Ever since the day when Qin Shang was outwitted by Ye Li, Ye Zhong held profound respect for his own father. With a laugh, he quickly brought Mei Ying, who was cradling Ye Yinzhu, forward to thank him.
Qin Shang was taken aback before he finally understood. It seemed that he had been tricked again by Ye Li, but there was nothing he could do about it. He pointed at Ye Li and said, "So you guessed that I would use the Peiyuan Calm Heart Melody. Ah! Now, I finally understand what it means to be cunningly deceitful."
The Peiyuan Calm Heart Melody offered great benefits to martial artists. Merely the two benefits—eliminating worries about causing a deviation during douqi circulation and clearing one's mind of distractions—were a dream come true for any martial artist, not to mention the foundation strengthening effect it had on the listeners, triggered by the elemental aura of heaven and earth. This effect boosted the speed at which martial artists could cultivate. As the Sect Master of the Zither Sect, the Peiyuan Calm Heart Melody played by Qin Shang wasn't something just anyone could listen to.
And so, Qin Shang, the newly-appointed Chairman of the Arcadia Magic Guild, settled down in the blue sky and sea. And our little Yinzhu grew slowly amidst those heavenly sounds like spring breezes rustling leaves and autumn waters washing over pebbles...
Six years later.
As the first ray of sunlight entered the bamboo house, accompanied by a deep, gentle zither melody, Ye Yinzhu slowly woke up from his meditative state, the comfortable feeling that pervaded his body made him moan.
Six-year-old Ye Yinzhu was as handsome as a girl, his black hair spilling over his back. His pair of large black eyes were bright and clear. Although his white robe looked somewhat oversized, it didn't detract from his graceful demeanor. Every move he made radiated elegance; even an adult noble might not compare to him. Though still a child, when he sat there with an inscrutable expression, his calm and composed demeanor was startling. The thin layer of cyan and red aura surrounding his body gradually disappeared. The cyan aura was obviously stronger, but the color of the red light deepened.
When the zither music ceased, Qin Shang withdrew his hands. His expression had an added touch of fatigue. "Yinzhu, it appears that your douqi has made progress once again."
"Yes! Grandpa Qin, when grandpa came to see me yesterday, he said that I seemed to have reached the Green Bamboo Third Rank." Excited, Little Yinzhu leaped up from the ground. His face full of childish innocence, he ran to Qin Shang and pleaded, "Grandpa Qin, should you teach me a new melody today? I've been studying with you for a year now, and you've only taught me one melody."
Qin Shang smiled slightly, remarking, "The time is not yet ripe, Yinzhu. You need to understand that once a single technique is thoroughly grasped, all the others will be clear too. The number of melodies you learn isn't important. Only when you truly comprehend the mysteries of the zither's essence can you make continuous progress."
Six years had passed, and during this time, Qin Shang has poured all his efforts into Ye Yinzhu. Each day, he spent at least half of his time by Ye Yinzhu's side, playing the zither for him. Under the nourishment of the zither's music, Ye Yinzhu's elegant and intelligent temperament became more and more pronounced. From when he was three years old, Ye Yinzhu started learning Zhu Douqi under his grandfather, Ye Li. For a year, Ye Li used his enormous douqi to help his grandson smooth out his meridians, enabling Ye Yinzhu to find the knack of the early stages of cultivation easily. From the time he was five years old, Qin Shang began officially teaching him the mysteries of Zither Magic. Presently, a year had passed since then. But during this year, Qin Shang only taught Ye Yinzhu the most basic fingerings and the simplest zither piece, "Green Water."
Ye Yinzhu voiced his dissatisfaction. "But I've already learned it!"
With a faint smile, Qin Shang replied, "Have you truly learned it? Alright, then. Come with me." Stretching his body, Qin Shang picked up the Ancient Spring Thunder Zither and led Ye Yinzhu out of the bamboo house.
Ye Li and his family kept their promise. After Ye Yinzhu started studying the zither pieces with Qin Shang, they only visited Yinzhu once a month. Of course, occasional clandestine spying was unavoidable.
Outside the bamboo house, there was a vast bamboo forest. Qin Shang halted and asked, "Yinzhu, what are the three kinds of zither sounds and their meanings?"
Apparently accustomed to being tested by Qin Shang, Ye Yinzhu answered without any hesitation, "The three types of sounds are plucked sounds, finger-stopping sounds, and harmonic sounds. Plucked sounds are produced by plucking the open strings with the right hand; they are mellow and rich. Finger-stopping sounds are produced when the left hand presses the strings against the soundboard, and the right hand plucks the strings to make a sound; they are soft and round. Harmonic sounds are produced when the left hand lightly touches the string, and the right hand plucks the string simultaneously; they are clear and crystalline. When the three kinds of sounds are blended together, a zither piece is formed."
Qin Shang nodded and remarked, "That's correct. Of all skills, playing the zither is perhaps the most difficult. Just the basic harmonic sounds alone offer as many as 91 variations based on seven strings and thirteen hui. Add the combination of plucked sounds and finger-stopped sounds, and the number of combinations becomes countless. If you do not practice the basics well, how can you achieve something later?"
Yinzhu obediently nodded and said, "Grandpa Qin, I was wrong. I'll continue practicing the basics."
Qin Shang smiled faintly. Although he seemed to be criticizing Yinzhu with his words, he was quite satisfied with his disciple. Despite studying the zither under him for only a year, Ye Yinzhu had grown up amidst the zither music from the moment he was a month old until he was five years old, making him as familiar with the zither's sounds as Qin Shang. Moreover, his talent for learning the zither was unprecedented. At such a young age, he had already deeply understood its essence, making him a genius among geniuses.
Qin Shang handed the Spring Thunder Zither in his hands to Ye Yinzhu. He let Yinzhu sit down at a bamboo table in the middle of the bamboo forest and said, "Well, if you can use the zither piece 'Green Water' to attract all the animals in this forest to gather around you and treat you as their closest friend, I'll teach you a new piece. Now, start practicing. I'll go prepare breakfast for you."
Ye Yinzhu nodded and carefully placed the Spring Thunder Zither on the bamboo table in front of him. As he sat upright, the moment his eight fingers began touching the strings, his demeanor underwent another change. His childish innocence was still evident on his face, but there was an added sense of composure and elegance at odds with his tender age. As his eight fingers plucked the strings, the melody "Green Water" began to resonate softly.
The music was gentle and soothing, but Qin Shang who sat nearby furrowed his brow. "Mind and intent must be in harmony, and intent must be one with the zither. If you can't resonate with the zither music, then your zither music will never be able to touch the spirit of any creature," he advised.
Ye Yinzhu looked up at Qin Shang but didn't stop the movement of his hands. Soon, he closed his eyes. A soft smile appeared on his pretty little face. Although the melody was still "Green Water," the mood subtly changed at that moment. He seemed to be immersed in the green hills and clear water. A faint red light emitted from his body, gently spreading out around him.
Upon seeing this, Qin Shang nodded with satisfaction and sighed silently in his heart. Ye Li, you only know that the Zither Magic of our Zither Sect is one of the most powerful magics, but what you don't know is that the difficulty of cultivating Spiritual Magic, especially for us, the Divine Music Masters, is something you absolutely cannot imagine.