The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 18 A Meeting and a Parting
Eek!
Zhou Yan seemed to hear a small, sharp scream, and then saw the transparent dragon's scales seem to explode, its whiskers curl, and it suddenly hid under the rock.

Two bubbles appeared.

A long time passed.

It peeked out cautiously and hesitantly, looking at Zhou Yan with great curiosity. Its little mustache twitched. Zhou Yan looked at the little guy and felt no karmic demonic energy in the jade book. Moreover, the transparent dragon exuded a refreshing feeling.

The dragon noticed Zhou Yan and slowly swam out. It had three fingers on its claws and carefully climbed onto Zhou Yan's fingers. Zhou Yan looked it over. It was hard to call it a dragon. Its little claws were very soft.

Zhou Yan asked, "Are you looking for something?"

The dragon turned its head and looked at the stone. Zhou Yan looked for a long time before noticing that there seemed to be flowing lines in the water. These lines were pressed down by the stone and shimmered with a faint light. The dragon spirit was very anxious to take these lines out.

The stone was very heavy.

Zhou Yan chuckled and said, "Alright, so that's what it is. Watch me!"

Even though his physique had improved considerably, it still took him a lot of effort to lift the stone. With quick eyes and hands, he scooped up the silk thread and, upon closer inspection, it resembled the strings of a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument), only that it had become somewhat loose after being soaked in water.

"Strings?"

Zhou Yan saw wisps of light flowing on the strings of the zither, connected to the dragon. Curious, Zhou Yan asked, "I've heard that there are dragons holding strings in their mouths, as well as dragon pools and phoenix ponds on the zither. It seems that this zither has become sentient?"

The transparent dragon nodded, circling the strings in Zhou Yan's hand, its eyes filled with longing. Zhou Yan smiled freely and gave it away directly.
"Is this what you're looking for?!"

"Here you go, here you go!"

He returned the strings to the spirit of the zither, and after resting for a while, he continued to practice his sword. While practicing, he remained focused, diligent, and attentive. The dragon formed from the spirit of the zither was overjoyed and curiously observed Zhou Yan practicing his sword.

It pitied the three strings it had found. After thinking for a moment, it swam to the riverbank, puffed out its belly and blew hard, making the three strings shake. The moisture evaporated, and the original tone was restored.

Then, right there by the rocks and reeds, I wandered back and forth, connecting the three strings of the instrument with the things in the mountains and rivers, just like a simple zither, with the babbling water flowing down.

When Zhou Yan practiced his sword, his breathing was heavy, he gritted his teeth, and continued to ponder.

He remains stubborn.

Suddenly, a clear, melodious piano note was heard.

Zhou Yan was practicing his swordsmanship diligently when he heard this crisp sound. He subconsciously paused, looked up, and saw the flowing water. When the water and wind flowed over the three strings of the zither, the strings made a sound, as if someone was playing the zither.

Seeing the transparent dragon swaying its body and looking overjoyed, Zhou Yan smiled and stopped caring about the little guy. He was just practicing his sword, and he felt that having a voice and someone to accompany him while practicing was a good thing.

But this time, his sword practice was different.

The music playing in his ears was measured in tempo, with variations in tempo, such as fast, slow, pauses, and continuous passages. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but Zhou Yan had been focusing all his energy on practicing his sword for some time now.

When his hard work accumulated to a certain level, and he focused all his attention on swordsmanship, everything would subconsciously become connected to the sword. The subtle changes in the zither music suddenly seemed to match what he lacked in his swordsmanship.

Zhou Yan felt as if he had grasped something, and his swordsmanship paused.

He turned his head sharply and looked at the happy, transparent spirit over there.

The transparent dragon was having a good time, but when Zhou Yan looked over, it was so frightened that it curled up again, and the music stopped playing. Zhou Yan quickly apologized and waved his hand, saying, "Please continue, please continue. I just think your music is very beautiful."

The transparent dragon blinked, then proudly raised its head.

It played the zither with increasing care, using the river as its instrument. The strings vibrated, and a gentle breeze blew, creating a beautiful melody.

Zhou Yan turned around, gripped his sword, and swung it in time with the music. He continued to slash horizontally and vertically. At first, he was a little unsure of what to do, but gradually, he began to follow the rhythm of the music.

The rhythm of a zither piece is defined by the continuity and discontinuity of breath, and the power of a sword, even a simple slash or chop, should also have rhythm. He realized what he was lacking.

It's rhythm, it's breathing!
Qin Ling played the zither, and the young man wielded his sword. As dawn broke, Zhou Yan's swordsmanship, even with only two moves, suddenly became smooth. He felt as if the sword had become a part of him.

It combines the tension, relaxation, stretching, and exertion of the body's muscles and bones.

Zhou Yan knew when the final strike came down.

I finally learned how to use a knife.

