Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

Even now, he still considers it to be the pinnacle of qin and xiao duet music, and he has yet to hear a better qin and xiao duet.

Judging from Shi Qingxuan's engrossed reaction, he was certain that the piece was indeed a classic, certified by the renowned 'Master Qingxuan'.

About fifteen minutes later, Shi Qingxuan, who had already played the complete version in her mind, let out a long sigh and exclaimed, "A wonderful score." She looked at Ling Chi with a complicated expression and said, "Everyone says that Qingxuan is a master of the xiao (vertical flute), and Qingxuan has always thought so too. But today I realize that there are always people more skilled than you, and there is always something beyond your reach. Compared with Brother Ling, Qingxuan is far inferior."

"Don't underestimate yourself." Ling Chi waved his hands repeatedly: "I only have some talent in melody. In terms of pure technique, Qingxuan is still a cut above." He paused: "However, I am good at composing, and Qingxuan is good at playing. If you and I cooperate, I believe we can play the most perfect piece in the world."

Shi Qingxuan's eyes lit up, and she said, "Brother Ling is right. How about we play a duet this time?"

"Haha, I couldn't be happier." Ling Chi plucked the strings and said, "I'll play the zither, and you play the flute, how about that?"

"it is good."

……

With Ling Chi's familiarity with the piece and Shi Qingxuan's own strong talent and skill, the two cooperated very well and seamlessly, even though it was their first time playing together.

This duet version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" on the qin and xiao is exceptionally high in both melody and artistic conception. The duet between the two musicians created the feeling of a large orchestra, and the sound could be heard for miles around, almost all the guests dining on the island could hear it.

"What is this piece of music? It's so beautiful." Many diners stopped eating, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

A young girl who had just set foot on Peach Blossom Island and was walking through the peach blossom forest stopped to listen. She hummed along to the melody, which was incredibly melodious. Her beauty was no less than that of her singing.

The young girl was dressed in a plain yellow silk robe and a light green shawl, like a fairy who had come down from a deep valley in a dream to the mortal world. She was exceptionally beautiful and made no attempt to hide her beauty. The moment she stepped onto the island, the maid who was responsible for welcoming her was stunned by her beauty.

What a beautiful woman.

After the ensemble ended, the woman looked lost and asked her maid, "Who was playing the music just now?"

“This… must be Master Qingxuan!” the maid said.

"Master Qingxuan!?" The woman's face lit up with surprise and delight. "I never expected to meet Master Qingxuan on Peach Blossom Island. Would you be so kind as to introduce me?"

"You'll have to ask our young master about that," the maid said. "Because Qingxuan has been arranged to dine in the lakeside pavilion where no one is allowed to disturb her. If we disturb her, the young master will be unhappy."

"Young Master? Are you Island Master Ling?" the woman asked.

"That's right." The maid looked on with admiration. "Young Master is having a meal with Lady Qingxuan right now. That was a duet just now. The one playing the zither must have been Young Master. He plays the zither very well. Wait, no, Young Master not only plays the zither well, but he also plays the flute very well. Maybe it was Young Master who played the flute, and Lady Qingxuan who played the zither."

"..." Seeing that the maid was being a bit long-winded, the woman smiled helplessly: "Could you please inform Island Master Ling that Shang Xiufang requests an audience with Island Master Ling and Master Qingxuan?"

Shang Xiufang? Never heard of her.

The maid muttered something under her breath and said, "Alright then! You wait here, I'll go ask."

"Thank you for your trouble." With that, Shang Xiufang handed her a silver ingot.

"..." The maid took it and quickly went to the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

"Young master, a woman named Shang Xiufang gave me some silver and asked me to pass on a message to you and Qingxuan." The maid shouted as she ran along the corridor of the lakeside pavilion.

"Shang Xiufang?" Ling Chi was taken aback, while Shi Qingxuan was somewhat surprised: "Could it be the most talented woman in the world, Master Xiufang?"

"Ah? Is that woman the most talented woman in the world? No wonder she's so beautiful." The maid stuck out her tongue.

"..." Ling Chi glanced at her and asked, "What message did she ask you to deliver?"

“She said…” the maid imitated Shang Xiufang’s tone, “Shang Xiufang requests an audience with Island Master Ling and Lady Qingxuan.”

"..." Ling Chi laughed and scolded, "Naughty."

The maid stuck out her tongue again.

Ling Chi turned to look at Shi Qingxuan and asked, "Qingxuan, do you want to see her?"

"If she is indeed a member of the Xiufang family, Qingxuan would like to meet her," Shi Qingxuan said.

"Then let her come over?" Ling Chi pressed.

