A poem written from the point of view of the vampire queen in the book "The Harlequin" of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series.

My point of view in a creative poem-tic way to describe peace...

Suddenly I turn around, and I see her there, where lights are dim and faint!
Those on Weibo saw the poem that suddenly appeared. They were caught by surprise, gawking at the poem, reading it repeatedly!
In an instant, the entire internet went into a frenzy!
Those from the WA were stunned just from the first sentence.
Huang Lihua and Vice-chairman Shi were flabbergasted as well.
Easterlies of the night call to bloom blossoms of a thousand trees, as if blowing adrift stars that drizzle like rain.
The first sentence was describing the wind, and it was expertly written. The imagery was lifelike; describing the scene with the wind, it was beautifully scenic.
For a moment, time seemed to have stopped on Weibo. During that time, even the comments ceased. Those not in the know might even suspect that everyone's internet disconnected.
They were pulled into the poem, into the lively market, with a beauty walking along with the crowd. The crowd tried to locate her, yet she was nowhere to be found. Just as they were feeling dejected, turning around, they saw her standing near the flickering lights.
Such beautiful imagery!
It was only a poem, but everyone felt as though it was a story.
After they struggled to recover from their daze, Weibo exploded with activity.
[Amazing poem!]
[F*ck! F*ck!]
[Such composition, such a wonderful poem!]
[I don't know much about poems, but I know that this is f*cking good!]
[Divine inspiration, this is divinely inspired!]
[F*ck! I was so excited and tried to send gifts all the while. Only now I realize that there's no gift button. Damn!]
…
Meanwhile, Capital University's Wan Yun was in shock.
'Is this really a student from our Capital University? My student managed to compose a poem of this level? The heavens are blessing our Chinese literature!'
The comments on Weibo were like fireworks going up in waves. The number of likes increased by a few thousand every passing second, causing Weibo to malfunction temporarily.
Just how well was the poem written? An average person would not be able to tell.
However, those in the WA knew that this poem was really well done. The scenery and character were expertly brought to life. They were way better compared to the poems Ye Lingchen previously wrote.
That was the first time Ye Lingchen put his heart into writing a poem. In an instant, it subjugated everyone. It could be described as perfect, definitely worthy to be considered a masterpiece!
Those from the WA remained silent; some were even eager to go offline. They were too ashamed to stay around and were trying to find a hiding place.
'Novel Y...just what kind of person is he?'
'Composing a poem of this caliber on the fly. Is he still a human?'
However, someone soon noticed Ye Lingchen's choice of words. "First!"
[F*ck! First poem?! Could it be that Y intends to compose more?]
[Awesome! Would the second one be coming soon? I'll wait for it!]
The next instant, the second poem was out.
[The second poem, on the moon.]
[Moon Gazing with Distant Thoughts.
Bright moon over the sea, sharing the same moment in distant lands.
Lovers resent the long nights, where sentiments grow strong.
Snuffing the candle to appreciate the full moon, adorning the robe to feel the moisturizing dew. 
Regretfully unable to present this to my dear, I return to sleep, for a dream of cherished union.]
Amazing!
Another amazing composition!
The first sentence grabbed the hearts of all the readers!
Bright moon over the sea, sharing the same moment in distant lands.
This poem was about separation, projecting the sentiments onto the moon. Loved ones separated in distant lands sharing the same view of the moon. The long-distance separation was aptly described by this.
[I'm crying. Thank you Y for composing such a wonderful poem. Thank you! I've been working away from home for many years now. It's been so long since I last went home.]
[Above post, I'm in the same boat. I miss my hometown.]
[Sob sob sob, I've already made plans with my wife to share the view of the moon tonight. That way, it'll be like me watching it next to my wife.]
However, while they were still lamenting, the third poem was out!
[The third poem, on flower.]
[On Flower After Failed Examination.
Waiting for autumn to come, eighth of the ninth month,
Once my flowers bloom, hundreds of flowers perish.
Bursts of fragrance soar the skies as it penetrates Chang'an,
The entire city coated in golden armor.]
Once the poem was published, everyone was shaken even further.
The style of the poem was distinctly different from the two previous poems.
The previous poems were of restraint and separation. However, this poem gives off a feeling of tyranny, unrivaled dominance!
Such a change made it difficult for them to switch over.
This poem was domineering from the beginning to the end. It could be said that every word, every sentence struck awe into their hearts.
Just how prideful and confident must one be to write such a poem!?
[I suddenly feel that Y is writing this poem for himself. I wonder if any of you guys feel the same?]
[The first one I can think of is Y. Didn't you realize that once Y started composing poems, those fools from WA dare not utter a single word?]
[F*ck, it's true! His pride and domineering demeanor are oozing from his bones!]
[The fourth poem, snow.]
Ye Lingchen paused for a moment, but this time he laughed, suddenly feeling trollish.
He split up the upload, starting with the first sentence. [One, two, three and four.]
'Hm?'
Everyone was dumbfounded. Such an opening seemed very mundane.
[Five, six, seven and eight.]
[What's this? Counting game?]
Ignoring the masses, he uploaded the third sentence.
[Thousand, ten thousand, and countless.]
With that, the crowd could no longer hold back.
[Y, why are you suddenly learning from those WA members? Please don't!]
[F*ck! It's the end. Y's poem is starting to burn my eyes.]
[Is our Chinese literature going into decline now? No…]
However, the fourth sentence came.
[Disappearing into the plum blossoms.]
Boom!
All their minds were blown, ringing continually. They did not expect the last sentence to salvage the entire poem in that manner. 
That poem was by no means amazing, but it was simple. In its simplicity, it did not lose its rhyming. In a way, it could also be considered another masterpiece.
[Amazing! I knew Y wouldn't let me down.]
[The essential stroke. That's the real essential stroke!]
[Genius, definitely a genius. He's just doing as he wishes!]
[Hahaha, did any of you realize that Y's poem was picking on those poems that Huang Lihua was praising earlier?]
[It is! Wind, flower, snow, and moon. Hahaha…]
[I would like to ask, Master Huang Lihua, is the wind still gentle? Are the flowers still beautiful? Is the snow still white? Is the moon still bright?]
…
Composing four poems in a row, and each of them masterpieces. All that without any preparation beforehand; all impromptu work. Such level of poetry would have made him a champion in ancient times!
Others would have something to be proud of for life after composing one good poem. Instead, he wrote one after another, as if they were nothing. That was just beyond amazing!
Frightening, absolutely terrifying!
All those from the WA became mute, after which they started to delete their Weibo posts one after another.
They were ashamed of showing their poems. It was impossible to compare with Ye Lingchen. They could not afford to embarrass themselves any further.
Huang Lihua deleted the post where he criticized Ye Lingchen along with his other posts. Ye Lingchen's standards were way beyond most people out there. If his literature standards were considered low, then the entire China would have no standards to go by.
Just where did this monster pop out from? He was just too monstrous. Not someone one could afford to offend...


