by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
Xia Yunchong and the others were surprised to see this woman view Long Chen so highly. They hadn’t expected Long Chen to have such a skill.
Han Wenjun sneered. The higher he raised Long Chen, the better it would feel to knock him on the ground.
“Miss, where did you hear that I’m skilled in musical theory?” Long Chen smiled a smile that was not a smile at the woman.
She looked at him. For some unknown reason, her heart pounded wildly when Long Chen was staring at her. She couldn’t lie while looking at Long Chen.
However, she did have guts. She smiled and bowed toward Long Chen, lowering her head to avoid his gaze. “Mister Long Chen, you don’t need to be humble. Could it be that you refuse to give me any pointers?”
Since you want to force me like this despite the fact that we don’t have any enmity, I won’t stand on courtesy. Long Chen had never been afraid of bragging. Words began to flow from his mouth. “Alright, you’re right. My humble-self began studying literature at three and martial arts at four, at five I could recite poetry and songs, at six I could kill chickens and pigs, at seven I could slaughter dragons and tigers, at eight I saw through the mundane world of dust and began to study the various musical arts. When it comes to the Music Dao, from the heights of the heavens to the depths of the earth, the zither, the guqin, the lute, the morning bells, the evening drum, there is none that I am not skilled in…”
Long Chen’s bragging caused these people’s ears to buzz and their eyes to see stars. Some of them even had their hair stand on end.
At first, they were truly shocked by Long Chen. But then Long Chen’s words came out like a torrent, and he bragged for a full two hours without repeating a single phrase. Now they all finally realized he was just bragging.
But to be able to bring bragging to this level, it could also count as a divine ability. The most amazing thing was that Long Chen didn’t even bat an eye.
Eventually, even Long Chen ran out of bragging words and came to a stop. Everyone was silent, feeling dizzy from his bragging.
“As expected, grandmaster Long Chen truly is amazing. I prostrate myself in admiration toward you. Grandmaster Long Chen, can you give me some pointers?” The woman waited for Long Chen to finish bragging. The sneer on her face was unconcealable. She directly called him grandmaster.
The more Long Chen bragged, the more face he would lose in a bit. This was what she and Han Wenjun wanted to see.
Xia Youluo was worried. She knew Long Chen knew nothing about musical theory. He had sealed his own path.
“Do you really want me to evaluate you?” Long Chen smiled.
“Please, grandmaster Long Chen.” The woman bowed expectantly.
“Alright, then I’ll give you an evaluation. I will use two words to describe your music just now.” Long Chen raised two fingers. “Absolute trash.”
Everyone’s expressions changed, especially that woman’s. She turned ashen out of rage, and she glared at Long Chen.
“Hahaha. I’ve bitterly trained in the zither for eighteen years. It’s my first time hearing someone evaluate my music as absolute trash. Interesting,” she sneered.
“Without a master to guide you, you’d still be trash after training a hundred and eighty years. This has nothing to do with how long you train; a snail can train for eighteen thousand years and it still wouldn’t be fast.
“The reason no one has evaluated your music as trash is because those people were just fawning over you, or perhaps you don’t let many people listen to your music. All it proves is your own lack of experience. As a master of music, you use the Music Dao to peer into the Heavenly Daos. The goal is to combine the body and the Dao, to have the heart reach a natural realm, to have no faults, to have no impurities.
“But what about you? We don’t even know each other, but you followed someone else’s orders and used your Music Dao to target me. Ask yourself, do you really feel no guilt? As a person, you’re trash, so how could you possibly play a divine song? Do you think others are as brainless as you?” sneered Long Chen.
The expressions of all the Grand Han’s experts changed. This time, Long Chen’s words were direct and clearly cursing them.
“You…!” The woman’s expression also changed and she pointed at Long Chen.
“What you? Even you are in the habit of pointing at others when speaking? As expected, you’re all from the same place.
