Death Flute
Chi Meng Huan's

From that day on, Chien Wan practiced blowing flutes from Uncle Khung. It turns out that learning to blow a flute is harder than practicing kung fu. In kung fu practice, slightly different movements of the trained movements are not a problem. As long as it corresponds to the next movement, a slight difference will not result in confusion. But in terms of music, a little wrong will lead to a fatal mistake.

For example in terms of blowing flute. If the finger did not precisely cover the hole, the resulting sound would be far from expected. The right fingers should be placed in the right hole, otherwise the resulting sound will become chaotic. The same is true with blowing. A soft sound can only be produced by a gentle blow with both lips almost closed. Conversely, a loud bang will produce a shrill and unpleasant sound to hear.

At the beginning of the practice, Uncle Khung gave Chien Wan a stack of books on the theory of blowing the flute. Under the watchful eye of Uncle Khung, Chien Wan studied it closely. Chien Wan must practice breathing, relax her fingers, and must learn to master lip movements.

There is one thing that Uncle Khung has always emphasized:

“If you want to be able to blow the flute well and produce beautiful music from it, you must love and keep your flute as you love and take care of your life!”

That sentence was implanted Chien Wan wholeheartedly.

The first days of training were shitty days for Chien Wan. He always sounds the wrong note, or misplays his finger. If he wants to sound a soft tone, even a deafening sound comes out. If he wants to sound a passionate tone, it does not even sound out at all.

Uncle Khung often had to endure his gelatinous smile witnessing the ridiculousness that Chien Wan made. Even so, he was amazed at Chien Wan's spirit. Apparently the boy really likes music and really wants to be able to play the flute well.

After practicing for some time, Chien Wan was finally able to play simple songs with her flute. During this time he practiced using simple distilled Uncle Khung.

“You have advanced, Chien Wan,” said Uncle Khung at a dim twilight in the yard of his residential hut.

“But I want to be able to play a song like the one Uncle played that day,” said Chien Wan. “It feels like I've been practicing for a long time, but a song that I can new a song like this.”

Uncle Khung grunts. “Six months can't be said for long!”

“But...”.

“Of course you will be able to play that song, as well as other more beautiful songs. That's all you can do after you've mastered the flute blowing techniques deeply. You have to practice a lot!”

Chien Wan looked down.

“Or do you want to just give up?”

Chien Wan's head immediately lifted. “No, Uncle! I want to be able to blow the flute perfectly!”

“Eatya, you must not despair.”

“I promise to keep practicing, Uncle.”

Uncle Khung nodded in satisfaction.

While in front of Uncle Khung, Chien Wan turned into more cheerful and excited. Different from his attitude in front of others. Chien Wan considers Uncle Khung like his own father. Since childhood, Chien Wan never had a father figure. He only lives alone with his mother. Now he has a picture of a father in Uncle Khung.

Uncle Khung treated Chien Wan well. His attitude was cold and loner, similar to Chien Wan's own. But sometimes, if he believes no one is paying attention, he likes to look at Chien Wan with warmth.

\*\*\*

The friendship between Sen Khang, Chien Wan, and Ting Ting was already tightly intertwined. Among the three, Sen Khang has the most superior silat intelligence. He often acts as a coach for the other two children, especially if his father does not have time to train them.

One day, Mr. Luo announced that he was going to the Capital to meet his friend who was a palace official. He and Official Chi Kian have been friends since they became students at Kun Lun College.

“What did Brother Chi experience so having to tell you to his place, My husband?” ask Madam Luo.

Mr. Luo shook his head. “I don't know for sure either. I'd better get going.”

While Mr. Luo hurried to pack with his wife, Sen Khang took his sister and best friend to the training ground. Face grim. Actually his father had promised to teach him the basic swordsmanship of their family. But apparently the need to go to see the Chi Office was more urgent. The three of them sat there silent.

“What does Uncle Chi need, Brother?” Ting Ting's melodious voice broke the silence.

