The taut strings snapped under the blade.
"But, isn't that obvious?"
Bai Qiuyan expressed her confusion.
A zither with a broken string could not be openly brought onto the stage.
Bai Dandan flicked the blade in her hand and sneered, "Don't worry, I have a trick up my sleeve, and no one will notice!"
She formed a hand seal, conjuring a trickle of spiritual energy.
Infused with spiritual energy, the previously broken strings slowly mended themselves, returning to their original state.
"I've cast a spell on it. Although it appears intact on the surface, this is merely an illusion. When the zither is placed down and someone begins to play, this string will instantly snap. At that time, that arrogant female instructor will surely be humiliated!"
Bai Qiuyan finally understood and sneered in agreement, "Those who offend the Third Miss will never have a good end!"
On the high platform, Gu Qianying and Bai Lu sat calmly above, neither looking at the other, both displeased with the other's presence.
In Gu Qianying's opinion, Bai Lu was merely a fox cloaked in an guise of dignity and intelligence, appearing calm on the surface but being the most calculating. She was nothing like what others described.
Bai Lu felt the same. Her heart was consumed by rage, and she truly felt annoyed that Bai Yufeng could tolerate such an arrogant and overbearing woman.
A person dressed as a servant walked onto the stage, holding a gong and drum. He struck them, "Silence!"
The previously noisy crowd finally quieted down.
All eyes turned upwards.
One was the favored daughter of the family, the other an outsider who had used every trick in the book. Such a pairing was bound to be extraordinary.
A maidservant handed over the prepared zither, placing it before them.
Bai Lu, with a look of disdain, lightly plucked a string, producing a clear, crisp sound. The melody was leisurely, and even before the music began, it had already drawn the attention of the audience.
The crowd praised, "As expected of the Third Miss, truly extraordinary. The skill in her fingertips speaks volumes. That young lady will likely not win."
Bai Lu slowly raised her eyes and looked towards Gu Qianying. Her lips parted slightly, "If you don't want to be humiliated, give up early. I won't intentionally make things difficult for you."
Gu Qianying's palm also rested on the zither, and she smiled leisurely, "Miss, don't underestimate others. After all, until the very end, no one knows the outcome."
Bai Lu let out a cold snort.
Outcome?
Did one need an outcome when facing her? Her zither music was praised by even the old patriarch. A woman who had schemed relentlessly, with impure intentions, even if she could play the zither, her music would surely be chaotic and unable to capture hearts.
As the gong and drum sounded again, Bai Lu directly began to play without any preamble.
Because Gu Qianying was present today, Bai Lu's previously straightforward melody suddenly became intense. If her former music was a wisp of wandering cloud, her current music was like the crashing of rocks in the mountains. Coupled with her sharp, piercing gaze, the audience below froze, not daring to speak for a moment. The pressure brought by the zither music was far from ordinary.
As the piece concluded, thunderous applause erupted from below. Most of the praise was for Bai Lu, but some felt that Bai Lu had been too agitated this time, and her music had lost its original charm.
Bai Lu was extremely satisfied with her performance today and had already convinced herself that she was the winner of this competition. She arrogantly raised her head, "Please proceed!"
Gu Qianying frowned slightly, not satisfied with Bai Lu's performance just now. She slowly spoke, "So, the Third Miss, who is both beautiful and talented, is nothing more than this. You have truly disappointed my high expectations!"
Hatred flashed in Bai Lu's eyes. She gritted her teeth, "Ridiculous! My strength is evident for all to see. Are you perhaps realizing you're going to lose, so you're resorting to verbal attacks?"
Gu Qianying let out a cold laugh. Compared to such crude music, how could she possibly lose?
"Superficial, lacking true substance!"
"You!" Bai Lu exploded in anger, feeling that Gu Qianying was a sharp-tongued shrew.
Gu Qianying smiled leisurely and whispered, "Third Miss, I am about to play the zither. Are you deliberately obstructing me at this moment?"
The people at the banquet, seeing Gu Qianying's defiant attitude and lack of retreat, were already filled with curiosity about her music. They eagerly called out towards the stage, "Third Miss, please don't rush. We will witness the true skill later. If she is incompetent, we have ears, and we will never allow you to be disgraced!"
One person spoke, and the others echoed in agreement, "Exactly!"
Bai Lu was unwilling, but facing the pressure from the crowd, she was powerless. She could only sit down in anger.
"Finally, it's quiet!"
Gu Qianying finally breathed a sigh of relief. She raised her hands to begin playing the zither, gently plucking the strings at the ends. Instantly, a clear, melodious sound began to rise.
The crowd, hearing it, felt their minds relax, their previous irritability fading away, leaving only peace. Not only were those below engrossed, but even Bai Lu showed a look of astonishment.
"Her zither skills are actually this good?"
Noticing the shift in the situation, many people began to secretly praise Gu Qianying. Bai Qiuyan grabbed Bai Dandan's sleeve, extremely worried, "Didn't you tamper with it earlier? Why is there no reaction yet?"
Bai Dandan sneered, "Don't worry, the good show is yet to come." If the strings had broken from the start, how could Gu Qianying have been made to look foolish!
On the high platform, Gu Qianying finished the calm section and prepared to enter the climax. However, as her hand just touched the strings, the previously intact strings suddenly snapped. The clear sound also became incredibly harsh.
Everyone was startled. They knew this was the middle of a competition. If this happened, Bai Lu would win this match no matter what.
Gu Qianying held the broken strings, slightly stunned. This object had been deliberately cut, and the person who did it was particularly malicious, intentionally causing an accident mid-performance to make Gu Qianying unable to step down or adjust.
Bai Dandan sneered from below, leaning on Bai Qiuyan with her shoulder, "See? This person is about to be humiliated!"
Bai Qiuyan chuckled, "That's excellent. If that's the case, the Third Miss won't be bullied."
Bai Dandan tilted her head back, "Our Third Miss is exceptionally intelligent and cannot be compared to others. I saw this person repeatedly opposing the Third Miss, and I couldn't stand it, so I acted."
"Mhm!" Bai Qiuyan nodded in agreement.
Gu Qianying, holding the strings above, let out a scoff. To think that such a petty trick could make her admit defeat. The person who did this was indeed still too inexperienced.
Bai Lu, who had been worried, now saw the accident occur and naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. She spoke with cold, mocking words, "You can't even protect your own zither, what right do you have to play in front of everyone?" "I advise you to give up quickly and stop struggling here, lest you become an annoyance."