Chapter 84: Li Guiyang!

  "From ancient times to the present, there have only been five tones and six pitches. Although there are Wenwu's fixed strings, neither Emperor Wen nor Emperor Wu has left behind any legend about the seven-tone soul. Is it really true that there is a seventh tone in this world?" Hong Kexin was also shocked upon hearing these words, and his eyes involuntarily looked up at Xiao Yun.

  Xiao Yun nodded and smiled, "Since there is a seven-stringed zither, what's so strange about the heavens having seven sounds?"

  Ji Yunwen and Hong Kexin seemed to be digesting Xiao Yun's subversive remarks, after a long time, Ji Yunwen curiously asked Xiao Yun, "I wonder what the remaining two great sound spirits are?"

  "Less Temple, Less Commerce!"

  Xiao Yun didn't hide the fact that in the entire Tian Le Continent, for countless years, only two emperors, Wen and Wu, had sensed the existence of these two powerful sound spirits. It can be imagined how difficult it was to perceive these two great sound spirits.

  Yan Wen fell silent, muttering to herself, lost in thought.

  ——

  In the cave.

  Ji Yunwen asked Xiao Yun about the Seven Sounds Way, and it was clear that Ji Yunwen was very anxious and curious. Xiao Yun picked up some peripheral things to tell him, and Hong Kexin also listened on the side. Every time Xiao Yun had some remarks, he could lead the two into deep thought.

  Although it's just a superficial talk, what Xiao Yun said has overturned the understanding of music theory and tonality that all music cultivators on Tianle Continent have had for tens of thousands of years. Every word is thought-provoking.

  Yan Yunwen shook his head and sighed, if he hadn't seen the growth of Feng Lei's two apprentices with his own eyes, he would have probably just thought Xiao Yun's words were nonsense. Now it seems that this young man in front of him is definitely not ordinary.

  Is he really just a disciple of a small sect? Ji Yunwen had some doubts in her mind. For a hundred years, the outside world had changed beyond recognition, and he could no longer imagine what it was like.

  "Senior..." Xiao Yun wanted to speak.

  "Don't worry, I won't mention it to outsiders!" Ji Yunwen waved his hand and interrupted Xiao Yun's words, as if he knew what Xiao Yun wanted to say.

  It's a pity, he thought to himself. He had already embarked on the path of Wu Yin, and if he had met Xiao Yun earlier, perhaps he could have changed his cultivation to Qi Yin. Now that he had become a music master, his sound spirit was already formed, and wanting to change his cultivation to Qi Yin would not only require him to use Zu Yin Guo to make up for his foundation, but also abandon his current cultivation and start all over again. At his age, he couldn't afford to go through such turmoil anymore.

  "Alas!"

  Xiang Yunwen let out a sigh, excitement followed by a hint of desolation.

  Three people chatted in the cave for a day, mostly mutual confirmation of music theory. As night fell slowly, they had a simple dinner of dry rations and wild fruits. Ji Yunwen said to the two, "You two go out, I want to rest."

  "Huh?"

  The two of them were stunned. What is this? Chasing people away?

  "In the evening, birds and beasts will come to disturb the fruit trees. In the past, it was me who kept watch, but now that you're here, it's your turn to keep watch. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time." Ji Yunwen yawned and turned around to walk towards his stone bed.

  The two of them looked at each other in dismay. Xiao Yun said to Hong Ke Xin, "You rest here, I'll go keep watch!"

  Hong Kexin had not yet spoken, when Ji Yunwen sat up from the bed, patted the stone bed under her buttocks, and looked at Xiao Yun from afar, saying with a hint of meaning, "Xiaozi, there's only one bed here. You're leaving Little Fatty here, just the two of us, you can rest assured?"

  "Don't worry, what's there to worry about!" Xiao Yun wiped his sweat, this old man was actually making jokes now.

  As soon as Xiao Yun's words fell, Ji Yunwen and Hong Kexin's faces were filled with black lines. Hong Kexin looked at Xiao Yun with some displeasure and said, "What do you mean? Do you think I'm ugly?"

  Xiao Yun hastily shook her head, Hong Ke Xin must have misinterpreted her meaning.

  "What do you mean?"

  Yan Wen's face was also gloomy, was he questioning his own ability? Although he had aged, being underestimated by others still made him slightly uncomfortable.

  Xiao Yung couldn't help but laugh, unexpectedly a careless remark had made him an outcast, he quickly explained to Ji Yunwen, "Senior, you misunderstood, I meant to say that I trust your character!"

  Yan Wen heard this and immediately gave Xiao Yun a white eye. Hong Ke Xin said to Xiao Yun, "I think I'll go with you to keep watch tonight."

