Journeying South Together

The sky was just starting to brighten when the rumbling of wheels and the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from the distant official road. The morning mist in the mountains hadn't completely dispersed yet, carrying the scent of grass and trees.

After a simple pack-up, the group set off again.

Because the Wolf King—or perhaps "Little Wind" was a more fitting name now—was too conspicuous, Chen Qing had it follow them through the mountains on its own. The giant wolf let out a low growl, and its agile form disappeared into the verdant sea of trees. Only an occasional deep howl from somewhere in the distance proved its continued presence.

Lan Tianye excitedly mounted his magnificent white steed, named "Snow Dragon Steed." The horse was pure white, with only the edge of its hind hoof showing a faint golden hue, making it extraordinarily divine.

His horsemanship was excellent. He guided the horse into a brisk trot, keeping pace with Chen Qing's carriage. He chattered incessantly, his words flowing like a broken dam.

He spoke of everything from the customs and culture of the ancient kingdom of Roran in the Western Regions, the solitary smoke rising from the desert, to his so-called "heroic deeds"—like punishing corrupt servants who bullied vendors and mediating disputes among camel caravans. He also shared his "insights" and critiques of various masters in the Central Plains martial arts world, all based on hearsay.

"...So, Brother Chen, that 'Mountain Splitting Palm' Lei Meng, his reputation is immense. They say one palm strike can cleave rivers and shatter seas! But I suspect it's mostly bluster. His stance is quite weak. If we were to actually fight, I could pinpoint his knee pit within three moves..."

A Ning sat beside Chen Qing, her large eyes gazing at the lush green trees around them. She seemed to be gradually getting used to the noisy, blue-clad young man beside her.

Occasionally, when Lan Tianye gestured wildly during his more exaggerated tales, she would secretly glance at him with her clear, slightly bewildered eyes. Though her face remained expressionless, her gaze began to fill with curiosity.

Before noon, the carriage reached a fork in the road. In the distance, they saw a few ruffian-looking men surrounding a mule cart that appeared to belong to a simple farmer. The men were shouting aggressively, seemingly annoyed that the cart was blocking their path and demanding "road tolls."

The old farmer trembled, bowing repeatedly.

"Outrageous!" Lan Tianye's eyebrows shot up, and he was about to charge forward on his horse.

But Chen Qing spoke calmly, "No need."

Before he finished speaking, a low, threatening wolf howl echoed from the nearby mountains—"Awooooo!!!" The sound was deep and powerful, carrying a primal wildness and a sense of pressure, unlike any ordinary wolf.

Birds and beasts in the forest scattered in fear.

The faces of the ruffians changed drastically. They looked towards the dense forest in terror, their desire to extort vanishing.

"A... a wolf! And judging by that sound, it's a big one!"

"Let's go, let's go! This place is cursed!"

Panic seized them. Forgetting the mule cart, they shoved each other and fled back to their own donkey cart, scrambling away from the intersection.

The old farmer, also startled, quickly bowed towards the forest before hurrying his mule cart away.

Lan Tianye stared, dumbfounded, then burst into laughter. "Brilliant! Brother Chen! Your method is so much more efficient! Brother Little Wind's roar is more effective than my endless talking! Hahaha!" He gave a thumbs-up towards the forest. "Brother Little Wind, well done!"

The forest fell silent, with no response, as if the wolf's howl had been an illusion. But Lan Tianye was even happier, thinking this wolf brother was incredibly cool!

At noon, the carriage stopped to rest by a clear stream. Lan Tianye volunteered to fetch water for the horses, his movements swift. His Snow Dragon Steed seemed pleased with the stream, nuzzling its owner's hand affectionately.

Chen Qing took out some dried rations to share. His gaze swept over the quiet A Ning, and he suddenly remembered the day they left Pebble Town. As they passed through the chaotic marketplace, A Ning's eyes had lingered on a stall selling bamboo flutes.

There had been a faint trace of curiosity in her gaze.

He hadn't said anything at the time but had quietly doubled back and bought a bamboo flute from the stall.

Now, Chen Qing took out the pale green bamboo flute from his travel bag. The flute was crudely made, not even considered a masterpiece, but its surface was polished relatively smoothly.

Lan Tianye returned after watering the horses and saw Chen Qing holding the flute. His eyes lit up again. "Brother Chen! You know music too? That's such an elegant pursuit! Play us a tune!" He leaned in eagerly.

