Gao Jianli, having fled back to Yan from Wuguan, was consumed by solitude and guilt, stripped of his former spirited vigor.
At this time, Gao Jianli was not yet the man who would later become known as the chilling presence by the Yi River, nor did he wield the sixth-ranked Shui Han sword. His martial skills were merely second-rate in the jianghu. For someone as proud as him, this was a devastating blow.
Before meeting Jing Ke, he had always believed his martial prowess was sufficient to protect himself even in the jianghu. But when he and Jing Ke went to Wuguan, encountering Kuang Xiu and facing the armored soldiers of Great Qin stationed there, he realized his skills were inadequate not just for rescuing someone, but even for self-preservation.
At Wuguan, upon seeing him and Jing Ke, Kuang Xiu offered a relieved smile. He said nothing more, simply turning to the defending general on the city wall, Chuli Ji, and asking:
"So, General, you're allowing me to complete this final rendition of High Mountains and Flowing Waters with him?"
Chuli Ji nodded in agreement, ordering the Qin soldiers to lower their powerful bows and crossbows. He even had someone fetch from his own residence one of the world's two greatest qins: Raoliang.
"Thank you, General!"
Kuang Xiu had originally been the most renowned qin master across the Seven Kingdoms. His performance of High Mountains and Flowing Waters lamented the rarity of true confidants in the world. It wasn't until word of Gao Jianli's fame spread through the jianghu that he felt the presence of a kindred spirit. Gao Jianli's qin artistry was exceptional, but regrettably, he was too young—rushing headlong into the fray with hot-blooded impulsiveness against Qin, a force that even the Six Kingdoms approached with caution.
"General, could you spare these two?"
Kuang Xiu did not want High Mountains and Flowing Waters to vanish from the world. He could die, but this ancient qin score from their forebears must not be lost. Moreover, he harbored ambitions: among the Hundred Schools of Thought, why were dancers and musicians excluded from their ranks? He hoped that one day, "musicians" could be elevated to "Musician School"—a true house among the Hundred. Throughout his life, he wandered among the vassal states, seeking recognition from a single lord or king to grant musicians this status, turning them into a respected school rather than mere entertainers at the bottom of the nine streams.
He had been on the verge of success; no one in the world was unaware of Kuang Xiu, and lords and kings alike praised his unparalleled qin skills. Alas, because of Gao Jianli, his efforts fell short at the final moment. Yet even so, Qin's Wuguan defender, Chuli Ji, still treated him with utmost courtesy—a sign that the winds of a new school were already stirring.
"This qin is named Raoliang, the one King Zhuang of Chu once described as echoing for three days. Today, I gift it to you." Chuli Ji had the qin delivered to Kuang Xiu's side and ordered his shackles removed. He, too, did not wish for High Mountains and Flowing Waters to end here, nor for a budding school among the Hundred to fade into silence. But as Qin's guardian of Wuguan, once Kuang Xiu's matter was resolved, he still had to face Pang Yuan's hundred thousand surprise troops.
"Thank you, General! Afterward, I won't attack you!" Jing Ke also saluted Chuli Ji from below the walls, sword in hand.
"Your qin skills are exceptional, but you lack a true qin heart—your spirit still drifts unanchored. Once you possess a qin heart, your artistry will surpass mine. But you're still young, so the future of musicians across the world falls to you." Kuang Xiu gazed at the youthful Gao Jianli with a sigh in his heart. If only I'd met Gao Jianli earlier, guiding him onto the path of musicians rather than wandering knights—perhaps I'd have already succeeded in establishing the Musician School.
Kuang Xiu began to play. Raoliang was indeed a legendary qin, its tone crisp and elegant, free of any impurity. The body gleamed cleanly, clearly wiped often, yet the strings showed no signs of wear—evidently, its owner cherished music but refrained from playing it, knowing himself unworthy.
"In ancient times, Han E's melodies lingered like echoes around the beams, leaving Confucius unaware of meat's taste for three months. This shows our musician lineage has the potential to form its own school. Gao Jianli, I hope you truly understand this rendition of High Mountains and Flowing Waters." Kuang Xiu addressed Gao Jianli.
