Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

A few days later, while Feng Yao was having lunch in the cafeteria, a familiar figure quietly appeared opposite him.

"Sister Lingling?" Feng Yao put down his chopsticks in surprise, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face. "I thought you never wanted to see me again." He sighed dramatically, "Without Sister Lingling these past few days, even the food doesn't taste good."

Ye Lingling's ears instantly flushed crimson, her slender fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. "Don't...don't talk nonsense," she said, her head lowered, her voice barely a whisper. "I only took a few days off to handle some family matters." She paused, her voice even softer. "Besides, I haven't seen you come to the Ye family to see me. You even had to ask Yan Yan to pass on a message."

Feng Yao noticed that she had specially changed her hairpin today; the white jade begonia hairpin in her long, light blue hair gleamed warmly in the sunlight. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she spoke, casting dappled shadows on her porcelain-white skin, creating a charming contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.

“It was my fault.” Feng Yao suddenly became serious and poured her a cup of flower tea. “I will definitely come to apologize another day.” As the tea steamed, the smile in his eyes was so gentle that it made one’s heart flutter.

Just as the atmosphere was warm and cozy, a series of crisp footsteps approached from afar. Dugu Yan sat not far away, her emerald-green skirt fluttering gently in the wind.

"Oh~" She curled her red lips slightly, drawing out the word, "Did I come at the wrong time?"

Ye Lingling sat up abruptly like a startled deer, her long silver hair drawing a graceful arc in the air.

Dugu Yan had already squeezed between the two of them as if they were old friends, putting one arm around each shoulder: "I came here specifically to check on the results~" She winked mischievously at Ye Lingling, "See? I told you Xiao Feng wouldn't care about these things, right?"

Ye Lingling's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and she almost knocked over the teacup in her hand. Feng Yao quickly came to her rescue: "Sister Yan, if you keep this up, Lingling will have to take leave and hide again."

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore~" Dugu Yan laughed and raised her hands in surrender, but suddenly leaned close to Feng Yao's ear and whispered in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "But Lingling's outfit today was specially changed for you~"

"Yanyan!" Ye Lingling stood up, embarrassed and annoyed, her long silver hair wafting in a fragrant breeze. Feng Yao looked at the two women, so different yet equally captivating, and suddenly felt that the sunlight today was exceptionally bright.

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more~" Dugu Yan raised her hands in surrender, her wide, emerald-green sleeves slipping down to reveal her fair wrists. Suddenly, she changed the subject, narrowing her eyes at Feng Yao: "I heard... that little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is still cultivating with you?"

Feng Yao paused slightly with her chopsticks, then looked up to meet Dugu Yan's probing gaze. Sunlight filtered through her hair, casting dappled patterns on the table.

"She's just here to cultivate." Feng Yao's tone was calm but somewhat helpless, but he noticed that Ye Lingling's stirring of the spoon suddenly stopped for a moment.

Dugu Yan's red lips curved slightly, her fingertips lightly tapping the table: "Is that so? I don't think that little princess is here simply to cultivate."

Feng Yao shook his head, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of the teacup: "In the end, she only represents the attitude of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School." His voice carried a hint of worldly-wise indifference.

A sly smile played on Feng Yao's eyes as his gaze swept between the two women. "Besides," he deliberately drawled, "I have Sister Lingling and Sister Yan, why would I bother with that little princess?"

Ye Lingling's earlobes instantly flushed crimson. She lowered her head, stirring her teacup, her long, light blue hair falling to obscure the slight upturn of her lips. Dugu Yan, on the other hand, burst out laughing, her emerald-green nails lightly tapping Feng Yao's nose.
"I knew you were a little rascal~" she said, a slight smile playing on her red lips. "So you're not planning to give up the whole forest for one tree?"

Sunlight streamed through the gap between the three, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Feng Yao smiled but didn't answer, simply elegantly pouring flower tea for the two beauties. Amidst the fragrant steam, Ye Lingling cautiously raised her eyes, meeting Feng Yao's gentle gaze before quickly lowering her head again. Meanwhile, Dugu Yan toyed with her teacup, her emerald eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light.

Feng Yao put down his teacup and looked earnestly at Dugu Yan: "Actually, Sister Yan, I've always had a question." He carefully chose his words, "Why are you and Sister Lingling able to..."

A knowing glint flashed in Dugu Yan's emerald eyes. She interrupted with a light laugh, "You want to ask why I can accept Lingling so readily?" Her fingertip traced circles on the table.