Chen Qing ignored him and brought the flute to his lips.

In his previous life, his understanding of music was only superficial, and his memories had long since faded. But he calmed his mind. The extraordinary perception and control brought by the Ancient Star Ruins Scripture flowed naturally. His fingertips lightly pressed the finger holes, and he attempted to blow a breath.

"Woo—ch—"

The first note came out, incredibly raw, even producing a piercing screech due to unstable airflow control.

"Pfft!" Lan Tianye, who was drinking from his water skin, spat it out upon hearing the sound. He coughed violently, his face contorted, and he exaggeratedly covered his ears. "Brother... Brother Chen! Stop! Your flute playing... it's as destructive as the Soul-Screaming Demonic Sound of the Ming Cult! My internal energy is shallow; I can't withstand it! Brother Little Wind would probably flee the mountains overnight if he heard it!"

Chen Qing frowned slightly, not because of Lan Tianye's antics, but because he was dissatisfied with the noise he had produced.

He closed his eyes and focused. Although he didn't deliberately activate his star power, it naturally adjusted the strength and angle of his breath, as well as every ounce of pressure from his fingertips. For him, this was more like a novel exercise in controlling power.

He tried again.

The flute sound was still intermittent and unmelodic, but the piercing screech was gone, and it became much steadier.

Lan Tianye lowered his hands from his ears, his expression shifting to one of slight surprise. "Huh?"

Chen Qing was completely absorbed in this experience of "control," his mind unperturbed.

His learning ability and control over his body were truly monstrous. In just over ten seconds, the raw flute sound had become astonishingly smooth!

Simple notes began to connect. Although there was still no complex melody, just repetitions and slow combinations of basic scales, it became exceptionally steady and clean, with excellent pitch. In fact, due to the player's detached state of mind, it carried a simple, ethereal quality, like washing away the dust, and it slowly flowed by the quiet stream, sounding unexpectedly harmonious and pleasant.

The mockery and surprise on Lan Tianye's face had long since vanished. His mouth hung slightly open, truly dumbfounded. He looked at the flute, then at Chen Qing's calm, focused side profile, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Brother Chen... you..." he stammered, "Were you playing a trick on me just now? Or... were you possessed by some music master? This... this progress is too fast! How are we ordinary people supposed to live with your learning speed?!" He simply couldn't comprehend how someone could go from producing ear-splitting noise to playing something passable on an instrument in such a short time, even making simple notes sound with a unique charm.

Chen Qing put down the flute without explaining.

Only he knew that this was not simply a matter of musical skill but was based on the absolute control granted by his Star Ruins Scripture. Any task requiring control had a significantly lowered threshold for him.

His gaze turned towards A Ning.

A Ning was sitting quietly beside them. She tilted her small face up slightly, her eyes fixed on Chen Qing, completely focused.

In her eyes, the usual timidity and confusion had faded, replaced by pure curiosity.

Lan Tianye also noticed A Ning's reaction. He immediately forgot about Chen Qing and leaned in front of A Ning, smiling playfully. "Little Sister A Ning, you like listening? Want to learn? Brother Lan, although my flute playing isn't as monstrously fast as Brother Chen's... uh, as his learning speed, I can sing Western Region folk songs, they're very nice!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but hum a lively, exotic tune, swaying his body gently to the rhythm.

A Ning's gaze shifted from the flute to Lan Tianye's face. She looked at him for a moment, then back at Chen Qing.

Chen Qing carefully put away the bamboo flute. It seemed he had made the right choice buying it.

A faint melancholy welled up in Lan Tianye's heart. He couldn't understand why A Ning didn't like this exotic little tune.

The rest period ended, and the caravan set off once more.

Chen Qing reached out and gently patted A Ning's small head, saying softly, "Go back into the carriage, it's windy out here."

But A Ning stubbornly shook her head. She quietly moved a little closer to Chen Qing, her small hands clutching his clothes tightly, as if afraid of being sent away.

In the end, Chen Qing had to give in, and A Ning sat by his side as she wished. Her feet dangled in the air.

At this moment, Lan Tianye hummed a cheerful little tune, and A Ning's feet unconsciously began to sway gently to the rhythm. Lan Tianye showed a hint of a smile and hummed even more joyfully!