"Trifles? Haha, with your status, it seems only fitting to bribe the fairy with such trinkets. I gather you're insane!"
Liu Xi's voice was derisive, his face mocking.
No matter what Chu Yuan produced, nothing could surpass his Hidden Dragon Zither. He had the upper hand this time, surely the fairy would think of him first whenever she would play the zither in the future.
"Indeed, it's a trifle. Hardly worth mentioning."
Chu Yuan pulled out a bead the size of a goose egg from his bosom.
This bead shone with starlight. Although it was pitch black, it was adorned with bright spots that resembled stars. It sparkled brilliantly, releasing an obscure yet divine hue.
"What is that?" Mu Rou asked curiously.
"A trifle, it's called the Star Universe Bead."
"Indeed, a shoddy trifle. You dare dishonor her with such a bead, my mansion has countless objects of the sort. How many do you want? I can give you all. Just don't embarrass yourself on the fairy's birthday."
Liu Xi looked down on this so-called Star Universe Bead.
"There's a small mechanism in the Star Universe Bead," said Chu Yuan.
"Oh? What kind of mechanism?"
Instead of allowing a maid to take the Star Universe Bead, Mu Rou approached it herself. She was immediately enveloped in a fragrant breeze, not the scent of rouge, but a natural fragrance. Then, she held the bead.
The bead was somewhat heavy, and it became slightly warm in her hand.
"Miss, please touch one of the stars," said Chu Yuan.
Mu Rou touched one of the stars, and suddenly, a color resembling the void swept over. The void's blackness diffused into a brilliant light.
In that instant, they appeared to have been transported to the universe. The original star points drastically enlarged, turning into real stars. There were galaxies afar, and as Mu Rou moved, the phenomenon continued to expand.
Mu Rou exclaimed in shock.
It felt as if they had actually stepped into the universe. She was like a giant traversing galaxies, clearly touching one star after another, moving through one galaxy after another. Moreover, she could rearrange the stars at will.
With a wave of her hand, the stars formed the words 'Melodious Music'.
With another wave, they changed into the characters 'Mu Rou'.
This bead seemed to contain the entire universe within it.
"Is this the trifle you speak of?"
Mu Rou had seen many treasures, but none were quite like Chu Yuan's Star Universe Bead.
"Indeed, it is a trifle," Chu Yuan replied: "Star Universe Bead is an illusion, it's not substantial and holds no practical use."
Chu Yuan had seen this Star Universe Bead in the system mall just now. It required fifty Destiny Points for exchange.
It must be said, the system mall really has all sorts of strange objects.
"But I seem to have discerned the transformations of the universe within this Star Universe Bead. This is not an ordinary illusion; it genuinely contains principles."
If previously Mu Rou's smile was only polite, now she was genuinely delighted: "I really Star Universe Bead of yours."
She carefully stowed the gift away herself rather than hand it to a maid to put aside.
"This person!" Liu Xi burned with jealousy, wishing he could kill Chu Yuan.
After the gifts, Mu Rou smiled and said: "Since all the gentlemen have bestowed their presents upon me, I cannot leave you disappointed. Inspired by the world's transformations, rise and fall, I would also like to play a melody for you."
"The fairy's melody, we've been looking forward to that for a while!"
The young masters' eyes immediately lit up. Mu Rou's music was a marvel of Melodious Music. Many had attended today just to hear her play the zither.
"This melody is called 'Rise and Fall of a Nation'!"
Mu Rou didn't use Liu Xi's hidden dragon zither; instead, she brought out her own zither. The instrument was pure white as if handcrafted from celestial stone. When her fingers struck it, the sound resonated like droplets of water striking the surface of a pond.
The melody began to unfold.
In 'Rise and Fall of a Nation', the story of a man leading his forces to vanquish various feudal lords amidst chaos was the initial narrative. The music conveyed the open-hearted and passionate spirit of such leadership, a multitude of brutal battles, and eventually the establishment of a powerful and prosperous imperial dynasty -- the pinnacle of worldly accomplishments.
This was undeniably a story about Emperor Dawu!
But in the middle of the song, the empire collapses abruptly. Amidst internal strife and external threats, a young emperor ascends the throne. Facing the direst of situations and the potential extinction of his lineage, what choices would he make?
The latter half of the music carries different meanings according to the listener's state of mind, leading to different interpretations of the story's ending.
As Mu Rou played the zither, her clear eyes watched the crowd, her music teasing out the thoughts hidden within the hearts of the listeners. She saw pessimism in some, preparations for retreat in others, and yet others preparing to survive alongside their nation.
Her gaze suddenly fell upon Chu Yuan.
Above his head, it seemed as if the smoke of an immortal war was billowing out. He stood like a god atop gods, supporting the pillars of the Heavenly Court, standing eternally.
"The zither quizzes the Tao, the music enters the Tao."
Chu Yuan noticed Mu Rou's gaze. His eyes met hers unflinchingly. His willpower began to influence her melody, as if adding different notes to it.
Mu Rou's melody instantly transformed.
Iron horses and golden spears, battle flags fluttered as if an invincible supreme being was leading a great army, sweeping away every obstacle in its path, leaving legends about the emperor in every corner of the world."
Here, the melody stopped.
"Miss's melody is indeed profound and mysterious, skillfully conveying the rise and fall of a nation," Chu Yuan said.
"I was merely expressing my emotions. It's nothing compared to the depth of your character." As Mu Rou gazed deeply at Chu Yuan, she continued, "Our great Dawu was built on martial might. Our people are valiant, each one a top-ranking warrior. Those of you who can come to MiaoYin House must be among the best. I have prepared a small game to keep the mood light. How about we give it a try?"
"What kind of game?" Liu Xi, now recovered from the lingering effects of the melody, jumped in, "Please tell us, Miss."
"Wrestling might lead to injuries. How about we play a game of archery instead?"
Mu Rou opened her palm to reveal nine copper coins, each with a small hole in the center. "I have nine copper coins here. Within a hundred steps, let's shoot an arrow and see who can pierce these coins consecutively. Who could join this challenge?"
Chu Yuan gave it a quick glance.
The holes in her nine coins were very small, just wide enough for an arrow to pass through -- any deviation was beyond possibility, let alone making it through nine consecutive coins.
A maid came over and strung up the coins on a beam, even a slight breeze would cause them to move. Moreover, the force of an arrow would inevitably affect their position, making this a true test of an archer's skill.
"Ha ha, this game is interesting, I'll go first!"
Liu Xi bellowed. He wanted to flaunt his martial prowess in front of Mu Rou, so he departed with a bow and arrows specially prepared by the MiaoYin House.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
In order to make a good impression in front of Mu Rou, Liu Xi was completely focused and put his all into it, and with a strum of the bowstring, the arrow seemed to pierce seven coins consecutively. However, it slightly deviated on the eighth, missing its mark.
"Great archery skills!"
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight. This Liu Xi, even though he was a prodigal son, his archery was truly exquisite. They had to admit that they couldn't have done it any better themselves.
"I hope I didn't let the fair lady down." Liu Xi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
While he didn't manage to complete the 'Nine Stars in a Row', but it was pretty good nonetheless.
With his head held high, he announced, "Who else wants to try?"
Some young masters, unsatisfied, decided to try their luck. But the best among them only managed to pierce through four holes -- far below Liu Xi's achievement.
Eventually, to avoid embarrassment, many chose not to attempt it.
"Sir, don't you want to give it a try?" Mu Rou asked Chu Yuan.
"There's no point in me going up there." Chu Yuan pointed to Chu Xiaoniang, "Why don't we let her have a go, her archery skills are also quite good."