System: Master Your Life-Chapter 613 - 154: Immortals, Like Hemp

Xu Lin had never played "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix", and he hadn’t even seen the sheet music.

But the last time, he heard a traditional style girl play it on the guqin at Guose Tianxiang.

That was enough for Xu Lin to memorize the piece.

Plus, Xu Lin had an unrivaled talent for learning, and with his exceptional ability, his brain worked quickly to figure out how the piece should be played.

The sheet music?

He could understand it just by recalling his memory of the song.

So, everything suddenly became clear.

The problem is, how could anyone compare to someone like him, who seemed to be cheating?

There was no way to compare!

"I need to tweak the sheet music a bit." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Hmm... let me think..."

"This is fine!"

In just over a minute, a very short time.

But Xu Lin had already finished the modifications to the sheet music for "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix".

Thus, a version of "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" that was just as timeless was born.

Admittedly, this would be better appreciated in ancient times, because modern society lacks such a deep artistic foundation. Like calligraphy, in the past, if you had to take the imperial exam, your writing had to be beautiful. The whole society revered and demanded calligraphy, so calligraphers were as numerous as stars. The same was true of poetry; you needed to pass the imperial exam, and even at meals or gatherings, you were expected to recite poems and match verses. Without a strong literary foundation, you couldn’t get by.

In short, that was the soil of art.

Modern society doesn’t have that.

After finishing the sheet music, Xu Lin began to play.

"Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" is a love song, so its melody is elegant and romantic, especially romantic.

Sima Xiangru was a talented scholar, but many people didn’t know that he stuttered. That is, if Sima Xiangru directly confessed to Zhuo Wenjun verbally, he would likely be rejected, but Sima Xiangru could play the guqin.

A romantic guqin piece, extraordinary talent, and being a young and promising man, doesn’t that move you?

The rhythm of "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" gives a sense of tranquility, and listening closely is enchanting.

The boy playing the guqin is very handsome, his technique is skilled, his skill is superb, it’s unclear how long he’s been immersed in it, but the sound of the guqin is also very pleasant.

Perhaps the only thing that seemed a bit out of harmony was that Xu Lin was not in traditional costume.

At this moment, Xu Lin was creating a peaceful musical world for people with the special sound of the guqin.

Many in the audience were drawn in, and passersby stopped involuntarily.

Pei Danqing was among them.

Of course, Wu Zongting, the old man, as well.

"This piece is good, ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’?"

"Seems a bit different, no, this is ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’, just with some changes to the sheet music!"

As Wu Zongting listened, he felt a sense of intoxication. It had been a long time since he had run out of inspiration.

In his youth, more precisely before he was in his forties, life was very hard for him, even quite miserable. In his childhood, he often went hungry and cold, and he felt terrible. As he grew older, he went out to work, but due to malnutrition, he was small and thin and often bullied. He suffered many hardships, and later he married a wife; his child was about to be born, and at that time, having a wife, child, and warm bed was considered happiness. However, life’s unpredictability struck, and Wu Zongting’s wife had complications during childbirth. The medical facilities were underdeveloped back then, and she passed away. Later on, Wu Zongting worked with others but ended up on the wrong side in a factional struggle, leading to several years in prison, barely surviving.

His early life was too difficult.

People who study art know that hardship is the best breeding ground for art. Abing (Hua Yanjun) had a good life early on but later learned he was an illegitimate child, became disillusioned, indulged in vices, contracted syphilis, and then went blind. His challenging life later gave birth to "The Moon Reflected on the Second Spring".

It was precisely because of a miserable early life that Wu Zongting’s inspiration surged during his prime, making him famous in the composition world, tremendously sought after.

Later, his life improved steadily; the more suffering he endured in his early years, the more fulfilling his later life became.

It seemed as if the heavens had stripped away all his talent, and finally, he ran out of talent.

However, despite running out of talent, Bastard’s appraisal skills remained. Otherwise, how could he guide and influence in this circle?

"The sheet music has been altered, but what a brilliant change! Genius!"

"I’ve never heard this version of the sheet music before. Could he have modified it himself?"

The Bastard, who had dwelt in the clouds too long, couldn’t believe that such a brilliant talent was in an eighteen-year-old.

But Wu Zongting’s instincts told him that this young man was truly remarkable.

His talent flowed like a mighty river, endless and unceasing!

"Genius!"

The more Wu Zongting listened, the more he felt, but suddenly he was overwhelmed with sorrow.

Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun, it was a beautifully destined love, but that kind of love belonged to others.

And as for himself?

He thought of his once dream lover.

Perhaps every man has his unattainable ideal, his "white moonlight," and Wu Zongting was no different.

He remembered before he married, once going to see a performance by a cultural troupe. The lead girl was from a big city; she had fair skin, a great temperament, was tall and slender, and very beautiful. Having come from the countryside, Wu Zongting, who was used to seeing rough and sturdy village girls, was almost smitten. From that point on, this girl continually appeared in his dreams.

He heard she later married, married a soldier with a promising future. Indeed, the soldier rose quickly through the ranks; today, he’s in high positions, influencing policy, and it’s no exaggeration to say his words carry the force of law.