Beyond Saving, Beyond Teaching-Carry Her Away

Although the Clam Girl themselves weren't musically gifted, that didn't prevent them from having a high level of appreciation. When they heard the flute music from outside the island, a group of Clam Girl escorting the jewels were all astonished. They felt that the flute player's skill was even higher than that of the Conch Girl who played snails.

It's not that Qin Yi's skill level truly surpasses Conch Girl's talent. Ju Yunxiu is more like it, but he's not qualified.

Among various races that rely excessively on their own talents, each race is limited by itself and its environment. Even those with high musical attainments can only reach the pinnacle in their own area, and few can draw on the strengths of others. In terms of artistic expression alone, very few can escape the category of "sea".

The Great Great King is one, and while there are others, they are certainly very rare.

The artistic conception Qin Yi just described mainly refers to the scenery of the sea and sky, from the boiling of the phoenix wings pushing the waves to the gradual calm and tranquility. The final artistic conception is the leisurely feeling of lying on the Lakeside Lawn and enjoying the song and dance after the curtain falls on the prosperity.

It was an impromptu performance to suit the occasion, without much deeper meaning.

But those with a high level of appreciation can immediately discern the many other artistic conceptions contained within. The fluttering of larks in the New Rain in Empty Mountain, the cry of vultures in the Desert Gobi —as his flute music is played, the sounds of a hundred birds are all contained within, and the meaning it contains transcends the limitations of the sea.

The Clam Girl knew this wasn't a skill of the winged people; they could dance, but they would never produce such flute music. However, they initially thought it was a winged person returning from studying abroad, and a thought began to form in their minds...

The Turtle Person had previously conveyed a veiled warning, saying that the king had a lot of complaints about them. They also knew that their performance at the previous grand events had been poor, so they had to make a good impression this time.

But what can they use to perform... that's just how their talent is.

It's difficult even if you want to learn.

In the past, I did seek guidance from some mediocre musicians, but the results were mediocre at best, and the king would yawn at the music.

If you're looking for a master... all the tribes in the sea offer their music to the king, and of course everyone cherishes their own, not wanting to be outdone by other tribes. Which master would be willing to teach you?

But the winged people are different. They do not participate in this gathering; at most, they exist as guards, and there is no competition between them...

You can have a winged person teach you!

If the Feathered One could teach me this flute technique, even if I don't learn it perfectly, just having some unique characteristics would surely bring a smile to the King's face at this concert. All my previous displeasure would vanish!

It turned out the flute wasn't played by the winged person, but by their Husband...

Same here.

Seeing Yu Shang's fierce and protective expression, Zhu Er hurriedly said, "We sincerely want to learn from you, we have no other intentions."

Yu Shang glanced at Qin Yi. Qin Yi then said, "I need to recuperate for the next couple of days, and I have important matters to attend to afterwards, so I really don't have time to teach."

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Er said, "We won't disturb your recuperation, sir. We'll listen in whenever you have free time to play the flute, and if you're interested, you can offer some pointers. How about that?"

Qin Yi said speechlessly, "Is it really necessary? Your king wouldn't punish you just because you can't play music well, would he? I've heard that Qiu Niu has a gentle nature."

"If you can't please the king, you'll only grow more distant. There's no need to make things difficult for him, but none of these are good things."

A timid voice came from behind, and after saying a few words, the sound was so faint that even a mosquito couldn't hear it.

Qin Yi turned his head speechlessly and saw a slender Clam Girl dressed in a Light Blue Dress. Her two clam wings were as thin as cicada wings, with beautiful patterns. She didn't look like Clam Girl, but rather like a small butterfly.

The dog suddenly said, "She's delicious..."

Qin Yi slapped it on the head and stuffed the ring into its mouth.

Distracted by the dog, before Qin Yi could even get a good look at the Clam Girl's face, Clam Girl had already closed her shell, her face flushed red, looking like a Little Pillar standing still.

