In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 402 Farewell, Melodious Music

The one on the left of the three who suddenly appeared was tall and thin, wearing a wide black robe. His face was so pale that it was as if he had not seen the sun for a long time. His cheeks were thin and his eyes were sunken. He was the master of the Ghost Palace, the Ghost Saint.

On the right, the Fiery Ancestor of the Fiery Palace was tall and strong, with fiery red hair, a tangled beard like a halberd, and a rugged face. In his right hand, he held a six-foot-long, entirely crimson cane.

The woman in the center appeared to be around forty years old. Although she had gray hair, her graceful and tall figure made her the leader of the Rakshasa Sect, He Qinghua.

The three arrived together, and all the bodyguards in the courtyard tensed up, with one of the head bodyguards even taking a step back.

The reactions of these镖头 (bodyguards/escorts) alone were enough to show that these three were no good people.

After glancing over He Qinghua and the other two, Gu Shaoan shifted his gaze to the area behind a roof in the southeast, a smile appearing on his face.

At the same time, He Qinghua's gaze fell on Lü Lin. Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice was cold with a clear arrogance: "Little brat, you have quite the nerve. You dare to take on the task of escorting the Heavenly Demon Harp? And you're going to take it all on yourself? Heh, I'm afraid your little life, along with the hundred or so people in your Flying Tiger Escort Agency, wouldn't be enough to fill the void."

Lu Lin was intimidated by the three men's imposing presence, his expression tightening slightly, but he remained standing ramrod straight, showing no sign of backing down.

Upon seeing this, Lü Tengkong quickly stepped forward, subtly shielding Lü Lin behind him, and clasped his hands in greeting to He Qinghua and the other two, saying, "The three Palace Masters and Sect Masters are honored to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. However, you three should have seen clearly what happened just now. The other party hastily placed the goods and deposit down. According to the rules of the escort agency, once the deposit is paid, the deal is done. We are just doing business and have no intention of getting involved in other disputes. I hope you three will not take offense."

"Rules?" He Qinghua scoffed, a cold glint flashing in her phoenix eyes.

"Lu Tengkong, I can understand that you want to retire from the business and die peacefully. But others may not know, but don't you know about the grudges between the Tianlong Sect and the Yuanyue Sect? The Heavenly Demon Harp is not something a small escort agency like yours is qualified to touch. In front of the Heavenly Demon Harp, there is only life and death, no rules."

At this moment, the old man who looked to be in his early sixties, the Fiery Ancestor, suddenly spoke up: "Granny He, why are you arguing with him? The focus now is not the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, but that place."

At the signal of the Fiery Ancestor, He Qinghua and the Ghost Saint focused their attention on the long, flat box near the door.

After hesitating for a moment, the Fiery Ancestor spoke up: "Do you really think that the Heavenly Demon Qin of the Heavenly Dragon Sect is inside that zither case?"

Neither He Qinghua nor Ghost Saint responded to the question posed by the Fiery Ancestor.

The Heavenly Demon Harp is a secret treasure of the Heavenly Dragon Sect and has been missing for more than a decade.

It's not just the Tianlong Sect that's searching; He Qinghua, the Fiery Ancestor, and the Ghost Saint have also been searching for over a decade.

But now, the Heavenly Demon Harp first appeared silently in Dongyang Prefecture, and then was entrusted with a shipment in such a high-profile manner. It is hard not to suspect that there may be a trap involved.

Thinking it over, He Qinghua raised the hand holding the long whip and pointed at Lü Lin, saying, "You, go and open the zither case."

Upon hearing this, Ghost Saint looked up and exclaimed, "Granny He, you're quick on the uptake!"

The Fiery Ancestor was also smiling as he looked at Lü Lin.

Lu Tengkong's expression changed.

As a seasoned veteran who has traveled all over the country for decades, Lü Tengkong's strength may be ordinary, but he is definitely not a fool.

The questions that He Qinghua and the others could think of, how could Lü Tengkong not think of them?

Seeing that Lü Lin did not move, He Qinghua said coldly, "Taking the business of the Heavenly Demon Harp within the territory of the Round Moon Sect, just for this reason alone, I could wipe out your Flying Tiger Escort Agency. I am giving you a chance now, so you'd better seize it."

Faced with He Qinghua's threat, Lü Tengkong glanced at He Qinghua, then at the Fiery Ancestor and the Ghost Saint. Even though he was furious, he could only suppress his anger.

Whether it's He Qinghua, the Fiery Ancestor, or the Ghost Saint, all three of them have reached the level of Qi Condensation.

Even against any one of the three, Lü Tengkong was not confident of victory, let alone with all three gathered together at this moment.

The situation left Lü Tengkong with no possibility of refusing.

