A thousand-year-old peachwood flute?!

Gu Qingyan rested his chin in his hand and stared at the short flute floating in the system window.

It spun slowly in a 360° rotation. The texture of the peachwood was fine, and the rare reddish-brown color gave it a refined look. The flute had been polished to a smooth, full finish.

Peachwood was common. Short flutes were also common.

But a short flute made of peachwood? That was rare.

Gu Qingyan absentmindedly rubbed his chin, his eyes full of puzzlement and confusion.

Why did this peachwood flute look exactly like the one the Left Protector from the Taiping Sect had used?

Length, color, shape—identical.

Gu Qingyan couldn’t make sense of it. Had the system gotten lazy and just copied a real-world peachwood flute as a reward?

What use would a peachwood flute exchanged for 10 points have?

Gu Qingyan straightened his back. He still remembered the effect the Left Protector’s flute had—that cold, aloof Pei Xuan had turned into a bloodthirsty maniac.

The thousand-year-old peachwood flute could control venomous creatures. Gu Qingyan ground his molars. Even if the system’s version wasn’t as powerful as the Taiping Sect’s, it shouldn’t be completely useless either.

But peach trees usually only lived for about twenty years. The best ones might last thirty.

Could a peach tree really live a thousand years? Wouldn’t it have become a spirit by then?

Gu Qingyan faintly sensed that this little world wasn’t quite as he’d believed. But for some reason, every time he tried to think deeply about it, something interrupted him, reinforcing the belief that there were no gods or ghosts here.

This time was no different—his attention was forcibly diverted as he admired the peachwood flute, unable to put it down.

“If it’s from the system, it must be top quality.”

He’d been worrying about the elusive Left Protector suddenly showing up in his room one day, bringing a swarm of snakes, bugs, and rodents.

Now that he had the peachwood flute, he could fight back.

The Left Protector’s flute had already been shattered in two and was completely unusable. But Gu Qingyan had one in hand.

Next time they met, Gu Qingyan would pull out his flute and start playing. That Left Protector would surely be so shocked he’d start questioning reality.

“That’s what you get for playing ghost and harming Pei Xuan.”

At the thought of Pei Xuan, Gu Qingyan couldn’t help but sigh, feeling a pang in his heart.

By the time that confrontation happened, who knew what their relationship would be? Pei Xuan might not even be able to accept being friends. Their once-close brotherhood could become mere acquaintance—or worse, strangers.

That image made Gu Qingyan’s eyes sting and his nose itch. The joy of receiving the thousand-year-old peachwood flute was cut in half.

Among the examinees, Gu Qingyan’s seat was near the front. With his striking looks, he naturally stood out.

Lu Hanlin’s gaze kept involuntarily drifting to him. Seeing Gu Qingyan smiling one moment and frowning the next, he couldn’t help but frown himself.

A rural boy from Lingchuan County—aside from his looks, there wasn’t anything particularly special about him.

He’d been raised in the Li family for fifteen years, but when the incident happened, they’d kicked him out without hesitation. Clearly, there wasn’t much affection there.

Lu Hanlin had originally thought that after being expelled from the Li family, the boy would fall from grace and wallow in the mud for the rest of his life.

But somehow, Gu Qingyan had climbed back up and even made connections with some very important figures.

Lu Hanlin’s eyes darkened. Maybe there was something he didn’t know. Once he returned to the capital, he’d have to visit Minister Li and ask if there were any hidden stories from the past.

The county-level examination only had two rounds: the main exam and the follow-up exam.

The Great Zhou hadn’t implemented the Eight-Legged Essay format yet. The main exam still focused on set-topic poetry, the memorization of the Four Books and Five Classics, and finally a basic essay—a simplified version of the more advanced policy essays.

After the first main exam ended, Lu Hanlin reviewed Gu Qingyan’s paper.

It was indeed well written—but just that. The wording wasn’t particularly elegant, and the calligraphy lacked refinement.

