I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords-Chapter 34 - 0. He is playing_1

Chapter 34: 034. He is playing_1

Chapter 34: 034. He is playing_1

Jiangcheng Industries’ office building was located in the Jiangcheng District, right next to the bustling old street, with its standing structure prominently displaying the company’s signage.

Though referred to as “Industries,” the company shifted to real estate with the previous generation of directors. Capitalizing on several waves of precise investments from the end of the last century through the beginning of this one, they amassed a considerable profit. Jiangcheng Industries had now truly become a full-fledged real estate company.

It was precisely for this reason that Jiangcheng Industries was able to purchase the Jiangcheng Grand Theater and its surrounding area. Having not developed it for many years, the move indeed showcased their financial powerhouse status.

Lu Ban had never seen such an imposing scene; he sat in his car, unmoving.

He had tried asking the secretary, Li Zijian, who appeared to be about the same age as him, but the latter only knew that they needed to bring Lu Ban in; beyond that, he knew nothing.

Lu Ban thought of Song Yunyan’s resume. After the fire, she became reserved and composed. After taking over the business, she made several investments based on precise judgements, soaring Jiangcheng Industries to new heights—especially predicting certain business projects and navigating the power struggles within the company, almost as if she had the ability to foresee the future.

However, Song Yunyan had remained unmarried. Now in her forties, it was unclear who the successor of Jiangcheng Industries would be.

Surely the female CEO hadn’t taken a liking to him and was considering adopting him as her son?

And then he would be blessed with a bevy of young aunties clamoring to teach him the driving skills of big trucks?

What a joke!

Lost in his wild thoughts, Lu Ban had already arrived at the door of the chairman’s office.

“Please.”

Li Zijian opened the door and led Lu Ban into the room.

The room was spacious and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the river scenery, the landscape stretching southward, and the sight of Lingjiang winding and disappearing into the horizon.

An expansive view like this would typically demand attention from a sniper in any generic movie.

In the sizable office, there was a piano for some reason. Lu Ban hesitated slightly when he saw the piano,

because it was identical to the one he had seen at the Jiangcheng Grand Theater that night!

Across the other side of the floor-to-ceiling windows, behind an exquisitely crafted wooden desk, sat a professional-looking woman.

Lu Ban recognized her at a glance; this was Song Yunyan.

She looked just like the woman in red he had seen at the theater that night, and in the news, only less innocent and more weathered by time.

Time had left its marks at the corners of her eyes, but it hadn’t eroded her charm. Even if she might be a generation older than Lu Ban, Song Yunyan was indeed a beautiful woman.

“Please, take a seat.”

Her voice carried a certain restrained quality. After Lu Ban had sat down, she gestured for the secretary to leave.

Now only she and Lu Ban remained in the office.

“This piano is the same model Dan Ping used back in the day. I keep it here to remind myself,”

Song Yunyan noticed Lu Ban’s gaze and explained briefly before continuing.

“I watched your video. The final scene wasn’t special effects; it was something that truly happened, wasn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Honesty was Lu Ban’s greatest virtue—he spoke the truth and then asked,

“Madam Song, may I use the piano?”

“You can play the piano?”

Song Yunyan seemed quite surprised.

“A little bit.”

Lu Ban really only knew a little bit.

“Go ahead.”

With her permission, Lu Ban approached the ancient yet seemingly new piano, lifted the cover shielding the black and white keys, and tested the tuning briefly.

Then, the melody flowed.

This was the [Midnight Melody] Lu Ban had acquired; it was music composed by Du Danping.

He had chosen to play for two reasons.

First, if this Song Yunyan is no longer herself but has been replaced by something else, then this sentient music should help Lu Ban distinguish the difference.

Second, if this Song Yunyan is herself, then she would definitely recognize this piece and reach a consensus with Lu Ban.

“This is… the piece that Dan Ping played that day.”

Song Yunyan had a feeling as if it was all a lifetime away.

It was as if the person sitting in front of her was not the Lu Ban she was meeting for the first time, but the talented and gentle Du Danping.

That year, the stage was resplendent, and under the spotlight, he played a splendid symphony as if kissed by the music deity himself.

That year, with a naïve heart, a belle who admired the talented young man acted bashfully and recklessly.

That year, a fire turned everything to ashes, and thereafter, no piano sound echoed again.

“Dan Ping told me many times that it wasn’t him seeking musical inspiration, but different kinds of melodies burrowed into his head like worms, those melodies kept chasing him, I never believed it, until that day.”

In the piano sound shimmering like river water, Song Yunyan narrated in a state between dreaming and waking.

“That day, we were preparing for the evening party, with many people around, but suddenly… everyone became unable to move, I’m not sure if you understand that feeling, it’s like your body doesn’t belong to you, only your senses still function, I saw the fire backstage, saw the flames spread, but I couldn’t do anything.”

“Until Dan Ping pushed me away, he told me to run fast, he then rushed to the stage and started playing the piano, at that moment, I didn’t know anything… with the piano playing, we finally could move, everyone ran towards the door that was on fire.”

“I looked back at Dan Ping, he didn’t stop playing, I saw his eyes, and he told me, ‘run fast’.”

“I escaped, but he died, no one could explain what happened then, everyone just thought he had gone mad.”

“Perhaps we all went mad.”

Song Yunyan curled her lips into a self-mocking smile.

“After that, there were some… maybe they can be called ‘voices’, in my head, I can’t understand most of them, but just comprehending a little allowed me to make the right business decisions, only, every night, these voices linger by my ears, inescapable.”

“Now, I finally understand what Dan Ping meant by, ‘It’s not me pursuing inspiration, but these inspirations chasing me’…”

“It’s quite coincidental that when I was buying that piece of land, I had seen the designs of Jiangcheng Grand Theater by the architect, on that draft, similar sentences were written… ‘It’s not that I designed this theater, but it is meant to be this way’.”

“Maybe, it’s all fated.”

In the eyes of Lu Ban, who was performing, this was no longer the office of the chairman of Jiangcheng Industries, but the Jiangcheng Grand Theater of that year.

In that moment, when the light of the stars shone down and ancient murmurs and fleeting glimpses arrived at the theater, what kind of feelings did Du Danping harbor when making that choice?

Having been through these events, Lu Ban knew very well that Du Danping, who had escaped the gaze of that supreme being, could have easily fled with Song Yunyan, the two of them together; he had the power to do so.

However, Du Danping chose to return to the stage, to the piano, using the melody to rescue others.

Even until his death, he maintained his final performance.

And this theater, perhaps, was part of the “ritual” itself. To completely avoid the tragedy of that day, one could only demolish it entirely.

This is probably the answer to the [Who’s Playing] question when the exploration rate reaches one hundred percent.

Lu Ban thought.

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Can mortals fight against these grand beings?

Du Danping’s actions had shown Lu Ban that mortal power can never reach those heights.

Even if one possessed extraordinary powers, even if one reigned supreme among humans, when facing forces that transcend nature, one can still only be crushed to pieces, turning to dust.

What awaited Du Danping was death and the bindings that followed death.

What would awaited Lu Ban?

He didn’t know.

On the side of his vision, the calligraphy on the wall twisted, forming rows of text.

[Unlock Side Quest: Melody of Memories]

[You’ve understood the tragic demise of a martyr, collect his Melody Shards scattered in the Silent Lands, receive rewards]

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