Green Bamboo Elder carried a zither with a scorched tail and entered the house, respectfully saying, “Aunt, the zither has been brought.” Blue Phoenix and Qu Feiyan also came to the door, looking at the three people inside with curiosity.

Ren Yingying said, “Take the zither to Headmaster Nie and let him show off his skills so we can all broaden our horizons. You two come in too and see what your sweethearts are capable of.”

Green Bamboo Elder was taken aback upon hearing this, then turned to look at Nie Yun with a reluctant expression.

Lan Fenghuang and Qu Feiyan looked at Nie Yun, wondering to themselves, “He can play the zither too?”

Nie Yun smiled slightly and reached out his hand to Green Bamboo Elder, saying, “Don’t worry, it won’t break.”

While Green Bamboo Elder hesitated, Ren Yingying said again, “Give it to him.”

Hearing the urging and commanding tone in Ren Yingying’s voice, Green Bamboo Elder could only sigh inwardly and carefully handed the zither to Nie Yun, saying with concern, “Be gentle, this zither is very precious.”

Nie Yun took the zither, sat down cross-legged, placed the zither on the small table, and gently plucked it with his hand. A few clear, crisp notes were heard.

“It is indeed a rare and excellent zither!” Nie Yun nodded in praise.

Green Bamboo Old Man stroked his beard smugly, about to say a few words of self-deprecation, when Nie Yun continued, “Although you are ugly, your zither playing is mediocre, your martial arts skills are weak, and you have a reckless personality, your eye for choosing zithers is indeed quite good.”

Lan Fenghuang and Qu Feiyan burst out laughing. Green Bamboo Old Man’s eyes widened and his teeth clenched so tightly that they clicked. He finally understood why Ren Yingying had been so angry when she called him earlier.

Ren Yingying shook her head secretly behind the curtain; Nie Yun’s mouth was simply infuriating. However, seeing Green Bamboo Elder being rebuked so harshly, she couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“The twelve musical scales are Huangzhong, Dalu, Taicu, Jiazhong, Guxi, Zhonglu, Ruibin, Linzhong, Yize, Nanlu, Wushe, and Yingzhong. These have existed since ancient times. It is said that when the Yellow Emperor ordered Ling Lun to create the scales, he created the twelve scales after hearing the cry of the phoenix.”

Nie Yun ran his fingers along each string of the zither, muttering to himself, “The zither has seven strings, containing the five notes of Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, and Yu. The first string is Huang Zhong, and the third string is Gong mode. The five modes are Man Jiao, Qing Shang, Gong mode, Man Gong, and Rui Bin mode.”

The group was taken aback upon hearing this, as they hadn’t expected Nie Yun to actually know quite a bit about the zither.

Ren Yingying looked surprised, but thinking that these were just basic introductory knowledge that any musician could learn, she didn’t pay much attention to them.

Ren Yingying sneered, “You can recite it quite fluently, but if you can only talk the talk but not walk the walk, you’re just a Zhao Kuo who only talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.”

Nie Yun shook his head and said, “You are too competitive and have an inflated sense of self-importance. How can someone with this kind of personality appreciate profound musical skills? I’m afraid you’ll only ever reach the level of someone who can listen to a piece of music for five taels of silver at the Yihong Courtyard.”

When Ren Yingying heard Nie Yun compare her to a courtesan in a brothel, her blood boiled, and she clenched her teeth, wishing she could sew Nie Yun’s mouth shut with a needle.

“What piece should I play?” Nie Yun plucked the strings, thought for a moment, and shook his head, saying, “Forget it, you wouldn’t understand anything too profound. I’ll just play something random myself!”

“Zheng—” The sound of the zither suddenly rang out, like an eagle soaring into the sky. Ren Yingying and Green Bamboo Elder’s expressions changed as they watched Nie Yun’s fingering technique.

Although it was just the beginning, the finger technique already revealed an extremely high level of skill.

Nie Yun closed his eyes lightly, his fingers moving gently, his posture free and graceful.

