, saying with a fair bit of uncertainty: “For Little Junior Sister, uh, it should probably…”
He thought about it, then nodded with certainty: “Later, just check which arena is the noisiest—that one will definitely be her.”
Shen Hege: “…”
Li Fuqing’s analysis of Ji Bingyu was simple and blunt, yet surprisingly logical.
Shen Hege fell silent for a moment, kindly offering a reminder: “But Little Junior Sister might not necessarily use sound attacks. I’ve observed her for a long time and feel that she…”
Shen Hege struggled slightly, trying to phrase it more tactfully, “I feel that she doesn’t really, uh, doesn’t really favor refined or subtle attack methods. She might go for something much more direct.”
Shen Hege spoke tactfully, but he was practically telling Li Fuqing: Little Junior Sister Ji Bingyu doesn’t play by the rules at all!
Besides, a spiritual treasure moves according to its master’s heart.
Who knew what bizarre form Ji Bingyu would transform that miraculous divine weapon into? They might not even be able to find her at all!
Recalling the “plunger attack” he had once witnessed in Xie Wenrui’s sea of consciousness, Li Fuqing lapsed into silence.
Just as the two were staring at each other in dismay, a group of disciples jostled past them from a distance, their faces filled with excitement.
“Hurry, hurry! Or there won’t be any spots left later!”
“Hey, hey, hey! Got it, got it! It’s the Chongguang Arena for Foundation Establishment tier, right?—Ouch, don’t push me!”
“I didn’t push you, others are crowding in—stop babbling! Such a rare sight is too hard to come by! To think five hundred geese would actually appear in our Changqing Sect’s arena!”
What “five hundred geese”?
A familiar premonition suddenly surged in Li Fuqing’s heart.
With sharp eyes, he reached out and pulled back a disciple he recognized: “Why are you all in such a hurry? Where are you going?”
“Who’s pulling me—oh, it’s Senior Brother Li! Then it’s fine.”
The disciple had originally looked impatient, but upon seeing Li Fuqing, his expression instantly brightened up considerably.
Having received Li Fuqing’s help in the past, he cupped his hands with an exceptionally polite attitude: “We’re all rushing over to the Foundation Establishment Chongguang Arena!”
Shen Hege asked hastily: “May I ask this Junior Brother, why is everyone heading to that particular match?”
This…
Some things were fun to watch as a spectator, but voicing them out loud felt rather embarrassing.
The disciple scratched his head and gave a silly grin: “I hope Senior Brothers won’t laugh, but when they read out the names in front of the arena earlier, five hundred geese appeared.”
Shen Hege & Li Fuqing: “???”
Both of their faces went blank in bewilderment.
Shen Hege frowned: “Five Hundred Geese? Did spiritual pets actually appear in this tournament?”
“Ah, it’s the fifth match of the Foundation Establishment Chongguang Arena. When they read the names, it was announced as ‘Taishan versus Five Hundred Geese’.”
The disciple’s companion couldn’t bear to watch any longer, explaining it clearly in a few words before hastily taking his leave, pulling him along with the crowd to watch the five hundred geese match. In the blink of an eye, both were gone.
Shen Hege: “…”
Li Fuqing: “…”
As their eyes met, without needing to utter a single word, each already knew the answer in the other’s heart.
This pair of senior and junior brothers, who possessed vastly different temperaments and experiences, shared such tacit understanding for the very first time.
“Let’s go.”
Li Fuqing recalled his own tragic encounters.
While feeling sorrow welling up inside, he couldn’t help adding a bit of eager anticipation to watch the drama unfold: “Let’s go watch the battle of our Xueyu Peak’s ‘Five Hundred Geese’!”
Shen Hege smiled helplessly, yet followed along with the flow of the crowd.
……
On the arena floor, Ji Bingyu was by no means having an easy time.
Her cultivation wasn’t low, but she lacked practical combat experience. On the other hand, her opponent, Yuan Shantai—who went by the alias “Taishan”—was an experienced fighter.
