Harp Song

Ting, ting...

By the Water River in the early morning, a string of melodious harp notes resonated, crisp and lingering, like an oriole leaving its valley nest, or a young swallow returning home. For a moment, it refreshed the senses, compelling one to listen intently.

Thud. Roland's wooden staff clattered to the ground. He tilted his head, listening to the harp song, his expression shifting between joy and sorrow, constantly changing.

Du Chen had just walked the line between life and death. Seeing Roland appear somewhat normal, he hastily wiped the cold sweat from his brow, retracted his invisible Lotus Shield, and pulled Aliza to hide in the courtyard. That silly child Aliza unconsciously swayed to the harp's melody, looking as if he were about to break into a beastmen dance right then and there. Du Chen's own sensations were even stranger; ever since the fourth lotus bloomed, the profound spiritual awareness in his mind seemed to share a mysterious connection with this very harp song. Guided by this profound intuition, Du Chen suddenly grasped the harp song's true meaning: tranquility, peace, cessation of slaughter, and the salvation of all!

Following the sound, Du Chen was startled anew. The harp song enveloped his ears, seemingly emanating from all directions. For a moment, its origin was indiscernible, as if it drifted from beyond the heavens, yet also surged from the depths of the earth. Just then, "Hoo!" Roland exhaled skyward, then suddenly spoke, "Who are you? Why do you know this tune? What is Sherine to you? Your 'Persephone's Compromise' only has seven-tenths of her mastery!"

He had returned to normal! But his rapid-fire questions filled Du Chen with inexplicable dread. Sherine? Could it be that librarian, Phil's roommate's sister, Auntie Sherine?! Roland's 'Persephone's Compromise' must be the name of that very melody. Not only was this harp song transcendent and ethereal, its lingering notes restoring Roland's sanity! How truly miraculous! Yet, it possessed only seven-tenths of Sherine's mastery...

If this melody were played by Sherine herself, what boundless realm would it reach!?

Roland, not getting his desired answer, couldn't help but let out a "hmph." The harp song, which had been gradually weakening, suddenly changed, momentarily filled with the clangor of drums and horns, as if transporting one to a blood-soaked Asura battlefield! Then, the harp song abruptly ceased, nowhere to be found.

"Understood!" Roland seemed to respond to the melody. He shook his head, picked up the wooden staff from the ground, glanced at Aliza, and said, "Come back with me!"

Go back with *you* again? Du Chen was frantic. This time was pure luck, but what if Roland went mad again? Could that silly child Aliza even keep his life to eat beef jerky then? "Mr. Roland, I suggest Aliza stays with me..."

"What are you prattling about?" Roland frowned, "I'm fine now!" Aliza was still quite frightened, clutching Du Chen's arm, refusing to move. Du Chen thought to himself, 'You're fine *now*! But what about later? Even if you're Battle God Isle's top expert, quite possibly the greatest human expert known, my brother absolutely cannot stay with someone who might go mad and hurt others at any moment!' Du Chen shielded Aliza with his body. "No, I am Aliza's master, and I now wish..."

"What the hell are you babbling about?!" Roland didn't waste another word. His form was sudden as lightning, flashing behind Du Chen to seize Aliza, then hoisting him and flying off. "Don't worry, Aliza won't die this time!" From Roland's clear words, he had indeed recovered his sanity, but how could Du Chen be completely at ease? How could he dare to be at ease! Yet, he couldn't stop Roland! It was too dangerous for Aliza to be with this madman; he had to find a solution quickly...

Right, Auntie Sherine! And where did that harp song come from? Du Chen looked around. Some students in nearby dormitories had been disturbed, gazing out, while others, fearing trouble, had tightly shut their doors and windows. But the two 'door gods' at his own entrance—Jamis and Bovin's tents—were empty. Those two eccentric fellows weren't there at all! Filled with endless questions, Du Chen returned to his dormitory. He planned to send Porter away first, then go find Auntie Sherine!

The attic hall was empty. Du Chen called out, "It's alright, everyone, come out!" Harry came down from upstairs, holding Beibei, while Porter, finding it inconvenient to go to the private second floor, was likely hiding in the small compartment behind the main hall. "Alright, it's settled. Porter, what exactly happened with you?" Du Chen had matters on his mind, so his tone was a bit rushed.

