A Pure Melody

The flute's sound stretched on without end, drifting in the wind like strands of spider silk, sometimes clear and melodious, sometimes low and deep.

Between the two, the melody did not change much. It cast aside all complexity, leaving only a quiet serenity,

like the bright moon shining upon a bamboo grove, or a gentle breeze brushing over a mountain ridge.

In this mortal world, one song could purify the heart.

Under the cleansing of the flute's music, the distracting thoughts gradually settled, and Zhang Yu released the sword in his hand...

When he awoke, it seemed the sound of the flute still lingered in his mind.

He got down from the bed and looked around.

The room was simply furnished, without many utensils. Bamboo surrounded the window outside, and it seemed to be somewhere in the mountains. He smelled the fragrance of medicinal herbs, while in the distance there also seemed to be the sound of running water. He could not tell whether it came from a waterfall or a mountain stream.

This truly was an excellent place.

Zhang Yu rarely felt genuinely peaceful. Since arriving in this world half a year ago, he had fled for his life, trained, killed, and worked hard to fit in, yet he had always seemed like a passerby. Deep down, he had subconsciously believed that he did not belong to this world. Now, however, he felt a rare sense of reality.

"You're awake." Qu Feiyan bounced in through the door. When she saw Zhang Yu standing beside the bed, she turned her head excitedly and shouted,

"Grandpa, Zhang Yu is awake."

Someone walked in from the outer room. He was around fifty years old, dressed in hemp robes, with a deer-horn hairpin in his topknot and a warm smile on his face. He held a bamboo flute in his hand, resembling both a hermit living in the mountains while seeking immortality and a Confucian scholar well versed in the classics.

Seeing his attire and hearing Qu Feiyan call him "Grandpa," Zhang Yu guessed his identity.

The martial world was complicated. Whether the so-called Righteous Path or the unorthodox path, both were tangled messes of good and bad people, making it difficult to judge someone as good or evil—especially someone in a position of power.

But if he had to name a good person in the Sun Moon Divine Cult, it had to be the man standing before him.

"Your subordinate Zhang Yu pays his respects to Right Emissary Qu. Thank you for saving my life."

Qu Yang helped him up with a smile. "There's no need for such courtesy. Feiyan said you're her friend, so you're my guest. Your condition is complicated. You can rest here at the Bamboo Mist Courtyard for a few days and recover slowly."

The two sat across from each other at the table and drank tea.

Qu Feiyan was chased outside by Du Xiaochai, who was forcing her to drink medicinal broth.

Qu Yang smiled indulgently, then turned to the somewhat reserved young man and asked curiously, "When I first saw you, your mind was in chaos and you were hacking about with your sword. It looked like you had gone berserk while practicing your martial arts, but that was not actually the case. I examined your pulse and found your meridians unobstructed and your Internal Energy abundant. Everything was orderly."

Zhang Yu glanced at the Green Jade Thumb Ring still on his hand. "I won't hide it from you, Right Emissary Qu. At the time, countless distracting thoughts arose in my mind. I could not cut them away, and I consequently went mad. Even now, I still feel afraid when I think about it."

Qu Yang smiled. "That makes sense. I determined that directly using Internal Energy to regulate you would be useless, so I tried soothing you with the sound of the Pure Heart and Benevolent Mantra on my flute. The result was indeed remarkably effective. It seems saving your life was Heaven's will. You were not fated to die."

Zhang Yu hurriedly asked, "Senior, can the Pure Heart and Benevolent Mantra cure my condition?"

Qu Yang sighed. "When distracting thoughts run rampant, blocking them is inferior to letting them flow. You are young and vigorous, fond of weapons and fighting. Since you are in the Divine Cult, bloody slaughter is unavoidable. As a result, vicious energy accumulates. It may not erupt for a while, but over time, it can drive you mad. The way of music can cultivate the body and character, clear the heart, and calm the mind. Even if it cannot completely eliminate your distracting thoughts, it should at least ease them."

Zhang Yu rose and cupped his hands. "I have long heard that Right Emissary Qu is unmatched in both the qin and flute. I boldly ask Senior to teach me the way of music."

Qu Yang stroked his long beard and pondered for a moment. Then he looked at Zhang Yu with a smile. "I can teach you the Pure Heart and Benevolent Melody, but Sakyamuni said that the Dharma must not be passed on lightly. You must give me something in exchange."

Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment, then removed the Green Jade Thumb Ring and handed it over. "This is the most valuable thing I possess. If Senior likes it, please take it."

Qu Yang did not even look closely at it. He shook his head. "Gold and jade are no different from wood and stone to me."

Zhang Yu asked in surprise, "Aside from the Green Jade Thumb Ring, I have only a black sword and a small pouch of gold and silver. Senior would certainly value them even less. What is it you want? Please tell me plainly."

Qu Yang stared at him, an unreadable smile appearing on his face.

Zhang Yu thought uneasily, This is bad. In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the relationship between Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng of the Hengshan Sect has been the subject of much debate. Could this old man truly have a preference for men?

"I want you to... write down the story of The Adventures of the Little Carp and give it to Feiyan."

Zhang Yu immediately felt ashamed. He had truly judged a gentleman with a petty mind.

"I already made a promise to Feiyan. Even if Senior had not asked, I would have honored it."

Qu Yang nodded with a smile. "That's good, then. If Feiyan is happy, I'll be happy too."

The seventh day of the twelfth month.

