Friday. Night.

After sending Taoist Yan Song, who had finished his modern-world affairs, back to the Otherworld to continue his work, Gu Zhao changed into some fresh clothes and took a taxi to the Star Sea Music Hall.

"It’s August, so summer break is more than halfway over." Gu Zhao remarked, looking at the bustling crowd around him. "Time really flies!"

’It had been over two months since he first crossed over to the Otherworld. He had gone from a clueless loner to the Daluo Palace Master, with teammates by his side and a base on the way.’

’All things considered, I’ve been pretty efficient!’ Gu Zhao rubbed his chin. ’In these past few days, I’ve not only established my own venture, but my love life is looking up as well.’

’But Zhang Hang has a point. It’s time to buy a car; it’s definitely inconvenient without one.’ As he thought this, Gu Zhao took a picture of a poster inside the music hall and sent it to the group chat.

Gu Zhao: I’m here.

Gu Zhao: [Poster.jpg]

Gu Zhao: Good luck with the performance. I’ll treat you all to a late-night meal after the show.

A moment later, Jiang Shishi replied, saying they were getting ready backstage. Xiao Ya had a solo and was doing her final preparations, so neither of them had time to check their phones.

Gu Zhao told them to focus on their preparations, then walked into the concert hall alone.

The concert hall didn’t look very big from the outside, but the interior was actually quite spacious. The main symphony hall had over 1,500 seats. Gu Zhao hadn’t arrived particularly early, and the hall was already about seventy or eighty percent full.

The free tickets Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi had gotten weren’t near the front. Gu Zhao sat down in a seat toward the middle-back of the hall, but with his eyesight, he could even see the twitch of the host’s facial muscles on stage.

After a short wait, the performance began.

This performance by the Yue Province Folk Orchestra wasn’t one of their regular shows. The tickets were inexpensive, and it was a showcase for new talent led by veteran members. The show opened with a piece by an ensemble of several folk instruments, and the second piece was Xiao Ya’s guzheng solo, "Fishing Boat Song at Dusk."

Xiao Ya emerged slowly from behind the curtain, dressed in a floor-length, flowing green gown. Her tall, elegant figure and beautiful face drew a wave of gasps from the audience before a single note was even played.

Xiao Ya glanced in the general direction of Gu Zhao’s seat before slowly sitting down. She plucked a string, her expression natural and lively, her movements graceful and fluid as she immersed herself in the music.

Gu Zhao closed his eyes, listening quietly.

Although he was tone-deaf, that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate music. As he listened to Xiao Ya play, he just felt...

’It’s good. Really good. It’s so good!’

Gu Zhao nodded with an air of expertise. He could even pick out the cheerful and bright quality of Xiao Ya’s music.

Then he heard an old man next to him shaking his head in appreciation and murmuring, "Excellent. So peaceful and beautiful, tranquil and relaxing. This rendition of ’Fishing Boat Song at Dusk’ has truly captured its essence. It’s so pleasant to listen to."

Gu Zhao: ???

’Brother Lei,’ Gu Zhao asked the Five Thunders Order, ’I have a quick question. Can you only absorb Evil Qi to form a Thunder Seed and feed it back into my Cultivation? Can’t you, like, add some skill points for me? You know, boost my music skill, or my Go skill, or maybe calligraphy?’

Gu Zhao continued hopefully, ’They’re all about well-rounded development and quality education these days. We’ve got to keep up with the times, right?’

Five Thunders Order: "..."

The Five Thunders Order didn’t respond. Gu Zhao could only sigh and go back to enjoying the music.

When Xiao Ya finished her piece, she received thunderous applause. After standing, she glanced toward Gu Zhao one more time before giving a slight bow and slowly exiting the stage.

The following acts included more solos and ensembles, as well as a grand performance by the entire folk orchestra.

Gu Zhao also spotted Jiang Shishi. Although she didn’t have a solo, she performed in a trio with a pipa, a bamboo flute, and a yangqin. Their rendition of "Spring River Flower Moon Night" was quite stirring.