The melody flowed gently from Raoliang, now urgent, now serene—like gazing up at lofty peaks or plunging into cascading waterfalls. Whether one understood music or not, all present halted their actions, slowing their breaths, afraid to disturb this exquisite sound. The entire Wuguan fell silent, save for the echoing qin notes.
Gao Jianli understood it. The music carried Kuang Xiu's sorrow over the musician lineage's failure to become a school, his aspirations for it to stand alone, and his personal insights into music—along with his lifelong efforts to elevate musicians to their own house.
Gao Jianli's hand hovered over the strings, yet it felt heavier than a thousand catties; he couldn't bring himself to play a single note. So, he withdrew his hand and listened in stillness.
As the performance of High Mountains and Flowing Waters concluded, Kuang Xiu looked at Gao Jianli with disappointment and dimness in his eyes. He had believed Gao Jianli to be his true confidant, but he both was and wasn't. A confidant not only comprehends the music but shares the same aspirations. Gao Jianli had grasped the melody, yet he lacked the shared drive to establish a Musician School for all under heaven.
His qin playing served only to spread his fame across the Seven Kingdoms, a tool for gaining renown and embodying the chivalrous ideal. He had the skill, but no qin heart.
"Leave now." Kuang Xiu felt profound sorrow. He had been used by Qin as bait to capture Gao Jianli, all because he saw him as a confidant. From the start, he harbored no resentment toward Gao Jianli—only grief over the arduous path for musicians. Yet he had hoped Gao Jianli shared his vision of forging a school for musicians worldwide.
Even as he played High Mountains and Flowing Waters just now, he clung to that hope—that Gao Jianli would join in, completing the duet with him. But though Gao Jianli understood the music, he refused to play along.
Chuli Ji, too, appreciated music; though his own skills were modest, he had granted Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu this chance to harmonize, hoping the musician lineage could indeed form its own school. But Gao Jianli disappointed him. In the end, Gao Jianli was too young—possessing superb technique but lacking a qin heart. His reputation exceeded his substance. Perhaps one day he would find his qin heart, but by then, Kuang Xiu would be gone, and High Mountains and Flowing Waters would become a lost melody.
In the end, Kuang Xiu died. A string snapped, slicing across his neck, blood staining Raoliang. His heart perished for the sake of establishing a Musician School. Though disappointed in Gao Jianli, he used his death to forge a heart for him—that discordant snap of the string, so jarring and impure, yet to those present, it rang as the truest essence of High Mountains and Flowing Waters.
"Bury him with honors!" Chuli Ji's voice was hoarse as he descended the walls himself, removing his general's cloak to cover Kuang Xiu.
"A single melody from the master could have birthed a new school." Chuli Ji sighed.
The entire garrison at Wuguan paid their respects, burying Kuang Xiu by a small river outside the pass.
Word reached Xianyang, shocking the entire court. A single High Mountains and Flowing Waters, with no true confidant found, left all at Wuguan speechless.
"Bury him with the rites befitting a great master. No warfare at Wuguan for three days!" From Xianyang Palace, the Grand Dowager Huayang personally decreed, with Lü Buwei overseeing execution.
Even Pang Yuan's army, originally set to attack through Wuguan, detoured around it, passing through Lantian into Qin.
Jing Ke led Gao Jianli away, and Chuli Ji never ordered pursuit. However, as the two traversed Lantian to exit Qin, they encountered Wang Li's arriving Hundred Battles Piercing Armor soldiers. In the ensuing battle, Jing Ke was gravely wounded and fled into Qin's heartland, his fate unknown, while Gao Jianli escaped toward the Chu-Han border, evading capture only by stumbling upon Pang Yuan's forces.
Later, Qin King Ying Zheng and Gai Nie personally visited Wuguan to pay homage, renaming Kuang Xiu to Shi Xiu—meaning the teacher of all musicians under heaven, "Xiu." They ordered Wuguan's defender, Chuli Ji, to have one of his sons guard the tomb for three months, honoring the legacy of "three months unaware of meat's taste."
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