Chapter 36: Caught Red-Handed
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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The palace staff worked efficiently. Half an hour later, Lin Xiu received the deed and title to a residence in the East City.
The residence wasn’t large, a standard three-entrance courtyard house, similar in size to the Lin residence. But its location near the palace, surrounded by high-ranking officials and nobles, meant its value was more than ten times that of the Lin residence.
It was quite a coincidence. He just happened to need a residence, and the Emperor gifted him one. Although he had been thoroughly “exploited” by the Emperor’s concubines every day this past month, it had been worth it.
Lord and Lady Pingan were naturally overjoyed upon hearing the news. They immediately instructed the servants to pack their belongings and prepare to move.
The Lin family had previously lived in the East City. Only after their decline, when they could no longer maintain their livelihood, had they sold their residence and moved to the remote West City. Now, they were returning to their former neighborhood.
It took three days to move all the important belongings, purchase new furniture, and thoroughly clean the new residence.
Now, only two days remained until the Mystical Arts Academy reopened.
The academy had two long breaks each year for students to return home to visit their families: during the hottest part of summer and around the New Year. After reopening, the academy would offer various courses for students to choose from.
Lin Xiu had already made up his mind about this.
There were no shortcuts in mystical arts cultivation. He would continue cultivating with Lingyin. The academy couldn’t help him much in this regard and wouldn’t waste time and resources nurturing a student from the Yellow Character Courtyard.
For neglected students like Lin Xiu, the only purpose of staying at the academy was to wait for the day their abilities might be of use to the court.
Just like Lin Xiu this past month, if it weren’t for him, the Emperor’s concubines would have suffered greatly.
After the academy reopened, Lin Xiu planned to systematically study martial arts.
With his strength mystical art, cultivating martial arts would yield twice the results with half the effort, allowing him to quickly improve his strength. He still didn’t know who wanted to kill him or when they would strike again. Every bit of improvement in his strength increased his ability to protect himself.
In addition, the most important reason Lin Xiu eagerly awaited the reopening of the academy was, of course, to make friends. The more new friends he made, the more new abilities he could acquire. The power within him was already thirsting…
After two days, he would likely have little free time. Having been busy these past few days, he planned to relax.
His way of relaxing was, naturally, listening to music at the Pear Blossom Garden.
Pear Blossom Garden.
Sun Dali sat on the steps outside the theatre, a worried expression on his face.
The Young Master had been fond of coming here recently, and every time, he sought out the same performer and went upstairs with her. He didn’t know what they were doing in the room.
As a guard, he shouldn’t interfere in the Young Master’s affairs.
But having been with the Lin family for many years, he had long considered this place his home. The Young Master was betrothed to the Zhao family, yet he was constantly flirting with other women. If the Second Miss found out, it would be disastrous.
He didn’t know whether he should tell the master and mistress.
If he told them, he would be betraying the Young Master.
If he didn’t, and the Young Master became infatuated, it wouldn’t be good for the Zhao family either.
Just as Sun Dali was caught in this dilemma, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.
“What are you doing sitting here?”
Sun Dali looked up and his scalp went numb when he saw the approaching woman.
He immediately jumped to his feet. “S-Second Miss, I, I was tired from walking, so I sat down to rest for a bit…”
Learning from his past mistake, he didn’t dare glance towards the theatre this time, but Zhao Lingyin still looked at the Pear Blossom Garden and asked, “Is Lin Xiu inside?”
Sun Dali could only nod helplessly, praying that the Young Master was just listening to music inside. Otherwise, a beating would be unavoidable today…
Pear Blossom Garden, second-floor private room.
Caiyi, with delicate orchid fingers, moved with graceful steps, her voice melodious. “She sings of meeting an old friend in a foreign land, each step, each line filled with longing. Below the stage, a man’s name tops the golden list, yet he doesn’t recognize the old acquaintance on stage…”
Lin Xiu really was listening to music.
What Caiyi was singing was still a song from another world, called “Peeping Through the Window.” She was a performer, and her opera singing was particularly moving. Coincidentally, Lin Xiu had also enjoyed ancient-style opera songs in his past life, so he had taught her several.
As he listened, a puzzled look appeared on Lin Xiu’s face.
There were many skilled performers in the Pear Blossom Garden, but none possessed the soulful quality of her voice. At first, he thought it was due to her exceptional singing skill, but after listening more, he gradually realized that the issue didn’t seem to be her technique.
As if realizing something, he looked up and asked, “Caiyi, have you awakened a mystical art?”
Caiyi’s face showed confusion, then she shook her head. “No…”
Lin Xiu hesitated for a moment, then said, “Caiyi, would you mind extending your hand so I can take your pulse?”
Taking her pulse was just an excuse. Whether someone had awakened a mystical art couldn’t be determined this way. But he couldn’t just ask to hold her hand. A respectable woman might think he was being improper.
Although he could be improper, at this moment, he truly had no ulterior motives.
Caiyi didn’t overthink it and extended her hand openly.
She had met this young master many times and knew he wasn’t someone who would take advantage of her.
“Excuse me.”
Lin Xiu said to her, then placed three fingers on her wrist.
The moment their skin touched, Lin Xiu had his answer.
As expected.
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A power within him automatically flowed into Caiyi’s body and began to copy her ability.
If it weren’t for his sudden thought, she probably wouldn’t even know she possessed such an ability.
There were countless mystical arts in the world, and not all of them had obvious manifestations upon awakening, such as increased strength, the ability to create ice, or understanding animal speech. Some mystical arts had very subtle initial manifestations…
If Lin Xiu wasn’t mistaken, Caiyi had awakened a Sound Mystical Art.
The initial awakening of this ability manifested as a transformation of the voice. Those who awakened this ability would have exceptionally beautiful voices, and their songs would naturally possess a unique charm that others couldn’t replicate.
Lin Xiu had read many books at the academy, and these books recorded that many famous performers throughout history had possessed the Sound Mystical Art.
However, the upper limit of this mystical art wasn’t high. According to historical records, those who possessed this power had only awakened it three times at most.
Mystical arts like ice, fire, lightning, and strength had clear cultivation methods. Through continuous training and pushing one’s limits, one could achieve successive awakenings.
But how did one cultivate an ability like Animal Speech?
Because it couldn’t be cultivated, it couldn’t be awakened multiple times. The same was true for the Sound Mystical Art. Even though Lin Xiu knew that this mystical art had a very high potential upper limit, and the power of sound waves was no less than any Heaven-rank mystical art, without a cultivation method, naturally, no one could cultivate it to that level.
Unless, the one possessing this ability was him.
Other mystical art practitioners had only one path to follow. If that path was blocked, there was no other way. But Lin Xiu was different. If one path was blocked, he could take another. After all, the essence of awakening was a qualitative change in Yuan Power. If he awakened the Ice Mystical Art three times, when he used the Animal Speech ability, he could utilize the Yuan Power of a three-time awakened ability. He wondered what new changes this would bring to the ability?
At this moment, Lin Xiu didn’t know this because no one had ever cultivated the single Animal Speech ability to that extent.
Similarly, if Lin Xiu possessed the Sound Mystical Art, the upper limit of this ability would be greatly enhanced. He thought of the landlady’s Lion’s Roar in “Kung Fu Hustle.” That power wasn’t insignificant…
Just as Lin Xiu was pondering how to obtain Caiyi’s ability, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
As soon as Zhao Lingyin opened the door, she saw Lin Xiu holding the performer’s hand.
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