Many once believed that the saying “music is the best antidote” was nothing more than a cliche. But now, it seemed truer than ever.
As the melody resonated, it seemed to unburden the pain buried deep within everyone’s hearts. Slowly but surely, that pain dissolved, as if being gently released and healed.
No one had anticipated music to possess such a profound, transformative power.
This, they realized, was what true music was.
At last, they understood why people said the Celestial Harp could dispel sorrow and alleviate human suffering.
When the three-minute piece concluded, the hall fell into a serene silence. The initial skepticism and disdain had given way to peace and tranquility.
The audience was utterly captivated.
And it wasn’t just the audience; even the traditional and modern musicians in attendance found themselves lost in their own worlds, mesmerized by the performance.
After a ten-second pause, a man seated among the modern musicians slowly stood. He was an elderly gentleman in a suit. His face was streaked with tears as he shouted toward Kayden, his voice trembling with emotion:
“This is the most powerful instrument I’ve encountered in the hundreds of concerts I’ve attended. Never in my life did I imagine that a simple bamboo flute could produce such profound music. This piece has transported me into another world and completely redefined my understanding of music.”
“Sir, you are extraordinary. Your music is extraordinary. To have the privilege of hearing your performance today not only resolved a thirty-year burden in my heart but also showed me what true music really is.”
“In the past, I thought the instruments I worked on were the only ones that mattered, and I dismissed all others as trash! Especially our Seclela traditional instruments-I despised them the most. But now I realize how wrong I was. Those instruments, no matter how advanced, will never produce music like this! I don’t want them anymore!”
With that, the elderly man hurled the modern instrument in his hand to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
This was true conquest. Kayden had conquered this man with nothing but a bamboo flute.
The old man’s dramatic act set off a chain reaction. The modern musicians seated in the front row began discarding their own instruments one by one. In that moment, the instruments they once revered and took pride in seemed insignificant, even worthless.
“Sir, we were the fools pretending to be experts in your presence. We thought we had come to watch a clown, but now we realize that the real clowns are us! Please allow me to offer you my utmost respect.”
The old man raised his hands and began clapping.
As his applause echoed through the hall, everyone else stood up, erupting into thunderous applause for Kayden.
He deserved it. He deserved every bit of it.
But Kayden remained calm and indifferent, his expression as cold as ice. This was a minor scene-nothing that could stir his emotions.
Conquering these people?
No, it wasn’t difficult.
The piece he had played was something he often performed on the battlefield. After a brutal battle, he would play his bamboo flute to bid farewell to the warriors who had sacrificed their lives for the honor of their homeland.
“This is the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard in my life. I never imagined music like this could even exist.”
“I can’t believe I had the chance to hear something so moving in my lifetime.”
“I used to think only movies could evoke such an emotional rollercoaster. But now I see that music can be just as powerful.”
Kayden’s music had completely captivated everyone in the room. The skeptics who had doubted him were all silenced.
Cyan was utterly dumbfounded. And she wasn’t alone-Georgia was just as stunned.
After all these years with Kayden, she was now realizing how little she truly knew about him.
A warrior.
A musician.
The heir of a powerful family.
What other identities did he have?
Cyan stammered, her disbelief spilling out: “That guy… that guy couldn’t possibly have played a piece like that.”
Though she, too, had been swept away by Kayden’s performance, she felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. She couldn’t reconcile the idea that someone she once dismissed as a fool could produce such breathtaking music.
“Georgia, how does your husband even know how to play the bamboo flute-”
Her sentence trailed off as she noticed Georgia wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Georgia!” Cyan grabbed Georgia’s arm and said, “Don’t tell me you were moved by his flute playing! Can’t you see he’s deliberately trying to humiliate Mr. Falcon? This man has ulterior motives.”
“Even if his music is decent, his purpose was nothing more than to embarrass Mr. Falcon. A man like that is hiding too much. You’ve been married to him for so many years and didn’t even know he could play the flute. Doesn’t that show how deeply he’s hiding his true self?”
Georgia swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “Don’t worry. There’s no chance of me reconciling with him.”
For a fleeting moment, she had thought she shouldn’t walk away from this man who seemed capable of anything. But Carson’s words replayed in her mind, forcing her to suppress that thought.
They lived in different worlds.
Kayden had astonished her time and time again, but that only made her realize more clearly that they would never belong to the same world.
With that thought, she forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat and made a decision-one that felt both painful and absurd.
Meanwhile, Luther’s face had turned completely dark. He stood on stage, seething as he watched the elderly musicians discarding their instruments after hearing Kayden’s bamboo flute.
He couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge Kayden’s talent. Furious and on the verge of losing control, he glared at Kayden and shouted, “You’re here to sabotage things, aren’t you? Are you jealous that Georgia is with me?”
Kayden turned to Luther with a calm gaze and replied, “You don’t even deserve my jealousy. Georgia is simply blinded by something right now. But eventually, the truth will come to light. And when it does, if I find out you had anything to do with it, I will personally ensure the Falcon family is wiped out.”
Luther was about to retort, but before he could, Georgia appeared behind him.
“Georgia!” Kayden called out instinctively.
But Georgia didn’t respond. Instead, she raised her hand and looped it through Luther’s arm.
Her expression serene, she looked at Kayden and said, “I know you came on stage because you’re jealous of Luther. So let me make this clear-we’re getting engaged next week. Kayden, it’s over between us.”