Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Book 5: Chapter 9.1: A Hundred Birds’ Homage to the Phoenix, Part 1

Silver Moon Sea:

The heaven-grade zither Seven Kills stood upright with hands behind his back, looking at the dark clouds over Silver Moon City.

Seven Kills revealed a cold smile. “Feng Tonglao? You are truly bold, trying to kill the entire city with music and force Yun Mo to his death? You are truly infatuated with that Waner. Unfortunately, you are a midget. What wishful thinking! That Waner would not appreciate this at all.”

Seven Kills smiled as he listened to the music in the city. “The Silver Moon Mountain Manor? A starving camel is still larger than a horse. Even if it has declined to such a state, the citizens still support it. Back then, when Teacher Yinyue was alive, all the zitherists in the world adored Silver Moon Mountain Manor. Who would dare to cause trouble there? How unfortunate! How unfortunate!”

Seven Kills could hear the sounds in the city. However, he had no intention of helping the Silver Moon Mountain Manor. He just listened.

As Seven Kills listened, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

“Mister Gu? Gu Hai? Why do the citizens feel such anticipation?” Seven Kills felt slightly startled.

——

In Silver Moon City:

When “Murderous Ballad of the Ferocious Birds” rang throughout the city, Gu Hai activated the sound isolation barrier on his flying ship.

When the waves of ferocious birds appeared all over the city, the terrible scene caused changes in everyone’s expression on the flying ship.

This was not a physical attack. If it were ordinary birds, Bing Ji could deal with them. This was a mental attack; there was no way to touch them. Once one touched them, one’s mind would suffer an attack.

There were already people collapsed in the surroundings.

Countless citizens cried miserably as they curled up on the ground. Some died from fright, and some went mad. No one could escape. Be it human or animal, every living being was terrorized.

Flee? There were flying ships flying into the sky earlier. However, the high-frequency sounds of the birds exploded on them and forced the flying ships back down.

“Your Majesty, do you have a piece to deal with this?” Bing Ji suddenly looked at Gu Hai.

Deal?

Several musical pieces from Earth flashed in Gu Hai’s mind. However, would those pieces be useful? He was a fraud of a music Dao master. Every piece he came up with was the result of guesswork.

Gu Hai smiled bitterly. Before he could speak, the ferocious birds discovered Gu Hai’s flying ship and charged over.

Boom!

A loud report rang out as the high-frequency sound waves exploded the sound isolation barrier. The flying ship wobbled, appearing like it would fall.

When the barrier broke, the music poured into everyone’s ears.

Boom!

Gu Hai heard a loud sound like thunder going off in his ears. His hair stood on end. The music seemed to shake his soul.

Boom!

The Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal in his forehead space trembled, immediately stabilizing his trembling soul.

“What a terrible zither music attack!” Bing Ji’s expression changed.

Mo Yike’s expression changed dramatically as his heart pounded. The others were in even worse states.

“Mister Gu, quickly do something! Mister Gu, save the citizens! Mister Gu! Mister Gu!” the guard captain at the side called out anxiously.

Mister Gu?

Nearly all the trembling citizens curled up on the ground looked over. They saw a flying ship with a man in black embroidered robes standing on its bow.

“Gu Hai?”

“It’s Mister Gu! Mister Gu!”

“Mister Gu returned! Mister Gu, save us!”

Countless citizens immediately showed joy on their faces.

The citizens rejoiced, but Gu Hai felt helpless. Will my musical pieces work?

“Your Majesty, what a terrible music attack!” Mo Yike’s expression changed dramatically; he seemed to be struggling to hold on.

“Your Majesty, save us!” the other subordinates called out in horror.

Their courage had crumbled. Everyone’s heart pounded as they looked at Gu Hai in horror.

It was already too late for the flying ship to flee. The surrounding ferocious birds had discovered Gu Hai and charged over.

Are we fated to die of fright? Isn’t His Majesty’s…His Majesty’s music Dao very incredible? Your Majesty, save me! 

Everyone immediately focused on Gu Hai.

“Mister Gu, hurry! Hurry! Save the citizens! Mister Gu!” Yun Mo cried out excitedly.

Mister Gu arrived at this desperate moment? We are saved!

“Gu Hai?” When Feng Tonglao heard Gu Hai’s name, his expression suddenly turned cold.