Porter didn't dare sit. "I... I gambled away all my classmates' money!" he explained sheepishly, head bowed. It turned out that a while ago, Rogliff came to gamble-duel Pied. They gambled inside the casino, and people outside gambled too—on who would win. Porter, like most on Battle God Isle, knew Pied was famed as the 'Yakun King of Gamblers,' having never lost in his life. Believing him to be an undeniable victor, he used his classmates' money to bet on Pied to win... As a result, Pied lost his own limbs, and Porter lost all his classmates' money. Then, Du Chen, an obscure young lad, entered to gamble-duel Rogliff. Having witnessed Rogliff's formidable strength, Porter, wanting to recover his losses, gambled away all his own money too... Now, he was a complete pauper with ruined credit, unable to even afford food! As for why he fainted, according to Porter "himself," it wasn't Beibei's fault. Rather, he hadn't eaten properly for many days, and had sustained some internal injuries while being chased by classmates—who were also Battle-Warriors, after all. Thus, when he reached Du Chen's door, his body gave out, and he collapsed.

"Ah, who says small gambling is a pleasant pastime! Gambling is just gambling! It harms people deeply!" Du Chen sighed theatrically, thinking, 'Though a good deed may be small, didn't a saying in my past life go: 'Do not neglect a good deed just because it seems insignificant'?' "Harry, fetch a basin of water for Porter to wash up, then give him fifty silver coins!" "No, how can I accept your money! I shouldn't have gambled!" Porter waved his hands frantically. Du Chen seized his hand. Porter flinched but was still caught. "Don't refuse. Do you want to study on an empty stomach? Moreover, after this incident, it will be hard for you to find odd jobs! I believe you have a repentant heart, and I am willing to trust you!" "I'm sorry to my classmates, I... kind leader, thank you!" Porter thanked him timidly, forcibly pulling his hand back from Du Chen's.

After feeding Porter breakfast, Du Chen left with him. Porter was off to class, while Du Chen was going to find Sherine. A cleaned-up Porter looked rather comical. His hair, having been burned by Beibei, was now a messy 'watermelon cut.' The singed blue strands covered much of his face. Coupled with his black-framed glasses and skinny frame, in pleasant terms, he resembled an introverted, pure-hearted young man; in less pleasant terms, a somewhat foolish bookworm. Du Chen inwardly chuckled at his appearance, patting his hair. "I'm truly sorry, my child was too naughty and burned your hair..." "No, I am very grateful to you! My current look is perfectly fine!" Porter quickly pushed Du Chen's hand away.

As the two gradually walked away, the drunken Gambler and Old Charlatan, who had been carousing all night, finally returned to sleep. Arm-in-arm, they hummed an unknown tune. "Gambler, how was my old man's astrology? I predicted Roland would go mad today, so I took you out of here, lest he force your hand when he lost control!" Jamis, who appeared to be only in his twenties, shook his head. "Go on, don't play the old man with me. You're younger than I am!" Bovin sulked into silence. Jamis then said, "Right, Francis should be advancing to Three-Star Yellow-Robed Fighter soon. When that happens, he'll definitely choose to travel rather than stay in the academy. Tell me clearly, should we go with him then? If so, I'll start preparing!" "I want to go with him too, but... if Francis goes on a journey of study, his first stop will definitely be Lanning!" Bovin fretted, patting his head. "What? You still don't dare return to Lanning? How many years has it been, sigh, Old Charlatan... no, my dear 'Bovin'!". "Just call me Old Charlatan, I don't like the name 'Bovin'!" Bovin pouted. "We can talk about the journey later. First, let's see how our little brother survives the Assembly of Battle Gods three months from now! If he can give us another surprise, this old man will risk it all to accompany him back to Lanning!" "The bloody Assembly of Battle Gods!" Jamis chanted, like a poet.

