To Yue Nongying, the sheer shock was immense. If she hadn't known Sister Beng Xun, she would have dismissed this entire affair as a joke.

Following the direction of her gaze, she saw a single, slender strand of hair held between Wu Feiyan's delicate fingers—it was her own hair, long and lustrously black!

Yue Nongying forcefully suppressed the turmoil within her and confirmed again, "No way, Sister, are you saying he did it with just this strand of hair?"

She would never have dreamed of such a result; it completely exceeded the scope of her understanding and acceptance!

But Wu Feiyan, utterly unconcerned with her sister's feelings, first nodded, and then seemed to rub salt in the wound: "He only used one of my strands of hair!"

As she spoke, a distinct light flickered in her eyes—it was impossible to tell if it was admiration or something else entirely!

At this moment, Yue Nongying's mind felt utterly blank, nearly fainting. Although her sister's hair was of excellent quality, it certainly couldn't be used as a zither string, and only one strand at that! Heavens above, what kind of person was this, and how exactly did he play it?

One strand? Could a single strand of hair truly produce such a soul-stirring sound?

In that instant, Yue Nongying was lost, unable to conjure any image of what such a scene might look like!

A brief silence descended upon the room. Yue Nongying remained silent out of shock, while Wu Feiyan was silent as she replayed the preceding moments in her mind!

It was unclear how long the quiet lasted before Yue Nongying was the first to break the stillness. Excitedly, she tugged on her sister's sleeve and implored, "Sister, tell me in detail, what was the scene like!"

Her curiosity had been genuinely ignited; for the first time in her life, she desired to understand a person this deeply!

As it happened, Yue Nongying was someone without many hobbies. Although her dancing skills were superb, it was merely to complement her sister's music, not a passion stemming from within her heart. Furthermore, she only ever performed for her relatives, which was why Wu Feiyan was the only one ever seen taking the stage!

Wu Feiyan lifted her gaze to look at her sister, then sighed softly, saying, "It is not something that can be described with mere words!"

Yue Nongying sat back down and posed a different question: "Sister, what is his name, and where does he live?"

Wu Feiyan shook her head. "I don't know!"

Although she had conversed with Zhong Shenxiu for a long time, the discussion revolved solely around the topic of musical theory; no personal matters were touched upon.

The only thing she knew was that the little girl was named Robin, and she had only managed to glean that name by overhearing Zhong Shenxiu call out to her and lodging it firmly in her memory!

"Sister, you say you don't know?" Yue Nongying's eyes widened again, and at that moment, she felt an urge to squeeze someone!

After talking for so long, she didn't even know the man's name or where he lived—wasn't this just deliberately drawing out the suspense!

Wu Feiyan did not answer her question. Instead, she gave a slight smile and countered, "Do you wish to meet him?"

Yue Nongying paused, then quickly retorted, "Who wants to meet him? I am merely quite curious!"

Wu Feiyan smiled again, then stated, "I have already invited him; he is to come here in three days!"

"What?" Yue Nongying nearly jumped to her feet again. This was the first time her sister had ever invited an outsider into their inner quarters—how could this not astonish her!

Just as she stared wide-eyed, about to press for an answer, Wu Feiyan continued, "Though, whether he will come depends on his mood!"

With a loud thud, Yue Nongying failed to remain seated and slid off the chair. Fortunately, her reflexes kicked in quickly enough to prevent her from hitting the floor directly, but even so, she appeared utterly flustered!

"Sister!" Wu Feiyan exclaimed in alarm, quickly helping Yue Nongying back up.

Yue Nongying asked faintly, her voice hollowed out, "It... it also depends on his mood?"

Good heavens, what kind of person was this?

To be able to utter the words "it depends on his mood" even to a woman as transcendent as her sister—was he trying to play hard to get?

The next day, word spread among the nobility, and the reputation of the "Snowflake Pavilion" became even more widespread. Especially the mystical zither music from the previous day, which they embellished with vivid details, piquing the interest of those who had previously abstained due to the cost.

If nothing unforeseen occurred, the "Snowflake Pavilion" would likely be packed to capacity early today. However, the reality was set to disappoint these status-seeking nobles. The "Snowflake Pavilion" had unexpectedly hung up a sign announcing a temporary closure!

What was going on?

Why the sudden cessation of business?

Speculation ran rampant, with the most common guess involving the guest in that private room. Some even suggested Wu Feiyan had been taken in by someone, and whether she would ever perform again was unknown!

In reality, what was Wu Feiyan doing?

She was engrossed in studying the musical scores Zhong Shenxiu had given her, occasionally becoming lost in thought, sometimes playing demonstrations, and at other times remaining silent and contemplative. She had poured all her focus onto these scores; until she could completely grasp their essence, she had no inclination to take the stage again!