He displayed a gentle and refined demeanor that was completely different from his usual self, which made Lan Fenghuang and Qu Feiyan’s eyes fill with tears and their hearts flutter.

Ren Yingying slowly lifted the curtain, her gaze towards Nie Yun filled with surprise.

The clear and distant sound of the zither sometimes resembles a mountain stream, winding and turning endlessly; sometimes it is like a gentle breeze and a bright moon, tranquil and far-reaching, melancholic and elegant; sometimes it is like apricot blossoms and spring rain, gentle and graceful, melodious and lingering; sometimes it is like the rising tide, with undercurrents and hidden power.

As they listened to the music, their faces were filled with rapt attention. They closed their eyes and lingered in the beautiful scenes depicted by Nie Yun’s music.

In the final section, they felt a sense of vastness and boundless expanse from the music, as if the sky were high and the clouds were clear.

The group seemed to see an eagle soaring high in the blue sky, with a few wispy clouds accompanying it.

And the eagle soars high in the sky, looking down upon the earth as if it were the master of the world.

“Zheng—” The last note faded away, but the heart-stirring music seemed to still linger and echo in the room, its lingering melody never ceasing.

Nie Yun gently opened her eyes, her gaze serene. She saw that all four of them had their eyes closed and were smiling, clearly still immersed in the beautiful music.

Nie Yun smiled slightly and clapped his hands lightly. The four of them opened their eyes, their faces showing an expression as if they had just woken up from a dream. They looked around, as if trying to figure out where they were.

“Miss Ren, I wonder if my zither meets your standards?” Nie Yun said calmly, looking at Ren Yingying.

“My God! Brother Nie, you’re amazing!” Qu Feiyan looked at Nie Yun, her eyes practically sparkling with hearts. “I’ve never heard such beautiful music before, it’s like stepping into a fairyland! How did you learn it?”

Lan Fenghuang also breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Nie Yun, she sighed inwardly, “Such looks and such talent, I’m afraid there is no one else like him in the world today!”

Ren Yingying stared blankly at Nie Yun, her heart churning with turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time.

Previously, she had always thought that Nie Yun was talking nonsense and boasting, and even thought that he was nothing more than a vulgar and shameless brute.

But after hearing Nie Yun’s zither music with his own ears, he realized that there are always people more capable than him, and that he was just a frog in a well.

As the Holy Maiden of the Sun Moon Sect, she was surrounded by martial arts practitioners, among whom Ren Woxing and Dongfang Bubai were top-tier martial arts masters, as well as ambitious and ruthless individuals who had committed countless murders.

Since she began traveling the martial arts world, she had encountered most of the masters who were like this, so she had always looked down on people in the martial arts world.

But after hearing that piece of music, she realized that Nie Yun was truly extraordinary. Not only was his musical skill superb, but the artistic conception conveyed in his music was also incredibly grand.

She knew that the music of the zither reflected the heart’s emotions, and the painting that had just unfolded before her eyes was naturally a reflection of Nie Yun’s inner world.

That magnificent spirit of embracing the sun, moon, and stars, and holding all things in the universe in one’s heart, was something she had never seen before in her life, and was an absolute realm that she could never reach.

She used to pride herself on being otherworldly and refined, but now she finds it all utterly ridiculous.

She found it strange that such an outstanding man would flirt with her, and that lewd mouth that made her so angry she wanted to vomit blood was completely out of place with the realm reflected in the music.

She remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed and shook her head, saying, “Master Nie’s zither skills are superb, and I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as him. From now on, I will never dare to say that I understand the zither again.”

Green Bamboo Elder looked at Nie Yun with admiration on his face. He was also a master of the zither and knew how amazing Nie Yun’s zither skills were.

Nie Yun stood up and handed the zither to Green Bamboo Elder, saying with a smile, “Be gentle, this zither is very precious.”

These were the exact words that Old Man Green Bamboo had said when he handed him the zither, and now he was returning them verbatim, clearly with a hint of teasing.

