A poem about a king who was marveling at the castle he made himself when an 'acquaintance'  arrives.

Warning: Contains soft, minor tragedy.

This is an entry for Writing Prompt Contest #63.

The host shouted, "Let's move on to the next contest! Calligraphy!"

"All participants please come up to the stage! Pick up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone! Then get ready to write!!"

Feng Ao Xiu smiled. It has come to the third contest, at least one more win needed. But, he did not need to go to the last contest, the Second Young Master's calligraphy skill was amazing. Since he was small, other than cultivation, he practised calligraphy almost every day. In the Feng Clan, no one has neater writing than Feng Ao Xiu. The game was already in the bag. 

All the participants including Feng Ao Xiu sat down on the stage.

Kong Ling Jue stands up, "I'll be the one in charge of this contest. First, I'll give each one of you a different theme. Then, within ten breaths, you must write an original poem according to the given theme."

"The criteria to win are neat handwriting, compatibility with the theme, and a good poem."

Feng Ao Xiu smiles again, he laughed in his heart. 

[Hahaha... This will be an easy victory! Who can beat me in calligraphy? Nobody! This is a good day, I'll finally get my ha... Wait! Poem!?]

[This Second Young Master hardly knew any poem, and you want me to write one!?] 

[This is bad! This is really bad!]

As he was looking for a solution, he suddenly realized that he actually did not have to. There were three criteria. If he could ace out the neat handwriting. At least he would get one-third of the total scores. If he could think of a good poem, a score of 60 or 70 out of 100 would be possible. If he was lucky, he could even get a score of 80. 

[That's actually not that bad, I might even win!]

Then, Kong Ling Jue said, "The poem itself will take sixty per cent of the total score. The rest will take twenty per cent each!"

Feng Ao Xiu couldn't help but cursed in his heart.

[What the f*ck! Are you kidding me!? How could the poem take so many points!? Is this even a calligraphy contest!?]

The only thing left to do now was to practice. Feng Ao Xiu thought of the first poem that comes into his mind.

***

The Poem

The poem is here and there.
What poem will I hear?
I was forced to make one.
Who knows how it will end.
Because my poem is not bad.
I will not be sad.

***

Feng Ao Xiu gives himself a facepalm. It's useless! It's so ugly, that he wanted to vomit himself!

The crowd was anxiously waiting. Most of them were looking at the dark horse in this contest. What kind of legendary poem will Feng Ao Xiu's Number One Fan make?

Kong Ling Jue points at the nearest young participant, "Let's start with you! The theme is Tortoise."

The young man immediately writes his poem. He finishes right before the ten breaths.

***

Break the Tortoiseshell

Through the shell, it was blessed.
Without the light, it walks for a quest.
The strength and spirit live forever.
Leave the home and the courage gather.
The sunlight illuminates the path.
Treading without care for the aftermath.
Break the Tortoiseshell.
And believe it will be well.

***

Bu Liang said, "Nice one! I like the beginning part, but the last part is a bit lacking."

Mo Tie Yang, "Within ten breaths and you could make this kind of poem is already impressive."

The Emperor, "Yes, I agree! It is a good one. Your handwriting still needs a lot of practice though."

Princess Ming, "Qiao An likes tortoise! Big brother described it nicely!"

Kong Ling Jue nodded, "Good! However, there is a mistake, you should use the word 'cave' instead of 'home', and the word 'power' instead of 'strength', it describes the Tortoise best. This poem also lacks a bit of morality. If you write it for a long time, I'm sure it will be better!"

The young man cupped his hand, "Thank you, Master Kong Ling Jue!"

Feng Ao Xiu was confused. Is that poem really good? He doesn't understand anything good about that poem.

However, currently was not the time to analyze that poem. Feng Ao Xiu shook his head and continue with the practice. He shall use the same theme and see if it does any good.

***

The Old Tortoise

The Old Tortoise is 100 years old.
It lived a long life and the shell is cold.
Swim in the pond with aloof.
Spinning around like in its youth.
Old but still adorable and...

***

Feng Ao Xiu stopped before he even finished. There's no need to continue, just half of it was already not satisfying. He felt what he made was not a poem but a description of a turtle.

"Next!" Kong Ling Jue glanced at the next person, a vigorous old man, "The theme is Wine."

Although it's not for Feng Ao Xiu, he feels challenged. He believes he could create a nice poem.

***

Three Bottles of Wine

There are three bottles of wine.
All the tastes were fine.
I chug one down and go with the flow.
One down, two more to go!
I chug another one as if there's no tomorrow.
Two are down, one more to go!
I chug the last one but the head feels heavy.
I died and arrive in heaven...

***

Feng Ao Xiu gave up. No matter how hard he tried. In the end, it will always come up bad. He didn't understand how he created a story instead of a poem.

Meanwhile, the old man who was the participant finishes quickly, he only needed seven breaths before he stops.

***

Legendary Wine

The water flows into the river.
The cup holds a feather.
It shines in the moon, showing its fang.
Gentle like yin but strong like yang.
Accomplishment and glory.
The reigns and victory.
I shall pour it all into one.
To wait until this moment to run.
All gods and humans fancy.
Come and see!
All masters and servants envy.
Come and see!
I bring you a dine!
With this legendary wine!

