Chapter 717: 曲难尽

Ji Yuan had never before played a tune on a xiao; in fact, across both his lifetimes, he had never used any musical instrument. However, he understood the concept, like having seen a pig run even without having tasted its meat. Playing "Phoenix Seeks Phoenix" on the xiao now felt entirely natural to him.

As Ji Yuan's xiao music continued, the deep, mellow tones gradually gave way to a high, soaring quality rarely heard from a xiao. It was as if a hundred birds were dancing and singing alongside a phoenix.

Zao Niang, Sun Yaya, Hu Yun, and the others were all listening with their eyes closed. But as the xiao's melody shifted, their mental states also transformed. Their eyelids twitched intensely, and their internal energies became extremely active, as if the energies within their bodies were like a flock of birds.

A sharp crackle, like metal striking metal, echoed through the air.

Just as the high-pitched xiao music approached a metallic resonance, an untimely sound emanated from Ji Yuan's lips. Everyone who had been lost in the music was jolted awake, like someone breaking a teacup beside them when they were half-asleep. They all opened their eyes and came to their senses instantly.

"Sir..." "Mr. Ji, why did you stop..."

"What was that just now?"

Faced with their lingering disappointment and confusion, Ji Yuan could only shake his head helplessly. He laid the purple bamboo xiao from his lips horizontally on the stone table.

Zao Niang was the first to sense something amiss. She reached out to touch the purple bamboo xiao, gently feeling around the mouth of the instrument. Besides a lingering warmth, she also felt a crack.

"This xiao is broken," she stated.

Only then did the others understand what had happened. The little paper crane had already landed near the xiao's mouth, pointing at the crack with one wing. Then it turned to Hu Yun and pointed at him.

"Hey, hey, hey, how can you do that, little paper crane?" Hu Yun exclaimed. "We bought it together! This was already the best purple bamboo xiao we could find. I told you this xiao wasn't good enough, didn't I, Sir? If you don't believe me, ask Sun Yaya if I said that."

"Yes, yes, Senior Hu Yun did say that!"

Ji Yuan and Zao Niang instinctively looked at Hu Yun, not because of the xiao's quality, but because they hadn't expected someone to call the little fox "Senior" now.

Hu Yun, meanwhile, thoroughly enjoyed being called "Senior." He hadn't expected Sun Yaya to address him that way; Yaya truly was a good child.

"See? Yaya says so too!" he boasted. "Little paper crane, you can't wrongly accuse good people – no, good foxes!"

Hu Yun stopped maintaining his illusory form, directly transforming back into a fox. He jumped onto the tabletop, pointing at the little paper crane.

The little paper crane chirped.

"Alright, alright," Ji Yuan interjected. "This xiao isn't bad; its material is solid, and its craftsmanship is decent. Ultimately, it simply couldn't withstand a full rendition of 'Phoenix Seeks Phoenix.' It seems we won't finish playing today; let's stop here."

Hearing Ji Yuan's words, everyone in the courtyard showed a hint of disappointment. It would have been fine if they had never heard it, but to have heard half, only for the xiao to break just as it was reaching its climax, was truly regrettable. Especially since it was a piece personally played by Mr. Ji.

Though Ji Yuan also felt a slight pity, he was mostly pleased. At least he now knew he could play "Phoenix Seeks Phoenix," which was an unexpected bonus. He then looked at Sun Yaya, pointing to the book Zao Niang was holding.

"Let's get back to business," he said. "This is 'Phoenix Seeks Phoenix,' the piece I just couldn't finish playing. Yaya, since you're familiar with musical theory, could you tell me how to write this musical score? Simply put, how can I record that piece of music in a standard musical notation?"

Sun Yaya immediately felt her back heat up. That piece of music was simply beyond anything found in the mortal realm. It wasn't just a matter of complexity; with her level of musical understanding, she could barely comprehend it, let alone transcribe it into a score.

"Uh... Mr. Ji," she stammered, "I... that piece is a bit too difficult..."

Ji Yuan seemed to understand what troubled Sun Yaya and quickly clarified.

"You don't need to directly record the piece I just played," he said. "Just tell me your understanding of musical theory and how to transcribe music. Once I grasp the principles, I can record the score myself."

Hearing Ji Yuan say this, Sun Yaya breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"You scared me half to death!" she exclaimed. "I thought you wanted me to record it! That piece was nowhere near my skill level to transcribe into a score..."

Sun Yaya patted her chest, and after eliciting laughter from those around her, she composed herself. She picked up a regular xiao score from the table and opened it.

"Sir, you are an enlightened master, possessing innate understanding of the laws governing all things; you will certainly learn this quickly," she began. "Although I'm not inherently musically inclined, when I was at the academy, I formally studied musical theory with some affluent young ladies to draw closer to them."

"Ahem, regarding musical theory, let's start with the Five Tones and Twelve Lü – terms from ancient Han Chinese musicology used for tuning," she explained. "The Five Tones are Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu, corresponding sequentially to Earth, Metal, Wood, Fire, and Water. Each tone can vary in pitch, but all transformations occur within this framework. The Twelve Lü refers to a temperament system that divides an octave into twelve non-identical semitones using the 'three-part increment and decrement' method..."

Sun Yaya had an excellent memory, having forgotten little of what she learned. Now, she spoke fluently and knowledgeably, truly knowing her subject.

