Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 167: Overturning Phoenixes and Toppling Dragons

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Overturning Phoenixes and Toppling Dragons

King Zhou summoned his ministers, while Daji hid behind the bead curtain, her enchanting figure reclining sideways on a soft couch.

She saw Bo Yikao’s elegant demeanor, his striking eyes and brows, his red lips and white teeth, and even his way of speaking was gentle and delicate, which teased her heart into an itch.

In this world, there are many types of men that women fancy.

There are those who are mighty and majestic, those unmatched in loyalty, those who are wealthy and imposing, and then there is someone like Bo Yikao, who is merely handsome.

Although it might not be entirely appropriate, purely in terms of appearance and demeanor, Bo Yikao could be considered one of the high-quality handsome men in the Divine Enthronement world.

She commanded the palace attendants on both sides to raise the bead curtain before her, hooking it with a golden clasp to closely observe Bo Yikao.

King Zhou saw this and laughed, saying, "My beloved, today the son of Marquis Xibo, Bo Yikao, has come to pay tribute to redeem his father. His sincerity is worthy of compassion."

Daji gave a gentle smile, adjusted her posture, and said, "Though I am a woman, even in my secluded upbringing I have heard from my parents of Bo Yikao of Xiqi. He is well-versed in musical arts, especially skilled in the guqin, and a deep connoisseur of classical melodies. Your Majesty, would it be possible for Bo Yikao to play a piece for us to enhance our drinking pleasure?"

Being a man enslaved to wine and women, King Zhou, long beguiled by demon qi, upon hearing these words, commanded Bo Yikao to pay respects to Daji.

After Bo Yikao completed his obeisance, Daji said, "Bo Yikao, I have heard of your excellence in guqin. How about you try playing a piece here in the hall?"

Bo Yikao initially wanted to decline, but King Zhou, standing beside him, further urged him, decreeing that if his guqin playing pleased the Empress, he would be allowed to return to his homeland with his father.

Upon hearing such good news, Bo Yikao immediately agreed.

Bo Yikao ordered his attendant to fetch a guqin, and the attendant, mindful, without further command, even offered a bowl of hot soup to sober up.

Feeling warmth in his heart, Bo Yikao sipped the hot soup in one gulp, suddenly feeling warmth spreading throughout his body, as if the cold wind atop the Star Pick Building could no longer penetrate his thin garments.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he placed the guqin on his knees, at which point he no longer resembled the princely heir of Xiqi, but rather a confident master of music.

His ten fingers were slender, long, and white, extremely pleasing as he plucked the strings and played a piece known as "Wind Entering the Pines":

The willow tree sways in the morning breeze, peach blossoms half-bloomed illuminate the red sun. Verdant grass spreads like brocade, while carriages and horses come and go.

When Bo Yikao finished his performance, the melody lingered gracefully, evoking a freshness in the listeners akin to being transported to Yaochi Phoenix Palace; other music now sounded coarse to the ear.

The saying goes, "This piece should only exist in the heavens; how often can it be heard in the human world?"

The music pleased King Zhou so much that he drank two sips of wine, feeling elated, holding Daji’s shoulder he said, "Worthy of what my beloved has heard, Bo Yikao’s ’Wind Entering the Pines’ is indeed perfect."

"The guqin of Bo Yikao is well-known throughout the world, and now witnessing him in person exceeds what I’ve heard."

King Zhou, immensely delighted, ordered a banquet be prepared at the Star Pick Building.

...

Meanwhile, the servant who fetched the guqin, after descending from the Star Pick Building, hurriedly walked out of the palace, finding a deserted alleyway. Turning in a circle, transformed into a slender, youthful girl.

Nezha emerged from the side and asked, "Did everything go smoothly?"

"How could this Princess fail? But what exactly is this medicine that can save Bo Yikao’s life?"

"Alas, you don’t know what could happen next."

Nezha thought, I originally concocted this medicine to use when visiting Yumao’er, never expecting Bo Yikao, this honest lad, would benefit from it. "I had no other choice but to use this desperate measure, hoping he won’t blame me afterwards."

...

During the banquet, the fox spirit Daji would occasionally steal glances at Bo Yikao, seeing his face like a full moon, graceful and charismatic, with an enchanting aura.

Turning again to King Zhou, though he bore an emperor’s visage, the long indulgence in revelry had left him gaunt; compared to Bo Yikao, it was heaven and earth.

Moreover, just during that brief moment Bo Yikao kneeled outside the Wu Gate, countless noble ladies in Zhaoge City found themselves enamored without even knowing who he was. How much more so for Daji, a spirit?

