The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 408: Like He Already Played It

Xavier felt a chill run down his spine as he realized they had been completely wrong in predicting this person’s movements based on logic.

When they came to Caritas to apologize and mend their relationship with Aldrian, they believed that offering a high-grade divine artifact would be enough for him to forget past grievances or at least appreciate their gesture.

However, they were mistaken. They had overlooked one crucial factor about Aldrian—his character.

With Aldrian’s strength, presenting an artifact of this level to him was no different from handing it to him on a silver platter—without requiring him to even consider their offer or intent. Aldrian could simply take the artifact and still attack the second prince afterward.

They had been wrong to assume that Aldrian would show them any courtesy for their attempt to mend their relationship.

This young man wanted only that traitor—nothing else! Even if he had to fight the entire faction alone, he would not waver. His only goal was that traitor, and that was it!

The only thought in Xavier’s mind now was how to escape from this place. But before he could act, a sharp pain shot through his back—Aldrian had punch him precisely where his dantian was located. His spine broke instantly, and his dantian was shattered.

"Hggnnhh!" Because of the spatial lock, he couldn’t scream—only a muffled groan escaped as he writhed in unbearable pain. His eyes welled with tears, his complexion turned deathly pale, and his skin wrinkled as if he were aging at an accelerated rate.

With his dantian shattered and his life cultivation dissipating at a rapid rate, the foundation that had sustained his life began to collapse, forcing him to revert to a mortal as his true age caught up to him.

If this continued, Xavier would be dead by today or tomorrow at the latest, as his real age was far beyond what a mortal body could endure.

Xavier, unable to bear the pain any longer, finally fainted. While he was unconscious, Aldrian decided to read his memories before he released the spatial lock, causing Xavier’s body to drop to the ground while his guardian knight regained movement.

The knight’s body were already drenched in sweat from the tense situation. Because of his position having fallen behind the sofa, he couldn’t see Xavier and could only hear Aldrian’s voice.

A chill settled in his heart. Aldrian had completely disregarded their efforts and continued to push forward in opposition to the second prince. Then, a sharp cracking sound reached his ears. The moment the spatial lock was lifted, he scrambled to his feet, desperate to check on his lord.

What he saw sent a chill down his spine.

Xavier’s hair had already turned white, and deep wrinkles covered his body. The knight could sense his lord’s cultivation leaking uncontrollably, his power rapidly fading. In that moment, he finally realized that Xavier’s cultivation was slowly dissipating.

Aldrian had crippled him!

"You! What did you—"

"You draw your sword, and I’ll send the second prince two bodies as my answer."

Before the knight could lash out and unsheathe his sword, Aldrian’s voice cut him off. The knight’s hand, already gripping the hilt and poised to strike, froze mid-motion as he realized what he was about to do.

It had been pure reflex, his instinct to fight after witnessing his lord’s condition, but he knew the truth. This young man was far beyond his league.

His trembling fingers loosened, and at last, he released his grip on the sword. Lowering his head, he dared not meet Aldrian’s gaze.

"You heard what I said. Go back to the second prince and relay everything I’ve told your lord," Aldrian said.

He then walked toward the window, gazing out at the scenery beyond.

"You can leave now."

The guardian knight immediately rushed to Xavier’s side and lifted him up. He stared at his lord’s aged face and frail body for a moment before glancing at Aldrian’s back. Gritting his teeth, he turned toward the door and strode out.

He needed to report this madman’s response to the second prince, this man could not be reasoned with or negotiated with.

After Aldrian was left alone, he looked at the guqin still resting on the broken table. Walking toward it, he ran his fingers over its surface as if trying to feel its texture once more. Then, he closed the box and stored the guqin inside his storage ring.

Not long after, two maids entered the room. Aldrian instructed them to clean up the mess before making his way to the mansion’s vast back garden.

At the center of the garden stood a large tree, its dense canopy casting a wide shadow, shielding everything beneath it from the sunlight.