Feng Yao nodded slightly, and the sunlight outside the window cast dappled patterns of light between his brows.

Dugu Yan suddenly became serious, her voice unusually deep: "Lingling and I..." She glanced in the direction Ye Lingling had left, "Now we're practically the sole heirs of our lineage." She lightly tapped her chest with her finger, "Because of Grandpa, you understand the special nature of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. And Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia is even more so."

She paused for a moment, her gaze distant: "Do you understand what it means for a woman to possess a powerful martial spirit yet be the sole heir of her lineage?"

Feng Yao's pupils contracted slightly. He suddenly thought of a term from his previous life: "breeding machine." If this were in this world, such women would often be sought after by various powerful forces, all for the sake of obtaining their powerful martial spirit bloodline. The best example is the current Pope Bibi Dong. Wasn't it Bibi Dong's powerful talent that Qian Xunji was after?
Dugu Yan sighed softly, a hint of melancholy flashing in her emerald eyes: "That's why... I initially chose to be with Yu Tianheng." Her fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of her teacup. "In the world of Soul Masters," a bitter smile played on her lips, "a powerful female Soul Master is nothing more than a precious resource coveted by various forces."

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on her delicate profile. Feng Yao noticed that the scales of the snake-shaped jade hairpin in her hair gleamed coldly in the light.

“So Lingling and I…” Dugu Yan suddenly looked directly into Feng Yao’s eyes, her voice soft yet firm, “I believe you will protect us.” She tapped the table lightly with her fingertip.

Feng Yao's eyes suddenly became incredibly deep. "It definitely will."

Four simple words, yet carrying immense weight. The Fuxi Qin had somehow appeared beside him, its seven strings moving automatically without wind, emitting a clear, resonant sound. This sound seemed to transcend time and space, echoing throughout the cafeteria for a long time.

Dugu Yan stared at him blankly, her emerald eyes trembling slightly. She suddenly realized that the aura emanating from this boy, who had once needed her grandfather's protection, now made her heart tremble.

Feng Yao gently stroked the strings of his zither, "As long as I am here, I will protect you all. I swear by my martial spirit."

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining directly on Feng Yao's Fuxi Qin (a type of zither). The ancient patterns on the zither's body lit up one by one, as if witnessing this solemn promise.

Looking at Feng Yao's earnest expression, the two felt their eyes well up with tears. Dugu Yan suddenly chuckled, rubbing her reddened eyes.
"Alright~" She lightly tapped Feng Yao's forehead with her emerald-green nails. "It's not as serious as you think." Her tone regained its usual languidness. "At least I still have my grandfather, a Title Douluo, to back me up~"

The sunlight outside the window brightened again, illuminating her smiling face. Dugu Yan elegantly tossed her long hair: "As for Lingling's unique Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul, it allows her to maintain connections with various powerful forces."

"Compared to those helpless female soul masters," Dugu Yan suddenly leaned closer, her faint fragrance brushing against Feng Yao's ear, "our situation is already so much better~" As she stepped back, the snake-shaped jade hairpin in her hair shimmered in the sunlight, just like her brightened mood at that moment.

At this moment, Ye Lingling also spoke softly, "Now...we still have you."

As Ye Lingling spoke, she placed her hands together in front of her, her porcelain-white cheeks still flushed.

Dugu Yan's emerald eyes lit up instantly, and she exaggeratedly clutched her chest: "Oh my god! Lingling~" she drawled, "When did you become so eloquent?"

Ye Lingling's ears turned bright red from the teasing, and she said somewhat flusteredly, "I...I was just telling the truth."

Seeing this, Dugu Yan suddenly burst into laughter, bending over: "Oh no, oh no~" She wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and looked at Feng Yao, "My Lingling has really been corrupted by you~"

Sunlight streamed through the gap between the three, casting interwoven shadows on the ground. Looking at the two beautiful women beside him, each with a distinct style, Feng Yao suddenly realized that perhaps this was the entire meaning of what he was meant to protect.

Two years later, at the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace of the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace.

Qian Renxue's slender fingers gently traced the heavy tome, her golden eyes gleaming with awe. The pages rustled under her fingertips, each page carrying a revolutionary wisdom.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing, Xiao Feng." Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with astonishment as she looked up. "I see you don't just want to shake up the Soul Master world," she said, her fingertip pointing to the seven large characters on the title page, "On How Soul Masters Can Improve," "you want to completely reshape the foundation of the Soul Master world."

