Zither Emperor

ZE Chapter 9.4

At that moment, Yin Zhu explained in detail how he had good intentions in being charitable to a beggar, only to have his space ring stolen.

“Hoodlum. Let me know who that thief is; I’ll hack him to death,” Nina went on a rambling tirade. Recalling how she released a sonic boom just a moment ago, Ye Yin Zhu increasingly realized why the other female students were very afraid of her.

Nina’s mood gradually calmed down after a while. She glared fiercely at Yin Zhu and said, “After all these years, he didn’t come look for me. Instead, you show up. What are his intentions? I was under the impression that he had already forgotten about me. What did he want you to do? Did you come in order to obtain the Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance Zither?”

Ye Yin Zhu, at a loss, shook his head and said, “I don’t know. Grandfather Qin only told me to deliver that letter when I arrived. He didn’t say what he was planning. Maybe it’s for me to become a student.”

“You jest. Can’t he teach you himself? With his level of skill as a Divine Music mage, he actually wanted you to come study here?”

Nina’s expression changed, her emotions violently fluctuating. She stared at the Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance Zither still in Yin Zhu’s hand and didn’t speak for a long time.

“Grandmother Nina, are you alright?” Yin Zhu probingly asked. “Oh, sorry. Dean Nina, I incorrectly addressed you again.”

Unusually, Nina didn’t flip out because he called her grandmother this time. Instead, her aged face blushed. “You can call me Grandmother Nina from now on. Is, is he okay?”

“Excellent! It’s just that sometimes Grandfather Qin can be lost in thought. The majority of the time, however, he and I are together as he teaches me to play the zither.”

“Has he gotten married yet?” Nina asked, appearing somewhat bashful.

Ye Yin Zhu shook his head and replied, “I don’t know, but for more than a decade, Grandfather Qin has always been alone.”

Nina let out a sigh of relief, but she caught herself and gnashed her teeth. “This scoundrel didn’t marry and didn’t come to find me. Am I really that scary? That scoundrel, he really is a wretched man. Tell me, where is he?”

“Grandmother Nina, I cannot tell you. When I left, Grandfather Qin specifically warned me repeatedly not to speak of his whereabouts.”

The anger that was visible on Nina’s face disappeared and was replaced by a smiling expression. “Yin Zhu, obedient child, tell Grandmother Nina where your master is! As long as you tell me, grandmother will give you the Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance Zither, okay? This is currently the best zither in the world. It is not lacking at all when compared to the other zithers you have lost. Originally your master left me because I didn’t give it to him.”

Ye Yin Zhu glanced reluctantly at the Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance on his chest and took a deep breath. He handed the zither to Nina, “Then I don’t want it anymore. I can’t go against Grandfather Qin.”

“You…it looks like that bastard you call a teacher went and made a little miscreant like yourself in his image.” Nina angrily grabbed the Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance. Suddenly, a divine light flashed through her mind. The anger in her eyes immediately faded away. ‘Very well, Qin Shang. You didn’t come and try to find me? Fine! Your disciple is here. If you don’t show up, I’ll hold him here, and then we’ll see if you come or not.’

Nina’s thoughts became clear, her mind active. Eyeing Yin Zhu from top to bottom, she asked, “What level is your zither magic cultivation? Speak freely, for I am your Grandfather Qin’s old friend and thus know almost all his secrets. Your cultivation rank differs from that of a common Divine Music mage. As yours is divided into three realms with nine ranks in each realm. Correct?”

Ye Yin Zhu nodded. Because Nina recognized his capability and was previously entangled with Qin Shang, he already believed Grandmother Nina. He said, “Grandfather Qin told me I have nearly entered the First Rank of the Courageous Zither Heart Realm. I just need the opportunity and time to break through the bottleneck.”

‘You’ve almost broken through to the First Rank of the Courageous Zither Heart Realm already?’Nina’s heart rate sped up. “So, you have cultivated to the equivalence of an Advanced Level Yellow Rank mage then?”

