Chapter 167: As long as the hoe is used well, there is no corner that cannot be dug down (4.2k)
The next day, Mount Pelion.
The wise Chiron was worried about his disciple, so he decided to leave for Athens as soon as possible.
Before leaving, Loen moved his lips, but ultimately chose to remain silent and did not tell Chiron that the future god of medicine was going to Cyprus.
Although Asclepius was just an illegitimate son who Apollo didn't like very much, he was still a blood relative within the Olympus system. Even if he accidentally offended those uncles and aunts, as long as they still cared about the status of Apollo and Artemis, they would show some mercy and would not go too far.
After all, there was the example of Pan’s death, and Apollo had just been exiled to the mortal world for a similar incident.
After such a thing happened, Zeus had to strike hard at the offender in order to maintain the appearance of fairness.
But if Chiron followed and got involved in the mess in Cyprus with his student, he might not be so lucky.
After all, this Centaur guy is a character who is neither loved by his parents nor his father.
If Chiron continues to hang around in front of his relatives in Olympus for too long, Zeus might one day remember his illegitimate brother Chiron and turn him into a constellation, reclaim his divinity, and embellish his own divine power over the sky.
So, after much thought, Loen decided that it would be safer to let this brother go to the Academy of Athens first and teach him well.
However, without this nice old man who answered every question as an interview subject, there was no point in staying in Mount Pelion.
After watching Chiron disappear from his sight, Lorne shook his head, his body transformed from an old blind man into a handsome young man, and turned into the valley.
Passing through the dense forest outside, a burst of cheerful singing came to Lorne's ears on the wind.
"Come, let us begin with the Muses, who sing in unison, and delight the great heart of their father Zeus, who dwells in Olympus. From their lips flows a sweet voice, which one never tires of hearing; and their pure voices delight the temples of their father, Zeus, and echo through the snowy peaks of Olympus, the halls of the immortal gods. They begin with their immortal voices, and first of all they praise the race of the venerable gods, those who are the offspring of the earth and the sky, the givers of all that is useful, and then, at the beginning and end of their songs, they sing of Zeus, the father of gods and men, praising him as the wisest and the most powerful of the gods. Moreover, they sing of men and giants, and delight the heart of Zeus in Olympus - they are the Muses of Olympus, the illustrious daughters of Zeus the Aegis-bearer..."
In the empty valley, nine visible goddesses of literature and art stood or sat around the gurgling water, flipping through the books in their hands, reviewing them word by word, and humming the written prefaces impromptu.
This is both the opening of the book and a hymn to the Muses.
"They danced lightly, either in the blue fountains or around the altars of wine and joy. After bathing their delicate bodies in the Permethrin River, the Horse Spring or the Ores Spring, they danced gracefully and energetically on the highest mountain Helicon. From here they came out at night, covered with thick mists, and sang with beautiful voices, the chapters of praise to the gods..."
As the beautiful words turned into notes and flowed from the lips and teeth, various life scenes of the past three years emerged in the minds of the Muses one after another.
Inside, there are poetry and wine, music and songs, performances and audiences. Every frame is a silhouette that never fades and can be treasured in memory.
Amidst the endless daydreaming, the tunes sung by the Muses gradually became out of tune, and their faces turned red with embarrassment.
——It was as if what they were reading was not a literary masterpiece with beautifully crafted words, but a love poem dedicated to the Muses.
——Or, both, a combination of rigor and romance.
“Pah~”
Clear applause came from the forest, and the handsome audience leaned against the tree trunk with a smile, listening and praising the Muses' performance as always.
"Lord Bacchus!"
The moment they saw Loen coming, the nine Muses cheered in unison and crowded forward excitedly.
He raised the manuscript in his hand and asked in a chattering manner.
"Should we add a modifier to this sentence, [Praise Zeus - the bearer of the Aegis], [Almighty Zeus]? It would just correspond to the next sentence, [Praise the majestic Hera - the goddess of Argos wearing golden shoes]?"
"It's too complicated, isn't it?"
“I think it’s just right.”
Calliope, who excelled at heroic epics, Clio, who focused on rigorous history, and Euterpe, who focused on lyric poetry, disagreed.