***

The audience cheered! It is a beautiful poem! Who is that man!?

Kong Ling Jue, "As expected of Master Sun, I have nothing to say!"

Bu Liang, "I'm always impressed every time I saw Master Sun's masterpiece!"

The Emperor, "Master Sun is really good, your handwriting is also still full of energy!"

Princess Ming, "Qiao An likes this poem the most! It's the best!"

The audience went into frenzy mode. 

"What did they say? Master Sun! Master Sun Huang!?"

"I can't believe it! Sun Huang the master of poem and calligraphy is here!"

"No wonder that poem is so good!"

Mo Tie Yang jokes, "Master Sun, haven't you retired already? Are you here to bully these people?"

Sun Huang laughs loudly, "Hahahaa... I'm sorry, but my wife and children are watching! I have to win this contest."

This is big news! Sun Huang enters a contest and shows his skill, it has been a long time since Sun Huang creates a poem. It looks like his skill hasn't worn off yet. The poem 'Legendary Wine' will surely beat all the other poem.

Feng Ao Xiu's mouth became wide open. What the hell!? Sun Huang! What is he doing here!? How am I going to beat him without any poem skills?

Sun Huang still laughs, "The rest do not need to mind me, just continue to do your best. May the best man win!"

How could the other participants not mind? They must face the legendary master! Of course, they will lose! They lose all hope in this competition. But, look at the bright side, at least Master Sun will point their mistake with his skill. It is a golden opportunity!

The contest continued, and just like they hoped for, Sun Huang gives a precise and concrete lesson to the third participant. The rest of the participants began to write the poem more vigorously. How could they not? Get a private lesson from the legendary Master Sun is a dream come true to all the young calligraphers.

Feng Ao Xiu cursed in his heart. 

[F*ck this! All of them became so enthusiastic! I can't withdraw from this contest now!] 

Withdrawing means dishonouring Master Sun. Feng Ao Xiu could not afford that! But, If he writes his own poem, he'll be the laughing stock of the entire country.

All have got their turn except for Feng Ao Xiu's Number One Fan.

Kong Ling Jue stares intensely at Feng Ao Xiu. What will he do now? 

"Next is our favourite, Feng Ao Xiu's Number One Fan. The theme is the Moon." 

[Wait! It's my turn now!? I'm not ready!]

Feng Ao Xiu holds the brush but his hands not moving. 

[Ahh... I can't get any ideas from inside my head. Moon... Moon... What moon!?]

Three breaths have passed.

[C' mon, think! Think! Not winning is fine! As long as the poem is not stupid!]

...

That's It!

Right after the fifth breaths, Feng Ao Xiu writes vigorously. He already has all the poem in his head.

Just right before the tenth breaths, Feng Ao Xiu puts down the brush! The poem was finished!

The crowd watching anxiously. After the two previous performance, they got a great expectation from Feng Ao Xiu's Number One Fan. It may not be as great as Master Sun, but at least it will be better than the rest.

***

The Moon Princess

Your smooth soft skin.
The only one in my scene.
Your bright little smile.
The one I won't lie.
The beauty of the moon can't compare.
The shines of the moon lacks colour.
In the night, I grew restless.
For the Moon Princess.
The river flows like the cloud.
The wind plays aloud.
I wish I could express.
For the Moon Princess.
I'll descend from high above.
You are my one true love.
Hold my hands.
I swear to the heavens!
For you, nothing is too soon.
Because you are my moon.

***

"..."

Everyone's mouth opened wide. 

Yes! As expected from Feng Ao Xiu's Number One Fan. The poem was really good, it could even rival Master Sun's 'Legendary Wine'.

But, that's not the point! The thing is, he just wrote a love poem! 

For Princess Ming!!

Who else is the Moon Princess but Princess Ming!?

The Princess blushed. Her face became so red. She never felt so embarrassed before.

In a world full of cultivators, Feng Ao Xiu is a genius that only appears once every 10,000 years. His talent is the target of envy and jealousy of all the people around the world. But because of his talent that he was betrayed and died at a young age of 15 years old.

When everyone thought that the Feng Clan just lost a future supreme expert, Feng Ao Xiu slowly rise from the dead and he returned to the Clan. 

However, no one knows that Feng Ao Xiu was not a cultivator. They think he was back stronger than ever.

In a world full of cultivators, Feng Ao Xiu was an ordinary man. Can he survive?

Join him in a story full of comedy misunderstanding!

