hotmtlnovel Chapter 123: 1 Song of Elegance, 1 Song of Stirring
Chapter 123: 1 Song of Elegance, 1 Song of Stirring
Outside Yujing Terrace.
An old woman dressed in ancient Liyue clothes stood beside the flower bed, kind and amiable, with a hint of smile on her wrinkled face.
Next to the old woman was a woman dressed in white as white as snow, with waterfall-like gray hair tied behind her head with a hairpin. She was so beautiful that she looked like she had walked out of a painting, and she looked ethereal.
The old woman looked at the artificially cultivated colored lilies in the flowerbed and suddenly sighed, "They are almost withered. They are not as beautiful as the ones in Guiliyuan."
The woman in white smiled and said, "If you like, you can go and have a look. You don't have to stay in Liyue Harbor every day. Now it's an era of human rule."
The old woman turned to look at the beautiful woman who looked like her granddaughter and said, "Let's wait until this matter is over. That person told me that things have been unsettled in Liyue Harbor recently. Now, they are here as expected."
The pair who looked like grandparents and grandchildren looked at the four people who were slowly approaching. There was a handsome young man with blond hair, a cute girl with white hair, and a man in a black and gold gown, being pushed by a man in black.
The old woman was none other than Ge Chen Lang Shi Zhen Jun, now known as Grandma Ping. She walked towards the four people, supported by Gui Zhong, a woman in snow-white clothes beside her.
Grandma Ping laughed and said, "What do you want from an old lady like me who is over fifty years old?"
Mo Ran took a step forward and stood beside Gui Zhongsheng. He turned around and looked at the three people opposite him. As if he had changed sides at the last minute, he narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Mr. Zhongli, don't you have something to borrow? Why are you silent?"
"Oh, right. The death of the Rock King was really strange. Mr. Zhongli must be depressed and speechless, right? This is understandable. The people of Liyue are very sad now."
"But since this is a farewell ceremony for the Emperor, and for such a grand traditional ceremony, Mr. Zhongli cannot back down. Quick, speak up!"
"Otherwise, if the Emperor waits too long, he will probably open his coffin and come out to curse."
Paimeng covered her head, a little confused. She looked at the blond boy and asked, "Is there any connection between what Mo Ran said? It sounds so weird."
"Yeah." The blond boy nodded and said, "Maybe it's just an impromptu comment. Let's see what Zhongli said."
The two looked at the indifferent man who stood still with an unchanged expression. Zhongli was calm and composed. He exhaled lightly and sighed, "Grandma Ping..."
Grandma Ping waved her hand, "No, I am not worthy of being called that by Mr. Zhongli. Although you and my goddaughter are the same age, I will not call you an old woman who takes advantage of others. Just call me an old woman by my name."
Zhongli shook his head and said, "How can this be possible? The old should be warned, and the young should be tolerated. This is a virtue passed down from ancient times in Liyue. I cannot be the one who destroys etiquette and music."
Mo Ran smiled, not wanting to make trouble, and said maliciously: "Grandma Ping, sister, look how considerate Mr. Zhongli is. He must have had some unspeakable reasons before. Why don't you listen to what he says first?"
"After all, I think Mr. Zhongli, who is the most fair and just person in Liyue and would never violate the contract, is a man with high standards. He can't be the same as those short-sighted guys, right?"
Although Mo Ran and Grandma Ping are always at loggerheads, when there is an external enemy, they will temporarily cease fire and adopt a unified attitude towards the outside world.
Grandma Ping said, "That's right, but I still want to ask, Mr. Zhongli, do you think it is important for the music to be played by living beings themselves, or is it enough for it to be played by a machine but sound good?"
Grandma Ping and Gui Zhong had asked this question thousands of years ago, but the result was never resolved. However, their relationship remained unchanged, and the only one who was hurt was the poor man who served as the referee.
A woman's heart is like a needle in the sea. Even immortals and demons are no exception. It is really hard to predict.
Zhongli was speechless and had no answer.
Grandma Ping laughed and said, "Forget it. Since you couldn't judge it before, I will play another song for you to judge."