From a nitpicking standpoint, Lu Hanlin felt Gu Qingyan was just good enough in every way, yet slightly lacking in each as well—not at all aligned with the humble and morally upright style of Hongshan Academy.

Nevertheless, Lu Hanlin had passed him without hesitation and allowed him into the second round.

A cunning old fox like Lu Hanlin was steady as ever. He thought: once Gu Qingyan passed the county exam, he’d extend an olive branch. If the boy was smart, he’d accept it quickly.

Then everything could be smoothed over. After all, Hongshan Academy and the Pei family were originally meant to be aligned.

Gu Qingyan had no idea about Lu Hanlin’s intentions, nor did he know that every time the man approached him, it was with an eye to evaluate him.

He was focused entirely on the exam, waiting until it was over before he even thought about checking in.

The second round still had a heavy workload—especially the memorization section, which included a full hundred questions.

Gu Qingyan wondered if this massive question set was meant to test how solid everyone’s fundamentals were, or if it was just a weeding-out process that relied partly on luck.

When the gate to the examination courtyard opened again, Gu Qingyan finally let out a breath of relief and couldn’t wait to leave.

Zhang Cheng squeezed through the crowd and whispered beside him, “This exam was way too hard! There were so many questions—I nearly couldn’t finish. Brother Gu, did you manage to complete it? Do you think you’ll pass?”

“I finished it at least. We’ll know once the results are posted.”

Gu Qingyan wasn’t in the mood for small talk. He walked straight toward Zhang Nian. “Brother Zhang, I’ve got something to take care of. Let’s meet up another time.”

Zhang Cheng blinked. “He just finished the exam—what business could he have?”

Once on the ox cart, Gu Qingyan said immediately, “Take me to the mass grave outside the city.”

Zhang Nian was startled. “Right now? Brother Gu, you just finished the exam—don’t you want to go home and rest first?”

“No. I need to go to the mass grave. There’s something I need to do.” Gu Qingyan insisted.

Zhang Nian had no choice but to drive the cart out of the city. After spending so much time with Gu Qingyan, he knew his temperament well.

For trivial matters, Gu Qingyan was easygoing and rarely lost his temper. He was extremely patient.

But once he decided on something important, Zhang Nian could talk himself hoarse and still not change his mind.

The ox cart rumbled toward the outskirts and soon arrived near the mass grave.

Gu Qingyan jumped down. “Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

Zhang Nian hesitated. He really didn’t understand—Gu Qingyan had just finished a grueling exam. Why not rest at home instead of coming here?

“Brother Gu, let me go with you. If anything happens, at least I can help.”

He’d been frightened by the previous two incidents and was terrified that something would happen to Gu Qingyan if he wasn’t watching.

Gu Qingyan hesitated for a moment and nodded. “Alright. Just stay behind me, and no matter what happens, don’t be afraid.”

Zhang Nian nodded repeatedly.

The two of them climbed the slope to the mass grave, one after the other.

The Hua family was buried here. After bringing out Madam Zhao of the Hua family, Gu Qingyan had buried her with the rest of her family and erected a proper headstone so the grave wouldn’t be swallowed up by weeds.

He wasn’t in a rush to get to work. First, he walked over to the graves to clear the weeds.

But to his surprise, the Hua family’s grave was neat and clean, clearly already tended to. There were even offerings placed before the tomb.

Judging by the freshness, someone must have made the offerings recently—likely during the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month.

Gu Qingyan frowned in confusion. “Could it have been Hongdou who came to pay her respects?”

Hongdou had always felt that Madam Hua Zhao had saved her life. She once said she would often come to pay her respects, so that the Hua family wouldn’t be without incense offerings in the afterlife.

Gu Qingyan didn’t think much of it. He led Zhang Nian over the mountain ridge and down into a ravine behind the mass grave.

Compared to the front of the grave site, this place was even more remote.