In response, Lü Tengkong took the initiative to speak, saying, "Since Sect Leader He has given the order, I will naturally comply. However, I hope that the three of you will keep your word regarding today's matter."

Upon hearing this, He Qinghua glanced at Lü Tengkong and said, "Don't worry! You and the Flying Tiger Escort Agency are not worthy of making this sect leader do such untrustworthy things."

"Okay!" Lu Tengkong nodded gently.

Lu Lin said anxiously, "Father, I'll go."

Lu Tengkong shook his head and pressed down on Lu Lin's shoulder: "Listen to me, stand aside."

After saying that, he walked towards the zither case without waiting for Lü Lin's response.

When he was still a foot away from the zither case, Lü Tengkong raised his hand and circulated his inner energy to wave it at the zither case from a distance.

He intended to use his strength to open the zither case, but when his strength touched the case, it remained firmly in place.

He Qinghua sneered, "Don't try anything funny. The wood of that zither case is ironwood. A fist-sized zither case can weigh over ten pounds. Such a large zither case must weigh no less than four hundred pounds. Do you think a piece of trash like you could open it from a distance?"

Seeing that taking shortcuts was not an option, Lü Tengkong had no choice but to resign himself to his fate and step forward until he squatted down in front of the zither case.

After taking a deep breath, Lü Tengkong closed his eyes, channeled his inner energy into his arms, grabbed the edge of the zither case, and lifted it upwards.

The heavy lid creaked as it was quickly lifted.

However, as the zither case was opened, the mechanisms such as crossbow bolts and poisonous smoke fog that He Qinghua and Lu Tengkong were wary of did not appear.

A night breeze blew by, and the box remained silent.

Lu Tengkong then opened his eyes again and stared intently into the box. By the bright light of the courtyard, he could see a guqin lying quietly on a velvet cushion inside the box.

The body of the instrument is dark wood with an antique texture, and the seven strings gleam with a cold metallic luster under the light.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual, Lü Tengkong's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he let out a long breath.

He straightened up, cautiously took a few steps back, and stood still again.

Almost as soon as he stepped back, He Qinghua, Ghost Saint, and Old Ancestor of Fiery Flame swayed and surrounded the zither case.

Their eyes were sharp as they stared intently at the harp in the box, their faces filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

The Ghost Saint's pale face furrowed slightly, and a low, hoarse voice rang out: "This is the Heavenly Demon Harp?"

The Fiery Ancestor squinted his crimson eyes, examined it carefully for a moment, shook his head, and said in a muffled voice, "Back then, when the Six-Fingered Gentleman of the Heavenly Dragon Sect fought against the Round Moon Sect with his zither, we watched from a distance, but with smoke and dust everywhere and powerful energy surging, how could we see what the zither actually looked like?"

He Qinghua remained silent, only extending her slender fingers as if to touch the strings, but her fingertips stopped just before they touched them, her eyes filled with even more vigilance. Just as the three were filled with doubt and uncertainty, Lü Lin spoke in a deep voice, breaking the silence: "The zither case has been opened, and you have all inspected it. May we leave now?"

As soon as these words, which implied that they were being asked to leave, were spoken, both Gu Shaoan and Fan Sanshan unconsciously frowned.

The next second, the Ghost Saint's completely black eyes suddenly turned to Lü Lin, a glint of light flashing in them.

His true energy flowed silently within his body, and a chilling aura quietly spread out, locking onto Lü Lin.

Before the Ghost Saint could make any further moves, a gentle and calm voice, like a clear spring flowing, clearly entered the ears of everyone in the courtyard.

"This zither is indeed the Heavenly Demon Zither."

In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to the sound and finally focused on Gu Shaoan in the corner.

At the same moment when everyone's eyes were focused on him, Gu Shaoan casually raised his slender right hand in mid-air.

The Yin and Yang energies of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" within the body immediately began to circulate.

Then, the guqin lying quietly in its case seven feet away seemed to be gently lifted by an invisible hand, and in the next instant, it transformed into a blurry streak, cutting through the air and hovering steadily on the table in front of Gu Shaoan.

The whole process was incredibly fast, and it wasn't until the zither had been moved that He Qinghua and the other two standing next to the zither case suddenly realized what had happened.

They didn't even see how Gu Shaoan made his move; they only saw a blur before their eyes, and the Heavenly Demon Harp had already escaped their control.

The Fiery Ancestor's pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but use the secret method of telepathy to say to the Ghost Saint and He Qinghua beside him: "What an exquisite technique of retrieving objects from a distance. To take away this Heavenly Demon Harp from such a distance, this kid's internal strength is definitely no lower than ours. Be careful."

Upon hearing the Fire Ancestor's whisper, when Ghost Saint and He Qinghua looked at Gu Shaoan again, their usual arrogance and indifference softened, replaced by a look of solemnity and apprehension.

