Music

The bar erupted in another wave of heat when the band appeared. The band consisted of a bassist, a keyboardist, a percussionist, and the lead singer, Ouyang Zhenhua, who also doubled as the guitarist. All four had long hair cascading down their shoulders, wore tight jeans, and sported exaggerated, wild Tibetan ornaments around their necks and arms. At first glance, they looked every bit the rock band. However, Zhang Hupan, who had never left the mountains, didn't recognize the fashionable attire of modern rock bands. He only felt that these people were dressed rather strangely, but when paired with their surroundings, it didn't seem out of place. Instead, it appeared rather harmonious.

Although Zhang Hupan had never been exposed to music, that didn't mean he didn't understand it. On the contrary, as a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he understood music better than anyone, grasping its true essence. In the cultivation world, there were those who specialized in using sound to fight and overcome enemies. A true master was someone who understood nature and was closest to it. Simultaneously, they understood the truth of life and the deepest desires of the human soul. Music, in essence, was about using sound to showcase the beauty of nature, the joys and sorrows of life, thereby resonating with the deepest parts of people's souls. The reason good music in the mortal world could evoke joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness was merely by slightly stirring emotional resonance within people, far from touching their very souls. Perhaps the ancient music that lingered for three days could reach that realm of touching people's souls. However, understanding and applying were two entirely different matters. Perhaps any music that people considered perfect could be heard by Zhang Hupan, who understood the true meaning of music, and he could point out its flaws. Yet, due to his lack of knowledge in musical theory, or rather, the means to manipulate these notes, he could only identify the flaws but couldn't perfect them himself, unsure which note to alter.

The band's performance, though still very rough to Zhang Hupan's ears, with a thousand more perfect melodies in his mind, still shocked him that mortals could perform music to such a standard. In that instant, Zhang Hupan felt that humanity's creations were not only great in science but also remarkably significant in the humanities. He felt the entire cultivation world had overlooked the power of the accumulated knowledge and crystallization of billions of humans over tens of thousands of years. He felt he had found something else, besides achieving enlightenment and ascension, that was worth dedicating himself to: truly learning all of human civilization.

As the bar reached its peak, the DJ's frenzied hype, the seductive dances on the floor, and the uninhibited actions of the patrons filled the entire establishment with a palpable energy. It was only then that Zhang Hupan truly witnessed the decadent side of humanity, the side of neon lights, and a life of drunken indulgence. Yet, all of this was so similar to the Inner Demons that had appeared during his cultivation over the years. Those lewd acts, those provocative dances – these were the scenes of Inner Demons that had repeatedly brought Zhang Hupan to the brink of eternal damnation. This was precisely why Zhang Sanfeng had asked Zhang Hupan to temporarily cease his cultivation and instead cultivate his Dao Heart in the secular world, as Zhang Hupan's progress was too rapid, far exceeding the consolidation of his Dao Heart.

Although everything before him stirred Zhang Hupan's Dao Heart, it also presented him with a realization: if he were to stay here long-term, constantly exposed to these scenes, then over time, these scenarios would gradually interfere with him less and less. This sudden enlightenment filled Zhang Hupan with immense joy. He had finally found a way to deal with his Inner Demons. Perhaps soon he could resume his cultivation and research the role of human science in improving his cultivation. In fact, ever since Zhang Hupan began studying human science and technology, he had started considering how to apply them to cultivation, even conceiving several feasible methods. However, the instability of his Dao Heart and the interference of his Inner Demons made him hesitant to try, fearing what might happen if his realm advanced again. It was almost laughable; everyone else was desperately pursuing increased power and higher realms, while Zhang Hupan was worried about such things happening. Of course, Zhang Hupan wasn't averse to improving his power and realm; it was just that circumstances didn't permit it. Now that he seemed to have found a viable path, how could he not be ecstatic?

