Chapter 15

Holy crap! This skill is heaven-defying, am I right?

This is the highest realm of playing funeral music!

Su Meng got more and more into it as he played—how had he never noticed before that the suona, that rogue of an instrument, could be this addictive?

This tune wasn't particularly long.

A few minutes later, Su Meng set down the suona, still wanting more.

The suona stopped, and only then did those crying voices gradually quiet down.

At Damenkou, the old man contentedly patted a few middle-aged men on the shoulders.

"Seeing you cry so sorrowfully, I can tell your bond with grandpa was truly deep."

"Old Uncle having such filial grandsons as you—he can rest without regrets in this life."

The surrounding onlookers all secretly nodded to themselves.

These grandsons cried with such genuine feeling, not a trace of falsehood—this is what true filial descendants look like!

The middle-aged men were also puzzled—why couldn't they hold back such heartbroken crying?

Still, being praised for being filial wasn't a bad thing.

"Seventh Uncle, you go in first, my dad and the others are all keeping vigil inside."

The old man nodded and ambled on in.

One middle-aged man scratched his head and asked in confusion.

"Big Brother, why couldn't I hold it in just now?"

Big Brother was also somewhat baffled.

"I know we're all filial, but the person's already gone—we shouldn't be too heartbroken."

"Dad and the others are all getting on in years, this matter still needs us to put in more effort."

"We've all cried ourselves out of strength now—who's going to handle this?"

The brothers nodded, just about to speak, when suddenly another mournful strain of suona drifted over.

Boundless sorrow was drawn out from every heart.

One by one they could hold back no longer, and once again burst into wailing sobs.

For a moment, inside and outside the mourning hall was once again enveloped in weeping.

……

In front of the suona troupe, Li Family's band leader was completely dumbfounded.

He swallowed hard and asked timidly.

"Old Wang, where did you hire this grand master from? This skill is unreal!"

"And what's that tune? I've been doing funeral gigs for so many years too, how come I've never heard it?"

Wang Laowu's expression was also a bit strange.

"You probably won't believe it if I tell you—this grand master is someone I picked up off the street!"

What? Li Family's band leader's eyeballs nearly popped out.

Picked up? Picked a suona grand master with heaven-defying skill right off the street?

Wang Laowu continued.

"All his tunes, he wrote them himself!"

"What he just played was called 'Crying at the Five Watches,' and this current one is called 'Crying to the Emperor of Heaven.'"

"He still has plenty of other tunes—things like 'The Grand Funeral,' 'Song of the Clear Sky,' 'Farewell Lament,' 'The Peaceful Road of the Western Journey'……"

Hearing him list off these tunes whose purpose was obvious from the names alone, Li Family's band leader grew increasingly bewildered.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

I've been playing funeral gigs for over twenty years—how come I don't know a single one of these tunes?

……

A new book sets sail—on my knees, I beg for all kinds of data!.