Old Man Green Bamboo blushed and bowed to Nie Yun, saying, “To hear Sect Leader Nie play the zither today is truly an honor beyond measure. In the past, I was like a frog in a well, thinking myself to be a master of the zither. Today, I finally understand what it means to ‘skill can reach the Dao, and art can connect with the divine.’ After hearing this piece, I’m afraid I will never have the face to play this zither again. Please accept this zither from Sect Leader Nie as my token of gratitude.”

After listening to Nie Yun’s performance, he felt that many of his previous questions about musical skills had been answered. From this perspective, it was not an exaggeration to respectfully call Nie Yun “teacher”.

Nie Yun shook his head and smiled, “A gentleman does not take what others cherish. This is your zither, not mine. Besides, the art of playing the zither is profound and extensive. I’m just a step ahead of you. Your skills are already quite good, so don’t be discouraged. Just study hard in the future.”

Seeing that Nie Yun showed no arrogance, Green Bamboo Elder admired him even more. He respectfully accepted the zither and said gratefully, “Thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader Nie.”

Nie Yun nodded, then turned to look at Ren Yingying.

Ren Yingying felt a sudden panic and took a step back, saying, “I wonder if Sect Leader Nie has any further advice?”

Nie Yun reached into his pocket, pulled out a booklet, and tossed it to Ren Yingying.

Ren Yingying reached out and took it, looking at Nie Yun with a puzzled expression.

Nie Yun said, “This piece is ‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’s Melody,’ composed by Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng. It is an adaptation of ‘Guangling San’ by Ji Kang of the Jin Dynasty. Practice hard, and I’ll be waiting for the day we can play together.”

Ren Yingying’s heart skipped a beat, and she exclaimed, “You…you just said you wanted to play a duet with me, so it was true?”

“Of course it’s true, why would I lie to you about something like this!” Nie Yun suddenly revealed a mysterious smile. “But I’ll play the zither, and you’ll play the flute!”

Qu Feiyan blushed and pouted, muttering, “You lecher!”

Lan Fenghuang smiled faintly, shook her head, and remained silent.

The old man with green bamboo looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak.

Looking at everyone’s expressions, Ren Yingying suddenly felt that Nie Yun was definitely up to something.

Seeing her hesitate, Nie Yun said, “This piece embodies the life’s work of the two of them; it can be considered a timeless masterpiece. You should take a look at it first!”

After saying that, he turned to Qu Feiyan and Lan Fenghuang and said, “Let’s go, it’s a rare opportunity to come to Luoyang, let’s go for a stroll!”

Qu Feiyan nodded and smiled as she took his arm.

Lan Fenghuang looked at Ren Yingying, her eyes showing a questioning look.

Seeing the expectation in her eyes, Ren Yingying sighed inwardly and nodded, saying, “Since Sect Leader Nie is in such a good mood, Sect Leader Lan, please accompany him for a walk around the city.”

Lan Fenghuang beamed with joy, turned around and took Nie Yun’s other hand, saying sweetly, “Little brother Yun, let’s go.”

Nie Yun nodded to Ren Yingying, then took one of the beauties by the hand and walked out.

********************

After the three people had gone far away, Ren Yingying came to the window, looked at the lush green bamboo outside, and stared blankly, not knowing what she was thinking.

Green Bamboo Elder stood respectfully to the side when he suddenly heard Ren Yingying say, “You may leave now.”

Green Bamboo Elder nodded in agreement, turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Ren Yingying stood there for a long time, then sighed, turned around and went back behind the curtain. She sat down cross-legged, stretched out her slender fingers, and gently plucked the zither on the table, producing a melodious sound like a clear spring in a secluded valley.

The music that used to sound so beautiful now sounded so unbearable.

She shook her head, her fingers stopped, and a look of confusion appeared on her face.

“Nie Yun… what kind of person are you?” The girl’s red lips moved slightly, uttering a few barely audible murmurs.