With these thoughts, Zhang Hupan no longer resisted these * scenes but instead tried his best to face them with a bình thường mindset. Time quickly passed, and it was eleven o'clock, yet more and more people were entering the bar. A person as exceptionally intelligent as Zhang Hupan could naturally imagine how much of a favor Liu Xizhen was doing him by agreeing to his request to leave at eleven. Of course, if Liu Xizhen knew that the material value of the jade Zhang Hupan had given her daughter could buy two or three bars like this one, let alone its priceless value after being crafted by a master like Zhang Hupan, it would be no exaggeration to say he could be her boss. Unfortunately, Liu Xizhen would never have guessed that a freshman she hired to work for her would give her daughter a piece of top-quality jade, not a handmade trinket. Thus, even though she knew it was the busiest time, she still agreed to Zhang Hupan's request, showing how much she favored him, or rather, indulged him a bit.

When Zhang Hupan said goodbye during the busiest hour, Liu Xizhen didn't show the slightest displeasure. Instead, she sincerely told Zhang Hupan to be careful on his way. As a Nascent Soul stage expert, Zhang Hupan could easily discern the sincerity of Liu Xizhen's concern. Liu Xizhen's genuine care brought a sense of inexplicable warmth to Zhang Hupan's heart, making him feel how pleasant true affection was, its value undiminished by one's cultivation level.

At eleven o'clock, there weren't many people on the roads of Hangcheng. Zhang Hupan could have easily used some superhuman abilities without attracting attention, but he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this ordinary life. He leisurely rode his bicycle like a normal person, and after half an hour, he returned to the dormitory. As usual, the male dormitory was a scene of bustling activity at this hour. The unique howls from the shower rooms and the clatter of washbasins intertwined to form the symphony of the male dorm.

Soon, everything returned to quiet. Then, in the pitch-black corridor, you could hear the nightly "wolf talk" sessions from the dorm rooms on either side. Room 203 was no exception. Today, their agenda was to interrogate Zhang Hupan about his whereabouts. However, everyone knew that what they were truly interested in wasn't where Zhang Hupan had been, but whether he had gone on a date or had a romantic encounter. Unfortunately, Zhang Hupan embodied the principle of "silence is golden," refusing to utter a single word. Hu Zhiming, the heavyweight on the upper bunk, was itching to bounce on his bed to scare Zhang Hupan below, but he was ultimately concerned about the bed's structural integrity, fearing a disaster. With the interrogation yielding no results, everyone lost interest in their late-night chat and went off to dreamland to chase girls. Only Zhang Hupan's Spiritual Sense diligently roamed through the books borrowed from the Universe Ring. For Zhang Hupan, the need for sleep had long passed.

In the following days, Zhang Hupan became engrossed in music again. He scoured the library for all music books, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign. Only someone as eccentric as him could finish all the music books in the library at such a breakneck speed. When Zhang Hupan closed the last music book in the library, he was once again deeply shaken by human civilization. A completely deaf person had managed to create the "Symphony of Fate," a piece that could grasp the pulse of life and probe the depths of people's souls. This was undoubtedly a piece that immortals could have composed, yet it came from an ordinary person, or more precisely, a disabled individual. After several days of study, Zhang Hupan systematically understood music theory and various instruments. In fact, ever since Zhang Hupan grasped human music theory, his mind had been opened. What Zhang Hupan lacked was merely a means to express the true meaning of music. Now that he understood solfège, note names, vocal range, and other common knowledge, with a Nascent Soul expert's understanding of life, soul, and nature, composing, singing techniques, and performance skills were no longer difficult.

On Wednesday, Zhang Hupan saw the saxophone master Jack, whom Zhu Yan had mentioned. He was a handsome fellow with blond hair and blue eyes. Judging by the enthusiastic applause from the audience, his performance must have been quite successful. However, to Zhang Hupan's ears, his performance was mediocre, definitely not as good as Ouyang Zhenhua's band. This was understandable, as the melodiousness of a saxophone performance, besides the music itself, heavily depended on the player's skill. For the saxophone, lung capacity and airflow control techniques were crucial. For ordinary people, these were more influenced by innate conditions than mere hand dexterity required for instruments like the bass or guitar. Therefore, for ordinary people, the saxophone was more difficult. But for cultivators, there was no difference. Thus, in Zhang Hupan's eyes, Ouyang Zhenhua's performance was superior. (To be continued)