The Long Journey to Immortality

At the age of forty-seven, due to a minor mistake, Bu Anlan was seriously injured in battle and began to consider retiring.

Tangxi City was his hometown, so he chose to live in seclusion there, using the money he had worked so hard to earn to live out the rest of his life in peace.

As a dangerous figure of the highest rank, Bu Anlan's whereabouts were naturally kept firmly under the control of the Southern Dynasty authorities.

The register of heroes clearly records Bu Anlan's residence and his activities in the city over the past few years.

The detailed record, including the address, saved Han Lu a lot of trouble.

Once inside the city, Han Lu easily found Bu Anlan's residence in Tangxi City by asking two random passersby for directions.

Because she was living in seclusion and seeking a peaceful life, Bu Anlan's house in the city was not large, not much different from the small courtyard Han Lu had when she first entered Zhengyi Gate.

In broad daylight, the gate was tightly closed, and no plaque was hung on the gate to conceal the identity of the mansion's owner.

Only sporadic musical instrument sounds reached Han Lu's ears through the courtyard walls, which had not been properly sealed off by monks.

"Hmph," Han Lu chuckled, one hand on her sword, "You're quite interested in music, even after going into seclusion."

Listening to the barely audible music, Han Lu suddenly had a good idea to strike up a conversation with Bu Anlan.

She took out the wutong wood flute that she occasionally used to play music, put it to her lips, and began to play her favorite tune.

The melodious music emanating from the wooden flute was a piece called "The Shepherd's Song," which originated in the Western Regions and spread to the Central Plains.

The music is beautiful and not difficult to play, making it Han Lu's first choice for practicing and passing the time.

Although Han Lu was extremely confident in her playing skills, in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort, she deliberately incorporated illusion magic into her playing of the wooden flute.

Those who hear this music will be affected by the illusion, and images of vast grasslands, galloping horses, and melodious pastoral songs will appear in their minds.

How to persuade these wealthy heroes in the mortal world to teach her the secrets of swordsmanship was a question Han Lu kept thinking about on her journey.

Using force and money are both part of Han Lu's style of doing things; it's unlikely that coercion or bribery will make these capable heroes reveal all their secrets.

After considering many ideas, she finally decided to "cater to their preferences".

Let's see if we can make friends with these extraordinary people among ordinary people.

Once you've gotten along well, it's easy to start a conversation under the guise of communication; everything will definitely become much easier and simpler.

Sure enough, after only twenty breaths of this celestial music, which could not be heard in the mortal world, the tightly closed door of Bu Anlan's residence suddenly opened.

A slightly overweight middle-aged man walked out of the door and, following the sound of the flute, saw Han Lu standing under a large tree not far away, playing the wooden flute.

Seeing that it was Han Lu, a beautiful woman as fair as a fairy, playing the flute there, Bu Anlan, who had lost his former chivalrous spirit, was slightly surprised.

Upon seeing Han Lu and hearing the ethereal music she played, Bu Anlan, who had intended to approach her, inexplicably felt hesitant.

After catching her breath, Bu Anlan mustered her courage and silently gripped the flute that had just left her lips a moment ago.

This flute seemed to be the same iron sword he had grasped when he walked towards that rogue monk who was committing evil deeds.

Han Lu wanted to make friends through music, and Bu Anlan naturally wanted to get to know Han Lu, this master, through music as well.

Although not fully engaged, Han Lu noticed Bu Anlan as he walked out of the house and his every move.

Han Lu was overjoyed when she noticed Bu Anlan walking towards her.

When Bu Anlan took the flute and found a suitable moment to play the "Shepherd's Song" with Han Lu, Han Lu knew in her heart that she would most likely succeed in asking Bu Anlan to teach her swordsmanship.

However, there is a prerequisite.

The premise is that Bu Anlan, who has gained weight and has fallen in love with musical instruments instead of swords, is still the same chivalrous hero who would roar for justice when he sees injustice.

Chapter 569 Turning the Tables

"The Shepherd Boy's Song" is not difficult, so Bu Anlan, a musician who came to the profession later in life, also knows it and plays it skillfully.