“Should we add a rest here?”
"I think an aria is more appropriate!"
"No, the overall rhythm should be more joyful!"
Eratos, who was proficient in solo and love poems, Melpomene, who was responsible for tragedy and elegies, and Thalia, who was responsible for comedy and pastoral songs, refused to give in to each other.
"This, this, this, [Athena, the daughter of Zeus, the holder of the aegis, with bright eyes, Phoebus Apollo, Artemis who loves archery, Poseidon, the floater and shaker of the earth, the respectable Themis, the seductive Aphrodite...], how can I use simplified dance postures to express the characteristics of each god?"
“Why use dance? Isn’t it possible to project the corresponding constellations on the stage?”
"It's a bit distracting, it's better to use a static background."
Therpsichorae, who loved dancing, Urania, who was in charge of astronomy, and Polyhymnia, who was responsible for hymns and rhetoric, each had their own opinions.
Faced with the nine noisy muses, Lorne patiently listened to everyone's opinions, first gave his own views one by one based on the results of the live performance, and then gave suggestions with a smile.
"My opinion may be biased, so why don't we compose and modify the music according to your ideas first, and then perform it in each city-state we pass through. We'll see whose modification is more popular and adopt that version as the final version!"
"good!"
The Muses nodded happily, their faces showing an eager look.
Luo En raised the pen and paper in his hand and asked with a faint smile.
"So, in order, whose city is next?"
"Erato!"
The Muses laughed and pushed out the fifth sister.
The young girl holding a lyre and reciting love poems rolled her eyes at her sisters, then came to the front of the team with a blushing face.
Lorne smiled and stretched out his hand, ready to complete the divine fusion with the Muse as usual, letting her take over Homer's account and complete a new round of poetry creation in the next city.
However, Erato smiled playfully, and accompanied by the exclamations of the muses on the scene, she suddenly hooked her hands around the neck of the male god, quickly stood on tiptoes, and unexpectedly kissed him on the forehead, sending her own blessings and inspiration in a fiery and bold way.
Loen was slightly stunned, then he raised his hand to touch the remaining warmth on his forehead, and looked at Erato, who had shrunk back into the group of Muses, her pretty face blushing, not daring to look up, and he was suddenly at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Love always makes people reckless, blind and impulsive.
The rest of the Muses were either cheering, rebuking bitterly, or looking at him with envy, and the valley was suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
After leaving Mount Pelion, the nine Muses, led by the god of wine, changed their name to Homer and moved forward.
They have visited Gaia's ancient caves, paid homage to Rhea's abandoned temples, climbed the old site of Mount Othrys, and looked out at the birthplace of Metis, the original goddess of wisdom...
The whispers of the ancient gods are the best writing material; the chats of the nymphs are the perfect embellishment of interesting anecdotes; and the rocks and trees that do not lie are the most sincere witnesses of history and civilization.
Through the joint efforts of the Muses, the magnificent [Holy Words], the detailed and rigorous [Theogony], and the [Songs of the Titans] full of rebellious spirit were continuously filled and improved by the pen of the blind poet Homer.
And every time there was a performance, the seats were packed with audiences who came to watch and cheered in unison.
That is not a hypocritical compliment to God, but a pure praise of "art"!
This makes the Muses extremely excited, and their bodies and minds are immersed in the sense of accomplishment gained during the journey.
Gradually, they enjoyed this life more and more.
In comparison, the days in Olympus seemed so dull and empty;
How artificial it is to accompany the love poems of the chief god Apollo;
How pompous and boring it is to repeatedly offer praises to the gods...
Divinity allows them to live in heaven.
But human nature allows them to sing freely!
As the journey continues, the Muses, using the common fictional identity of the blind poet Homer as a vehicle, use their pens, music, and songs to record traces of the world, quietly undergoing some kind of indescribable transformation.
However, as they passed a rugged cliff, the scenery before them woke Muse from her beautiful dream.
——The huge rocks have been etched into various shapes over time. Gray stalagmites shoot straight into the sky, praising the wonders of nature. Below are huge plains, forests, canyons and picturesque villages. In the vast jungles and deep valleys, huge skeletons can be vaguely seen.
