The Holy Maiden Yaoguang gave a light hum. "I thought you didn't want to bet?"
Jiang Chen was struck speechless, then chuckled. This woman really was petty. But having lived two lifetimes, Jiang Chen's mind was naturally different from that of an ordinary young man.
He could clearly see that the Holy Maiden Yaoguang was merely sparring with him out of pique — she wasn't truly wicked. At least their conduct was aboveboard and honest.
Compared to the Poison Consort Shi Qinglu, these so-called righteous-path cultivators were actually far easier to deal with.
The Holy Maiden Sitong smiled gently. "Sister Yaoguang, what would you like to bet with Fellow Daoist Jiang on?"
The Holy Maiden Yaoguang raised the qin in her hand. "I want to compete with him in music."
Jiang Chen laughed despite himself. "Although I have some small understanding of music, if you're talking about a qin competition, I might as well surrender right now. This is not my forte."
In his previous life, Jiang Chen had been something of a connoisseur when it came to musical theory. But in this life, he had been perpetually busy and had simply never had the time to practice the strings.
Such things required practice to perfect. Three days without practice, and one's hands grew clumsy.
Jiang Chen hadn't practiced in years — there was no way he could play better than the Holy Maiden Yaoguang. He had observed earlier that her attainment in the art of the qin was quite profound.
Perhaps only if Huan'er were here could she hold her own against her.
The Holy Maiden Sitong suddenly smiled and said, "There's a rumor that when Fellow Daoist Jiang once encountered the young lady of the Yan family, he expressed his feelings through a single melody, and two songs sealed their bond for life. Such a wonderful tale naturally deserves great praise. Why must Fellow Daoist Jiang be so modest?"
Jiang Chen blinked. This rumor wasn't widely known — he hadn't expected that both of these holy maidens had heard of it. He gave a wry smile.
"The rumors are mostly exaggerated. Both holy maidens flatter me," Jiang Chen said modestly.
The Holy Maiden Yaoguang arched an elegant brow and said coldly, "A real man shouldn't be so coy. I have no intention of bullying you over your inability to play. I've only heard that those two songs of yours are remarkably excellent. I can lend you my qin — as long as you can play those two songs and do not disgrace this instrument, I'll count it as your win. If the performance fails to meet my ears, then you lose. How about it?"
Jiang Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was there really such a bet in this world?
With this kind of wager, whether he won or lost depended entirely on a single word from the other party. Even if he played flawlessly, she could simply declare it unworthy, and all his efforts would be for nothing.
The Holy Maiden Sitong, however, laughed softly. "Fellow Daoist Jiang, my sister has always had a true ear for music. Go ahead and play — we two sisters will never let personal bias cloud our judgment or make claims against our conscience."
This was telling Jiang Chen: play freely. As long as you play well, we absolutely will not dishonestly say otherwise.
Jiang Chen knew that this hurdle today would not be easy to clear. If he didn't show some skill, these two holy maidens would certainly not let him pass.
Jiang Chen himself didn't particularly care, but this matter concerned the alliance of the Ten Great Holy Lands and the interests of the Eternal Sacred Land. He couldn't very well not give it his best.
After all, everything that happened here was being watched by Wu You and Gan Ning. If he didn't try his hardest, word might reach the Grand Sacred Master later, who would certainly reprimand him for not putting effort into the Sacred Land's affairs.
Jiang Chen wasn't afraid of their reprimand, but when he examined his own conscience, he felt he bore an inescapable duty in this matter.
With that thought, Jiang Chen cupped his fists and bowed. "Since both holy maidens are so gracious as to press the matter, this humble Jiang will make a fool of himself. Please wait a moment — let me make some preparations first."
In Jiang Chen's view, this was a refined affair, and it naturally called for proper preparation.
He found a source of water, bathed and changed his clothes, and changed into a clean set of garments. Only after washing away every trace of killing intent from his body did he return to the scene.
Seeing Jiang Chen treat the matter with such solemnity, both women were faintly surprised. The Holy Maiden Yaoguang pursed her lips, as if about to say something.
But the Holy Maiden Sitong lightly furrowed her slender brows, stopping the words that had risen to the Holy Maiden Yaoguang's lips.