However, whether in terms of playing skills or other aspects, Bu Anlan is ultimately inferior to Han Lu.

His joining in did not enhance the music; rather, it was like placing a hungry wolf next to a shepherd boy who was playing music while tending his flock, adding a discordant element to the piece.

As Han Lu deliberately withdrew the illusion, making the music less immersive, Bu Anlan realized that the music was not as beautiful because of his forced addition. A few more drops of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he felt more guilty and uneasy.

Twenty-five years ago, when he was fighting against those rogue cultivators who aided and abetted evil, he was never as nervous and helpless as he is now.

The flute in his hand was ultimately not as easy to use as the iron sword.

She wanted to put down the flute and leave dejectedly, but Bu Anlan couldn't let go of her hand.

Fortunately, Han Lu did not intend to completely embarrass An Lan; she was simply thinking that this method would make the subsequent story easier to unfold.

If Bu Anlan really felt ashamed and left because she felt she had ruined Xianle, then Han Lu would regret it.

The illusion was cast again, and Bu Anlan, who had been preoccupied just moments before, was once again trapped in the illusion woven by Han Lu.

The immersive experience allowed him to pour his emotions into the music.

Han Lu also slightly changed her playing technique, deliberately trying to match the tune, making the originally slightly discordant piece harmonious again.

Bu Anlan's slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

He naturally noticed Han Lu's "accommodation" and was filled with gratitude.

The anxiety he felt from ruining the music vanished completely, and he felt confident that he could ask the beautiful musician who had somehow come to his doorstep for some advice later.

Not far away, many passersby had already stopped to watch, some squinting to appreciate the music, others looking at the seemingly mismatched duo with curious eyes.

Although Bu Anlan is a celebrity among ordinary people, none of the local residents could connect the slightly overweight rich man in front of them with the dashing and chivalrous hero from Tangxi City twenty-five years ago.

Although Han Lu has appeared in storytellers' tales repeatedly due to her outstanding performance in the Zhengyi Sect competition, becoming a genius female cultivator in the eyes of ordinary people, no one would think that the strange beauty in front of them, whose attire is somewhere between a female knight-errant and a female immortal, is the same person as Han Lu, the cultivator who should be diligently cultivating in the Zhengyi Sect.

Twenty breaths later, the two finished playing the last note together. With a few rounds of applause, the passersby dispersed one after another, and Bu Anlan finally found an opening and an opportunity to talk to Han Lu.

Holding a long flute, Bu Anlan took a step forward, looked at the unusual wooden flute in Han Lu's hand, then at the sword at Han Lu's waist, and after a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

"Please forgive my impetuousness just now, Fairy. It was just that the 'Shepherd's Song' you played was so beautiful that it captivated me. It was like hearing celestial music. I couldn't help but want to play a duet with you."

Hearing this title, Han Lu was slightly surprised, but she maintained the aloofness of a music master and cultivator towards Bu Anlan, and said indifferently, "It's alright, but how did you know I'm a cultivator?"

Bu Anlan bowed and said, "The fairy has an extraordinary temperament. She can play celestial music and carries such a matching sword. I thought that the fairy must be a cultivator who has been immersed in music for countless years."

Perhaps it was because Bu Anlan had defeated many cultivators with low cultivation levels with his sword that he knew the gap between mortals and cultivators, which led to the above series of deductions and ultimately the correct answer.

Nodding slightly, Han Lu smiled and said, "You guessed right."

"May I ask where the fairy resides?" Bu Anlan asked again.

"I am currently cultivating within the Zhengyi Sect." Han Lu mentioned her sect, hoping to leverage the reputation of the Zhengyi Sect to reduce the difficulty of communicating with this chivalrous hero from the Southern Dynasty.

As expected, even as a chivalrous person from the Southern Dynasty, Bu Anlan had enough respect for the Zhengyi Sect.

Upon hearing that Han Lu was a cultivator from the Zhengyi Sect, Bu Anlan bowed again, "So the fairy is a cultivator from the Zhengyi Sect. No wonder she can play such beautiful celestial music."