There was a whooshing sound as everyone's gaze turned to Fan Xian. He smiled bashfully and cupped his hands. He did not pass himself off as an artist; after all, he was Fan Xian, not Fan Wei.[1] 
The Crown Prince looked at him and almost began to laugh. He couldn't believe what Miss Fan had said. A ten-year-old might be able to write good poetry, but to meticulously weave together such a poem as this? It wasn't possible. He figured Fan Xian had written it the night before and gave it to Fan Ruoruo to pull out at the poetry contest in order to wow everyone. 
He wasn't angry; on the contrary, he was quite intrigued that someone as seemingly carefree as Fan Xian could write such a poem. 
Fan Xian had no idea what the Crown Prince was thinking. The poem was from a poet in his previous world named Meng Haoran, who had written it to suck up to the minister Zhang Jiuling. It was of a far higher standard than the people at the contest, so he was confident that he had satisfied his father's wishes. 
Looking at the people around him, Guo Baokun began to get angry. He could never have imagined that this young man, all beauty and no brains, could write such a poem to save his skin. He wasn't willing to let the matter lie. He laughed coldly. "Who knew  Brother Fan was such a fine writer? Such work... and written at the tender age of ten."
His words made it clear that he did not believe that the poem was written by Fan Xian. 
Fan Xian sighed. Why did people always have to press him on such matters? When it came to composing poetry, in this world, who could be his match? After all, he had the works of the poets Li Bai, Du Fu, and Su Shi on his side, and a mastery of five thousand years of poetic tradition. He laughed. "I never write compositions on set topics."
Guo Baokun regarded Fan Xian's thoroughly confident manner and gritted his teeth as he spoke. "Then Brother Fan, I invite you to write on a topic of your choosing, and let all of the capital bear witness to your brilliance."
Fan Xian frowned and glanced coolly at this troublesome scholar. He wrote down a poem, then left the garden, asking the servants to escort him to the latrine. 
A single poem is recited in a resounding voice that stuns the garden and forces the defeated enemy into retreat.
The poem he wrote was powerful and resonant. The entire garden was stunned; his victory had been absolute. 
After a bout of cheering, everyone was still pondering its meaning. Guo Baokun's face went a pale green color, and he was unable to speak. The Crown Prince felt unable to hold his fan without incurring Fan Xian's judgement on his character. He closed it shut with a bang, and read the poem aloud.
"The ape cries out in the windy skies. Birds circle round the islet of clear white sand. Trees shed leaves endlessly, rustling down. The great river surges on ceaselessly. Ten thousand miles in sorrowful autumn, always someone’s guest. A hundred years of ailments, I climb the terrace alone. With much suffering, I regret my white temples. Frustratingly, I stop drinking my murky wine.."
...
...
"Sorrow, clarity, ceaselessness, endlessness, ten thousand miles, autumn, guests, one hundred years, sickness, loneliness, and the worries of all eternity; all of these condensed into a single cup of wine! Bravo! Bravo!" The Crown Prince praised him loudly, before realizing how overly-carefree he must have looked. In fact, he was feeling sad about his father. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a certain heartache and a powerful sorrow. He shook his head and said nothing for a long while. 
Some time later, he came to a realization: Fan Xian was so young; even if his life had been miserable, how could he say that the hair on his temples was white, and he had suffered so much illness? It was something he couldn't understand. It didn't make any sense at all. But everyone was still lost in the atmosphere of the poem. Watching the sunset, whether rich or poor, brings to one’s mind the impermanence of life, the inevitability of loss. And so everyone had simply forgotten any of the discrepancies between the poem and Fan Xian's own life. 
And no one doubted that it was his work. After all, no one but an expert in the world of poetry could write such a thing. An expert would not be willing to write such a poem even on behalf of the Emperor, let alone on behalf of the young son of the Fan family. 
"With this poem, even if Master Fan decided never to write again, it would not matter," sighed Crown Prince Jing. The scholars by the lake remained speechless. They all knew that none of them could ever write a finer poem, and so the whole contest fell silent as a result of Fan Xian's work. They never even noticed that the author had already slipped away. 
—————————————————————————
In all honesty, the poem fit neither the time nor circumstances, but Fan Xian felt a desperate need to relieve himself, so he quickly wrote down something he had memorized just so he could finish off his enemy. He had relieved himself of two burdens: the first being that scoundrel Guo Baokun; the other, more-urgent one being from when he had drunk a little too much in his earlier boredom. 
Hiking up his pants as he left the toilet, he gave a sigh of relief, fastened his belt, took a towel from the servant and wiped his hands. On his way back, he came across a beautiful plant nursery that was filled with soft green leaves and delicate flowers. He felt the energy of life itself underneath the tall trees beneath the evening light. 
He turned and asked the servant whether it was possible for him to go in and look around. The servant knew that this was the older brother of the Fan family. Fan Xian’s younger sister, and the younger brother, Fan Sizhe, had before run around the grounds of the prince's mansion as he pleased. Naturally, he could not say no, and so he respectfully replied that it would be no problem.
Fan Xian was quite pleased and sent the servant away as he walked into the nursery and looking around. He discovered that the nursery was lacking the rare flowers beloved by rich families; instead, a number of plants were there that he could not name. They were crude and awkward-looking, possibly wild herbs or crops. 
He was curious. The Crown Prince's family mansion was extraordinary, and yet they had planted these things. 
As he wandered around the garden, the sunlight was still bright, but the sky above him was obstructed by a canopy of trees, so all seemed peaceful. He could hear the lively chirping of birds returning to their nests, and surrounded by such greenery, he felt very much at ease. Fan Xian was very happy to break away from that boring poetry contest. He hummed a folk song to himself as he walked further in, smiling as he walked. "Maybe I’ll run into a fairy, just like Duan Yu had,"  he said to himself. [2]
"Who are you?"
Someone stood up from the thicket of plants, regarding Fan Xian with curiosity. 
...
...
Fan Xian was taken aback. He should have listened more carefully, he thought. Walking this far away from anyone, if this was a murderer, he would be done for. After he had come to the capital, it seemed that he had significantly lowered his guard. 
He looked at the person in front of him, and laughed at himself. 
The person certainly wasn't Wang Yuyan[3],  and it wasn't the girl in white who he couldn't get out of his mind. It was a middle-aged gardener, with a hoe in his hand and a muddy basket by his feet. He had a fair and honest face, with a slightly hurried look in his eyes. It appeared that, seeing the clothes that Fan Xian was wearing, he was somewhat reverent. 
Fan Xian smiled, and cupped his hands to the gardener in salute. "I'm sorry to have surprised you. I'm a guest of the prince;  I saw all these wonderful plants on my way back, so I thought I'd have a look around.
The gardener wiped his hands on his clothes, seemingly unsure how to greet Fan Xian. After hearing praise for his garden, he smiled earnestly. 
[1] Fan Wei, a Chinese sitcom and film actor.
[2] Duan Yu, a character from the wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.
[3] Wang Yuyan, another character from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, with whom Duan Yu falls in love at first sight because she resembles a statue of a fairy-like lady he chanced upon before.


