Film and Television World Life Record

With a thought, a surge of true energy rose from his dantian, warm and gentle, flowing smoothly and continuously. It circulated through his meridians for several cycles, and his body instantly returned to normal. He exhaled softly, feeling his true energy become a unified whole, flowing freely and smoothly, without any stagnation.

Although this small amount of poison was not a big problem for him and could be expelled with a little internal energy, this inexplicable poisoning did broaden Li Mu's horizons.

He cupped his hands and said, "I admire you... Miss Lan's methods are truly remarkable, but I don't know how she administered the poison, which I didn't even notice."

Lan Fenghuang chuckled at Li Mu again, saying, "It's just a little trick, nothing special. If you're interested, young master, you won't be able to hide it from me."

She spoke with a smile on her face, and a delicate fragrance wafted over, its rich aroma penetrating deep into the lungs.

Li Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly realized, "So it's the fragrance on the young lady. No wonder! No wonder!"

Lan Fenghuang covered her mouth and chuckled, "Young Master is amazing!"

Li Mu said, "Miss Lan is quite remarkable to be able to create such a wonderful combination."

Lan Fenghuang chuckled again, "Young master, you're too kind. This medicine is a secret recipe of our sect, with a complicated preparation process and is extremely precious. It is only because of your profound internal strength that you were able to expel it so easily. If it were an ordinary martial arts person, they would probably be weak and unable to walk right now."

Li Mu noticed that although she giggled as she spoke, her tone was unusually confident, which showed that the medicine was indeed extraordinary.

After saying a few more words, Li Mu said, "Alright, I won't bother you any longer, farewell!"

Seeing that Li Mu was about to leave, Lan Fenghuang asked softly, "Young Master, are you leaving already? Won't you stay a little longer?"

Li Mu said, "I won't stay any longer. I'll be coming back this afternoon to deliver the sheet music to your young lady."

Lan Fenghuang asked curiously, "The sheet music, then I won't keep it for you. Young master, please board the painted boat and let me see you off."

Li Mu smiled and said, "No need to trouble you, young lady. I can go back on my own. I'll take my leave now!"

After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and strode away without lingering.

Seeing that Li Mu had already walked several dozen feet and was about to disappear into the forest, Lan Fenghuang seemed to remember something and called out, "Young Master..."

Li Mu turned around upon hearing the shout, only to hear Lan Fenghuang call out, "If you ever need anything in the future, young master, you can send someone to let me know. Although my martial arts skills are not as good as yours, I can still help you solve some problems to the best of my ability!"

Li Mu cupped his hands and said, "Thank you. If there is any trouble, I will certainly not forget you, young lady."

Lan Fenghuang smiled again upon hearing this, and Li Mu gradually disappeared into the mountains and forests.

Chapter 561: It’s over, just brush off your clothes and go away

Li Mu returned to Hengyang City at noon.

At this time, more than half a month had passed since Liu Zhengfeng retired from his criminal life. The Liu family gradually emerged from the shadows, and although they were in a miserable state, they had at least avoided a massacre.

In recent days, some scoundrels have indeed tried to take advantage of the Liu family, but Li Mu didn't even have to lift a finger; Liu Zhengfeng's disciples dealt with them all.

This is, after all, the foot of Mount Heng, the territory of the Hengshan Sect. Although Liu Zhengfeng and Mo Da are not very close, they are not as incompatible as the rumors suggest. Besides, they are fellow disciples.

Liu Zhengfeng's disciples were naturally also disciples of the Hengshan School, and his death would not change that.

As the martial arts figures gradually dispersed, the remaining orphans and widows of the Liu family, unless the Songshan Sect insisted on eradicating them completely, were not afraid of being bullied on Hengshan Sect's territory.

Li Mu planned to stay for another month until Hengyang City was completely stable before leaving.

Back at the Liu residence, after lunch and a short rest, Li Mu watched as Qu Feiyan gradually emerged and played with Liu Qing. With a faint smile, he took the sheet music for "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" and, following the sound of the zither, arrived at the small island in the middle of the lake.

