Chapter 90

Lu Zheng had not yet answered when Xin'er quickly said, "Uncle Yue, this is a piece of music that Xiaoge composed himself!" Her expression was very proud, as if she had composed the piece herself.

Yue Zhongping was even more surprised: "Composed yourself? The melody is undulating, the rhythm is wondrous, and it has a regal air. Lu Zheng, how did you compose such a piece?"

Lu Zheng bowed to Yue Zhongping and said, "I heard the hooves of Xiaobai when he was running, and I found them very pleasant. So, while practicing the zither, I naturally incorporated them into the strings. Mr. Yue, this piece is not yet mature. Please give me your guidance."

Yue Zhongping nodded and said, "Play it again, let me hear it."

Lu Zheng then played the piece again. Yue Zhongping listened and found that Lu Zheng started with the Shang tone, mainly using plucking techniques, controlling the strings with a mix of tightness and looseness, and his fingers moved swiftly but orderly. The middle part of the piece featured the sound of hooves, as if heading somewhere, and the string sounds were vibrant, as if about to burst forth. The piece conveyed a profound and grand vitality, invigorating the listener.

When the piece ended, Yue Zhongping sincerely remarked, "All things have sounds, but only those with a master can produce harmonious sounds. Lu Zheng, you can compose music by listening to the sound of hooves, which shows that you are a person who can take the lead!"

Xin'er was puzzled and said, "All things have sounds, but only those with a master can produce harmonious sounds? Uncle Yue, what do you mean by that? Xin'er doesn't quite understand!"

Yue Zhongping smiled and patted Xin'er's head. Just as he was about to answer, he noticed Lu Zheng standing there, deep in thought, and said, "Lu Zheng, what do you think this means?"

Lu Zheng bowed and said, "I will try to answer, please give me your guidance, Mr. Yue."

Lu Zheng did not hesitate and began to answer. Yue Zhongping smiled approvingly and nodded, saying, "Feel free to speak."

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "All things in the world can make sounds. Dragons can sing, tigers can roar, dogs can bark, and wolves can howl... just like Xiaobai, who often neighs. Besides, the wind can make all things rustle or whistle, and there are the tinkling of springs and the rustling of leaves. Although these sounds are pleasant, they are without intention. Sounds without intention do not express joy or anger, happiness or sorrow, so although they are pleasant to the ear, they lack the seven emotions. As for the singing of dragons and tigers, the barking of dogs, and the howling of wolves, although they may be angry over food or sing for mating, they come from the heart, but are often rough and direct, not enough to please the ear.

What Mr. Yue means by harmonious sounds is those that not only contain the seven emotions but are also pleasant to the ear. Such sounds are not only full of emotion but also have a clear rhythm and structure, making their meaning clear. When people hear these sounds, they know what the sound's owner is thinking, whether they are happy or sad, and can be moved. To produce such sounds, one must have genuine self-awareness, not be lost in emotions, and know what they are doing. Thinking about it, it seems that only humans can be considered as having a master."

Lu Zheng spoke these words while thinking, some of which he had read in books, and some were his own experiences. After he finished, he noticed that Mr. Yue and Xin'er were silent, so he asked, "Mr. Yue, am I correct?"

Yue Zhongping clapped his hands lightly and praised, "Lu Zheng, not only do you play the zither well, but you also read well! As the saying goes, mountains and waters are without intention, and the wind and moon are without emotion, as they are all part of nature. The sounds of tigers and wolves are wild and hard to tame, indeed rough and unpleasant. These sounds are endless and belong to nature, and cannot transcend it. In contrast, the zither is different. The zither has a wooden body and silk strings. Its beauty lies in the fact that its sound, though natural, transcends nature, expressing human emotions and conveying one's intentions, while still being in harmony with nature..."

As Mr. Yue spoke, Xin'er began to lose track, but Lu Zheng listened intently, seemingly gaining some insight. She saw Lu Zheng nodding slightly as he listened, and she couldn't help but nod along.

Mr. Yue was in high spirits and spoke for a long time. In the end, he sat on the ground with Lu Zheng, discussing how to improve the piece and suggested naming it "The White Horse Tune."

However, it took another half a month to fully refine the piece. After the changes, it became more refined and profound, with a grander atmosphere. Originally, Mr. Yue suggested naming it "The White Horse Tune," but after some thought, Lu Zheng felt it wasn't quite right. In the end, he decided to name it "The Nameless Tune."

The days passed with the beautiful sounds of "The Nameless Tune."

One day, after finishing his archery practice, Lu Zheng put down his black bow and sighed, "It seems the stronger the body, the greater the strength in the waist and hips!"

It turned out that not long ago, Li Yi had already had Lu Zheng switch from the bamboo bow to the black bow he had used before and moved the target back thirty yards. With Lu Zheng's current strength, the combined power of his waist and hips was just enough to draw the black bow, but his body was still not strong enough. However, compared to when he first arrived at the Sun and Moon Hut, he had grown much stronger and taller, now surpassing Xin'er by more than half a head.

Lu Zheng put away his bow and arrows, whistled, and Xiaobai came running over. This was a habit he had developed, to run a few laps with Xiaobai after archery practice.

Just as Lu Zheng was about to mount Xiaobai, he suddenly heard another horse neigh, but it wasn't Xiaobai. Curious, he looked in the direction of the sound and saw his teacher walking towards the training ground, followed by a black horse.

The black horse had a shiny coat and a graceful posture, and its presence was impressive. Lu Zheng immediately knew it was a horse that could rival Xiaobai!