The weeds were waist-high, and because it was on the shadowed side of the mountain, it looked gloomy and eerie.

Zhang Nian followed closely behind, unable to resist asking, “Brother Gu, what are we doing here?”

“You’ll see in a bit.”

Gu Qingyan said no more and continued walking a little further. Only after confirming that they were absolutely alone did he stop.

He turned and instructed, “Just stand behind me. No matter what happens, don’t make a sound.”

Zhang Nian nodded repeatedly to show he understood, his face tense.

Gu Qingyan smiled, “Don’t be so nervous. I just want to try playing the flute.”

Before Zhang Nian could ask, Gu Qingyan pulled out a peachwood flute.

Zhang Nian’s mouth fell open, not understanding where the flute had come from. It looked different from ordinary flutes.

And why come all the way out here just to play a flute? Why not just play it at home?

Zhang Nian couldn’t make sense of it, but he followed obediently, thinking Brother Gu must have his reasons.

Gu Qingyan first inspected the peachwood flute. It was intact and looked very much like the one used by the Left Protector.

If it hadn’t been a product of the system, he would have thought it was the exact same one.

But that was impossible. The Left Protector’s flute had shattered and was later completely burned by Pei Xuan.

The peachwood flute felt heavy in his hands. When Gu Qingyan’s fingers brushed across it, the polished wood felt warm and smooth.

He gently placed the flute to his lips and gave it a try.

“Poooo—” The peachwood flute emitted a dull, muffled sound.

Gu Qingyan raised an eyebrow. He did know how to play the flute — his musician skill was already at intermediate level, one of the skills he’d chosen and had a natural talent for. It was among the fastest to level up.

However, the structure of this peachwood flute was different from a normal flute. Gu Qingyan slowly explored and adapted to it. The sound was completely off-tune at first, just a series of disjointed, tooting noises.

Standing behind him, Zhang Nian could clearly hear the racket.

He couldn’t help but think: Maybe Brother Gu is just bad at playing the flute and didn’t want to practice at home out of embarrassment?

Zhang Nian felt like he’d uncovered the truth and kept quiet, listening intently, already thinking of what kind words to say once Gu Qingyan finished, so as not to discourage him.

Gu Qingyan wasn’t making noise on purpose. He was testing the tone of the flute.

After about half an hour, he had figured out how the flute worked.

Suddenly, the sound changed. From scattered, off-key notes, it transformed into a flowing, melodious tune — like a gentle stream, washing over the soul.

The plants and trees on the mountain around the mass grave seemed to respond, swaying slightly in the breeze, creating a picturesque natural scene.

Gu Qingyan closed his eyes slightly. Through the music, he felt something strange — as if he were resonating with the living creatures of the mountain, feeling their joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

Unbeknownst to him, behind him, Zhang Nian’s eyes had gone glassy. He too had been affected by the indescribable power in the melody.

The gentle tune shifted again, becoming loud and powerful, shattering the stillness of the mountainside.

Suddenly, there came a rustling sound — dense and overwhelming. Countless insects had been summoned, crawling toward the source of the flute’s call.

Gu Qingyan was still immersed in the music, unaware of what he was doing. The tune grew more and more intense, and the creatures responded with their own cries, forming a strange, eerie symphony.

An unspeakable strangeness began to blanket the mountain. Though it was the hottest part of the year, an unnatural chill crept in.

Gu Qingyan, still playing, was completely unaware and growing more engrossed.

In the air, underground, and in the grass, something began to stir — something about to erupt.

They had been summoned. Once they broke through the surface, they would become Gu Qingyan’s weapons, devouring everything in their path.

“Ah—!”

Zhang Nian suddenly let out a scream, falling forward and crashing into Gu Qingyan, who was still lost in his music.

The tune was interrupted. Gu Qingyan quickly caught him — only to have blood splatter onto his chest.