The moment he stood on the arena, Yuan Shantai’s overall aura underwent an obvious transformation.
His previously honest to the point of foolish demeanor vanished completely, replaced by a composed, steady presence. His weapon was a long flute, which he had transformed to the length of a sword and held in his hand, looking as dignified and solemn as a glaring deity in a temple at the foot of a mountain.
Yuan Shantai was naturally tall—Ji Bingyu estimated him to be at least over 185 centimeters—with a robust physique. Standing before Ji Bingyu now, he truly resembled a Mount Tai.
As the name-reading disciple announced “Match Start!”, Yuan Shantai moved first. Without even needing to shout his spiritual treasure’s name, the long flute moved in sync with his mind, swinging toward Ji Bingyu at extreme speed, leaving behind only an afterimage!
Ji Bingyu’s heart tightened, and she hastily ducked aside to dodge. Even so, the spiritual energy carried by the long flute scraped a bloody mark onto the back of her hand.
Good grief, this goose-whacking stick is quite formidable!
Seeing Yuan Shantai strike, the disciples spectating below erupted into discussion.
“Hiss, this Taishan’s technique is extremely seasoned!”
“Isn’t it! This head-on, unstoppable fighting style… hm, I suspect he’s a disciple from Shouren Peak!”
“Whoa, I heard before that Shouren Peak had an outer disciple with exceptional talent who was exceptionally taken in by Master Leshui. Could it be him?”
“Most likely. I’ve been on a few missions with him; he’s a good guy. It’s just a pity for ‘Five Hundred Geese’.”
“I see this ‘Five Hundred Geese’ didn’t have much combat experience to begin with. Taking such a code name was probably just a grandstanding tactic to attract attention.” Someone shook his head.
“To think I placed a bet on him earlier!”
“Heheh, that’s because you placed your bet too early! Look at us—we all time our bets right at the last second!”
In front of every arena, a Gold and Silver Table was specially set up for disciples to place bets.
What this disciple meant by “timing it right” naturally referred to the brief window after a disciple made their first move on the arena, right before the Gold and Silver Table closed.
Finding that exact timing was difficult, but seasoned disciples could not only catch the window, but also directly deduce the outcome from that single, simple move.
If a bet won, not only the participating disciples but even the competing disciples on the arena would receive a cut.
Shen Hege raised his hand and tossed a few mid-grade spirit stones onto the Gold and Silver Table, then turned his head with a smile and asked: “Eldest Senior Brother, who did you bet on?”
Li Fuqing stood beside Shen Hege, his height reaching only up to Shen Hege’s shoulder.
Hearing Shen Hege ask as if teasing a child, he immediately rolled his eyes: “Asking when you already know.”
“In any case, this lord has plenty of spirit stones. Wasting a few is nothing.”
Li Fuqing suddenly remembered something, his eyebrows arching slightly: “I still remember when Little Junior Sister entered the sect and went to the Nine-Layer Pavilion, asking you to place a bet was like asking for your life.”
He squinted, drawling in a teasing tone: “Now the elegant gentleman Master Shen is actually willing to ‘wallow in the mud’ with us commoners?”
Shen Hege looked at Li Fuqing helplessly, making no attempt to defend himself, merely smiling slightly.
“Eldest Senior Brother, rest assured. For your match later, this Junior Brother will definitely bet even more.”
If Ji Bingyu were here, she would definitely realize that Shen Hege’s tone was almost identical to how she sounded when teasing dogs earlier.
Li Fuqing: “…”
Why does it feel like this Junior Brother is getting better and better at subtle sarcasm?
Forget it, forget it. As a qualified Eldest Senior Brother, he shouldn’t lower himself to argue with the kids below.
Li Fuqing brainwashed himself for three seconds, then redirected his focus back to the situation on the arena.
