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Clang!

Xu Fan flicked his fingers forcefully, and in an instant, a sound like that of a prehistoric beast suddenly appeared on the scene.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, involuntarily fixed on Xu Fan.

Xiao Qinghe was struck dumb, instantly sitting up straight, his body trembling slightly.

To tell whether someone can play or not, you can tell their general skill level just from the beginning. Xu Fan's simple sliding plucking of the strings is enough to make people feel that unique emotion.

Park Jia-hui's face turned ashen. She stared at Xu Fan's actions, stunned and shocked.

Watching Xu Fan's performance, his expressions and movements, is like watching a master craftsman who has studied for countless years; just a few notes are enough to give you a jolt.

Clang!

With the second fluctuation, everyone's attention was completely drawn to Xu Fan's pipa.

Xu Fan fluctuated again, then suddenly accelerated.

Just like an ambush from all sides, with the force of a thousand troops, they appeared on the scene in an instant.

When that exciting piano music appeared, the scene fell silent.

Park Ga-hye's face was pale, both in terms of the melody and her playing technique.

Xu Fan made her feel inferior with just a few notes.

Xu Fan completely ignored the others.

Having decided to dedicate himself to playing music, he naturally wouldn't try to do two things at once. He immersed himself in it wholeheartedly, and every strum he made seemed to have been practiced countless times, as if he were a fish in water.

Beyond the strings, the sound of the pipa is like a surging river, like ten thousand horses galloping. Especially after a sudden acceleration, the brief pause in the middle is like a series of charges crashing down.

The crowd was already gasping in astonishment, hundreds of people seemed caught up in a frenzy of excitement, unable to resist the urge to say "good!"

Get the perfect music system at the start

===Chapter 345===

Chapter 345 A Disappointing Departure

To play a pipa piece well, one must first have a thorough understanding of the pipa.

If your basic skills are lacking, you'll experience pauses, delays, and inadequate emotional expression when playing.

To learn the pipa, one must first master all the techniques, including plucking, picking, rolling, separating, plucking, hooking, tremolo, sweeping, brushing, shaking, phoenix nodding, pressing, shifting positions, jumping positions, passing strings, striking, carrying, vibrato, rubbing, pushing, pulling, glissando, focusing, string twisting, vibrato, staccato, and harmonics.

If any point is not done properly, it is very likely to make a piece of music sound like a hodgepodge.

Xu Fan's playing flowed smoothly, just like a fish entering the water, a bird flying, or a person eating and drinking.

Every movement of the instrument looked so natural and effortless.

Xu Fan didn't think about anything else; his entire mind was focused on the pipa piece "Ambush from Ten Sides".

This pipa piece, which comes from a parallel world, was originally composed for a special battle in history. Therefore, the mood of the piece is mainly about war.

The beginning and end of a fierce war are never about direct combat, but about strategic deployment, troop selection, and planning before action. All sorts of war environments are vividly depicted in this piece.

A single pipa can pluck the strings of the world, and the war, ambush from all sides, feels as if it were happening right before our eyes.

The first part of this piece vividly portrays the atmosphere of war, such as the mobilization of troops and generals.

It seems like preparations before a great battle. The music begins with powerful strumming and plucked strings on the pipa, representing the mobilization of troops and the beating of drums. In just a few seconds, the strong expressiveness and the stirring momentum are impressive.

At the beginning of the piece, the technique of simulating drum sounds was used, and the first note was accompanied by a "sweeping" fingering, which made the expression of the music richer.

Then, without any hesitation, Xu Fan continued playing. At the beginning of the second section, the melody suddenly changed. The pipa in Xu Fan's arms was plucked rapidly by his five fingers, and the music continued without stopping, like a bugle playing a flute.

Everyone listened quietly, feeling the atmosphere of the pipa music, which constantly surrounded the scene, creating a unique ambiance, like the start of a war.

