My Master Knows It All

386: Chapter 161 Discussing Dao Need Not Be Overly Serious_4 386: Chapter 161 Discussing Dao Need Not Be Overly Serious_4 Legends say that thousands of years ago within the Thousand Caves Door, there was a predecessor whose instrument of choice was the zheng; however, for some unknown reason, the techniques of playing the zheng gradually became lost.

According to her friend, even in the Heavenly Sound Sect, very few used the zheng.

Even her friend could not play the zheng.

Unexpectedly, this Peak Master from the Hundred Peaks Sect opted for such a rarely seen instrument.

Master Liao Cave, with eyes bright as the shining moon, looked at Cao Zhen with great interest, and even a hint of expectation could be discerned.

Even she had never heard the zheng played before.

Cao Zhen gazed at the surface of the lake, composed and focused, and slowly reached out to pluck a note.

A soft sound emitted, but it seemed nothing special.

Around him, those who had never heard Cao Zhen play before revealed looks of surprise, thinking the music felt quite ordinary and couldn’t discern anything remarkable.

Could such music really have defeated the masters of the Thousand Caves Door?

But no, there seemed to be something intriguing about it.

Cao Zhen had previously rung bells but never played the zheng.

Now, playing it for the first time was inevitably somewhat clumsy.

But gradually, he became more and more proficient, and the pace of this proficiency surpassed that of when he had played the bells.

After all, Gao Jianli was more adept at playing the zheng, and besides, this was not his first time making music.

Slowly, waves of sorrow and exhilaration spread with the sound of the zheng, rippling around the area.

By the lake, people who had been chatting ceased their conversations and involuntarily closed their mouths, listening intently to the zheng’s music.

Waves of woe, of fervor, and of boldness permeated the space.

In the lake, several mandarin ducks fluttered their wings, taking off one after another, soaring straight towards the sky…

The more Cao Zhen played the zheng, the more engrossed he became, gradually losing himself in the music.

Eventually, he even forgot himself, forgot the exchange of ideas, and became wholly immersed in the musical rhythm, gazing at the lake before him; he couldn’t help but sing aloud.

“The wind howls, the lake water cold, a hero departs, never to return…”

The piece he was playing was the one Gao Jianli had played to bid farewell to Jing Ke.

The tragic emotion rose within everyone, affecting disciples from both the Hundred Peaks Sect and Thousand Caves Door alike.

Before long, many disciples couldn’t help but shed tears uncontrollably as a vivid scene of tragedy emerged in their minds.

The very air in this part of the world seemed to grow more oppressive and heavy.

When the piece concluded and Cao Zhen withdrew his hands, the crowd around remained in a daze.

“Ladies and gentlemen…”

Cao Zhen, seeing everyone still in a stupor, had no choice but to speak up.

At his voice, people finally snapped out of their trance, returning from the grip of the music.

“I… I was completely absorbed.”

“You’re crying…”

“No, it’s the wind… You’re crying too.”

“It was so powerful — do you know?

Just now, an image unexpectedly appeared in my mind.

I seemed to be standing beside a river I’d never seen before, bidding farewell to a heroic stranger.”

“You felt that too?

The scene that came into my mind just now was the same as yours.”

“Me too.”

“It seems we all had the same image in our minds.”

“How… how could it be the same?”

The crowd, visibly shaken, looked at each other in astonishment, when suddenly, a Cave Master cried out, “Master Liao Cave…”

“Master Liao Cave, she… she has achieved enlightenment!”

Floating above the green grass, Master Liao exuded an intense aura of sadness that vibrated through the surroundings.

Though she held no sword, onlookers had the illusion that she stood brandishing a longsword, poised to assassinate a great figure in the heavens.

Cao Zhen looked on dumbfounded at Master Liao Cave, bewildered.

Wasn’t it said she wasn’t the master of Rhythmic Cave and didn’t follow the path of musical rhythm?

How had she achieved enlightenment?

No, what she’d realized wasn’t musical rhythm; it was the aura of solemnity and an unyielding spirit as though she’d pass through the masses to her destiny.

This was she…

It seemed like she had projected herself as Jing Ke, and so, just now I became the one playing the zheng for her, leading her to enlightenment.

So, are her Sunset Peak and her path about the defying spirit of an assassin?

Master Liao Cave’s moment of enlightenment lasted considerably longer than most.

It took a full incense stick’s time before she concluded her profound realization.

With both hands raised towards Cao Zhen, she proclaimed, “Thank you, Peak Master Cao, for the enlightenment.”

Upon seeing this gesture, Cao Zhen didn’t wait for Master Liao Cave to finish and blurted out, “You mean you can’t repay the favor, right?

I know.”

Saying this, he gestured towards a group of mandarin ducks in the distance, “All these ducks have settled down.

How do we account for this?

When I played the zheng, they all took flight.”

“Peak Master Cao jests,” Master Liao Cave shook her head immediately, looking at Cao Zhen with admiration, “The music you played is the most moving I’ve ever heard.

Even someone of my level would not dare to critique your piece, let alone engage in a philosophical debate with you, Peak Master Cao.”

Conceding defeat.

She had openly conceded defeat.

Around them, not a single disciple from the Thousand Caves Door voiced any objections.

They had all heard Cao Zhen’s music, and even those who were not versed in musical rhythm could feel the profound sorrow in it.

Long after the music had ended, they were still deeply affected and had yet to shake off the sense of lamentation.