“But in order to convince you, now that I’m done speaking about your personal character, I’ll speak on your work. The zither song you played is called the Divine Sealing Soul Calming Song, while the song you sang was the Supreme Senses Chapter of the Great Wasteland Western Scripture. It recorded the comprehension left behind by a supreme existence before they ascended. However, the scripture is damaged and too difficult to understand. Only a thousandth of the original remains, and both the beginning and ending have been lost, making it so no one has been able to comprehend it. Let alone you with your Foundation Forging cultivation base, even a Life Star expert is unable to comprehend the profundities within it. The reason you sang that song was purely to show off.”
Long Chen’s words caused the people’s hearts to shake. It seemed his previous evaluation hadn’t been deliberately insulting. He had the facts to back it up.
Amongst these people, only a few had heard of the Great Wasteland Western Scripture, let alone the Supreme Senses Chapter within it. But looking at the zither-playing girl’s shocked expression, they could tell his words were spot on.
Xia Youluo also jumped in shock. Long Chen had clearly said that he didn’t know anything about music. But then how was he able to say so much?
In truth, Long Chen really had no understanding of musical theory. But the song this woman had played was something he was very familiar with. That was because someone had once sent him a section of the Divine Sealing Soul Calming Song.
That person was someone he had encountered by chance in the Eastern Wasteland, Zi Yan. That song had been extremely beneficial to the Dragonblood Legion back then, which was why he remembered each beat within it.
As for the Supreme Senses Chapter of the Great Wasteland Western Scripture, that was something he had seen in the Xuantian Dao Sect. It was not a cultivation technique, nor was it a secret art. Instead, it was an ancient text.
Back then, he had been given the approval of the Xuan Master to go through the Hidden Scripture Pavilion’s ancient texts. He had flipped through them all.
It wasn’t because Long Chen was so studious, but because he had been hoping to find records pertaining to the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art. Regretfully, he hadn’t found anything. But due to his memory, he hadn’t forgotten the texts he had read.
It was precisely because he had read so many of those ancient texts that he had been able to swindle the Wine God Palace’s disciples of their wine. Within the ancient texts had been many profound principles that were all difficult to understand. They sounded simple, yet each word had multiple meanings, and the principles contained within them were sources of great enlightenment.
So Long Chen was familiar with the zither music and singing of this woman, which had given him his confidence. So despite knowing this had been a trap, he had still jumped into it to slap his opponent’s face.
“I heard the Divine Sealing Soul Calming Song years ago. The playing of that person was true divine ability. It was able to draw people into an artistic realm. She was thousands of times better than you. Then as for your singing, your Sound Dao[2]- cough, ah, I mean your vocal range isn’t wide enough. This kind of high difficulty scripture is out of your league. Your playing was average, your singing was average, and you were unable to form any resonance between them, nor were you able to bring people into that kind of artistic realm. Tell me, don’t you think your performance was absolute trash?” demanded Long Chen.
“Hmph, don’t try to act so above and aloof. Who doesn’t know how to nitpick? If you have any ability, put on your own performance for us to see!” raged th
e infuriated woman.
Long Chen smiled slightly. He had known she would say such a thing. Fortunately, he had the photographic jade Zi Yan had sent him. He was just about to show off a bit more and play it. Although it wouldn’t be a personal performance, he had slapped his opponent’s face enough already.
“Which esteemed guest is gracing my Grand Xia City with their presence?”
Just as Long Chen was about to take out the photographic jade, a majestic voice resounded throughout all of Grand Xia City. What shocked Long Chen was that this voice belonged to the Grand Xia’s emperor.
[1] This is an expression that doesn’t really translate. Basically, the expression is that he ‘doesn’t understand one aperture’, which means he doesn’t understand anything.
[2] Sound Dao sounds like vagina.
Chapter 1197 Zi Yan Reappears
Long Chen and the others were shocked. Just who had arrived that was able to disturb even the emperor and make him use such a respectful tone?
“The disciples of the Illusive Music Immortal Palace greet His Majesty of the Grand Xia!” Suddenly, a voice like immortal music rang out. Just this voice was able to make others feel an artistic feeling.
