This Damned Thirst for Survival

Chapter 72

The black and white piano keys danced, like a nightingale singing, as the romantic and intense piano music shifted from gentle to soaring. A storm shattered rose petals, with droplets falling into the mud, splashing water around.

Marbles bounced high on the piano keys, then fell, rolling like dreamy bubbles among the increasingly dense piano sounds. Just before they seemed to fall, another key would bounce them in a different direction.

This contest wasn't about superior piano skills; it was about stability. The challenge was to play the piano while keeping the marbles steady. Doing so was more important than the quality of the play.

However, Jiang Luo exceeded everyone's expectations.

His fingers moved so fast across the piano keys that they seemed to leave afterimages. The young man with black hair wore a tailored black suit, his posture straight, his hair lightly brushing his back, elegant, noble, and mysteriously beautiful.

The audience was stunned.

In truth, only Jiang Luo knew that his fingers never touched the keys.

The ghostly hands inserted between his fingers played with such speed and skill that Jiang Luo was merely moved along with them. To onlookers, it was unclear if Jiang Luo's fingers ever made contact with the keys.

It appeared as though Jiang Luo was lip-syncing to a performance so exceptional that no one could discern its authenticity.

Yet, his smile slightly stiffened.

For Jiang Luo felt the increasingly suspicious gaze of Qi's father behind him.

At the end of the performance, Jiang Luo's hands were stiff.

The hands between his fingers receded like the tide, pausing on the back of his hands.

The voice of a malicious spirit whispered in Jiang Luo's ear, filled with malevolent pleasure.

"My student, how could you lose to someone else."

Then, the cold presence behind him vanished.

Jiang Luo's eyes darkened as he slowly retracted his hands and stood up. When he turned around, his smile was perfect. The young man with black hair seemed a bit embarrassed and humbly said, "I didn’t play very well, please forgive my poor performance."

"That was amazing," Ge Zhu applauded vigorously, giving a thumbs up, "You are the one, Jiang Luo."

"Wow... Is he that good?"

Li Cheng was left stunned, muttering, "How could anyone even compare? Damn, I'm totally convinced."

From the back of the crowd, Qi's father watched Jiang Luo with a mix of shock and fear. The moment the piano music began, it felt eerily familiar to him. As the performance concluded, the name "Chi You" filled his mind.

The Qi and Chi families had always been close. Over a decade ago, during a visit to the Chi family, Qi's father had seen the young Chi You being challenged by an elder to play the piano in a seemingly impossible manner.

Despite his youth, Chi You had accomplished the task with ease and grace, making marbles dance across the piano keys without dropping them, much like what Jiang Luo had just achieved.

This method gradually became known in the metaphysical community through the Chi family, yet Qi's father had never seen anyone perform as impressively as Chi You since then.

A cold sweat broke out on his back as he saw Jiang Luo's polite and humble demeanor twist into something monstrous. Could Jiang Luo be possessed by Chi You, just as Bai Ye Feng had been in the past?