Chapter 18 Zither Sound Incites Weapons

Watching Li Guan Yi's stunned expression, Murong Qiushui burst out laughing. Her jade-like fingers touched the young man's forehead lightly and she playfully rebuked, "Little kitten, trying to challenge your aunt? You are indeed..."

"Hmm, adorably foolish."

Withdrawing her finger, she snapped her fingers with a light chuckle.

Handing over the groceries she had bought to Li Guan Yi, Murong Qiushui then stepped lightly into the house. When she went out, she would deliberately disguise herself, making her eyes appear smaller and her complexion look dull and yellow, resembling a poor, sick person.

However, when she was in front of Li Guan Yi, and her eyes lit up, that smile on her lips made the disguise seem ineffective. Almost anyone could instinctively sense that she was a rare beauty, like a bright pearl covered in dust, still outstanding.

Li Guan Yi looked down at the groceries.

Cabbage, radish, and some mustard greens.

These were brought early by the villagers and townsfolk around Guan Yi City.

By the afternoon like this, the appearance of the vegetables would worsen, coupled with being picked over by people all day, there would inevitably be some damages. Moreover, some shrewd old ladies would pluck off the less appealing leaves and toss them out, and the farmers, thinking of returning home early, would drop their prices at this time, making it a good time to buy vegetables.

They might not look good, but chopped and cooked in porridge or stir-fried, they tasted no different.

Aunt always went at this time.

Li Guan Yi, holding the vegetables, went inside and saw Aunt stepping lightly, her amber-like eyes momentarily brightened as they scanned over an overturned bowl. Turning, she looked at the young man walking back with groceries and said, "So, what happened today?"

Li Guan Yi briefly recounted the day's events.

Murong Qiushui laughed, "They fired you? That owner of Huichun Hall has no vision, but the young miss from the Xue family has a sharp eye. My Li Nu'er is naturally the finest of all the young men in Guan Yi City."

"What your aunt didn't expect though, is that my Li Nu'er still remembered that I wanted to eat roast goose and actually bought it on the first day."

The tone was teasing and playful.

Murong Qiushui's eyes gleamed with playful intent.

Seeing a vein on his forehead twitch, Li Guan Yi knew his aunt was interested in 'playing with the kid' again and looked away, stubbornly saying:

"No, I didn't buy it especially for you."

"I just happened to pass by the braised meat stall, and only roast goose was left, so I reluctantly bought it."

"Oh? Really?"

Murong Qiushui approached with her hands clasped behind her back, smilingly teased, "Are you shy?"

"Ah, do you want to eat it or not?"

"Haha, of course I want to eat."

The roast goose was still quite warm, the braised pork had been stewed long enough, and the vegetables, after being blanched and mixed with oil, salt, and vinegar, also made for a refreshing dish. On a small stone-made table, Li Guan Yi sat opposite Murong Qiushui.

The roast goose tasted very good.

But he felt that the smile on Aunt's face after eating the roast goose made him happier than the goose itself.

Murong Qiushui's eyes slightly narrowed as she softly said:

"Today's dishes are indeed tastier than before."

Li Guan Yi muttered irritably, "You're teasing me again."

Murong Qiushui looked at the young man before her, her gaze gentle, yet she chuckled warmly:

"You've caught me, Li Nu'er."

After dinner, Li Guan Yi cleaned up the dishes, but Aunt had already taken down the Jiao Wei Zither. Her hands lightly played on it, and though Li Guan Yi was taught zither, Chinese chess, calligraphy, and painting by his aunt daily, only the zither was essential.

Although Aunt was always kind to Li Guan Yi, she never relented on this one thing.

However, today Aunt adjusted the zither strings herself and began to play.

Li Guan Yi was cleaning up traces left from cooking, expecting the usual serene music like the melody of spring wind and autumn moon, but suddenly heard a zither sound like the clash of metals, causing an immediate tension in his spine and muscles, almost giving him the sensation of cavalry charging into battle.

It took him several breaths to realize the sound was from the zither.

The young man walked slowly over, seeing Aunt sitting there with the Jiao Wei Zither on the table, her fair fingers touching the strings, the sound furious, as if thousands of troops lay behind her. In a daze, Li Guan Yi almost saw a gathered army behind his aunt.

Somehow, the Breaking Formation Song within him seemed more active than usual.

When the piece ended, Li Guan Yi's inner qi had completed a cycle.

And unlike when he actively stimulated the circulation of his inner qi,

It was more harmonious.

It was more natural.

Li Guan Yi steadied his inner qi.

In a plain blue dress, Aunt smiled warmly at him, her hand playing the zither like sweeping clouds.

"Li Nu'er, what do you think? Is your aunt amazing?"

Li Guan Yi looked at the incredibly beautiful face before him, filled with expectation and a 'please praise me' expression. He sighed, admitting sometimes Aunt was mature and other times childish, and said helplessly, "Amazing, amazing, Aunt is the most amazing in the world."

"Can the zither really help with cultivation?"

The woman plucked the zither strings, saying, "The zither reflects the heart, the spirit guides the qi, of course it's useful."