He turned around, wanting to smile and communicate with the spirit of the zither, but he saw the river flowing gently, the water falling over the stones and crashing against the bank, creating a continuous mist of water droplets. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the pine forest, and beside the three strings of the zither, he could vaguely make out a man.

He sat upright, his face dark, yet he exuded a sense of solemnity and elegance.

Qin Ling sat beside him.

The man played the zither, his eyes bright and lively, watching Zhou Yan as he said:

"Young master, what beautiful eyes! You can even see directly into the spirit with your naked eyes?"

Zhou Yan had just finished practicing his swordplay, his blood was surging, and he was full of courage. He wasn't afraid at all, and simply said, "I wasn't paying attention while practicing my swordplay, but your zither playing is really beautiful."

The man smiled slightly and said, "If you would like to hear more, sir, I can play a few tunes for you. Please."

He gestured for Zhou Yan to sit down, and Zhou Yan accepted without hesitation, sitting on a nearby rock. The man played the zither, and Zhou Yan, his mood calming down, gently patted his knees in time with the music. He didn't understand the zither, but he just thought the piece was very beautiful.

As the sun rose, the figure of the man beside the three strings of the zither gradually became thinner, and the spirit of the zither gradually dissipated. Finally, the ordinary-looking man placed his palm on the zither, and the last harmonics scattered between heaven and earth.

The strings are loosening, and the sound becomes relaxed.

The man was somewhat disappointed. The strings were only tied to the reeds and stones and were slowly loosening. Just then, the strings, which should have loosened, stabilized again, and the other end was suddenly pulled by a hand. The man was stunned.

Seeing the young man, he said, "Sir, you haven't finished playing yet."

Zhou Yan managed to fix one end of the loosened string to the hilt of the broken knife, while holding the other part in his hand, using the blade as the body of the instrument. It was very rough, but Zhou Yan didn't feel ashamed. He simply said, "Please, sir."

The man said, "Thank you."

The man played a different tune in his last piece.

The sound of the zither touched the blade.

It was intense and fiery, like a great army galloping forward.

After the piece was finished, the man laughed heartily, "It is my blessing that a wisp of a soul could still find a trace of the voice of an old object and play a piece again."

"It's a pity that the pipa has been destroyed, and I can't let my beloved hear it."

He didn't say his name, and neither did Zhou Yan.

As the sun set, the river rippled and swelled. The man who had been playing the zither was gone, as was the transparent dragon. Everything seemed like a dream, but Zhou Yan had indeed heard a beautiful melody and learned the sword technique.

He removed the three strings; the strings still possessed a spirit.

Zhou Yan did not take away the three strings. He thought for a moment, found a place with low water level, and then imitated what the spirit of the zither had done, fixing the three strings to both banks of the river, so that it seemed like a zither again.

When the wind blows, there is the sound of flowing water and subtle piano music.

Zhou Yan laughed: "It sounds great!"

Turning around, he raised the knife: "What a beautiful tune!"

"If I have the chance in the future, I will come here again to listen to you play the piano."

He turned and left, knife in hand, the sound of pine trees rustling and streams flowing behind him. Throughout, he didn't ask the musician's name. When he returned, Shen Cangming was cooking porridge. Upon hearing Zhou Yan's story, Shen Cangming asked:
"Can you see the spirit directly with your naked eye?"

Zhou Yan asked, "Uncle Shen, can't you do it?"

Shen Cangming said, "Most Taoist officials also need to perform rituals and chant incantations to see through the Yin and Yang realms. Don't tell anyone about your ability, otherwise, someone might want your eyes."

"Show me how to use your sword."

Zhou Yan gripped the knife and unleashed the two sword techniques.

The swordsmanship no longer had that previous sharp and piercing feel, but rather a cyclical, continuous, and lively quality, like flowing water or the sound of a zither. It was the result of several years of practice. Shen Cangming said, "Well done."

He paused for a moment, then said, "We can start practicing now."

Zhou Yan let out a breath, feeling relaxed.

Shen Cangming said, "The music of the zither is in harmony with the sword technique, and the spirit remains concentrated even after death. He must not be an ordinary person."

As Zhou Yan wolfed down his food, he said, "Anyway, I just happened to be passing by and saw him playing the zither. There's no need for me to know his name, and he didn't ask about my background. That's fine."

"He's a good musician."

The water flows gently, and the music of the zither never stops.

The dark-skinned man's fingers seemed to fall.

The melody of the zither lingered for a long time before fading away; the young swordsman had already gone far away.

He just smiled.

"A true knight-errant."

The sound gradually faded away, ending with the familiar melody.

In this lifetime, we are fortunate to meet.

The next day, when Zhou Yan woke up, he found a string lying quietly beside him. When the wind blew, he would hear beautiful music.

(End of this chapter)