However, in just a brief moment, the situation on the arena had already undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Initially, when she first entered the arena, Ji Bingyu was a bit bewildered, so she hadn’t had time to react. Now that she had recovered, the results of Master Qianming’s training over the past several days immediately became apparent.
She first dodged Yuan Shantai’s numerous spiritual energy attacks by stepping aside, draining a great deal of her opponent’s spiritual energy. Immediately after, she spread her spiritual energy in front of herself, forming an incomparably sturdy shield!
“What is Five Hundred Geese trying to do?” A spectating disciple below the ring frowned.
“Using spiritual energy as a shield is indeed sturdy, but it consumes a massive amount of energy!”
The disciple who had bet on Ji Bingyu sighed heavily: “Who knows? Probably young and still lacking combat experience. What a waste of my spirit stones…”
Yet at this exact moment, a few seasoned disciples remained silent, lost in thought.
Compared to the crowd below the ring, Yuan Shantai was the one who felt a bit flustered.
How should he put it? He had never encountered an opponent like this disciple before.
No matter how you attacked, Ji Bingyu stubbornly refused to fight back, yet she could dodge almost every single hit, perfectly catching the edge of the arena boundary every time.
Even when Yuan Shantai feinted a strike to circle behind her, she could still detect it, as if she had eyes growing on her back.
Her footwork was so slick, like a little mudskipper rolling in water, slippery beyond measure.
If Ji Bingyu knew what Yuan Shantai was thinking, she would probably look at him with a serious face and tell him—
This is probably a skill honed from missing deadlines every single time 🙂
It was true that Yuan Shantai had been on several missions, but every opponent he encountered had been the type to clash head-on.
A thousand-year-old turtle-style dodger like Ji Bingyu was truly something he was meeting for the very first time.
Little did Yuan Shantai know that in his very first encounter, he had run right into the king of all dodgers, Ji Bingyu.
Seeing that her opponent Yuan Shantai seemed to be getting a bit impatient, the expression hidden beneath Ji Bingyu’s mask finally relaxed slightly.
Very good, everything is proceeding according to plan.
Ji Bingyu could naturally end the fight much faster. After all, her cultivation was nearly at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and with Master Qianming’s rigorous training over the past days, she certainly didn’t only possess the ability to dodge as she seemed to.
The problem was, Ji Bingyu realized she had overestimated the thickness of her own skin.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she simply couldn’t bring herself to shout that word “Na”!
Most awkwardly, Ji Bingyu’s resonance with the suona hadn’t reached the legendary level of “heart-to-heart alignment.”
At the very least, she couldn’t make the suona attack according to her will like Yuan Shantai did with his long flute.
However… even so…
A wicked smile slowly formed on Ji Bingyu’s face beneath her mask.
While resisting with her spiritual energy shield, she raised the suona, aimed it at Yuan Shantai, and shouted at the top of her lungs:
“Plunger! Go get ’em!”
Yuan Shantai: ?
Plu—plunger what?
Yuan Shantai, who hadn’t needed to visit the Hall of Enlightenment for a long time, was utterly bewildered.
Due to the arena’s protective mechanism, neither opponent could see the specific physical form of the other’s weapon.
For instance, earlier, Ji Bingyu only saw Yuan Shantai swinging a stick.
Take right now, for example. In that split second, Yuan Shantai only felt like something had clamped tightly onto his face, desperately vacuum-suctioning it.
Yuan Shantai: Felt like he was about to be sucked dry.jpg
The surrounding air rapidly rushed away. For a second, Yuan Shantai—who was nearly suffocating—almost thought his chest was about to kiss his cheek.
This couldn’t be blamed on Yuan Shantai’s slow reaction time at all; Ji Bingyu’s maneuvering was simply way too slick!
After all, in Changqing Sect—a place renowned for its aloofness and refined elegance—
Who would dodge like a turtle-king?
Who would throw their natal spiritual treasure out like a brick?
Who would abandon ethereal, elegant, and aesthetic sound attacks in favor of a brutal brawl?