"May I ask what brings you here, fairy? If you are not in a hurry, you may come to my humble abode for a short while and have a cup of fragrant tea."

Han Lu put away the wooden flute.

"There's nothing urgent. I'm just following my master's instructions to experience and cultivate in the mortal world. When I heard someone playing music here, I just felt an urge to perform."

"If it's just for tea, sitting down is fine."

Han Lu held the initiative, so naturally she wouldn't reveal at this moment that she had come to learn swordsmanship from the other party.

Bu Anlan was overjoyed and quickly took a few steps to open the door and lead the way for Han Lu.

Only three people lived in Bu Anlan's residence.

Bu Anlan, Bu Anlan's wife, and a maid who was about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Even before Bu Anlan and Han Lu started playing their duet, Bu Anlan's wife had already noticed everything from behind the door.

Upon hearing that her husband had invited Han Lu, a cultivator from the Zhengyi Sect, to come in for tea, she immediately began preparations.

When Bu Anlan and Han Lu sat down in the reception room, the tea leaves had already been placed in the purple clay teapot, ready to be brewed with hot water.

With such a virtuous wife by his side, it's no wonder that Bu Anlan chose to retire and enjoy a peaceful life with her.

While waiting for the water to boil, Bu Anlan kept looking for topics to talk about, trying to get closer to Han Lu, the cultivator.

Han Lu was deliberately acting aloof, waiting for the right moment to give Bu Anlan an opportunity to propose a deal.

Han Lu wasn't good at this kind of thing, but relying on her status as a Zhengyi Sect cultivator and her pretty face, she was still able to handle Bu Anlan, a chivalrous man who was also not good at scheming, with ease and firmly control of the initiative.

The two talked for about fifteen minutes before Bu Anlan felt the time was right and proposed a deal, expressing his desire to learn music from Han Lu.

Han Lu first tried to answer by remaining silent.

After Bu Anlan asked three times, Han Lu reluctantly nodded and asked what Bu Anlan could offer in exchange.

Everything that followed happened just as Han Lu had predicted. Bu Anlan told her everything she could use as "tuition fees."

Han Lu pretended to hesitate for a long time before reluctantly agreeing to trade her swordsmanship skills to Bu Anlan.

A cultivator asks a mortal for guidance on swordsmanship and the way of the sword.

This was the first time Bu Anlan had encountered something like this.

However, since Han Lu was willing to use this as a bargaining chip, Bu Anlan, who longed to play celestial music in the future, naturally would not refuse.

After only three sips of tea, Han Lu had settled everything.

Bu Anlan will impart his lifelong swordsmanship and swordsmanship to her over three days, while Han Lu will also impart her knowledge of music to help Bu Anlan, a musician who came to music later in life, improve his skills.

This was not difficult for Han Lu; it was at least ten times easier than teaching a mortal swordsman the way of a cultivator.

Chapter 570 Assassination

After settling the matter, Bu Anlan couldn't wait to take out her flute and ask Han Lu for advice.

Although Han Lu's most proficient instrument is the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), she has spent a lot of her free time during her more than ten years of practice with other instruments.

She can also play the flute. While she wouldn't say she's at everyone's level, she's still much better than Bu Anlan, a complete novice who's just started learning.

Initially, Bu Anlan thought he was learning music to "please" his wife. Naturally, when Han Lu was teaching, Bu Anlan's wife was also listening in.

Whether she was observing the class to supervise her husband's serious music studies or to be wary of him developing an inappropriate relationship with the tutor who had inexplicably appeared at her door, nobody knows.

After two music lessons, each lasting half an hour, Bu Anlan felt that her skill level had improved significantly under Han Lu's careful guidance.

In the past, when he played the wind instrument, his music always had a somewhat superficial quality.

After taking a master class with Han Lu, although he still couldn't recreate the celestial music that mixed illusion techniques, the few pieces he played were already several levels higher than before the class, and had a hint of the master's touch.