Ye Lingchen was a regular high schooler who struggled with exams and expectations from his parents.
All that changed after he woke up from a strange dream and discovered that he had been granted the 'Prodigy System'. His life changed from this point on. Reading a book allowed him to learn its content immediately. Listening to lectures granted instant understanding of the lesson. Observation of a technique imprinted knowledge of the technique used.
Learning had never been so easy, and as the saying goes, knowledge is power. In this case, he now had access to a ton of unbridled power. 
What does it feel like to become a 'prodigy' overnight? Follow Ye Lingchen on this journey to discover the limitless possibilities...

- Early morning

Zhang Jie Yu and Yue Qiu Shan were seated in a restaurant. There was a stone table in front of them and stone chairs about half a metre tall surrounding the tables. On the table was a jade tray, containing a pot and several tea cups. Two praying mats were beside them, with two other people occupying them.

The rising sun had just begun to shine. Zhang Jie Yu was seated quietly, meditating and chanting Dao Mantras. There was a line of Qi energy, similar to a thread on his body. 

Yue Qiu Shan had originally been drinking tea, but seeing a white string of Qi energy on his disciple’s body he knew it was the energy of an Elementary Scholar. He then said, "This energy is very profound. I was just thinking about your examinations, I did not expect to see results so soon. This is a gift.”