"Hmm." Shi Qingxuan nodded, then asked, "Will this cause trouble for Brother Ling?"

"No," Ling Chi laughed. "I'm not afraid of trouble at all. Besides, this Shang Xiufang dares to call herself the most talented woman in the world. Where does that leave Qingxuan? I want to ask her why she's so shameless."

Shi Qingxuan was both amused and exasperated: "The title of the world's number one talented woman is not self-proclaimed by Xiufang, but is universally acknowledged."

"Publicly acknowledged? So, she really is very talented?" Ling Chi asked.

Shi Qingxuan nodded: "Not inferior to Qingxuan."

"This is interesting." Ling Chi turned to the maid and said, "Cuixiang, go and bring Shang Xiufang over."

"Yes, young master." Cuixiang ran off quickly and soon returned with Shang Xiufang.

"Young Master, Lady Xiufang has arrived." Cuixiang's ability to apply what she learned was as good as ever, and Shang Xiufang felt a little embarrassed by being addressed as "Lady Xiufang."

Ling Chi nodded, sizing up Shang Xiufang as she approached gracefully.

The moment Ling Chi saw her, he thought of both Shi Feixuan and Wanwan.

She evokes both the elegant, ethereal beauty of the former and the enigmatic, mysterious allure of the latter, creating a unique charm that is in no way inferior to either of them.

What is most captivating about her, besides her slender and well-proportioned figure and graceful demeanor, is her pair of mesmerizing eyes that can steal your soul. The instinctive tenderness in her eyes, combined with the slightly shy and gentle smile on her lips, is something no man can resist.

Ling Chi subconsciously turned his head to look at Shi Qingxuan, feeling that the two women were evenly matched, like Mei Lan.

After seeing Shang Xiufang, Shi Qingxuan had to admit that the other woman was indeed a beauty of the same caliber as her, but as for talent, they would have to compete to find out.

Two meters away from the two, Shang Xiufang stopped and bowed, saying, "Shang Xiufang greets Island Master Ling and Lady Qingxuan."

Chapter Thirty: Making Two Women Sworn Brothers

"So it's Master Xiufang." Ling Chi stood up and said, "The most talented woman in the world, I have long admired your name."

Shi Qingxuan secretly rolled her eyes: Just now she said she didn't know him! Now she says she's heard so much about him, how hypocritical.

Shang Xiufang smiled slightly: "Island Master Ling flatters me. I am unworthy of such praise."

Shi Qingxuan smiled and said, "I didn't expect to meet Master Xiufang here. Please take a seat and let's chat."

"I'm sorry to bother you." After sitting down, Shang Xiufang saw the zither on the stone table and said, "Just now, I was amazed by the harmonious sound of the zither and flute. Was it Island Master Ling and Master Qingxuan playing together?"

"It was just a game, I'm sorry Xiufang and everyone else found it laughable." Ling Chi chuckled, then turned to Cuixiang and said, "Go and stir-fry two more meat dishes, the blue-grade ones."

"Yes, young master." Cui Xiang ran off quickly, but Shang Xiufang asked curiously, "Island Master Ling, what does 'top-grade blue' refer to?"

“Oh, it’s the grade of the dishes.” Ling Chi smiled and said, “The dishes in the world are divided into five grades, from low to high: white, blue, purple, red, gold, and diamond. Each grade is further divided into three sub-grades: ordinary, high-grade, and top-grade. The highest grade that my Peach Blossom Island sells now is this blue top-grade.”

The highest grade is only blue? Then how delicious must the higher-grade purple, red, gold, and that diamond color I've never heard of be?

Shang Xiufang was very curious and asked, "Island Master Ling, why are you only selling blue?"

"Because my cooking skills aren't up to par," Ling Chi chuckled and said, "Moreover, dishes of blue rarity or higher require many extremely rare ingredients, which are hard to find, so we don't sell them."

"I see." Shang Xiufang nodded and said, "I didn't expect there to be so much to learn about cooking. I've learned a lot."

Ling Chi smiled and waved his hand: "Everyone has their own expertise."

Shang Xiufang smiled slightly and asked, "How much does this top-grade blue dish cost?"

"No need for you to ask any more questions, Xiufang. This meal is on me." Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, "But there's no such thing as a free lunch. Qingxuan and I are currently exchanging ideas on traditional Chinese performing arts. If you could join us, that would be wonderful."

Shang Xiufang's eyes lit up, and she said, "I couldn't ask for more."

"Haha, that's wonderful." Ling Chi laughed, and then said, "What Qingxuan and I just played was a 'Qin and Xiao duet' composed by me. I wonder what advice Xiufang has for me?"

