Jiang Nianshu.

Standing in front of the Bao Li Zither, the name unconsciously floated into Fan Wubing's mind.

What kind of person was she?

The beloved wife who Chengming had been devoted to for over three hundred years, hailed by Dou Jianbai as the greatest musician in the history of the Great Li, and regarded by Hongyu as the pinnacle for all music lovers in the Great Li.

Even this extraordinary Bao Li Zither revealed its strings only for her.

Fan Wubing took a deep breath and sat down.

The zither stand was spotless, very clean.

The orange-red Bao Li Zither genuinely appeared like a carp about to leap over the dragon gate and transform into a dragon. Its frame, heavy with the breath of age, seemed to carry a noble spirit, making it appear not like a mere zither but a living creature filled with intelligence.

Fan Wubing reached out to touch the Bao Li Zither.

A force of repulsion struck, bouncing his hand away.

Seeing this, Dou Jianbai couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "Indeed, it's just as I thought... this Bao Li won't even let others touch it..."

Hongyu whispered, "Steward Dou. Is this good or bad?"

Dou Jianbai sighed and shook his head.

Fan Wubing's brow furrowed deeply; he remained still, as if engaged in a long and thoughtful game of chess with an unseen opponent. He could distinctly feel that the Bao Li Zither harbored a spirit, a spirit not akin to the vital energies inherent in all things, but an expression of wisdom and understanding.

Simply put, it thought that Fan Wubing was unworthy of it revealing its strings.

"Hehe..." Suddenly, Fan Wubing chuckled.

Hongyu felt her heart tighten and asked, "Why did you suddenly laugh?"

Fan Wubing replied, "I remembered an old acquaintance. It resembles it quite a bit."

The so-called acquaintance was the Spirit Nurturing Pot on the Nourishing Spirit Peak of the Eternal Immortal Sect.

However, the Spirit Nurturing Pot was a genuine magical artifact.

Yet this zither was not a magical artifact crafted by an Artifact Refiner. Its frame bore no inscriptions, and the materials used to build it were common—even less notable than the mass-produced Zhuohua Zithers, let alone the precious zithers left behind by famous families in small markets.

But nonetheless, this ordinary frame had nurtured a rare spirit.

Moreover, this spirit carried a profoundly obscure and mysterious resonance. One could also say it held... the true meaning of the music.

Upon touching it, Fan Wubing realized it contained a great deal of the true meaning of music, likely because Jiang Nianshu had played many pieces on it, and thanks to her extraordinary musical wisdom, it had experienced various true meanings in music.

Having always accompanied Jiang Nianshu, nourished and fed by the true meaning of the music, even an ordinary zither became one filled with spirit and resonance.

So the question arose.

Was it the zither that was exceptional, or was Jiang Nianshu?

The answer rested in Fan Wubing's heart.

He said softly, as if to himself or the Bao Li Zither, "Accustomed to hearing the refined sound of highbrow music, you can no longer perceive the folk music? You should know, you were born of this world, gaining the favor of exceptional people is why you have the chance to appreciate refined music. Without Jiang Nianshu, you're nothing more than insignificant dust in history."

The Bao Li Zither trembled violently and resonantly.

A piercing sound exploded forth, transforming suddenly into an aggressive and fierce musical force, directly attacking Fan Wubing.

Dou Jianbai's expression changed drastically when he saw this... it was the first time he had seen the Bao Li take the initiative to attack someone. Hastily, he waved his sleeve, circulating resonance within him to withstand the Bao Li's attack. If the Purple Dragon Guest in the Changle Pavilion got hurt in his presence, he would lose his position as steward and be punished back at headquarters.

However, the Bao Li's attack was sudden and arrived in an instant. Containing various musical meanings, using those as a means of attack was far too simple. The close distance left Dou Jianbai unable to react in time to repel it.

As Fan Wubing was attacked, he felt like he was falling into an abyss, continuously plummeting downward.

The intense sense of weightlessness disrupted his balance, as despair and fear threatened to overtake his mind and soul.

Yet his gaze became ever more radiant as he stared at the Bao Li, shouting, "How dare you!"

In his mind, a melody seemingly from ancient times resounded thunderously, casting away the Bao Li's aggression instantly.

Clang!

An earsplitting shriek echoed once, then instantly fell into silence.

A crack appeared across the Bao Li's frame, from left to right.

All this happened quickly, in just a moment. Dou Jianbai hurriedly stood by Fan Wubing's side, "My young friend, are you alright?"

Fan Wubing smiled and said, "I'm fine."

"Oh, the Bao Li Zither cracked!" Hongyu exclaimed in surprise.

Dou Jianbai then looked at the Bao Li, and upon seeing the conspicuous crack, was momentarily stunned, "This... what happened?"

Fan Wubing said, "This Bao Li Zither was originally an ordinary object, yet it forcefully used the true meaning of music to reprimand me. When I blocked it, it couldn't withstand it itself."

The Bao Li Zither let out a mournful hum.

Hongyu stared wide-eyed and asked, "The Bao Li Zither... is an ordinary object? But it was Jiang Nianshu's personal instrument."

Dou Jianbai also couldn't quite understand, "If it truly was an ordinary object, how could it withstand Jiang Nianshu's musical skills?"

Fan Wubing chuckled softly, his expression becoming very calm, "I think we've all fallen into a misconception."

"What?" Hongyu, a music lover, was the most concerned.

Fan Wubing looked at the increasingly cracked Bao Li and said slowly, "We often assume that the higher the musical skills, the better and higher quality instruments are needed. But are instruments the key, the core? They're not; instruments are merely tools, mediums to express music. The core lies in the piece, in the performer."

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