Film and Television World Life Record

If one's mind is not firm, one might easily blush with embarrassment and, without realizing it, reveal all sorts of ugly behavior.

In an instant, the pleasure boat caught up with them. Only then did Li Mu notice that a white human foot was embroidered on the boat's sail. As the wind blew and the sail billowed, the human foot was fully revealed. It was slender and beautiful, clearly the bare foot of a woman.

At this moment, the painted boat lowered its sails, and a woman leaped onto the bow. She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with slightly yellow skin, extremely large eyes as black as lacquer, and a pair of extremely large purple-gold earrings hanging from her ears, as big as the mouth of a wine glass.

She wore a blue and white long gown, with an embroidered apron wrapped around her from chest to knees in a variety of colors, and a colorful belt around her waist. A gentle breeze revealed her bare feet.

Judging from her attire, Li Mu was definitely not a woman from the Central Plains, and he had some guesses about her identity.

When the woman saw Li Mu looking at her, she chuckled and asked, "Are you Young Hero Lin from the Huashan Sect?"

Li Mu found her voice soft, melodious, and captivating. As for the woman's appearance, she was indeed quite charming, but the beauty of her voice far surpassed her looks.

"Indeed, young lady, are you the leader of the Five Immortals Sect in Yunnan, Master Lan?"

Upon hearing this, the woman stared at him with her large eyes in surprise and asked, "How did you know?" She usually operated in the Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Hunan regions and rarely came to the heart of the Central Plains. Most people in the martial arts world had only heard of her name, but very few had actually seen her.

Li Mu said, "Master Lan is very famous. Although I have never met him, I have heard of him for a long time. Now that I see your beauty, I guess you are Master Lan."

Lan Fenghuang opened her big, round eyes and giggled, "What do you mean by 'great sir' or 'noble sir'? We Miao women don't understand your pedantic talk. But you have good eyesight, recognizing me at a glance. My name is Lan Fenghuang, you can just call me by my real name, I'm not worthy of your 'great sir'!"

Seeing her brightly colored outfit, Li Mu indeed resembled a blue phoenix and couldn't help but smile, "Miss Lan, you're too kind. May I ask what brings you here?"

Lan Fenghuang exclaimed, "I'm not being polite. Someone was looking for you earlier, but you refused to go, so I had to come and invite you."

Li Mu asked thoughtfully, "Then who invited me?"

Lan Fenghuang looked at Li Mu with surprise and said, "You don't know?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "I can probably guess who it is, but I haven't confirmed it yet."

Blue Phoenix chuckled and said, "Since that's the case, then I can't tell you. Are you going or not?"

Li Mu pondered for a moment, wondering what Ren Yingying wanted to see him for, and why she was so persistent.

If she doesn't meet with him, given her status, all sorts of people from all walks of life might come over every few days. Although they pose no threat, they can be quite annoying.

Thinking of this, he nodded and said, "Since Miss Lan has come to invite me personally, how can I refuse?"

Upon hearing this, Lan Fenghuang said happily, "Good, you really are a good person. If you don't agree, I will lose face greatly."

"Young master, please board my boat. Your little boat can't keep up!"

Li Mu found her demeanor poised and confident. Though her voice was charming, it lacked any hint of coyness, quite different from the behavior of women in the Central Plains today, which he found intriguing.

Having paid the fare, he lightly leaped up and landed silently on the pleasure boat.

Lan Fenghuang's eyes widened again, her bright pupils rolling as she stared at Li Mu in surprise. "Such superb skill! And you're so handsome too! No wonder she has such high standards; why would she invite you over for no reason..." As she spoke, a strange expression crossed her face, as if she had guessed something.

Li Mu shook his head and chuckled. He knew what she was thinking, but the reality was clearly completely different from what she guessed.

After the boat had traveled for about half an incense stick's time, the number of boats on the river gradually decreased. Suddenly, a wisp of zither music reached my ears. The music was clear and bright, the melody low and melodious, lingering and tender, rising and falling, with a sense of ethereal mystery. Every note, every turn of the melody, flowed like clouds and water, continuous and unbroken, like snowflakes falling from the sky. A sense of solitude permeated the air with a chilling tranquility.

Gradually, the music grew softer and softer, until it was barely a whisper. Li Mu was captivated by it, his mood sinking with the music, as if all his joys and sorrows were being suppressed. Yet, deep within his heart, he could sense the rhythm in the silence.

Just then, the sound of the zither suddenly rose again, like a plum blossom blooming alone in the wind and snow, casting sparse shadows under the moon. The sound gradually leaped, like a mountain spring breaking through the ice, its myriad threads converging into a stream, painting a beautiful picture after the wind and snow. The sound of the zither gradually subsided until it disappeared.

Li Mu's heart stirred; the one playing the zither was probably Ren Yingying.

"I never expected there to be a music master nearby."

Lan Fenghuang continued, "The person playing the zither is the one who wants to see you!"

