Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 775 Whispering Rain
Practicing the piano is no easier than practicing swordsmanship; in some ways, it can be even more grueling.

Those subtle syllables were the most fragile things Pei Ye had ever seen; they would deviate if her fingertips slipped even slightly.

And none of the notes are isolated; they hold hands with each other. If one stumbles, the whole procession will tremble dangerously.

Fortunately, the woman was perhaps the most patient teacher in the world. She did not react excessively to Pei Ye's repeated mistakes. She simply corrected him calmly time and time again, whether it was ten or thirty times, until a piece of music finally flowed out of Pei Ye's hands, albeit haltingly.

Although it is still not very pleasant to listen to, it is clear that a standard prototype has been formed, transforming from a smooth error into a disjointed correctness.

Pei Ye took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. As the woman said, all he had to do was practice every day from now on.

“So this is the first chapter of ‘Leiqin’. I think I understand what the sword manual means now.” Pei Ye said with his head down. “Dean Qiu is right. If we try to memorize the rhythm of ‘Guangling Chapter’ by following the description in the sword manual, it will be a waste of time and effort. On the contrary, if we learn the zither music first, we will naturally understand the beginning, development, transition and conclusion of this sword chapter.”

"The three pieces of 'Lei Qin' are: 'Guangling' is stirring, 'Yu Hui Tushan' is simple and solemn, and 'Shuiyun Zhijun' is unrestrained. Together, they form a thunderstorm. Playing it is like ascending to the divine throne of the Cloud Lord." Ming Qitian had already tucked his sleeves and sat down beside the boy. "Look at 'Guangling,' it's so passionate because it's the result of long-suppressed anger, a sudden outburst of heavenly wrath, at the height of its fury. When you play this piece well, you'll grasp this spirit; when you grasp this spirit, you'll master this 'Lei Qin.'"

Pei Ye nodded slowly.

“Let’s call it a day then. It’s getting late,” Ming Qitian said.

"What time is it?" Pei Ye looked towards the terrace; the sky was pitch black and clear.

"It should be between the hours of Zi and Chou."

“…I’m actually quite hungry now.” Pei Ye smiled. “There’s no food in this empty house. Let’s get up early tomorrow and go eat steamed buns.”

He stood up from the piano, stretched, walked to the terrace, and leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance to the north.

The rain has thinned back to soft threads, the wind is blowing his hair and collar, and the candlelight in the West Pond looks like a string of jewels with inlays from afar. The West Pond is the mirror of a precious mirror.

“Miss Ming, come and take a look, she’s very beautiful,” he said, turning around.

Ming Qitian also went up to the terrace. Liuli was more lively than the two of them and had already flown over to the railing, swinging back and forth in the cool rain.

Pei Ye looked at the woman coming to his side and smiled, "I really have to trouble Miss Ming. Today, almost all the unresolved matters in my cultivation have been settled. I never thought I could find the way to learn the zither in just one day."

Today was indeed very fruitful. I reviewed my progress in Kendo and also got things settled about learning the koto. As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning. Since today's practice went smoothly, there's nothing to worry about in the future.

Ming Qitian helped her onto the railing: "Your talent in music is not bad, and learning only a few pieces is not difficult. If we practice like this every day, you will make considerable progress before the Feather Scale Trial."

"Ah."

Ming Qitian gazed at the West Pond: "It is indeed very beautiful."

“Miss Ming, it’s so good to see you again,” Pei Ye suddenly said softly.

Ming Qitian tilted her head: "What's wrong?"

"Because... we've been apart for so long."

Ming Qitian looked at him quietly.

"We last parted ways last September, on the hills outside Shaolong Prefecture. Miss Ming even gave me a poem then, I wonder if you remember it?" Pei Ye said, "You said, 'At seventeen I wielded my sword and books, and traveled west to Chang'an. I raised my head to gaze at the imperial gate, and counted the officials on my fingers.'"

“Yes. You gave me the poem, ‘A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near.’” Ming Qitian said, “These two lines of poetry are very well chosen, making our parting feel spirited.”

Pei Ye was quiet for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Because when I parted ways with Miss Ming, I was indeed in high spirits."

He raised his head: "At that time, we had just come out of Mount Kongtong, killed Ji Changyun and Yi Duanzhi from a desperate situation, and captured Sima. The conspiracy that Huan Si Lou had been plotting for twenty years was thwarted by our two swords."

