Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Hundred Birds Towards the Phoenix!
Seeing Huang Xiaolong silently seat himself in front of the ancient zither, many people cast scornful glances his way.

After all, Huang Xiaolong wore simple clothes, which to those of wealth and status, appeared excessively shabby. He was young, and lacked notable authority or reputation within the circle of ancient martial arts. He was a typical unknown.

Could he, by any chance, surpass Wei Feiyang’s zither skills?

With Wei Feiyang as a comparison, not many people had faith in Huang Xiaolong’s ability to produce a beautiful melody.

Even those who were about to leave stayed back, watching Huang Xiaolong with amusement. There was not a hint of admiration in their eyes, only mockery and schadenfreude.

Only Sun Wei watched Huang Xiaolong with bright, excited eyes. She knew her idol was capable of anything!

At that moment, Huang Xiaolong leaned on the teachings of ancient zither masters from the underworld, calming his mind until it was still as a lake. His hands fluttered over the strings, beginning to play.

Huang Xiaolong focused on the ancient zither, his hands incredibly agile. Instantly, wonderful notes that flowed like clouds and water rose, lively and buoyant.

The zither hummed in a continuous, ringing melody.

The faces of those who had looked scornful and gleeful were now completely frozen, their eyes quickly widening in shock.

Wei Feiyang’s expression became grave, his eyes growing dark as if ready to take a life!

Sun Wei’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she gazed fondly at Huang Xiaolong.

The sound of the zither flowed fluidly like a cloud stream; Huang Xiaolong seemed to be enshrouded in a layer of floating immortal mist. At first, the listeners compared Huang Xiaolong’s performance with Wei Feiyang’s ‘Phoenix Seeking a Mate.’ Yet, as the performance went on, everyone forgot about comparing and immersed themselves in the ethereal and beautiful zither music.

The elderly man in Tang clothing squinted his eyes, shaking his head in great pleasure. His expression changed from time to time as if realizing something profound.

Gradually, Huang Xiaolong’s zither music began to intertwine with countless birdsongs. This…

Everyone fell into an indescribable state of astonishment!

The birdsongs in Huang Xiaolong’s zither music weren’t imitations, they were real birdsongs!

The birds from the garden were attracted by the music, their wings stirring up the air and in a flurry, hundreds of birds came flying from every direction.

Amazing! Not only were the garden birds attracted by the music, it seemed as if the entire birds of Green Willow Mansion also converged!

Orioles, cuckoos, magpies, pigeons, sparrows…

All the birds assembled, chirping melodiously in response to Huang Xiaolong’s zither music, singing a harmonious duet.

This scene was nothing short of miraculous!

A multitude of birds conversed with the zither music, harmonizing or singing in unison. It was reminiscent of perfectly tuned chords.

At the climax of the melody, birds began to land. Some alighted on the branches next to Huang Xiaolong, bobbing their heads and chirping, while others settled on the ground. Some even landed on Huang Xiaolong’s shoulders, head, and hands…

At that moment, everyone, including Wei Feiyang, who despised Huang Xiaolong deeply, was utterly entranced by the spectacular scene before them.

Everyone felt as if they had stepped into a fairy-tale dreamland, or as if they had entered a beautiful landscape painting, a pure and lonely utopia.

At that moment, Huang Xiaolong was like a celestial being, as if he embodied the spirit of the universe, his zither music emitting a sense of royalty. With multicolored feathers flashing brightly, innumerable birds fluttered and soared around Huang Xiaolong.

Finally, the faint sound of the zither ceased, and only silence remained. Huang Xiaolong stood up, raised his hand, and said, “Go~~~~”

All the birds let out a squawk in unison and flew southeast together, like a rainbow.

It took a long while for everyone on the lawn to return to their senses.

No one dared to clap. They feared that even the slightest noise might shatter this picturesque landscape and end the dreamy scene.

“Hehehe~~~” Huang Xiaolong looked towards the southeast, laughing cheerfully. “Miss Ying Aoshan, I’m afraid you’ve never heard this piece, ‘Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix’, which I’m going to play. I seldom play the Guqin, but I felt inclined today. You can consider it your good fortune.”

Such an arrogant statement!

He played this piece, and Ying Aoshan had the fortune to hear it?

Yet, no matter how arrogant he was, no one present could refute Huang Xiaolong’s statement, not even half a word!

The tune attracted birds, the sound of the Guqin resembled the king of birds!

Surely, this was a miracle!

A miracle within a miracle!

If Huang Xiaolong went on a global tour with this piece, he would undoubtedly become a sensational musician, attracting countless fanatical worship!

“Ah~!!!!!” Suddenly, the old man dressed in Tang costume burst into a roar!

All attention was drawn to him!

The old man’s face turned red, exuding an almost enlightened aura!

“Hehe~~” Huang Xiaolong glanced at the man in the Tang costume, whose eleven strands of True Qi had turned into twelve.

Clearly, Huang Xiaolong’s music earlier had enlightened the old man, breaking his bottleneck in martial arts training!

“Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix! Hahaha! What a Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!” The old man in the Tang costume’s eyes shone, breaking a decade-old training bottleneck!

Just now, Huang Xiaolong’s piece “Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” had touched his soul, freeing him from his shackles, and thus born was his twelfth strand of True Qi!

“Young man, I owe you a great favour today, I shall repay you in the future!” The old man in the Tang costume bowed to Huang Xiaolong!

Ka~~~~~~~~

Scary!

Everyone present turned green with fear!

They all knew that this old man in the Tang costume was incredibly powerful, at least a Grandmaster in martial arts. Even Wei Feiyang had to bow to him. Yet, he bowed deeply to Huang Xiaolong!

The Sun Family was stunned and elated, soul-shakingly astonished!

“No need. It’s your own opportunity that has arrived, you don’t have to thank me.” Huang Xiaolong said calmly.

“Please, follow me to meet my family’s Miss Aoshan,” the old man in Tang costume invited.

“No!!!!!” Wei Feiyang screamed in agony, like a wounded beast. “What merit or ability does he have to meet Miss Ying Aoshan? Besides, Miss Ying Aoshan has not recognized his Guqin skill! No!!!!!”

Just then, in the sky over the lawn, there rose a sweet, dreamlike, young girl voice——

“The son of a god, with a guqin tone that gathers birds, just like a dream. This is indeed the most wonderful and heart-stirring music Aoshan has ever heard in her life… Aoshan begs the son to join her for lunch. You’re right, it’s a great fortune to hear such a divine tune in Aoshan’s lifetime. I invite you, the first man I’ve brought home….”

When the girl finished speaking, her voice seemed to choke, as if the softest part of her soul had been pierced, and she was deeply moved!

“The son, Miss Aoshan has sent her invitation!” The old man in the Tang costume gestured politely to Huang Xiaolong.

“Uh-huh~~~” Huang Xiaolong glanced at Wei Feiyang, laughing cheerfully. “I’m hungry, let’s go eat. Hehe~~~~~”