“With the Elementary Scholar status, your mortal side has been dissolved considerably.”

As Zhang Jie Yu was deep in meditation, his senses were all shut, and thus did not hear anything. A string of purple energy was visible for a second before he started vomiting. After three huffs, it disappeared. 

Yue Qiu Shan hurriedly poured a cup of red tea and brought it to Zhang Jie Yu who opened his eyes after smelling the aroma. 

Yue Qiu Shan smiled and said, "Come and sit Jie Yu.”

Zhang Jie Yu took the cup, drank a few mouthful and said, "That tasted good.”

“The product of a wealthy land obtained from ancient people with sincerity.” Yue Qiu Shan sighed and said, "Your Elementary Scholar status is already out.”

“In this world, people only care about wealth.” Yue Qiu Shan sighed again and said, " Look at these items. The curtains, the wooden files, the stove, the kneeling and praying mats. Even the tea you just drank. Are they not wealth too?”

“If you wish to speak of things of the Earth; although the divine mountains are not of this planet, Black Alter Sect’s mountain, Truth Sect’s Flat West mountain and First Pole Sect’s Green Treasure mountain, are they not Immortal mountains and not of this world either?”

“There can be no divine mountains without mountains.”

“As for paradise, even if our sect conquers the divine mountains, it is still a mountain. Therefore, the mountain Immortals, regardless, are still mountain people too.”

“These mountains need to have spiritual sources as with everything under the heavens.”

“Since there are many mountains on this Earth, you cannot conquer just one mountain and proclaim yourself king. People have to confer the title upon you, and recognize this to prevent any trouble. You know that if a mountain has no spiritual energy, conquering it means you are a just a rogue cultivator, and can only reach spirit Immortality. 

“This disciple knows that there are five classes of Immortals. Spirit Immortals, Human Immortals, Earth Immortals, Deity Immortals and Heaven Immortals. As for rogue cultivators, even if a human can cultivate the five energies, he will be no younger than a hundred and twenty when he is done. Then he will become a mere spirit Immortal. Zhang Jie Yu’s face was pale as he sighed, "The manual says that the pains of cultivating surpasses all else. Cultivation is like crops grown in sand and rocks, almost impossible to result in growth. Even if a person has the ability to fly, he would come up empty when he reaches paradise, and would only undergo transformation after.”     

“Only when there’s paradise, will there be Earth Immortals. Only when there’s a divine mountain, will there be Deity Immortals. The point of this discussion is to highlight the fact that even if you have the substance to become Immortal, but do not reach paradise, you will not become an Immortal. But our sect knows the path to paradise, and we have cultivated up to Earth Immortal status. 

“But teacher, what is the actual reason for coming so early? I am guessing it is not to say all these things.”

Yue Qiu Shan laughed and said, "We have thirteen people under us, and among them, I like you the most. You are young and have already developed such intelligence. Before I can even say anything, you have already guessed my intentions. You are correct.”

“Paradise has its limitations. I truly hope you will be able to rise in rank and eventually become an Earth Immortal, if not, to obtain the highest manual. But a word of advice, in order to become an Earth Immortal, you have to stand out from the rest.”

“I have a mission. If you are able to accomplish it, you will stand out from your peers.”

“Yes, thank you teacher for your guidance. Presumably, the new list of disciples have been confirmed?”

“The Elementary Scholars have been confirmed. Look, this is the namelist. Invite the Elementary Scholars according to this list. Silver Dragon Temple is just outside of the city and we have several outer circle disciples in the temple. Take these people into the temple. As to how you’re going to make them yield to you, I wish to see your methods. Take this as a test.”

“If you must know, unless you become a True Sovereign, you can never leave the mortal world. These disciples, regardless of inner or outer circle, are just assistants. Do not think too much of them.”

“Yes, I understand. If there is no inner or outer circle, even the heavens and divine mountains will not be able to contain me.” Zhang Jie Yu laughed as he spoke.

