Douluo Continent: Starting with a Tom Cat

In the most bustling area of ​​Tiandou City, Shen An, accompanied by a cat and a mouse, stood out conspicuously, finally stopping in front of an antique-style pavilion.

This pavilion is very tall and gives people a very elegant feeling.

The passersby were all dressed in fine clothes, and two slender women stood at the entrance. From the pavilion, melodious music, like the sound of a clear spring, could be heard faintly. In short, the atmosphere was extraordinary.

Speaking of music, it seems like Tom and Jerry haven't shown off their skills in a long time. Shen An thought to himself, "Let's see if there's any chance for them to shine and boost their fame."

As Shen An approached, a woman asked, "Does the distinguished guest have any credentials?"

Shen An was slightly taken aback. Xue Qinghe hadn't mentioned any such thing as proof, so he said, "I don't have any proof. Xue Qinghe invited me here."

The woman's expression instantly became respectful: "So you are Young Master Shen An. His Highness is on the fifth floor of the pavilion. I will take you there now."

The young woman led Shen An to the fifth floor, where there was only a graceful and beautiful woman and Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe had obviously seen Shen An, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he gestured for Shen An to be quiet and pointed at the beautiful woman.

The beautiful woman held an exquisite golden harp in her hands, her slender fingers gently playing it, and the beautiful music flowing from it was refreshing and delightful.

As the piece ended, Xue Qinghe opened his eyes with a look of enjoyment and praised, "Aunt Yuehua truly deserves to be called a great musician. Every time I hear her music, it fills me with a sense of exhilaration."

"Your Highness is too kind. It is my honor to have your opinion," Tang Yuehua said modestly.

“Shen An, what do you think of this music? This is the owner of Yuexuan. All nobles feel honored to be taught by Aunt Yuehua.”

Although Xue Qinghe was asking a question, her words were full of confidence in Tang Yuehua, after all, Tang Yuehua's musical talent was indeed the highest she had ever seen.

"It's actually not bad," Shen An said honestly.

"Haha, I knew no one could resist... Wait, you said it's still possible?" Xue Qinghe asked, looking completely bewildered.

Tang Yuehua also looked over in surprise, but not in anger. With her composure, she would not be dissatisfied with what others said about her.

However, with her worldly experience and keen insight, she could sense that Shen An genuinely believed her playing was merely passable.

Chapter 161 What do cats and mice know about music?

After Shen An gave his assessment of Tang Yuehua, Tom and Jerry nodded in deep agreement. Shen An was right, she was just average. I could do better too.

The cat and mouse nodded vigorously, which made Xue Qinghe very curious. Could there really be someone in this world whose musical talent surpassed Tang Yuehua's?

'However, Tang Yuehua only arrived halfway through the performance, so she might not be able to fully immerse herself in the music. I'll let her listen to it again later,' Xue Qinghe thought to himself.

"Come, come, Shen An, please sit down. Let me formally introduce you. This is Tang Yuehua, the owner of Yuexuan, who teaches court etiquette."

"In another month, it will be the Empire's annual noble gathering, where many nobles will come to the banquet. It will be a rare and grand occasion, and the person in charge of this banquet is Aunt Yuehua."

“Aunt Yuehua, this is Shen An, my friend. He has exceptional talent in cultivation; I have never seen anyone who can surpass him.”

"I've heard His Highness the Crown Prince praise you for a long time, and seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved," Tang Yuehua said with a light smile as she carefully examined Shen An.

The person before him had an elegant and refined appearance, a gentle temperament, and eyes as bright as stars. Just by looking at him, one could tell that he was no ordinary person.

However, Tang Yuehua didn't care about Xue Qinghe's claim that this person was exceptionally talented and unmatched by anyone; in fact, she almost laughed.

Perhaps she does have some talent, but no matter how outstanding she is, she can't compare to her older brothers. The fame of the Haotian Twin Stars once dominated the entire continent; they were truly unparalleled geniuses.

As Tang Yuehua sized up Shen An, Shen An was also looking at Tang Yuehua. She was beautiful, and her silver palace dress fit her perfectly. Her temperament was unparalleled. So far, Shen An had never seen anyone who could compare to her.

Of course, his piano playing is just so-so, and he's a bit overrated as a musical genius.

'The Heavenly Dou Noble Gathering,' Shen An murmured to himself. He understood why Xue Qinghe had called him over; it seemed it wasn't just because she was bored, but because she wanted to introduce him to her connections.

Xue Qinghe smiled broadly. How could she not know Shen Anhao's good name? Although she didn't quite understand it, Xue Qinghe naturally chose to pamper her only friend.

This is a grand musical event, and also a gathering where many nobles curry favor with each other. If the younger generation can stand out at this event, they will undoubtedly become the rising stars of Tiandou City.

Shen An came to Xue Qinghe's side, casually found a table and chair to sit down, and Tom and Jerry sat at another table and chair. The two little ones unceremoniously picked up the exquisite pastries on the table and stuffed them into their mouths, eating with great relish.

