Chapter 23: The Correct Technique for Playing the Suona (Bonus Chapter)

After leaving behind the coins, those three "Gluttony Specters" departed without looking back; it is safe to assume that whenever they see Chen Ye in the future, they will keep as far away as possible.

"Master, you’ve scared my friends away..."

Chen Ye looked melancholic as he watched the trio leave. He had originally hoped to farm a bit more Weirdness Value from them every day. Now, it seemed he had lost three "loyal listeners."

The old man with the erhu did not quite follow Chen Ye’s train of thought. He changed the subject and said with a smile, "How was it? Did you have any realizations today?"

Chen Ye pondered for a moment, carefully recalling his progress while playing the suona earlier. In the first half, his control over the instrument had been extremely difficult, and he could barely keep it in tune. But in the second half, his handling had improved significantly, incorporating emotional fluctuations and transitions.

"I feel like my control has improved."

"However... this suona is still just too difficult. No matter how I play it, it sounds awful."

"Master, how do you manage to make the erhu sound so beautiful?"

Chen Ye was baffled. Neither the suona nor the erhu could be considered instruments with naturally pleasant timbres, so why was it that in this old man's hands, they sounded so vivid and ingenious? It was as if he had mastered the very laws of music, changing them at will, so that even instruments with harsh, dissonant sounds could be played with elegance and grace.

The old man smiled and gave a simple answer: "You must play with your heart."

Seeing Chen Ye fall into deep thought, the old man added leisurely, "Didn't you notice? You were playing the suona with your heart earlier, and you’ve already made great progress."

"Sometimes, your heart will guide you in the direction you need to move."

"If you can make music evoke emotion—whether it is simple or complex, as long as it touches someone—then you have succeeded."

*Uh... you mean to say that the pain my suona inflicted on the listeners... that counts as another form of success?*

*Wait...*

*Pain?*

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Ye. He seemed to enter a state of sudden enlightenment, as if a veil had been lifted, and he grasped something profound.

That was it!

Pain is also an emotion.

In many cases, human emotion is multi-layered rather than singular, and pain stems from many levels. If one were to divide it using a dualistic approach, pain can be categorized into physical pain and spiritual pain.

The timbre of this suona could not be changed inherently, because the original owner from whom it was manifested had died in agony and despair. Therefore, no matter how skilled Chen Ye became, he could not reverse the suona’s innate tone. Even playing the melodic, flowing tunes of the old man’s erhu was impossible. If the innate qualities weren't there, they simply weren't there. Even if he forced it, the effect would still be poor.

Thus, from the moment of its creation, this suona was destined to produce music that brought pain to the world.

Every note played was pain!

It was too painful!

But beyond physical pain, there was spiritual pain.

The spirit can resonate with music. This kind of pain doesn't necessarily come from material things; it can stem from memories, from a sense of unwillingness, or from unchangeable regrets...

Therefore, as long as one captures this emotion related to pain and plays it through the suona, the auditory experience will improve. To a certain extent, spiritual pain can numb physical pain. As long as the sound of the suona can resonate with the specific spiritual pain of the listener, the perceived pain of the auditory experience can be reduced.

From this perspective...

Wouldn't the auditory experience of the suona be improved?

Thinking of this, Chen Ye felt a sudden sense of clarity, as if he had attained a new level of understanding. He sat cross-legged, ignoring the old man, and began to play the suona.

As the sound emerged...

It was as if it were lamenting, yearning, weeping, and pouring out its grievances. Although the timbre of the suona remained piercingly sharp, it now managed to evoke the sorrowful pasts hidden within people's hearts. It felt as if one's spirit was instantly plunged into a period of depression and loss; the melody was mournful and melancholic.

The old man with the erhu was momentarily dazed. He didn't speak, but stood silently to the side, picking up a ladle from a bucket and taking a drink of water...

Chen Ye was immersed in his state of enlightenment, oblivious to his surroundings, focused entirely on playing the suona.