   …………

Safe Travels Inn

Pei Zi Yun was in his room reading after just having breakfast. At this point, he had no spiritual roots and was thus, unable to cultivate. Since he had nothing better to do, he started reading essays.

“After careful calculation, considering I did not make any mistakes, I should be ranked in the first band among the top three. The worst case situation would have me at the top of the second band.”

“It’s just that I am feeling very uneasy, I do not know why.” Pei Zi Yun thought of his mother back in Snail Village, and Ye Su'er back at Peach Flower Origins monastery and felt a flutter in his heart that would not become still. He turned a few times in his bed and tried to read the essay that he had memorized and written in the exams. He then sighed and finally understood.

I've obtained the literary skills of the old Elementary Scholar. Although he was very talented, it took him a long time before he eventually acquired the Elementary Scholar title. Hence, he bore a sense of despair and resentment.

“And this was shown when I wrote the essay. It was flawless in every aspect except for that tone of resentment.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Oh, it is brother Tang!” the person on the door was Tang Zhen, with a bubbly demeanor. He laughed and said, "Brother Pei, you have rested for two days already! Shall we go out and have some fun today?”

He then took out his invitation. Pei Zi Yun opened it and took a look. The invitation was from a poet’s society for a meet. The venue was at River View restaurant which was not far from the inn. Pei Zi Yun considered for a moment, thinking of how restless he was just now, being unable to read his essay. He did not want to seem too anti-social as well, so he decided to stop hesitating and finally said, "Of course.”

After instructing the hotel staff to bring some hot water for him to wash, he dressed in a newly washed and starched outfit. 

Before long, they were along the walkway as they approached the restaurant. From afar, they were able to spot it along the banks of the river. It had a good five stories to it, and was all glass. As they got nearer, they noticed that the river was facing the restaurant, with a few boats rowing along it. 

“River View and River Reflections are the biggest restaurants around the river. But River Reflections is much newer.” As they reached the entrance, they were welcomed by a student who was dressed in white and had a golden belt. He was holding a fan and welcomed them. 

Before they got to the entrance, the student hurried over to welcome them, "It is the famous brother Pei. Welcome, welcome! I remember you from the banquet that night. The poem you wrote on stage was very good, and hence, we just had to invite you. I hope you do not find it strange that I am this straightforward.”

He then led Pei Zi Yun up to the roof of the restaurant. Pei Zi Yun’s heart leapt as he admired the view from such a height. The wind blew over as the river gushed below. The river was so huge that to look in one direction, you were unable to see the end of the other. This made him think of an ancient poem in his previous life, as he recalled the exact emotions he felt while he saw scenery like this. He then said, "The front never got to meet the ancestors, and the end never got to meet visitors. It can only gaze into the heavens for all eternity.”

When he had arrived at the last line, he could not bring himself to finish it because it was too tragic.

The last line of the poem was the most important point. By missing it out, it was taken that he had the talent but not the opportunity. He was a young man, and the results of the examinations were not even out, from where did he get such old sentiments? He thus stopped and pretended that the poem ended there. He then said softly, "The poem has ended. The last line shall be completed another time.”

“Good, what a good poem. The only thing that was missing was the last line. What a shame.” Pei Zi Yun heard somebody say. He turned around to find the person holding a teapot and standing up. He poured a cup of tea and gave it to him. It was Zhang Jie Yu.

Zhang Jie Yu was dressed in his usual sharp attire, wearing a red sash around his waist. His shoes had a seasoned look about them, and were not extravagant, but seemed like they had faced a storm. 

Pei Zi Yun looked confused as he thought to himself, "What confidence he has, who would have expected that he is now a disciple of Holy Jail Sect." 

“Hearing brother Pei’s three lines, I was intrigued, only to hear that the poem has ended. I shall drink three cups to help brother Pei’s poetic inspiration.” Zhang Jie Yu laughed as he spoke, full of confidence.

“Sure!”

The students all around him voiced their agreements. 

