Chapter 427: The Music of the Night
Aldrian was led to the neatly arranged plum blossom trees at the back of the mansion, where a vast garden stretched out before him. Although it was not the blooming season, and the trees did not display their full beauty, he did not mind.
He decided to sit under one of the plum blossom trees that he thought was good. Since it was not the blooming season, the tree’s branches were bare, without any blossoms, allowing him to see the clear night sky even as he sat beneath it. Looking up, he saw countless stars glimmering in his eyes. He liked gazing at the stars, just as "he" did.
"The stars are the jewels of the cosmos," he thought, repeating what "he" had once said.
Aldrian had agreed with everything "he" said back then. Because he loved watching the stars, he felt the vastness of the universe, which often made him wonder, What would it be like to fly to that star? Or how far is it? How long would it take to reach that place?
All of these thoughts, even if subconscious, were a form of intent—a driving force that pushed people to reach for the sky. They would strive toward that aspiration, and in doing so, new knowledge would emerge. And to think, it all started with something as simple as gazing at the stars.
Elena had already put some distance from him so as not to disturb him. Ever since Aldrian came out of the underground place, she had sensed something different about him, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. She only knew that, for now, he seemed to want to be alone.
After a few minutes of gazing at the stars, Aldrian suddenly took out a guqin and placed it in front of him. Although it was not the same guqin he had seen in his vision a few hours ago, the Spirit of the Great Path could serve as a substitute for now. He thought that the guqin from his vision was "his" original guqin—the Guqin of Origin.
Under the night sky, Aldrian finally began to play. The strings resonated with each pluck, weaving together a beautiful melody. At this moment, he played the same piece that the phoenix ancestor had once played when she sat beneath a plum blossom tree. It was the music she had said was inspired by "his" guqin playing.
Elena, who had been watching Aldrian’s every movement, was initially stunned when he took out a guqin. Can he really play? she wondered. But the moment his fingers touched the strings, her question was answered. A soothing melody filled the air, its beauty undeniable. Amazed by Aldrian’s skill, she simply sat, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be carried away by the music.