After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Is anyone there?

Qinglan's expression changed drastically, and her voice trembled.

Fang Xiaoran ignored her and stared intently at the doorway, where the music continued.

This was no ordinary zither music; it was a murderous sound played with internal force. Those without internal force would not be able to hear it at all. Fortunately, the person did not show any murderous intent, so although the zither music was strange, it was not offensive.

The Northern Residence usually consists of Fang Xiaoran and two maids. Recently, Wu Guicheng has joined them, but she has sent him out to work. Of course, if he stayed behind, he wouldn't be of much help to someone with such internal strength.

Fang Xiaoran has recently recovered some of her internal strength through the circulation of Qi and the nourishment of medicine, but it is still not as strong as it was at its peak. She cannot be sure if she can fight this person. The best thing is to avoid conflict and resolve the matter peacefully. Of course, if she insists on fighting to the death, she is not without a backup plan.

"You still refuse to show yourself?" Fang Xiaoran transmitted her voice again, this time even more powerful than before. Just then, a strong gust of wind blew the door open from the inside, slamming it against the wall with a "smack." Immediately afterward, a dark figure darted out from inside, lightly touching the treetops with his feet and landing under a full moon.

From afar, the man stood with his back to the moon, dressed in black with dark hair, his entire face hidden in the shadows, except for a pair of icy eyes that shone like brilliant stars, flashing with a chilling light.

Just being stared at by those eyes sent a chill down Fang Xiaoran's spine.

This person is very strong.

That's what she thought.

"If you are interested in the Peach Blossom Sword, I will give it to you as a gift," Fang Xiaoran said calmly, for the person in her hand was holding the Peach Blossom Sword that the Ninth Princess had given her.

The man didn't speak upon hearing the sound, but his fingers quickly plucked the strings of the zither, producing a sharp and piercing sound. Qinglan couldn't help but cover her ears with her hands, but even that couldn't stop the attack of the zither sound.

Seeing this, Fang Xiaoran flicked her fingertip, and a fallen leaf, propelled by the internal force in her palm, shot through the air like a sharp blade, aiming straight for the man's brow.

Fang Xiaoran originally did not want to make a move, but the opponent's music was too murderous, and Qinglan and Ziju probably could not hold out for long.

Seeing the falling leaves coming, the man's eyes flickered slightly. He grabbed the weapon at his waist and threw it, which collided violently with the leaves, creating an invisible force that caused them to bounce off. As Fang Xiaoran and Qinglan dodged, a few drops of cold water splashed onto her face.

She was stunned for a moment, and when she looked up again, she saw a slender hand reach out from beside her ear, grab the wine gourd in mid-air, lazily pull off the lid in front of her, tilt her head back and take a big gulp, "Are you Mo Wen's disciple, the one who writes 'Falling Leaves and Flying Flowers'?"

Fang Xiaoran herself didn't know the name of that move. Her master had never told her, and she didn't even know her master's name. She hadn't known it even in her previous life.

So she shook her head and said, "I don't know any Mr. Mo Wen, but that move just now was indeed taught to me by my master."

"Strange, since you've taken on a disciple, why didn't you tell him the truth?" The man frowned slightly, then took another swig from his gourd. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Fang Xiaoran carefully examined him. The man had a scruffy beard and looked disheveled, completely different from how he appeared under the moonlight.

I thought he was a handsome and dashing young man, but now I see he's just a carefree middle-aged man.

However, she never judged people by their appearance, and besides, the other party was stronger than her, so she didn't want to make an enemy of him. Therefore, she asked, "Do you know my master?"

“Yes, we know each other. We’re enemies.” The man suddenly put down his wine gourd, his dark eyes fixed on Fang Xiaoran, a chilling killing intent flashing within them.

These words were clearly not a joke, and Fang Xiaoran immediately felt a sense of crisis. She had just turned her wrist when the man stopped her, saying, "Don't move. If you make the first move, I will have no choice but to take your life."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran immediately stopped, a faint smile on her face. "I have no grudge against you, senior. May I ask what brings you here tonight? Is it because of this zither?"

"Yes and no." The man replied casually, tossing the peach blossom back to Fang Xiaoran. "I'm looking for the person who made this zither. Now that it's in your hands, do you know where that person is?"

"This zither only recently came into my possession, and I know nothing about its origin."

After hearing this, the man glanced at Fang Xiaoran and said indifferently, "You can even vary the tenth level of the Demonic Sound, yet you are completely unaware of its owner?"

Fang Xiaoran asked in confusion, "The musician who composed the Tenfold Demonic Melody was the one who made Peach Blossom? But wasn't Peach Blossom made by Master Silver Crane?"

"I'm talking about this zither." His eyes were sharp, and his tone was distant, revealing no emotion. Fang Xiaoran was shocked by his words. Did he realize that the Peach Blossom Zither was a fake?

In fact, this zither is a very well made replica. Even if you put the two zithers together, it is difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake. He was able to identify it directly, which shows that he does have some knowledge of Tao Zhuo.

"Mo Wen's disciple, we are destined to meet again."

A sudden gust of cold wind swept past her ear, and by the time Fang Xiaoran came to her senses, the person had already disappeared, leaving only a faint scent of wine.

This wine is quite special; its aroma is mixed with a hint of medicinal fragrance.

But who exactly is this person? Why did they suddenly sneak into Beiju? It seems they came because of Tao Zhuo, but they just left with a single sentence and then left happily. Was it because of her master that they let her go?

Mr. Mo Wen...

This name is quite unfamiliar.

"Miss, are you alright?" Qinglan finally recovered and hurriedly asked about Fang Xiaoran's condition.

Fang Xiaoran shook her head slightly, "I'm fine."

"Who was that person just now? Should we tell the master?"

"Why tell him? Does he think he'll send people to protect us in Beiju?"

Knowing her father as she did, she figured he would probably pretend he didn't hear it, or even think she was faking it and that there was no one who had attacked her at night.

However, this violin is a hot potato; it's best to get rid of it as soon as possible.

"Never mind, nothing serious happened anyway. Go get me a bowl of porridge."

"Yes."

After Qinglan left, Fang Xiaoran carried the zither back to her room. She looked around and found the room neat and tidy, with even the windows tightly closed. There was no sign that anyone had been there.

It's clear that person is a master infiltration expert; it's best to avoid encountering him again in the future.

Just as she put down the zither, an angry shout came from outside the door: "Fang Xiaoran, you're really something, always trying to make trouble for our Manchun Garden. Your mother was truly blind back then, actually thinking of taking care of you all alone. In the end, you're just an ingrate, turning your back on her and biting her. Now that your mother is bedridden, are you satisfied?"