No one knows what happened next. After leaving for nearly ten days, Mr. Luo came home with a handsome boy. The boy was about the same age as Chien Wan and Sen Khang, probably only slightly younger.

“Dad!” ting Ting exclaimed as he ran towards his father. Mr. Luo laughed as he lifted his daughter into his carriage. The boy looked at Ting Ting with admiration.

Madam Luo approached her husband with a happy smile.

After Mr. Luo and the boy went to take a bath and eat, all of them—including Chien Wan— sat in the living room. Prepare to listen to Mr. Luo's story.

Mr. Luo clasped the shoulder of the boy who was with him. “This child is Brother Chi's son, his name is Chi Meng Huan,” told his wife.

Chi Meng Huan stood up and clasped her hands together, greeting politely. “How are you, Aunty?” a note to Madam Luo. “How are you, Friends?” answer to the other three children.

“Good, Meng Huan. Sit.” Gently, Madam Luo patted the child on the shoulder.

“Kakak Chi asked me to take Meng Huan to our house so that I could train her,” said Mr Luo. Then he turned his eyes to Sen Khang. “Sen Khang, I hope you can help him train. Meng Huan had never studied silat before. She needs help.”

“Good, Father.”

“Well, take Meng Huan to the training room. I'll be following soon,” Lord Luo's orders.

After the four children went to the training room, then Mr. Luo told his wife the true story. Actually, Officer Chi is under threat. Someone from his wife's past comes terrorizing their family.

Office Wife Chi when her girl was named Ho Chui Lan. She is very beautiful and the daughter of a swordsman who heads a silat college. He had an unwise relationship with his elder brother, but he had been betrothed to Chi Kian, the son of the court official. The relationship broke up and Ho Chui Lan married Chi Kian. But apparently, his brother was very angry because of being betrayed. A year ago, Madam Chi was found dead in her room while Official Chi was being summoned to the palace. Chi officials were devastated, but tried to protect her son's feelings by saying that his mother died of sudden illness, when clearly Madam Chi was killed.

Now the man spreads a threat that he will kidnap Officer Chi's son and will kill him. Therefore, Official Chi contacted Mr. Luo— whom he knew had a high intelligence— to protect Meng Huan.

“Gosh!” Madam Luo covered her mouth in horror. He had met with Madam Chi, and admitted that the woman was indeed beautiful. I never thought his past was like that.

“This must be kept secret from children,” stressed Mr Luo.

“Of course, My Husband. But I'm actually more worried about Brother Chi. What if that fellow got even more angry after not finding Meng Huan, and ended up harming Big Brother Chi? You yourself once said, Brother Chi is very good in the science of governance but less agile in silat.”

“I also told him that, but he said he was protected by a trained palace guard. He was only worried about Meng Huan.”

While the parents were discussing, the children introduced themselves to each other.

“My name is Luo Sen Khang, this is my younger sister Ting Ting, and the one in black is our best friend Chien Wan.”

“It's nice to be together. I'm an only child, so always lonely. My mother died a year ago. Dad said, mom's really sick.” Meng Huan lowered her head.

“Don't be sad, Big Brother Huan,” Ting Ting touched Meng Huan's arm with pity.

Meng Huan's smile fell. “Tak apa.”

“How old are you, Meng Huan?” ask Sen Khang. “I'm twelve years old, Chien Wan is the same as me. Ting Ting is only nine years old.”

“I eleven years.”

In just a short time, the four of them were already familiar and told each other stories. Of course Chien Wan is the least talked. But he was quite happy to listen to the conversation of the other three children.

From then on, Meng Huan became a member of the Wisma Bambu family. In contrast to Chien Wan who when it came to considering herself a servant, Meng Huan considered herself the same as Sen Khang. Therefore, he did not feel awkward hanging out with everyone in the Bamboo Guesthouse. Meng Huan was a friendly, gentle, and kind child towards anyone. Although he was an office boy, he did not consider himself more than anyone. Everybody liked it.

Seriate.