I'm Waiting for Someone
The night was as dark as ink, dotted with countless stars. Deep within the Blue Tyrant Academy, a small lake shimmered under the moonlight, surrounded by ancient trees, evoking a serene tranquility.
This is a secluded area in the back mountains, rarely visited by anyone from the academy, and it's also where Liu Erlong usually relieves her frustrations alone.
Yan Zu came to the lakeside alone and sat down on a flat blue stone. The scene of his sparring with Liu Erlong during the day, his frank words about the "substitute", and his successful enrollment in Blue Tyrant all flashed through his mind.
Although the process was somewhat bumpy, the result was finally as desired. In this rare moment of tranquility, the restlessness that had accumulated in his heart from days of running around and dealing with various parties gradually settled down.
He took out the "Flowing Clouds" harp from his Storage Soul Tool. His fingertips gently touched the cool strings. He did not circulate his Soul Power, but simply wanted to use this music from another world to sort out his thoughts.
The melody flowed from his fingertips. The piano music was clear and ethereal, carrying a unique rhythm and Zen-like quality, like a mountain spring, gently flowing and washing away the silence of the night.
Each note seemed to contain a unique soothing power, blending with the natural atmosphere of the lakeside and rippling outwards in invisible waves.
Yan Zu closed his eyes, completely immersed in his musical world, unaware that the door of the lonely little wooden house not far from the lake was quietly pushed open a crack the moment the piano music began.
Liu Erlong was drowning her sorrows in alcohol inside the house. The strong liquor went down her throat, but it couldn't dispel the pent-up emotions that had accumulated in her heart for twenty years. During the day, Yan Zu's clear yet seemingly insightful eyes, and that phrase "substitute," were like thorns stuck in her heart, making her extremely irritable. Just as she was about to smash the wine jar and go out to vent her frustration, the ethereal sound of the zither drifted in.
At first, she frowned, thinking that some clueless student had accidentally trespassed into the forbidden area.
But then, the peculiar melody made her stop in her tracks. This music... she had never heard it before. It lacked the ornate and complex court music of Douluo Continent, and the vulgar and frivolous tunes of the common people. It was simple and pure, yet it penetrated straight to the heart, carrying an indescribable tranquility and peace.
As if guided by a ghost, she concealed her presence completely, silently walked outside, hid behind an ancient tree, and gazed towards the lake.
Under the moonlight, the boy who had been so determined and sharp-tongued during the day now had his eyes slightly closed, his expression focused and peaceful, his slender fingers dancing on the strings, and beautiful music flowed from them.
The jade-colored beast "Little Jade" on his shoulder lay quietly, emanating a faint auspicious aura that strangely blended with the music, making the surrounding air feel warm and gentle.
Liu Erlong listened quietly. The music seemed to possess a magical power, Sisi into her heart, which had been filled with anger, sorrow, and resentment for many years.
For the past twenty years, she has almost become accustomed to using irritability and toughness to disguise her inner vulnerability, and to using the pursuit of strength to numb her deep longing and pain.
But in the music, she seemed to see a clear lake she had never seen before, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. Those suppressed, restless negative emotions, like impurities in the water, slowly settled down under the cleansing influence of the music.
She felt her mind had never been so clear. The obsession and resentment that had been burning within her because of Yu Xiaogang seemed to have subsided temporarily, no longer so heart-wrenching. Instead, it revealed the pure sadness and... weariness that had been hidden for too long.
She even unconsciously relaxed her tense body, leaned against the tree trunk, closed her eyes, and let the music cleanse her soul.
As the music ended, its lingering notes blended into the night.
Yan Zu slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and was about to put away his zither when his spiritual sense detected an aura not far away that was not deliberately concealed. He was slightly startled and turned his head to look. He saw Liu Erlong emerge from the shadows of the trees. The moonlight shone on her face, which was a mixture of heroic spirit and sorrow, and her expression was complicated and difficult to understand.
"Dean," Yan Zu stood up and said apologetically, "I was unaware that you were in seclusion here. I apologize for disturbing you."
Liu Erlong waved his hand, his voice less sharp than during the day, carrying a barely perceptible hoarseness and... softening. "It's alright. What's the name of this piece? I've never heard it before."
"This piece is called ' Clouds, Water and Zen Mind,' a little tune that is popular in my hometown. It has the effect of calming the mind and soothing the spirit," Yan Zu replied cautiously, still using the phrase "hometown."
"The Clouds, Water and Zen Mind... calms the mind and soothes the spirit..." Liu Erlong murmured, repeating the melody. Her gaze fell on Yan Zu's face, as if she could see far beyond him. "Indeed... after listening to it, I felt... much better." She paused, then suddenly said, "Could you... play another piece?"
Yan Zu was somewhat surprised, but seeing in Liu Erlong's eyes not an order, but more like a... pleading look, he nodded and sat down again. "If the Dean wants to hear it, this student will naturally comply."
This time, he played another classic piece from Blue Star, "Phoenix-Tail Bamboo Under the Moonlight," with a more melodious and soothing tune that depicted a tranquil scene of a bamboo forest under the moonlight, with the shadows of phoenix tail bamboo swaying, creating a profound and ethereal atmosphere.
Liu Erlong stopped hiding and walked to the lakeside, turning her back to Yan Zu, gazing at the shimmering lake surface, and listening quietly. The moonlight outlined her tall but lonely figure. Amidst the lingering music, her tense shoulders seemed to soften.
As the music ended, a long silence fell over the lakeside. Only the rustling of the leaves in the evening breeze and the gentle ripples on the lake's surface could be heard.
Suddenly, Liu Erlong turned around and looked straight at Yan Zu. But Yan Zu could sense that Liu Erlong's gaze was not focused on him, but rather through him, she was reminiscing about someone else.
Liu Erlong had kept her emotions bottled up for too long; for twenty years, she had never told anyone about that past.
However, after being rejected by Yan Zu day, influenced by the music, or perhaps stimulated by alcohol, her phoenix eyes now shone brightly in the moonlight, churning with various emotions, which ultimately transformed into a strong, almost uncontrollable urge to confide.
"Yan Zu," she began, her voice carrying a resolute determination, "Bai Tian... you're right. My desire to take you as my disciple is indeed... because of one person."
Yan Zu's heart skipped a beat; he knew the crucial moment had arrived. He put away his harp, his expression calm and focused, and adopted a listening posture. "Dean, please speak."
Liu Erlong took a deep breath, as if gathering enough strength to reopen the wound buried deep in her heart for twenty years. Her voice lowered, filled with deep reminiscence and unbearable pain:
Many years ago, I met two people... one named Flender, and the other... named Yu Xiaogang.
She began to recount that long-forgotten past. How she met Flender and Yu Xiaogang when they were both nobody, how they met through Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and how they formed the once-famous "Golden Iron Triangle". She was the Horn of Slaughter, Flender was the Horn of Flight, and Yu Xiaogang was the Horn of Wisdom.
(Thanks to ALing Dream's monthly ticket support)