"Although I don't understand martial arts, I do know that playing the zither helps with breathing, just like how some choose to seclude themselves in the mountains and wilderness during their cultivation, to maintain their mental state and achieve breakthroughs; the sound of the zither can also influence one's mental state, thereby creating a similar zither sound."

Li Guanyi recalled just now, and suddenly had the illusion that this zither piece seemed to match the Inner Strength he was practicing. He suddenly remembered what Yue Qianfeng had mentioned about the origins of this Inner Strength. Looking at the proud Murong Qiushui in front of him, he said, "What is this zither piece called? I never knew about it before."

Murong Qiushui, supporting her chin with one hand, said, "This? I composed this tune myself when I was a child. An old man passed by and stayed for a long time. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he liked this piece of music and asked if I could teach it to him. He even named it 'Breaking Formation Song.'"

Li Guanyi fell silent for a moment.

He could almost confirm that Aunt was indeed that girl mentioned by the old predecessor who created this Inner Strength that year, the one "who played the zither at eight years old and naturally had the air of a master." He smirked and said, "It happens to share the name with the Inner Strength I'm practicing now."

He told Aunt about the origin of the Breaking Formation Inner Strength.

Murong Qiushui glanced at him, sounding nonchalant:

"After all, there are too many pieces of music describing the breaking of formations in the army."

"Breaking Formation Song, Marching Music, there are at least eighty if not a hundred."

"Moreover, even if, as you say, it relates to the Inner Strength you're cultivating, that's only because the old predecessor had accumulated enough and, had he seen the flowing water that day, he would have comprehended this martial art just the same."

"Come."

Murong Qiushui moved aside and gestured for Li Guanyi to sit next to her.

Then, as usual, she slowly taught Li Guanyi how to play the zither.

When playing the zither, his mind became clear and bright.

Faintly, he felt the Inner Qi circulating within him naturally. 'Breaking Formation Inner Strength' prioritizes Qi, cultivating a breath of Inner Qi from within before externally tempering and cultivating, relating to the essence and spirit among the three aspects of spirit. As he played, his spirit moved with the zither sound, indeed utilizing the Divine Charm.

At this moment, as he played, Inner Qi circulated, and essence and spirit changed in the same Divine Charm.

Indescribably wonderful.

While learning the zither, Li Guanyi curiously asked, "So, is that eight-year-old girl from twenty-two years ago really you, Aunt?"

"Of course not."

Li Guanyi was stunned.

Murong Qiushui started laughing, supporting her chin with one hand and her black hair slightly dangling, her smile cunning:

"That year, I was five years old."

Li Guanyi was dumbfounded: "Wasn't you said to be eight..."

Murong Qiushui looked at Li Guanyi with a puzzled expression, as if wondering why my cat is so foolish, and then she naturally said, "Of course I lied to him. If an old man with a white beard asks your age, why would you tell him?"

She 'worriedly' said, "Li Nu'er, don't get fooled by a pretty girl in the future."

Li Guanyi twitched his mouth, then changed the subject:

"So what is the real name of this zither piece?"

Murong Qiushui frowned, thought for a long time, and answered:

"Hmm, maybe, perhaps..."

"Hmm, a daily practice composition on August 9th in the year of JiaChen, number three?"

Li Guanyi: "..."

Murong Qiushui grinned, placed her hand on Li Guanyi's head, and gently ruffled it, laughing softly, "Of course, my dear Li Nu'er, you can call it whatever you want, whether it's Breaking Formation Song or anything else."

"Whatever my Li Nu'er likes to call it, that's what you can call it!"

"Whatever he likes it to be, that's what it is."

"Nobody in the world can dictate that!"

Li Guanyi looked down, murmured softly, and then decided to pull out his trump card. He said, "Aunt, I have also prepared a gift for you."

Murong Qiushui, her face full of smiles, extended her hand, "Hmm? What is it?"

Li Guanyi supported Aunt's palm with one hand and placed the White Jade Pendant in her palm with his other hand. As he slowly removed his hand, Murong Qiushui saw the White Jade Pendant, and her composed smile slowly paused as a trace of sadness flowed from her eyes.

Li Guanyi said softly, "I redeemed it."

Murong Qiushui did not speak for a long time, her eyes heavy with emotion as if clouds were accumulating. Li Guanyi didn't understand, and after a while, Murong Qiushui smiled faintly and nodded, putting away the jade pendant. Watching her handle a pendant that no ordinary person could possess, he said:

"May I ask you a question, Aunt?"

"My parents and my uncle, who are they, and what happened to them?"

"Why are we being hunted?"

Murong Qiushui said:

"Haven't I told you? Once we leave Chen Country, I will naturally tell you everything."

She looked at Li Guanyi, who had already learned superior martial arts and seemed to be getting better physically, and had already made contact with the Xue Family. Her voice paused, revealing something new for the first time: "But remember one thing."

She reached out, straightened Li Guanyi's clothes, and said softly:

"Stay away from the Chen Kingdom Royal Family."