She certainly wasn't short of money, nor did she care about the losses incurred by closing down.

She was utterly captivated by these scores. She discovered that the more she delved into them, the more insights she gained, yet simultaneously, the more mysteries arose. She now eagerly awaited her next meeting with Zhong Shenxiu, as she had a wealth of pressing questions!

And what was Zhong Shenxiu doing at that moment?

After making some optimizations to the newly refined "Medium Pouch," he began crafting defensive magical artifacts for Robin.

Although Robin's tribulation would proceed smoothly with him present, Zhong Shenxiu still needed to forge several artifacts to ensure absolute certainty, aiming to minimize risk to the lowest possible level. Robin was too important to him; he could not allow even the slightest mishap!

He worked diligently throughout the entire morning and had already successfully forged three protective artifacts. The slower pace compared to before was intentional, as he had to guarantee the quality of the items. One could not be careless with equipment intended for a Heavenly Tribulation!

Zhong Shenxiu planned to forge only these three for now, not because he was tired, but because Robin needed time to become adept at using them; forging too many would only divide her attention!

Facing a tribulation was not a situation where merely possessing powerful magical treasures guaranteed success; the controller's proficiency in using them was a deciding factor. Zhong Shenxiu could unlock one hundred percent of these artifacts' potential, but Robin would be fortunate to harness even one-tenth of their power—that was the gap!

Therefore, until Robin could skillfully master these three artifacts, Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of forging any others for her in the immediate future.

By Zhong Shenxiu's estimation, as long as Robin could master these three artifacts, blocking the first three heavenly lightning strikes would be absolutely no problem. Once he forged more powerful treasures for Robin a little later and set up the protective array in advance, there would be no issues whatsoever; Robin could even ascend safely relying solely on her own strength!

Zhong Shenxiu now was far different from his former self, both in terms of strength and material reserves. Given sufficient preparation time, he could deploy a tremendously powerful defensive array, making the heavenly lightning no more significant than a puff of air!

As long as Robin’s emotions remained stable, the Heavenly Tribulation would not arrive prematurely. According to Zhong Shenxiu's calculations, it should occur about half a year from now, giving ample time for all necessary preparations. Thus, even knowing Robin was nearing her tribulation, Zhong Shenxiu felt no intense nervousness or anxiety!

After teaching Robin the methods for using these three protective artifacts, Zhong Shenxiu reiterated his instructions: "Robin, you must control your emotions during this period, absolutely do not act rashly; I will handle everything!"

Robin nodded, always obedient to Zhong Shenxiu's words!

Zhong Shenxiu paused briefly, then added, "You must strengthen your cultivation of mental fortitude during this time. If possible, avoid engaging with others, especially avoid anger!"

Robin nodded again and replied, "Robin understands!"

Knowing Robin was someone who rarely caused him worry, Zhong Shenxiu said no more, returning to explaining the finer points of wielding these artifacts to her!

Gusgale sat in his study, flipping through his past notes. He wasn't studying to learn new things, but rather searching for unresolved questions he had encountered previously. He intended to compile these queries and seek answers from Zhong Shenxiu.

He had visited the small courtyard where Zhong Shenxiu was temporarily staying several times, but each time he found Zhong Shenxiu occupied and unable to meet. He didn't find this strange; a person of Zhong Shenxiu's immense power and profound knowledge must have countless matters demanding his attention.

He didn't mind waiting; after all, these questions had been accumulating for ages, and there was no need to rush this particular inquiry.

Just as he was concentrating intently on organizing his notes, a knock sounded at the door!

"Come in!" Gusgale temporarily set aside the work in his hands. He knew the visitor must be his son, as this area was strictly forbidden to all others!

"Father, Uncle Auggus is here!" The person who entered was indeed his son.

"Good, I'll be right there!" Gusgale tucked the small booklet he had just compiled into his pocket, then followed his son out.

"Auggus, you are as leisurely as ever!" Upon entering the inner hall, Gusgale laughed.

He and Auggus had been close friends for decades, often trading lighthearted jabs.

"Am I as leisurely as you?" Auggus countered with a smile.

He was roughly the same age as Gusgale, just somewhat stockier in build.

"Tell me, what brings you here?" Gusgale settled into a nearby seat.

"Can't I visit you just because I have nothing else to do?" Auggus paused, then added, "Have you brought back any unexpected treasures this time?"

He asked this because every time Gusgale returned from his travels, he brought back pleasant surprises—like the young dragon they had rescued years ago. This was why he had rushed over the moment he heard Gusgale was back!

Yet, upon hearing this question, Gusgale only laughed, wearing an expression of smug satisfaction.

"Could it be... could it be that you succeeded?" Auggus's pupils dilated sharply!