The Inverted Dragon's Scale Chapter 167 – Mountain Stream!

Chapter 167: Mountain Stream!
Red, yellow and white wildflowers densely scattered, dotting along in clusters on the lush green grass. An undergrowth of bramble bushes and thorn shrubs almost bloted out the sky like a hundred-year old tree.
Deep in the forest, the burbling noise of clear spring water could be heard, and fish that looked as white as fresh snow were swimming happily down the mountain stream.
There were birds singing, wolves howling, and a group of deer drinking water.
The ground was wreathed in clouds and mist, like treading on clouds and roaming around immortals’ mansion. A weak-blazing light pierced through the thicket, shining onto the young students touring around, bringing a warm glow to their smiles.
“One does not know the true face of Broken Mountain until they come here.” Li Muyang said with a sigh and a smile. “I had only heard about the height of Broken Mountain, but never once had such a clear, distinct feeling before. Only until you come and experience the feeling of being one with it, then you would come to know of its vastness.”
“Broken Mountain, also known as Nameless Mountain, is the most broad and mysterious mountain in Flower Language Plains. Tens of thousands of years ago, a dragon slayer immortal traveled here and slashed off the mountainside with his sword. Then, gathering the forces of the nine countries, he built this Starry Sky Academy—When we stand at the foot of the mountain and look up, Broken Mountain is simply a towering peak wrapped in high clouds; we can only see its height but not its broadness. Now that we’ve personally measured it through walking and see how it fans out for miles, we can fully appreciate its majestic beauty.” Handsome like a celestial being, Lin Canghai said with a smile.
“In the wild, the deer cry to each other, looking for food to reduce their hunger. I have a guest, I will entertain them with a flute, a drum and a zither.” Qiandu’s black clothes made her look valiant, beautiful and alluring. She stretched out her soft, white hand, pointing to the enchanting scenery and exclaiming: “I take the earth as a seat, the mountain spring water as wine and wild animals as food to treat my two distinguished guests. How can such an idyllic scene lack music?”
As she spoke, Qiandu pulled out a piccolo.
The piccolo is a green-jade colour with its outer surface shining and reflecting light, lively like water ripples. It was obvious that it was not an ordinary piccolo and it was unknown what materials it was made out of.
“In the wilderness, I came unprepared, I can’t play the zither or flute, I can only express my feelings with this song.”
Qiandu put the piccolo to her lips and began to gently breathe into it. Beautiful notes flowed out of the holes, slow and soft, echoing through the forests and hills that they just treaded across.
“’Phoenix looking for Phoenix’.” Lin Canghai gazed at Qiandu with an intoxicated smile as he exclaimed: “This is the tune ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’.”
‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ enjoys great fame in the world. Along with ‘The Guangling verse’ and ‘Lovesickness’, they are known as the three greatest classics of the divine continent.
But because the original ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ has been lost for hundred of years, only some scattered memories and fragmented syllables are left behind, and very few people can play the complete version of ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix.’
Lin Canghai has a strong appreciation for music; the instant he heard this tune, he felt refreshed, joyous and a sense of exhilaration.
The ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ musical notation has been lost for hundreds of years. The fact that Lin Canghai could distinguish this tune was enough for people to be flabbergasted.
What was even more strange was that Li Muyang felt he had heard this tune before.
Not just heard it before, but very familiar with it. As though he had heard it thousands of times before.
He nodded, saying: “Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ is the best song in the divine continent.”
Lin Canghai’s smile transformed into a ruminative smile, as he looked at Li Muyang and asked: “Brother Muyang has heard this tune before?”
“I think so–” Li Muyang said. He felt like he has heard it somewhere before, but was uncertain. This sort of feeling was a feeling he’s too familiar with. When he was sitting the imperial exam, there were many questions he hasn’t seen before—almost every question, but he answered them with godly powers and handed in a perfect answer paper.
“Hehe.” Lin Canghai gave a gently chuckle, then no longer continued his conversation with Li Muyang. Instead, he concentrated on appreciating the piece of music that Qiandu was performing.
In his heart, Li Muyang’s behavior is the same to an idiot pretending to understand and seeking to impress by pretending to know more than he does.
This tune ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ has disappeared hundreds of years ago, ordinary people would not know its notes or tune.
I’ve heard it before through special ways. How would Li Muyang have such a source?
However, because of his mild nature, he would never expose a person’s lie in front of them or injure a person’s self-confidence.
After all, Li Muyang was a very good friend to him.
Li Muyang was unaware of what Lin Canghai was thinking, he was completely mesmerised by Qiandu’s performance.
When the beautiful sound from the piccolo resonated, he felt like he was circling out of the sky and forgotten where he is or what year it is.
He likes this kind of music because it made him happy, it’s joyful. It evoked beautiful fantasies and thoughts.