Zhang Nian’s chest heaved violently, his whole body curled up and convulsed uncontrollably.

“A-Nian!” Gu Qingyan was startled.

He reached out to feel Zhang Nian’s pulse and found his blood and energy were in chaos. In that moment, it was as if all his blood had been set on fire, causing him to suffer in agony.

Gu Qingyan’s face turned pale. He hadn’t expected the peachwood flute to attack indiscriminately — it had almost cost Zhang Nian his life.

He quickly raised the flute again, switching to a soothing and calming tune.

Soon, Zhang Nian’s expression eased, and the convulsions stopped.

Gu Qingyan let out a breath of relief. When he checked the pulse again, Zhang Nian’s blood had settled. However, the earlier turmoil had left behind internal damage — he would need two days of medicine to recover.

Thankfully, it wasn’t serious. Otherwise, Gu Qingyan would have been filled with regret.

He had been too careless. Knowing full well how strange the flute was, he’d still brought Zhang Nian along to test it.

Gu Qingyan was shaken. Ever since obtaining the system, he had received many incredible items, but none with power quite like this — the ability to directly control life and death.

He now realized he could take someone’s life with ease.

Zhang Nian slowly regained consciousness, unaware of what had happened to him. “Brother Gu, what happened to me?”

Feeling regretful, Gu Qingyan carried him on his back. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you along.”

Zhang Nian tried to move but found his limbs weak.

He vaguely recalled what had happened. At first, Brother Gu’s flute sounded terrible — but then suddenly became beautiful.

At first, he was enchanted, as if drifting through the happiest moments of his life — a joy beyond words.

But it quickly turned terrifying. A force grabbed at his heart, made his blood boil, and filled him with a violent urge to destroy everything in sight.

Zhang Nian knew it wasn’t right. He tried to resist — and coughed up blood.

“Brother Gu, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”

Gu Qingyan adjusted him on his back. “I’m the one who put you in danger. You should be scolding me.”

“But…” Zhang Nian thought, How could I blame Brother Gu?

Gu Qingyan added, “This won’t happen again.”

Next time he obtained something with unknown effects, he would test it himself — never again putting Zhang Nian at risk.

As he carried Zhang Nian down the mountain, Zhang Nian felt a little awkward and murmured, “Brother Gu, I’m fine now. You can put me down.”

“Don’t move.”

Gu Qingyan said, “It was my mistake. I have to take responsibility. Luckily, you’re okay. Otherwise, I could never forgive myself.”

“A-Nian, you said before, we’re friends and brothers. It’s only right for a big brother to carry his little brother.”

Zhang Nian’s eyes turned slightly red. He stopped resisting and leaned against Gu Qingyan’s back.

Because he was still young and growing, Gu Qingyan’s back wasn’t very broad — but it felt incredibly safe.

Zhang Nian secretly pressed his cheek against it, thinking, If only this moment could last forever.

Gu Qingyan carried Zhang Nian down the mountain and didn’t dare try again. He went straight back to town.

He never noticed that back in the ravine, countless insects slowly withdrew, and the twisted, eerie chorus faded.

Those things that had been about to emerge retreated once more, lying in wait for the next summoning.

Gu Qingyan knew none of this. He only knew that the thousand-year-old peachwood flute was indeed a powerful artifact.

While playing earlier, he had felt the resonance of its sound — a mysterious change, as if he could command the living creatures of the world.

Could it really be that there are powers in this world beyond the ordinary? Gu Qingyan couldn’t help but think of the strange techniques used by the Taiping Sect.

Magnetic resonance? Audio resonance? Or some other kind of influence?

Rubbing the peachwood flute in his hand, Gu Qingyan fell into deep thought.

The flute’s effects were extraordinary—it could directly affect the human body.

Judging by Zhang Nian’s condition, if Gu Qingyan hadn’t stopped in time, Zhang Nian might have literally died from his blood boiling.