A family inclined to kindness and charity would grace the descendants.
Thanks to one small act of kindness,
by providence she comes across a grateful friend;
Fortunate that her mother,
has done an unperceived good deed….

Men should rescue the distressed and aid the poor…
Who would have guessed that kindness in this world ultimately would be the road that one must choose, that proverbial fork in the road?

Clouds of rain float on eastern winds as new vines start to blossom.
Though drums of war roar too loudly and their brilliance has been lost,
a green grass carpet greets the sun by the break of morning.
Let us wait for the yellow leaves, a few gourds are harvested.

At last, Xu Que and Buttface walked out of that alley. Xu Que didn't care what the strongly built man would do to punish his wife or Lord Wang either.
Very quietly I take my leave, as quietly as I came! Quietly, I wave good-bye and only leave with an invitation! As for the rest, it's none of my business!
"Holy crap! Little brat, how did you discover the hidden meaning in that note just now? You are just awesome!" Buttface, who was following him, said in surprise.
"Humph! Every member of the Exploding Heavens Faction would see through that old trick!" Xu Que snorted proudly as he walked forward.
"I am also a member of the Exploding Heavens Faction! Why didn't I see it? Hey, don't go, little brat! Just tell me the reason!"
They walked away in their usual clamorous wrangling.
As they were walking, Xu Que checked the invitation. He understood that some classy activities would be performed during this banquet held by the Dong Family, such as composing poems and couplets, playing musical instruments and singing, as well as friendly fighting matches and the like. These activities weren't daunting for Xu Que. With the assistance of the System, nothing could baffle him.
The only thing that puzzled him were the words written in the last part of the invitation—the results of all contests and matches don't count!
"This is weird! If the results don't count, what is the meaning of the matches and contests? How could they choose a husband for the heiress?" Xu Que asked with puzzlement.
After reading the invitation, Buttface also was curious. "I guess they will do it according to their feelings! Or according to appearances!"
Xu Que was surprised by that. "If that is the case, I will definitely be the winner, right?"
"Holy crap! I will also attend this banquet!" Buttface said proudly as he touched the hair on his head. The next moment, he put down his paw and shouted angrily, "Damn! Toy poodle is really a psycho! He placed a lot of hair lotion on my head but didn't wash it away with water! Little brat, I need to wash my hair!"
"Nonsense! You can't wash away the hair lotion for it is teeming with life!" Xu Que replied.
"What? Living hair lotion?" Buttface was stunned a bit. Then he said with wild laughter, "Is there really such a miraculous hair lotion in this world? Awesome! I guess it will provide a lot of nourishment for me if I eat it!"
"No...."
Before Xu Que could stop him, Buttface had put his paw into his mouth.
Holy crap!
Xu Que touched his forehead disgustedly for he really couldn't watch it anymore! He turned around and started to ask pedestrians about the address for the Dong Family. He got their address easily; their home was located in the center of the city. Their magnificent and beautifully decorated building was the tallest in the city.
From a distance, the building of the Dong Family was quite stylish and towered into the clouds. When Xu Que and Buttface arrived at the gates of the Dong Family, they were shocked by the magnificent building.
"Holy crap! The iron tower of the R Nation is even lower than this building! Why did they build such a tall building? Aren't they afraid of falling and dying from such great heights?" Buttface exclaimed.
"Nobody is afraid of dying from falling today!" Xu Que said with a faint smile. He stepped forward and handed over the invitation. Then they were ushered in by a waiter courteously.
Before entering the building, they walked through a spacious yard, which was full of beautiful pools, pavilions, and rockeries containing unique rocks. Sculptures of ferocious animals were placed on surrounding walls and rooftops. They were so lifelike that it seemed they could run away at any time.
"Lord Wang, this is the venue of tonight's activities. Please enjoy yourself!"
Xu Que and Buttface had arrived at the entrance to the party. The waiter went back to welcome other guests.
First Realm City was very large, so a lot of young men were attending this banquet. Although the Dong Family had many waiters and waitresses, all of them were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Xu Que found that a lot of people had already arrived. The entrance hall was lavishly decorated with a golden ceiling and colorful stone walls. The floor was covered with embroidered carpets. 
A lot of small tables full of refreshments had been placed in the hall. When the guests arrived, they would sit down at a table and start to chat with others. Xu Que sat down at a table in the front row that didn't draw too much attention. This kind of position was quite suitable for acting tough. If he planned to keep a low profile, this position could be ignored by others easily. If he tried to amaze others, this place could become the focal point of the entire area soon.
