Chapter 1 Born with 8 Fingers (3)_1

Diara was stunned, knowing that in this world, it was already extremely difficult for a full moon baby to receive a blessing from a mage, let alone from a Zi rank Grand Sorcerer. Such an honor was typically reserved only for princes and princesses of great nations!

"This..." Diara turned to Mei Ying, who at sixty-seven could naturally detect the change in Qin Shang's expression after seeing the child, hence her hesitation arose. Considering the relationship between her and her husband, how would she explain if their child were to suffer any harm here?

A trace of cold indifference emerged in Mei Ying's gaze, her pride becoming even more evident. "President, I wish to know why."

The calmness in Qin Shang's eyes had long vanished upon seeing those tiny hands, and deep emotions shone in his eyes, his voice taking on an added magnetic quality, "Because of his hands, these are the most perfect pair of hands I have seen in this world. Ms. Mei Ying, I mean no ill will."

The iciness in Mei Ying's demeanor began to dissipate. Indeed, despite the fervent light in the Grand Mage Qin Shang's eyes, the aura emanating from him bore no malice but rather a sense of closeness. However, upon hearing Qin Shang mention her son's hands, her expression turned exceedingly unsightly, "Grand Master Qin Shang, why do you say that my child's hands are the most perfect in the world? Are you mocking me?"

Humans have five fingers on each hand, which are all enormously important for a samurai. Although Mei Ying's child had only lost his little fingers, it greatly affected his ability to grip a weapon. He may even be unable to hold a longsword securely — which parent would not want their child to be perfect? Mei Ying was no exception. Her child was otherwise flawless, but being born with eight fingers had once driven her to despair. Eight fingers meant her child could never become a great swordsmanship master, yet that was the family's hope!

"Oh no, not at all, Praise Falan, I swear by the name of Falan that I have absolutely no intention of mocking you," Qin Shang said, his eyes brimming with deep emotion as he gazed at the still struggling and crying baby, his facial features remarkably gentle, "Perhaps, to others, these hands are imperfect, but, to someone like me, they are absolutely perfect. Wait, and you shall understand."

Under the watchful eyes of Mei Ying, Diara, and Piero, Qin Shang slowly sat down cross-legged. A flicker of light appeared on his right hand, and Mei Ying faintly discerned a ring on Qin Shang's right pinkie finger, a Spatial Ring, one of the most crucial magical tools for a mage.

A reddish-brown Ancient Zither quietly appeared laid out across his knees. Its seven zither strings glittered with a faint silver luster. Qin Shang placed his hands on the strings and his expression underwent a drastic transformation.

His weathered face turned serene and humble. His entire being was filled with the breath of life as if from ancient times until now, he had always sat there, in that posture, clad in white, with silver hair and zither. The moment his hands touched the zither strings, his entire being seemed to merge with everything in the Mage's Guild Hall. Involuntarily, everyone's gaze converged upon him.

His left hand was slightly raised above the zither without touching it, while the right hand's thumb and index finger were slightly curved, the middle and ring fingers lightly pressing on the fifth string. The thumb released, the index finger plucked at the seventh string mid-air, eliciting a humming clear sound, profound and rich, and the reverberation lingered. In an instant, the air seemed to have solidified, and the cries of the baby quietly ceased.

Within the swaddling clothes, a pair of shiny black eyes looked toward the source of the sound, making a few gentle cooing noises.

Whether it was an advanced-rank mage like Piero or a magic scholar like Diara, or even a warrior like Mei Ying, upon hearing this clear sound, it was as if all impurities in their bodies were cleansed in an instant. They felt an unprecedented clarity of mind and body, their blood flowing smoothly and an indescribable comfort.

"Desolate Dragon Yin, are you..." The hidden hostility in Mei Ying's eyes vanished at that moment. She looked at Qin Shang with a mix of surprise and joy.

Qin Shang did not answer but merely smiled faintly. His hands moved simultaneously—his left hand pressing lightly, his right hand plucking gently—as a moving melody wafted forth. The zither's notes were delicate and subtle, his finger techniques quietly controlling the pace of slow and fast, light and heavy. The cheerful rhythm carried a lingering reverie that seemed to resonate deep within one's heart. A faint purple glow emanated from the silver zither strings as his hands moved, encircling the hall with faint purple halos that did not spread outwards.

Mages, with their undoubtedly stronger spiritual power than ordinary people, were all lost in the captivating music at this moment. Their eyes filled with joy and confusion, they had completely forgotten where they were.

Mei Ying was the only one who remained clear-headed. She didn't understand why she, whose spiritual power was far inferior to the mages, could still remain lucid. She saw clearly—the faint purple light converging in one direction, and that direction was towards the swaddled infant in her arms.

The baby had already stopped crying. When Mei Ying looked down at her treasure, she was astonished to find that, without her knowing when, her son was smiling. His tiny hands, each with only four fingers, were gently waving in the air. In the midst of the subtle and reserved zither music, the sequence of his hand movements actually matched the zither's notes. And the faint purple light was stealthily infiltrating his body, causing him to undergo some strange transformations.

Could this be real? Mei Ying felt as though she was in a trance, a sensation that did not return to normal even after the zither music quietly ended.

"As delicate as silk intertwined with gold, as penetrative as wine soaking through armor. Loosen the strings to tune the precious pillar, the reed pipe muted as if touched by silver frost. With the Spring Thunder Zither, playing this piece 'Green Water' is most suitable for cleansing the child's body and mind," said Qin Shang, pulling Mei Ying back from her dreamlike state. When she looked up, she saw daunting silver light flickering in Qin Shang's eyes—the ancient zither that had been on his knees before was nowhere to be seen. Turning to look at the baby in her arms, she found him asleep, his even breathing delightful to hear. The baby's skin seemed even more lustrous, and his pretty little face wore a sweet smile.

"A genius, he is an absolute genius. My judgment was not wrong. Even though he is just one month old, he can already sense the true beauty in my zither music. I envy you, Zhu Sect! Why wasn't he born in my sect? Now you should understand why I marveled at his perfect little hands. For a zither instructor, the little fingers of both hands are forbidden; they serve no purpose and extra fingers can somewhat interfere with playing after learning the zither. As a Divine Music Master, I know too much about these things. There used to be a legend that a person with six fingers on each hand was a Six Fingered Zither Demon, but that's purely fictional. When playing the zither, eight fingers are enough. To be born with eight fingers, how perfect is that!" exclaimed Qin Shang with some admiration.

"Master, who are you exactly..." Mei Ying inquired tentatively, her previous pride long gone—not because of the purple light emanating from him, but because of the zither piece 'Green Water' and the sound of Desolate Dragon Yin.

Qin Shang said, "I come from Falan. Why else would I be here if not for Blue Sky and Sea? I had hoped to find a disciple to pass on my legacy, but little did I expect that the genius I desired would be from your Zhu Sect. Come, take me to see your father-in-law. Ye Li, oh Ye Li, it's been decades since we last met—I wonder if you're still as hale and hearty."

Mei Ying was suddenly startled, "Your surname is Qin, Desolate Dragon Yin, you're from the Zither Sect..."