She watched King Zhou become absorbed in song and dance, and couldn’t help but look again at Bo Yikao, unconsciously squeezing her legs together, her face flushed, until even her thighs felt sticky.

Daji couldn’t take it any longer and thought secretly, "Let Bo Yikao stay here, under the guise of learning guqin, and take the opportunity to seduce him. Wouldn’t this fulfill a mutual longing like that of phoenixes and dragons? He is a handsome young man who would be greatly beneficial. Why restrict myself to an old King Zhou?"

Daji, intending to keep Bo Yikao, proposed to King Zhou that Bo Yikao’s music was unparalleled in the world, and if he were to leave Zhaoge, it would be hard to hear such music again. It would be best if he taught her guqin, so that eventually she could play delightful music to serve His Majesty.

King Zhou thought Daji’s suggestion was excellent, as it would allow the Marquis Xibo and his son to return home, grateful for the emperor’s pardon, while he would not be deprived of the guqin’s joy in Zhaoge, and thus he joyously decreed Bo Yikao to remain at the Star Pick Building to teach guqin.

Daji rejoiced secretly: "Once King Zhou is drunk and asleep, not even thunder would wake him. I will intoxicate him and put him to bed, then I shall accomplish my intentions with Bo Yikao without hindrance."

With a plan in mind, Daji began to offer wine, persistently urging him to drink.

Word had it that the emperor issued an order, and Bo Yikao, in a daze, complied, unaware of what was happening. The chilly breeze atop the Star Pick Building gave him a headache, his body felt alternatively hot and cold, his heart raced as though he was gravely ill.

As he regained his senses, he looked up to find that the party on the Star Pick Building seemed to have ended and all around was eerily silent with not a single person in sight.

It turned out that King Zhou had gotten drunk, Daji ordered the imperial concubines around to escort the emperor to the Dragon Couch for rest, had just returned and now requested her confidants to bring two guqins, one for Daji and the other for Bo Yikao.

Realizing that the guqin instruction was crucial, involving his and his father’s lives, Bo Yikao, aware of its importance, secretly slapped himself to clear his mind momentarily, then said, "Offender Bo Yikao reports to the Empress, this guqin contains inner and outer five forms, six pitches and five tones, plucking, rubbing, hooking, lifting. The left hand plays like the eyes of a dragon, right hand like a phoenix, controlling the notes: gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu. There are also eight methods: gentle tapping, lifting, hooking, lifting, pressing, pushing, blocking, striking. Besides, there are six avoidances and seven occasions when not to play."

Daji, her figure alluring and body already languid with thoughts of the upcoming pleasant events, charmingly asked, "What are the six avoidances?"

Upon hearing Daji’s question, Bo Yikao replied, "Hearing of misfortune, bitter weeping, focused concentration, emotions of anger, warnings of desire, shock."

Daji then asked, "What are the seven occasions when not to play?"

"Gale and rain, deep sorrow, improper attire, drunkenness and mania, inappropriate fragrances near the vulgar, ignorance of music close to vulgarity, unclean and filthy; on all these occasions, the guqin is not played. This guqin carries remnants of ancient music, its pleasure and elegance are unmatched by other instruments, containing eighty-one grand tunes, fifty-one minor tunes, and thirty-six harmonies."

After Bo Yikao finished, though dizzy and confused, his fingers upon the strings still played with brilliant and indescribable beauty.

Suppressing indecent thoughts, diligently focusing on guqin teaching, Bo Yikao found Daji was unwilling to genuinely learn guqin but was instead infatuated with his beauty, continually enticing him. With her captivating grace and allure, at times gyrating her waist, she purposely exhaled fragrant breaths towards Bo Yikao’s face.

Under normal circumstances, Bo Yikao, a righteous gentleman, would not succumb to Daji’s allure.

However, today he had been drugged by the Little Dragon Girl, his blood all but flowing downward, and he unwittingly began to feel muddle-headed again.

Relying instinctively on the guqin, whatever Daji said was inaudible to him, and before long, he felt a small body slipping into his embrace. Instinctively he embraced it, startled, his chaos-stricken mind snapping to awareness.

Upon opening his eyes, he found, to his horror, that the Empress had somehow settled into his lap, leaning against his shoulder, with eyes seductive and inviting.

"Pardon me, Your Highness!"

Terrified out of his wits, Bo Yikao quickly withdrew his right hand from Daji’s slender waist, yet beneath, he still remained under Daji’s seated body, unable to escape.

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