Buttface, who was quite honest about his desires, rushed toward the refreshments directly. Then he started to gobble up all different kinds of tasty food!
More and more people were arriving every minute and gathering in the hall. All of them were young talents who were quite powerful and even extraordinary. During this period, Xu Que refreshed his spirit by closing his eyes aloofly. He didn't chat with any of the others. Actually, a lot of acting tough fans like him were in this hall.
One hour later, the hall was almost full of people. A maidservant walked out and shouted in a clear-cut voice, "On behalf of our Heiress, I hereby thank you for coming. Now, the banquet begins officially!"
Then, a beautiful figure walked up from the central area of the hall. However, that place was covered by a gauze curtain, which created a mysterious atmosphere. Through the curtain, they could only see a shadowy figure. A lot of perfume sachets were hanging next to the gauze curtain and they gave off a most refreshing fragrance.
Most people here could see nothing, but the gauze curtain couldn't baffle Xu Que. He focused his True Core Strength and squinted his eyes. Then he could see everything behind the gauze curtain clearly. He was shocked by what he saw. A gorgeous young woman was sitting behind the gauze curtain. Her temperament and beauty could rival those of Liu Jingning. She was quiet, graceful, and seemed a little bit innocent, like Xiao Rou.
Xu Que was more and more anxious to go back to the Four Great Continents. After the revival of Xiao Rou, she was performing cultivation in the Mystery Land of the South Continent. He hadn't seen her yet. Seeing the Dong Family's Heiress, Xu Que couldn't help but miss Xiao Rou.
"I really appreciate your attendance! The purposes of today's banquet are communication and learning about all of you great talents. As the host of tonight's activity, I will have a small poem read out first to get the ball rolling!" The Dong Family's Heiress said as she handed a scroll to the maidservant at this time. The maidservant walked out with the scroll and read the poem on it.
Instantly, the hall was full of applause and compliments. However, Xu Que just sat there aloofly as he shook his head slightly.
"I've heard the Heiress of the Dong Family is of great learning and ability. Today, I was so lucky to see it. I also composed a poem recently. Please comment on it, thanks!" A young man stood up and said politely at this time. Then, he started to read his poem.
The rest of the people listened carefully. When he had finished reading his poem, the hall was full of applause again. Xu Que kept shaking his head as if complaining about how terrible the poem was.
Next, another man stood up to read his poem. This time, the poem was pretty good. A lot of people stood up to applaud and praise it.However, Xu Que was still shaking his head. After that, no matter who read a poem, he would be ridiculed and disdained by Xu Que, who was shaking his head continuously. A lot of people saw his reaction. However, they ignored him completely and nobody blamed him.
Xu Que was totally puzzled.
What do you mean?
Are you really so magnanimous?
My neck is almost broken. I am mocking you! Why don't you blame me? How can I act tough in this way?
This is really humiliating! 
Humph! It seems I have to act tough forcibly! Xu Que snorted coldly to himself and was about to stand up.
At this time, Miss Dong's voice came out from behind the gauze curtain. "All of you are so gifted! I've learned a lot today! Now the poem performance is over!"
Hearing that, Xu Que got annoyed.
Damn! Why did you end it so soon?
I haven't acted tough yet. How could you end it now?
You've ruined my plan!
"Guys!" Miss Dong said again at this time. Her voice was quite melodious. "I guess all of you know I like music very much. I suggest we could have a contest of playing musical instruments. Is that OK for you?"
The people in the hall responded to her proposal immediately.
"OK! Actually, I also like music very much!"
"Hah, hah! It happens that I also have some musical knowledge. I will take this opportunity to show myself!"
"Miss Dong, if I may venture to ask you to play a composition first, so that we could learn from you?"
"Exactly! Miss Dong, I am suffering from a serious illness and couldn't live long in this world. I hope I could enjoy your music, so that I can close my eyes in death."
People started to shout.
When Miss Dong suggested having a music contest, Xu Que started to purchase songs and compositions from the System store.
I've missed the poem performance. I will never miss the music contest!
Since you don't want to give me the chance to act tough, I have to do it myself!
Today, nobody could stop me from acting tough!
I will definitely act tough in the music contest!
.....


I am the best when it comes to taking divergent paths. With just a flip of my hand, I shall take the path less commonly travelled. I search far and wide, only to find myself unbeatable and unrivaled. So now I ask, who else can match my awesomeness? 

Acting tough is second nature to me and I am a lone wolf.
 
The road is long and winding but I shan’t feel lonely as long as I am able to act tough!


Life and death bore me and I do whatever I deem fit.

“Young man, way back when I started acting tough, you were still learning how to put on your underpants!” Xu Que thus decided to take the path of acting tough. He decided to act tough every single god-damned day. If he wasn’t acting tough, he was scheming for the best way to act tough!  

