The Pipa's Mournful Cry Carries Melancholy, Yingcheng's Secluded Peace Hides Masters

Yan Lingwei's heart tightened, and she instinctively shrunk her neck slightly. But then she saw Chen Duan pluck a dead leaf, which had fallen onto her hair at some unknown time, from her temples.

"The path of music is merely a pastime for me when I have nothing else to do, like those clouds in the sky. Beautiful, but not what I seek."

Chen Duan crushed the dead leaf in his hand and looked at her calmly.

"Moreover, do you know that when I brought you out of Floating Fragrance Tower, my original intention was not to listen to music, but for the Martial Path?"

"For the Martial Path?" Yan Lingwei's beautiful eyes were filled with confusion, and she looked even more fragile, holding her beloved pipa.

"Master, please forgive this servant's dullness."

How could she, a mere female musician, be connected to the Martial Path?

Chen Duan extended a finger and lightly tapped the strings of the pipa, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"When you truly 'understand' it one day, perhaps you will naturally comprehend."

He had already inquired about the origin of this pipa. Yan Lingwei knew very little, only that it was her mother's dying memento.

Even her identity as a noble from the Previous Dynasty was like looking at flowers through mist. Her memories seemed to be filled with a life of hardship and wandering since childhood.

"I am about to leave Yingcheng. If you encounter difficulties in the future, you can seek out Ah Huang for help, or return directly to Floating Fragrance Tower. On my account, they should offer you some care."

Yan Lingwei was still immersed in the profound meaning of his previous words. Hearing this suddenly, she was stunned and instinctively asked:

"Master, how long will you be gone this time?"

"My return date is undecided," Chen Duan waved his hand, his tone casual.

"Take care of yourself."

With that, he no longer lingered and returned to his courtyard.

Yan Lingwei ran all the way to the courtyard gate, just in time to see Chen Duan emerge from the courtyard.

He had a large wooden chest on his back and was heading straight towards the end of the long street.

Chen Duan's departure was so swift and decisive that Yan Lingwei couldn't quite process it for a moment.

The person who had been discussing music with her just moments ago was now carrying his luggage and embarking on a long journey.

He left as if everything here was merely insignificant scenery along the way, unable to stir even the slightest attachment in him.

Gazing at his receding figure, Yan Lingwei leaned against the doorframe, a sudden sense of loss washing over her.

Up until now, Chen Duan was the only one who had discerned the subtle depth in her pipa music.

True confidants were rare in this world, and yet he was leaving so abruptly.

She stood by the door for a long time before sighing softly and slowly closing the courtyard gate.

However, after she turned around.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking came again.

A flicker of anticipation flashed through Yan Lingwei's heart, and she quickly opened the door.

However...

It was Ah Huang.

Ah Huang wore a yellow weasel mask and held up a piece of paper with crooked writing: "Master ordered me to look after you. If you need anything, find me."

Yan Lingwei nodded, feeling a mix of disappointment and a touch of warmth. "Okay. Thank you, Ah Huang."

After Ah Huang left, she sat down again.

Miao Cuilan was still humming a tune and cooking in the kitchen, unaware that Chen Duan had already departed.

Yan Lingwei looked at the pipa in her arms and recalled Chen Duan's words again.

"When I truly understand it one day, I'll understand..."

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Her thoughts swirled, and her fingertips involuntarily plucked the strings, softly pouring out the faint melancholy in a young woman's heart.

"Brother Chen! Over here!"

From a distance, Wu Sheng could be seen waving enthusiastically.

Chen Duan's lips curved slightly. He stepped forward, handed the wooden chest on his back to a groom, and then directly boarded the carriage.

As soon as he entered, the carriage visibly dipped downwards.

The interior of the carriage was completely different from its plain exterior. It was lined with thick, exquisite velvet carpets, and the surroundings were adorned with dark-patterned silk. A low table was set with fresh fruits and preserves.

This was a convoy arranged by Floating Fragrance Tower, and naturally, their standards for comfort were high.

Inside the carriage, besides Wu Sheng, Le Buxiu was also present, picking up a piece of preserved fruit and popping it into his mouth.

Wu Sheng smiled and exchanged pleasantries, "I didn't expect that Brother Chen's journey would take him to the same destination as ours. What a coincidence."

His tone was warm, but a flicker of thought crossed his eyes, his mind somewhat complex.

Chen Duan was also going to Jianggu Mountain?

He wants to go after that thing too?

If that's really the case, with Chen Duan being just a Fourth Level Martial Artist, he probably won't achieve much on his own. Unless he has other forces supporting him, or allies who have already scouted ahead, much like the arrangements made by our Medicine Valley.

This matter concerns a sect mission, so it's not appropriate for him to probe directly. If Chen Duan's target is indeed the "Desire Flower," then they would be potential competitors.

Compared to Wu Sheng's private speculation, Le Buxiu, standing beside him, appeared calm and composed.

He actually knew more about the situation than Wu Sheng, understanding that Chen Duan's purpose for this trip was not the "Desire Flower," but the whereabouts of the Kong family descendant.

It was precisely because that Kong family descendant, to evade the Imperial Court's purge, had sought refuge with the Gu Tribe and was in the Jianggu Mountain area, that Chen Duan's destination coincidentally overlapped with theirs.

However, he had no intention of revealing this for the moment. Watching Wu Sheng's tense, speculative expression was quite amusing.

With the help of the intelligence network provided by Le Buxiu, Chen Duan had already gathered information on the general location of the Kong family descendant in Jianggu Mountain. The clue to the Kongling Village tomb ultimately had to come from the Kong family.

Chuzhou is vast, and Jianggu Mountain is even on the border of Chuzhou. This journey would be a long one.

Although Chen Duan was traveling everywhere now, treating it all as a way to see the world.

But always relying on his own efforts to rush around would inevitably consume a significant amount of time.

As he mastered more and more cultivation techniques, time felt increasingly insufficient.

Perhaps in the future, he would also consider cultivating his own forces, like Le Buxiu, to gather resources and gather information, allowing him more time to focus on the Martial Path.

Of course, this matter requires grasping the fundamentals. The purpose of establishing forces is to better serve martial cultivation; one must never lose sight of the main goal and become bogged down by mundane affairs.

This was merely a preliminary idea. The specific implementation would have to wait until he broke through to a higher realm and possessed sufficient strength to awe others, then he could plan further.

The Five Levels realm was merely the top-tier combat power openly displayed. To truly establish oneself in this world for the long term, one would need experts at the "Break Apex" level in charge.

Rumble~

With the rolling of wheels, the caravan began to move.

Recalling the days spent in Yingcheng, Chen Duan's impression was nothing special.

The outside world claimed Chuzhou was chaotic, but within Yingcheng, an unusual sense of stability prevailed. The order was at least much better than in the prefecture of Qingzhou.

There weren't many renowned major powers within the city. Besides Floating Fragrance Tower, which was famous for its allure, the other families seemed quite low-key.

According to Le Buxiu, there seemed to be a mysterious expert living in seclusion in Yingcheng.

Once someone dared to cause trouble in the city, creating widespread chaos, this expert would intervene and quell the disturbance with swift and decisive means.

Of course, this intervention seemed limited to "major disturbances." The darkness in the shadowy corners that didn't affect the overall situation was naturally left to its own devices.

However, this was merely a long-standing rumor, a matter of opinion.

After all, no one had ever personally seen this expert.

Yingcheng had indeed seen no one dare to truly run amok for many years.

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