Qin Yi found it increasingly amusing. "Who is this? He seems to be at the early stage of the Huiyang realm, just reached it? Why is a Huiyang cultivator so timid? In my hometown, Huiyang cultivators can walk around like peas in a pod!"

Zhu Er smiled ingratiatingly and said, "This is our Princess. The Sea Mirage Pearl we gave to the Young Master before belonged to the Princess."

"... Is it the one you said cried so much that pearls scattered all over the ground?"

"...yes."

"Why did the Princess come out herself to deliver a batch of pearls?"

"The Princess is new to the world and came out with us to broaden her horizons. Princess said she wanted to become your apprentice after hearing your flute playing. Otherwise, we would not be qualified to speak on Princess behalf."

Qin Yi said helplessly, "To put it this way, whether it's playing music or dancing, it's actually very, very easy for a Huiyang cultivator to learn, because Huiyang's development of their Sea of Consciousness is more than ten thousand times greater than that of ordinary people. They can understand it instantly with just a finger's guidance and learn it in an instant, so it wouldn't waste much of my time. But I'm afraid it won't work for this Princess..."

The Clam Girl opened her shell a crack. "W-why?"

Qin Yi said, "For anything related to performance, the most important thing is to be generous. Musical responses and emotions should be natural. You have to open your heart to feel and express them. What can you do if you lock yourself in a shell? With your introverted and shy nature, you will never be able to learn anything. Even if a god came to teach you, it would be useless."

The Clam Girl bravely separated the clam shell a little more. "I... I can try."

Qin Yi stared.

With a "snap," the clam shell closed again.

A pearl rolled down.

He even cried.

Qin Yi rubbed his forehead, both amused and exasperated. "He's hopeless, you can't teach him, just take him away. Even my Senior Sister couldn't teach him, let alone me."

The Clam Girl's voice came from inside the clam shell. "May I stay on the island for a few days and listen to your flute playing more, sir?"

When the clam shell is closed, it speaks fluently and without so much stuttering. That's interesting.

To others, it looked like just a Little Pillar talking, Qin Yi found truly amusing. "What's the point of you living here? Do you think you can learn something just by listening?"

"There's always a benefit," Little Pillar said earnestly. "I'm still very smart!"

Qin Yi looked at Yu Shang speechlessly.

Yu Shang was also quite annoyed. She didn't want a Little Pillar inexplicably barging into her and her Husband's little world. But since the Clam Girl Princess was coming to visit, it wouldn't be right to turn her away. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "Alright, Clam Girl Princess coming to our Winged Human Island as a guest, we shouldn't refuse her. But let's be clear from the start, my Husband might not be able to play the flute. If you can't hear it, that's your problem."

Little Pillar said happily, "I am already very grateful for your kindness, thank you."

Immediately, a group of Clam Girl gathered around and began to build sand houses right outside the beach. The winged people stared in disbelief, and soon they saw a beautiful little sand house taking shape. Before long, it transformed into a dazzling Little Castle.

Little Pillar quickly hid inside the Little Castle and wouldn't come out.

The winged people were very interested, and the Little Castle on the beach was quickly surrounded by them. The Little Pillar hid even more tightly and didn't make a sound anymore.

No, her name isn't Little Pillar. But from beginning to end, no one even asked her name.

Everyone forgot to ask, she's just too eccentric...

Qin Yi and Yu Shang stared blankly at the Little Castle for a while, then looked at each other for a moment before turning around and leaving in unison.

It was already dark, and Qin Yi and his wife were going back to cultivate and recuperate, so why were they bothering with Guan Gen hiding in the pillars of the castle?

Such is the nature of the Clam Girl; they are solitary beings. The beach of the Winged Human Island is inherently deserted, and the maidens, standing there, have no interaction with the Feathered People at all. The Feathered People's children watched the castle for a while, then grew bored and dispersed, leaving a solitary castle on the beach, which looked even more beautiful with each passing wave.