After leaving the park, Song Ling'er returned to the hotel she was staying at, but then she suddenly realized something that made her run back to the park.
'I forgot to ask that person for his name! What a blunder!' Song Ling'er cried inwardly when she realized that she'd forgotten to ask for Yuan's name due to her frustration at that moment.
But alas, by the time she returned to the park, Yuan and the others were already long gone!
'Forget it. I'll ask Long Yijun when I visit the Dragon Essence Temple. Even if they try to hide him from me, I have already memorized his figure and hands so I'll recognize him at glance.'
Thinking this, Song Ling'er once again returned to the hotel, but her mind couldn't get rid of Yuan's flawless zither arts, and she proceeded to spend the rest of the day thinking about Yuan's performance, even analyzing it.
'Wait a second… That person was playing the Soul Ensnaring Zither, Daoist Zou's treasure! Maybe he knows this unknown expert's identity.'
After spending an hour in her hotel, Song Ling'er went outside for the third time today, and she went straight to the Zou Family's household, surprising Senior Zou with her unannounced visit.
"S-Senior Song! Welcome to my humble place! How may I help you today?" Senior Zou bowed to her in a respectful manner.
"The Soul Ensnaring Zither… When did you give it away?" Song Ling'er asked him.
"Eh? How'd you know that I'd given away the Soul Ensnaring Zither? I haven't announced anything yet," Senior Zou looked at her with a surprised face.
"Because I saw someone playing with it not long ago," she calmly responded.
"I see… So he's already playing it…" A warm smile appeared on Senior Zou's face, causing Song Ling'er to raise her eyebrows.
Then she asked him, "Just who is that person? I have also tried playing the Soul Ensnaring Zither multiple times, but I never figured out how to play it properly, yet this person did it flawlessly."
Senior Zou shook his head and said, "Believe me when I say this, but I also don't know his background. Besides his face and that he's from the Dragon Essence Temple, I don't know anything else about him."
"Wait… You saw his face? What did he look like?" Song Ling'er suddenly asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
"Well… He was a very handsome young man."
"A handsome young man? And you don't recognize him at all? How can such a talented individual be a nobody?" Song Ling'er asked.
Senior Zou shrugged and said, "I have no idea."
Song Ling'er no longer said anything and stood there with a pondering look on her beautiful face.
And almost as though he'd suddenly recalled something, Senior Zou spoke a moment later, "Oh, right. He's also called 'Yuan', and he will be participating in the zither competition with Fei Yuyan as his partner."
"He's what?!" Song Ling'er turned to look at him with a shocked look on her face.
If someone like Yuan participated in the competition, it would no longer become a competition but a one-sided performance instead!
"I-Is there something wrong with that?" Senior Zou asked her.
"..."
"No… If someone like him participates in the competition, there's no doubt that he will become an instant sensation. In fact, if I could, I would give him the first place and end the competition right now."
"You think of him that highly? I have never seen you praising someone to such an extent. Your disciples will cry if they hear that," Senior Zou chuckled.
"They can cry all they want, but if they want to complain, they better prove to me that they're worth praising." Song Ling'er spoke in a nonchalant voice.
"Anyway, I'm going to leave now. Thank you for your time."
Senior Zou nodded and said, "My Zou Family will always have its doors open for you, Senior Song."
Song Ling'er left the Zou Family shortly later.
"Yuan, huh?" Song Ling'er mumbled his name as she traveled in the streets with a veil covering her face, yet her womanly figure still attracted countless gazes.
Sometime later, Song Ling'er arrived at a hotel that was different from the one she was staying at.
"Welcome back, Senior Song!"
The workers there immediately greeted her when they saw her figure.
"Are my disciples here?" she asked the workers behind the reception desk.
"Yes, they are currently inside their room, Senior Song."
Song Ling'er nodded and proceeded to look for her disciples.
"Master!"
Two individuals in their early twenties, a young lady and young man, showed up shortly after Song Ling'er knocked on their doors and greeted her.
"Ai Wan, Wei Kang, I have something important to say," Song Ling'er said to them, and she continued with a serious look on her face, even removing her veil so they could see how serious she was being, "This zither competition… You will meet someone exceptional— someone who will make you doubt your own talents and existence."
Her disciples looked at her with a gawking expression, as they could not comprehend why she was telling them such a thing right before the competition.
"I am telling you this because I want you to prepare yourselves, since you two have been acting very relaxed, almost like you've already won the competition. Don't get complacent because you are my disciples."
"We were wrong to look down on others just because we're your disciples, Master." The disciples lowered their heads, apologizing for being complacent.
Song Ling'er nodded her head and left shortly later, returning to her own hotel.
"What happened to the Master? She's acting a little suspicious."
The two disciples looked at each other with a dumbfounded look after she left.
"Master usually carries this confident and slightly arrogant aura around her, but I couldn't feel that from her just now…" Wei Kang, the male disciple mumbled.
"Perhaps something really happened. I have never seen her act like this before." Ai Wan sighed.
And she continued, "She said there'll be someone 'exceptional' in the competition, right? Did she just praise someone? I don't think I have ever seen her praise anyone before— not even her own disciples."
"I'm actually feeling a little excited about this competition now." Wei Kang said with a slight smile on his face.
"Me, too."