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the catalogue of books. Qian Renxue read line by line.

Basic Soul Power Circulation Method

The direction of a Soul Master's understanding of Martial Souls
Soul Master's control over bodily functions
Soul Power Micro- and Macro-Manipulation Techniques

The basic principles and direction of self-created soul skills
Her fingertips trembled slightly, as if she were holding not a book, but a sharp blade capable of cleaving through the shackles of time. This book revealed to the vast number of Soul Masters the underlying logic of power: it was not simply about Soul Power level, nor about powerful Soul Rings, Soul Bones, or Soul Skills, but about a Soul Master's utilization of their own conditions, and even the combination of all their conditions to unleash power beyond their own limits.

In other words, it teaches ordinary soul masters how to transform into someone like Feng Yao through hard work—even without celestial herbs or rare soul bones, they can still shine brightly in their limited lives.

“Do you know?” Qian Renxue suddenly closed the book, her long, shimmering golden hair sparkling in the sunlight, “once this book gets out…” She paused meaningfully, “what kind of impact will it have on the Soul Master world?”

Feng Yao took a sip of tea, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Even when distributing it, it needs to be done gradually. Xue'er, why don't you first send this book back to the Spirit Hall?" He tapped his long fingers lightly on the table. "After the elders in the hall have studied it..."

Qian Renxue's eyes flashed. Her long, golden hair swayed in the sunlight, and her fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the book's pages: "You want other forces to come to you seeking favors?"

"It's just a book." Feng Yao smiled and shook his head, the amber tea swirling in the cup. "Books require comprehension, and progress takes time. The earlier you progress, the greater your advantage will be." He deliberately drew out his words. "Seventy percent of Soul Masters are enough; the other thirty percent should be eliminated by the times."

"Cunning." Qian Renxue's red lips curled slightly, but she carefully stored the book into her soul tool. She knew that when this revolutionary manual spread throughout the Spirit Hall, the entire landscape of the soul master world would be turned upside down.

"Young Master, Princess Xueke has arrived." She Long's deep voice rang in Qian Renxue's ears through telepathic communication.

Qian Renxue's eyes sharpened, and a dazzling golden light instantly emanated from her body. As the light shifted, her tall figure gradually changed, and in the blink of an eye, she returned to Xue Qinghe's gentle and refined appearance.

Feng Yao watched this scene with great interest, slowly sipping his tea. The rising steam from the tea blurred the playful smile on his lips—even after seeing it countless times, he still found this magical transformation indescribably wonderful each time he witnessed it.

"Brother Qinghe!" Xue Ke's clear voice came from outside the hall, accompanied by light footsteps. Feng Yao put down his teacup and looked at the gentle smile that instantly appeared on "Xue Qinghe's" face. Feng Yao could feel that Qian Renxue truly regarded Xue Ke as his younger sister.

Accompanied by a clear, bell-like voice, Xue Ke, dressed in a magnificent princess gown, trotted into the main hall. The crystal decorations on her skirt shimmered in the sunlight. Just as she was about to bow, she was gently stopped by Qian Renxue, who was disguised as Xue Qinghe.

"Why bother with formalities with your brother?" A hint of doting flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes as she reached out and ruffled Xue Ke's hair.

Xue Ke then noticed Feng Yao standing to the side, and her sapphire-like eyes immediately lit up: "Teacher Feng is here too!" She gave a standard courtly bow with delight, her skirt tracing a graceful arc.

Feng Yao smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. As the honorary teacher of Yuexuan, he was indeed teaching Xue Ke music—a position that Tang Yuehua had personally invited him to hold at Xueqinghe.

Xue Ke clasped her hands together, blinking her big, watery eyes at Qian Renxue: "Brother Qinghe, next month is our Yuexuan's graduation ceremony, you absolutely have to come!" She turned to Feng Yao expectantly, "Teacher Feng will be performing on stage too, right?"

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the girl's excited face. Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, smiled gently: "Of course, your brother will attend your sister's graduation ceremony."

Feng Yao's gaze lingered on Xue Ke for a moment, then a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes as if he had suddenly remembered something. He gently set down his teacup and asked casually, "Little Xue Ke, are there any outstanding students in this year's Moon Pavilion?"

Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting dappled patterns on the tea surface. Xue Ke tilted her head, thinking for a moment, her sapphire-like eyes sparkling: "Yes! His name is Tang Yin."

(End of this chapter)