Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 703 The Mudslide of the Music World

The giant tortoise is large, yet also very small.

Xu Xuan froze the moment he stepped onto the turtle's back.

Professor Shi's guqin was displayed so conspicuously in the very center of the tortoise shell!

The zither was shaped like a cloud hanging from the sky, its entire body as black as ink, yet faintly emitting a bluish glow in the darkness. The patterns on its body resembled layered dragon scales, and the lacquer sheen was as deep and mysterious as a still pool. Flowing light of blue and white traveled from the bridge to the strings, each of the seven strings shimmering with silver light, as if a galaxy were flowing across them. Even more strangely, there were pulsating patterns of light within the zither's body, as if the zither itself were alive.

What a fine instrument!

But Xu Xuan couldn't help but frown.

Isn't this process... a bit too simple?

There were no traps, no difficult tests, not even a decent puzzle. This legendary ancient artifact just lay there casually on the tortoise shell, flashing light like a self-indulgent disco ball in a nightclub.

The divine object does not conceal itself, and is even a bit too unrestrained.

As Xu Xuan approached, the light began to flicker rhythmically, as if welcoming his arrival—or rather, as if welcoming someone as unreliable as its owner.

"..."

It can be confirmed that this is definitely Professor Shi's zither, and its lineage is very pure.

For the first time, the Holy Father was speechless—this harp was too mad.

The moment Xu Xuan's fingertips touched the body of the instrument, he sensed something unusual: the instrument's spirituality was so high that it was almost abnormal. The exuberant vibrations were like a chatterbox that hadn't spoken for hundreds of years finally finding someone to confide in.

"Zheng——"

The strings moved spontaneously without wind, producing a clear and melodious sound. Xu Xuan clearly sensed an almost fanatical yearning surging within the zither—

It longs to be played, to make a sound.

This zither once carried something extremely terrifying, and over the long years, it has even developed a human-like mind. If left unchecked for several more decades, it will either become a spirit and transform into a demon, or be corrupted by the malevolent energy of the Yunmeng Marsh and become a zither demon that wreaks havoc on the world!
What's missing now is the final touch of spiritual replenishment and a large infusion of spiritual energy.

"Tsk..."

He lightly plucked the body of the zither with his fingers, producing a metallic sound.

"With this level of hardness, Professor Shi's old arms and legs probably won't be able to bounce it."

The strings were harder than fine steel; an ordinary person couldn't even pluck them without immense strength—they were more powerful than a strong bow. For ordinary people, let alone playing them, even plucking them was an impossible task. Even more bizarrely, the connection between the instrument and its master had been completely erased by the power of time in the Yunmeng Marsh—now it resembled a murder weapon lost from the primordial era!
However, it is precisely in such a terrible environment that this famous zither, which may be passed down through the ages, was created.

The guqin, an instrument that has permeated Chinese civilization, has never been just a simple object.

From Fuxi cutting down the paulownia tree to make the Yaoqin to ward off evil, to Emperor Yan carving the paulownia into a Qin to cultivate his character and reason; from King Wen of Zhou adding strings to express his sorrow, to Boya and Ziqi finding their soulmate in the story of "High Mountains and Flowing Water"—every famous Qin that has been passed down through the ages is a code of civilization.

They often talk about warding off evil, guarding against lust, cultivating morality and rationality, and returning to their innocence.

Or perhaps they looked up to the heavens and down to the earth, and thus began to carve the paulownia wood into a zither and string silk into strings, in order to communicate with the virtues of the gods and harmonize with the heavens and earth.

Its purpose was to connect heaven and earth and to educate people's hearts. It was also the origin of ritual and music civilization and was incorporated into the ritual and music system in the Zhou Dynasty.

In this era, anything involving zither music was primarily of high artistic merit.

When it comes to famous musical instruments, there is always an extraordinary and remarkable history involved.

But the zither in Xu Xuan's hand at this moment completely overturned traditional understanding!

It lacks the auspicious symbolism of a phoenix perched on a parasol tree, the tragic grandeur of a lightning strike striking a scorched tail, and the mystical legends of "divine virtue."

Its story is so simple and brutal it's outrageous: It started as an ordinary guqin, but as it followed Master Shi, an abnormal human being who was both a god and a ghost, it became more and more unrestrained. It gained spiritual power by playing elegant music like "Qingjiao". It spent decades soaking in the overwhelming evil energy of the ancient Yunmeng Marsh, but instead of being corrupted, it became more and more excited.

This resume is truly a maverick in the world of qin music!
"Zheng!"

The strings suddenly vibrated on their own, producing a clear and melodious sound.

Xu Xuan raised an eyebrow, looking at the blue light moving across the zither—in this fierce and malevolent Yunmeng Marsh, it was not only safe and sound, but it could even maintain such a cheerful nature... truly remarkable!

“Interesting…” Xu Xuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

He likes these unconventional oddballs.

Xu Xuan took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the tortoise's back, and slowly unrolled the half-scroll of "Xianchi".

After three years of diligent study at the academy, he had already mastered all the refined arts required of a scholar. His fingertips lightly touched the strings, and the teachings of his master floated into his mind:

"The ancient tradition emphasizes meaning over technique."

More importantly, it requires understanding the music theory and some of its characteristics.

The music of "Xianchi" showcases the sage emperor's way of governing the country with virtue in accordance with Heaven—its sound is like a spring breeze and rain, symbolizing benevolent governance that nourishes all things; its rhythm is like the rotation of the four seasons, embodying the principle of the cycle of Heaven; its melody is like all rivers flowing into the sea, subtly reflecting the will of the people.

It is performed by human affairs, accompanied by the principles of nature, operated by benevolence and righteousness, and harmonized by the primordial energy of nature.

Its music is infinitely varied, symbolizing the cycle of life and death of all things in the universe; in short, it is exceptionally sophisticated.

Performers must also have this concept in order to resonate with the universe and truly express the power of the music.

It also allows one to connect with the ancestors of humanity and please those who have passed away.

Without this philosophy, playing these divine pieces would backfire.

For example, "Qingjiao" originally depicted the scene of the Yellow Emperor driving an elephant chariot, accompanied by six dragons, with Chiyou clearing the way, the Wind God and Rain Master clearing the path, tigers and wolves in front, ghosts and gods behind, a flying snake lying on the ground, and a phoenix covering the sky, creating a grand musical spectacle.

Its core message is to demonstrate the legitimacy and sanctity of its rule.

This not only places high demands on the performer, but also requires them to be able to communicate with spirits and deities.

High standards are also required of the listener; otherwise, the legitimacy and sanctity of the rule will be denied.

If Xu Xuan were to perform, he could barely handle both pieces.

At this moment, he unfolded the musical score, preparing to evoke the thoughts left behind by the smiling old man or Emperor Yao, and then send himself away.

When Xu Xuan placed his hands on the guqin, he felt a strange pressure. His instincts told him that some strange phenomena might occur next.

But we've seen all sorts of big scenes, this is just Yunmeng Marsh... it should be fine.

If Professor Shi and Headmaster Shen can escape, there's no reason why I can't.

With eyes closed and mind focused, his ten fingers hovered over the strings. At this moment, he was no longer the stern, mocking father, but had transformed into a bridge between the Way of Heaven and the hearts of men.

"Zheng——"

Play the first string with ease.

Even the strongest strings seem so gentle under my ethereal and jade-like physique; I am a peerless warrior who can even swing mountains.

The force was several hundred times greater, so the sound was also several hundred times louder, which is perfectly reasonable.

(End of this chapter)