Like listening to a childhood song, it brings back memories of a childhood friend or a wonderful time in life—
Vaguely, he remembered someone.
A white shadow. The shadow came towards him against the light. In the darkness, it was hard to see anything clearly but he could see the person’s graceful figure and an undisguisable smile across his own face——
As though it’s the love of his life.
Qiandu walked on while playing, the notes were like the rays of the sun sprinkling down on them.
Falling onto Li Muyang’s eyes, lips, hair, ears, and finally his heart——
Li Muyang’s heart began to tremble. The trembling was extremely faint, like a breeze blowing through the wheat field, like bees vibrating their wings.
Li Muyang also hummed along, he felt his body must also follow and dance.
Lin Canghai shot a puzzled glance over his shoulder and then turned around again, fixing his line of sight on Qiandu.
Li Muyang was extremely happy; his joy was immense.
“This guy, he’s going too far—-” Lin Canghai grumbled. We’re friends, even if you told us that you haven’t heard this song before, we wouldn’t laugh at you. After all, most people in the world have never heard of it as well.
But why are you pretending to be someone you’re not? You don’t believe in our character?
Because of this misunderstanding, Lin Canghai thought little of Li Muyang’s moral character.
Li Muyang really liked the tune ‘Phoenix looking Phoenix’.
He tried to get closer to the music and merge into one with it.
He stretched out his hand, pulling out a green leaf on the branch above his head.
He put the leaf to his lip and began to blow upon it—the air enclosed vibrated into a loud but harsh note.
Disturbed by the noise, Qiandu’s footsteps came to an abrupt stop as she sharply turned around to see.
Lin Canghai became boundlessly angry. He felt his blood rising to his face when this guy pretended to be an expert, now this guy dares to disturb others performing. This is really difficult to forgive.
He clenched the hilt of his sword strapped at his waist, but did not draw his sword in the end.
Li Muyang apologised with an embarrassed chuckle, his face flushing red when he said: “I wasn’t ready—-”
“Li Muyang, don’t—-”
Lin Canghai was about to stop him, when he realised Li Muyang had already placed the leaf to the tip of his lip again.
A familiar, graceful musical tune that almost made his eyes pop out of his head sounded from the tiny leaf.
“‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’. This is ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’—” Lin Canghai stared at Li Muyang, his eyes wide in disbelief.
This guy, he really can play the tune ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’; moreover, it’s the original ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’.
He had never seen the original ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ musical notation before; however, Lin Canghai was certain that the ‘Phoenix looking for Phoenix’ tune he has heard several times before was identical to the one he’s listening to right now.
Moreover, he played quite well; his techniques are quite exquisite.
He produced a sound like that with just a small piece of leaf and achieved the same effect as Qiandu’s magic piccolo.
How could this be?
Qiandu also was wide-eyed in astonishment.
She was a beautiful woman with big eyes but when she stared at him in wide-eyed amazement, her eyes looked even bigger, rounder and also cuter than before.
Beautiful with a touch of cuteness, cute with a touch of sexiness, this girl exhibits a variety of elements that makes people amaze and forget everything vulgar.
The magic piccolo was still on her lips, but Qiandu did not make any more sounds.
She peeled her gaze away to shoot Lin Canghai a questioning look.
Lin Canghai shook his head at her, indicating that he also does not know what is going on.
He also thought that Li Muyang was pretending and deliberately causing a disturbance, but now it seems like he’s the one who could not recognise an expert in front of him.
Qiandu pondered for a moment, before a smile curved her lips.
She adjusted her mentality, breathed in gently, and the wonderful notes once again flowed from her magic piccolo.
One dressed in a beautiful black outfit, and the other in a flowing white robe.
One playing with a leaf, and the other with a piccolo.
The two people played the same notes, performed the same tune.
At this moment, their music was in harmony, their feelings also connected.
As though Li Muyang was able to understand Qiandu’s mind and Qiandu also understood the meaning of Li Muyang’s every expression.
Gazing into each other eyes, warmth and joy like the sunshine filled their heart.
They haven’t known each other for a long time and the number of words they have said to each other can be counted with their fingers. They do not have any intimate relationship and can’t even be considered as close friends.
However, they felt they’ve known each other for centuries.
Then, something mysterious happened.
Beautiful butterflies fluttered over, dancing and circling around Li Muyang and Qiandu.
Fish broke the surface of the spring water, ripples widening out as they desperately tried to search for the source of the music, leaping again and again into the air, and plunging into the water—
A whimpering young wolf stopped crying, staring wide-eyed at the direction of where the music was coming from, while a smile uglier than its crying face surfaced onto its face—
The deer gathered around, and like devout followers, closely followed the footsteps of Li Muyang and Qiandu.
They walked, and they followed. They stopped, and they also stopped. They stepped over a large stone and they also stepped over the stone. They jumped over a river, while the deer, blocked by the river, leapt into the river and desperately swam after them.