********************

As evening fell, Lan Fenghuang and Qu Feiyan returned together, but Nie Yun was nowhere to be seen. The two women also had slightly furrowed brows, as if they were worried about something.

Seeing this, Ren Yingying quickly asked, “Why are there only the two of you? What happened to him…?”

She stopped abruptly as soon as she spoke, her fair face flushed as if rouged.

“What am I doing? Why am I so concerned about him?” Miss Ren, who is usually carefree, suddenly felt her face flush and her heart race.

However, Lan Fenghuang and Qu Feiyan were preoccupied with Nie Yun at the time, so they did not notice her unusual behavior.

Lan Fenghuang said, “He was having a great time with us when he suddenly seemed to discover something very important. He told us to come back first, and then he ran out of the city. We wanted to chase after him, but his lightness skill was really amazing, and he quickly disappeared from sight.”

“Oh?” Ren Yingying’s eyes flickered slightly. She pondered in silence, wondering what could be so urgent for Nie Yun in Luoyang.

********************

Outside Luoyang City, two groups of martial arts practitioners were facing off, totaling more than a hundred people.

A gaunt old man in white robes with a long, flowing beard stood proudly in the open space between the two groups of people, an iron chain binding his hands, looking at the crowd with a cold laugh.

The group on the left had white cloth wrapped around their heads, wore blue robes, were barefoot, and wore hemp shoes without ears.

The leader, a short Taoist priest, shouted in a Sichuan accent, “Xiang Wentian, let’s see where you can run to today!”

The group on the right were all dressed in black with belts of various colors around their waists. A thin man with a face as pale as paper said coldly, “Xiang Wentian, quickly surrender and come with me back to Blackwood Cliff to confess your crimes to the sect leader!”

Xiang Wentian revealed a mocking expression and sneered, “Rare indeed! I never thought that the Sun Moon Divine Sect and the righteous sects could join forces. This is truly a wonder of the world!”

The short Taoist priest drew his long sword and shouted sternly, “You dare to spout nonsense even when you’re about to die! The Demonic Sect is hunting down traitors, and I, Yu Canghai, am avenging my friends who died at the hands of you, you villain. We’re each doing our own thing, and have nothing to do with each other!”

He was none other than Yu Canghai, the Qingcheng Sect leader and Songfeng Temple abbot who had recently led his disciples to wipe out the entire Fuwei Escort Agency.

Xiang Wentian shook his head, “It’s just fighting with fewer troops! They’re shameless, yet they make it sound so noble. No wonder they’re the Qingcheng Sect, who wipe out entire families at the drop of a hat!”

A young man next to Yu Canghai chimed in, “Xiang Wentian, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of my master? This day next year will be your death anniversary!”

“Hahaha…” Xiang Wentian laughed loudly, his two cold, lightning-like eyes fixed on the young man. “I want to see whose death anniversary it is!” With that, he flashed and rushed towards the young man.

In an instant, sword light flashed, and several men in green robes simultaneously raised their swords and thrust them at him.

Xiang Wentian twisted his foot and waved his hands lightly. With a series of clanging sounds, the iron chain had already broken a hole in the sword light.

The young man who had spoken earlier thrust his sword forward, but Xiang Wentian swayed and flashed behind him, raising and flicking his wrist to already have the sword around the man’s neck.

The young man felt a tightness in his throat, followed by a strong force coming from his back.

All the onlookers saw was Xiang Wentian thrust his back backward and pull down with both hands. The young man was lifted up like a sack, and the iron chain around his neck was like the rope tying the sack.

Xiang Wentian grinned maliciously and suddenly crossed his arms in front of his chest. With a “crack,” the man on his back rolled his eyes back, his tongue lolling out, his neck snapped.

Xiang Wentian flung the corpse away with both hands, sending it flying into the body of a Qingcheng Sect disciple who was about to pounce on him.

He tapped his right foot and leaped back to his original spot.