“It seems like it.”

“Haha, haha haha. This really is fantastic. The Heavens have given me such a good opportunity; I mustn’t let it get away. Humph! Those old guys from the other divisions, this time I’ll let you see what a genuine Divine Music mage can do. This Freshman Competition will inevitably be shaken up by our Divine Music division. Hold this.” She placed the Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance into Yin Zhu’s hand once she stopped talking.

“How much has your grandfather taught you in regard to his skills? Nina asked.

“I don’t know. Grandfather Qin told me that I am still far from ready. Grandmother Nina, your mood changes too much. It’s not good for Divine Music mages to be like this.”

Nina groaned and said, “I do not need you to take care of me. Hilarious! Yesterday that Wind division’s little girl unexpectedly provoked you without knowing that you are a true genius. You reached the Advanced Level Yellow Rank at the age of 16-17. In the competition you will have equal ranks. Ye Yin Zhu, you must listen to me. No matter what, for this next Freshman Competition, you must lead the Divine Music division to a good ranking. If you can enter the finals, then I will use my position as the Divine Music division Dean to find you scholarships, exempting you from all tuition fees. I will also hand you back this Moon and Tides’ Clear Brilliance Zither for you to use.

“Really? Fantastic!” Ye Yin Zhu rejoiced. His biggest issues were his lack of money and zithers. With just this, he would get both.

Nina glanced at him and said, “Don’t think that this will be easy. You shouldn’t forget that Divine Music mages don’t have much offensive power. Just follow my previous plan, except this time, I’m switching the main assault from Hai Yang to you.”

Ye Yin Zhu shook his head and said, “No, this is no good. I can’t use a girl as my shield. Grandmother Nina, I think I can manage it on my own.”

“How ambitious. You deserve to be called Qin Shang’s disciple. But here, you have to listen to me. With you, a new variable, I need to rethink my tactics for the competition. Let’s talk about it later. Oh right, don’t let anyone know that your zither magic is different from the common Divine Music mage. The more other people who scorn you, the better.

“Oh, okay,” Yin Zhu agreed.

Nina sighed and said, “In the future, if you have any trouble in the institution, come find me. Since your master gave you a letter to hand me, I might as well look after you. Come, follow me.” She led Ye Yin Zhu over to the right shelf of the hidden treasure trove, then removed the topmost white magic robe and placed it into Ye Yin Zhu’s arms. Afterwards, he followed her to the shelves with gems, where she took out a bracelet and necklace and gave them to him.

“You leave first. I still need to help these girls choose their own equipment. I am giving these three items to you, so don’t lose them! The magic robe is called Divine Celestial Protection Robe; it’s an elf-made magic article. It brings out the light element’s defensive ability and has a self-cleaning water magic feature. It will never be tainted with filth. The light element protects you depending on how much spiritual power you release; different amounts have different ranges. It can be used thrice a day. Regardless of whether it is a physical attack or a magical attack, it provides good resistance against everything.”

“Grandmother Nina, these are too precious.” From the waves of elemental magic, Ye Yin Zhu knew they were of excellent quality.

“Again, I am not giving them to you. I’m merely permitting you to use them in the Freshman Competition to support the Divine Music division, nothing more. The necklace is called Spirit Guardian; it specializes in guarding against spiritual power, benefitting you in the event that you come across a spiritual magic attack. It can also protect your mind, preventing you from becoming an idiot. This Life Guardian Bracelet can be used once a day to summon an absolute defense. Although it is an absolute defense, if the opponent’s attack surpasses the Violet Rank, it is still very dangerous. Go ponder over these things by yourself.”

Ye Yin Zhu listened to Nina and departed. Staring at the back of his retreating figure, Nina’s eyes manifested glistening teardrops once more. “Big scoundrel, you didn’t want these three divine protection items back then, so I gave them to your disciple. Did you know? At that time, I was preparing to send these as a token of my love…”