Noticing that, the child released his pressure, giving Xuan a moment to breathe.
Xuan’s eyes widened. "You’re the first Head Monk? More importantly..."
He smiled. "They gave me a Heaven-ranked pill that turned a cultivator into a child. I was fooled, and thus my humiliation began. So don’t treat me as a child."
"So what now?"
"Well..." Xuan rubbed his temples. "What about the seclusion? Can’t I only be in there with Foyan?"
"As for the remaining hours, you will have Xue Hanbi nursing you back to health. This might seem like a waste of training to you, but Foyan promised to be harsher on you. That means more grueling training fit into less time."
But in the end, there wasn’t much to think about. He didn’t dislike having Hanbi around. If anything, having someone to talk to was nice, especially during the seclusion.
"I agree."
"..."
Hearing that, Chen Shun gave Xuan a satisfied wave and walked away.
Putting that aside for the time being, Xuan walked out of his room, heading to the Martial Training Grounds.
.
.
"Come here! It’s about to start!" a monk yelled, running without restraint alongside a few other monks.
It was a large grassy area surrounded by a tranquil river. In the very center of the grass landmass, beside a small wooden hut, there were ten beautiful women.
Hanbi, on the other hand, sat on the far right side, behind two women.
Despite that, the area was getting crowded really fast, so he didn’t hesitate to jump on a nearby tree and climb to the very top, getting the perfect vantage point.
Even so, a few minutes passed as the crowd gathered, and eventually, every monk was there, eagerly waiting for the women to play the zither.
"Heya everyone. I’m Yuxuan Yun, a master of the zither. Today we’ll play the staple of the Serene Blossom Valley. It’s called Lament of the Fallen Star."
But he noted that, as well as her being in the back. Something didn’t add up.
Like clockwork, all the loud and obnoxious monks fell silent. It seemed like their discipline was not for show.
A trembling, fragile note resounded as the air seemingly shivered. A barely noticeable ache appeared in Xuan’s chest, which he ignored.
It was a heavier note that somehow perfectly matched the one Yun played before.
A loving memory. A memory he had burrowed deep inside his heart out of sorrow.
He could see the faces of his family right above the ten women playing the zither. They were still blurry, and that was when the fourth note rang out.
The fifth note rose far beyond the previous note. It seemed desperate, like a scream that etched itself into his mind.
Unbeknownst to Xuan, a single tear trickled down his cheek as the chaotic sixth note finally resounded through the air.
In doing so, he missed the seventh note and the eighth note as they came across as nothing but loud and beautiful sounds.
In the corner of his vision, he spotted Hanbi frowning, her fingers tightening on the strings. It was likely that she had felt the same.
Soon enough, the last note emerged. It was barely audible, like a sigh.
And just like that, the women exchanged glances with each other and rose from their seats.
"Yeaaah! Do more!"
"Sign my head!"
She smiled. "If you wish to hear more of your songs, feel free to visit the Serene Blossom Valley sect. We do open house performances at the end of every month, so I’ll be eagerly waiting for you, okay?"
The monks were mesmerized. Some were already planning their trip in two weeks, while others had already made plans to create fan clubs.
She walked with her head down, not even paying him a glance, and eventually, the women left the outer main hall.
He knew Hanbi was going to stay, so he didn’t even bother saying his goodbyes.
It was a beautiful song, but it wasn’t finished. There was a single note missing, or maybe even more.
He was going to go to the cafeteria, but the more he thought about the song, the less hungry he felt.
Seclusion would begin any moment now, so he might as well spend his last moments calming his mind.