Chapter 440: Jadewind Zither
Tang Xiu led Mu Wanying back to the car. She hadn’t spoken a word from the start. After leaving the Everlasting Feast Hall, the duo just sat in the car, and only then did Mu Wanying say with a smile, “Tang Xiu, the more I get to know you, the more I think you’re unfathomable. I know some things about the Everlasting Feast Hall. I heard that its headquarters is on Jingmen Island, but it also has branches in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong, and its business is very prosperous. It’s just that it never came to my mind that you were the Everlasting Feast Hall’s owner.”
“I’m nothing but your average layman, if you ask me,” Tang Xiu replied.
“If you were nothing but an average person, I’m afraid that there are no powerful figures in this world, no? Anyhow, I’m really curious about something. Aside from the Magnificent Tang Corp. and the Everlasting Feast Hall, how many industries do you have exactly?” Mu Wanying asked with a smile.
“Well, I only have those two,” Tang Xiu answered her easily.
“I don’t believe you.” Mu Wanying shook her head as she smiled. “If anything, I must get along well with you more in the future and learn more of your secrets. You know, you’re someone I’m most interested in, there’s no else.”
“Have you ever heard the saying that a woman won’t be far from having her heart captured once she’s interested in a man?” Tang Xiu grunted.
“To fall in love with someone as outstanding as you, is not a bad thing, no?” Mu Wanying laughed lightly, “Needless to say, though; a marriage is always the most important event in all one’s life. Like this, the issue is solved right away!”
“The current era is an age of materialism, where people crave worldly things. Nowadays, people’s minds and hearts are fickle and unable to endure their desires. So to speak about a femme fatale, the more outstanding the women around men are, the more troublesome things they will encounter. I myself have liked living a chaotic and tumultuous life. I want it to be peaceful and tranquil, so that I can do my own things without worries. Therefore, I dare not have any thoughts toward the capital’s first beauty, as well as the Shanghai University’s first campus flower. So please find another man if you want to get married,” stated Tang Xiu.
“Tang Xiu, how come the words you said make me feel like I’m just one of those sorts of venomous serpents and wild beasts?” Mu Wanying coquettishly feigned anger.
“You’re better than any vipers and beasts, though; because your looks are more eye-catching than they are,” Tang Xiu chuckled in reply.
“Pfft… Hahaha!” Mu Wanying couldn’t help but burst into laughter, laughing till she swayed and trembled.
After a short while, she looked at the passing scenes outside the window, and then asked, “You already asked that couple to help you find a zither, so where are we going next?”
“I can’t put all hope on them, so I might as well prepare for both eventualities.” Tang Xiu noted thoughtfully. “Though they are anxious and in a hurry, there’s nothing that can be done about it if their old friend’s wife doesn’t want to lend it out. Anyways, let’s surf the internet once again! See if there’s a shop selling zithers nearby.”
“All right!”
Mu Wanying took her mobile phone out and began browsing the internet.
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At the outskirts of Shanghai...
Inside the fruit orchard, Wei Jiangping and Chun Xiu had just returned and got out from the tax. They saw Han Jintong and his wife, Yin Yue’e, waiting in front of a black Audi car.
Wei Jiangping strode up to the Han Jintong couple and said with a bitter smile, “Old friend, sorry for troubling you.”
“Brother We, we naturally won’t sit still since you have troubles.” Han Jintong shook his head and said, “Anyhow, we also brought the Jadewind Zither. It’s in the car.”
Showing his gratitude and relief, Wei Jiangping said, “I know that Jadewind Zither is Yue’e’s favorite thing. It’s fine if you don’t want to sell it, though. He said that he only wanted to borrow it for one night.”
“Who is this ‘he’?” Han Jintong asked in surprise.
“Tang Xiu!” Wei Jiangping replied with a sigh.
Han Jintong frowned and asked, “Brother Wei, what had happened exactly? Did the two of you go to Jingmen Island, investigate the Everlasting Feast Hall’s information, and then meet Tang Xiu there?”
Wei Jiangping shook his head with a bitter expression.
“We didn’t meet Tang Xiu at Jingmen Island,” Chun Xiu faintly sighed, and said, “After we followed the investigation track, we found that the Everlasting Feast Hall was very mysterious. But unfortunately, just as we only got a bit of information from our investigation, the people from the Everlasting Feast Hall found us. We did repel two of them who warned us, but we were then finally surrounded by their ten experts. Those ten were only in their thirties or forties, yet their joint forces were able to deal with us easily. We were caught and detained, and they sent us to the Everlasting Feast Hall in Shanghai.”
“What?” Han Jintong and Yin Yue’e looked at each other. They knew how strong Wei Jiangping and Chun Xiu were. In this current age and time, the number of people who were their opponents were very few and far between. How could only ten people of the Everlasting Feast Hall be able to capture them?
This… Wasn’t this way too inconceivable?
Wang Jiangping forced a smile and said, “What Chun Xiu said is all true. We were injured and captured by them. In actuality, we could sense that their cultivation levels were inferior to us. But their moves and styles were very sharp, swift and fierce, and they also used exquisite killing moves. If they were to fight at close quarters with weapons, perhaps they would only need five people to beat us, and we might be killed in a very short time.”
Han Jintong shivered inside, and asked, “How many experts does the Everlasting Feast Hall have exactly?”
“I’m not sure.” Wei Jiangping shook his head and said, “There were more than thirty people just from the number when they surrounded us. Some of them who seemed like not your ordinary experts and had some status didn’t even act.”
