Rowing upstream for about three kilometers, Li Lin spotted a valley on the shore and quickly leaped onto it, delighted. This valley was filled with lush green bamboo, creating a sea of bamboo that was vibrant with life. Inside the valley, there were also many wildflowers and green trees, presenting a scene brimming with vitality.
"Those who trespass will die." At the entrance of the valley, a giant rock bore four blood-red characters written in blood, sending shivers down one's spine.
Li Lin hesitated about whether to enter when suddenly, he heard a heavenly melody drawing closer and closer. The sound was initially soft, like a mountain spring gushing downwards, gradually becoming more compact, like the fine rain of early spring.
Li Lin's heart trembled, and he listened intently. The music seemed to carry a strange power, making him unable to resist listening. The melody seemed to hover above his head and whisper in his ears, immersing him in its depth.
"Orioles and swallows sing in spring, flowers and willows are genuine, everything carries a melodious charm. Tender and delicate, each and every person is distinct."
A pleasant and crisp sound came through, smooth and mellow, as if telling a young girl's heart's tale, soft and gentle, then suddenly filled with a hint of melancholy.
"Now the county office is cold, suddenly thinking of a guest in the mountains. At the bottom of the stream, I gather firewood, returning to boil white stones. Wishing to carry a ladle of wine, to comfort through the stormy evening. Fallen leaves fill the mountains, where to find the path. The river is wide and clouds are low, wild geese cry in the west wind. Now, listening to the rain under the monk's hut, my hair is already graying. Joy and sorrow, separations and reunions are all heartless, I can only wait by the steps, drop by drop until dawn."
The voice was melancholic, lingering, yet also filled with intimate charm. The music harmonized with the sentiment, carrying an indescribable melancholy. Li Lin was deeply immersed in this atmosphere, unable to resist following the music, when suddenly he heard the woman's voice singing again:
"Hand in hand we look with tearful eyes, speechless and choked with emotion. Years from now, all the good times will have been in vain. Even with a thousand kinds of affection, who is there to share it with? After spring passes, all flowers fade, luxury and affairs scatter like fragrant dust. Wishing to confide my heart's matters to the jade zither, but with few who understand, who listens when the strings break? Eye signals convey feelings, a secret hate, a rushed and unfulfilled promise. Many worries, all because of that moment, a lingering affection."
The voice carried far away, piercing the sky, and Li Lin took a long time to come back to his senses. When he did, he found himself in a bamboo forest with a pavilion built of green bamboo. Inside the pavilion, there were two figures, a pretty girl around seven or eight years old standing behind a woman in white clothes, whose back was all that could be seen. From her silhouette, it was clear she was an extraordinary beauty. In front of the woman, on a bamboo platform, lay an ancient zither.
The seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl seemed also to be drawn into the melancholic atmosphere, standing dumbly aside, looking beautiful but dressed provocatively.
Dressed in a tight, red palace attire, her chest was prominent despite her young age, especially since the tight dress had a very short hem, barely reaching mid-thigh. Bending down would surely reveal everything underneath, her long legs accentuated by high boots, adding to her allure.
"Beautiful lyrics, beautiful melody," Li Lin couldn't help but speak out after the music ended.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The girl immediately snapped back to reality, looking up at Li Lin in surprise, as if she had seen a ghost, and quickly said to the woman in white, "Master, is that a man? A man has come."
"Who are you, and how did you get here?" At that moment, the woman in white stood up and turned around, revealing a face of stunning beauty.
With her hair pinned up high, her flawless face, almond-shaped eyes, small mouth, and dressed in a plain white dress, she radiated an otherworldly aura, looking no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, like a fairy untouched by worldly dust.
Li Lin's heart skipped a beat; the woman was too beautiful. But she seemed too young to be the Ghost Fairy he was seeking, who should be around the same age as Dong Wuji, the Poison Marshal.
"My name is Li Lin. I was drawn by the music, which sounded like a melody from heaven. I apologize for any offense. Please, do not take it to heart," Li Lin said with a slight bow.
"We do not welcome outsiders here. Didn't you see the warning outside? Trespassers will die," the woman in white said, her presence turning cold. Suddenly, she extended her hand from her sleeve, and a dazzling green light burst forth, wrapping Li Lin in vines, leaving him no chance to resist.
"Miss, elder, I came looking for the Ghost Fairy and was unintentionally drawn here by the music. There's no need to be hostile," Li Lin said, his face changing as he struggled to break free from the vines without success. The woman's power was overwhelming, suggesting she might indeed be the Ghost Fairy.
"There's no Ghost Fairy here. Even if you were drawn by the music, if you were a woman, I might spare your life. Unfortunately, you are a man, so you must die," the woman in white coldly replied.
"Elder, I'm not a man. I truly am not a man. Please, spare me," Li Lin exclaimed, thinking she must hate men due to some past trauma.
"You're not a man? So, you're a woman then?" the woman in white asked, her grip seemingly loosening a bit.
"Elder, I truly am not a man. I am still a virgin, strictly speaking, just a boy, not a man," Li Lin said loudly.
"Sharp-tongued. Since you're a virgin, I'll kill you now to prevent future harm to women," the woman in white declared, tightening her grip on Li Lin, who struggled to breathe.
"Come on, you're being unreasonable. Just for listening to your music, I have to die? It's not worth it," Li Lin exclaimed.
"You dare say my music is bad?" the woman in white asked coldly.
"It might seem good to others, but upon closer listening, it's lacking," Li Lin said boldly.
"Do you understand music? You better have something substantial to say, or I might feed you to the beasts here," the woman in white said, releasing Li Lin, who fell to the ground.
"Speak up. What's wrong with my music, or my composition?" the woman in white demanded.
"Elder, to put it simply, your zither playing is beyond reproach, reaching the pinnacle of mastery. Your composition is also excellent, with melodies that are gentle and immersive, allowing one to feel your inner world. To the average person, it's flawless. However, to those who truly understand the zither, it would only be considered a basic level," Li Lin said, feigning profundity.
"Oh? Let's hear you elaborate," the woman in white seemed slightly more amiable, prompting him to continue.
"Elder, your zither is good, but the sound is somewhat monotonous. The piece is nice, but the tone is too sorrowful. It immerses the listener in an atmosphere of grief, which nobody would want to keep in their heart. Thus, while people may be amazed by your performance, they won't remember it. True zither music should linger for days, haunting the listener's dreams and making them yearn for more," Li Lin said softly.
Li Lin paused, noticing the young woman in white seemed captivated by his bluster, and continued: "Moreover, the lyrics of your composition—despite their beauty, they only convey a melancholic tone that fails to touch the soul deeply. Therefore, I deduce that you harbor resentment towards someone in your heart, yet you cannot forget them."
After finishing, Li Lin saw the woman in white's expression change slightly and thought to himself that his rambling might have fooled her. He chuckled inwardly; he knew nothing about the zither. His critique was no more than the kind of empty talk spouted by so-called experts, picking at nits to appear knowledgeable.
At this moment, the young girl beside them was staring at Li Lin, dumbfounded, probably bamboozled by his words.
"Since you claim my zither playing is inadequate, why don't you play a piece for me?" the woman in white challenged Li Lin.
"Elder, I'm good at talking, but playing is another matter," Li Lin said with a slight smile, thinking to himself that it was just like the experts on TV who sound knowledgeable but are clueless in practice. He was in a similar predicament.