Park Jia-hui's face was pale. He seemed to suddenly think of a war in Chinese history, a war known as the Chu-Han Contention, a great battle between Liu Bei and Xiang Yu, an ambush from all sides, the syllables corresponding to each other, just like a war.

She was truly stunned. As a pipa enthusiast and a pipa master, she had never heard such an intense and exhilarating pipa piece before.

Both Hua Xia's "The Sound of Wind and Rain at Night" and her version of "Wind and Rain at Night" are relatively quiet, yet they evoke a feeling of gentle breeze, creating a completely different mood from this piece.

But the difference was significant, a fact she noticed after listening to only a few notes.

Comparing her music to Xu Fan's is like comparing Xiao Qinghe's music to her own; both are good, but upon closer listening, the differences are easily discernible.

Then she heard the third section, the repeated sound of the pipa, which made the pre-battle atmosphere increasingly intense.

Then, the sound suddenly changed. In the repeated plucking and strumming, the melody appeared like a continuous series of tinkling sounds, as if all the soldiers were ready, arranged in formation, and prepared to charge. The tone was concise, and the slow melody began to speed up.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes slow, then suddenly accelerating, rising and falling, tightly interlocked.

As if morale had been boosted once again, the atmosphere of war became even stronger. Perhaps most people couldn't understand the story, but all the musicians present could clearly hear the mood and meaning within it.

Xu Fan's playing technique was even more impressive. He didn't stop his hand movements, and it seemed to change to a different kind of rapid feeling, making the sound of the pipa even more intense.

Just as death is a constant occurrence, the cruelty of war is vividly portrayed by a single piece of music.

As the war began, it was as if the Han army was marching out, quickly surrounding the Chu army from all sides.

The music started slowly but gradually sped up, the breath became increasingly rapid, and the "cheche" sound of the pipa playing was like the sound of weapons clashing in close combat.

The music flows seamlessly from "Ambush" to "Small Battle," creating a unified and harmonious whole.

The large strings clang like a sudden downpour, the small strings whisper like private words. The clanging and whispering blend together, like pearls of all sizes falling onto a jade plate.

Then, the great battle began.

The intensity of the playing was further increased, and various techniques were used to play rapidly, vividly depicting the fierce battle scene of iron cavalry galloping across the battlefield and the thunderous shouts of soldiers.

Suddenly, a mournful sound drowned out the battle.

Then the pipa returned to its simple, repetitive melody, and the sound of a lone rider kicking his horse could be heard fading into the distance, as if he had been defeated and died alone, and everything had returned to silence.

The music begins and ends in a tense atmosphere, only falling silent at the very end, as if sensing despair and the end of a war.

Xu Fan's pipa playing skills are fully displayed in this piece, and the exciting melody makes the listeners feel excited and invigorated.

The title "Ambush from Ten Sides" is truly apt, making the reader feel as if they are actually there.

The moment Xu Fan stopped playing, thunderous applause erupted in the audience.

Park Jia-hui was so overwhelmed that she collapsed to the side, unsure whether it was because Xu Fan played so well or because of the meaning behind the music.

It was somewhat embarrassing, but at that moment she looked desperate.

"Good! Good! Good!"

While clapping, Xiao Qinghe, the master of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) beside him, said, "Mr. Xu Fan, you are truly remarkable at such a young age. This piece is indeed amazing, and the fact that he wrote it himself is beyond words. I can only describe it as excellent."

The applause continued, and countless people exclaimed in amazement.

"It's very exciting and explosive, no less than pop music. The Chinese pipa lives up to its reputation. With this piece, who can compete? Mr. Xu Fan is indeed no ordinary person."

"It's so beautiful, so amazing. It even uses the pipa to imitate some scenes of war. I felt like I was there. The ambush from all sides was just like that."

"The storm was brewing before the great battle, the battle was filled with the clash of swords and the thunder of horses, and the aftermath was a mountain of corpses. The victors cheered, and the vanquished were laid to rest in peace. This piece deserves to be called a classic."

