TRWSB – Chapter 12 Bi Liuyun’s Invitation

“The music is quite nice,” Qi Shaorong said, resting his chin on his hand with a smile.

Zhuang Hao turned to Qi Shaorong and said, “Bi Liuyun is one of the rare sound source masters. This piece, ‘High Mountains and Flowing Water,’ can help cultivators achieve peace of mind.”

Qi Shaokang took a sip of tea and remarked, “Bi Liuyun is quite skilled. If he belonged to one of the four great families, he would certainly have a place among the Seven Talents of the Imperial Capital.”

Qi Shaofu blinked and said, “Once the music ends, Bi Liuyun will choose a young talent to enter for a conversation. Many cultivators in the capital take pride in being invited as guests of Bi Liuyun. Brother Hao, I think it will probably be you; no one among the younger generation can compare to you.”

Zhuang Hao chuckled dismissively and looked over at Qi Shaorong, saying, “That’s not necessarily true.”

“Brother Hao, you’re being too humble! Who in this entire hall can compare to you?” Qi Shaofu insisted.

Qi Shaorong looked at Qi Shaofu and thought: This idiot, Qi Shaokang is right here, yet he’s fawning over Zhuang Hao like there’s no tomorrow. 

As the piece concluded, it was met with loud applause.

Bi Liuyun stepped out from behind the curtain, and Qi Shaofu exclaimed excitedly, “Bi Liuyun is actually coming out! He never usually does that!” Bi Liuyun usually stayed behind the curtain and sent servants to announce the selected guests.

Bi Liuyun walked over to their table and said, “Evil Doctor, I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you in for a conversation.”

Qi Shaorong stood up, smiled, and replied, “I’m honored.”

He followed Bi Liuyun into the inner courtyard of Luohua Pavilion, leaving Zhuang Hao and the others exchanging glances.

“Brother, Bi Liuyun chose the Evil Doctor, not you,” Zhuang Qian remarked.

Zhuang Hao nodded and said, “Yes, I saw that.”

Qi Shaokang chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude and said, “Ah Hao, I knew once you arrived, I would be out of the running. I just didn’t expect you’d be out as well.”

Zhuang Hao smiled and replied, “With the Evil Doctor here, it’s not surprising I’m not in the running. By the way, how much do you know about your fourth brother?”

Qi Shaokang frowned, looking surprised at Zhuang Hao. “Didn’t you break off the engagement? Why are you asking about him all of a sudden?”

Shen Yuan shrugged and said, “Shaokang, you might not know, but the Evil Doctor is a very good friend of your brother.”

Qi Shaokang looked completely astonished and replied, “Is that so? I really didn’t know that.”

Shen Yuan looked at Qi Shaokang and said, “To help your brother, the Evil Doctor has made quite a few jabs at me.” Damn it, why did he have to go and break off Zhuang Hao’s engagement out of boredom? It was so thankless.

Qi Shaokang asked, “Is that so?”

“Yeah! So how much do you really know about your fourth brother?” Shen Yuan inquired.

Qi Shaokang frowned again and replied, “He was only six years old when he was exiled. After that, the family lost all contact with him. Now, thinking about it, it’s been ten years.”

Shen Yuan looked at Qi Shaokang and shook his head with a sigh, saying, “Your family hasn’t cared for him enough. You have no idea how twisted someone can become after being banished for ten years.”

Qi Shaokang stared at Shen Yuan and asked, “What happened to him?”

“Nothing much. He just paints his face like a zombie and speaks really harshly,” Shen Yuan said.

“Harshly? Did he insult you?” Qi Shaokang asked.

Shen Yuan: “…”

“Shaokang, what’s your impression of your fourth brother?” Zhuang Hao asked.

“He was a bit reclusive as a child. The other kids in the family, including my father and grandfather, didn’t really like him. He often stayed alone in his room. Come to think of it, he was not just reclusive but also a bit narcissistic. I remember several times he’d look at himself in a small mirror, admiring himself,” Qi Shaokang said.

“What about you, Shaofu?” Zhuang Hao turned to Qi Shaofu and asked.

Qi Shaofu didn’t expect to be asked and was taken aback. He then said, “Me? I remember my fourth brother had a very low status in the family. A few of the kids would throw stones at him, and when my father saw it, he didn’t say a word and just walked away. My fourth brother was bleeding from his head, watching my father’s back as he left. I can only guess that his mindset was probably quite distorted.”

Zhuang Qian frowned and said, “I think Uncle Qi is quite kind! How could he be so cold-hearted?”

“The birth of the fourth brother was a disgrace to my father,” Qi Shaokang said flatly.

Qi Yao had decent talent, and the Qi family was prestigious, but they ended up with a son who was a waste in martial arts. Good news rarely leaves the household, while bad news travels far. Someone as proud as Qi Yao could hardly accept that he had given birth to a useless son.

Zhuang Hao frowned and didn’t say much. The matters of the Qi family were their own affairs, and he shouldn’t interfere too much.