Upon meeting again, Ren Yingying's face was less cold as she took the sheet music from Li Mu and asked, "Is this the Smiling, Proud Wanderer?"

Li Mu nodded slightly and said, "Exactly!"

Ren Yingying gently opened the book, and after reading just a few pages, her eyes immediately lit up. She quickly flipped through it, her beautiful face sparkling with excitement.

He couldn't worry about Li Mu at the moment; he looked at the score and tried to play it at the same time.

After a long while, he seemed to remember Li Mu.

"Young master, I apologize for the neglect."

Li Mu smiled and said, "It's alright, as long as the young lady likes it."

Ren Yingying's eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, "Young Master Lin, do you understand music?"

Li Mu had no idea what she was up to, and said indifferently, "I wouldn't say I understand, but I can appreciate a little."

Ren Yingying smiled slyly: "Young master, it would be such a pity if you did not understand music, given that you possess such a rare musical score."

Li Mu said, "Then I will give this musical score to you, so that this precious gem will not be tarnished."

Ren Yingying smiled gently, as if a hundred flowers were blooming.

"There's no need for that. I heard that you will be staying in Hengyang for some time. I'll take a short rest here myself. Why don't I teach you?"

Seeing the hesitation on Li Mu's face, Ren Yingying widened her eyes and looked over with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Young master, do you think Yingying is not a good teacher?"

Li Mu laughed and suddenly found Ren Yingying quite interesting. Whatever her purpose, she was just killing time after practicing martial arts, so learning music to pass the time was not a bad idea. Besides, Ren Yingying's musical skills were indeed extremely high.

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed. Hengyang City has completely calmed down, and it's time to leave.

On this day, the sound of a zither suddenly rang out from the island in the middle of the lake. It was very elegant. After a while, a few soft notes of the flute were mixed in with the zither music.

The zither's sound was peaceful and balanced, interspersed with the gentle sound of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), making it even more moving. Then, the zither and xiao seemed to be in a question-and-answer dialogue, with the zither's sound gradually rising and the xiao's sound slowly falling, but the xiao's sound was low and continuous, like a wisp of silk floating in the wind, yet it was continuous and unbroken.

After a long while, the zither music gradually slowed down, but one or two very low and delicate flute notes rang out beside the zither music.

Just as a flute player slowly approaches while playing, the flute's sound is clear and beautiful, sometimes high and sometimes low, sometimes soft and sometimes loud. When it reaches its lowest point, it swirls a few times and then sinks down again. Although it is extremely low and delicate, each syllable is still clearly audible.

Gradually, amidst the low tones, occasional bright, crisp notes leaped and tinkled, rising and falling in succession, the sounds growing increasingly complex. First, it was like a gushing spring, then like a riot of flowers in full bloom, a profusion of blossoms. Only the patter of rain could be heard, a gentle, continuous drizzle, almost imperceptible, until finally, all was silent.

As the song ended, Li Mu and Ren Yingying exchanged a smile, knowing it was time to part ways.

"Thank you for your guidance, Miss Yingying. It has allowed someone like me with only a rudimentary understanding of music to play a duet of 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer,' though I have ruined the piece."

Ren Yingying smiled and said, "What do you mean by wasting or not wasting? Isn't music just something that people play? I think you have an extraordinary talent for music, young master. In just over a month, your skill has already reached the level of a master in this field."

Li Mu laughed heartily: "Thank you for the compliment, Yingying. It does seem to make sense."

Ren Yingying rolled her eyes at him, and the fleeting charm she displayed made Li Mu's heart skip a beat.

Ren Yingying seemed to sense something, and her heart trembled slightly: "Young Master Lin, are you leaving today?"

Li Mu nodded and said, "Having lingered here for so long, it's time to return to the mountain and report back."

He then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you so much, Miss Yingying, for taking care of Feiyan these past few days."

Qu Feiyan has been living in the Liu residence for a while now, which is fine for a short time, but not so much for a long time. Many people know that she is Qu Yang's granddaughter, and it's inevitable that some people will try to cause trouble under the guise of slaying demons and monsters.

