Funeral Music Band

"Then let's go."

Griseo had said she wanted to go, so Nangong, as team captain, made the call on the spot.

Besides, they had come to Weifei Land to seek inspiration. Wasn't folk music still music?

And the most authentic kind at that!

They would even get to try it themselves. What was there to lose?

Sunna hesitated. "But Nangong... can we really do it? We don't know how to play any of these instruments, do we?"

"Why not? I do! Aria should have what she needs in her database, too. She can learn as soon as she picks one up."

Nangong gave Sunna a teasing look. "Don't tell me you're the only one who can't..."

"Oh, Sunna, that's no big deal!"

Yuzuha slipped an arm around Sunna and jumped in as though the answer were obvious.

"With Celebratory Mourning and funeral music, the main thing is having plenty of people and making it lively! Besides, you're idols. Give these instruments a little practice and you'll get the hang of them."

"Erhu, suona, cymbals, gongs and drums... Maybe add a guzheng and a flute for a touch of elegance. That makes six of us."

Yuzuha counted on her fingers, muttering to herself.

As Yuzuha grew more excited, Mato could only take a deep breath and give the others a look that said, Sorry, she's always like this.

Once they had decided to play together, Yuzuha rushed over to the pile of instruments and began pulling them out one by one.

"I'll take the suona—it's the hardest! Nangong, you play the erhu. Mato, you're strong, so the gong and drum are yours."

"Sunna, cymbals are easy. Here! Don't know how? No problem. As long as they make a sound, you're fine. Give them a good crash when the time comes. Trust your sense of rhythm!"

"Aria, you're an Intelligent Construct. Want the pipa or the flute? You can hum a few lines while you're at it and send the old gentleman a Blessing."

Finally, Yuzuha turned to Griseo and tilted her head. "Little Griseo, can you play anything?"

Nangong answered, "Besides painting, Griseo can play pretty much every instrument, just like me."

Yuzuha nodded. "That works. You can paint something for the family later—huh?"

She froze, then stared at Nangong wide-eyed. "Wait... what do you mean, 'pretty much every instrument'?"

Her face was full of disbelief, along with a look that accused Nangong of choosing her words rather poorly.

Did your gym teacher teach you grammar?

Griseo looked around carefully, then pointed to a xiao among the remaining instruments.

"All right, then it's settled?"

Yuzuha held out her hand, palm down. Nangong was first to place hers on top. "Settled!"

Sunna and Aria exchanged a glance, then added their hands. "Mm, settled!"

Mato sighed, but put his hand in as well. "Just don't mess it up."

Finally, Griseo reached out and gently placed her small hand on top.

Yuzuha grinned and thrust their hands into the air. "Let's go—Funeral Music Band!"

The group set off in a lively procession.

Yuzuha led the way with the suona slung over her shoulder, while Mato followed carrying the gong and drum.

Nangong walked behind Yuzuha with the erhu in her arms and Griseo beside her. Sunna and Aria huddled together, looking both nervous and excited.

Sunna couldn't help asking, "Yuzuha, are we just going straight there? Shouldn't we rehearse?"

"No need! If you rehearse, it's a performance. If you play it by ear, it comes from the heart! The old gentleman's watching from above. It's the thought that counts!"

"...There's something wrong with that logic," Aria muttered.

"Oh, trust me!" Yuzuha turned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Mato and I have performed so many times, and nothing's ever gone wrong!"

"Because even if something did go wrong, no one would feel right about calling you out..."

Mato spoke dryly. Who would pick a fight at a funeral or a wedding?

The address Songxi had given them led deep into Chenghui Plateau's old district, to a small building with a courtyard.

A canopy had already been set up in the courtyard. Round tables stood here and there, with relatives and friends chatting in small groups. The old gentleman's portrait sat on the memorial table in the center.

Songxi came out to greet them, now dressed in dark red with touches of yellow.

"Yuzuha, I'm so glad you're here!"

"Of course!" Yuzuha hitched the suona onto her shoulder. "Leave the old gentleman's send-off to me!"

"Good. I know I can count on you, Yuzuha. He loved a lively gathering when he was alive. He'd be delighted to see you all here."

Songxi led them into the courtyard. Griseo followed with the group, watching quietly.

She saw the colors surrounding the relatives—warm orange-yellow and soft grass green. They reminded her of fields in autumn, with the quiet contentment that came after a harvest.

"Yuzuha, why isn't there a trace of sad gray around them?"

Griseo's question came out of nowhere.

Yuzuha didn't know Griseo well yet. She looked at the young girl thoughtfully, and though she was a little puzzled, her instincts led her to the answer Griseo was seeking.

"Little Griseo, where we're from, Celebratory Mourning is a way of embracing life. It respects death while honoring the value of a life lived to its fullest."

"And the colors around Songxi and the other relatives don't just show that the family recognizes the blessings the departed enjoyed. They also represent the protection he'll give his descendants."

"Most deaths bring sorrow. That's why a Celebratory Mourning, when someone leaves this world without regrets, is especially precious."

"I see!"

After hearing Yuzuha's answer, Griseo asked no more questions. She quietly took it in.

Death was not always a sorrowful gray. When a life drew to a fulfilling close, it took on the gold of an autumn harvest.

When a life had been full enough, farewell could be a warm celebration.

When it was time to perform, Yuzuha gathered everyone in a corner of the courtyard for a quick meeting.

"All right, everyone, we're about to go on. The set list is simple. First, 'Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix'—a must-have classic! From the second piece on, we'll play it by ear and follow the mood."

"Play it by ear? That's a bit..." Sunna wanted to say unreliable, but at Yuzuha's matter-of-fact expression, she swallowed the word.

Yuzuha lowered her voice, looking unusually serious.

"A Celebratory Mourning isn't a time for wailing. We're here to send the old gentleman our Blessing.

"He lived to ninety-two, healthy and free of misfortune, with children and grandchildren all around him. That's a blessing! Our job is to blow it out, beat it out, and draw it out with our bows!"

As Yuzuha spoke, even Mato looked serious for once. The two might bicker, but when it mattered, they made a good team.

Yuzuha clapped her hands. "Everyone, take your places—"

With their plans settled, the courtyard gradually quieted, and every eye turned to the makeshift stage.

Yuzuha stood front and center, suona in hand, as if she owned the world.

Nangong sat to her right with the erhu resting on her knees. Sunna and Aria stood to the left, Mato took his place at the back, and Griseo sat at the side of the stage with the xiao across her lap.

Yuzuha drew a deep breath, then spoke. Her voice rang through the hall with solemn weight.

"To the guardian spirit of this land, to the departed spirits of every quarter... May the deceased rest in peace... We offer our rites with reverence, and the phoenix returns to its nest—!"

Yuzuha's long tribute rang out with conviction. The moment her final words fell, the suona, gongs, and drums burst into sound, catching the rhythm at once!

Suona, sheng, gongs, drums, and woodblocks rang together. Each wave of sound rose higher than the last, nearly lifting the roof off the hall.

When the performance ended, Yuzuha tossed out a jaunty bit of verse—

Let worldly troubles pass unheard; dance on toward the Yellow Springs.

Party all the way to the King of Hell's court; leave the mortal world behind.

You readers really don't hold back. I said I'd post extra chapters for reviews, and you started writing them like crazy.

Three chapters today to start. This one counts as the extra chapter for reaching seventy-eight reviews, though we're only at seventy-six right now. I can keep up: if we hit eighty-eight or ninety-eight tomorrow, I'll still post more.

Back to writing. Please send a free little gift if you can.