After I brought my two new students into my shared courtyard, I set up a soundproof formation — which was essentially a simplified obfuscation array. Next, I took the drum set out and gestured for Three Drops Silent Toxin to sit on its stool.

He glanced at each drum and cymbal with curiosity before taking his seat. He picked up a stick and tapped it on the metal rim.

image [https://i.imgur.com/SH3dHHp.jpeg]

[https://i.imgur.com/SH3dHHp]

“This... looks like it’ll be difficult to use in a fight?”

I grinned. “This is a stationary-type drum set. It’s a powerful series of spiritual tools that should be used during a sect war… or a badass rock concert. Anyway, this is the kind of instrument designed to stay in one place. Though you could place them on a movable platform in a war.”

“Then are there more mobile kinds of sets?”

“Of course there are! But they require spiritual energy to control and maneuver.”

“And I have no internal energy.”

“Exactly…” I also hadn’t made one of those sets yet. “Regardless, learning and mastering this type is something you need to do first.”

He frowned. “It’s just that, I think playing this in a fight could get me killed.”

“Only if you haven’t learned how and when to use it.”

Next, I brought out the basic electric guitar I’d originally created to introduce rock to Little Spring. I handed it to Shadow Pantherwho gently took it and wrapped the strap around her shoulders like she’d seen me do.

Then she frowned down at the instrument.

“Since neither of you knows much about playing music, I’ll start with the basics.”

After studying in the scripture pavilion, I’d realized that the foundations of four arts and demonic music cultivation were very similar. It was like how the first step of most martial arts were simple punches and kicks. But I would still take the differences I’d discovered into consideration as I taught them.

“Do what I do.” I brought out my own guitar and played a scale. Shadow Panther, being bright, followed me as I repeated it.

If she were a mundane human, she would take weeks to place her fingers correctly and use the right amount of pressure. Fortunately, she was a cultivator. One of the elements that cultivation improved was thinking speed and precision. For Shadow Panther — who was used to controlling complex, human-form puppets with finger-straining hand seals — mastering this wouldn’t take her long.

“Now, as you play the scale, you’re going to move your spiritual energy like this.” I rested my hand on her back and guided her energy to move in the right pattern.

Once she finished playing the scale, her eyes grew wide. “When I did that, the sound changed!”

I clasped my hands behind my back. “I designed this instrument to become louder when you insert your spiritual energy.”

She shook her head. “It was more than that!” The girl frowned. “It sounded... fuller, more real, like each note brushed against my soul.”

I grinned. Apparently, our Shadow Panther had some hidden musical cultivation talent. “Well done! Feeling the notes with your soul is the first step. Once you play an emotional song, you’ll really feel the effects on the soul.”

“What about me?” Three Drops Silent Toxin asked. “I’m a body cultivator. I don’t have internal energy like she does.”

I gestured for Shadow Panther to keep practicing her scales, then I turned to Three Drops. I pulled out another stool and sat next to him. “You don’t have internal energy... yet.”

“You mean I’ll have to cultivate internal energy?” He scowled and shook his head. “My body isn’t built for it, but I am naturally resistant to toxins. That’s why I went down the path of poison body cultivation.”

“What you’re thinking of as internal energy is the Qi cultivated by taking in the energy of the heavens and the earth. That energy gets cycling through your body, then stored in your dantian.”

He frowned. “Yeah.”

“But how do you think sword cultivators or demonic musicians power their amazing feats?”

“Don’t they… use their internal Qi?”

Ah, this guy wasn’t as bright as I thought he was. But that was fine. Not every student could be as insanely intelligent as Little Spring. “They practice their art until it gains the approval of the heavens. This grants them energy. Since it is stored within their bodies, it becomes a type of internal energy. Of course, if you study different disciplines, their energies may conflict with each other, so most masters would tell you to focus on one path.”

“But not you?”

I grinned. My Dao was Unlimited. I could learn as many disciplines as I wanted to, in part, because of my constitution, but also because I was a genius. A very humble one, too.

“Do you think that as your senior, I can’t see that your body isn’t suitable for the energy of the heavens and the earth?”

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He glanced up and to the left, in avoidance. Yeah, I could tell he thought I hadn’t known him long enough to know about his body’s limitations.

I flicked his glabella and his eyes widened. “You can still cultivate other disciplines. So, even if I can’t find a way to fix your unbalanced poison body — though I absolutely will — your internal energy can increase through the Dao of Rock!”

Muahahaha!

With his eyebrows scrunched up, he looked skeptical. Well, whatever. He’d see it soon enough.

I tapped on a drum. “These are not mundane drums. They’re made from precious metals and the cured and purified leather of local spiritual beasts. They also have expertly rendered enchantments that enhance their sound.” Thankfully, I’d had Little Spring gather a bunch of materials for me before I left for the City Lord’s palace. “You need a certain amount of strength to hit them. Which means that this set is perfect for a body cultivator like yourself.”

I grabbed a pair of drumsticks and used my spiritual energy to move him and his stool back a few feet. His eyes bulged comically, and he clutched his seat in shock. He also let out a high-pitched squeak. I chose to ignore it so he could save face.

Very slowly, I showed him how to hit each tom-tom, drum and cymbal. When he asked about the bass drum pedal, I showed him how much force he’d need for it.

When I moved him into place, he expected it and only grabbed onto his seat with a white-knuckled grip.

“S-senior Linlin! I could move myself.”

“Waste of time. Now, show me the basics.”

He went through it once, but the sound was off on the tom-toms. The guy also struck the cymbals with too much strength.