Aldrian approached the tree and sat down beneath it. He retrieved the guqin’s box, took out the instrument, and stored the box back in his storage ring.

In this life, he had never played the guqin even once. Yet, it didn’t feel foreign to him. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation, only a deep familiarity, as if he had played it for years and was now simply picking it up again after a long absence.

He closed his eyes and ran his palm across the guqin’s strings, as if trying to feel the intent within it. This guqin had been created to follow his path, and he could sense it with his heart.

It was as if the first ancestor of the phoenix stood before him, conveying the instrument’s purpose in silence.

Without realizing it, Aldrian plucked the first string. A stirring sensation welled up in his heart—an indescribable feeling. Then, he plucked the second string, then the third, until all seven strings had been played, weaving together a melody. He followed his instincts, plucking according to his will.

At first, the notes were slightly off, disrupting the flow of the music. But as time passed, the melody grew smoother, more harmonious, more beautiful.

It was as if he had played this song long ago and was now simply recalling its notes, bringing them to life once more.

The music grew more beautiful as he immersed himself in it, even though he had never played before. His hands moved instinctively, each motion becoming smoother over time, no longer as rigid as before.

As he indulged in the sound of the guqin, unaware of his surroundings, phenomenon began to unfold. The wind blew gently toward him, as if it, too, was enjoying the melody. Birds drew near, seemingly drawn by the beautiful sound, as if they wished to listen and appreciate the music.

All kinds of flowers released their fragrance, filling the air with a refreshing blend of scents that spread across the garden. The heaven and earth energy flowed more slowly, as if unwilling to pass up the chance to listen to the music. Even the heavens within his domain seemed to stay still, and the people in Caritas could sense a subtle change in the atmosphere.

Inside the mansion, the sound of the guqin finally reached the ears of those within, making them wonder who was playing such a mesmerizing melody. Drawn by its beauty, they made their way to the vast garden, where they found their lord seated beneath the shade of a tree, playing the guqin as a gentle breeze accompanied him.

For a moment, their eyes glimmered at the breathtaking sight before them, then they closed them and let themselves be swept away by the music.

Sylphia and Baek Jimin also heard the music and turned toward Aldrian beneath the tree. They had been in the middle of a conversation, discussing Baek Jimin’s experiences in Weilmar City with Aldrian.

Drawn by the melody, they walked closer but kept a respectful distance, afraid to disturb his playing. Instead, they stood quietly, closing their eyes to fully take in the music.

Everyone who listened felt a deep sense of peace, as if all their worries had faded away. This feeling was especially profound for those who had been saved by Aldrian from Marquess Parus and now served under him in the mansion.

For the men, the torture they endured under Marquess Parus’s rule left deep scars. They had felt utterly helpless, forced to rely on the mercy of their tormentors.

For the women, the trauma ran just as deep. Marquess Parus’s forces had treated them as mere playthings, reducing their existence to nothing more than the fulfillment of carnal desires. Many believed they were already tainted and felt as though their self-esteem had been completely shattered.

Though they all tried to move on and focus on their work under Aldrian, the pain and trauma remained buried deep within their hearts. Such unresolved feelings could be dangerous because they could fester into an inner demon or perhaps they had already unconsciously created one, something that could jeopardize their future cultivation.

However, at this moment, under the beautiful melody of the guqin, they felt their past grievances slowly dissipating. A sense of peace washed over them, one they had never experienced before.

Unknown to them, the inner demons that had already begun to take shape were now being suppressed. As they listened to the music, a sense of enlightenment dawned upon them, allowing them to reflect on their painful experiences.

The past could not be changed, but the future still awaited them. If they remained trapped by their past grievances and thirst for vengeance, they would gain nothing and might even destroy themselves in the process.

Moreover, the ones who had caused their suffering were already dead, killed by the very man now playing this music.

Then, all across the mansion, a remarkable phenomenon occurred—one after another, many people suddenly broke through to a higher level of cultivation!