Li Mu chuckled and said, "Then I am truly fortunate to hear this."

Blue Phoenix burst into laughter again.

Chapter 559 Lake Island

Suddenly, a flying boat appeared ahead, carrying five or six burly men in tight-fitting clothes. They carried longbows on their backs, had single-edged swords and quivers at their waists, and wore dark black cloaks. A fierce and valiant aura emanated from them.

Upon seeing the painted boat, they immediately steered their boat to welcome it.

Lan Fenghuang suddenly made a few hand gestures to them, and the group bowed in return before immediately turning their boat around and sailing off in another direction.

After traveling several dozen feet, the painted boat rounded another hill, and suddenly a small lake covering several acres came into view.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Li Mu looked out and saw lotus flowers blooming in profusion on the lake. The lotus leaves, like umbrellas, were covered with glistening water droplets, turning the lake water green, like a huge piece of jade.

A gentle breeze blew by, draping the lake surface in a gossamer veil, creating a beautiful and enchanting scene.

Li Mu secretly admired the scene, thinking that it would be quite leisurely and carefree to sail on the lake, drink wine, and invite the moon.

There is a small island in the middle of the lake, where a waterside pavilion has been built, and a winding bamboo bridge connects it to the lake shore.

The boat sailed to a hexagonal pavilion on the lakeshore, below which was a small blue stone dock. The painted boat docked, and Li Mu disembarked with Lan Fenghuang.

Lan Fenghuang led Li Mu to the bamboo bridge, gestured for him to step onto it, and then giggled as she returned to the painted boat.

Li Mu dusted off his sleeves and walked along the bamboo bridge towards the lakeside pavilion.

This waterside pavilion is surrounded by water on all sides and is several meters high. It appears and disappears amidst the swirling water vapor.

Li Mu walked along the bamboo bridge, his steps even, like a floating cloud, rising and falling without disturbing a speck of dust.

Just then, the sound of a zither drifted into my ears, melodious and gentle, like a clear spring flowing slowly. Sometimes it was high-pitched and passionate, like the sea crashing against the shore, and sometimes it was low and clear, like a gentle breeze blowing through a bamboo forest.

The music grew faster and faster, sometimes as gentle as a flowing spring, sometimes as swift as a cascading waterfall, sometimes as clear as pearls and jade, sometimes as soft as a murmur, like heavenly music.

The sound of the zither blended with the footsteps, and with a clear, ringing note, the music stopped abruptly. Li Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he gradually came to his senses. Just then, he crossed the bamboo bridge and arrived in front of the waterside pavilion.

Li Mu felt that his internal energy had become even more rounded as it flowed. He was surprised and guessed that what he had just heard must have been the "Pure Heart and Universal Benevolence Mantra" to have such a subtle and gentle effect on nourishing the body and mind.

Two maids in white stood respectfully in front of the pavilion. They bowed deeply to Li Mu and opened the pavilion door.

The pavilion was quite spacious, with long windows on both sides. The windows were raised high, and blue gauze curtains hung everywhere, fluttering in the breeze.

Li Mu nodded inwardly. This place was surrounded by water, with gentle breezes and soft clouds, and no obstructions. Playing the zither here, even without using internal energy, would be enough to carry the sound for a radius of a hundred feet.

Through several layers of gauze curtains, Li Mu could vaguely see a woman in white sitting in front of a table. Her face was covered by a black veil, and her long black hair was adorned with purple jade tassels. Every frown and smile exuded an air of secluded valleys and mountains.

On the table in front of her was a zither, with crane-shaped ornaments, phoenix-tail ornaments, dragon-pool ornaments, and goose-foot ornaments, its shimmering light clearly indicating that it was a rare ancient zither.

Beneath the long window inside the pavilion, a tea set was laid out, and spring water was being boiled in the stove, wisps of white steam rising as the water reached its bubbling point. Two maids served Li Mu tea, lit sandalwood incense, gave him a curtsy, and then retreated into the distance.

The attic fell silent. The two looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Ren Yingying was adept at observing people from the smallest details. From the moment Li Mu entered the waterside pavilion, she listened carefully to his footsteps. She noticed that his steps were neither too light nor too heavy, neither too fast nor too slow, flowing smoothly like clouds and water. The distance, force, and rhythm of each step were exactly the same.

She had only seen this phenomenon with her father before, and she knew it was a manifestation of reaching a high level of martial arts skill, a natural expression. Perhaps even he himself hadn't noticed it. Looking at the man's age, even though she already knew, she couldn't help but feel a surge of shock.

Ren Yingying remained silent, and Li Mu also kept quiet, picking up a cup of tea and standing by the window.

After a long while, only a soft sigh was heard. Ren Yingying said in a low voice, "Why doesn't the young master speak?" Her voice was clear and melodious, like pearls falling onto a plate, crisp and gentle, indescribable.