He Mu, who could barely read, blankly shook his head. "I don't know."
With a book in his left hand, Meng Qi poured himself some wine with his right hand. After a sip, he slowly swallowed the wine and said, "This sentence is controversial. Some erudite men argue that the trio of the combination is Yin, Yang and the Sky. Yin could make things up, Yang could create things while the sky could foster things. When Yin, Yang and the Sky combine together, everything is created. Other erudite men who look up old scripts hold that Yin and Yang integrate with each other, creating the universe. And then everything is derived. Thus, in their poems, they doubt which of them is the noumenon and derivation."
He Mu was confused like a duck listening to the thunder. He totally did not understand, so he could just ask, "Teacher Su, what do you think about it?"
"Tai Ji is the condition when the heaven and the earth is still in chaos. The movement is Yang and the stillness is Yin. The movement and the stillness combine with each other. The same with Yin and Yang. They are derived from each other. So they are both noumenon and derivation for they change with the momentum!" Meng Qi did not explain the poem but tried to answer this question.
He Mu was more confused. He thought it was beyond his apprehension. He understood nothing about Teacher Su's words but just answered with "yes".
After answering the question, Meng Qi said with a carefree smile, "It's the law of the heaven and then earth. It's naturally shown in the Kung Fu and movements. When one attacks, his movements contain Yin and Yang which create and promote each other. They change with momentum and enemies. When they fully combine with each other, it's hard to tell which is Yin and which is Yang."
It's the supreme truth which Meng Qi learned from "Asking Heaven". The truth was abstract, so it was hard to exert it on the movement, Kung Fu and details although many people knew about it. They had to figure out by practice. It would be best if there was a similar Kung Fu for Meng Qi to make reference. In that way, he could quickly get the Essence and all Essences of different kinds of Kung Fu and use it on bladesmanship and sword art.
He thought about it and felt that Youth Yao's Yin-Yang Swords was quite similar with it. If he planned to pursue a way like Sword Blade Ambidexterity, this was also one of the ideas of Primary Instruction.
When it came to Kung Fu and movements, He Mu could understand a little, so he said in a low voice, "Some movements contain both Yin and Yang."
"They're different," said Meng Qi with a smile while shaking his head, "What matters is the distinction of noumenon and derivation."
I don't understand... He Mu blankly looked at Meng Qi. "Teacher Su, is the answer in the poem?"
Meng Qi answered with a smile, "No. The whole poem is full of questions about nature. The poem might not be profound, but if who could - answer these questions, he truly understands the law of the universe. And different masters have different opinions about one question, so they have different ways to explain the same question."
"Oh." I still don't understand... He Mu increasingly felt that Teacher Su was so profound that he hurried to say, "Teacher Su, today I..."
"After I finish my recital." Meng Qi pressed down his right hand, put down the cup and continued to recite "Asking Heaven".
"The circle has nine levels, and who could pass through them?"
...
"The sky has nine levels, where do the different things find their places?"
...
"Who owns the sun and the moon? How do we set out stars?"
...
The empty yard was surrounded by the light and bright sound of reading. When you listened to it, you felt that the words were asking the heaven and the earth.
The plum tree looked like a dragon. The fire flickered and the fragrance of wine scented the air.
Although he could understand the plain poem, He Mu felt he was calm. The joy, anxiety and worry slowly disappeared as Meng Qi read. It was an experience of refreshing his soul.
Worries were removed, stress and sadness were dismissed. He Mu just felt happy and peaceful, free of concerns.
"Did you win today?" Suddenly, he was "woken up" by Teacher Su's gentle voice.
"Yes." Looking at Meng Qi's face, He Mu felt that Meng Qi acted like his brother although Meng Qi might just be four or five years older than himself. He regarded Meng Qi as a teacher who read a lot as he spent more time with Meng Qi.
"In our first battle..." He Mu described it in detail. When he was just about to end the story, he said, "Thanks to your guidance, Club Principal Master allowed me to take part in the contest."
He anxiously waited for Meng Qi's guidance.
"The contest between Martial Clubs?" With "Asking Heaven" in his hands, Meng Qi asked.
He Mu knew that Teach Su was a scholar who absorbed himself in books, so He Mu explained, "Kung Fu is popular in Yedu. While Wang family is so powerful that other sects and aristocratic families have little chance. Many who are interested in Kung Fu find it hard to have an opportunity to cultivate their Kung Fu. So many disciples of sects and aristocratic families open Martial Clubs to teach normal people like us. They only take little charge and do not occupy our lands and mines but enable us to have a chance to stand out."
"Only after one lay a good foundation, is he then able to seek fame by learning in sects or taking part in Military Selectee."
"The atmosphere has a history of over a hundred years. There are numerous Martial Clubs in Yedu, so naturally, they compete with each other. The top eight Martial Clubs including Sun-scorching Martial Club recommended that they hold a Kung Fu contest every three years. Every club chooses good Disciples to compete for rankings. The contest is influential within a large range, so Wang family from Zhou County, Huanhua Swords Sect, the Huang family from Yecheng, Tide-rising Sect and Afterglow Supersword School would send people to watch the game and pick out the excellent participants to be their Disciples or enable them to practice under the guidance of an aristocratic family. They're likely to be Foreign Officials in the future. "