"Mr. Xu Fan is truly a genius. His piano pieces are breathtaking, and now his pipa piece 'Ambush from Ten Sides' is truly impressive."

"So young, yet so outstanding, and with such a patriotic heart, the Chinese music scene is truly incredibly fortunate to have such a talent!"

"I could hear the scene of iron cavalry trampling through the battlefield, and the sense of crisis before the war began. Is this really just a pipa piece, not a scene from a war?"

"I sensed an impending storm in his voice. It was truly awe-inspiring. Master Xu Fan is so outstanding that it's frightening. Park Jiahui has probably lost face big time."

In fact, at this very moment, the discussions among the countless people present also reached Park Ga-hye's ears.

She felt her face burning and extremely uncomfortable. Staring at Xu Fan, she was at a loss for what to do. In the end, she could only stand up, turn around, and leave.

The applause continued, and Xu Fan stood up and bowed slightly.

His gaze, however, fell upon Park Ga-hye, who was about to leave, and he calmly said, "Now, do you know what the sound of the Chinese pipa is like?"

Park Ga-hye's face was extremely cold. She snorted coldly and, unable to answer, turned and left.

Xu Fan stopped mocking them. He looked at everyone, bowed slightly, and then stood up and said, "A thousand-year-old pipa, a ten-thousand-year-old zither, a suona played for a lifetime. I hope you all enjoy the music played by our Chinese musical instruments."

The applause grew even louder, and Xu Fan turned and walked off the stage.

When Alice saw Xu Fan return to her side, she said excitedly, "Mr. Xu, you are truly a genius. You play the piano so well, and you also play the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument, so beautifully."

Greta, who was standing next to him, also said, "Mr. Xu is really amazing. I have had the privilege of listening to pipa music a few times, but after listening to your music today, I realized that pipa music can be so moving and soul-stirring, as if it has a feeling of clashing swords and galloping horses."

Xu Fan smiled and said, "Many musical instruments in China can imitate sounds. For example, the suona can imitate the chirping of hundreds of birds, and the pipa can imitate the deafening sound of war drums. This is one of the characteristics of our music."

Alice chimed in, "Anyway, I just think it sounds good. That Park Ga-hye's playing was really mediocre, and she's so self-important. If I were her, I would have left long ago."

Greta, standing nearby, said with a smile, "The music is not bad, but the difference is too obvious compared to Mr. Xu's."

Xu Fan didn't say anything, but everyone present, because of the unpleasantness between Xu Fan and Park Jia-hui, heard a classic pipa piece, "Ambush from Ten Sides," and the atmosphere naturally became lively.

Park Ga-hye had already left, but no one noticed.

Nothing else major happened at the event, but Terence's guitar performance drew another round of applause.

Especially after playing this piece, Terence humbly said, "This piece is by Mr. Xu Fan from China. Tonight's performance is actually a bit like showing off my skills in front of Guan Yu. The piece is too difficult, and I am still learning it."

The phrases "Xu Fan's music is still being learned" once again drew gasps of amazement from countless people.

Xu Fan's piano, pipa, and guitar skills seem to be at the international master level, and countless people are amazed at how talented he is at such a young age.

The global musicians invitation event is still ongoing.

Frank suddenly jogged over to Xu Fan's side, whispered a few words, which made Xu Fan's expression change drastically. He immediately stood up and left the venue.

Meanwhile, Hu Xia's domestic Zhonghai Airport.

A little girl wearing a pink hoodie and sunglasses, with a small backpack on her back, walked in.

She glanced at her boarding pass; the destination was Grande. A smile crept across her face.

If Xu Fan were here, he would definitely recognize her; it was Song Runrun, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Song Runrun is as cute as ever. She looks young and has an innocent expression, but perhaps because she is wearing sunglasses, she appears slightly more mature at the airport.

The boarding announcement came on, and before Song Runrun turned off her phone, she sent a text message.

"I am coming."

Behind her, a tall woman also walked over.

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