The moment the black horse appeared, Xiaobai let out a sharp neigh, lifting his front hooves repeatedly. Lu Zheng, who knew Xiaobai well, could tell that Xiaobai was extremely excited and had a hint of anger, as if he felt challenged.

What was wrong with Xiaobai? Lu Zheng was puzzled. Suddenly, the black horse, perhaps influenced by Xiaobai, also lifted its front hooves and neighed, with the same excitement and anger as Xiaobai.

After the black horse responded, Xiaobai suddenly charged at it, so fast that Lu Zheng almost fell over. The black horse behind Li Yi also charged like a black lightning bolt. The two horses, one white and one black, turned into two shadows and rushed towards each other!

Lu Zheng immediately understood that both Xiaobai and the black horse were challenging each other and wanted to compete!

Lu Zheng was worried about Xiaobai and feared he might be hurt by the black horse, so he called out to him repeatedly. But since being tamed, Xiaobai, who usually came at a call, this time seemed to ignore him and continued to run towards the black horse as fast as he could!

The two horses quickly approached each other, and just as they were about to collide, Lu Zheng couldn't help but cry out in alarm, not wanting to see a bloody scene and about to turn away. Suddenly, both horses stopped abruptly in their high-speed run, almost touching each other's noses, making Lu Zheng break out in a cold sweat.

Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. Both horses could stop immediately at high speed, showing their strong control. Lu Zheng was not surprised that Xiaobai could do it, but the black horse could also do it, indicating that it was no ordinary horse. Today, Xiaobai had met a formidable opponent.

The two horses, one black and one white, stared at each other, completely still, creating a tense atmosphere. Anyone could tell that the two horses would soon engage in a fierce battle.

Lu Zheng called out a few more times, but Xiaobai didn't even turn his head, his focus so intense that Lu Zheng also fell silent.

A gust of wind blew a few leaves past, and the two horses suddenly turned and galloped in the same direction, like black and white lightning, disappearing from Lu Zheng's sight in an instant. They were indeed going to determine a winner!

The training ground was a vast illusionary array, seemingly endless, and even if they ran from one end, they could reappear from the other. It was perfect for them to reach their top speed.

Seeing the horses run off, Lu Zheng walked over to Li Yi and bowed, asking, "Teacher, where did this black horse come from?"

Li Yi replied, "Wherever Xiaobai came from, this black horse came from the same place. You don't need to worry too much. Let's wait and see who wins."

It turned out that the black horse also came from the Land of Nothingness, no wonder it could keep up with Xiaobai. Lu Zheng felt relieved. Now, he was determined to cheer for Xiaobai and looked around, wondering from which direction they would reappear.

Suddenly, two figures emerged from the white mist on the left, it was Xiaobai and the black horse. Lu Zheng could see clearly that the black horse was now behind Xiaobai. He shouted excitedly, "Xiaobai, good job, don't lose to it!"

Encouraged by his owner, Xiaobai neighed and sped up. But the black horse was not to be outdone and quickly caught up, and the two horses were almost neck and neck, disappearing again in a flash.

Lu Zheng waited for a while, seeing that his teacher was calm and focused, and asked, "Teacher, will Xiaobai win?" He was still a bit afraid of Li Yi, but after being with him for a long time, he gradually felt more comfortable speaking to him.

But Li Yi did not answer, and Lu Zheng did not dare to speak again. This was not the first time, and he knew that his teacher had his reasons for not speaking. He thought to himself, that's right, he almost forgot that his teacher never said anything he did not know or was unsure about. This was his teacher's rule.

But he was also curious. Did his teacher not care at all whether Xiaobai would win or the black horse would win? Or did his teacher already know and just didn't want to tell him?

While he was thinking, the horses' neighs echoed like metal splitting, and the two horses reappeared, this time with the black horse in the lead and Xiaobai right behind. But soon, Xiaobai caught up and refused to let the black horse take the lead. It seemed the two horses were determined to compete to the end. Lu Zheng noticed that the black horse was not just running but also bumping into Xiaobai, which made him frown and say, "This black devil is really cunning!"

The two horses ran back and forth more than ten times, sometimes with Xiaobai in the lead, sometimes with the black horse. They never truly determined a winner. Seeing this, Li Yi waited until the horses ran by again and suddenly appeared in front of them, waving his sleeves to cover their eyes, and both horses stopped immediately!

Lu Zheng ran over and saw that Xiaobai was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, clearly very tired, and the black horse was in a similar state. But the two horses kept kicking and bumping each other, clearly still不服气 (unwilling to admit defeat).

Lu Zheng, feeling sorry for Xiaobai, led him to the side and comforted him, "Xiaobai, you've already won, why are you still competing with him!" He patted Xiaobai's saddle and said, "You're carrying a saddle, how can you not win!"

Xiaobai seemed to understand and neighed repeatedly, shaking his body at the black horse to show the saddle on his back. But the black horse looked at him with disdain, stomped the ground with its hooves, and shook its body, then turned its head away, clearly still不服气 (unwilling to admit defeat).

Seeing the black horse's actions, Xiaobai was taken aback and lowered his head, looking very dejected. Lu Zheng initially didn't understand, but then he recalled the black horse's actions and realized that Xiaobai was showing the saddle on his back to prove he was faster, but the black horse was mocking him for being tamed and carrying a saddle.

Both Xiaobai and the black horse were kings of horses, raised freely in the Land of Nothingness. Now, being tamed, they naturally felt inferior in front of their own kind. Lu Zheng understood this and suddenly took off Xiaobai's saddle, threw it on the ground, and stomped it to pieces, then kicked the broken saddle towards the black horse. He stood next to Xiaobai and made a face at the black horse!

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