Gu Qingfeng stood silently beside the stone stele, watching and listening. Upon hearing that a full century had already passed since the Cataclysm of the Myriad Heavens, and that the era before the calamity was now classified as the Ancient Era, a wave of emotion washed over him.
To be honest, he wasn't the least bit surprised that the pre-calamity era had been relegated to antiquity.
Surveying history, the Desolate, Primeval, and Archaic Ages had each evolved in much the same way. Almost every time a great calamity occurred, it signified the end of one old era and the dawn of a new one.
As for why these calamities happened, and why the Heavenly Dao judged all the world's sins… one could only say it was the inevitable result of the Heavenly Dao's origin evolving, a necessary law of historical development.
The only thing that made him sigh was the realization that he had been 'unconscious' in Chiyan Ridge for a full hundred years…
This gave him some understanding.
"Aunt, do you think Lord Chixiao will truly be reincarnated?"
The young woman who looked valiant and heroic gazed at the stele and asked, "After the calamity, many Ancient great powers were reincarnated… Why is there no news of the Monarch at all?"
"How would I know about such things? Ever since the calamity, there have been rumors every year that the Monarch will be reincarnated… But they've been circulating for nearly a century now, and we still haven't seen his reincarnated person. Besides, the Monarch was judged by the Immortal Dao three hundred years ago, while the Gate of Reincarnation opened when the calamity occurred, right…"
"Wasn't it said that the Monarch wasn't actually judged to death by the Immortal Dao back then? That he ascended to the Celestial Realm under an assumed name? If that's really the case, the Monarch should also be reincarnated, right…"
"Girl, those are all just rumors. Whether the Monarch was truly judged to death by the Immortal Dao back then, no one knows."
Many Ancient great powers were reincarnated?
Listening to the conversation between the two women, Gu Qingfeng felt rather puzzled, but after thinking it over carefully, he soon understood.
Because he knew that when the calamity occurred, the laws of heaven and earth became chaotic and disorderly. Some heaven-shaking, earth-overturning great power—who knew who—actually managed to open the Gate of Reincarnation…
Many great powers, even Immortals and Demons, entered the Gate of Reincarnation to escape the calamity. Gu Qingfeng, however, due to some special reasons, failed to step into the Gate of Reincarnation.
He wondered if those old friends of his had been reincarnated or not…
Not far away, the young woman in white gazed at the stele, a flicker of yearning flashing in her beautiful eyes as she whispered softly, "It would be so nice if the Monarch were truly reincarnated…"
"I say, girl, you haven't become obsessed from playing too many of the Monarch's tunes, have you?"
The stunningly beautiful woman shot her a glance and said very seriously, "Your aunt advises you to play fewer of the Monarch's tunes from now on. Playing too many isn't good for you."
"Aunt! I just like the Monarch's tunes, how could I become obsessed? Honestly! Don't be so dramatic!"
"Girl, your aunt isn't joking with you. The Monarch's tunes are each more bizarre and profound than the last. Ordinary people simply can't handle them. In recent years, haven't there been plenty who became obsessed from playing the Monarch's tunes? Some even went mad… Have some sense. If you end up obsessed from playing the Monarch's tunes, how am I supposed to explain it to your mother…"
"Others are others. I, Ouyang Ye, would never become obsessed!"
The girl named Ouyang Ye tossed her aunt a disdainful look, then turned her gaze to the stele, sinking into deep contemplation. She loved music, had loved it since childhood. Especially after hearing the tunes left behind by the Monarch, she became utterly captivated. And strangely enough, every time she played the Monarch's tunes, she would feel an indescribable sensation, as if dreaming back to the Ancient Era and witnessing the Monarch's elegance firsthand, which fascinated her beyond measure.
Could playing the Monarch's tunes really lead to obsession?
No!
Impossible!
At least not for me.
Ouyang Ye shook her head very confidently, convinced she could never become obsessed.
Beside them, Gu Qingfeng listened while shaking his head with a bitter smile. He had indeed composed many tunes back in the day, and just as the beautiful woman said, many were quite bizarre. Ordinary people truly couldn't handle them. If it was said that playing those tunes could cause obsession, that was also possible, because music had the power to resonate with a person's spirit. If one's spirit wasn't strong enough, it was easy to be influenced by the music, to hallucinate, or even to become mentally disturbed.