“You are that Gu Hai? The one who smeared Junior Sister Waner’s reputation?” Feng Tonglao suddenly scowled ferociously.

Gu Hai had claimed Waner was his wife back in Major Metropolitan City. Feng Tonglao had long wanted to kill Gu Hai for that. However, he had not found a chance to do so yet. Now, Gu Hai was here?

“Mister Gu, I am a Sima Clan disciple. The young clan head, Sima Changkong, instructed me to let Mister Gu take charge if there is any danger and you are around,” the new city lord cried out joyfully.

Gu Hai’s eyelids twitched wildly. Everyone is looking at me. Can I do it?

“I’ll give it a try. Is there a piano around?” Gu Hai asked with a frown.

“Your Majesty. The piano! There’s a piano there!” Mo Yike pointed to the distant This Street’s Best Zither Pavilion.

That was the piano that Gu Hai played on the deck back then. Although he had left, the piano remained there.

Caw!

Suddenly, a ferocious bird charged down and crashed into that piano, releasing high-frequency sound waves.

Boom!

That piano instantly shattered into powder.

“I have a guqin! Use mine!” a zitherist below shouted.

Caw!

Many ferocious birds immediately charged over, preventing that zitherist from delivering the guqin.

Everyone on the flying ship frantically searched their belongings, but there was nothing.

“Nothing? Nothing? How can there be nothing?” Everyone felt anxious.

Then, the earlier guard captain took out a suona from his waist.

“Mister Gu, there is no guqin. Will this suona do?” the guard captain asked with a bitter expression.

[TL Note: A suona is a pipe-like instrument using a reed. Here is a Wikipedia entry on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suona.]

“A suona?” Gu Hai felt slightly startled. However, there was no time to consider, so he immediately took it.

A suona?

Gu Hai racked his brains, thinking of the many pieces he knew. There happened to be one that featured the suona.

Since Gu Hai started cultivating, his ability to adapt had become very strong. Although musical instruments were complicated to play, it was easy for him to pick them up, given how nimble he was. Furthermore, the suona was not that difficult to play.

Should I blow it myself?

That was useless. Gu Hai did not have the music Dao’s artistic conception.

“Zitherists, please use your artistic conception and imitate me!” Gu Hai shouted.

At the side, Bing Ji quickly activated a sound amplification ritual array.

Imitate you?

Countless zitherists felt startled. However, they did not have time to consider this, given the situation.

“Attack together! Kill him! Ferocious birds! Ferocious birds!” Feng Tonglao shouted.

As Feng Tonglao spoke, he sped up his playing of his guqin. The surrounding ferocious birds charged over, with a flock of vultures at the very lead, letting out loud cries. Even before they arrived, everyone on the flying ship felt chills.

Gu Hai picked up the suona, placed it at his mouth, and blew into it.

Toot! Toot! Toot!

The suona’s sound felt like a strange hoarse roar. The moment the first note came out, it sounded like an earth-shattering explosion, splitting the world apart.

Unfortunately, Gu Hai’s suona playing did not have any music Dao artistic conception. It was merely an ordinary piece. It felt shocking to listen to, but it did not achieve any other effect.

Feng Tonglao revealed a cold smile. “There is not even an iota of music Dao artistic conception. To think that you have the cheek to compete with me in music! Die, Gu Hai!”

Caw! Caw! Caw!

Many vultures changed over, showing ferocious expressions. They looked like they would disintegrate Gu Hai and his flying ship with high-frequency waves in the next instant.

Gu Hai’s suona only startled people; there was no music Dao artistic conception. However, what if it had a music Dao artistic conception?

As Gu Hai played, the first to imitate him was Yun Mo on a guqin.

Toot! Toot! Toot!

Now, due to the music Dao artistic conception, the vultures charging at Gu Hai suddenly paused.

These ferocious vultures seemed frozen there, in a daze.

“What?” Feng Tonglao’s expression changed. Why did my ferocious birds stop?

“It succeeded?” Countless citizens showed joyful expressions.

Aside from Yun Mo, many other zitherists also imitated Gu Hai’s suona playing. When they started playing, the ferocious birds charging at Gu Hai stopped instantly, appearing dazed.

“It succeeded?” the new city lord exclaimed in excitement.