VERN EMPIRE (2)

Literature, painting and music all brought incredible amounts of money if the artist became well known.

Liao Bao had learned to read from a drunk who used to frequent the Red Veil before his unfortunate and untimely murder; Drunk Uncle Wei, Liao Bao had called him.

He had considered joining the School of Words, but he was a prostitute's son, a bastard in the eyes of the Caelum race.

The Caelum race is the most dominant race in the Continent, blood of the First and Lost Generation, divine blood some would say.

'School of words huh?' he thought to himself.

Ni Zan and Dong Qichang were the founders of School of Words.

This highly individualistic school of poetry and prose was criticized by the Church establishment for its association with intense sensual lyricism, which was also apparent in the Empire vernacular novels such as The Red Lady in the Shining Lake.