### Chapter 8: Sky Tower (Part 9)
The spacious bedroom was lit brightly by candlelight but was eerily silent.
In between the conversations, Lin Nan could even hear the faint crackling sounds of the flames as they danced and burned.
Faced with the threat of the Alligator Monster, Lin Nan remained unfazed.
She wanted to leave; with her current strength, there probably wasn’t anyone in this world who could stop her.
However, considering she needed to pose as a Harpist among the Demon Race later, she couldn’t expose her identity as the Cold Moon Witch in Black Stone City just yet.
If the Demon Race found out, it could lead to some rather pesky troubles.
Although the Demon territory was far from the realms of Humans and Monsters, the name “Cold Moon Witch” was likely known, at least in some capacity, by the higher-ups of the Demon Race.
With this thought, Lin Nan felt as if she had a seat behind her and just plopped down in mid-air, her legs bent comfortably.
And just as the Alligator Monster and its pals were squinting, puzzled over why this woman was adopting such a weird posture, an ethereal yet bright light suddenly erupted, centered around Lin Nan!
The Alligator Monster squinted towards the fading glow and was shocked to see a nearly two-meter-tall harp materializing in front of her. Just one glance, and he could feel the premium quality and extravagant craftsmanship—such a treasure was surely unmatched in all of Black Stone City.
“A Harpist?”
The Alligator Monster had heard there was a Harpist named Trissa in the Demon Race’s delegation, but he never expected that a woman he had thought was a spy from Cold Wind City would also be a Harpist.
This felt a bit off; they said only Demon women could master the harp, so how could this Demoness…
“Ding ding… dong dong…”
Lin Nan had already said her bit and was too lazy to keep chatting with the Alligator Monster.
With delicate fingers, she began to pluck the strings slowly. Even just a few notes caused the Alligator Monster’s expression to change dramatically as he shouted, “Get her! Grab her!”
“Boom!”
The soldiers hiding outside kicked the doors open and rushed in.
In their minds, Harpists were known for their healing skills, with hardly any combat abilities. If she thought she could resist capture like this, she was just being naive.
The soldiers quickly surrounded her, weapons raised and yelling as they charged at the calm Lin Nan.
“Ding dong!”
Suddenly, one note intensified, and gaps between the bodies of the front-line soldiers felt like they had just been stuffed with explosives.
With a loud “bang,” those soldiers were instantly blown to smithereens, their bl**d and flesh raining down like confetti.
The remaining soldiers stood there dumbstruck, drenched in crimson and chunks of meat.
Yet, merely inches away, Lin Nan, the Harpist, remained as pristine as a celestial maiden, not a single speck of bl**d or gore on her.
The soldiers had never imagined that a Harpist could manipulate explosions with music; their bravado fizzled out in an instant, leaving them hesitant.
The Alligator Monster urged, “Get moving! You think she can keep unleashing these attacks? Hurry, take advantage while she’s still setting up!”
Only then did the soldiers muster up a bit of courage again, but their resolve had clearly weakened significantly.
“Boom… boom!”
In the shouting ranks of soldiers, two blasts went off in quick succession, taking out a dozen Little Demons.
This time, the remaining soldiers scattered like leaves in the wind, despite the Alligator Monster’s furious shouts; they just couldn’t rally their fighting spirit anymore.
Lin Nan sat quietly next to the harp, as if completely ignoring the screams of pain and terror surrounding her. Every ounce of her focus was on the harp.
With strong foes near, she was able to play her tune without a care in the world.
This was undoubtedly a splendid exercise for her composure, especially deepening her understanding of the Harpist profession.
Even though it was only her first time touching a harp last night, and here she was surpassing the genius Harpist Trissa, it wasn’t just a flash of inspiration; it was the result of countless hours of practice embedded deep in her memory.
When her fingers touched the strings, it felt like reuniting with a long-lost family member, flooding her heart with nostalgia.
Even when the Alligator Monster roared and swung his weapon at her, she didn’t notice as she instinctively played the strings to a precise position.
Seeing the blade of the Alligator Monster’s weapon get within twenty centimeters of Lin Nan, he thought victory was at hand.
But then, the space beside him suddenly expanded and exploded, a massive shockwave thrusting the Alligator Monster off course, causing him to roll like a ball several times before crashing into the wall. The whole house trembled from the impact.
Pleasant music continued to flow through the expansive room.
Under the bright candlelight, it felt like Lin Nan was hosting an exclusive concert—anyone who dared to interrupt would face dire consequences.
On the contrary, if you bore her no ill will, the music was like a spring in a deep ravine, tinkling and bubbling, providing the most exquisite enjoyment and endless daydreaming.
So this is what a Harpist is?
For the first time truly experiencing the power of a Harpist, the Alligator Monster sat dazed in front of the shattered wall, momentarily forgetting his next move.
As the song concluded, Lin Nan put away the huge harp and transformed it into a small four-string harp she could play with one hand.
“Lord of the City, I’m afraid I must annoy you by making you come with me.”
The Alligator Monster never expected all his brute force would be completely ineffective against her.
He thought of trying again, but just as Lin Nan flicked her fingers on the strings, he felt a wave of power swelling in his chest.
“If you make any funny moves, it’ll explode immediately.”
The Alligator Monster couldn’t guarantee his chest would withstand another violent shock, so he tossed aside his weapon and said cautiously, “You win.”
Lin Nan nodded, “That’s good. Now, order the gates open to welcome the army from Cold Wind City.”
With an odd smile, the Alligator Monster said, “Actually, even if you didn’t say anything, I was planning to do that in a couple of days.”
“What?”
Lin Nan raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what the Alligator Monster was getting at.
Could it be that Black Stone City was at its breaking point?
So the Alligator Monster had already been wavering on whether to surrender, and her appearance simply accelerated that process.
Well, that didn’t sound too bad—after all, dragging things out wouldn’t benefit either side.
The Alligator Monster clapped his hands, and a trembling Little Demon scurried in.
“Use my dagger as proof and tell those useless fools at the gate to open it and welcome the army from Cold Wind City!”
“Y-yes, Lord of the City.”
Is this going too smoothly?
Lin Nan couldn’t help but feel skeptical.
What made her even more uneasy was that originally, when she entered the room, aside from the Alligator Monster, there had been another guy lurking in the shadows.
But now, he had vanished!