The first snow fell on Blackwood Cliff.

Ten li of bamboo forest stretched along the western foothills. Snow weighed down the branches, but the bamboo joints remained unbroken; they merely had to bend for the time being.

A young man leaped two meters into the air and sat atop one of them. The green bamboo swayed slightly, and large clumps of snow fell from its crown, but the stalk did not bend any farther.

The two seemed to have reached a certain balance.

But the weight of an adult man was two or three times greater than that of the snow that had just fallen.

Clearly, this man's lightness skill was extraordinary.

He took out a purple bamboo flute and placed it against his lips, his fingers pressing over the holes.

The flute's sound was clear and melodious, like a gentle breeze sweeping across countless slanting bamboo stalks, rippling through the icy, snowy valley.

"You played three notes incorrectly, and your breathing was too hurried when changing phrases. To achieve this level in ten days is already quite good. I was originally worried that you might not be able to memorize the entire score, but now it seems you have some talent in the way of music."

Someone walked through the forest, carrying a bamboo basket filled with fresh wild vegetables. He wore a thin hemp robe. Having reached the Innate Realm, he was unaffected by wind and snow and free from all illness.

As Right Emissary, Qu Yang's early Innate martial arts cultivation placed him at the level of a sect leader who could command awe across the martial world.

Yet within the Sun Moon Divine Cult, this did not match his status as the fourth-ranked figure.

That was because he excelled at handling administrative affairs and managing the cult's industries.

In the early days after Dongfang Bubai took the throne, Xiang Wentian was promoted in name but demoted in reality, while Qu Yang, as Right Emissary, took charge of the cult's affairs, rewarding merit, punishing transgressions, and managing the cult's assets.

Dongfang Bubai led the twelve halls in attacks across the land, while Qu Yang ensured there were sufficient grain, medicine, weapons, armor, and clothing. The two enjoyed a period of harmony.

Later, once Dongfang Bubai's position had stabilized, he began supporting Yang Lianting, replacing the old with newcomers. Qu Yang's power was gradually stripped away.

He had long since lost interest in the martial world and was happy to live freely. He simply moved down from Blackwood Cliff, built this Bamboo Mist Courtyard, and began living a semi-reclusive life.

After finishing the melody,

the young man put away the bamboo flute and jumped down from the bamboo stalk, taking Qu Yang's basket.

"Master Qu, I always feel that playing the Pure Heart and Benevolent Mantra on the flute leaves something unfinished."

Zhang Yu hesitated. After all, saying such a thing before a master of music like Qu Yang felt somewhat like showing off before an expert.

Qu Yang was delighted to hear him ask that.

"The fact that you can recognize this shows that you possess genuine insight."

"The Pure Heart and Benevolent Mantra was something I discovered in an ancient text. It was originally meant to be played on the qin, which would give it a more distant and melodious quality and make it even better at cleansing the heart."

"But first, the ancient qin is difficult to learn. You know nothing of musical notation, yet you want to build a towering structure from level ground. Rushing things is a beginner's greatest taboo."

"Second, you are fortunate. In autumn, I happened to travel south to meet a friend. He is also a master of music. We made a wager over whether the Pure Heart and Benevolent Mantra could be played on the flute. He painstakingly studied it for a long time and actually managed to teach me most of the score."

Zhang Yu knew who this southern master of music was. He smiled and asked, "Then, Master Qu, who ultimately won the wager between you and that southern master?"

Qu Yang smiled. "Let's say he won. Music values intent. Though it could not be perfect, reaching such a level was already miraculous. If I get the chance, I truly would like to introduce you to him."

As they chatted, they returned to the courtyard.

As usual, Qu Feiyan had gone down the mountain to play.

The little girl's days were packed from morning to night: buying candied hawthorns, listening to storytellers, visiting friends and acquaintances, and collecting stories. In any case, with Wang Changfeng and Du Xiaochai—one at the Qi Sea Realm and the other a martial artist of the Armor-Breaking Realm—guarding her at all times, they were more than capable of dealing with ordinary petty thieves.

Zhang Yu took out three volumes of books copied in small regular script with a charcoal pencil.

Qu Yang looked at the cover. Six large characters were written on it: "The Adventures of the Little Carp." When he opened the first page, he found that it was actually a table of contents, complete with corresponding page numbers. Clearly, Zhang Yu had put considerable thought into it. He nodded.

"The story is fantastical and seems like a tale of the strange, yet its meaning is profound. No wonder Feiyan likes it so much."

"This Pockmarked Snake deceived the world and stole a reputation, occupying the position of the true dragon. In the end, it was nothing more than an empty dream."

"The Three-Legged Golden Toad was too obsessed with his appearance, yet had limited wisdom of his own, making him easy to manipulate. Fortunately, he was able to come to his senses."

Zhang Yu sensed a deeper meaning in his words but found it inconvenient to say anything more.

Zhang Yu smiled. "Master Qu, I've imposed on you for ten days, and I already feel uneasy about it. I think it's time for me to take my leave."

Qu Yang put away the three volumes of The Adventures of the Little Carp and smiled. "Indeed. Tomorrow is Tong Baixiong's sixtieth birthday celebration. As a disciple of the Wind Thunder Hall, you should return as well. If you ever grow tired and want somewhere quiet to stay for a while, you can return to this courtyard at any time."

Zhang Yu bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Master Qu, for saving and teaching me. I, Zhang Yu, will repay this kindness."