The morning lecture about the four classics was followed by practical demonstrations in the afternoon. Prioresses that were the best in each classic demonstrated their skills for the newcomers in the grand hall. The seats were changed from banquet seating to concert seating and everyone was close enough to observe closely and take notes.
An unnamed Spirit Lord went first with a moving performance on an erhu. It was a wooden instrument with two strings. The sound was created by drawing a bow across the strings with one hand the other held onto the long neck and modulated the pitch with their fingers.
The piece was simple yet it contained profound technique born of many decades of experience. Each note was infused with spiritual energy that emanated in waves of emerald green light. It presented the image of green meadows, rolling hills, waving trees under a spring breeze, and a sunny day with fluffy white clouds. It was a scene of calm, a moment of peace for the nervous hearts of the newcomers.
The immortal finished after a while. As if a spell had been broken, many of the students leaped to their feet and applauded. Long Yifei remained seated but clapped her hands politely.
"Amazing, amazing! I want to learn the erhu!" The person sitting next to her shouted.
Her name was Zhao Linmei. They had sat at the same table during the banquet. She came from the Western Wumu Subcontinent and she already had an acolyte who was her fiancé. They came from similar backgrounds and got along well.
"Sister Zhao, you've never played the erhu before? Have you played any other instruments?" Wei Shuangshuang asked from Long Yifei's other side.
"Ah!" Zhao Linmei blushed, "I haven't. I don't know how to play any instruments."
Wei Shuangshuang continued, "Silly girl, prioresses like her start their training at an early age. For the classic of music, they usually start music lessons as soon as they can read and they start practicing instruments around five or six years old. If you start now, it will take twenty or thirty years to reach her level!"
"Oh…"
"Take it from me, it is best to stick to what you already know. Singing, literature, or art; you can still pick the one you have the most experience in."
Long Yifei pondered Wei Shuangshuang's words and felt that it was only half right. Experience was useful to get a head start but it wasn't the most important. No, the most important was still compatibility. Otherwise, she might as well remain at Glacier Palace and cultivate Winter's Snow Dance.
Everyone was different and their paths to the immortal realms were unique. Compatibility may result in a slow start or many false starts but eventually, it would pay off with faster cultivation and fewer bottlenecks.
"Sister Wei's words are prudent but Sister Zhao should still keep an open mind. There are four classics and countless specializations within each classic. There are so many options. Perhaps erhu might really be your calling or perhaps it might actually be a different instrument. For the matter of selecting a classic, you shouldn't rush it."
There were several murmurs of agreement. The next performance soon followed, cutting off any retort Wei Shuangshuang could have been thinking off. After a few more musical performances, it was time for singers and dancers. The songs were elegant. The dances were beautiful.
Long Yifei particularly enjoyed the song by Immortal Winter Hymn Xuan Xina. Her voice was piercing like an ice blizzard yet gentle like fluffy snowflakes. The way she was able to imbue icy yin energy in her voice was so impressive, it was almost beyond belief.
When Xuan Xina finished, it was Long Yifei's turn to stand up and applaud. She felt incredibly inspired. Chen Wentian had always praised her voice and she wondered if singing could be her chosen classic.
Wei Shuangshuang spoke up as the clapping died down, "Prioress Xuan's voice is special. The stories say that she came from a humble background, a singing street performer in a no-name city. A member of the order was simply passing through when she was captivated by Prioress Xuan's snowy songs. Once she joined the order, she not only managed to reach the immortal realms in a short time, she also did it without an acolyte."
"Really? How is that possible?" Someone asked.
"It is extremely difficult but not impossible for those with tremendous innate talent." Wei Shuangshuang answered, her voice dropping low, "I heard that she received the grade of holy daughter and is being supported by the order itself. She can definitely reach the abbotess level and might even become a cardinal!"
"Wow…"
"Incredible…"
The students who heard this couldn't help but praise the talented prioress. Wei Shuangshuang's mood also improved as they appreciated her knowledge. She continued with another story from Xuan Xina's almost-legendary past.
The performances went one after another through the afternoon. Literature and art were less exciting as they involved people reciting their past works or creating something from scratch on stage. Most of them were boring and many students had a hard time staying awake. By the time they finished, it was time for dinner.
Long Yifei remained pensive and didn't participate a whole lot in the conversation around the dinner table. She was thinking about the four classics and what she should choose. Glacier Palace had no such emphasis on womanly virtues. They cultivate cold yin energy day and night like ice statues. She had never touched an instrument before. She only knew a few folk songs that the disciples of Glacier Palace sang while during chores. She rarely read anything and she was even less useful as an artist.
She still had time. First-year students could try out all four classics and didn't need to make a decision until the end of the school year. However, it was expected that they would at least have narrowed the choices down to two at the halfway point which was four months away. It was a major event where each new student was expected to perform in front of the whole school.
She didn't want to make a fool of herself. Her talent was supposed to be best, a divine daughter. So, what classic should she choose?
Long Yifei thoughts returned to Immortal Winter Hymn Xuan Xina and her singing. Maybe she could have been like Xuan Xina if she had never joined Ten Thousand Flower Valley. As an unaffiliated sacred daughter, she could have received the full support of the order. Things would have been much less complicated compared to now where members of the order and even the students constantly looked down on her acolyte.
But she also had to consider everything that Chen Wentian had done for her. He saved her from the clutches of Divine Blazing Mountain and the crazed Murong Aiyin. If he hadn't fought against Abbotess Liang of the evil Sororal Order, she would have not been able to join the Virtuous Order.
A person's life was determined by coincidences and fortunate encounters. Chen Wentian was her coincidence and fortunate encounter. She would forever be grateful.
Thinking about him, she suddenly felt a strong desire to seek his advice. They wouldn't be able to see each other for another two weeks. She wondered what he was doing. She hoped he wasn't getting into any trouble.
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