Everyone saw the leader of the poet’s society bringing a youth up the stairs and found him very familiar. The students around did not seem to mind and were all exchanging poems with each other. The youth abruptly recited a poem. After hearing his first line, they were all smiling. As he recited the second line, a few were shocked. When the third line was said, everyone felt that it was a special, mythical poem. But he failed to deliver the final line. Thus when Zhang Yu Jia suggested a toast of three cups to help with his inspiration, everyone agreed.

In his memory of the previous life, Zhang Jie Yu did not become an enemy of the original owner. They just had certain small conflicts. He unintentionally caused the original owner to take a misstep that eventually caused him to lose many years. At this point, Pei Zi Yun could not refuse the toast, and drank three cups. The wine was bitter, but he swallowed it anyway.

After walking a few steps, an idea came into his head, but he did not reveal it yet. He then laughed and said, "Today my inspiration for the poem is depleted and I cannot complete it.”

Zhang Jie Yu sat down, and did not move.

A student sighed and said, "It was such a majestic poem, but without its proper ending. What a waste. Why doesn’t brother Pei leave a mark on this restaurant until he is ready to finish his poem? Would that not be a good idea?”

At this point, the waiter came up to serve dessert and another waiter brought an inkstone and a quill.

What a coincidence. To bring up the writing materials just as it was suggested. A student then took the ink and quill, and dipped the quill into the inkstone.

Pei Zi Yun then walked up without hesitation, took the quill and started writing. 

Before long, he had written the first three lines of the poem, with the waiter himself reading the poem out loud.

Once he had finished, he too felt a tinge of regret. Noticing that the poem had no name he asked, "Will young master leave a name for the poem so that I can hang it up and wait for you to return and complete it.”

Pei Zi Yun laughed, “Since this poem was written atop this place, the poem shall be called River View.”

Suddenly, a commotion was heard downstairs and a Daoist man came upstairs. Seeing a table had some meat and wine, he proceeded to help himself to those.

The waiter was still thinking about the poem when he saw this unkempt Daoist and began to rage. 

From where did this dirty Daoist come from, and how dare he come into this restaurant and cause problems?!

Pei Zi Yun looked at this man and thought he looked familiar. A student said, "You dirty Daoist, all you know is eat and laze. And you still want to steal meat? Have you given up on your cultivation journey?”

As he said this, he drank the wine and replied, "Food and wine are for the stomach. Dao is for the heart.”

The student heard this and was enraged, "You are not speaking logic Daoist, in fact you are speaking rubbish.”

The waiter heard this and called for more waiters, "Come, let’s bring this scoundrel to the courts.”

Upon realizing the severity of the situation, Pei Zi Yun felt compelled to do something and said, "Just give him the wine and meat. Today is the poets gathering, why should everyone get upset.”

The waiter heard Pei Zi Yun and laughed, "Since master Pei asks for compassion, it will do us no harm to give him a plate of salted vegetables. But he has to eat somewhere else.”

As he said this, he instructed, "Give this Daoist some salted vegetable, and let him eat downstairs.”

Seeing this, the Daoist man said, "You wretched people, you don’t know better.”

The Daoist laughed as he walked down. Pei Zi Yun felt a laughter in his heart. He looked at Zhang Jie Yu and noticed he was deep in thought and was immobile. 

Nobody else knows, but I do. Zhang Jie Yu is a disciple of Holy Jail Sect. This Daoist man tried to fool around and disgraced the Dao. Zhang Jie Yu could not bear it.

But in a situation like this, this Daoist man seemed very fishy. This event is very suspicious as well.



Earth Immortals are cultivated from a blessed land,
Heaven Immortals move to and fro from the divine mountains.
I have a stalk of plum blossom, and I shall maraud the Will of the Heavens with it!