Each word contained an implicit charm of the Cry of the Heavenly Daos. Hearing it made people feel at peace.
“So it’s disciples from the immortal palace, no wonder. Please, come into the palace hall and we can catch up.” Xia Yuyang’s voice rang out, causing all the people’s expressions to change. Even the Grand Xia’s emperor would take the initiative to receive mere disciples? What was going on?
Han Wenjun and Xia Yunchong were no exceptions to being shocked. But after being shocked, they were delighted.
The Illusive Music Immortal Palace was a power that had the inheritance of a true immortal. Each of their disciples was incredibly powerful, and most importantly, they all had an immortal charm around them. Even the movements of their hands could contain the flow of the Heavenly Daos.
Most importantly, their Music Dao was similar to the Wine God Palace’s Wine Dao. It was something cultivators longed for in their dreams. That was why hearing that they came from the Illusive Music Immortal Palace shocked and delighted all these people. Why would such people come to the Grand Xia?
“I wouldn’t dare. I only came because I heard the sound of music. If I’ve offended you, please forgive me,” replied a woman’s voice.
“For it to be a chance meeting is fate. It just so happens that the youth of my Grand Xia and the Grand Han are having a cultural exchange right now. I would be delighted if fairy could come up to the Heavenly Cloud Platform and give them some pointers,” said Xia Yuyang.
“I wouldn’t dare to say I could give pointers. But I do want to experience the skills of the youth of the Grand Xia and Grand Han,” said that woman.
“Please, go ahead.”
Suddenly, the Heavenly Cloud Platform shook, and over ten beautiful figures appeared on it. These women all wore white dresses and were extremely beautiful. They were like people who had walked out of a painting.
Their appearance caused the entire Heavenly Cloud Platform to be filled with a sacred light. The ambience completely transformed.
“They’re so beautiful!” Xia Youluo looked at them enviously. These women possessed a special charm that made others feel like they couldn’t touch them due to their own inferiority.
The woman at the front was especially beautiful. A faint halo of light covered her body. She was like an immortal who had descended to the mortal world, making people have an urge to kneel before her.
“Long Chen, why did you put on a hat?” Xia Youluo suddenly saw Long Chen had stealthily taken out a hat that blocked his face.
“Shh, I know that person. She likes me and has been pursuing me for a long time, but I’d rather die than accept. I even fled to the Grand Xia, but she followed me here! Come in front of me a bit so she doesn’t recognize me,” whispered Long Chen.
He knew her. She was the one he had encountered in the Eastern Wasteland, the disciple of the Illusive Music Immortal Palace, Zi Yan. She had been the one to send Long Chen the photographic jade.
But he continued to have a strange feeling about her. Talking with her was difficult. It felt like he was an irredeemably wicked villain, while she was a pure-hearted, kind fairy who was constantly trying to enlighten him.
Although the two of them could count as friends, Long Chen was afraid of having her continue trying to enlighten him. It was better to just quietly watch.
Xia Youluo glared at Long Chen, not believing him. The Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s disciples all cultivated the Dao, and they were not permitted to have a male and female relationship. How could she possibly be pursuing him to this point? That was clearly nonsense.
Xia Youluo was just about to take Long Chen’s hat off and tell him not to mess around when Zi Yan spoke.
Bowing slightly toward them, she said, “This junior is Zi Yan, one of the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s disciples. The reason I came to the Grand Xia today was originally to pay my respect to the Wine God Palace. But I was drawn over by the music here, so please forgive me for my sudden intrusion.”
“You’re too courteous. For you to flatter my Grand Xia by coming here is a blessing for us. Please, sit.” As the host, Xia Yunfeng hastily arranged things for them.
Everyone quickly opened up a space for them. Whether it was the experts from the Grand Han or the Grand Xia, they all stared at Zi Yan and the others with reverence.
They could sense the energy of the Heavenly Daos around them. It was like they had come from the heavens.