Tang Yuehua personally carried the teapot and poured a cup of fragrant tea for Xue Qinghe and Shen An. Her hand, which was as fine as mutton fat jade, paused for a moment, and then poured a cup of tea for Tom and Jerry.

The two children gave Tang Yuehua a satisfied look. Although this woman's musical skills weren't great, she was quite adept at it. Thumbs up.

Tang Yuehua's eyes widened in astonishment. She was a well-traveled and knowledgeable person, and all the noble families were eager to befriend her. Not to mention common items like gold soul coins, she had seen all sorts of rare and precious treasures.

But a magical pet like Tom and Jerry truly made her all-seeing eyes light up.

"Aunt Yuehua, why don't you play another piece and let Shen An see what it means to be a great musician? This kid must not have listened to the whole piece and couldn't appreciate the fine details."

Xue Qinghe said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "There's a kind of inexplicable competition among friends, one of which is taking good friends to experience things they haven't enjoyed before."

The original intention of inviting him to Yuexuan was to shock Shen An at the same time as inviting him to a noble banquet.

Tang Yuehua's musical talent was unparalleled in both empires, and she listened with rapt attention. Shen An, however, remained calm and composed, saying it was alright.

Wild boars really can't eat fine chaff, even though this wild boar is quite cute, isn't it?

Tang Yuehua smiled gently: "If Your Highness asks, I have no objection. However, may I touch this cat and mouse? They look really adorable."

Tom and Jerry stopped eating and stared blankly at the woman. "You praised us, but touching them is a bit presumptuous. We're not that close, are we?"

Tang Yuehua, being the person she was, naturally noticed that the two little ones didn't want her to touch them. She then glanced at the pastry crumbs on Tom and Jerry's beard and chuckled, saying:

"There's still not enough food. If more people come, bring out more, and make sure there's a wider variety."

After saying that, Tang Yuehua looked at Tom and Jerry with a hint of teasing: "You two little guys, can I touch them now?"

The two children exchanged a glance, revealing that this woman was quick-witted and a rare type of woman who wouldn't take advantage of others for free.

Finally, Tang Yuehua got her wish, petting the cat's head and then carefully petting Jerry's little head.

Having lived in the mortal world for so long, Tang Yuehua couldn't possibly be interested in ordinary pets. It was only because Tom and Jerry were so intelligent and extraordinary that they stirred up the feelings of a little girl in Tang Yuehua.

The soft music began, like jade beads falling onto a jade plate, or the clear sound of a flowing spring, moving people's hearts. When the song ended, Tang Yuehua looked confidently at everyone.

Xue Qinghe was completely absorbed in the moment, while Shen An remained expressionless, and Tom and Jerry continued to eat the snacks on the table.

Tang Yuehua's face suddenly stiffened. How could this be? In the past, when she played, even birds and beasts would be moved. The beauty of music knows no borders or races.

Could it be that her piano skills have deteriorated? But that doesn't make sense; Xue Qinghe clearly looks like she's enjoying it.

'This person must lack musical talent and doesn't know how to appreciate music,' Tang Yuehua thought to herself.

Xue Qinghe slowly opened her eyes, as if savoring the aftertaste. Seeing Shen An's indifferent expression, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. Damn it, she couldn't keep up the act in front of her good friend. It's really upsetting.

Xue Qinghe spoke softly, "Shen An, could it be that Aunt Yuehua's piano skills are really that good?"

Shen An's face showed a hint of helplessness. Tom had spoiled his appreciation of music. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Tang Yuehua's piano skills really didn't sound like anything special.

"Actually, it's probably because the music I listened to before was too high-level, so I can't appreciate other kinds of music very well," Shen An said honestly.

Xue Qinghe asked in disbelief, "How could there be someone on the mainland who is better than Aunt Yuehua? Shen An, why don't you tell me who this person is, so I can see for myself."

Tang Yuehua stared intently at Shen An. Could there really be such a person? It wasn't that she thought too highly of herself, but she had never seen anyone who had gone further than her in the field of music.

At this moment, Tang Yuehua even felt a little hopeful. If there really was such a person, she would definitely do everything she could to learn from him in order to improve her stagnant musical skills.

Shen An noticed the doubts of the two men, nodded slightly, and pointed to Tom Jerry, who had swept all the pastries off the table.

"Look, these are the two."

At this moment, the two of them rubbed their bulging little bellies and were even picking at their teeth with their fingers. Tom even took out his entire set of teeth and gently wiped them with a tablecloth.

Shen An...

Xue Qinghe...

Tang Yuehua...

Even with Tang Yuehua's temperament, she was somewhat annoyed. If you don't understand music, you don't understand. What kind of excuse is this, using cats and mice to fool her?

Cats and mice don't understand music at all.

Chapter 162 Giving Tang Yuehua a Musical Shock

Tom Jerry proudly puffed out his chest, proclaiming himself the kingpin of the music industry.