Gu Qingyan furrowed his brow. As good as this thing was, he didn’t know how to use it properly and didn’t dare to experiment recklessly.

He was afraid that with one misstep, he might accidentally kill someone.

Gu Qingyan was genuinely scared. The image of Zhang Nian coughing up blood just now was etched into his mind.

He put the peachwood flute away—he didn’t plan to use it again for now.

Once back home, Gu Qingyan carried the person inside on his back. “You need to rest well for the next few days. I’ll handle everything outside.”

After helping Zhang Nian change his clothes and wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth, he tucked him straight into bed.

Zhang Nian felt awkward. “I’m actually fine now, really.”

He meant it. Ever since he arrived at the Gu residence, he’d been eating well, sleeping well, and even practicing martial arts. Zhang Nian felt strong and full of energy. Coughing up a bit of blood was nothing—he could go wrestle a tiger up the mountain right now.

“No, you’re not fine. You’re only fine when I say you’re fine,” Gu Qingyan insisted. He knew that if he didn’t say this, Zhang Nian would be up working in no time.

“Ah Nian, be good and rest. If you end up with any lingering illness, I’ll carry the guilt for the rest of my life.”

Gu Qingyan asked, “Unless… you want me to live with regret and guilt forever?”

“But if I rest, who’ll take care of you, Brother Gu?” Zhang Nian said anxiously.

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me. You’re the one who’s sick now—it’s only right that I take care of you.”

Gu Qingyan pulled the blanket up for him and rolled up his sleeves. “Today, you’ll get to taste my cooking.”

With that, he walked out, ready to show what he could do.

Zhang Nian had just started to get up when Gu Qingyan, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, warned him, “Don’t get out of bed. Wait for me to bring you your meal.”

Caught, Zhang Nian had no choice but to lie back down.

But he couldn’t help worrying. Although Brother Gu had cooked at home before, both Mama Liu and the two young ladies had said that Brother Gu was a scholar. A gentleman stays away from the kitchen—if he cooked, people might laugh at him.

Besides, he was the one who came to take care of Gu Qingyan. Now he was the one lying down being cared for—it really didn’t feel right.

Gu Qingyan entered the kitchen and began cooking, his movements so efficient it looked like he’d done it a thousand times.

In the system, Gu Qingyan’s cooking skill was still at the beginner level, but it was more than enough.

At the very least, his knife skills were exceptionally good—far better than most ordinary cooks.

Unfortunately, back at the Gu residence, with Mama Liu and the two sisters around, he was rarely allowed into the kitchen and never had the chance to show off.

In just a short time, Gu Qingyan had prepared three dishes and a soup.

He glanced at the system—there was even a little bonus: his cooking skill quietly increased by 10 percent.

Gu Qingyan was thoughtful. It seemed that using skills in real life did in fact improve proficiency. That made him even more determined to practice more.

He brought the three dishes and soup to the bedside, leaving Zhang Nian stunned.

“Brother Gu, did you make all this?”

Gu Qingyan smiled. “I told you I could cook, but you all kept stopping me. Come on, give it a try.”

He added playfully, “This is my first time seriously cooking. You’re my very first customer—see if it suits your taste.”

Zhang Nian’s face flushed with excitement. He lowered his head and began eating bite by bite, praising each one: “It’s so good! Everything Brother Gu makes is delicious.”

“Brother Gu, you’re amazing. Not only are you great at studying, you’re great at cooking too.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

Gu Qingyan laughed. He knew his own skill level—his cooking was just average. It was edible, but still far from delicious.

Hearing Zhang Nian’s blind praise, Gu Qingyan chuckled. “Well, I can learn anything… except giving birth.”

Zhang Nian looked up helplessly, feeling like he couldn’t keep up with Brother Gu’s train of thought. How was he supposed to respond to that?

After hesitating for a long while, Zhang Nian finally said, “In my heart, Brother Gu is the most amazing person in the world. Even though you can’t have kids, once you marry Sister-in-law, you’ll have them.”