……
What’s more, although spiritual treasures could change forms, what decent person would specifically imagine their own natal spiritual treasure as a plunger?!!
The spiritual energy originally condensing in Yuan Shantai’s hand unconsciously scattered. The entire man was left bewildered and helpless from being suctioned by the “plunger.”
Who am I? Where am I?
And… what on earth is clamped onto my face?!
Before Yuan Shantai could figure out the reason, he felt a sharp kick on his buttocks in the next second, followed immediately by the reader disciple announcing at the top of his lungs—
“Chongguang Arena, Foundation Establishment Fifth Match: Taishan versus Five Hundred Geese! Five Hundred Geese wins!”
Yuan Shantai stepped off the arena in a daze, where a good friend who knew his identity was already waiting at the exit.
“Not bad, brother!”
Having lost the match, Yuan Shantai couldn’t help feeling a bit disheartened: “But I still lost.”
“Yours was a glorious defeat!” The good friend patted his shoulder heavily, marveling with a face full of relief. “After all, your opponent was five hundred geese!”
……
In the next few battles, Ji Bingyu—who had completely mastered these tactical combat tricks—was practically like a fish in water.
Although she still couldn’t achieve maximum resonance with the suona now, nor could she directly enlarge the suona to trap her opponents as she had done when teaching Xie Wenrui a lesson that day,rely on her wild imagination, Ji Bingyu discovered that she could completely treat the suona as a plunger!
Thus, after the first day of arena matches concluded, Ji Bingyu felt thoroughly refreshed.
Not only did she feel not the slightest bit exhausted, but she also felt that her physical capabilities, combat reflexes, and even her synergy with the little suona had been immensely enhanced.
Oh, right! Simultaneously, Ji Bingyu also harvested a bounty of spirit stones, as well as valuable combat experience gained from observing her opponents!
Ji Bingyu: Truly a happy day.jpg
The warriors who fought against five hundred geese: Exhausted smile.jpg
All the happiness belongs to you; we have nothing.
Ji Bingyu had no idea what others were thinking. Excited, she headed straight to the small garden behind the Hall of Enlightenment—which had now become a gathering spot for the disciples.
The moment she stepped inside, she heard Pei Leye talking to a group of disciples about something. Standing at a distance, Ji Bingyu only caught the very last sentence: “…extremely terrifying!”
As soon as Pei Leye finished speaking, the disciples surrounding him gasped in unison, their faces filled with panic.
“In broad daylight, to think there could be such a horrifying person!”
“Hiss… earlier today, as soon as I heard that name, my skin crawled and my hair stood on end!”
“Terrifying beyond belief! Simply terrifying beyond belief!”
What on earth is that scary?
Curious, Ji Bingyu squeezed into the crowd of disciples.
The moment Pei Leye saw her, he immediately stopped talking and waved his hand vigorously at her: “Ji Big—Junior Sister Ji, come quickly! We were just talking about it!”
Ji Bingyu’s lips twitched, and she deadpanned: “If you’re going to call out to me, finish saying it; don’t stop halfway.”
As she spoke, she noticed an empty spot beside Xie Yu’an and sat down directly, asking curiously what they had been discussing earlier.
A chorus of disciples immediately began describing it all at once.
“We were talking about how a super terrifying disciple appeared on the arena today!”
“That person is extremely perverted! It’s said they especially enjoy torturing their opponents. When stepping onto the stage, they show no emotion and only dodge, but in truth, they are secretly memorizing all of the opponent’s moves in their mind. And then—”
Ji Bingyu guessed enthusiastically: “And then they turn the opponent’s own moves against them?”
“No.”
Feng Feishuang shook her head with a mysterious expression.
Leaning close to Ji Bingyu, she lowered her voice and whispered, “And then, he’ll suck the opponent away!”
Ji Bingyu’s eyes widened: “There’s actually such an evil move?!”