Xue Qinghe said helplessly, "Shen An, stop joking. Tom Jerry is indeed very smart, but no matter what, he can't possibly be good at music, let alone surpass Aunt Yuehua."

Shen An smiled and said, "Brother Xue, you've been to Soto City, yet you've never heard of the legends about Tom."

"Oh, really? Then let Tom Jerry show me his skills, so I can broaden my horizons," Xue Qinghe said with a hint of doubt.

Tom stuffed all his teeth back into his mouth, and with a turn of his head, he and Jerry were wearing tuxedos.

The two little ones exuded an irresistible elegance in every gesture, even overshadowing Tang Yuehua standing to the side.

Tang Yuehua stared blankly at it; to be honest, it really did look quite convincing.

'Could it be that they actually have some knowledge of music?' A big question mark rose in the minds of Xue Qinghe and Tang Yuehua.

Tom walked over to Tang Yuehua, picked up her harp, and gently plucked it twice. The sound was melodious, and just when everyone thought Tom was about to show off his skills...

Tom put down his harp, confidently pointed to himself with his thumb, and then shook his index finger.

"Ahem, well, Tom says he can't play the harp," Shen An explained from the side, finding it somewhat amusing. Tom's confidence seemed innate; he clearly couldn't play, yet he was still so confident.

Tang Yuehua couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Sure enough, it was just a farce. What cat can play the harp?

Then Tom came to Tang Yuehua, looked at the harp, and pointed to himself.

"You want me to teach you?" Tang Yuehua asked, puzzled.

Jerry jumped onto Tom's shoulder and excitedly pointed to himself, indicating that he wanted to learn too.

Tang Yuehua couldn't help but shake her head. What kind of last-minute effort was this? She was very busy herself and didn't have time to teach two pets.

However, since it was the prince's friend's pet, Tang Yuehua took out a sheet of music and said, "If you can play the most basic pieces, I will teach you music in the future."

Tom snatched the sheet music and quickly flipped through it. To say he flipped through it was a bit of an exaggeration; he didn't even take ten seconds, just swished from the first page to the last.

But these two nodded seriously, as if they were really thinking about something.

Xue Qinghe also lost interest; it seemed that Tom and Jerry were just playing around.

Let's talk about the matter of having Tang Yuehua promote Shen An at the aristocratic banquet; that's the real issue.

"Ahem, Aunt Yuehua, actually my name this time is Shen Anlai~"

As soon as Xue Qinghe finished speaking, a series of short, intermittent tinkling sounds suddenly came from the harp.

Everyone looked over and saw that Tom and Jerry were playing the piano while looking at the sheet music, so the sound was intermittent, but it had a rhythm.

After flipping through several pages and playing the sheet music, Tom excitedly closed the sheet music and tossed it to the back of his mind. He exchanged a glance with Jerry and got to work!

The elegant and pure timbre, as clear as pearls and jade, arose, as if immersing people in a wondrous and beautiful scene. The wonderful notes even resounded through the pavilion and throughout the entire Moon Pavilion.

Countless birds stopped outside the Moon Pavilion at the same time, as if they were attracted by the music.

The Moon Pavilion has five floors, and the soundproofing on each floor is excellent. Yet, Tom and Jerry's duet could still be heard through the floors.

Everyone in the Moon Pavilion closed their eyes in rapt attention, savoring the purest and most beautiful music.

Tang Yuehua felt the same way. The moment the music started, she felt as if she were in the moonlight and forest, listening to the breath of all things and enjoying the beauty of tranquility and peace.

As the song ended, no one present wanted to open their eyes, as if they were savoring the beautiful moment.

Shen An was the same way; that's more like it, that's what fine chaff should be.

"How is that possible!" Tang Yuehua exclaimed, feeling dizzy and disoriented. The whole world seemed unreal, as if she could see it all at once. Who would believe that? Even geniuses have their limits.

Her eyes were filled with constantly shifting emotions: shock, envy, inferiority, and even a hint of jealousy.

A cat and a mouse looked at the sheet music and then played a musical realm that she had longed for but could never reach in her life.

This doesn't make any sense at all! Are you kidding me?!

"No, those two really know how to do it," Xue Qinghe said in a hoarse voice.

Shen An smiled and said, "I've already told you they're music masters, but you still don't believe me. My cat and mouse are so outstanding, and I'm proud of them too."

However, Shen An still humbly said, "It's nothing special, just basic operation."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door outside.

"Teacher Tang, did you play the music just now? It was so beautiful."

"Yes, Teacher Tang, your musical talent is truly exceptional. You are probably unparalleled in mainland China."

Everyone in the room looked at Tang Yuehua, apparently drawn by the music and mistaking it for her playing.

Tang Yuehua blushed deeply, feeling misunderstood. How could she possibly play such music?

"This is none of your business. No one is allowed to come up without my orders." Tang Yuehua's words carried a hint of shyness, completely unlike her usual dignified and composed demeanor.