Grandma Ping turned to look at the man in black and said in a commanding tone, "Mo Ran, your flute has been covered in dust for many years! Take it out and play a tune with me. Remember not to let it go. Although the Dust-Clearing Bell is in the possession of your sister, Gui Zhong, you have signed a contract."
Sora and Paimon were puzzled and looked strangely at this old woman who claimed to be over fifty years old but still had extraordinary aura and seemed to be in good health.
Paimeng whispered, "Sora, they won't fight, will they? Should we try to calm them down? Hey! Grandma Ping's granddaughter, hurry up and persuade them!"
Gui Zhong covered her mouth and chuckled, "It's okay, these guys are like this all the time." She said softly, "Xiao Ran, you should take care of grandma more, so that she won't sprain her waist. It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone, and the bones of an old man are very important."
Mo Ran nodded and said, "I understand, sister. Don't worry." Under the wide sleeves of a black dress, Mo Ran held the wooden flute that he had just taken out, which was still brand new.
After all, after Mo Ran practiced immortal arts, this flute was imbued with immortal energy and could be considered an immortal artifact. Naturally, it was impossible for it to be like those ordinary objects and eventually turn into dust.
Paimon scratched his head and asked in confusion: "Aren't you two opponents? It's strange that you can still chat and laugh like this."
Gui Zhong smiled and said, "Let's put things in perspective. We are rivals now, but Xiao Ran and I are siblings, and we have a close relationship with Grandma Ping. After the competition, we still have to live our lives."
Paimon opened his mouth, remaining silent.
Mo Ran smiled like a little kid and said, "You'll get used to it. Come on, sister, take a look at how this Dust Cleansing Bell passed down from Lord Dust God has been improved."
Grandma Ping stroked the zither with both hands and said, "We'll wait and see."
Zhongli Youyou said: "Then let's get started, but please hurry up, sending the immortal code is an important tradition and should not be neglected."
Grandma Ping waved her hand and said, "I know, I know."
Gui Zhong smiled sweetly, like a blooming glass lily, elegant, noble and awe-inspiring. Her delicate hands plucked the dust-cleansing bell, producing pleasant and melodious music.
The music sounds like the sound of a clear spring in the forest, rustling through the gravel at the bottom of the river, leisurely in the heart, neither hurried nor slow, just like a tourist enjoying the scenery along the way, just right.
Gui Zhong spread out his jade-like palm, smiled calmly, and said, "It's your turn now."
Grandma Ping gently stroked the antique xylophone, with the mountains and rivers and the lights of thousands of houses in her eyes. She smiled and said, "You want to compete with me using the song I created? Haha, this song is indeed one of my best works."
"It contains leisurely activities, and the mountains and rivers are full of laziness, reminding people that the journey will eventually reach its end. Before that, they should pay attention to the scenery along the way and don't be anxious."
"Since you are playing leisurely music, I will respond with grandeur, using the majestic scenery of thousands of mountains and rivers, the clear sky and bright earth, and the thrilling battle scenes to crush your leisurely water and leisurely clouds!"
After Grandma Ping finished speaking, she closed her eyes and pondered, then placed her old hands on the xylophone and began to play.
First, there were a few bleak flute sounds, bringing a desolate state, and then the strings of the piano shook, giving a trembling feeling, as if a solemn and murderous aura was blowing in the face, and as if there were swords and horses in front of the person.
The zither and flute sounded in harmony, the music was like the roar of thousands of soldiers, as powerful as a tiger, shaking the sky to make it a few inches higher and the earth a few feet wider.
The zither and flute are supposed to be something that expresses softness or elegance, but when played together, it sounds like the sound of iron cavalry and the sound of swords and guns, like the bloody clouds of a battlefield brought into a dream by iron horses and icy rivers.
When the song ended, Zhongli let out a long breath, feeling a little lonely. Kong looked at his hands, not knowing what he meant. Paimeng covered his mouth, like a helpless child in the chaos of war.
Grandma Ping laughed and said, "How is it? Did I win? This piece of music is my latest masterpiece. Fortunately, Mo Ran can still keep up with the details. Your music theory attainments are not inferior to cooking!"
The scene was exactly the same as it had been thousands of years ago, except that the audience had changed. It was no longer the immortals from Jueyunjian, but two strangers who came riding on the wind.