Cultivation Online

”Do you mind giving us some space?” Yuan asked the guards surrounding them.

”B-but what if she attacks you?”

”I’ll be fine. She won’t be able to hurt me,” said Yuan, his voice filled with confidence.

The guards exchanged looks with each other before backing away.

”You’re looking for me, right? How can I help you?” Yuan started the conversation.

”I would like to verify your identity. Can you remove your mask for me?” Tan Songyun said after a moment of silence.

”Sorry, but I cannot reveal my face to a stranger. Can you introduce yourself first?” Yuan said.

Tan Songyun clenched her fists, but she played along and introduced herself, ”My name is Tan Songyun, member of the Vengeful Fairies, once known as the Zither Goddess!”

’So it really is her…’ Yuan thought to himself. He never thought he’d meet the Zither Goddess in the Fifth Heaven, and in such a weird fashion, no less.

”I see, but Lady Tan, what is my identity to you? Why do you need to confirm my identity?”

Tan Songyun suddenly removed the veil covering her beautiful features, revealing her ethereal face.

”I am looking for a man—someone who tossed me aside like trash after using me like a toy!” she declared in a cold voice.

Yuan’s eyes widened with shock after hearing this. She was obviously looking for Tian Kai, but why would she say such awful things about Tian Kai, who clearly loved her?

”I-I see… so you’re looking for someone who wronged you… but what does that have to do with me? Was the one who wronged you a Dragon Emperor? I can confidently say that I have never wronged anyone like you in my life…”

”No, the one who wronged me was a human.”

”Then—”

”However, he also has many fake identities, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a Dragon Emperor is one of those identities.”

Tan Songyun lifted her arm to point at the zither in Yuan’s grasp and continued, ”There are only two individuals in this world who can play that Soul Ensnaring Zither. Me and that man.”

”This zither?” Yuan caressed his fingers across the zither, playing beautiful notes. ”It’s just an instrument. How can there only be two people in the world who can play it?”

”It requires a special technique. Otherwise, it won’t make any sounds,” she explained.

”Ah, it was like that when I first found it, but after tinkering with it for a while, I managed to develop a technique for it,” Yuan chuckled.

Tan Songyun’s eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, her patience running thin.

”I left that Soul Ensnaring Zither in the Lower Heavens. Why did a Dragon Emperor from the upper heavens like yourself visit such a place?”

”Really? I found it in the upper heavens, though.”

”By the way, I never got your name,” Tan Songyun suddenly said.

”My surname is Xiao.”

Yuan was a little worried that giving a random surname might give his identity away, but when he saw no reaction from the Shen Family, he sighed in relief inwardly.

Although there are only a few Dragon Emperors in the Nine Heavens, they rarely make public appearances, and little is known about them. Even families in the upper heavens are often unaware of their true identities, much less a family in the Fifth Heaven.

”Are you sure your surname isn’t ’Tian’?” Tan Songyun frowned.

”Tian?” The members of the Shen Family raised their eyebrows after hearing this familiar surname.

They recalled a certain incident that happened over three years ago when a Dragon Emperor visited their place. However, the Dragon Emperor disappeared like a ghost, and the Shen Family’s memories of him were stolen by a fugitive. ”I’m positive my surname isn’t Tian. That’s a weird assumption to make, Lady Tan.”

”Is that so? For some reason, I am having a hard time believing you.”

”Whether you believe me or not is not my issue.”

Yuan lifted his mask just enough for Tan Songyun to glimpse his face. Since the Shen Family was behind him, they couldn’t see his face unless they used divine sense—and naturally, none of them dared risk offending a Dragon Emperor merely to satisfy their curiosity.

”Are you satisfied now, Lady Tan?” Yuan asked after wearing the mask again.

”No, not really.”

Tan Songyun retrieved a pill from her spatial ring and showed it to him.

”This pill will remove all disguises. If you consume this pill and show me your face again, I’ll be satisfied.”

”...”

Yuan looked at the pill with a stiff smile behind the mask.

”Lady Tan, I have already given you plenty of face and entertained you enough. I would appreciate it if you could stop coming after me as if I were the bad guy here. However, since you are with the Vengeful Fairies, I’ll give you some face and pretend nothing happened here. I am sorry that you had been mistreated by this man you’re looking for, but it has nothing to do with me.”

Yuan turned around and began walking away.

However, Tan Songyun stopped him again, ”Wait.”

”What is it now?” Yuan asked without turning around.

”If you’re really not the person I am looking for, I apologize for everything. However, I will need that Soul Ensnaring Zither back. It was mine to begin with.”

”...”

”Of course… if you can prove that it belongs to you.”

Yuan turned to face her and said, ”You said only two people in this world—excluding me—can play this zither. Well, play a song for me. I’ll also consider it as your apology.”

”I quit playing the zither long ago,” she said.

”That sounds like an excuse. I was expecting more since you were once called the Zither Goddess. Anyway, unless you play a song, I cannot give you this zither.”

Tan Songyun gritted her teeth. After a moment of silence, she approached Yuan and grabbed the Soul Ensnaring Zither out of his grasp.

Yuan didn’t resist and allowed her to take it.

With the object in her grasp, Tan Songyun placed it on her lap, hovering in the air in a seated position.

Soon, her slender fingers began dancing on the zither, and beautiful musical notes filled the air, quickly mesmerizing the audience.