Young, He Mu knew few words. He was thought to stumble when talking such a complex thing. But Club Principal He seemed to often tell him the meaning of the contest. Thus, he spoke with fervour and assurance without any stop.
"Wang family from Zhou County and Huanhua Swords Sect..." Meng Qi repeated them in a low voice. Over the past six months, aside from sparring with Qi Zhengyan and the occasional reading of Ranking List of Young Masters and Talents List of Zhou County, he almost knew nothing about Jianghu and Martial Artists Community. So when he heard these familiar names, he was kind of emotional.
After a cup of wine, Meng Qi looked at He Mu with a smile. "So are you worried that the 'story' would be too shallow in the contest?"
"Yes." He Mu was a little shy. This is exactly why he was here.
Meng Qi stood up and walked back and forth with his hands behind his back in the yard. He said with a smile, "Your current story which only has an opening and an ending is really simple now. Your rival is not a disciple of your Martial Club, so he is not likely to be affected. Hehe, your reaction was quite good during the second battle. You know to use your wisdom, so you're worth teaching."
Praised by Teacher Su, He Mu could not help smiling. He was complacent.
Meng Qi turned around and looked at him. "So you have to prepare a complex and delicate story to attract them and lure them into your trap."
"Teacher Su, what should I prepare?" He Mu subconsciously held his breath and waited for Meng Qi's teaching.
After thinking, Meng Qi said, "Using sword art to tell a story is quite interactive. After finishing a part, you have to predict your enemy's reaction. In other words, you have to prepare different reactions to potential defense and attacks. Then, you should have different plots in mind to lure your rival into your trap before he realized that he was trapped."
"For example, after you use 'Sails in Vast Sea', your rival might attack your abdomen or he might hit you from your head... If you want to react in time, you have to save your energy in your previous movements..."
"Sure, the right way is to keep your rival going with your story and make sure that he only has few choices. But you're unable to succeed now..."
Meng Qi "made up" a medium length "story" with "Tide-listening Swordsmanship". Every interaction was about one plot. Although it was complex, He Mu could understand it. After all, he learned these sword arts but he could not clearly remember it.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to remember most of the story. He planned to practice every part of the story and understand each trap after he returned back.
"Do you remember?" After finishing his story, Meng Qi looked at He Mu with a smile.
He Mu nodded hard. "I remember!"
But he asked in confusion, "Why should the story go like this? Why my rival would react in these ways?"
"Good questions! You're worth teaching!" Meng Qi laughed for He Mu asked about the essence of the story. "But it's useless even if you know it now."
He Mu was not obsessed with the question but said in confidence, "Teacher Su, see you later."
"Okay. Don't be nervous." Meng Qi tapped one of his shoulders and said with a smile, "Use your sword to tell a good story to them."
He Mu left. After the door was closed, Qi Zhengyan stepped out from the room and asked while thinking, "Why did you teach him the law of sword art?"
Even he had new understandings about the sword arts which he learned before after listening to Meng Qi's teaching.
Meng Qi said with a smile, "Senior Brother Qi, Which reason do you want to know, the superficial one or the real one?"
"The superficial reason..." Qi Zhengyan had been tricked several times, so he chose to take the opposite direction.
"I'm thinking about and practicing Bright Sword and the setout. I'm trying to practice From Simple to Complicated. Thanks to He Mu, I plan to make up completely new stories and see their effects during He Mu's battles with rivals that he never met with before. It's just like properly arranging a chess game before inviting my rival." Meng Qi seriously said.
Qi Zhengyan gently nodded. The reason is good and acceptable.If I do not favor Book of the Chaos more, I would like to give a try.
He took a small breath and asked, "Is it the superficial reason?"
This should be the real one!
Meng Qi chuckled. "The real words could be described in four words."
"What?" Qi Zhengyan was kind of curious.
Meng Qi turned around and said with his hands behind his back. "I'm free and capricious."
A cold wind blowed and the plum blossoms fell down to the ground. They immediately crystalized. Qi Zhengyan's face twitched. He slowly opened his fist, "I've changed or your jewels to notes."
Considering his own channels and cultivation, Meng Qi asked Qi Zhengyan to exchange horse bandits' jewels for notes. In this way, he could buy the Refined Weapons and Long Swords without others' notice.
Qi Zhengyan had many "bosses" in Yedu. He did not dare to act blindly, so he spent over a half year exchanging all the jewels for notes. It was 12700 silver in total.
"Langya Money Bank. Hei, the little foodie..." When Meng Qi saw the notes, he muttered to himself with a smile.
After thinking, Qi Zhengyan advised, "The contest attracts much attention, so if you want to hide your trace in Jianghu, you should stop where it should stop."
"I know." Meng Qi seriously nodded. He began to think about buying the Refined Weapons and Long Swords.