“Everyone’s so polite. I came because I heard some music from here and after finishing some business, I wanted to see if there was perhaps fate between us. Can I know who was the one playing the zither back then?” asked Zi Yan.
“It was this junior. I’ve caused the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s fairies to laugh at my poor skills.” The zither-playing woman walked forward with an unnatural expression.
Although she claimed to be proficient in the Music Dao, she knew that she had no right to be compared with the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s disciples.
Seeing Zi Yan and the others looking like goddesses from the heavens, she was both envious and worshipful. Her gaze was very complicated.
“Sister, you’re too courteous. Amongst a hundred people there will be a hundred different kinds of music. The sound of the zither reflects the heart, and since each person’s experiences and comprehension are different, the same song can be played with different flavors. Each art has its own possibilities, and each person’s Dao is different. There is no high or low, vulgar or refined. In the Eastern Wasteland, I once learned many things from a certain person. Since then, I’ve found great pleasure in all kinds of Music Dao. Each musician’s style represents different lives, and they are all worth learning and experiencing.” Zi Yan smiled at the woman.
Her voice was like heavenly music, and it was both graceful and amicable. She seemed to be a mix of immortal and mortal, making people feel like they were dreaming.
Long Chen stealthily peeked at Zi Yan from the crowd. He couldn’t help being shocked. Zi Yan had actually reached an extremely terrifying realm. Although she hadn’t released her aura, Long Chen sensed some kind of incredibly powerful energy from her.
This energy was boundless. It was like Zi Yan was a terrifying controller of heaven and earth’s fate. It gave Long Chen a feeling like he couldn’t possibly defeat her.
Although that energy within her was silent, making it so he couldn’t estimate her power, just by using the sharp senses of the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, he felt that he was not her match.
“Your words honor me. They are truly food for thought, and millions of times better than the filthy speech that comes out of an unbearably coarse fellow.” The woman bowed toward Zi Yan, but her eyes were looking at a certain figure in the crowd.
She was intentionally trying to use Zi Yan�
�s evaluation to counterattack Long Chen.
The Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s disciples stood at the pinnacle of the Music Dao. Even such a figure hadn’t called her music trash, so how could Long Chen be qualified to do so?
Zi Yan was startled. She immediately followed that woman’s gaze, and her beautiful eyes brightened. In a pleasantly surprised tone, she said, “Long Chen, why are you here?”
For Zi Yan to call out Long Chen’s name shocked everyone. They looked at Long Chen with disbelief. Xia Youluo was especially shocked. Did this mean that Long Chen hadn’t been talking nonsense just now?
Damnit, she still recognized me. To be able to recognize me with just a glance, I suppose it simply means that I, Long Chen, am an exceptionally outstanding crane amongst a flock of chickens. Since he was exposed, Long Chen took off his hat and smiled toward Zi Yan. “After parting in the Eastern Wasteland, lady Zi Yan has become even more beautiful. Your beauty and cultivation base advance with each passing day.”
Long Chen looked at Zi Yan with a smile. It went without saying that Zi Yan was already a fairy-like beauty. But now the immortal charm around her had grown even denser, making it very similar to Meng Qi’s air.
But Meng Qi’s immortal charm was innate, while Zi Yan’s immortal charm was through cultivation. Their airs were truly similar. But in Long Chen’s eyes, when it came to beauty, Meng Qi still beat her by a level. Perhaps that was because she was his future wife, and he felt his wife to be prettier.
Zi Yan didn’t express any surprise at Long Chen’s amicable smile. Instead, she acted familiarly with him, saying, “After parting in the Eastern Wasteland, brother Long’s grace is the same as ever. It truly makes a person sigh.”
“But of course. The passing years are like a blade cutting at heavenly geniuses. Time can change my appearance, but it cannot change my heart. Or to put it in a simpler way, when it comes to my character, it’s like a blind person trying to see - it’s hopeless,” said Long Chen helplessly.
