Chapter 112: Bamboo Sea Tides
Chapter 112: Bamboo Sea Tides
The sound of Tranquil Recluse’s xiao was just like his old house—elegant, quiet, and fresh.
At first, it sounded like a small stream flowing, dripping and ringing, each note reaching the ears and flowing straight into the heart, utterly captivating. Then, it was like bamboo groves swaying, melodiously responding, the lingering sound echoing endlessly, making people calm their breath, focus their minds, and forget themselves. After that, it gradually became more rapid, grand and majestic. It was as if a tranquil sea slowly began to roll and boil, with huge waves crashing against the shore. Finally, with a few lingering notes as serene as orchids in an empty valley, it slowly settled down.
Bamboo Sea Tides melody!
When the piece ended, the lingering sound had not yet faded, and a faint, unique fragrance of green bamboo still hung in the air.
“The Bamboo Sea Tides melody—I’ve made a fool of myself. Mu Feng, please, have some fine Biluoqing tea!”
Tranquil Recluse smiled and set down the long xiao in his hand.
Only when he said this did Mu Feng snap back to reality. He noticed that a maid had, at some point, arrived behind him with a cup of hot tea. He hadn’t heard her footsteps, hadn’t sensed her presence—just now, without realizing it, he had become completely lost in the enchanting xiao music.
How dangerous!
If it hadn’t been a maid, but an enemy or an assassin, what would have happened?
Mu Feng broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at Tranquil Recluse with added respect and awe. In his mind, he quickly thought of another person—the Blind Master, the blind old man who carried a guqin and stayed by Mu Feng’s side. One played the xiao, the other played the qin; both were equally unfathomable, capable of killing without a trace!
What was even more frightening was that when he looked at the expressions of the people around him, it seemed he was the only one who had lost himself. Even Jing Wushuang beside him showed no unusual reaction, which was even more shocking.
Sonic attack!
This was no ordinary xiao music—it was a terrifying form of attack. If Tranquil Recluse had meant him harm, he would likely be a cold corpse by now!
The Path of Tranquility!
Mu Feng felt a moment of enlightenment. The Path of Tranquility that Tranquil Recluse practiced could calm the mind and clear desires, but it could also be used to kill. When tranquility reached its peak, it could make one forget their own existence, obliterating consciousness without notice!
“There are many ways to kill—hidden weapons, poison, sonic attacks, traps… too many to count. Sometimes, you’re struck down before you even see what your enemy looks like. Mu Feng, since you have urgent matters, we won’t keep you any longer. But when you’re out traveling, remember to be careful, and then more careful! When you return to Mu Manor, send my regards to your mother.”
Flying Sky Bat intentionally or unintentionally gave the shaken Mu Feng a meaningful look. After a pause, he took out a bat-shaped waist token from his robe and handed it to Mu Feng. “It’s our first meeting, and I didn’t have time to prepare anything, Nephew Mu Feng. Please take this waist token. The journey is long; carry it with you. I can’t speak for other places, but south of Jianshui, it should help a bit. Many friends will show me some face when they see this token.”
“Thank you, Old Yan!”
Mu Feng stood up and bowed, then without ceremony, reached out to take the waist token from Flying Sky Bat and promptly tied it onto Shuang’er.
After a moment’s thought, he realized that Tranquil Recluse’s performance just now had been deliberate—a specific reminder for him to be wary of dangers on the road. After breaking through to the Late Mortal Realm, his strength had greatly improved, but both in power and experience, he was still far lacking, far from understanding the dangers of the Great Thousand World.
He looked up just in time to see Tranquil Recluse smiling at him. He quickly bowed with hands clasped, feeling deeply grateful.
“I’m just a common man, Young Master Mu. I don’t have anything fancy to give, but take these silver pieces for your journey expenses.”
Second Brother Feng Qianjin took a money pouch from his robe and tossed it to Mu Feng. “A single coin can stump a hero. The road is long; it’s better to have more silver on hand. If you ever run into any trouble in the future, come find me. I may not have much, but I have a few pieces of silver!”