Han Jintong was silent for a period of time and faintly sighed, “We always felt that our strength was already amazing enough, and had reached the extreme point after obtaining that cultivation technique and practicing it for decades. We always thought that there were only a few existences in this world who could become our opponents. Only now did we finally realize that we had been looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.”
“China is a vast and ancient country, where hidden dragons and sleeping tigers remain in concealment, and it has been giving birth to talented people from generation to generation.” Wei Jiangping sighed and said, “Since there can be an existence such as the Everlasting Feast Hall in this country, I’m afraid there are also other powerful forces, as well. Furthermore, I’m afraid that we will find it very difficult to make a breakthrough and ascend to heaven. The only hope we have now during our lifetime is to be able to see our son and daughter who were taken by her.”
A glint flashed in Han Jintong’s eyes, and he then asked, “Brother Wei, what do you think if we can show some goodwill toward Tang Xiu? Can we…”
“I think you should give up on this idea, Brother Han.” Wei Jiangping shook his head and smiled bitterly, “The Everlasting Feast Hall’s people are not a friendly bunch, definitely. Besides, if you want to have a breakthrough in your cultivation with aid from the Everlasting Feast Hall, I think it will be a close to nil possibility unless you pay a very heavy price for it.”
“I don’t want to give up trying. I’m unwilling to do so. I need to find opportunities to see Tang Xiu again, hoping that I can get the opportunity to have a breakthrough,” Han Jintong answered with determination
Wei Jiangping suddenly had a change in complexion, and said, “Brother Han, if my inference is correct, your granddaughter and Tang Xiu should have a special relationship.”
But Han Jintong replied with a helpless expression, “That girl… Qingwu hasn’t returned home since the matter last time. She even gave perfunctory reply and hung up when I called her to ask about it. I only know that Qingwu was once Tang Xiu’s class teacher-in-charge in high school. Now she teaches at Shanghai University and is also Tang Xiu’s class teacher-in-charge yet again. But I know nothing about how well they get along with each other.”
“True that,” Wei Jiangping nodded and said, “Brother Han, I must go first to send this Jadewind Zither to him. I believe that he won’t lie given his identity.”
“Off you go then!” Han Jintong said.
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In a certain commercial street in Shanghai...
Tang Xiu and Mu Wanying had found several shops, yet they couldn’t find any zither of good quality. Using his keen eyesight, though there were several zithers that were barely able to be played, the tone effect after playing them was much worse than expected.
Just as the two felt helpless, Tang Xiu received a call from Chi Nan and learned that Wei Jiangping had already sent a zither to the Everlasting Feast Hall.
“I hope Wei Jiangping has a bit of ability to find a good zither! Otherwise, I can only buy one randomly and deal with the aftermath later in the evening.” Tang Xiu sighed.
As tranquil and gentle as she always was, Mu Wanying smiled slightly and said, “Well, I believe that even if it is a very ordinary zither, it will still produce the most beautiful notes after you play it.”
Tang Xiu smiled in response and, then drove back to the Everlasting Feast Hall.
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Inside the General Manager’s Office, Chi Nan and Wei Jiangping stood before the sofa, while the zither was placed on the tea table. However, its body couldn’t be seen since it was wrapped in silk cloth.
After Tang Xiu entered the office, his gaze fell on the tea table, “Is this the zither you brought?”
With a respectful look, Wei Jiangping nodded and said, “I borrowed it from an old friend’s wife. This zither is called the Jadewind Zither, a masterpiece that was painstakingly crafted by a grandmaster in the Qin Dynasty period. I know nothing about a zither, though, so I dared not evaluate the quality of this zither.”
Tang Xiu walked in front of the tea table and gently opened the silk cloth. In front of him was revealed an exquisitely crafted and beautifully carved zither. He could identify at a glance that the zither was made out of the wood of Gold Phoebe Cedar tree.
Ding…!
A pleasant tune was produced when Tang Xiu’s fingers plucked the strings.
“This zither is barely passable. Not bad.”
Tang Xiu nodded and looked at Wei Jiangping as he said, “You can go. Come here again to take this zither tomorrow night.”
Wei Jiangping hesitated, and was about to speak out something. But when he looked at Tang Xiu’s indifferent expression, he swallowed the words he wanted to say. He nodded silently, turned around, and left.
Wrapping the Jadewind Zither up again with the silk cloth, Tang Xiu picked it up, and said, “Chi Nan, if you come to Shanghai University tonight, wait until after I go on stage, and then bring this zither back with you when you leave. Also, I need you to do one thing for me: find several good-natured housekeepers.”
“Alright!” Chi Nan answered respectfully. “I’ll contact you later.”
“Okay!” Tang Xiu nodded and left the Everlasting Feast Hall with Mu Wanying. The duo didn’t go directly back to the campus, but went to the Bluestar Villa Complex instead. There were still a few hours left before the freshmen welcoming party tonight, so they decided to rest first, and then go to the campus after dinner.
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Inside the villa...
Mu Wanying had just finished a phone call when she said with a smile, “Tang Xiu, tonight’s freshmen welcoming party should be fun and interesting.”
“Why do you say so?” Tang Xiu raised his brows and asked.
“A friend of mine just called me, saying that since our Shanghai University holds a freshmen welcoming party tonight, a certain authoritative figure from our campus, by means of a special relationship, has contacted Zhang Xinya, who is currently preparing for her concert in Shanghai. I heard that the opening ceremony of the freshmen welcoming party tonight is exactly listed as Zhang Xinya in the program list.”