Chapter 9: High Mountains and Flowing Water!

  "Isn't that right, Shifu? Are you just going to let him off like that? He almost..." The purple-robed woman was somewhat indignant, but as she thought about it, her face turned a little red.

  "Alright, he didn't mean it either. Let's forgive him and continue our training." The woman in green shook her head and said to Xiao Yun, "You can go now."

  "You're lucky to have met us two who are easy to talk to!"

  The woman in purple clothes playfully wrinkled her nose at Xiao Yun, then ignored him and turned to walk hand in hand with the woman in green clothes, taking light steps towards the wooden zither placed on the grass.

  "Two young ladies, the piece you just played had many flaws. Forgive me for speaking directly, but many of the notes were off-key. Not only was the sound not right, let alone the form!" Xiao Yun couldn't help but remind them as she saw the two girls leave.

  The two girls stopped in their tracks, momentarily stunned by Xiao Yun's words. After a while, the purple-clothed girl's face changed, and she took a few steps forward, saying maliciously, "You're just a woodcutter, how can you understand music?"

  "It can't be said that I fully understand, it can only be said that I roughly understand!" Xiao Yun said with a faint smile.

  "My sister is a late-stage Qinxiao, you're just a woodcutter, how dare you point fingers and make gestures in front of my sister? It's really laughable!" The purple-clothed girl curled her lip, with a hint of disdain in her eyes, "I think you're just like other men, trying to get close to us under false pretenses."

  "Girl, your words are so different!" Xiao Yun did not expect that his well-intentioned reminder would provoke the girl's resentment. Indeed, good people can't be judged by appearance. As the saying goes, "don't judge a person by their looks". Didn't the founder of the Tianyin Sect, Bo Ya, meet his kindred spirit on this very Bo Ya Mountain? If I'm not mistaken, that kindred spirit was also a woodcutter, wasn't he?"

  "Hmm, look at you being so refined and yet so good at distorting the truth." The purple-clothed girl circled around Xiao Yun, "Since you understand music theory and can pick out the flaws in our melody, your cultivation level should be quite high, right? So why would you stoop to doing such menial tasks?"

  Xiao Yun smiled calmly, "There are people who follow the stench on the beach, but I just happen to like being a miscellaneous servant, can't I?"

  "You're such a smooth talker!" The purple-clothed girl heard this and suddenly became speechless.

  At this time, the woman in green walked over with a gentle pace and stopped the purple-clothed girl's words, facing Xiao Yun and saying, "Do you know what piece we just played?"

  "If I hadn't been deaf in one ear, it should be 'High Mountain Flowing Water Melody'?" said Xiao Yun.

  The woman in purple heard this and rolled her eyes, reminding the woman in green, "Sister, don't be deceived by him. There are people playing this tune on the mountain all the time, it's not surprising that he knows it."

  The woman in the green dress nodded slightly, but between the lines, she felt that Xiao Yun was somewhat different from others. At least this calm temperament would not be possessed by a miscellaneous servant who chopped firewood and cooked meals.

  A woman in a green dress remained silent, while a girl in a purple dress spoke to Xiao Yun with great enthusiasm, "You've said so much, now play the 'High Mountain and Flowing Water' melody for us!"

  "Please!"

  The woman in the green dress heard this and pointed to the guqin beside her, saying a word of invitation to Xiao Yun. She also wanted to see Xiao Yun's skills, after all, she knew that there were many flaws in the exercises she practiced, but she didn't know what they were. If Xiao Yun really had true skills, perhaps she could gain some inspiration from him.

  "Wait!"

  Xiao Yun hesitated for a moment, just about to go over, but was blocked by the purple-clothed girl in front of him.

  Xiao Yun looked puzzled, the purple-clothed girl lightly pinched her chin, a mischievous smile flashing across her face. "Since you understand music, you should have your own instrument too. My and Shifu's instruments can't be touched by just anyone, especially not stinky men like you."

  "Sister!" The woman in green interrupted the purple-clad girl's words, but her tone was somewhat excessive.

  "Sister, don't interfere!" The purple-clothed girl raised her hand to stop the green-clothed woman and said to Xiao Yun, "Take your own instrument away!"