He Qinghua composed herself and asked, her tone much more polite than before: "May I ask how this young master is so certain that this zither is the long-lost Heavenly Demon Zither of the Heavenly Dragon Sect?"

Meeting the gazes of He Qinghua and the others, Gu Shaoan gently brushed his fingertips across the cold strings of the zither, his tone still soft and gentle: "Unfortunately, I once spent some time with this Heavenly Demon Zither. Having seen it many times, I can naturally distinguish the real from the fake at a glance."

After speaking, Gu Shaoan gently plucked the strings with his right index finger, following the rhythm of a figure playing the zither in his memory.

"Zheng——"

A clear and melodious zither note suddenly rang out, piercing the night sky.

Just as the strings vibrated and the clear sound faded, Gu Shaoan clearly felt a hidden and pure peculiar energy flowing from the strings and quietly entering his body through his fingertips.

But in the next instant, this energy was directly extinguished by the internal energy within Gu Shaoan's body.

"Indeed, to play this Heavenly Demon Harp, one needs the special cultivation route of the 'Eight Sounds of Heavenly Dragon'. Otherwise, even a martial artist who has condensed Qi into Yuan would be injured by the energy contained within the Heavenly Demon Harp if they played it rashly."

Just as the clear and melodious sound of the zither was still lingering in the courtyard, a white shadow streaked across the night from afar, moving so fast that it left a blurry afterimage in the air.

As the newcomer approached the high wall of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, he lightly touched the top of the wall with his toes, and his body spun in the air with the force of the movement. Like a shooting star or a white crane soaring through the sky, he gracefully fell into the open space in the center of the courtyard in a beautiful and sharp arc.

The white shadow settled, and dust rose slightly.

As everyone looked over, they discovered that the newcomer was a young woman in the prime of her life, with a tall and aloof figure. She wore a moon-white robe and had her hair tied up with a jade crown, dressed like a man. Her features were like those of a man carved from cold jade, showing no trace of feminine softness. Instead, she exuded a refined and aloof heroic spirit, as well as an innate domineering aura.

"This aura... has it condensed into a powerful force?"

Almost at the same moment Huang Xuemei landed, Gui Sheng's hoarse, dry voice rang out, filled with undisguised astonishment.

His completely black eyes were fixed on Huang Xuemei, and the cold and deathly aura around him was subtly suppressed by that imposing aura, making it somewhat sluggish.

He Qinghua and the Fiery Ancestor also had their expressions change drastically.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes were filled with deep apprehension and vigilance.

Huang Xuemei's icy gaze swept quickly around the courtyard. When her eyes swept over Ghost Saint, He Qinghua, and Old Ancestor Liehuo, the chill intensified. Her eyes were sharp as knives, as if carrying a tangible killing intent, causing a chill to involuntarily run down the spines of the three men.

However, when her gaze finally passed over the crowd and locked onto the man in the blue robe sitting at the table, who had just plucked the strings of his zither and was now smiling at her, the eternal ice in her eyes melted away in an instant, as if it had encountered warm sunshine, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then, Huang Xuemei walked slowly toward Gu Shaoan with one hand behind her back.

Even though he hadn't done anything, everyone who looked up at his slowly moving figure felt a sense of awe.

When Huang Xuemei walked to the table where Gu Shaoan was sitting, she glanced at a bodyguard sitting next to him with a hint of disdain.

Under Huang Xuemei's gaze, the bodyguard's body stiffened instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead and slid down his back.

Immediately afterward, as if realizing something, the bodyguard sprang up from the stool.

"Please sit down, please sit down."

As he spoke, the bodyguard retreated.

Seeing this, Huang Xuemei stepped forward and arrived like a white cloud, settling down comfortably in the chair next to Gu Shaoan.

The fierce aura surrounding her subtly receded with her movements, but the invisible pressure still lingered.

Her gaze fell on Gu Shaoan's face, and beneath the seemingly calm eyes lay a hint of infatuation.

"How did you come to Dongyang Prefecture?"

Her voice remained cool and clear, but when she spoke to Gu Shaoan, it softened noticeably.

Gu Shaoan's smile deepened, and he said gently, "I happened to have some business to attend to here, and I overheard some news about the Heavenly Demon Harp. I guessed it might be related to you, so I came to join in the fun."

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan continued to gently pluck the strings of the Heavenly Demon Zither a couple more times, producing a few melodious notes.

Upon hearing the reason why Gu Shaoan appeared at the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, Huang Xuemei couldn't help but smile.

Even the music produced by Gu Shaoan's casual pluck of the strings sounded incredibly pleasant to Huang Xuemei.

(End of this chapter)