Li Mu placed the teacup on the table, turned around and said, "Didn't you invite me here, young lady?"

Ren Yingying chuckled and said, "I see that you seem a little reluctant, as if I'm forcing you. How about I play a tune on the zither first, and then you can have a good listen?"

Li Mu casually found a table and sat down: "Please!"

Ren Yingying remained silent, extending her slender, jade-like fingers. She leaned slightly forward, her fingers lightly brushing the surface of the zither. A soft melody gradually flowed from her fingertips, initially clear and soaring, then peaceful and serene, rising and falling, deep and melodious yet passionate, like the tinkling of a spring or the chirping of birds.

With each touch of the finger and each strum of the string, the seemingly simple and elegant zither seemed to resonate, its sound becoming increasingly moving and evoking a sense of perfect harmony between the player and the instrument.

Upon hearing this, Li Mu felt the lingering sound resonate in his ears, like flowing water, refreshing and unforgettable. He couldn't help but admire Ren Yingying's profound skill in playing the zither, which had reached a level of consummate mastery. Although she wasn't as seasoned as Qu Yang, given time, it was hard to say.

But gradually the music lost its initial brightness, the melody slowly became somber, and a hint of sadness was revealed.

Li Mu was taken aback. As the saying goes, one's appearance reflects one's heart. Although Ren Yingying had lost her father, as the Holy Maiden, she held a high position and great power, and her word was law. Yet she had such a desolate feeling.

Her fingers moved with the grace of a soaring swan, rising and falling like wisps of cloud. The movements were fluid and natural, like flowing water, and the melody shifted to one of sorrow, the music growing ever more poignant and lingering. It was like a traveler longing for his parents, or children yearning for their elders, like a lone goose flying south.

As the music faded, a soft voice drifted over. Ren Yingying touched the silk between her ears and asked, "Young master seems to be someone who loves music. How was my performance? Please enlighten me."

Li Mu said, "The young lady's zither music is like floating clouds and flowing water, with lingering and unforgettable sounds, which is excellent. However, there is a sense of desolation in your music."

Ren Yingying didn't answer, but instead asked, "Does the young master know my identity?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "I can guess a bit of it."

A glint flashed in Ren Yingying's eyes, and she said meaningfully, "Since you know my identity, as a disciple of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, you still dare to come here. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble if word gets out?"

Li Mu chuckled and said, "So what if you're afraid? Would you deliberately reveal this to others?"

Ren Yingying changed her tone, saying, "Why wouldn't I dare to speak? It's quite a strange story that the disciples of the Five Mountains Sect have secretly allied with the Divine Sect. Aren't you afraid?"

Li Mu laughed and said, "Why should I be afraid? If you really dare to say it, it is you who should be afraid. Just think, how would the members of the Demonic Sect think that the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect would secretly meet with a disciple of the Five Mountains Sword Sect? If this gets to the ears of the elders of my Five Mountains Sword Sect, and they see that the rumors were spread by the Demonic Sect, they might curse the Demonic Sect traitors for being so treacherous that they would even resort to such underhanded tricks to sow discord."

When Ren Yingying saw him bring up her own family, her face turned cold, and she snorted, "I can do whatever I want, and who in the sect dares to say a word? It's you hypocritical righteous people who are deceitful and treacherous. You think they won't suspect you just because you say they don't? Liu Zhengfeng is a prime example."

Li Mu shook his head and laughed, "Judging from your tone, young lady, did I come to the wrong place today? Should I have refused you firmly and shouted 'Witch'?"

Ren Yingying paused upon hearing this, and after a long while said, "You've come here today, which is the right thing to do. I'm just stating the facts and can't stand those hypocrites in the righteous path."

Upon hearing this, Li Mu chuckled and said, "Miss, you are mistaken. Although there are some scoundrels in our righteous path, there are still far more good people than in your demonic sect. You should not be so narrow-minded. Besides, in the martial world, strength is paramount. As long as your martial arts are high enough, no one will dare to arbitrarily label you. You don't need to worry about that."

Although Ren Yingying felt there was some truth to these words, the man's tone made her quite unhappy, and she felt a little angry. She straightened her pretty face and said coldly, "Are you so confident, sir?"

Li Mu laughed and said, "At least she's definitely better than the girl."

Ren Yingying's face showed anger, but she suppressed it in an instant. She suddenly sighed softly, stood up, and Li Mu saw a graceful figure standing tall and elegant. Her pair of icy eyes gradually softened. She suddenly looked up at Li Mu and said, "Young master, since you can guess my identity, do you know who my father is?"

Li Mu gave him a rather strange look and said, "I know that Miss Ren is the daughter of Ren Woxing, the former leader of the Demonic Sect."

A hint of surprise flashed in Ren Yingying's eyes. She gently brushed aside the gauze curtain and suddenly said, "I heard that the Divine Sect was looking for someone in Hengshan a few days ago, and you were there too?"