Cherreads

Chapter 4 - KARMA

Among the invited disciples of the Cloud Harmony Sect was a young lady who stood out naturally, even without doing absolutely anything.

A cool and charming beauty, with long black hair and delicate features, she attracted glances.

Her slender body contrasted with generous curves, especially her ample bust, which was impossible to ignore, even though her elegant posture didn't make it vulgar.

That was Lin Yue, the main disciple of the Cloud Harmony Sect.

Lin Yue was there only out of formality, nothing more.

She was well aware of the reason for the visit. Diplomacy between sects, exchange of pleasantries, false smiles, and rehearsed compliments.

None of that excited her; if it weren't for respect for her aunt and the fact that fleeing in the middle of a formal visit would be extremely disrespectful and could negatively affect her reputation, she would have already excused herself and returned to cultivate in silence.

The previous performance was… difficult.

There was no better word she could use without offending her hosts.

Loud, heavy, without any delicacy.

That wasn't music, it was an exercise in auditory endurance!

Lin Yue maintained a neutral face the whole time, impeccable posture, and hands resting elegantly. Inside, however, she was counting the seconds until it would end.

"This hurts my ears," she thought.

She was known beyond her own sect as the Fairy of Harmony, that's what they called her. Her musical talent came not only from technique, but from refined sensitivity.

Sounds, rhythms, even the wind passing through the leaves… everything was capable of becoming melody in her ears.

That's why it was so hard to swallow.

When the noise finally ceased, Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness her aunt's friend, the elder Lin Yuexin, had arrived.

Finally, the main presentation was about to begin, and after that, this torturous visit would be over.

It was then that Lin Yue noticed the young man beside her aunt and the elder Hua Qingshi.

She blinked once.

And then again.

…Handsome! Very handsome.

It wasn't the aggressive or exaggerated kind of beauty, but something clean, effortlessly striking. Well-aligned shoulders, calm posture, harmonious face; it was an almost unreal beauty.

Even she, who had seen many talented young people from countless sects and had been courted by the most handsome cultivators, couldn't help but be charmed by this young man's beauty. Still, Lin Yue didn't get her hopes up.

He was from the Heavenly Martial Path Sect, after all. A sect famous for muscles and punches, not for music.

His music couldn't be much different from what she had just heard… She sighed mentally.

She just wanted it to end quickly so she could return to her routine.

The young man then sat down in the middle of the hall to begin his performance.

He pulled out his instrument… but didn't play.

The hall fell silent.

And then came a whistling melody.

Lin Yue's eyes widened slightly.

The sound was clean and controlled, the melody simple, yet strangely captivating. It was nothing like the classical compositions she knew.

There was something… different, a freshness of something never heard before.

She felt a shiver run up her arms.

…Interesting.

Before she even realised it, her hand was already inside the sleeve of her robe; she discreetly removed a small recording stone.

It was almost a reflex; whenever she heard something different, something out of the ordinary, she recorded it.

It was stronger than her.

The whistling continued for a few moments… and then came the guzheng accompaniment.

The sound filled the hall without being aggressive, creating a perfect backdrop for the whistling.

A beautiful voice followed soon after.

"I recognized you at first sight

As if we were meant to be

The karma in my spirit tells me

That you were the one I was looking for"

When he began to sing, Lin Yue felt her heart skip a beat.

The lyrics weren't overly profound, but straightforward and direct poetry that touched her; it had something that drew her attention without asking permission.

And then… he looked, not with a fixed gaze.

It was quick.

But it was in her direction.

Lin Yue felt her face heat up slightly.

…Why is he looking at me?

At that moment, the feeling was strange. As if that song had been made… for her, it disconcerted her.

She carefully positioned the recording stone to get the best angle, focusing again on the melody.

Every variation, every pause, every subtle change of tone. That was pure gold for study, yes… only for study! She swore to herself that it was for nothing else.

Xu Ming's singing was delicate, almost intimate.

It wasn't a strong or grandiose vocal. It was as if he were conversing with the melody, letting the words flow smoothly while his fingers marked a steady rhythm on the guzheng.

The music progressed smoothly, creating a strange sense of familiarity, as if that song already existed in the heart of the listener.