Ji Yuan listened thoughtfully; while he understood some parts and not others, Sun Yaya often provided explanations without him needing to ask. Furthermore, since each of the Five Tones had an associated element, Ji Yuan found it easier to grasp.

"Sir, take this xiao score, for example; it's a very conventional piece," she continued. "However, it actually lacks the full Five Tones; it's more inclined towards deep, mellow tones and is deficient in the 'Shang' tone. This dizi score, on the other hand, is more comprehensive but too high-pitched. However, both are wind instruments, and combining their perspectives would be ideal..."

Ji Yuan nodded slightly from time to time, listening with great focus. Zao Niang, beside him, also listened attentively, occasionally showing surprised expressions towards Sun Yaya. She hadn't expected this young girl, in her first attempt at explaining musical theory, to be so articulate and clear.

Hu Yun also listened with some attention, but this wasn't his preferred subject, so he absorbed less of it. He simply sighed to the little paper crane beside him.

"I never thought Sun Yaya was so capable," he whispered. "At first, I thought she'd just say a few random things, since she's teaching something to Sir..."

The little paper crane chirped.

The little paper crane stared intently at Sun Yaya, flapping its wings at Hu Yun to signal him not to interrupt. Hu Yun scratched his head, then glanced at Jin Jia, who still maintained his usual smug look, probably understanding even less than Hu Yun.

When Sun Yaya paused after explaining the basics, Hu Yun finally decided that he was better off sticking to the appreciation of music. He seized the opportunity to speak.

"Sir," he asked, "should I go to Mount Niukui to find a better purple bamboo?"

"Yes, go," replied Ji Yuan.

Seeing Ji Yuan nod, Hu Yun immediately leaped out of the Ju'an Pavilion. He swiftly bounded across rooftops, heading towards Mount Niukui. Soon after he set off, the little paper crane flew to join him. Hu Yun deliberately slowed down, waiting for the paper crane to land on his back before accelerating his leaps. They quickly left Ning'an County and darted towards Mount Niukui.

For Hu Yun, he had always been on the receiving end of Mr. Ji's benevolence as an elder. This time, he finally had a real chance to give Mr. Ji something meaningful. He was brimming with excitement as he ran, especially with the little paper crane on his back.

A fox, riding the wind, would leap seven or eight zhang high with each bound. Then, it would glide forward for a distance, descending in a manner akin to soaring, which was both fun and remarkably effortless.

"Hahahahaha... Little paper crane," he chortled, "let me tell you, there's a huge purple bamboo forest in Mount Niukui. Some of those bamboos possess a natural spiritual essence; we're sure to find one suitable for a xiao!"

The little paper crane chirped excitedly.

"Hold on tight!"

Hu Yun's steps were like the wind; he actually began to stir up gusts, moving even more smoothly than when he was merely riding the wind. Unbeknownst to him, his normal running was now three chi above the ground. He looked down, and a smile spread across his fox-like face.

"Haha, good things always happen when I see Sir!" he chuckled. "He helped me chase away that demoness, and it seems my cultivation has unknowingly advanced greatly! I can control the wind now, hehe!"

In Mount Niukui, night had already fallen. Riding the wind, Hu Yun's speed increased severalfold compared to before. He traveled directly into the heart of the mountain, occasionally stepping on treetops, startling some birds into flight and making some monkeys shriek. Meanwhile, Hu Yun and the little paper crane left behind their happy laughter.

Mount Niukui stretched over two hundred li from front to back, covering a vast area. Naturally, there were many bamboo groves, and deep within, several connected gentle slopes hosted a large patch of purple bamboo, which was Hu Yun's destination.

Whoosh... whoosh...

A great gust of wind, brought by Hu Yun's arrival, caused all the bamboo in the grove to sway gently. With his fiery red fur resembling a flame in the wind, Hu Yun slowly descended with the wind's momentum, landing before the purple bamboo forest.

"Wuh... whimpering..."

Hu Yun suddenly halted, his eyes rolling upwards, just in time to see the little paper crane also peeking down with its small head.

"Did you hear something?"

Chirp.

A fox and a little paper crane stood motionless like sculptures before the bamboo grove. A long time passed, but they heard no second unusual sound.

As Hu Yun and the little paper crane puzzled over this, a mountain breeze swept through, and the bamboo grove began to rustle again, "swish, swish, swish..."

"Wuh... whimpering..."

"There!"

Hu Yun sprinted, instantly dashing into the bamboo grove. The little paper crane was even faster, already flying ahead.

Whoosh... whoosh...

Gusts of wind, conjured by Hu Yun, swept through the bamboo grove, directly entering the spaces between the stalks. And the melodious whimpering sound continued to echo through the grove.

Soon, the little paper crane and Hu Yun reached a spot in the bamboo grove where the bamboos were relatively sparse. Whenever the wind blew, two purple bamboo stalks in the grove would sway, emitting a clear, plaintive "whimpering" sound.

"Wow... these bamboos must be perfect for making a xiao!"

Chirp, chirp, chirp!

The fox and the crane darted towards the two purple bamboos, grasping their slender stalks to feel the spiritual essence within them. At one moment, Hu Yun, inspired by a sudden intuition, swept his paw across the two bamboos.

"Snap..." "Snap..."

One purple bamboo snapped off one chi from the ground, the other three cun from the ground.

"Hahahahaha... Excellent! These two bamboos are the best; they can make at least two xiao flutes!"