The zither's melody began, drifting elegantly through the night.
Everyone was immersed in the delightful music when a light, ethereal song suddenly arose, carrying a touch of the celestial.
It was Qingyao singing. This was a song called "Blue and White Porcelain," which she was attempting to play on the zither, accompanying her low, mellow voice. In the night, it exuded the fragrant aroma of fine wine.
"Slender brows sketched autumn thoughts by the north wind's turning dragon,
Screen layered with painted peonies, just like your shop window,
Fleeting fragrance through the pane, your worries I understand.
On the Xuan paper, creases and straight edges divide each half.
Dull colors render the maiden painting, now robbed of its vibrancy."
Everyone was stunned. In their impression, Qingyao had always been a wise and aloof woman. They had never seen such a gentle and charming side to her. Her low, resonant song struck directly at the hearts of everyone present.
What a beautiful song! Clear, pure, and sweet. In her singing, everyone saw a beauty like jade, her slender hands and downcast eyes painting a picture on paper, which turned out to be a beautiful and exquisite porcelain.
Beautiful person, beautiful object. Under the moonlight, the zither music was moving, the song enchanting, and the lyrics were even more shocking.
The song ended, its lingering fragrance still enfolding them. They remained immersed in its beauty.
Wuqing's voice gently broke the silence, "Qingyao, what is this song called?"
"Blue and White Porcelain," Qingyao replied softly, a dreamy hue gracing her face. She tilted her delicate chin. How many facets did this woman possess, each one astonishing?
Wuqing and Wen Yu gazed at her intently, remaining silent for a long time.
In the darkness of the night, a faint rustling sound arose, sending a chill down everyone's spine, filling them with a prickling unease.
It sounded like something was crawling in large numbers through the valley. Qingyao frowned, her charming demeanor vanishing, replaced by a chilling aura. She listened intently.
It sounded like snakes.
As the thought formed, someone immediately cried out.
"Ah, ah, ah, snakes! So many snakes!" A servant ran from the back to the front. Those on the steps below changed color.
Especially Wuqing, his face grew even more grim. He knew instantly that someone had entered. There had never been snakes in this valley before, because it was filled with many medicinal herbs, which snakes naturally avoided. Unless, of course, they were controlled by humans.
Qingyao, Mochou, and the others quickly looked up. Above the peach forest, many snakes emerged from the branches, lifting their heads, layered upon each other, hanging from the treetops. Some fell down, and looking at the rooftops, snakes also fell, hitting the ground and writhing.
Wuqing glanced around. These were all highly venomous snakes. A single bite would likely be fatal. Therefore, he spoke in a deep voice.
"Be careful, these snakes are poisonous."
As for Qingyao, Mochou, and Xiaoyuer, being young girls, they had turned pale with fright, not out of fear of the snake venom itself.
Women, by nature, were afraid of these soft, boneless creatures. It was an inherent instinct.
Thus, in the darkness, the screams of the women rose higher and higher. Their cries, however, attracted the most arrogant laughter. In the night, two large figures floated in the air, using the wind currents, not descending in a hurry, merely watching the show from above.
They let out strange laughter from time to time.
Wuqing looked up and saw the two figures, one in white and one in black. The one in white was a man, and the one in black was a woman. These two were none other than the notorious "Black and White Fiends" of the martial world, who delighted in controlling poisonous snakes.
These snakes were all raised by them, and each one contained potent venom. Not to mention being bitten, even being sprayed with their venom could be fatal.
Recognizing them, Wuqing's expression darkened further. He shouted up at the sky.
"Well done, Black and White Fiends! Why are you not staying in your own haunted dens, but coming to my Wuqing Valley to cause trouble? What do you want?"
Hearing Wuqing's words, the Black and White Fiends laughed triumphantly. The White Fiend, with a ferocious expression, curled his lips and spoke coldly.
"The world says your Ghost Doctor Wuqing has extraordinary medical skills, especially in detoxification. Today, we, the Black and White Fiends, will test you."
As soon as these words fell, Wuqing knew they would not be easily dismissed today. His expression immediately turned grim. With a wave of his white robe, a deafening sound erupted from the ground. He scattered a pill with his qi. Upon smelling it, the snakes dared not move.
Seeing this, the Black and White Fiends retracted their wide sleeves and suddenly descended from mid-air. Both took out small bamboo flutes from their waists. Though ordinary flutes, the notes they played caused the hesitant snake群 to stir, writhing and moving forward.
Some coiled together, rolling continuously, while others crawled straight ahead.
They surged forward in an overwhelming tide. After their initial fright, Qingyao, Mochou, and the others calmed down, their faces turning cold. Qingyao suddenly spoke.
"They're just snakes! Let's fight them."
As she spoke, Xiaoyuer quickly turned and returned to the room, soon reappearing with two items. "Mother, we have this."
She raised the items in her hands. These were something she had made out of boredom recently – simple hand grenades.
Qingyao's eyes lit up with joy. This was wonderful! She hadn't expected this little one to have made this. She took them, a cold smile on her face, and looked at the people beside her, speaking slowly.
"Move aside a bit, don't get yourselves blown up."
As Qingyao's words fell, everyone stepped back, not knowing what she was doing.
Only Wen Yu saw it clearly and felt a tremor of fear. These were things she had seen her draw. Did hand grenades truly exist in this world? If such weapons were used in war, what immense power would they possess?
Qingyao yanked hard, and the hand grenade began to smoke. She threw it out, and with a deafening boom.
A smell of scorched flesh filled the air. Everyone heard the intermittent sizzling sounds, clearly the sound of roasting snakes.
With the throwing of the hand grenade, many snakes were instantly obliterated. The Black and White Fiends' eyes widened in disbelief. What was that thing, so powerful? It had destroyed so much of their hard work in a single blast. For a moment, they dared not make another move.
Qingyao glared coldly at the Black and White Fiends and spoke in a deep voice.
"Fine, if you come any closer, I'll send your snakes to hell. See if you dare be so arrogant."
The Black and White Fiends dared not act rashly for the moment, because these snakes were the culmination of years of their effort, cultivated for many years to achieve their current success. If they were all blown up by the things in this woman's hands, they would have nothing left.
But if they were to retreat like this, firstly, they couldn't account for it to their employer, and secondly, they couldn't just watch those snakes die in vain. Those snakes were like their own children, almost. How could they not seek revenge if their children were killed?
As the Black and White Fiends came to this realization, their faces contorted with ferocity. They spoke.
"Today, it's either you die or I live. We'll fight to the death!" With that, they once again commanded the snake swarm to advance. Those snakes that had been motionless earlier began to writhe and twist, climbing upwards.