Had he checked his Blood-Colored Phone, he would have seen that his Weirdness Value gain had risen from the previous "100" to "120." This was without even walking while playing, yet the speed of the increase had already broken his previous limits.

It wasn't until the sky darkened that a wave of hunger pulled Chen Ye back to reality. He realized with a start just how long he had been practicing.

He opened his interface to check...

Good heavens!

His Weirdness Value had actually climbed to 2,600!

The increase in Weirdness Value from the "Role-Playing Method" alone had broken the 1,000-point mark!

At this moment, his ranking had climbed to 41st; he was surging forward with great momentum!

He opened the public channel of "Fate Jianghu."

"Oh my god, the big shot Chen Ye is starting to push hard again!"

"His climb seems to be getting faster and faster; it wasn't this fast before..."

"Why does it feel like he's riding a rocket now?"

"Can the big shot reveal some strategies or secrets? I can trade water for them!"

"To the guy above, who cares about your pathetic bit of water? Xijiang only requires one copper coin for unlimited access to safe water for a week; your little bit of water isn't even worth the big shot's spit!"

"This is too fierce. This growth rate doesn't seem to pale in comparison to the big shots in the top ten, and the rate is still increasing."

"The growth rates of other big shots haven't changed much, only Chen Ye's speed is getting faster. Has he mastered some unique secret?"

"Heh, don't even think about trading for such secrets with mere survival supplies; you'd need at least a trait-based item!"

"That's too hard... The big shots on the forum are all discussing trait-based items, but I haven't even seen a shadow of one yet."

"Forget it. In these early stages, trait-based items are like gods! How could they be traded away so easily?"

"I know a friend who seems to have obtained a trait-based item, but he lacks survival resources and is about to starve to death. I tried to persuade him to trade it for supplies to survive, but he'd rather die than part with it!"

"The ones on the trading interface clearly marked as trading food for trait-based items haven't seen a single sale yet..."

As expected, many players had mentioned Chen Ye, and he had gained quite a reputation within the circle.

At this moment, Chen Ye's ranking had surged to 41st. This high ranking had already begun to attract the attention of many of the top players on the leaderboard.

Compared to others, Chen Ye's growth rate was clearly and noticeably accelerating. Even those in the top ten felt a sense of intense crisis, leading them to pay close attention to him.

Chen Ye dismissed the idea of using the "Sugar-Roasted Chestnuts" to trade for items.

He knew that in this City of Fate, besides the specters, there was a large group of players!

Although these players were once human...

Sometimes, the human heart is even more unpredictable than a specter!

While the natives of the "Era of Weirdness" were dangerous, most followed their own rules and adhered to the laws of role-playing. As long as one knew how to interact with them, risks could be temporarily avoided.

But people are the most unpredictable of all. Sometimes, a person who seems perfectly kind to you will suddenly stab you in the back.

Chen Ye knew very well that if he exposed his identity information too early, he would likely be targeted by other players, especially if he remained a high-ranking player. Even releasing something as simple as water would expose the fact that he had been to Xijiang.

Not to mention the Sugar-Roasted Chestnuts?

Some players with high-end trait-based abilities could use the chestnuts to lock onto the exact location of the old woman who sold them, then track down Xining Town, and finally find him...

To compete for the number one spot, other players would stop at nothing!

Being safe and cautious is always for the best.

With the current progress, most players who were still alive had found temporary survival supplies. They generally wouldn't easily give away the trait-based items in their hands. It was highly unlikely he would be able to trade Sugar-Roasted Chestnuts for items like the spatula again.

Chen Ye’s ability to find "Nine-Tailed Fox’s Cat" was likely related to a burst of his [Good Luck] trait.

At this moment, Chen Ye opened the oil-paper bag, just about to take out a sugar-roasted chestnut to satisfy his hunger...

Just then, a faint, ethereal voice drifted once again from the depths of the Xining alleyway.

"Sugar-roasted chestnuts, fresh sugar-roasted chestnuts!"

"Come and have a taste!"

"Free samples, if it doesn't taste good, you don't have to pay..."