Xie Yu’an likewise furrowed his brow tightly: “Furthermore, this person is extremely agile and vicious in mind. Every time they step onto the stage, they intentionally feign weakness first, only dodging without attacking to lower the opponent’s vigilance, before delivering a lethal blow to suck them dry.”
Ji Bingyu was deeply shocked: “Isn’t that way too scheming?!”
Hu Jiaojiao shook her head, filled with anxiety: “Not only that, I heard that every disciple who got sucked stepped off the ring with a dazed expression and a desolate complexion, utterly disoriented… Such a technique is simply unheard of! What’s even more terrifying is that from start to finish, he didn’t even control his weapon, acting with complete ease, leaving people unable to gauge his true depth.”
Ji Bingyu gasped: “Terrifying beyond belief! Simply terrifying beyond belief!”
“More than just that!” Pei Leye said indignantly.
He slapped the table, causing the cups on the tea set to tremble.
“This person is extraordinarily arrogant—Junior Sister Ji! Do you know what this person’s alias is?!”
Ji Bingyu was still in shock, her head filled with legendary techniques like the “Great Star-Absorbing Method” from classic martial arts films.
Hearing Pei Leye ask, she hurriedly shook her head and asked: “No idea.”
She thought about it and guessed, “Yao Yue Palace Master? Lian Xing Heroine?”
Hiss, could it be that this is a crossover world?
“Neither!” Pei Leye took a sip of tea, set his cup down heavily, and said with extreme indignation, “He’s called Five Hundred Geese!”
Ji Bingyu: …
Ji Bingyu: ???????
She fell into an eerily silent pause for a second, then asked with utmost sincerity: “Why is being called ‘Five Hundred Geese’ considered extraordinarily arrogant?”
Pei Leye looked at Ji Bingyu with deep heartache: “These are geese! Geese! An average person only has the combat power of half a goose. Including you and me, the inner disciples of Changqing Sect plus the outer disciples who can take on missions total less than five hundred people. Yet single-handedly, he claims to be five hundred geese! If his clones were to invade Changqing Sect, every single disciple would have to fight at least one goose! Have you thought about that, Junior Sister Ji? No! You only care about yourself!”
Ji Bingyu: …
Ji Bingyu: .
At the mention of big geese, Pei Leye’s eyes were filled with unhideable terror. She could roughly guess that this was a memory he didn’t wish to recall.
Seeing Ji Bingyu fall silent, Feng Feishuang looked at her suspiciously: “Hey, Ji Bingyu, this ‘Five Hundred Geese’ couldn’t be you, right?”
Ji Bingyu shook her head repeatedly, denying it thrice on the spot: “No, impossible! How could it be me!”
Is this a joke? These disciples are so furious; if I admit it, won’t I be turned into salted goose by everyone?!
“I told you it couldn’t be Junior Sister Ji!” Pei Leye looked at Feng Feishuang triumphantly.
Ji Bingyu asked: “How did you figure it out?”
Pei Leye scratched his head: “I guessed it at first too, but then I remembered the ‘turtle-style’ technique Junior Sister Ji once told me about. How could someone as indifferent to fame and wealth, someone who prefers a quiet life like Junior Sister Ji, take such an arrogant and wild alias!”
Ji Bingyu coughed lightly: “Yes, yes, you’re so right!”
Seeing this, Xie Yu’an also nodded, a trace of a smile in his eyes as he looked at Ji Bingyu: “Besides, Junior Sister Ji has been trained by my Master recently to the point of being terrified. She probably wouldn’t dare to do such an out-of-line thing.”
Guiltily touching her nose, Ji Bingyu agreed: “Right, right, right, right, Senior Brother Xie is right.”
Seeing that everyone seemed deeply unsettled by this “Five Hundred Geese,” Zhong Ziqi immediately said discontentedly: “Heh, what’s there to be afraid of?”
He naturally had a fiery temper, and his spiritual treasure was a drum with the grandest, most majestic tone.