Frowning, I touched his wrist and showed him the correct pressure and position of how to hit each part of the set. This wasn’t completely unexpected. While the drum set seemed less complicated than a guitar at first, it wasn’t. If a musical cultivator didn’t have excellent control over all four of their limbs, they’d never excel at playing the drums. Three Drops Silent Toxin had that control — he just needed a little more hands-on guidance to get it exactly right.

Next, I showed him how to perform the rhythm scale on drums, then let them practice for a while.

Once it sounded like they had the fundamentals down, I clapped. “Good start, you two!” Then I narrowed my eyes at them. “But it’s a little boring to just work on scales all the time. Why don’t I teach you two a powerful but subtle song that can drive your enemies to insanity? One you can play together.”

They perked up and looked at me.

“Though you have to be vigilant because it can drive yourself mad too.”

They swallowed nervously.

“We’ll be careful!” Three Drops promised.

“Please allow us to learn this demonic song,” Shadow Panther said, a little too eagerly. I guessed she had some enemies she wanted to drive insane. Since the girl was so enthusiastic, I happily taught her the chords and English vocals. She wouldn’t understand it, but that was for the best. Fortunately, her voice was pleasing to the ears.

Next, I had Three Drops Silent Toxin come in with some sweet beats to enhance the damage.

They kept playing the song. And playing. After about ten minutes, they started sweating.

“Senior… when does it stop?” Three Drops asked over the metal beat.

“Just keep going! You’re doing great!”

The two straightened in determination and continued the repetitive music.

At the half-hour mark, Shadow Panther stopped. She looked like she was about to cry or strangle someone. Her voice had also become a bit hoarse.

“S-senior Linlin! I can’t. No more!”

Three Drops didn’t look any better. He set down his sticks and stared at his hands like he couldn’t believe they existed. “I have endured pain and torment for my body cultivation, but nothing has been both physically and mentally painful as this.”

Shadow Panther blinked up at me. “What... what is this horrifying song called? Who’s the person who came up with such a malicious sound?”

Three Drops rubbed his ears. “I can still hear it... It’s like it lives in my head now.”

I nodded and wiped away a tear. Three Drops was right, good experiences should be shared. “It’s called, ‘This is the Song That Doesn’t End’... in rock form. Originally created by a ram-type spiritual beast, named Lamb Chop. And this arrangement I taught you was created by me.”

They looked at me with wide, horrified eyes.

“They must have been a fierce demonic musician with massive horns.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/bGSCqsm.jpeg]

[https://i.imgur.com/bGSCqsm]

“Not really.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway, singing the mundane version to your worst enemies might give them heart demons. Playing the spiritually enhanced song will cause them to lose their minds and foam at the mouth, though it will take some months. It is a slow and vicious song that they will never forget. In quiet moments, when they think they’re perfectly fine, it will bubble up out of the recesses of their mind to torment them.”

My mentees shared a look.

“You two are still in a real equivalent to Qi Condensation, so how about we take a break here?” I pointed to Three Drops. “Go eat something and stretch.” Then I looked at Shadow Panther. “And why don’t I finish teaching you about how to fix your puppet?”

“Yes, please!”

“Thank you, Senior Linlin!”

***

In the middle of my lesson on proper puppet creation, Little Spring entered the courtyard with a boy and a girl, who appeared to be around 8 or 9 years old. The two cultivators looked like they’d rolled around in the mud. Their hair stuck out in various directions as if pulled and cut.

I paused my lecture and had Shadow Panther take a much-needed break. She practically vibrated, like she had an unending compulsion to keep fixing them, but still sat in the lotus position to meditate.

I walked over to Little Spring. “Who are these two?”

He puffed up his chest and frowned at me. “Little Sister Linlin,” he said in a gentle, chiding voice.

I gritted my teeth. Damn it. He just had to emphasize it.“Older Brother Verdant Spring. I’m still getting used to this sect.”

::You brat!::

He sent me an apologetic glance. ::I’m sorry, sister Lin! I don’t want to but I have to play my part.::

“I think you should join my next class. We’re reviewing a particularly insidious song that I think you’ll benefit from learning on the flute.”

“Ah.” His eyes darted around the area as if he were trying to come up with some excuse, then they landed on the children he brought. He patted the shoulder of the boy. “This is Little Mongoose Claw, and this junior sister is Little Snake Fang. They’re my mentees.”

I grinned down at the kids. “I’m your Senior Linlin. Make sure to keep yourselves dirt-free while you’re here.”

With a gesture, I used a cleaning technique on them. They simultaneously winced, but their little faces glowed with vitality… or maybe they were a bit red from losing a layer of dead skin. Whatever.

“Thank you for the reminder, Senior!” Mongoose Claw bowed, then he secretly kicked Snake Fang’s leg. She stepped in front of him while stomping on his shoe in retaliation. Then she also thanked me.

These two were going to be a handful.

I grinned at Little Spring. “How did you manage to coer—vince them?”

“Well, they were fighting and ran into me while I was on my way back from dealing with those three inner sect disciples.”

I nodded.

“To apologize for staining my clothes, I had them become my mentees.” He grinned down at them and they smiled awkwardly. “Also, I may have... accidentally — beaten them and their spirit beasts up. It’s hard to control my strength to lower levels since it increased too fast. Of course, I was willing to heal them... as long as they agreed to help me.”

“Your pills were very effective, Senior Verdant Spring,” the little girl said.

Ah. That sounded so easy. “So, how are you planning on teaching them?” Because I knew this brat barely knew anything about this sect’s Beast Blood taming method.