“A wanted criminal of the Zither Sect?”

Countless gazes turned toward Long Chen, filled with shock.

“The Zither Sect is transcendent. They don’t get involved in mundane affairs. Why would he kill their members?” asked someone, resulting in quite a few people to quickly turn hostile.

“The Zither Sect’s disciples are benevolent souls who transmit the Dao through music! They are the world’s greatest philanthropists! Only a villain would attack them!” someone cried out, voice shaking with fury.

“This man actually dared to come here and listen to the Zither Sect’s music when he owes them a blood debt?! Isn’t that a clear provocation toward the Zither Sect?!”

Outrage quickly grew as countless experts began to shout. Just moments ago, they had been basking in reverence after hearing that sublime melody. Now, all it would take was a word from the Zither Sect for them to tear Long Chen apart.

Among them, the Zither Sect’s disciples didn’t even bother to hide their smiles.

Liao Yuhuang panicked when she saw Long Chen become the crowd’s target. She stepped forward to speak to Prince Chunyang, but Long Chen calmly stopped her.

Having seen this kind of instigation and slandering far too many times, Long Chen couldn’t even bother trying to explain. He just looked at Prince Chunyang.

Prince Chunyang was startled to hear that Long Chen was on the Zither Sect’s wanted list. But as he met Long Chen’s gaze, he smiled faintly.

“There’s no way to understand the truth if only one side is heard,” said Prince Chunyang. “I would like to hear Mister Long Chen’s explanation.”

Liao Yuhuang was relieved to know that Li Chunyang was not blindly believing the words of the Qin family’s disciples.

On the other hand, these disciples’ expressions darkened, but they couldn’t make it too obvious in front of Li Chunyang. After all, his status was too special.

“There’s nothing to explain,” Long Chen replied, shaking his head.

Li Chunyang frowned. “If this is a misunderstanding, silence will only deepen it. I can’t force the Zither Sect’s disciples to forgive you, nor can I control all the hot-blooded cultivators here. Are you not concerned they may act rashly?”

Hearing this, Liao Yuhuang grew frantic. The entire crowd was hostile toward Long Chen due to their idolization of the Zither Sect. If Long Chen didn’t explain, things could spiral out of control.

“What do they have to do with me? If they are so brainless as to attack me, I will just kill them all,” replied Long Chen coldly.

“What?!”

Long Chen’s icy arrogance ignited the crowd’s fury. It was as if he held them all in contempt.

Liao Yuhuang turned pale. She knew that once things escalated, Long Chen wouldn’t back down. He was more than capable of carrying out that threat.

And the Zither Sect’s disciples would be more than delighted. They’d finally have a righteous excuse to act against him—avenging Qin Keqing, no less.

“You are courting death! To not blaspheme the Orchid Mound Divine Sovereign, I demand that you go out of the city with me! Let us fight to the death!” shouted a young man, pointing his sword at Long Chen. His aura was sharp and wild.

“Long Chen, how dare you look down on all of us? Since you dare to be so arrogant, then you must accept our challenge! Come out of the city!”

“It just so happens that we can avenge the Zither Sect’s fallen disciple. We can let their souls rest in peace.”

“Come out and fight!”

Angry roars rang out from the crowd, and some experts even started to press in on Long Chen.

But suddenly, a zither’s notes rang out, rising above the din. The sound was clear and penetrating, like a bell of enlightenment striking their very souls. Their frenzy was abruptly stilled.

“Everyone, please calm down,” said Li Chunyang. “You would kill someone based on a single accusation? You don’t know what truly happened. Perhaps there are ulterior motives, or Long Chen was wrongly accused. Then what would you do?”

“What…?”

Everyone was baffled. None of them had expected the Zither Sect itself to speak in Long Chen’s defense.

Long Chen raised an eyebrow, studying Li Chunyang thoughtfully.

Prince Chunyang then turned to a Qin family disciple.

With a sharp tone, he said, “The music of the zither is the sound of the heavens. It can bless the heart. If the heart has compassion, it can resonate with the heavens. But your heart is filled with selfishness, and you’ve used your words to poison others. You are unworthy.”

Li Chunyang’s expression grew severe at the end, and that disciple turned pale.

Only then did Liao Yuhuang realize that when this disciple spoke, his voice was filled with the heavenly music art—no wonder everyone became so impassioned. This disciple had essentially bewitched them.

He was incredibly skilled—so much so that even Liao Yuhuang had failed to notice. But he had not escaped Li Chunyang’s senses.

Li Chunyang coldly said, “Return to the Zither Sect and await your punishment!”

“Yes.”

The disciple trembled, as if his soul had been stripped from him. He staggered away, broken.

Once he left, Li Chunyang Chunyang bowed deeply to the crowd.

Li Chunyang said, “My sect has failed in its teachings. We produced a disgraceful disciple. I, Li Chunyang, apologize. To make up for it, I will play one more song.”

He placed his hands upon the strings, and the zither sang once more.

As the music flowed, Long Chen was drawn into another vision.

He returned to the world filled with monstrous beasts—only now, the rabbits had changed. They took human form and wielded divine weapons. They formed hand seals, unleashed magical arts, and fought fiercely.

Although their enemies were stronger, the rabbits were no longer the same old rabbits. After a bitter, bloody battle, they triumphed.

They no longer relied on the human race. They had earned their victory on their own.

Through bloody battles, they continued to grow stronger and stronger. Their leader—a Human Emperor—led them forward, trampling over the bodies of their enemies to climb to the heavens.

Long Chen looked up and suddenly realized that there was a starry river flowing above the nine heavens.

At the end of that river loomed a vast darkness. This starry river looked to be headed straight toward this darkness, as if it was being devoured by it.

Countless figures gathered along the river, drawn like moths to a flame. Under the starry river’s guidance, they all charged toward this darkness without hesitation.

Just as Long Chen was staring intently at this darkness, the music ended, and the vision faded.

This time, Long Chen was sure—the one who led the rabbits to rise from prey to predators, the one who elevated them to the peak, was the Orchid Mound Divine Sovereign.

Who would have imagined that Sovereign had once been… an innocent little rabbit?

The starry sea… the darkness… they seemed to be hiding some kind of heaven-shaking secret. The Orchid Mound Divine Sovereign had followed the starry river into the darkness.

This darkness was filled with the air of death. If it was the end of life, why were the Orchid Mound Divine Sovereign and those other figures charging toward it? Just what kind of secret was hiding within it?

As the final note echoed across the plaza, thunderous applause erupted, snapping Long Chen back to reality.

Everyone on the plaza was excited. They all felt like their souls had been uplifted once more, all thanks to Li Chunyang.

“Junior apprentice-sister Yuhuang, Mister Long Chen,” said Li Chunyang, smiling warmly. “Would you like to join me? Let us play the zither and discuss the Dao together.”