I care not of my past and neither of my future.
Conquering all heroes and foes while looking with disdain at the horrors of the Samsara, I yearn only for a life of thrilling wonders!
History will repeat itself after many ages as the menace of the Great Calamity rises once more.
Which will rise with triumph in the face of adversity; the Golden Form of the Great Buddha or the invincible Heavenly Taoist Form?
Which will seize all glory amidst all struggles; The Buddha's Palms or the  Seven Strokes of Heaven's Interception?
From the sanctum of the Shaolin Temple, Meng Qi's adventures and struggles through the Samsara begin as we follow his climb to claim the title of "the Unrivaled and the Invincible One"!


Ms. Reeds led the class in a second round of applause. This time, Jane clapped louder than anyone. She saw that Charlie was clapping, too. Only Dylan and Maddie weren't clapping. So Lucy had the last laugh. Her poems were good enough to be published and win a prize.
"The poem on Lucy's science fair project? The one that won a prize in the contest? It didn't really. Well, it did really, but not that contest, a different contest. The first contest was all a fake. Dylan and Maddie set it up, and I went along because they were all making this big thing about how Lucy liked me. And so this morning, when she was crying, it was because – they were all going to tell her, so I did."
At first, Ms. Anderson didn't say anything. Then she said, in a voice so low that Jane had to strain to hear it, "That wasn't an easy thing for you to do, to try to right a wrong you'd committed. It sounds to me like a pretty brave thing to do. It was pretty brave of you to tell me now."
Mr. Anderson put her finger to her own lips, to silence Jane's protest.
"And, Jane, I want you to know that I was hoping, really hoping, that your project would be selected for the regional science fair. Were you very disappointed?"
"Not really," Jane lied.
"I just want you to know, for what it's worth, that I think you are a remarkable young woman."

"Miss Rodriguez we can explain" Zapphire said looking at the two then at mrs. rodriguez.

"Why?" Mrs. Rodriguez replied with a questioning face.

"Um cause we did something.... bad" Zapphire said with a question on her mind (did we do something bad).

"No I was just admiring the three of you" She said. "With all to respect why are you admiring us? We doodle, written, and played rubix cube" Zapphire said while Dave and Robert tried to shut her up.

"Well most teenager this day is all about talking about boyfriends, girlfriends, places, make ups and so much more but you three did something more matured. 
"You Techno" she pointed at Robert "You got talent for art. If their is a Drawing Contest you will be one of the representative of this class" 

Robert tried to enterupt but mrs. Rodriguez wags her finger and said "And don't you dare decline my request I seen what your capable of."

"You mr. Marion, your good at rubix cube. Is puzzle your thing? what about chess are you good at that?" She said.

Zapphire added "Yes mam he is really a good player, Even me and Robert combine and we still can't beat him" Dave said quietly "Shut up!" with annoyed face.

"And you miss Hetrious." She grabs Zapphire's poem. "Wow this is a fine poem miss Hetrious you also one of my representative for the Essay contest" 

"Thank you mam" Zapphire said. 

As Mrs. Rodriguez walk in front of the classroom every one are looking at the 3 with mean or disgusted faces. Some are even whispering about something that they know is about them.

"Alright enough noise for the day! My name is Mrs. Carla Rodriguez. I will be your advisor for this school year" She said. Then after that, she said grab our Math text book and open it at page 4.

After 3 subject it's recess time. The crew are eating at a table near the corner. Robert have a fries and a sandwich. Zapphire have a salad, cupcake with sprinkles and lemonade juice. Dave have 2 bags of potato chips and apple slices.

"Hey Dave you should go at my place after school I have a new gadget that I invented and I think it will blow your mind" Robert said while eating a fries. 
"Sure I don't really have plans later so yeah! What about you Zapphire, you coming?" Dave ask looking at her.
"I live next door so of course I'm coming!" Zapphire said smiling.

As the crew keep talking, two large person walk at them.

Dave sees something that shock him then Zapphire and Robert look behind them and see Gus and Flash cracking their fists.

'I said we will be back" Gus said grabbing Robert's shirt. Zapphire and Dave tried to help Robert but Flash is blocking them.

Then Robert's watch started beeping loud. Gus heard the beep and grab his arm to see what's beeping.

Wow you have a good watch would you mind If I borrow it? Gus said polite but he knows that it's a threat. "No this is the only thing that reminds me of my real parents" Robert said. 

Zapphire and Dave know that Robert's watch have a build in stress level detector and it beeps if robert's stress level is at 4 and up bar.

Gus tried to take the watch but Robert did not let him take his watch that easily. Zapphire runs to call a teacher. Dave tried to help Robert but flash push him causing dave to fall.

Zapphire found a teacher. "Hi sir what's your name?" she said while catching her breath after running. "Um call me sir Tolentino and how can I help?" 

"Um my friends are being bullied at the cafeteria and their is no one helping them" She said panicking.

"Ok ok I will help you, now come on" Sir Tolentino said.

"Alright what's going on here!" Sir Tolentino yelled causing every one to look at him. He sees a boy at the floor and another grabbing his watch.

"Gus Curry and Flash Robinson if you keep doing that you will get suspended for a long time so let him go, now!" He yelled and the 2 walk out of the cafeteria and Robert knows that he will be back.

Robert check his watch and it's fine. No damage nor scratch on it.

Zapphire thanks sir Tolentino. He nodded and head back to his classroom. The crew also did the same.

poem contest novel

Contest

Poem

Poem/

My Castle

Not A Cultivator

Joy of Life

Ultimate Scheming System

The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

狼人系统

Experiment No. 15

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