What puzzled Gu Qingfeng, however, was that although he had been deeply engrossed in music for a long period back then and had composed many tunes, he had never taught anyone else how to play them. From the beautiful woman's words, it sounded like many people were playing his tunes, and some were even becoming obsessed?
If that were truly the case, then the sin was great indeed.
"Girl, don't blame your aunt for nagging. Over the past year, you've been coming here more and more often. Do you really think your aunt doesn't know what's on your mind?"
"Aunt! Don't talk nonsense, I don't have anything on my mind!"
"Girl, your aunt has been through it all. I've been playing music much longer than you, and my attainments are deeper. I've played quite a few of the Monarch's tunes myself. Do you know why there are so many people in the world who love listening to the Monarch's tunes? It's because his tunes possess a unique charm. To be precise, the Monarch himself was far too captivating."
"His piece 'Wind Over Great Green Mountain' is so soul-stirring and heroic. After listening, it easily causes a spiritual resonance, making one feel as if dreaming back through the ages, as if personally witnessing the Monarch's madness as he battled heroes alone on Great Green Mountain. Men who hear it feel their blood boiling with worship, women who hear it feel their hearts rippling with infatuation."
"And then there's 'Phoenix Seeks Phoenix'… Don't even get me started… That was the piece the Monarch played for the World-Honored Consort back then… So full of deep affection, so heartbreaking, it shatters the listener's soul… What ordinary woman wouldn't be moved after hearing it…"
"Aunt! That's you! I wasn't moved, and I'm certainly not infatuated…"
"Not moved? Not infatuated? Who are you trying to fool?"
The beautiful woman glanced at her and said irritably, "Then let me ask you, why have you been going to such great lengths recently to curry favor with Elder Huode? Every day it's either sending fine wine or delicious food…"
"Elder Huode is someone I respect the most. Is it wrong for me to be good to him?"
"You little brat, do you really take your aunt for a three-year-old child? You think your aunt doesn't know what you're scheming? You probably have your eye on the elder's Bloodflame Bracelet, don't you? As far as I know, that bracelet was personally forged by Lord Chixiao. If you're not infatuated with the Monarch, why would you want a bracelet he personally made?"
"I… I like magical treasures, is that wrong?"
"Enough, still trying to argue with me."
Looking at Ouyang Ye who stubbornly refused to admit it, the beautiful woman initially wanted to scold her a bit more, but after thinking about it, she decided to let it go and instead advised, "Girl, listen to your aunt's advice. In the future, just listen to the Monarch's tunes… Don't play them anymore… You really can become obsessed… Back in the day, your aunt almost…"
"Almost what?"
Ouyang Ye asked with a giggle.
The beautiful woman glared at her and said, "Just play fewer of the Monarch's tunes from now on, that's all. Don't forget, he was someone who fell into Demonic ways, and not just ordinary Demonic ways either. Otherwise, why do you think the Monarch was judged by the Immortal Dao?"
"Hey, Aunt, you've always admired the Monarch a lot, why are you talking about him like that now?"
"Your aunt admits she admires the Monarch. I admire his peerless talent, his aloof pride, his extraordinary attainments, his unrestrained audacity, and his domineering arrogance that laughed at the world. But admiration is one thing. I admire the Monarch, but that doesn't mean I'm infatuated with him. After all, he was someone who fell into Demonic ways. Since he was a Demon, he is a sinner of the Immortal Dao."
"Hmph!"
Ouyang Ye snorted coldly and stopped paying attention. She hated it when people called the Monarch a Demon, and she especially hated it when people called him a sinner of the Immortal Dao.
The beautiful woman also knew her niece didn't like hearing these things. She sighed helplessly, glanced at the sky, and asked, "It's getting late… Girl, I need to go see Chief Wang at the Weihu Gang later. Do you want to come with me?"
"Chief Wang? That fat pervert always looks at me with lecherous eyes. I'm not going with you. You go by yourself."
"Alright then. You head back to the manor first by yourself later."
Standing in the mausoleum, watching the beautiful woman's retreating figure, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but feel somewhat puzzled.
Just now, he heard the two women mention a Bloodflame Bracelet, and that it was something he personally forged back in the day?
Gu Qingfeng thought it over but had no impression of any Bloodflame Bracelet. In his lifetime, he had forged countless magical treasures—so many that even he himself didn't know exactly how many.
Wait!
Elder Huode?
Why did that sound so familiar?
Gu Qingfeng suddenly froze, and an image of a slovenly old man surfaced in his mind.