Marry Sister-in-law.

Gu Qingyan couldn’t help but think of Pei Xuan.

If they really got married, who would count as “sister-in-law”? Would Pei Xuan be the wife? Gu Qingyan didn’t even dare to imagine it.

Just the thought of Pei Xuan in a phoenix crown and red wedding robes was terrifying. Gu Qingyan quickly swept the image from his mind.

He laughed. “I was just teasing you.”

After speaking, he patted the boy on the head and was surprised to realize that in just over a year, Zhang Nian had grown quite a bit.

He still remembered the first time he met Zhang Nian—back then, the kid had been thin and small. He’d thought Zhang Nian was only seven or eight years old.

But now, a year later, Zhang Nian had shot up and was already as tall as his chin. At this rate, it wouldn’t take more than two years before he surpassed him.

Even more remarkable, thanks to martial arts training, Zhang Nian wasn’t skinny anymore—his body was growing sturdier by the day, and he could put away five big bowls of rice in one sitting.

Just like now—Zhang Nian wolfed down all three dishes and the soup in no time.

When Gu Qingyan served the rice, he’d used a large soup bowl, and not a single grain was left.

After eating, Zhang Nian looked a bit sheepish. “Big Brother Gu, I— hiccup—”

His face flushed red with embarrassment.

Gu Qingyan, feeling quite accomplished, praised him loudly, “My Ah Nian has such a great appetite! You have to keep eating like this. Seeing how happy you are to eat makes me happy to cook!”

After the meal, Gu Qingyan checked his pulse again.

Fortunately, there were no serious aftereffects.

Zhang Nian was still young, and once he was fed and rested, his body recovered quickly.

Still worried, Gu Qingyan went to the pharmacy and specially prepared two doses of restorative medicine. Once he got home, he began brewing them.

The medicine smelled strange, but Zhang Nian was obedient. If told to drink, he drank. If told to eat, he ate. If told to rest, he rested. He was the most cooperative patient in the world.

But even the most obedient patient could only take so much. After half a month of bed rest, Zhang Nian just couldn’t sit still anymore.

He felt like he was eating well, feeling strong, and there was no need to stay in bed.

But since Big Brother Gu insisted, Zhang Nian didn’t dare argue. Instead, he secretly got up in the middle of the night and chopped all the firewood in the yard.

He swept the ground, cooked the rice, even polished the floor until it shone. Like a hardworking little bee, he labored all through the night, finally burning off all his excess energy.

By the time dawn broke, Zhang Nian snuck back to bed and pretended to be asleep.

When Gu Qingyan woke up and saw the neat pile of firewood, he was dumbfounded. There was no way to pretend he hadn’t seen it—it was just too obvious.

Even the Eight Immortals table in the living room had been wiped until it gleamed.

Gu Qingyan pressed his forehead and walked into the room—only to see Zhang Nian immediately start “snoring.”

It was fake, of course, and Gu Qingyan couldn’t help but chuckle at how obvious it was. Covering one’s ears while stealing a bell—this kid really made it come true.

He cleared his throat lightly and finally let him off the hook. “Alright, if you’re feeling better, you can get up. I won’t force you to stay in bed anymore, okay?”

“Really?” Zhang Nian sat up like a carp flipping over.

He was full of energy and really did seem fully recovered—maybe even stronger than before.

Gu Qingyan nodded. “Guaranteed.”

“Hehe!” Zhang Nian was overjoyed and jumped out of bed. “Big Brother Gu, my bones are rusting—I never want to be sick again!”

He pounded his chest and declared, “Big Brother Gu, if you need anything, just say the word! I’ve got more energy than I know what to do with!”

Gu Qingyan raised an eyebrow and was about to reply when a knock came at the door from outside.

“Congratulations, Scholar Gu, on passing the provincial exam!”