An Unfortunate Song

In the Spirit Affinity House sect, two individuals were playing instruments - one the guqin, and the other, a xiao.

The notes started off soft and gentle, flowing through the wind as if it were the whispers of young children singing at a school ceremony. As their melody continued, the notes grew louder and more vibrant, swirling the air, and pulling the leaves off the trees with it. As they reached the climax of their performance, the trees and grass around them began to change. From the branches where the leaves ripped off, new leaves sprouted. The ground once barren, now with flowers blooming in an abundance of colors, filling the air with the sweet scent of nectar. The notes flowing from their instruments then shifted to something more warm and comforting, signaling the start of summer.

Each change to the notes brought along with it a new season and environment. The notes of their guqin and xiao brought forth a riot of colors: the chill of autumn, the frost and snow of winter, the sweet scent of spring, and back again to the warm embrace of summer.

This went on for hours upon hours, only stopping when a young girl came running to them, interrupting their performance.

Taking a break from using the guqin, Feng Jiu Ge with a smile picked up Feng Jin Huang, stating, "I do apologize Shi Yan Er, but it looks like our practice will need to take a break."

Shi Yan Er formally known as 142, nodded his head before greeting, "And what brings Little Feng Jin Huang to our enlightenment area?"

"I'm 13! That makes me all grown up!" Feng Jin Huang retorted indignantly.

Shi Yan chuckled, "Of course, of course, like I said, what brings Little Feng to our enlightenment area?"

Feng Jin Huang's face scrunched up in anger as she replied, "Dad! Mom says she wants to talk to you about the inheritance opening up in a few years."

Placing her on the ground, Feng Jiu Ge chuckled, "I do hope everything's alright."

Before leaving, Shi Yan then handed a Book Gu to Feng Jiu Ge with a song titled, 'Shut Up and Dance'. Upon reading it he frowned, expressing his distaste, "This is what you call incredibly cheesy, right?"

"Romance is meant to be cheesy," Shi Yan replied as he playfully slapped Feng Jiu Ge on the backside.

Feng Jiu Ge could feel his eyes twitch as he grumbled, "You're the weirdest person I've ever met." He began to walk away when suddenly he paused before adding, "Don't teach my daughter anything strange, got it!"

"You think too little of me. What do you think I would teach a child?" Shi Yan retorted with a grin.

Feng Jiu Ge turned his head back to Shi Yan with narrowed eyes, suspicion evident in his expression, before letting out a disgruntled sigh while walking away.

Once Feng Jiu Ge had departed, Shi Yan turned to Feng Jin Huang with a smile. He squatted down to her level and reached out his hand to pat her on the head while faintly whispering, "Would you like me to read your future?"

Feng Jin Huang widened her eyes in surprise, gasping, "You can do that?"

With a nod of his head, Shi Yan began gently tapping his fingers on her head, reading the frequencies that bounced off her body. The first ones were faint and short like fading memories, he skipped past those ones. Next came ones that were fast and erratic, constantly bouncing around, he too skipped past them. When suddenly like a tight chord on a fishing line, he caught onto one solid and firm. He took a deep breath and felt the chord wrap around his body, feeling every vibration, every pull, and every twist as it tried to resist him from reading it.

After a while a heavy frown formed on his face and with a grave undertone, he stated, "Once I reveal the future you, there will be no going back, do you understand?"

Feng Jin Huang's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of uncovering her fate, "Yes, please!" She eagerly blurted out, unaware of the lifeline that Shi Yan had tossed her.

Shi Yan stood up with his arms opening up wide while taking out a multitude of instruments reminiscent of his time on earth before activating tens of Floating Hand Gu to help with playing them. "In your future, you will become a warrior, so it's only fitting I sing 'Warriors feat. Edda Hayes' for you."

He then adjusted his vocal cords before letting out the sweet voice of a woman:

"

As a child, you would wait

And watch from far away

But you always knew that you'd be the one

That work while they all play

"

As the melody of the song filled the air, Feng Jin Huang closed her eyes and let the music take her away. The lyrics spoke of bravery, courage, and the unyielding spirit of a warrior. With each note, she felt a surge of power within her, as if the music was calling forth the spirit of a warrior.

When the song ended, she opened her eyes to see Shi Yan handing her a small jade pendant, stating, "Every time you look at this jade pendant, remember these important words." He took a pause to clear his throat before adding, "When the world conspires against you and it feels like you can no longer hold on, that is precisely the moment to persist, for it is in that precise moment that will define your future."

Feng Jin Huang held the jade pendant in her hand and felt its warmth. She looked up at Shi Yan, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I don't quite understand, but I'll make sure to always remember."

Shi Yan smiled and ruffled her hair, "Your spirit is that of a warrior, but whether it's a blessing or a curse is yet to be revealed."