Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Ye Jingshuang’s words had indeed hit a complete blind spot in Jiang Ran’s knowledge.

Mechanical Technique, Wind and Fire Mountain, the Twelve Celestial Artificers, the Jiaowei Zither...

Aside from Mechanical Technique, the others were all foreign to him.

Even his knowledge of Mechanical Technique was limited.

He said nothing, just quietly waited for Ye Jingshuang to speak.

”It’s said that Wind and Fire Mountain was very fond of the title ’Twelve Celestial Artificers.’”

”He even created a book specifically for it, the Twelve Celestial Artificers Record.”

”It contains detailed records of the names, functions, and uses of these twelve wondrous items...”

”However, so much time has passed that it’s hard to trace, and over the years of its circulation, the Twelve Celestial Artificers Record was split in two.”

”One half’s whereabouts are unknown, while the other half is no longer in the Golden Cicada Dynasty. Instead, it’s been locked away by the Hundred Wood Sect of Qing Country.”

”And the half that remains records exactly six of the Twelve Celestial Artificers...”

”They are the Jiaowei Zither, the Eternal Candle, the Ruyi Lock, the Celestial Sound Flute, the Purple Jade Meditation Mat, and the Star-Plucking Hand.”

”Only six are known?”

Jiang Ran frowned slightly. ”Then the other six... no one knows what they are?”

”It’s not that no one knows. Anyone who obtained the other half of the Twelve Celestial Artificers Record wouldn’t treat it lightly.”

”Its contents would eventually become known to someone. They just keep it a closely guarded secret.”

Ye Jingshuang shook her head gently.

”It is said that a great secret is hidden within the Twelve Celestial Artificers.”

”If someone could collect all twelve, they would learn this secret.”

”But even without the secret, each of the Twelve Celestial Artificers is extraordinary in its own right.”

”Take the Jiaowei Zither, for example... It can channel Inner Strength to create powerful sound waves—invisible and intangible—that can kill with a mere melody.”

’The Celestial Demon Zither!?’

This was Jiang Ran’s first thought, and he couldn’t help but ask:

”Is it true that only someone born with six fingers can play this zither? Otherwise, they’ll be harmed by it?”

”Born with six fingers?”

Ye Jingshuang shot Jiang Ran a puzzled look.

”Young Master Jiang, where did you hear such a thing?”

”...So it’s not like that.”

Jiang Ran was a little disappointed.

But Ye Jingshuang smiled.

”However, you were right about one thing. The Jiaowei Zither is no ordinary instrument. If one is not versed in its ways and uses it rashly without understanding it, they will indeed be harmed by its music.”

”If someone with profound Inner Energy tries to force it, they might die before they even begin.”

”But I’ve also heard that the true sheet music for the Jiaowei Zither is hidden within the zither itself.”

”It’s just that no one has been able to find the Jiaowei Zither’s mechanism...”

”No one’s been able to find it?”

Jiang Ran glanced at Ye Jingshuang.

”Is that really true? According to you, the Jiaowei Zither has been around for many years. Are you saying that in all that time, not a single person who obtained it was smart enough?”

”It has nothing to do with being smart.”

Ye Jingshuang sighed.

”It’s a matter of fate. To open the Jiaowei Zither, you first need knowledge of Mechanical Technique.”

”If it falls into the hands of an ordinary Jianghu Person, they wouldn’t be able to open the mechanism even if they had the zither, as they wouldn’t be proficient in Mechanical Technique.”

”Conversely, a master of mechanics might not necessarily be able to obtain the Jiaowei Zither.”

”Furthermore, the things I’m telling you are not common knowledge.”

”Some people might obtain the Jiaowei Zither and go their whole lives without knowing its secret, or even that it *is* the Jiaowei Zither.”

”After all, without infusing it with Inner Energy, it’s just an old zither with nothing special about it.”

”If someone were to rashly channel Inner Strength into it, they would likely die by its hand before they even realized the key to using it.”

”This item is special, precious, and cannot be used carelessly.”

”That’s precisely why my father gave it to my uncle as part of my aunt’s dowry.”

”He must have figured that my aunt was familiar with it and wouldn’t play it, and while my uncle can play the zither, he has no martial arts and so would be safe from it.”

After listening, Jiang Ran nodded. He felt that this explanation made a certain amount of sense.

While it couldn’t explain everything—it was possible someone had indeed opened the Jiaowei Zither and found the music sheets within during the years it was passed down...

...regardless, the zither was still in circulation today.

And there were still people who coveted its secrets.

Jiang Ran’s finger tapped lightly on the table. He turned his head to look out the inn’s entrance.

Ye Jingshuang followed his gaze, then looked back at him.

Then she heard Jiang Ran speak softly:

”When did you find out that the Jiaowei Zither was with the Ye family?”

”I only learned of it a few days ago, from a secret letter from Uncle Tong.”

Ye Jingshuang said:

”Before, although I knew my family had some disputes with my aunt’s family, I wasn’t clear on the details.”

”The rumors of the Jiaowei Zither have been around for a long time, but I never connected them to the Ye family.”

”Mm, in that case, it all makes sense.”

Jiang Ran lifted his teacup and took a sip.

”Something happened inside the Heartless Ghost Mansion, allowing some people from the Ghost Mansion to escape.”

”This group either has to hide their identities, living in constant fear...”

”...or they’re willing to take a desperate risk. When they learned the Jiaowei Zither was with the Ye family, it led to that tumultuous night for the century-old Ye family.”

”Only, they didn’t find the Jiaowei Zither.”

”As for the group that went to the Liu family, although they knew about this as well, I get the feeling they aren’t on the same side as Dao Zhen.”

”Even if they both came from the Heartless Ghost Mansion, their methods are completely different.”

”If they can get their hands on the Jiaowei Zither and unlock its secrets, perhaps they’ll be able to fight back against the master of the Ghost Mansion and truly control their own destinies from then on.”