Collection of Turmoil
The Collection of Turmoil is a GusuLan manuscript of dark songs gathered in Dongying and kept in the Cloud Recesses' Room of Forbidden Books.
History
The forbidden collection
The manuscript records songs that can harm body, mind, spirit, or senses when played with spiritual energy. According to Lan XiChen, a sufficiently powerful player could kill with only seven notes. (Chapter 64)
The missing page
The investigation into Nie MingJue's death concluded that Jin GuangYao had removed a page and blended one of its tunes into Cleansing. Played repeatedly with spiritual energy over three months, the altered section aggravated Nie MingJue rather than calming him. The missing physical page also removed direct proof from the library. (Chapter 64)
Knowledge of the collection later helped Wei WuXian expose how dark music could be used to suppress cultivators' spiritual power, although the pages shown at Burial Mound were transcriptions of Jin GuangYao's altered melody rather than pages from the book itself. (Chapters 80–81)
Abilities and properties
- Its songs can weaken the body, disturb the mind, agitate the spirit, shut the senses, or kill when empowered by cultivation. (Chapter 64)
- A selected tune can be disguised within orthodox music and applied gradually. (Chapter 64)
- The songs are described as complex and difficult to master. (Chapter 64)
Ownership and custody
| Holder or custodian | Relationship to the item |
|---|---|
| GusuLan Sect | Custodian of the manuscript in the Room of Forbidden Books. |
| Lan XiChen | Authorized sect leader who identifies and explains the collection. |
| Jin GuangYao | Accessed the forbidden room and removed a page for covert use. |
| Nie MingJue | Victim of a tune taken from the collection, not an owner or custodian. |