Anji was a bright child. She learned all the finger positions for playing the xun and, within minutes, had learned how to play the simple children’s songs her brother used to play for her. Yan Ping allowed her excited disciple to play with the musical instrunt for a while. Unlike other musicians who focused on elegance, Anji’s choice of instrunt reflected her complicated character well.
Unlike the bamboo flute, which represents a solemn wanderer, the zither, which embodies sophisticated wisdom, or the pipa, which exudes elegance, the Xun flute was an unpopular choice of instrunt. Unless there were a ritual or a grand event involving royalty, hardly anyone would choose to play the Xun. It was not the difficulty level that made this humble instrunt unpopular. However, it was the simplicity that made it useless in more complicated song arrangents. Traditionally, Xun flutes can only play eight fixed notes. Unlike the erhu, there is no note bending. Zithers can easily play twenty different notes with so bending, making them a very flexible yet complicated instrunt to master.
Of all the elaborate instrunts available, Anji still chose the simplest. Her choice of song reflected her youth, and not even the limited note range could deter her from enjoying music. Yan Ping thought it was amusing to hear such a childish tune coming from such an ancient instrunt. With thousands of years in history, the Xun flute emitted one of the most mysterious sounds, like a lancholic whisper in the wind. Yet, in Anji’s small hands, it transford into a whistle-like tune full of innocence and joy.
"I’m glad to see you’ve mastered the notes very quickly and have figured out how to play music on it," Yan Ping smirked. "Now that you’re practically a master Xun flautist, I should start explaining why we’re learning music."
Calming down imdiately, Anji put the Xun down and paid close attention. Yan Ping ushered her to a shelf and told Anji to look for a specific book. As there were no librarians around to assist them, Anji had to use the step ladder to search for what her teacher needed.
Pulling out several books, Anji realised they were related to advanced cultivation techniques for rarer spiritual circuits and physical conditions. Her brother’s unusual extre Yang body should also be covered in so of these texts.
With all the books gathered in her arms, Anji had to use qi circulation to strengthen them. The books were old, but they were heavy as so of them were carved into bamboo scrolls instead.
Piling the learning materials on an empty desk, Anji arranged the materials and waited for Yan Ping to start the official lesson.
"I’m sure you know by now that your constitution is unusual," Yan Ping started, and Anji nodded along. "Ignoring the sealed cultivation core, the spiritual circuits within your body are distinct from those of others. It should not be surprising because there is another child in Mingfeng’s family with an extre yang condition."
Ah, she was referring to Brother Yihao. Anji agreed. It might run in her family, seeing how half of the Celestial Dragon Sect’s heirs had special conditions. Genetics sotis played a role in this.
"In your case, you were born with the ability to beco a sage. However, the timing was wrong, and it beca your curse. Your father tried to buy ti with his limited skill, and I took a gamble to rewrite your original fate. If everything works out, you can beco the most powerful cultivator known in the murim in twenty years, thanks to your unique spiritual circuits. No, I’m not referring to the artificial cores. I’m referring to the way your qi flows internally. This book will provide you with more information about the celestial root. You can read it as howork. However, for now, I will teach you the basics of the seven sounds and chakras, along with a mantra that you should use from now on whenever you ditate. The objective is to increase your understanding of harmonisation with the environnt you are in. Unlike regular cultivators, you cannot harmonise with the energy outside by refining it internally. You might already co to the sa conclusion that I have. However, you must now adapt your internal energy signature to match your environnt like a plant."
At the conclusion, Anji ntally pictured herself as a plant with flowers sprouting above her head under the sunlight. She had co to a similar conclusion that if she could not change the external world, she could change her internal world as it was easier. However, to beco a plant was an entirely different matter. Anji had no idea what plants do to cultivate. However, she was certain she did not have an unlimited supply of life energy to emit.
"Shifu! An- Ci Wang has a question!"
Although Yan Ping often used Anji’s birth na when they were alone and encouraged Anji to do the sa, the child thought it would be more appropriate to use her courtesy na during official lessons.
"Speak."
Struggling to find a way to phrase her question properly without sounding ridiculous, Anji asked if she would die if she imitated the eternally giving nature of plants to adapt to her environnt.
"Wouldn’t I be in big trouble if I had to absorb negative energy to harmonise with my environnt?"
It was a valid question. Yan Ping liked how Anji considered many perspectives. In tis like these, it reminded Yan Ping that Anji was still a child, not even ten years old. Her thinking was still sowhat straightforward at tis due to her limited life experience.
"If you were given rotten food, would you eat it even if you weren’t hungry?"
The question was simple. However, it took Anji a long ti to relate it to her previous question.
"It’s a matter of choice how you want to use the technique," Yan Ping explained further so her disciple could understand. "The knife is just a tool. In the hands of a chef and the hands of a murderer, it can do the job in different ways."
Hearing the explanation, Anji finally understood why they had to co to the restricted library for music lessons. Unlike other cultivation thods from orthodox sects, the thod that her teacher planned to teach her might fall into a grey zone.
"Shifu, Anji understands now. I swear to use this knowledge only for good, never for evil!"
Patting Anji gently, Yan Ping nodded.
"I did not think you would use it for evil. Nevertheless, it is reassuring you understand what we are going to learn. If you want to complete the successor’s training and attempt the trial chamber in three years, this is the most suitable thod. Today, we are rely here to cover so basics. From tomorrow onwards, I will guide you step-by-step through the techniques and theory involved in the isolated chamber reserved for sect masters and successor candidates."
Bracing herself ntally, Anji nodded. She made a promise to finish it in three years. With Yan Ping’s assurance, there was no room for hesitation.
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