These few moves were swift and lightning-fast, so fast that even Yu Canghai couldn’t stop them in time.

A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd of the Sun Moon Sect members, with several shouting, “Right Envoy, what superb skills you have!”

Xiang Wentian smiled slightly, raised his hands and clasped them in thanks to everyone, while the iron chains under his hands clanged loudly.

He turned to look at Yu Canghai, whose face was ashen, and sneered, “Shorty Yu, your disciple is truly useless. I’ll deal with him for you, so he won’t embarrass you in the future!”

Upon hearing this, Yu Canghai became even more furious, his face turning so dark it seemed as if water could drip from it.

Tu Canghai was a renowned figure in the martial arts world, enjoying great fame.

However, because he was short, he was most sensitive about people talking about his height.

Now that Xiang Wentian has killed his disciple in front of everyone and even called him “Shorty Yu,” it’s like slapping him in the face with the sole of a shoe.

He snorted angrily, his figure blurred, and he rushed straight towards Xiang Wentian. As he moved, his longsword flashed, and with three swift strikes, he attacked Xiang Wentian from the top, middle, and bottom.

Although Xiang Wentian spoke lightly, he never underestimated Yu Canghai, the leader of a sect.

Seeing Yu Canghai’s fierce swordplay, and with his hands bound by iron chains and unarmed, he lightly touched the ground with his feet and floated backward.

He shouted, “Brothers of the God Cult, who can lend me a hand?”

The members of the Sun Moon Cult were all stunned upon hearing this, and one of them immediately wanted to throw the knife in his hand.

The leader of the men turned around and shouted, “Xiang Wentian is a traitor. Do you also want to rebel?”

Several people who were interested were immediately taken aback by his cold gaze, their expressions changed, and they lowered their raised hands.

In the original novel, most of the disciples in Yu Canghai’s sect were incompetent. Even the so-called famous Four Heroes of Qingcheng were no match for Linghu Chong, who had not yet learned the Dugu Nine Swords.

However, Yu Canghai’s martial arts skills were comparable to Yue Buqun’s, and his Pine Breeze Sword Technique and Heart-Shattering Palm were renowned in the martial arts world.

Now, filled with resentment, he attacked, wielding a sword with his right hand and striking with his left, forcing Xiang Wentian to dodge repeatedly.

Seeing their sect leader display such power, the Qingcheng disciples were all overjoyed and shouted, “Master, what amazing martial arts!”

The members of the Sun Moon Cult watched coldly, without uttering a word.

Suddenly, a furious voice shouted, “Yu Canghai, give me back my sister’s life!”

Then a figure suddenly darted into the arena, wielding a large sword, and slashed at Yu Canghai with a move called “Splitting Mount Hua”.

Yu Canghai never expected that a Cheng Yaojin would appear out of nowhere. He made several moves to force Xiang Wentian back, and then waved his hand to block the newcomer’s killing move.

With a clang, swords clashed.

Yu Canghai felt a powerful force coming from the longsword in his hand, which made his tiger’s mouth hurt so much that he almost couldn’t hold the sword.

He stumbled back several steps before regaining his balance, deeply shocked, thinking to himself, “This person’s internal strength is incredibly strong!”

After the newcomer repelled Yu Canghai with a single sword strike, he did not pursue him. Instead, he stared coldly at him and said in a grief-stricken tone, “Yu Canghai, today I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!”

Looking at the unfamiliar face, Yu Canghai frowned, wondering to himself when he had ever made an enemy of this person.

He remained cautious and said in a deep voice, “May I ask your esteemed name? We have never met before, so what grudge do you hold against me?”

The man slowly raised the broadsword in his hand and said viciously in a thick Luoyang accent, “Today I’ll let you die knowing why. Your grandpa is none other than Wang Bofen!”

Yu Canghai was taken aback upon hearing this, and then his expression changed drastically.

Because this Wang Bofen was none other than the brother of Lin Zhennan’s wife, Wang Liru, who had already died along with Lin Zhennan from his torment.