Could it be that old man Huode Zhenren?
Recalling carefully and remembering that this was Chiyan Ridge, Gu Qingfeng could almost certainly conclude that the 'Huode' mentioned by the two women must be that old scoundrel from back then who indulged in drinking, whoring, gambling, and setting traps. He vaguely recalled that the old man was from the Yunxia Sect, wasn't he?
Since the two women addressed him as 'Elder Huode,' that meant these two women were disciples of the Yunxia Sect?
Yunxia Sect…
That was the largest cultivation sect in the surrounding region back in the day…
That old man Huode.
Heh!
He had left this world for over three hundred years, hadn't he?
He wondered how that old man was doing now…
The beautiful woman had been gone for quite a while, but the young girl named Ouyang Ye didn't seem to have any intention of leaving. She just stood there, head raised, gazing at the stele, her expression somewhat lost as she murmured softly.
"Monarch, are you truly a sinner of the Immortal Dao?"
"Of course not."
"Although I still can't play that tune you composed before falling into Demonic ways… Hmm… Maybe with my musical attainments, I'll never be able to play it. But I was once fortunate enough to hear Elder Sister Su play it once. From that tune, I could clearly understand that your descent into Demonic ways was completely against your will."
"Even if the whole world says you are a Demon, a sinner of the Immortal Dao, you will always be the peerless hero in my heart."
"Hmm, Monarch, will you truly be reincarnated…"
"Many people say you were judged to death by the Immortal Dao three hundred years ago… That you couldn't possibly be reincarnated…"
"But others also say you weren't judged to death by the Immortal Dao three hundred years ago… That you ascended to the Celestial Realm under an assumed name…"
"I think, if you truly ascended to the Celestial Realm, you would have surely encountered the Cataclysm of the Myriad Heavens a hundred years ago. I heard that when the calamity occurred, the Gate of Reincarnation was opened… Many Immortals and Demons were reincarnated… If you really did ascend to the Celestial Realm back then, you would definitely be reincarnated too, right…"
"But… rumors about your reincarnation have been circulating for nearly a century now… Almost every year they spread, so why is it that we still haven't seen you reincarnated…"
"How wonderful it would be if you were truly reincarnated… I really, really want to meet you just once… I also want to thank you for your tunes, which have kept me company all these years… And have taught me so much."
Ouyang Ye stood before the stele murmuring to herself. Ever since becoming fascinated with Lord Chixiao's tunes, she had come to the mausoleum almost every so often to speak her mind.
Throughout Gu Qingfeng's life, he had achieved the Immortal Dao, ascended to the peak of the Demonic Dao, and even defied the Heavenly Dao. He had experienced great rises and falls, seen the grand spectacles of the world. Now that the Heavenly Dao had stripped him of everything, returning him to his youthful hometown, standing in his own mausoleum, watching a young girl pour out her heart to his tombstone, he felt an indescribable emotion within.
Seeing the young girl's lost expression and yearning gaze, Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly, couldn't help but sigh, walked over, and said.
"Young lady, I advise you to play fewer of Gu Tianlang's tunes from now on."
Ouyang Ye, who had been immersed in melancholy, suddenly heard these words. She was taken aback at first, then after reacting, stared at this disheveled, wretched-looking fellow and retorted unhappily, "Who are you? It's none of your business!"
"Who am I?"
This question left Gu Qingfeng momentarily at a loss for how to answer. He looked up at his own tombstone and suddenly found it rather amusing. He said, "I'm just a passerby. Seeing you talking to yourself here, I couldn't help but come over to advise you. Actually, what your aunt said is correct. Gu Tianlang is merely a sinner of the Immortal Dao. In the end, he was a Demon after all. Why must you…"
Before he could finish, Ouyang Ye instantly turned around. Her exquisite face was covered in frost, her eyes glaring at Gu Qingfeng with anger as she coldly snapped, "I warn you, if you dare speak another bad word about the Monarch, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Ouyang Ye could tolerate her aunt calling the Monarch a sinner of the Immortal Dao, but she absolutely would not allow anyone else to say it.
Perhaps because this suddenly appearing stinky beggar had disturbed her mood, Ouyang Ye didn't stay any longer. She merely took one last look at the tombstone before turning and leaving.
"Still so young…" Watching the young girl's retreating figure, Gu Qingfeng thought for a moment, then followed. Since this girl was a disciple of the Yunxia Sect, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go see that old man Huode.