Loen tapped his cane, looked up at the city hidden by the mountains in the distance, and murmured quietly.
"Thessaly, here we are..."
The Muses looked at the unfinished manuscripts in their hands and sighed in unison. A feeling of loss and unwillingness brewed in their hearts, stopping them from moving forward.
"Father God said that no one is allowed to visit Master Apollo..."
With a deep groan, the Muses all looked at Clio in the team.
This female scholar, who has always been rigorous in her study of history, held the book in her hand and spoke seriously.
"It's better to confirm from a distance. As long as Master Apollo is safe, if you get too close, you might anger the Father God, and Master Apollo's sentence might be extended."
“That’s right!”
“That’s right!”
"We have to consider Lord Apollo!"
The Muses' eyes lit up and they nodded in agreement. The originally depressing atmosphere was unconsciously diluted a lot.
Seeing these Muses all vying to care about Apollo's safety, Loen smiled slightly and pointed to a green slope.
"Look, it seems to be in front."
The Muses nodded happily and looked into the distance across the dense forest.
At this time, a melodious sound of a lyre came from the hillside, and the wild beasts, attracted by it, walked out of the dense forest: leopards and wild lions walked docilely among the sheep, wild deer and antelopes danced to the beat of the lyre, guarding the handsome shepherd in the center, and there was a peaceful and happy atmosphere all around.
Next to him, a middle-aged man in casual clothes, with a broad mouth and a straight nose, was sitting on a bluestone, listening in ecstasy and clapping his thighs to the rhythm.
At the same time, several servants in full armor and carrying swords were patrolling nearby, highlighting the middle-aged man's noble status.
"It seems to be Admetus, king of Thessaly."
Looking at the harmonious scene, Clio couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Similarly, a relieved smile appeared on Lorne's face.
"It seems that Lord Apollo is well taken care of by the king and is living a good life."
"Uh-huh."
The Muses nodded one after another, their expressions extremely cheerful, as if they were also sincerely happy that their old master was treated well.
But then, they looked at each other and fell into a strange silence.
Finally, the eccentric Erato couldn't help but cough dryly, and looked vaguely at the road behind him.
"Well, so..."
“That’s right!”
"Yes!"
Before Eratos could finish his words, the Muses all nodded in understanding, with approval in their eyes.
Since Lord Apollo is fine, there is no need for us to worry.
In order to avoid disturbing him from serving his sentence, it is better to leave as soon as possible.
Then, the nine muses who had reached a consensus turned around at the same time.
“Boom!”
However, at this moment, the mountains and forests shook, and dark caves hundreds of meters long suddenly appeared, breaking through the valley and gentle slope in front, as if connecting to a bottomless abyss.
"roar!"
The next moment, a low roar was heard, and dark brown arms as big as mountains passed through the cave and smashed into the ground. The violent air waves uprooted the surrounding trees, and the birds in the forest flew up in panic.
Looking at the giants and monsters as big as hills coming out of the cave one after another, Loen's face changed slightly.
He now finally understood where those huge skeletons in the Thessaly Valley came from.
Apparently, the Titans' rebellious bloodline has not been eradicated in this land!
They are trying to take back everything that once belonged to them from humans and gods.
And as luck would have it, one of the crypts happened to be on the gentle slope where Apollo grazed and played music.
"Bang!"
Accompanied by a roar of the earth, a blue-black arm smashed to the ground, and dozens of cattle and sheep under its palm turned into a pool of minced meat before they could even scream.
Apollo, standing still, was instantly engulfed by the splattered blood, flesh and dust.
"Hurry, help!"
Seeing this, Loen immediately shouted to remind them.
Apollo can't die now, at least not before he has used up all his remaining energy...
Moreover, his divinity was only sealed, not disappeared. If he was hurt or touched, it might instead cause him to break free from the shackles and return to Olympus early, which would not be a good thing.
just.
I have just dug the wall that I have dug, but I am still one step away from finishing it.
As his thoughts turned, Loen immediately removed his disguise, revealing his true self, and rushed towards the location of the God of Light.
Seeing the leader who had come down the mountain rushing out first, the nine Muses woke up from their trance and immediately followed Loen and joined the battle.
(End of this chapter)
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