"At that time, I thought that the evil people in the world were nothing more than this. We righteous people are upright and honest. There is nothing to be afraid of in Shaolong City in front of us, nor is there anything to be afraid of in Shenjing City in the distance. What demons and monsters are they? They are not worthy of being mentioned. If we can't kill them today, we will cut off their heads tomorrow."

"So... I don't think there's anything special about parting ways with Miss Ming."

“Since Miss Ming is injured, she should go and recover first. I can go to Shenjing by myself,” he said. “...Although I was really reluctant to leave Miss Ming at that time.”

Ming Qitian looked at him quietly: "And then?"

"Later, I discovered that Lord Sui was actually the Shadow Sima," Pei Ye said in a low voice, pausing for a moment. "From then on, many times, I missed Miss Ming and wished she were by my side."

"You can write to me and tell me whatever's on your mind."

"...Because, actually, I'm worried that Miss Ming is the same way."

"What kind?"

“…The real Miss Ming is not the same as the Miss Ming in my heart.” Pei Ye rested her arms on the railing, her chin on it. “I feel that in the past, I viewed the world through a veil. It could filter out a lot of things, making the world clear and simple, black and white.”

Ming Qitian looked at him: "What do you want the real me to be like?"

“…I don’t know.” Pei Ye lowered his eyes. “There are many things I don’t know about Miss Ming. I’ve only known Miss Ming once, once in Xin Cang and once in Kong Tong. For the previous twenty years, Miss Ming and I were complete strangers. In my heart, I regard Miss Ming as…as the person I admire most. It’s not necessarily true that Miss Ming is willing to be very close to me.”

He paused for a moment: "I'm not complaining about Miss Ming, nor am I saying that Miss Ming is a bad person in private. I'm thinking... there are insurmountable barriers between people, and the world is much more complicated than we imagine. So I reflected on myself and looked at everyone with a new perspective."

"Is it after Qu Zhu that you think so?"

“Hmm. I haven’t told anyone about these things.” Pei Ye pursed her lips. “Last night, Lord Sui and I were drinking and chatting on the rooftop. We talked about our futures, and he said his ideal was to have the sky above his head, and that when I grew up, I would walk with him. The next morning, I learned that he was the Shadow Sima.”

“I can’t think about whether he’s black or white, Miss Ming, I still can’t think about it. I’m very sad that I killed Lord Sui,” Pei Ye said softly. “This matter has been on my mind for a long time, and I still think about it from time to time.”

"But you didn't hesitate when you killed him."

“…Because someone had to kill him.” Pei Ye was silent for a moment, then said, “He killed so many innocent people, the Jade Sword Society shouldn’t have ended so peacefully. But at that time, in the entire Shaolong, I was probably the only one who could kill him, so I went.” “I know everyone has their own reasons for doing evil…” The boy lowered his head and stroked the jade tiger, “and I have no intention of arguing about these things.”

Ming Qitian looked at him quietly: "And then? That happened in September, and you went to the capital in October, right?"

“Yes, I arrived in Shenjing in October in a prison cart. Later I found out that it was Prince Jinyang and Xianrentai who rescued me,” Pei Ye said. “At that time, the Yan Prince’s Mansion wanted me dead and put a lot of pressure on me. They even released barbarian assassins in the prison.”

"Have you experienced a lot in Shenjing these past few months?"

“Yes, Miss Ming. I wiped out the Taiping Canal Gang, entered Prime Minister Li Du’s Illusion Tower, and later personally killed him in the street; I studied with Zhu Wenzhezi, and later gambled with Li Zhijian after his death; then I entered the palace, helped Prince Jinyang investigate the case of Empress Linxue from twenty-three years ago, and killed Yu Sicheng; then I went to Bashui, killed some people from Shencheng and the Water Gang, and seized Yongji’s Baishui.” Pei Ye said, “I haven’t told you any of this, Miss Ming.”

“I heard it now,” Ming Qitian said.

“I’m saying all this because…” Pei Ye paused for a moment, gazing at the night sky in the drizzle, “I feel like I’ve changed, Miss Ming.”

"I'm different now than when we parted last year. Through these experiences, I've met more and more people and learned about more and more things. Actually, that's how people are in the world; there are thick barriers between people. To do my own thing here, I have to analyze their thoughts clearly, and I have to be able to navigate and act within them... I feel like I'm becoming more and more... more and more 'worldly.' I also understand a lot more."

