That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

It's hard to imagine that this powerful and ruthless villain could also play the flute; I wonder where he learned it from.

The xiao (vertical flute) is an instrument often learned by tall, elegant young noblemen, which seems quite incongruous with Jiang Wuwang's fierce, lion-like appearance.

But when the demon plays the flute, his eyes are always downcast, and the tune he plays is desolate and distant, like a wind blowing from the ancient wilderness.

Alone and solitary, standing alone in the desolate landscape.

What piece of music is this?

After hearing this, Jiang Jingming subconsciously asked a question.

Jiang Wuwang put down the flute in his hand, remained silent for a long time, and when he turned his head, he had already put on his usual smug smile.

"Want to learn? Dad will teach you!"

"I just asked what the name of this piece of music is."

"It is called 'The Song of Jiang Wuwang, the Strongest Man in the World, Unprecedented and Unparalleled'."

"..."

Jiang Jingming turned around and left.

Finally, Jiang Wuwang laughed and grabbed him back, saying that the piece was too difficult for him and that he should learn something simpler first.

So he began to teach Jiang Jingming to play those songs that were very famous in the martial arts world.

"Like a Dream" has a melodious yet sorrowful tune, like a dream, leaving listeners with a lingering sense of melancholy.

"Huanxi Sha" is a light and cheerful tune.

"Moon Over the River" is majestic and melodious, like a beloved going to war and not returning, with the bright moon hanging high over the river and the lover on the shore longing for him.

To be honest, even when Jiang Jingming left Mangya at the age of sixteen, he had never learned Jiang Wuwang's song, and didn't even know its name.

Jiang Jingming knew that A Qing loved listening to him play the flute, even though she never said it.

But every time he played, she listened very attentively, looking dazed, as if she were thinking about something.

Aqing never mentions the past, as if she has forgotten all of those things since meeting him.

But now, thinking back to her expression at that time, Jiang Jingming suddenly felt that she was probably thinking about the past.

It's really strange to think about it. How could a five or six-year-old girl have so many things hidden in her heart?

He used to think she was just daydreaming, but now, looking back, he realizes that he, like everyone else, never truly understood Aqing's heart.

……

He was in a hurry when he set off from Mangya and didn't have time to bring his own flute, so Aqing secretly made one for him by hand.

Jiang Jingming held the bamboo flute, listening to the noisy commotion around him, and for a moment he was lost in thought.

Ah Qing handed the flute to him at this moment, probably hoping that he would play a tune to quiet down the current situation.

That's a good idea.

The people of Fengling City have a taste for this, and they will probably stop this behavior due to considerations of elegance and etiquette.

So, which piece should we play?

Jiang Jingming twirled the xiao in his hand, and the tightly wrapped tassels came loose, making his tiger's mouth slightly itchy.

He closed his eyes slightly, and the river breeze made his thoughts drift like willow catkins.

Fang Zhiyi's gaze fell silently on him, lingering on the bamboo flute for a moment, before she lowered her head and smiled slightly.

After thinking for a while, Jiang Jingming made a decision and stood up.

No one, whether on the shore or underwater, noticed the boatman who suddenly stood up.

The crowd was still cheering for the Rain Master, drowned out by the shouts and warnings from the Divine Capital Guards.

Until the first clear and melodious sound of a flute rang out.

Everyone was slightly taken aback and turned to look.

The boatman, wearing a straw hat, stood on the other side of the bow. His face was obscured, and only his slender figure holding a long flute could be seen.

He was clever; he blew the first note very high, high enough to silence everyone for a moment.

The following melody, however, is solitary and astringent, like a dried-up spring on a secluded mountain cliff.

The boat moved slowly, but the people on the shore stopped and listened quietly.

The order that the Divine Capital Guards had been trying so hard to maintain but had made no progress on was easily restored by this sudden sound of the flute.

Fang Zhiyi tilted her head slightly, watching the clouds change. As she listened to the sound of the flute, her expression suddenly softened, like a gentle spring breeze.

Those on the shore were all thinking to themselves that, just like the poem recited by Miss Zhou earlier, this was probably a performance prepared by the Rain Master.

Although the selection process was no longer in doubt, the sound of the flute paired with a beautiful woman was enough to make it unforgettable for a lifetime.

"I never expected Jingming to have this trick up his sleeve!"

Lu Zhao lowered his voice and spoke very quietly to the two people beside him.

"Shut up!"

Xie Yunqi rebuked him in a low voice, her gaze fixed on the back of the person playing the flute at the bow of the boat.

This is the first time in the young lady's life that she has felt some regret for not learning the piano properly when she was a child.

Can the qin and xiao be played together?

Only Aqing didn't peek out; she just closed her eyes and listened quietly.

Of everyone present, she was the only one who had heard this piece of music.

The sheet music was drawn by the two of them as children, syllable by syllable, on the sand with sticks.

......

The sound of the flute carried far, drifting leisurely into the clouds.

The music was desolate, and Jiang Jingming stood at the bow of the boat, blowing a mournful tune that filled the mountains and rivers with emptiness.