Du Chen arrived at the library. The library's ban hadn't been lifted yet, so Sherine was enjoying her leisure, leisurely flipping through books in the administration room. "Auntie Sherine, I've come to visit you!" Du Chen presented his gifts, exchanged a few pleasantries, then directly raised his questions. Sherine paused, then smiled, "That 'Persephone's Compromise' is a harp melody I composed myself." Sherine didn't deny it, which gladdened Du Chen. He hastily said, "Auntie, your melody is truly powerful! It actually cured His Excellency Roland's madness!" Sherine, however, shook her head, smiling humbly. "It's not that my melody is powerful; it just happens to counteract His Excellency Roland's old injuries. Back then, Roland was... pardon me, I shouldn't speak of others' private matters. However, 'Persephone's Compromise,' while possessing some illusionary abilities, is useless against High-level Battle Gods. At most, it can conceal the performer's position in a chaotic battle, so it's hardly a unique skill." Du Chen wasn't too concerned with how Roland got injured, as it didn't directly affect him. He smiled, "Then the person playing the harp must be your student! Where is he now? I wish to thank him in person!" Sherine hesitated, then smiled, "I cannot tell you that either. That young lady's identity is very special, and many wish to harm her. She asked me to keep her identity a secret, so I apologize!" A young lady? So it was a woman! Du Chen's enthusiasm immediately diminished by more than half!

Sherine didn't mention her student again, instead changing the subject. "It's truly wonderful you came today; I have something I wished to discuss with you! You're about to advance to Three-Star Fighter. Have you made any progress with your unique battle technique?" Du Chen chuckled, "I was just about to ask you, Auntie. With your vast knowledge, you'll surely have good advice for me." "Heh, my advice isn't anything grand, but..." Sherine smiled, "A unique battle technique must be paired with a sacred artifact to unleash its maximum potential. Have you chosen what type of sacred artifact you'll use?" "Not yet. I don't want to use the low-grade sacred artifacts available at auction houses. But a high-grade sacred artifact that matches my Water Element affinity is incredibly rare and hard to come by, so I've been empty-handed until now!" While he said this, Du Chen was thinking, 'Why bother looking for any sacred artifact? I already have Zigurd's nine-tier Cloud Mist Chains! If I just disguise it and bring it out, it would be the Three Continents' top sacred artifact!' Besides, Du Chen still had dozens of lotus flowers yet to bloom on his glutes; in the future, his spirit weapons and magical treasures would likely be countless! Sherine didn't know that Du Chen already possessed a nine-tier sacred artifact, and would likely never worry about lacking a suitable weapon again. After a moment's thought, she said, "Since you don't have a sacred artifact yet, tell Auntie your understanding of the Water Element first. Auntie will help you deliberate!" After Du Chen explained his understanding of the Water Element, Sherine smiled, "I see. Auntie can give you a suggestion: when you choose a sacred artifact, it's best to use a sword-type! And you should find a sword-type sacred artifact as soon as possible, even if its grade isn't high. This way, you can first hone your battle techniques with a sword, and then find a better one later." "A sword?" Du Chen mused. With his current appearance—flowing golden hair and robes whiter than snow—paired with a longsword... his image would certainly be striking, not to mention this was an expert's advice! "Alright, I'll find a sword-type sacred artifact as soon as possible!" The two chatted for a few more casual remarks, then Du Chen rose to take his leave.

After seeing Du Chen off, Sherine suddenly pulled out paper and brush and began to paint. As she painted, she shook her head, muttering to herself, "Why did you make me lie to Francis? With his talent and understanding of Water Element battle qi, there are many types of sacred artifacts that would suit him best! Why did you insist he use a sword?" As her words fell, a lifelike painting also appeared in Sherine's hand—the very portrait from Phil and Arges's wedding. Her brush repeatedly circled around the head of Glynn, also known as Flaying. Suddenly, a cold voice resonated from the wall behind Sherine, "You don't need to know why!" "Glynn, you've become very strange! I almost don't recognize you!" "Hmph, you only need to recognize my Flaying Blade!" Sherine smiled placidly, slowly saying, "Regardless, you swore the Battle God Blood Oath to protect Francis; you couldn't possibly harm him. So, what I could do, I have done. Now, anything you do is no concern of mine! Go on, leave quickly? I truly dislike your current appearance!" Flaying didn't leave immediately. "You still need to help me with one more thing! Three months from now, at the Assembly of Battle Gods..." "I told you, I only wish to peacefully read and paint. Now, none of your affairs concern me!" Sherine, fully absorbed in painting the scroll before her, suddenly shook her head helplessly. "Hurry and leave, don't force yourself. Your body..." "My body is none of your concern. Three months from now, you must help me accomplish one thing!"