"This piece is perfect. Both its artistic conception and melody are impeccable. Xiufang can only admire it." Shang Xiufang said, "I thought this piece was composed by Qingxuan, but I didn't expect it to be composed by Island Master Ling. I am sorry for my disrespect."

"Ignorance is no excuse. If I were in her shoes, I would have thought it was Qingxuan's doing too. Who told me to be so unknown! Haha." Ling Chi laughed it off, trying to save face for her.

Shang Xiufang looked grateful and said, "People always say that you can't judge a book by its cover. I didn't believe it before, but I do today. Although Lord Ling has an ordinary appearance, he is exceptionally talented. I admire him."

Ling Chi: "..."

Shi Qingxuan chuckled: "What Xiufang said is absolutely right. At first, Qingxuan didn't believe that Brother Ling had any talent, but first, there was his solo performance of 'The Original Scenery of My Hometown' on the xiao, and then this duet of 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'. Both of these are unprecedented in my life, and I admire him very much."

"Oh?" Shang Xiufang's eyes lit up even more: "The Original Scenery of My Hometown, I wonder if that would be suitable..."

Shi Qingxuan looked at Ling Chi, who clicked his tongue and said, "Alright!"

Ling Chi drew his xiao (vertical bamboo flute) from his waist and played "The Original Scenery of My Hometown" again.

The moment the xiao music began, Shang Xiufang was completely absorbed in it. Although it was the second time Shi Qingxuan had heard it, she still closed her eyes and became completely absorbed in it.

After the song ended, the two women remained silent for a long time. After a while, Shang Xiufang finally broke free from the lingering sound and looked at Ling Chi with enthusiasm: "Island Master Ling, this song is really good... really good. It reminds Xiufang of the place where she grew up when she was a child."

"I'm glad everyone likes Xiufang." Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, "I wonder if Xiufang has any new works for us to critique?"

Shang Xiufang's expression stiffened, and she gave a slight bitter smile: "Originally I did have some, but after listening to Island Master Ling's two pieces, I dare not embarrass myself."

"It's alright," Ling Chi said. "It's just an exchange, so please don't hold back, Xiu Fang and everyone."

"Brother Ling is right." Shi Qingxuan smiled slightly, thinking to herself: I can't be the only one embarrassed. You're not getting away.

"Alright!" Shang Xiufang, known as the most talented woman in the world, was quite confident. She stood up and said, "Island Master Ling's music has reached its pinnacle, and I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as him. However, I think my dancing skills are passable. How about I dance a piece for you two to enjoy your refined taste?"

"Great!" Ling Chi's eyes lit up. Dancing! And authentic Sui and Tang dynasty dance at that. How could he miss it?

Shi Qingxuan slightly pursed her lips, ultimately saving Shang Xiufang from an embarrassing crisis. But there was nothing she could do, since Shang Xiufang's talents lay in music, not dance!

The reason she was merely a "great woman" rather than the most talented woman in the world was because her talents were too limited, unlike Shang Xiufang who was proficient in everything.

In any era, a generalist is more sought after than a specialist.

"Island Master Ling, may I play some tunes at my leisure?" Shang Xiufang asked after standing up.

What about my business?

Ling Chi nodded: "Okay."

With your hands on the strings and a few casual plucks, you can create a very pleasant melody.

Shang Xiufang then began to sing and dance.

Ling Chi was slightly taken aback, not expecting Shang Xiufang to sing and dance at the same time.

At this moment, Shi Xiufang's face was completely unadorned, yet her eyes shone like daylight, a thousand times more beautiful than any heavily made-up woman. Her hair, casually tied up without any hairpins, swayed gently, her pure and pristine beauty captivating.

She sang: "Tears fall like pearls, wetting the silk robes, the young master has betrayed us. My sisters and I clearly told each other not to give our hearts to him. Think it over carefully, is it better to be indifferent to worldly affairs?"

Her singing style exudes a carefree, languid, and subtly melancholic charm, possessing a unique and unparalleled elegance. Her vocal technique is flawless, and coupled with her captivating expressions, who could not be moved by her performance?

"The bridal chamber is deep and quiet, and I feel a profound loneliness in my heart and soul. When the time comes, I must pray that you will not indulge in the fleeting pleasures of youth."

Her makeup was light and even, her social interactions few, all for the sake of the distant, insignificant Five Mausoleums. The snow on her chest, let you bite it, lest I risk spending a fortune to buy a smile.

The song led Ling Chi and Shi Qingxuan, who were watching, into a strange musical realm. Her melodious and alluring voice, through different singing techniques and tones, presented a rich and varied, yet elusive and profound flavor. The lingering sadness in her voice was like a surging tide that completely submerged the hearts of everyone present.