Gu Zhao couldn’t help but look outside, as if he could see the river through the concert hall walls. "How fitting," he murmured.

...

"Gu Zhao!"

After the performance ended, Gu Zhao waited for a little while at the entrance of the concert hall. Soon, he saw Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya, who had changed their clothes, waving as they walked toward him.

Jiang Shishi was wearing a loose batwing shirt with a pair of denim shorts and sparkling crystal sandals, looking full of youthful energy.

Xiao Ya wore a knee-length, light blue dress with a lace overlay. Paired with her long legs, she looked both serene and graceful.

"Have you been waiting long?" Xiao Ya asked with a smile.

"Only ten minutes," Gu Zhao said, waving his hand dismissively. "Your performance was brilliant."

"Of course our performance was brilliant! Not many people get to perform right after joining the orchestra!" Jiang Shishi said, not humbly at all, before urging them on. "Let’s go get that late-night meal! I’m starving!"

Gu Zhao checked the time and asked curiously, "Did you not eat dinner?"

The performance ran from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. It wasn’t even 9:30 yet. Strictly speaking, the nightlife hadn’t even begun. How could they be hungry already?

"For the sake of the performance, we ate early this afternoon and couldn’t eat our fill. Performing takes a lot of energy, so of course we need to refuel right away," Jiang Shishi explained.

Gu Zhao nodded. "I think I’ve heard something like that, how female celebrities don’t eat for a whole day before walking the red carpet."

"That’s right," Xiao Ya said. "Back when we were students, we performed at some awards ceremonies and saw a few celebrities. It’s not just the female ones; the male celebrities do it too."

Jiang Shishi lamented, "That’s why I could never be a celebrity. I get dizzy if I miss even one meal."

Xiao Ya teased, "Once you actually become a celebrity, you’ll learn to endure it."

"Whatever. This old la— Ahem, we can talk about being a celebrity later. Let’s eat first." Jiang Shishi pulled the conversation back on track.

"I booked a table at Taoran Residence. It’s not far, just over there," Gu Zhao said, pointing ahead.

"Let’s go! I want meat!" Jiang Shishi exclaimed happily, linking her arm through Gu Zhao’s.

Xiao Ya gritted her teeth but didn’t dare to do anything about it. Instead, she walked on Gu Zhao’s other side. "Is your Cultivation going smoothly?"

"Smoothly," Gu Zhao said with a smile. "And there was a pleasant surprise. My Cultivation has advanced another step."

’Wasn’t it a pleasant surprise? I happened to run into the Bian Palace Master, who was alone and in the middle of a blood sacrifice for her Primordial Pearl. I managed to take down a Great Demon with over four hundred years of Dao Practice—a close call, but I came out unscathed. I harvested the biggest wave of Evil Qi since I first came to the Otherworld and even condensed a Thunder Seed in the process.’

Xiao Ya hummed in acknowledgment. Then, as if remembering something, she looked at Gu Zhao. "Do you remember I told you my grandfather has a friend who’s a Daoist with profound Dao Practice?"

"What about it?"

"He’s coming to Yangcheng in a few days and wants to meet you. Would you be willing to see him?"

"Oh?" Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. He had been thinking about when to take a trip to White Cloud Temple, but he hadn’t expected the man to come to Yangcheng instead.

"Of course I’ll meet him. Why wouldn’t I?" Gu Zhao nodded. "It’s not just that he wants to meet me; I’ve actually been wanting to meet him too."

The three of them arrived at Taoran Residence. Gu Zhao gave his phone number for the reservation, and then he spotted a man in the corner flirting with a pretty waitress.

"Miss, I have a really amazing Daoist friend. He’s a total Sea King in the Taoist Sect, the best at telling love fortunes and especially good at reading faces for girls. I’ve learned a few tricks from him. I can see from your brow that you’re fated for romance, that your star of love is on the rise. How about I read your palm for you?"

Zhang Hang looked up and saw Gu Zhao, flanked by a beautiful woman on each side.

Zhang Hang subconsciously pointed at Gu Zhao. "See? Case in point!"

Gu Zhao: "..."

The two women: "..."