  Xiao Yun didn't say much either, nodded at Hong Ke Xin and the two of them walked out of the cave together.

  ——

  Under the cliff.

  Xiao Yunbai's daytime feeding of that tune should not have been digested yet, and the fruit under the night sky was blooming with a seven-colored halo, looking beautiful.

  "What a true beauty!" Hong Ke Xin looked up at the Zuo Yin fruit tree with a dazed expression in her eyes.

  Xiao Yun smiled and said, "You go find a place to rest, I'll keep watch!"

  Withdraw your gaze, Hong Ke Xin shook her head, "No need, I'll keep watch with you. That old man really doesn't understand the etiquette of hosting guests, he just went to sleep and left us to keep night watch."

  "He has been guarding for a hundred years, what's the big deal about us guarding one night?" Xiao Yun smiled and sat down in a clean spot under the stone wall.

  Hong Ke Xin sat down beside Xiao Yun, turned her head and glanced at Xiao Yun a few times, "Are you really planning to stay here?"

  Xiao Yun heard this and fell silent for a moment, finally nodding his head, "Zu Yin is very important to me, without Zu Yin, I wouldn't have been able to achieve greater heights in music!"

  Hong Keyi lowered her head and didn't say anything.

  Xiao Yun turned to look at Hong Ke Xin, "Miss Hong, I think you don't need to stay here either. Tomorrow, you can go find your fellow disciples. Otherwise, when the time comes, you'll miss the opportunity to leave and end up being stuck here for a hundred years."

  Hong Ke Xin thought for a moment and shook her head, "It's still early, let's talk about it in a few days. Maybe you can find a way to ripen this fruit."

  "How easy it is to talk!" Xiao Yun shook his head and sighed.

  "Li Guiyang, Li Guiyang..."

  Just as Xiao Yun was stunned, a voice suddenly sounded outside the valley. The voice spread through the clear night sky, sounding very desolate.

  "Is anyone there?"

  Hong Kexin suddenly stood up, vigilantly looking towards the valley entrance, with a look as if facing a great enemy.

  Xiao Yun saw this and suddenly burst out laughing.

  "What's wrong?" Hong Kexin was puzzled.

  "It's just one bird, no need to be so tense."

  " Bird?" Hong Ke Xin was taken aback, "Can birds talk? Is it a demon beast?"

  Xiao Yun shook his head, "It's not a monster beast, just an ordinary bird. Haven't you seen one before?"

  Xiao Yun said, and put down his guard. Listening to the clear cry of the valley mouth, Hong Ke Xin shook her head, very puzzled, she had never heard any bird's cry like this before.

  "This bird is called Oriole. In our hometown, there's a story about this bird!" Xiao Yun smiled, as if lost in thought.

  "Huh?" Hong Keyin's interest was piqued as soon as she heard it, and she leaned in close to Xiao Yun, "What story? Tell me!"

  "Are you sure you want to hear?" Xiao Yun looked at Hong Kexin.

  Hong Ke Xin nodded firmly.

  "Cough, cough!" Xiao Yun cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

  Once upon a time, there was a young man named Li Guiyang, who had just turned twenty and made a living by farming. One morning, on his way out, he saw a girl lying unconscious on the ground. The girl's surname was Zhang, her name was Yingying, and she was only seventeen years old.

  Yingying's parents died young, and she was adopted by her uncle. Her aunt is a selfish person who wants to marry Yingying off to the wealthy owner of a neighboring village for the sake of the dowry money.

  The young woman took advantage of her mother's inattention and ran away secretly, but she had no relatives or friends, no money on her body, and was tired and hungry, so she fainted on the road. Fortunately, Li Guiyang found and saved her.

  ……

  Later on, Yingying fell in love with Li Guiyang's honest and kind nature, and the two became a couple. After getting married, they lived happily ever after, enjoying a blissful life together.

  But the good times didn't last long, Yingying was spotted by a wealthy man surnamed Jia. Mr. Jia saw that Yingying was as beautiful as a flower and had his heart set on making her his own, so he devised a sinister plan to frame Li Guiyang and have him thrown into prison.

  English translation:

  The county government was going to execute Li Guiyang, but unfortunately, he was sent to the border before she could see him one last time.

  Not having seen him, she was overcome with grief and jumped into the river, repeatedly calling out Li Guyang's name.

  After death, he turned into an Oriole.

  Li Guiyang, Li Guiyang.

  She called out her husband's name day and night, from spring to summer, the northern birds were tired of going south to rest on the branches, from summer to autumn there was no echo, she had to stop in winter, and set foot on the road to find her husband again next year.

  Year after year, the repeated calls for help, Li Guiyang was nowhere to be found, but Yingying remained resolute and did not give up hope. This search had been going on for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.