Chapter 66: Intimate Friends within the Piano

Chapter 66: A Close Confidant in the Piano

"S... solved?" Ji Xian asked, picking at his ear in disbelief.

"It seems so."

The group cautiously approached.

He Nian plucked up the courage to tap the piano body, producing a dull sound.

"Duan Ming, how did you know that covering it with a ragged cloth would fix it? Does this cloth have the power to seal ghosts and spirits?"

"And what about the culprit behind the bizarre tales and spirits?"

"Oh, the entire thing you just tapped on is it," Duan Ming replied calmly.

"Hsssh—" He Nian instantly retracted his hand, his hair standing on end.

Duan Ming ignored him, recalling the information he had just acquired in his mind.

[Ghost in the Piano]
[Name: Cheng Yiyao]
[Level: Fierce Ghost Level]
[Ghost Qi: 2437]
[Friendliness: -10] (This fellow interrupted my performance)
[Target Information: Music is her everything, the piano is her companion, and her bright future was ruined after she was implicated in a serial murder case. Fortunately, her flesh and blood were entirely hidden inside the piano, which can be considered staying with her beloved forever. Because she was chopped into thousands of fragments at the time of death, she cannot manifest a physical body even in the netherworld, becoming a bound spirit of the piano. She can temporarily create a transparent avatar through the piano, and only in this way can she occasionally enjoy the thrill of her ten fingers flying across the keys.]
[Hint: Due to unknown influences, her music carries extremely lethal rules. She once happily showed her proudest work to passersby, only to receive their terrified, freakish screams in return. How she wished someone could listen to her piece from beginning to end with genuine appreciation.]

A serial murder case, another serial murder case.

The self-mutilating ghost was one, and the piano ghost was another. If his guess was correct, the murder witnessed by the heart-gouging ghost back then should be one of them.

The clues obtained so far were quite numerous, but they were all scattered and completely unable to be connected.

Duan Ming called over the heart-gouging ghost: "Are you familiar with this piano?"

The heart-gouging ghost stared at it for a long time and shook its head: "I don't have much impression, but I've forgotten a lot of things. I don't know if it might be in my lost memories."

Duan Ming fell silent.

After pondering for a long time, he suddenly spoke, "Everyone go out, leave the art building, and wait for me outside."

Yu Xiaoshuang frowned deeply at this point: "Duan Ming, what are you trying to do? Isn't the situation already under control now? Shouldn't we just take this opportunity to finish our credit mission?"

"Perhaps there are things more important than credits."

"He Nian, take them away."

Although He Nian was usually unreliable, his trust in Duan Ming reached its absolute peak at critical moments.

With a solemn expression, he nodded to Duan Ming: "Be careful yourself."

"Yeah."

Yu Xiaoshuang was actually the first to move. She nodded at Duan Ming and walked toward the door first. He Nian patted the others and followed closely behind.

---

It was only after watching the few of them walk out of the art building from the window that Duan Ming turned back toward the piano.

Perhaps even he didn't realize that he, who used to claim to Chen Feng that he would never take risks, was now putting the safety of these friends ahead of everything else.

He wanted to listen to the piano music.

Duan Ming paced slowly, lightly touching the old textures on the surface of the piano.

"You know what? Actually, the moment you started playing earlier, I fell in love with the melody of this piece. It's very melodious, very elegant, just the type I like. Especially under your performance, I felt as if I experienced the taste of first love—that green, ignorant, and hesitant feeling."

[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness +20]
[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness: 10] (Did he really hear it out?)

Duan Ming: "..."

"But you and I both know the power of your piano music. I'm sorry, I couldn't let more people appreciate your performance; I didn't want my friends to risk their lives for my own selfish desires..."

"Now it's just me."

"Can you let me... properly listen to the art of your fingertips?"

[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness +20]
[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness: 30] (He is really so gentle)

Duan Ming pulled away the ghost cloth in one go.

He literally had to pull it.

The ghost cloth, having been treated with the Indian divine oil, was now as stiff as a pair of trousers dried outside all night in a Northeast winter, capable of standing up on its own.

[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness +50]
[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness: 80] (A bosom friend is hard to find)

Duan Ming pulled over a small stool and sat down obediently, watching the keys begin to press down again.

Ding—

The opening note sounded, followed by a continuous, elegant, and lingering flow.

Listening to it, it really was quite good.

But that was only limited to the first time.

When the second time played, the palms of Duan Ming's hands were sweating involuntarily.

He was gambling.

Gambling with the single resurrection chance granted by the boundary stone.

If he succeeded, perhaps there would still be a chance to uncover the secrets behind this Fengxian High School.

If he failed...

Then he failed.

The second time ended, and the third time began immediately after.

The further it went, the more Duan Ming felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

---

The most nerve-wracking part was the final lingering note.

Ding—

A period of blank space.

Normally, after two or three seconds, the next repetition would start immediately, but this time, more than ten seconds had passed, and it remained in a state of silence.

An ethereal female voice sounded abruptly.

"This is a piece I composed myself, named 《Love Quartet》. It is originally composed of four identical melodic sequences, but unfortunately, those who managed to hear it to the end have already lost their lives, and besides, no one appreciates it anyway; everyone is just busy running for their lives."

"No, I love it." Duan Ming stood up and smiled at the empty space on the piano bench.

"The Quartet: the mood of the first movement is slightly green and inexperienced; the second is passionate and unrestrained; by the third, it turns into twists and turns with rising and falling tones. Although I didn't get the chance to hear the fourth movement, I guess it should be a mood of simplicity and unpretentiousness, right?"

"It precisely symbolizes the four stages of love: ambiguity, passionate romance, quarrels, and returning to plainness."

Empty space: "You... do you really understand?!!!"

Duan Ming: Understand my ass, of course I'm making it up on the spot, thank goodness I used to read more chicken soup for the soul.

Yet on the surface, he still smiled shyly: "I understand a little, a little."

[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness +20]
[Cheng Yiyao Friendliness is full] (Close Confidant)
[Reward: 1, Ghost Qi +100]
[2, Ghost Skill - Level Nine Hand Speed]
[3, 500 Million Ghost Coins]
[Level Nine Hand Speed: Passive skill, derived from the piano virtuoso. When performing hand movements, the speed can be accelerated, up to nine times the normal speed.]

He won the gamble!

At this moment, Cheng Yiyao said eagerly again, "Then... then listen to the last movement, I promise you will like it!"

"No need at all!" Duan Ming hurriedly waved his hands.

"In my view, art always needs to leave some room for regret. If you really let me listen to the complete version, perhaps no other music could ever enter my ears again. This kind of blank expectation for art is my greatest respect for your piece."

"Th... then okay." Cheng Yiyao's tone carried a hint of disappointment, but much more of pleasant surprise. "That's true, it was abrupt of me. If you listened to the fourth movement, you probably would have lost your life too."

"It's so hard to find an audience who can understand me, I can't let you take risks, tee-hee~"

A "tee-hee" made Duan Ming's heart skip a beat.

If she didn't lack a physical body, she probably would have been a very cute girl too.

Daily begging for votes! The excitement is about to begin!
Thanks to ?Forgotten??, Bu Wenren, Yicheng Grandpa, Dongni FTP, and Book Friend 20200224175843569 for their tips.
Thank you!!!
(End of this chapter)