"Our meeting is a perfect feng shui

A religious law, a cosmic order

Proof of the destiny given to me

You are the source of my dreams

Take it, take it

The hand I reach out to you is a predetermined fate"

As the melody progressed, the rhythm became more pronounced, and the vocals took on the style of a spoken rhythmic recital.

The notes began to rise and fall precisely, accompanying the voice, which now carried more firmness.

"Don't worry, my love

None of this is a coincidence

We're totally different, baby

Because we're the two who found our destiny"

When the chorus arrived, the vocals became soft again, almost like the whisper of a lover declaring their love.

At that moment, Xu Ming couldn't help but glance at some of the disciples, all perfectly planned.

One disciple unconsciously placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat a little faster.

Two other girls exchanged quick glances, both looking away immediately afterwards, their cheeks slightly flushed.

"From the day the universe was born

And beyond the infinite centuries

We were probably together in a previous life and in the next

Because we will be together forever"

"Karma, all of this is not a coincidence

Karma, because we are the two who found destiny

Karma"

While singing this part, Xu Ming glanced at the audience; one girl quickly looked away, but her face turned red to her ears.

Upon hearing the softer part of the song, a disciple closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if wanting to hold onto that sound.

"I want this love, I want real love

I'm only focused on you

It drives me a little harder

The karma of the beginning wants you

This is inevitable, I love us

We are the only true lovers

I get so shocked every time I see her

It's strange that my breath keeps stopping

It's so strange, no way

Is this the feeling of love that I only heard about?

Because my heart beats for you from the beginning"

When this part of the song arrived, the audience felt again as if they were in some kind of spoken rhythmic recital, but it was much more captivating.

"It's strange… but it's good," someone commented in a low voice.

"Don't worry, my love

None of this is a coincidence

We're totally different, baby

Because we're the two who found our destiny"

"From the day of the universe's creation and beyond (Beyond)

Through the infinite centuries and beyond (Beyond, beyond, yeah)

In the previous life (In the previous life)

Maybe the next too (Maybe the next too)

We're eternally together"

"Karma, all of this is not a coincidence

Karma, because we are the two who found destiny

Karma"

Lin Yue felt something strange in his chest.

The lyrics were extremely clear.

There were no complicated metaphors, no hidden images of the moon, flowers, or eternal mountains. It didn't speak of rivers, nor of celestial secrets.

It was direct.

Almost brazen.

It spoke of desire, attraction, and inevitability, like a confession thrown in his face, without beating around the bush. For someone accustomed to poetry full of layers and hidden meanings, this was… a shock.

This is practically a declaration, she thought, feeling her face heat up.

And then he looked at her again.

Lin Yue's heart pounded, almost out of rhythm again.

She gripped the recording stone tightly in her hand.

Around her, the reactions weren't much different.

A disciple beside her widened her eyes slightly, clearly taken aback by the frankness of the lyrics.

Another brought her hand to her mouth, as if she had heard something she shouldn't have, but couldn't take her eyes off the stage.

When the chorus returned, some girls became visibly nervous. Tense shoulders, irregular breathing, and faces turning red almost simultaneously.

Lin Yue felt her heart beat even faster when the melody spoke of eternity, of past and future lived.

These words… sounded dangerously convincing and beautiful.

If this isn't poetry... then what is?

"Don't look back

Because we're the two who found our destiny

Don't regret it, baby

Because we're

Forever, forever, forever

Forever, forever, we are together"

"Don't worry, love (Oh-oh-oh)

None of this is a coincidence

We're totally different, baby

Because we're the two who found our destiny."

"La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la

Because it's not a coincidence, karma

La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la

Because it's not a coincidence, karma"

When his voice fell again, Lin Yue realised something that left her even more disconcerted.

She wanted to hear more, and she wasn't the only one.

The disciples around her had slightly flushed faces, some biting their lips, others with confused expressions, as if they had just woken from a strange dream.

Lin Yue closed her hand on the recording stone.

That music… She felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, enchantment!

And, for the first time since arriving there, she wanted to know more about someone from that sect.

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Music: DNA - BTS

Author: Hi everyone! In case anyone is wondering, no! The story won't focus on K-pop songs. I used this one because I thought the lyrics worked well for what I wanted.

So if you don't like K-pop, don't worry, there will be many other styles.

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