“This time when we meet, I’m afraid of becoming a stranger. Actually, it’s not that I’m afraid Miss Ming will become a stranger, it’s that I’m afraid I’ll become a stranger myself…” He turned his head from his forearm, looked at the woman’s quiet, listening face, and mustered his courage to ask, “Miss Ming, do you think I’ve changed?”

Ming Qitian said, "You are indeed very different from before."

Pei Ye was somewhat deflated, and turned back to say in a muffled voice, "I knew it, Miss Ming's clear-sightedness would immediately reveal the truth."

“You used to be innocent and pure, without any guile. You would excitedly come to me to show off whenever you mastered a sword technique or won the Golden Autumn Championship,” Ming Qitian said earnestly. “Now you have a mask on, you know what to say to different people, and you have something on your mind.”

"..."

"Today, when you saw me, you wanted to return to that innocent and naive state. This is also a manifestation of this."

"...Miss Ming, how did you find out?"

“Everywhere. You used to speak to me carefully and respectfully, but now you're making witty remarks.” Ming Qitian said, “You never dared to say I looked ‘good’ when I wore the veil before.”

“…” Pei Ye buried her head.

“I don’t know either. It seems like it’s instinctive, but it also seems like I’m consciously pushing myself to do it... I’m probably worried that I won’t be able to go back to how I was with Miss Ming before, worried that if things are different... it will, will ruin my relationship with Miss Ming.” Pei Ye said in a muffled voice, “But it seems that the habit has been formed and can’t escape Miss Ming’s eyes.”

Pei Ye was taller than the woman, but when he leaned on the railing, he appeared shorter, with only a large clump of black hair and a small chubby face.

Ming Qitian looked down at him and said calmly, "But I don't think it can be called a 'change'."

"Ok?"

“You’ve just grown up,” Ming Qitian said. “Some things that were hidden have come to light, and some things that were once immature have matured. They were always part of you. And some things are just the outer shell that comes with being in the world.”

The woman said calmly, "I didn't look at you through a bandage. If you've changed, we might not be as close anymore, but the you of my youth and the you of my young adulthood are the same person."

She thought for a moment and said, "I don't only make friends with children."

"...I'm not a child."

"Ah."

Pei Ye was silent for a while, then buried her chin in her arms: "Miss Ming, let's practice the zither again tomorrow. You can just watch me from the side. If you make any mistakes, just point them out to me. There's no need... no need to sit with me anymore."

Ming Qitian nodded: "Okay."

Pei Ye was somewhat surprised, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“I think so too, because sometimes you’re not focused and don’t know what you’re thinking about,” Ming Qitian said calmly. “Some things need to be said two or three times before people listen.”

"..." Pei Ye's heart skipped a beat.

The woman looked at him with her clear eyes: "You seem more restless than the last time we met... Have you found a partner with another woman?"

“…Miss Ming.” Pei Ye lowered her head as if groaning, her ears turning red.

Ming Qitian tilted her head: "You see, it's not that I don't want to confide in you, it's just that you feel there are some things you can't reveal to me, so I have no choice but to pretend I don't know."

Pei Ye felt even more ashamed: "I'm sorry, Miss Ming... I know it's in Kongtong... Sigh, I didn't really mean to offend you..."

“Yes, I don’t blame you. I know you don’t have the same clear mind as me. I’m just explaining to you,” Ming Qitian said. “I never thought you were such a pure-hearted child…you’ve always had your own little schemes. I remember the first time I asked you about swords, you even forgot to mention the Opening Sword and the Willow-Supporting Sword. Back then, you were proud and prone to anger, just as you are now shrewd and lustful—it’s human nature, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve always viewed you the same way.”

"..." Pei Ye remained silent for a long time before saying sincerely in a low voice, "Thank you, Miss Ming. Every time I see you, I understand myself more clearly."

He turned his head to look at the woman in white beside him: "But Miss Ming seems to have remained unchanged."

“Because there’s nothing left for Mingjing Bingjian to grow,” Ming Qitian said. “However, I have also undergone some subtle changes, which are generally due to increased knowledge. As you said, I am only twenty-one years old, and I have spent most of my time cultivating my sword alone on the mountaintop, so I haven’t experienced many things.”

Pei Ye tilted his head to look at her: "But Miss Ming seems to know everything about the world."

"Because there aren't many new things to begin with, and among the millions of people in the world, there are only so many things to do."

"...I wish I could be as capable as Miss Ming someday."

"You're more used to flattering people now than before, that's a big change."

“…” Pei Ye took a deep breath, “Miss Ming didn’t often make witty remarks before.”

(End of this chapter)