Fang Zhiyi's white dress fluttered in the wind, and every note of the flute seemed to accompany her.

Actually, this piece of music doesn't quite match the imagery of "joyful rain." Jiang Jingming chose this piece simply because of its name.

This is a piece I composed casually while sitting by Crescent Lake with Aqing.

So the name was taken from a poem that he happened to learn from Master Han during the day.

Perhaps it was all preordained, for this piece of music has been played again today.

Dream West Continent.

Jiang Jingming closed his eyes and recalled the words in his mind, one by one.

I long for my beloved, but he does not come; I look up and gaze at the wild geese flying by.

Wild geese fly all over the western islands, longing for their beloved to ascend the brothel.

The building is too high to see anything; I spend all day leaning on the railing.

The railing has twelve curves, and its surface hangs down like bright jade.

The rolled-up curtains reveal the vast sky, while the swaying sea water appears as a deep green.

The sea's waves drift endlessly, and your sorrow is my sorrow too.

The south wind knows my heart, blowing my dreams to the western continent.

A sincere leave request

I'm finally home after a long and tiring journey... (I won't be taking any more leave this month, qaq)

Chapter 121 Young Talents Become Veterans of the Martial World

The noisy crowd fell completely silent.

The Rain Master stood in the sunlight, the sound of a flute passing by her, dispersing into the distant mountains and clouds.

This scene remained etched in the memory of everyone present for a long time. For the rest of their lives, the Joyful Rain Festival continued every year, but they never saw such a sight again.

So people's pursuit turned into watching them go, and the small boat drifted downstream into the final pass.

Jiang Jingming tucked the long flute into his sleeve and looked up at Fang Zhiyi.

The other person seemed to have been watching him for a long time, and when he looked up, they simply smiled slightly.

"That's a really good performance."

Fang Zhiyi blinked and said to him silently.

Jiang Jingming nodded, which, in her eyes, was just the sound of his straw hat swaying up and down.

Fang Zhiyi lowered her eyes, concealing her increasingly deep smile.

Jiang Jingming turned his head to look ahead, where other boats participating in the election were moored at the ferry dock.

The Qin family's daughter's pleasure boat was brazenly moored in the middle of the water, blocking most of the waterway, and many people gathered around pointing and whispering.

But the Qin family's daughter couldn't care less about all that; she was sobbing on her mother's shoulder.

Miss Zhou's quaint little boat was moored on the other side, and hardly anyone noticed her.

She was gathering up the few remaining Spring-Retention Tokens on the boat and expressionlessly tossing them into the water.

There was no beauty in burying flowers, only frustration at the failure.

Jiang Jingming turned his gaze back to the shore, where more onlookers were waiting for their boats to disembark, but they all consciously made way for a small path.

The Divine Capital Guards, who wanted to maintain order, were blocked at the outermost edge by the enthusiastic crowd, and their shouts and reprimands had no effect.

In this way, once you get ashore, as long as you squeeze into the crowd, you'll have a chance to escape.

Even if the Imperial Guards knew they were fugitives, arresting them at this time would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

There was a commotion in the cabin behind me, probably because the young lady was eager to try.

Just as Jiang Jingming was about to turn around, he suddenly heard a strong voice coming from the pavilions and towers in the distance.

"A joyous rain falls on a spring night, and the rain master is revealed in the spring sunshine. Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!"

The man said "good" three times in a row, and immediately everyone's eyes turned to him.

"!"

When Jiang Jingming saw the figure clearly, he was startled and couldn't help but laugh.

Wen Fuxiao stood atop the pavilion, dressed in white, his long beard flowing, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.

"It's Mr. Wen!"

"My Lord Chief Secretary!"

"Master Wen!"

The onlookers recognized the man from the city and started calling him all sorts of names.

Wen Fuxiao had been in seclusion for quite some time, so no one expected him to appear at the Joyful Rain Festival, and excited cheers rose and fell.

Although the city lord usually attended, no one really cared.

After all, the scholar, who was well-versed in both ancient and modern learning, brought with him an air of authority as the leading scholar when he appeared on a day like the Joyful Rain Festival.

Furthermore, Master Wen was an easygoing person, and compared to the imposing city lord, meeting this Chief Secretary made everyone feel more relaxed.

"The city lord has other important matters to attend to, and entrusted me to preside over the Joyful Rain Festival celebration. Today, witnessing this event has truly stirred my heart, making me feel as if I have returned to my youth!"

Wen Fuxiao slapped the railing and laughed loudly.

"it is good!"

Now it was the people on the shore's turn to shout "Okay!"

"As is customary, on the night of the Rain Festival, the City Lord will invite the Rain Master to a banquet. Since I am in charge today, then I hereby declare—"

Wen Fuxiao stroked his beard, looking radiant.

"Tonight, a banquet will be held in this building, inviting the Rain Master and his friends to join us! A hundred tables will also be set up along this long street, where all the people of Fengling City can revel with me!"