Coupled with the guidance of Master Leshui from Shouren Peak, Zhong Ziqi—who had previously tried to disguise himself as an elegant, jade-like gentleman to emulate Shen Hege—had recently given up on that facade and restored his true manly nature.
“If I face him, I can definitely defeat him!” Zhong Ziqi casually swung his drumstick.
“When that time comes, I’ll kick his ass hard!”
Ji Bingyu: ???
Ji Bingyu: !!!
She immediately paled with shock: “You total pervert!”
“Why would you kick someone’s ass hard?!”
For fear that Ji Bingyu would use this to make a fuss again, Zhong Ziqi quickly explained: “Junior Sister Ji doesn’t know, but that’s also this person’s trick! His kicks are fast, precise, and ruthless—vicious to the core. I just wanted to teach him a lesson!”
Ji Bingyu felt so wronged.
She didn’t dare to kick them from the front! She was afraid that a single crotch-destroying kick would send her opponents straight to the mortal imperial palace to work as civil servants.
A side kick couldn’t guarantee knocking the opponent down either. Moreover, every opponent Ji Bingyu encountered appeared to be over 185 centimeters tall, built as grand and muscular as a horse-taming warrior.
Against such opponents, asking Ji Bingyu to kick their backs was equivalent to asking her to perform a mid-air split on the spot—completely unrealistic.
Therefore, kicking their buttocks was Ji Bingyu’s best possible move at the time!
Feng Feishuang smiled slightly: “Still, I’m afraid this ‘Five Hundred Geese’ is going to be targeted by Master Qianming!”
Hu Jiaojiao covered her mouth and giggled: “Isn’t that right? I heard Senior Brother Jiang was called over by Master Qianming today to handle disciple feedback. Inspired by ‘Five Hundred Geese’, many disciples are wanting to change their names!”
Pei Leye’s temper came and went quickly. By now, his fear of geese had vanished, and he said with great enthusiasm: “Speaking of changing names, that reminds me of the nicknames those spectating disciples gave to ‘Five Hundred Geese’ today!”
Ji Bingyu picked up her teacup, confused: “Why give a nickname?”
“Because calling someone ‘Five Hundred Geese’ sounds too terrifying and doesn’t sound like a code name. So to dispel the fear in their hearts, the disciples specifically gave her a code name.”
After saying that, Pei Leye poked Xie Yu’an: “Junior Brother, do you know it?”
Xie Yu’an set down his teacup, nodding with a smile: “I heard about it.”
Hu Jiaojiao was startled, then used a handkerchief to cover her mouth as she laughed softly: “If you’re talking about that one, then I know it too. It’s simply spot-on!”
Seeing that they shared a tacit understanding, Feng Feishuang grew anxious: “Spill it out quickly, stop keeping us in suspense!”
Although Zhong Ziqi didn’t say it out loud, his eyes were full of curiosity, as was Ji Bingyu.
What kind of title would I be given?
Various ethereal, immortal-like nicknames flashed through her mind one by one, but Ji Bingyu immediately dismissed them.
Forget it, forget it. Given their way of thinking, it’s 80% unlikely to be elegant code names like “Lord of the Clouds” or “Crane Feather Immortal.”
Mm, it’s probably something with a touch of wicked energy like “Scarlet Silk Immortal,” or a bit chunibyo like “Lord Envoy of the Abyss”?
At worst, it’ll be something like “Victorious Goose of Battle.”
Ji Bingyu let her thoughts wander aimlessly, holding her teacup to her lips. She saw Pei Leye hook his fingers at them, and the three of them leaned forward in tacit agreement.
Across from them, Pei Leye intentionally lowered his voice to a deep tone.
He let out a long sigh and dragged out his ending tone mysteriously: “In private, we all call this person—”
Seeing that all three of them were extremely curious and staring at him eagerly, Pei Leye—whose desire to show off was fully satisfied—smiled contentedly.
“We all call him—
“The Ass-Kicking Mad Goose!”