Feng Qianjin, short and chubby, grinned broadly and looked every bit a wealthy man. If Mu Feng hadn’t seen him use a twig to open the gate from the outside and walk in, he wouldn’t have believed that such a seemingly clumsy and heavy man could have such nimble hands. The tossed money pouch was heavy; though he said “a few pieces of silver,” it surely contained no less than five hundred taels.
“Thank you, Old Feng!”
Mu Feng bowed and took the pouch, storing this kindness in his heart.
The journey to Jianshui City was indeed long, and he would need quite a bit of money along the way. That girl Mu Qingzhu had given him a carriage, but when he left home, he truly hadn’t brought much silver. Seeing Feng Qianjin’s open-handed generosity, Mu Feng didn’t pretend to refuse.
“A treasured blade for a hero, flowers for a beauty. Young Master Mu, I, Fourth Lady Mei, didn’t prepare a gift, but I’ll give this bottle of Plum Blossom Powder to the page by your side. It can regenerate flesh, detoxify, and prolong life.” Fourth-ranked Mei Xue smiled, having seen through Jing Wushuang’s female identity at a glance, though she didn’t mention it. She took out a bottle of Plum Blossom Powder she had personally refined. Instead of giving it to Mu Feng, she handed it directly to Jing Wushuang beside him.
“Thank you, Fourth Lady!”
Seeing the meaningful smile on Mei Xue’s face, Jing Wushuang blushed slightly and bowed. Before she even opened the delicate jade bottle, a light, unique fragrance of plum blossoms wafted toward her.
“Each of you has prepared a generous gift, but I, the host, come empty-handed. How embarrassing is that?”
Tranquil Recluse smiled, took out a thin booklet from his robe, and, along with the long xiao in his hand, offered them to Mu Feng. “Young Master Mu, meeting is fate. This Jade Green Xiao has been with me for decades, and I use it less and less now. It’s a waste in my hands. I give it to you, along with this music score. A true talent is versed in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I believe, Young Master Mu, that one day your achievements in qin music will far surpass mine, a simple country recluse.”
“How can I accept this?”
Mu Feng hurriedly declined. The jade-green xiao felt cool to the touch; it was carved entirely from a fine piece of ancient jade, priceless beyond measure. Such a lavish gift was too much for him to accept; no matter what Tranquil Recluse said, he didn’t dare take it.
“Mu Feng, accept it. Third Brother is a miser—if you cut one of his bamboos, he’ll scold you for half a year. It’s rare for him to give a gift; don’t let his goodwill go to waste. When you’ve learned it well someday, come back and drink with us, play a few tunes for fun!” Flying Sky Bat, being hot-tempered, couldn’t stand to watch the two of them go back and forth.
Hearing this, Mu Feng found it hard to refuse such kindness and had to accept. He and Jing Wushuang walked outside and boarded the tall carriage. Just as he was about to tell the driver to set off, Jing Wushuang suddenly called out, “Wait a minute!” She rushed over to Tranquil Recluse, holding an ancient book.
“Scholar Wen, could you please take a look at this music score and tell me what’s different about it?” Jing Wushuang, being sharp and attentive, couldn’t forget the score “Past and Present Lives” that she had never been able to decipher.
“Past and Present Lives?”
Tranquil Recluse glanced at the cover, puzzled, then opened the score to look inside. His face darkened.
Seeing his serious expression, Jing Wushuang’s eyes lit up. “Scholar Wen, what is it? Does it contain some hidden mystery?”
“A hidden mystery? Not exactly, but this score is indeed a bit strange. It seems… it seems to require two people to play together—one on the xiao, one on the qin.”
Tranquil Recluse shook his head and returned the score to Jing Wushuang. “Strange, such a score is truly rare. Unfortunately, time is short. We’ll have to wait until you have time to visit again to study it carefully. By the way, speaking of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Palace Lord Ye Beigong of Xiangshan Academy in Jiangling Prefecture is second to none in the Southern Borderlands. When Mu Feng reports to Xiangshan Academy later, he might as well seek advice from Palace Lord Ye Beigong in person!”
“Alright, thank you, Scholar Wen!”
Jing Wushuang bowed, then turned and climbed into the carriage.
Soon, under the watchful eyes of Flying Sky Bat and the others, the tall carriage raced off, disappearing into the rolling mountains.