Chapter 051: The Clumsy Cook

The Flute Immortal had once been a close friend of the Wine Immortal. The two would often drink together, then play flute and zither in harmony. Since Qin Xuanxi was the disciple of the Wine Immortal, she had heard the Flute Immortal perform his music in person and was deeply impressed by it.

Now, within a small world of the Nether Domain, Qin Xuanxi not only heard the Flute Immortal’s flute, but also the accompaniment of a zither. Thus, the melody she heard was actually a duet of flute and zither. This meant that someone was beside the Flute Immortal, playing the zither alongside him.

Of course, the zither player might merely be a phantom conjured by the Flute Immortal. He was a master of music and skilled with all manner of instruments, and creating illusions was his most prized technique. He often summoned phantom selves to play the zither and accompany his flute.

Therefore, a duet of flute and zither could be achieved by him alone.

But whether he was truly alone or had another with him mattered little to Qin Xuanxi. All she needed to know was that the Flute Immortal was within this small world.

Still, Qin Xuanxi did not dare act rashly; she feared that any careless move would alert the Flute Immortal and send him fleeing.

After all, the Flute Immortal was a supreme Immortal Lord, and in terms of cultivation, he was not inferior to Qin Xuanxi.

So Qin Xuanxi began to think.

Her deliberation lasted only a tenth of a second.

After this brief contemplation, Qin Xuanxi poured forth all her cultivation and summoned her Supreme Profound Heavenly Demon Manifestation.

A colossal demon effigy appeared around her, wreathed in ink-black flames, with golden eyes and fanged jaws, each eye inscribed with the black character for "Profound." This was Qin Xuanxi’s life-bound manifestation—the Supreme Profound Heavenly Demon.

She commanded the manifestation and herself to form seals simultaneously, abandoning any incantation, and cast the thirty-seventh water technique—Frozen Miles.

Not only did she mean to freeze the world for miles, but her intention was to seal the entire small world in ice, leaving the Flute Immortal nowhere to hide, unable to escape even with wings.

Though she abandoned the incantation, with her manifestation casting alongside her, the power was immense. Instantly, not only did the boundless sea freeze solid, but even the "space" of the world itself became ice.

Qin Xuanxi then prepared to search for the Flute Immortal’s location within the frozen world.

She had to be swift; the time she gained from freezing the world would not even amount to a third of a second.

Her divine sense sped through the world, seeking to quickly sense the Flute Immortal's whereabouts.

In the end, her expression turned utterly disappointed. She sensed only two phantoms left behind by the Flute Immortal.

In other words, not only was the zither player a phantom, but even the flute player was another illusion.

The Flute Immortal’s true self was no longer in this small world, and indeed, he was no longer in the Nether Domain at all.

When Qin Xuanxi froze the two illusions, the Flute Immortal’s true self naturally sensed it, and so he must have already left the Nether Domain.

Unexpectedly, her journey here had ended in failure, letting the Flute Immortal slip away.

Yet, this venture was not entirely fruitless for Qin Xuanxi.

Despite his caution, the Flute Immortal had inadvertently left her a clue—the zither melody she had just heard.

Though he was a master of music and every instrument, he was not omnipotent in the field. He lacked the talent for composing.

Her master, the Wine Immortal, once described him with a metaphor, saying, “He’s an excellent food critic, but a clumsy chef!”

The zither piece that had accompanied the flute was exquisite beyond compare; such a refined melody could not have been composed by the Flute Immortal, the “clumsy chef.”

Moreover, Qin Xuanxi had never heard this zither piece before.

Thus, it was likely that the Flute Immortal had learned it from a composer during his three centuries in hiding.

This composer was someone who had interacted with the Flute Immortal in the past three hundred years, and might even know some of his secrets.

Finding this composer would be Qin Xuanxi’s next task.

Although seeking out the creator of a melody based on a short fragment was like searching for a needle in the sea, the matter concerned the truth of the Wine Immortal’s death. No matter how difficult, no matter how much time it took, Qin Xuanxi would pursue it.

...

Four months later, Yan City.

With the help of the Murong and Huangfu clans, the two “cultivation construction teams,” Yan City was developing at a rapid pace. The four city gates in the east, west, north, and south were already finished, and the walls were enclosed.

Inside the city, facilities and residences were under fervent construction, many projects already completed.

Today, Song Ye received official notice to dismantle his tea stall. Not far across from him, a two-story teahouse had been finished, with the sign “Xiaoxiang Pavilion” already hung up.

It seemed Song Ye’s little tea stall was finally passing into history.

Thus, today was the last day his tea stall would be open.

Whether by fate or some unspoken bond, as his stall was about to close, his two old customers arrived, unexpectedly together.

These two regulars were Zhang Zixuan, disciple of the Xuanqing Palace, and Zhao Zhigao, soon to become a constable of Yan City.

Zhao Zhigao was holding two large oil-paper bags filled with fragrant roast duck.

“Brother Song, I have good news for you. The famous Chen’s Roast Duck Shop from Cheng County has opened a branch here in Yan City, and it’s already operating. These two roast ducks were bought at the new shop!” Zhao Zhigao said, laying the ducks on the table.

He waved to Zhang Zixuan, “Immortal Zhang, come eat with us!”

Zhang Zixuan, already secretly salivating at the aroma, immediately sat down and, without ceremony, grabbed a duck leg and began eating.

As she gnawed the duck leg, she said to Zhao Zhigao, “When I was in Cheng County, Chen’s Roast Duck was my favorite. Mm, it’s still just as delicious!”

“Now that Yan City has Chen’s Roast Duck, and it’s close to your Xuanqing Palace, you, Immortal Zhang, can eat it often!” Zhao Zhigao laughed.

Zhang Zixuan shook her head, “Every time I come down from the mountain to buy supplies, I use sect funds—I can’t spend them recklessly. How could I buy Chen’s expensive roast duck? I can only have tea and a sesame cake from Brother Song.”

“And, Brother Zhao, please stop calling me ‘Immortal Zhang.’ I really can’t bear that title!”

Zhao Zhigao laughed, “With your talent, you’ll become an Immortal sooner or later. Calling you that in advance does no harm!”