As it happened, Ren Yingying liked Qu Feiyan quite a bit, and Qu Feiyan also liked staying with Ren Yingying, so she asked Ren Yingying to take care of her temporarily, which put Li Mu at ease.

"Young master, you don't need to be so polite. Feiyan will stay with me, don't worry."

Despite saying this, there was a hint of reluctance in her tone, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything to persuade him to stay. After a moment, she said softly, "I recently composed a new piece of music to bid you farewell, young master."

As he spoke, he walked back to the table and sat down.

Then a mournful and melodious melody drifted over, like the cry of a phoenix or the call of a crane, making one's heart tremble with the vibration of the strings. Gradually, the melody shifted from passionate to sorrowful, with the Gong and Shang strings resonating simultaneously. The two similar yet distinctly different notes intertwined and swirled, one high and one soaring, one low and one soaring.

Like towering peaks and sheer cliffs, the music swirled and rose higher and higher, the clear, feathery notes becoming increasingly soaring, like a solitary peak piercing the clouds, rising straight up, like a crane dancing in the heavens. The music surged in from all directions, penetrating every crevice, like a storm brewing, the wind howling, and the music grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.

Li Mu sighed softly, and accompanied by the melodious sound of the zither, he walked out of the bamboo house, out of the island in the lake, mounted the horse that had been prepared, and looked back once more. Ren Yingying was also looking over at this moment. The two looked at each other, Li Mu clasped his hands in a fist salute, and galloped away.

……

Traveling day and night, they arrived near Mount Hua in just seven or eight days.

As the sun began to cast its last rays, and there happened to be a fairly large inn by the roadside, Li Mu dismounted and went inside, knowing he wouldn't be able to return to Mount Hua today.

He booked a superior room, and as soon as he went downstairs and asked the waiter to prepare some side dishes and a pot of wine to be brought upstairs, he saw Mr. Mo carrying his erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) and walking out of the room.

Li Mu cupped his hands and said, "Uncle Mo, what brings you here?"

Mr. Mo chuckled and said, “I just came down from Mount Hua. I heard that my junior brother has been stationed in Hengyang to protect Junior Brother Liu and his family. I thank you very much.”

Li Mu said, "Uncle Mo, you're too kind. I hope you've achieved your goal this time coming to Mount Hua."

Mo Da thought about the Hengshan Five Divine Swords that he had already copied, and he was unusually excited.

Suddenly, he bowed and said, "I must thank you for your kindness, my junior brother!"

Li Mu quickly replied, "Uncle-Master, there's no need for that. The Five Mountains Sword Sects are all of one mind, it's only right that we do this."

As he spoke, Li Mu said politely, "I have already asked the waiter to prepare wine and dishes. Would you like to go upstairs for a drink, Uncle-Master?"

Mo Da was probably in a very good mood, and unusually boldly said: "Alright, Mo Da, I'll have a few drinks with my junior brother."

……

Once the food and drinks were served, and after a few cups of wine, Mo Da became more talkative.

"Nephew, do you know that Junior Brother Liu has retired from the martial arts world? Why doesn't Hengshan send someone over?"

Before Li Mu could answer, he continued, "Actually, before Junior Brother Liu washed his hands, he discussed it with us fellow disciples. We were all very displeased to hear him mention washing his hands."

“Junior Brother Liu insisted on retiring from the martial arts world, and all my fellow disciples came to me to express their opposition. One of my junior brothers even hinted at his acquaintance with Qu Yang, an elder of the Demonic Sect. I was worried at that time.”

"I was worried that Junior Brother Liu might make bad friends, and I was also worried that trouble might arise between the fellow disciples."

Mo sighed and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp: "Seeing that Junior Brother Liu is determined to wash his hands of the martial arts world and I can't persuade him at all, the rift between us is getting bigger and bigger. Knowing that Junior Brother Liu is determined to retire from the martial arts world, I had no choice but to strictly order everyone in the sect not to attend the conference."

"I just hoped everything would go smoothly on the day of the handwashing ceremony, to avoid a farce of infighting among fellow disciples, which would make us a laughingstock. I never expected... I never expected... that Leader Zuo would..."

"Hey!"