  Xiao Yun came out to chop firewood, what musical instrument would he bring with him? The paulownia wood zither was still left in the bamboo house of Mu Tianen. The old man also said that if he couldn't bring back 200 catties of firewood today, he would cut up his paulownia wood zither to burn as firewood.

  This little girl is really a little chili pepper, obviously intentionally making things difficult for herself. Xiao Yun shook her head speechlessly and didn't bother to argue with her, this kind of difficulty can't stump herself.

  "Music is born from the heart, and the heart is moved by heaven and earth. For an excellent music cultivator, all things in heaven and earth can be used as instruments, not just limited to a single zither."

  She exchanged a glance with the purple-robed girl, and Xiao Yun smiled calmly, bent down, and casually plucked a green leaf from a small grass at her feet.

  "Huh?"

  The two women were both stunned at the sight.

  Xiao Yun waved the green leaf in front of the two people, then stuck it to his lips and blew gently. The leaf vibrated lightly, and beautiful music suddenly sounded.

  "Huh?"

  Just after playing a dozen or so notes, the two women completely held their breath. What Xiao Yun was playing was exactly what they had just played - "High Mountain and Flowing Water". At first listen, there didn't seem to be any difference, but upon closer listening, there seemed to be many differences. However, when asked where the differences lay, they couldn't quite put it into words.

  Facing the lake, Xiao Yun played the flute with abandon, leaving only a proud silhouette of two women. As Xiao Yun played, strange changes suddenly appeared in her mind, and golden notes flew out one after another from the several spiritual platforms and statues, as if teaching Xiao Yun how to play the melody. Every time a note appeared, Xiao Yun naturally blew out a sound.

  Xiao Yun was very clear that those notes were the ones he had absorbed into his mind when he listened to Mu Tian'en play "High Mountain and Flowing Water" yesterday, and now they were coming out in sequence. This must be what Mu Tian'en called a heavenly gift - being able to recognize music and scores just by listening, and even getting taught at the same time. It was like having a super tutor.

  The sound is sonorous and stirring, every note ringing out loud and clear. The spirit quickly gathers towards Xiao Yun, the calm lake surface undulating with waves. The fish and shrimp in the lake are attracted by the music, swimming to the surface one after another. The surrounding locust tree forest also rustles with a murmuring sound, as if dancing along with Xiao Yun.

  Behind her, two women, their eyes fell on Xiao Yun's back, and they couldn't move away, completely immersed in the wonderful music world created by Xiao Yun. There were towering mountains, and endless flowing water, the whole person seemed to be placed in a magnificent painting.

  It was unknown how long it took, but the music suddenly stopped, the green leaves stuck to his lips had been torn in two, and Xiao Yun's clothes were already soaked with sweat. Apparently, this song was not low-level, and at Xiao Yun's current level, forcibly urging it forward consumed a lot of energy.

  The Lingtai was filled with spiritual energy, and the seven statues of the Lingtai gods were frantically absorbing those energies, rapidly refining them into white Haqi, which poured into that small Haqi pool.

  After more than ten minutes, the last wisp of spiritual energy was refined, and the majestic energy accumulated in the Majestic Pool became even thicker. A light of about an inch high appeared, looking whiter and more radiant, like a white lotus bud waiting to bloom.

  "Ah!"

  She let out a long sigh, and in her heart, Xiao Yun thought it was a pity. Yesterday, she had heard Mu Tian'en play an incomplete piece, just a small segment of scattered notes. If she could get the full score, she would definitely gain more.

  ——

  "Are you two young ladies all right?"

  Xiao Yun turned his head, and saw that the two women still had their eyes wide open, with a very complex expression, surprise, unexpectedness, infatuation, and even a hint of painful struggle.

  The two women suddenly came to their senses, and they desperately wanted to hear some differences in the tune played by Xiao Yun. However, for them, it was really too difficult. They didn't have Xiao Yun's incredible ability to recognize music just by listening to it.

  The sound seemed still echoing in their ears, and if it weren't for Xiao Yun waking them up, they wouldn't have known when they would wake up.

  "Xiao Shixiong's attainments in music are something I, Chu Yin, can only admire from afar. Which esteemed master is Xiao Shixiong a disciple of?" The woman in green clothing asked Xiao Yun, her eyes shining with a hint of reverence and excitement, though her breathing was slightly rapid.