Fu Ye snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the other person's Zither playing. The melody itself wasn't bad, and the young man's technique was decent—but the music lacked form and soul.
As a grandmaster of the Zither, Fu Ye felt it was his duty to teach this brat a lesson.
"The composition is fine, and the melody is passable, but you're playing without emotion." Fu Ye remarked coolly. "Young man, you still need more practice."
It took about five minutes for the other party to finish the piece. The surrounding students gazed at him with admiration—after all, composing one's own music was a sign of skill far beyond theirs.
"Well? Are you impressed by my masterpiece?"
The young man wore a smug expression, but Fu Ye could only shake his head in exasperation.
"The piece has potential, but it lacks structure and feeling. You should calm your mind before playing."
Fu Ye didn't mince words, pointing out the flaws directly. The other player was too impatient, causing many notes to lose their intended depth.
As a grandmaster who had reached perfection in Zither artistry, Fu Ye already knew which piece from his past life he would perform.
"You—!"
The young man bristled, but Fu Ye gave him no chance to retort.
As his fingers danced across the strings, an overwhelming aura of solemnity and killing intent filled the classroom.
The piece he had chosen was "Ambush from Ten Sides"—one of the ten most murderous ancient compositions from his previous life.
A terrifying pressure settled over the room. The students barely dared to breathe, the chilling atmosphere clinging to them like a suffocating mist.
Those who had initially planned to mock Fu Ye now trembled in fear, frozen in place.
To them, the murderous aura radiating from the music was overwhelming—yet for Fu Ye, it was merely a faint echo of the sword intent he had mastered through the system.
After all, as a swordsman who had purchased the "Great Perfection Sword Intent" from the system, a trace of killing intent was only natural.
But just as he was fully immersed in the performance, the door slid open—and in walked the graceful figure of Tang Yuehua, the founder of Moon Pavilion.
The Zither's haunting melody, thick with solemnity and bloodlust, instantly gripped her heart. Her eyes locked onto Fu Ye, who was completely absorbed in his playing.
Fu Ye had never been particularly fond of the Zither before, but now, he found a unique charm in its resonance.
The students, too, gradually lost themselves in the music, their trembling subsiding as they were drawn into its depths.
Tang Yuehua, having mastered music, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood, immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of this piece.
Her discerning ears told her that the killing intent in the music wouldn't actually harm her, so she strode confidently into the room, taking her place at the center to listen quietly.
"Ambush from Ten Sides" lasted nearly five minutes. When it ended, the students remained stunned, as if still trapped in a battlefield—surrounded by the clash of swords, the thunder of hooves, and the cries of war.
"Clap… clap…"
Applause broke the silence from the front of the room. Fu Ye turned to see Tang Yuehua standing there—he hadn't even noticed her arrival.
She stood at 1.73 meters tall, dressed in an elegant silver gown. Her light blue hair was tied neatly behind her back, and her grey eyes held a gentle warmth.
Her delicate, lovely face made anyone who saw her instinctively want to protect her.
"Sir, your performance was extraordinary. Even I am in awe of your skill."
Tang Yuehua rose gracefully. She had never seen this man in Moon Pavilion before—and given that even nobles needed her permission to send disciples here, his presence was certainly unusual.
The handsome young man before her had clearly not entered through proper channels.
"Nice to meet you, Sister Yuehua. My name is Fu Ye. Apologies for intruding uninvited."
Her use of "Sir" told him she had already guessed he wasn't here officially.
Not that Fu Ye cared. He had just sat in on a class—what was the harm in that?
When pursuing a woman, one needed boldness, caution, and thick skin. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was romance. With enough time, wouldn't familiarity blossom naturally?
"You're a guest, and your skill rivals my own. With you here, I can afford to relax a little."
'Huh?' Fu Ye blinked. 'She feels relaxed because I'm here? What does that mean?'
"Xiao Zhang, move Fu Ye's Zither to the front. Today, he and I will teach the class together."
Students: 'Huh?!'
Fu Ye: 'WHAT….'
…
The Zither lesson lasted two hours—an entire morning.
Normally, Fu Ye would be the one napping on the floor during lectures. But now, forced into the role of teacher, he found himself even sleepier.
With Tang Yuehua present, however, the most he could do was yawn repeatedly. Dozens of eyes were watching—sleeping was out of the question.
"That concludes this morning's lesson. Teacher Li will handle calligraphy and painting this afternoon. Prepare accordingly."
Tang Yuehua was strict when teaching, much like the instructors from Fu Ye's past life.
"Yawn~"
Fu Ye stretched. He had never felt drowsy before, but today, he was exhausted.
Perhaps he just wasn't cut out to be a student—or maybe he was simply too used to cutting corners.
Of course, laziness was one thing, but incompetence was another. Thanks to the system's "Perfect-Grade Zither Art," the class had been mind-numbingly dull. Without it, he might not have been able to sleep even if he tried.
"Fu Ye, come with me. I'll take you to complete your onboarding at Moon Pavilion."
Tang Yuehua stood, and Fu Ye slowly rose as well.
'Huh? Onboarding? What onboarding?'
Three minutes later…
Inside a tastefully decorated office, Tang Yuehua pulled out a printed form from a cabinet.
"Hmm? An employment application?"
Fu Ye stared blankly. 'She wants me to work here?!'
"Huh? Weren't you here to apply as a teacher at Moon Pavilion?"
Now it was Tang Yuehua's turn to be confused.
If he wasn't a student or a teacher… why was he here? To cause trouble?
'Ahem… no, I was just here to observe.'
…
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