Miss Loser is too enchanting

"You’re the Young Master’s friend; no need to thank me for such a small favor!" the butler handed Dugu Qianye an invitation, saying, "This is the invitation to our large auction next month. I hope you can come and attend. Although there may not be the Fuyu Flower, perhaps there will be other gains."

Dugu Qianye took a look at it. It was similar to the one provided by the hotel, but whereas the hotel’s invitation was wine-red, the one from the butler was deep blue and the craftsmanship looked a bit more refined—clearly a level higher.

"I already have an invitation," Dugu Qianye said, showing the one she’d received from the hotel.

"That’s the invitation we sent to Tengge Hotel. It’s just the most basic; during the auction, you’d only be able to sit in the main hall. This one includes a corresponding private room," explained the butler.

Understanding this, Dugu Qianye collected both invitations and, after stowing Charm into the Refining Demon Pot, thanked the butler and left.

"Sister, that zither seems a bit strange," Xiaohuo said to Dugu Qianye after they left Qian Pavilion.

"What’s strange about it?" Dugu Qianye asked.

"I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it doesn’t seem like an ordinary Holy Artifact. It seems to be much more advanced," Xiaohuo said after some thought.

"I also thought there was something odd about it. Come on, let’s go back and test how effective its Sound Attack is."

After returning to the hotel with Xiaohuo, Dugu Qianye locked the door from the inside and flashed into the Refining Demon Pot.

Dudu immediately appeared in Dugu Qianye’s arms, saying, "Master, I’ve brewed lots of wine recently. I even experimented with each type of Spirit Fruit. Some of the wines are ready to drink now."

Dugu Qianye pinched Dudu’s chubby little face, asking, "How are those guards from the Mo Family doing?"

"They’re in a space I’ve created just for them, where time passes very slowly, so for them, it’s only been a few hours," said Dudu with pride. This place was its domain, after all—ha ha!

"What about my grandfather and the others?"

"They seem to have been spurred by something the last time they went out. After they came back, they said they wanted to go into seclusion, vowing not to come out until they reached the Phantom Venerable Peak," Dudu reported.

Dugu Qianye chuckled. Last time, during a stroll near Hantan, they had encountered a level 1 Divine Beast, and since they couldn’t use their Phantom Power, they almost didn’t make it back. Luckily, Xiaoyin and the others weren’t too far away and managed to get them out of trouble. On the Xuanyue Continent, a Divine Beast was nothing but cannon fodder! After that experience, they decided to cultivate more diligently to reach the Phantom Venerable Peak and undergo Phantom Qi Transformation.

"Then keep an eye on them and inform me right away if anything happens, got it?" Dugu Qianye instructed. Dudu had turned into a real wine connoisseur, forgetting everything else once it started brewing.

"I’ve got it, master," Dudu nuzzled against Dugu Qianye’s shoulder, leaving some drool behind before vanishing in a flash.

Dugu Qianye went to the peak where the mysterious egg was located and noticed that, after her own several advancements, the egg’s once ugly exterior had changed significantly, the rough surface becoming smooth as jade, and its color brightening up considerably.

"When will you come out?" Dugu Qianye infused some Chaos Qi into the mysterious egg.

"My name is Fu Shang," a mature and heavy voice suddenly sounded, giving Dugu Qianye a start.

"Is it you speaking? Your name is Fu Shang?" Dugu Qianye asked, touching the egg.

But after saying that, the egg gave no further response.

Dugu Qianye didn’t say anything more. She took out the zither and sat down on the mountaintop, placing the zither on her knees. After plucking the strings again, she found its timbre truly different from ordinary zithers. Could it be because it was a Holy Artifact?

Dugu Qianye plucked a string, then began to play "High Mountain Flowing Water," the very piece he had once played at Empire College. He wondered if Xuanyue was in this world, and if so, where? How was she faring? Did she still remember the promise they had made to each other?

"No matter where you are, I will find you."

That was the promise they had made to each other.

Meanwhile, in a valley within another realm, a figure in a black gauze dress was striding through the dark, her footsteps growing exceptionally strained and heavy as if they were weighted with lead. The dress was torn in several places, and blood from wounds on her body had soaked through the fabric. With a greatsword in her right hand, she trailed a marked line behind her.

At that moment, more than a dozen evil spirits appeared before her, their grotesque faces salivating at the sight of her. In their eyes, she was a sumptuous feast.

With a sharp look in her eyes, even though her body was already very fatigued, she still raised the greatsword and ran towards them, engaging in battle.

On a distant mountain, two shadows stood one behind the other, watching everything that transpired in the valley below.

"King, the princess will not be able to handle this much longer," the person behind said.

The one in front flashed a look and said, "This is her choice. You stay here and watch. Unless she is on her last breath, do not intervene. I’m going out for a walk; it’s been a long time since I last went out."

"Yes, King," the shadow in the back responded.

The shadow in front flickered and vanished into the air. The one remaining focused his gaze on the graceful figure in the valley, his breathing syncing with her movements.

"Pfft—"

The greatsword lopped off the last evil spirit’s head, spraying black blood onto her face. She wiped it with her hand and, looking toward the distant sky, thought silently, "Qianye, wait for me!"

Dugu Qianye had practiced Sound Attack inside the Refining Demon Pot for a month and was now barely able to wield it. Even so, its power had taken Dugu Qianye by surprise.

When she played the piece, she infused her Spiritual Power into the strings, allowing them to emit invisible, intangible sound waves along with the notes that were impossible to detect the point of attack.

Moreover, this attack was an area attack, very effective when facing multiple opponents at once, and the power against each individual was the same!

She also discovered that the unsealed pieces of Fuxiqin had various functions, such as offensive, defensive, and even calming tunes!

That day, while she was practicing inside the Refining Demon Pot, Dudu interrupted her, saying someone was knocking on the door.

Dugu Qianye stopped and stepped out of the Refining Demon Pot. Only after she came out did she realize how understated Dudu’s description of the knocking had been.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Come out, the person inside, come out!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The person outside was calling, and Dugu Qianye heard clearly that they, annoyed by the pain in their hands, kicked the door violently several times with their feet. She went over to open the door and saw a garishly dressed woman standing outside, with a waiter incessantly speaking sweetly on the side.

"Miss Rumeng, we really did open this room with a key card."