One minute later.

Lin Feng stopped playing, as he had finished this short piece, and he was ready to leave!

The old man slowly came out from his trance, looking at Lin Feng with extremely complex emotions!

It was real!!

This young man in front of him could actually play the long-lost piece "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix"!!

He could tell from the first note that Lin Feng wasn’t lying!

This version of "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" was worlds apart from the so-called versions we have today, like the difference between clouds and mud!

"Uh, sir, I’m leaving now."

Seeing the old man had come to, Lin Feng gently spoke, picking up the already paid-for instrument.

"Hey, young man, wait a minute."

The old man called out to stop Lin Feng.

Lin Feng was a bit puzzled, wondering if the old man wanted to trick him; he had already paid for the instrument and hoped he wouldn’t try to pull a fast one on him.

"Uh, what is it, sir? I’ve already paid for this instrument!"

Lin Feng blurted out.

The old man: "..."

The old man heard the implication in Lin Feng’s words and was a bit speechless...

What does this kid take me for!

Then the old man adjusted his expression and spoke seriously...

"Young man, this Green Lute is a family heirloom of mine."

Lin Feng nodded; he already knew this.

The old man had mentioned it earlier, so he wasn’t sure why he was bringing it up again now.

The old man continued speaking.

"The origins of ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’ you must be aware of, young man. It was lost after Sima Xiangru, and for many years no one could reproduce it!"

"Even if someone could play it, it was just a patchy reconstruction from fragments in ancient texts, lacking that feeling, let alone capturing the breathtaking brilliance of Sima Xiangru’s piece."

Saying this, the old man sneaked a look at Lin Feng.

To be honest, Lin Feng didn’t know that no one could reproduce ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’; it was a gift when the system bestowed him with mastery in musical instruments. He knew it was difficult, but he hadn’t expected no one today to be able to play it!

The old man continued speaking.

"My family has a passed-down saying: A treasured sword is given to a hero, and a lute is given to a connoisseur. If any descendants can reproduce the true ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix,’ the ’Green Lute’ shall be given to them!"

"Uh..."

"Sir, this shouldn’t be taken seriously!"

"After all, this Green Lute is priceless today, and even in ancient times, it was invaluable. Such a saying shouldn’t be taken seriously!"

Lin Feng quickly spoke.

He couldn’t just take someone’s priceless heirloom because of what the old man said!

As Lin Feng was about to continue speaking, the old man waved his hand and said.

"Young man, hear me out!"

"My family has adhered to these passed-down traditions for generations!"

"Yet from ancient times to now, no one has truly been able to reproduce Sima Xiangru’s ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’!"

"So this Green Lute has remained, passed down within my family throughout the generations!"

At this point, the old man looked at Lin Feng seriously and asked.

"Young man, are you curious why my family has always been so persistent with this tradition?"

"Yes."

Lin Feng nodded.

The old man continued to speak slowly.

"You see, my family’s surname is Zhuo!"

"Uh..."

This time, it was Lin Feng’s turn to be shocked...

"Uh..."

Lin Feng looked at the old man in amazement, so, Elder Zhuo...

From Elder Zhuo’s words, Lin Feng roughly understood that his family should be descendants of Zhuo Wenjun!

It’s said that Sima Xiangru eventually abandoned Zhuo Wenjun...

After marrying the talented Zhuo Wenjun, Sima Xiangru lived a life he envied, like mandarin ducks more than immortals.

However, later, Xiangru was favored by the Emperor, residing long in Jingcheng, seeing many beauties, and eventually grew tired of Wenjun.

One day, he sent her a "strange letter," asking for a reply.

Zhuo Wenjun, in anticipation of her husband’s letter, was ecstatic!

But upon opening it, her heart sank.

The letter contained only the cold thirteen characters: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand.

The clever Zhuo Wenjun saw that the word "billion" was missing after "ten thousand," ripping her heart apart, her eyes filled with tears.

Because "no billion" sounded like "no intent," indicating her husband had "no intent" for her anymore!

She endured her grief and wrote a "reverse poem" called "Poem of Resentment" back to Sima Xiangru:

After one farewell, two places yearn, saying it was for three or four months, little did we know it’s been five or six years, the seven-stringed lute is played without intention, eight lines of letters have no news to send, the nine interlocking rings are broken, gazing out for miles, longing for hundreds of thoughts, thousands of concerns, lamenting in helplessness.

Countless words can’t explain, dull leaning on the railing for ten, climbing high on the ninth festival to see a lonely goose, in mid-autumn August the moon is full but people aren’t, lighting incense on the seventh month’s half, questioning the heavens, in the three hottest months of June, everyone fans themselves, but my heart is cold, in fiery May, cold rain drenches the flowers, in April loquats aren’t yet yellow, I wish to face the mirror, in March peach blossoms drift with water, in February the kite’s string breaks, alas! Dear husband, may in the next life you be woman, I man!

Lastly, Sima Xiangru was moved by Zhuo Wenjun, recalling their hardships together, not wanting to let Zhuo Wenjun meet a tragic end, so he gave up the idea.

Thereafter, the two grew old together, living a tranquil life in harmony, spending another ten years together before Sima Xiangru passed away due to illness.

The following autumn, Zhuo Wenjun also joined Sima Xiangru in the afterlife.

"Whew..."

Lin Feng let out a long breath, thinking how Zhuo Wenjun, not only in ancient times but even today, would be considered a bold and passionate woman!

Though life had its challenges, the outcome was better than expected, something to be grateful for!

Lin Feng thought of Zhang Yuxi, silently vowing never to let Zhang Yuxi experience such pain!

The old man observed Lin Feng’s contemplation and didn’t interrupt.

Seeing Lin Feng come back to himself, he gently spoke.

"Young man, you should know, what I said was true, the tradition cannot be defied!"

Lin Feng nodded.

Although he was unsure why Zhuo Wenjun’s descendants carried her surname instead of Sima, the tradition she left of gifting the ’Green Lute’ to a true friend was likely to honor her husband Sima Xiangru...

Perhaps it also hoped that lovers in later generations would grow old together just as she and Sima Xiangru eventually did!

Despite Sima Xiangru considering separation, during that time, when men were predominant, he chose to grow old with Zhuo Wenjun, making him a good man.

This fact doesn’t align with some theatrical or literary portrayals of him being a scoundrel!

Considering the times, Sima Xiangru was actually quite a decent man!

Then Elder Zhuo insisted on gifting the Green Lute to Lin Feng, but Lin Feng kept declining!

Considering the Green Lute is truly too precious, akin to a stranger suddenly insisting on giving you billions for unverifiable reasons, would you dare accept?

Lin Feng thought that a normal person wouldn’t dare to accept, nor be comfortable accepting!

Because you never know if they genuinely mean it!

In the end, Lin Feng did not accept Elder Zhuo’s goodwill.

Had he bought it, Lin Feng would think nothing of it, but to take someone’s priceless heirloom for free, that was a no-go.

Elder Zhuo felt a swirl of disappointment, asking for Lin Feng’s name and contact information.

He told Lin Feng, even if he didn’t accept the Green Lute now, it would always be his for the taking.

Lin Feng smiled, saying no more.

Suddenly reminded of something, Lin Feng smiled and said to Elder Zhuo.

"By the way, Elder Zhuo, in a few days, I’ll be holding an engagement banquet at the Yangcheng Hotel, and if you’d like to hear the full version of ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix,’ you can bring this Green Lute and attend!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Zhuo was delighted, eagerly nodding in agreement!

He too was immensely looking forward to hearing the complete ’Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’!

After speaking, Lin Feng turned and left...