"Grandpa Guo, Duo Duo, you're here!"
Zhao Yiling gracefully walked to Guo Yunzi and greeted him, before she grabbed Duo Duo's hand and smiled at her.
"Yiling is getting more and more beautiful. Where is this guy that you talked about earlier?" Guo Yunzi stroked his beard and smiled.
Zhao Yiling blushed and shyly pointed at Wang Hao, who was not far behind her.
Seeing that, all the men at the party felt that their heart break. Had their goddess really fallen in love with a man who wrote erotic limericks?
"Not bad…" Guo Yunzi laughed and said, "He does look quite handsome. I'm sure that Old Zhao will be very delighted to see him."
"Congratulations on finding your love, Sister Yiling." Duo Duo covered her lips and smiled.
"What are you talking about? He has to pass another two tests if he wants to marry me." Zhao Yiling stomped shyly and tickled Duo Duo.
It's over!
All the men felt hurt. Zhao Yiling, an ice queen, never showed such shyness before. Even a blind person could tell that the ice queen had fallen in love.
"He has passed the test for the poem he offered to you last time!" Duo Duo giggled, holding Zhao Yiling's hand.
Guo Yunzi smiled and read it aloud. "'A lady stood in the north, beautiful and detached. When she turned around, a city and a country fell for her.' It's truly a great poem!"
Every man felt heartbroken again. It was truly hopeless this time. Their goddess had stated that she wanted a man who was good at both martial arts and literature.
She had probably already been captivated by this poem, which praised her gorgeousness, as well as what Wang Hao created just now.
Now, as long as this man showed talent in martial arts, which did not even have to be extraordinary, he would be able to marry their goddess.
"Grandpa Guo, he wrote something else just now." Zhao Yiling blushed but looked very proud. After all, it was an honor for a woman to inspire a poet to create multiple works with her beauty.
"Oh? What is it?" Guo Yunzi grew interested.
"It was only two sentences. He hasn't told me the full poem yet," said Zhao Yiling shyly.
"Kid, why don't you share your full poem?" Guo Yunzi looked at Wang Hao hopefully, looking forward to the birth of a classic poem.
Wang Hao rolled his eyes. The poems he remembered consisted of a lot of references to his previous life; his identity would be exposed if he were to read the full poems.
"Old fart, who are you? Why do you think I should listen to you?" Wang Hao snorted in disdain.
Everybody was dumbfounded to hear that. This guy called Guo Yunzi an old fart? Did he want to get himself killed?
Guo Yunzi was one of the most famous poets in this country. If he was angered, Wang Hao would never be able to make a living as a poet. Some of his followers might even try to kill Wang Hao.
It was definitely not a joke, as poets and scholars were well-respected in the Glorious Sky Federation.
"Are you crazy? Apologize to Grandpa Guo right now!" Greatly shocked, Zhao Yiling glared at Wang Hao.
Guo Yunzi waved his hand and said with a smile, "You seem to be a proud kid who doesn't have much respect for me."
"You have to earn respect from other people instead of begging for it. Explain this poem I wrote earlier and show me how good you are." Wang Hao ignored Zhao Yiling.
"Okay! Let's see what a sophisticated poem you have written." Guo Yunzi grew interested.
Everybody laughed after hearing that, thinking that Wang Hao was overestimating himself by testing Guo Yunzi with a poem.
Xia Weiwei pulled at Le Xuan's arm and whispered, "Why do I feel that Wang Hao is setting a trap again?"
Le Xuan nodded. They had seen it a lot. Every time people thought that Wang Hao would lose for sure, they would fall into Wang Hao's trap.
"In the past, I went boating with a girl. In the spur of the moment, I composed a poem. 'I anchor my boat on the misty river. The sun is setting, but my sorrow is still fresh. The sky is lowered by the spaciousness of the wild, and the moon is particularly close in the clear river.'" Wang Hao raised his head, as if he were recalling a lovely incident from the past.
"You went boating with a girl?" Zhao Yiling turned cold. She had done a simple investigation on Wang Hao's identity and knew that this Jade-Faced Dragon loved sleeping with knowledgeable girls, but it was still an insult to her that he talked about his history so blatantly.
"What a great poem!" Guo Yunzi praised again and said, "The poem describes the natural view quite well. I think the sorrow in the poem is actually nostalgia."
"Nonsense. Who's nostalgic?" Wang Hao said in disdain, before he continued cockily, "Like I said, I was boating with a girl. The mist on the river was very enjoyable, and since it was getting late, we did something we both loved after the sunset. The poem describes that we felt so great when we were doing it that we almost flew to the moon."
Everybody fell silent. Was this really another erotic poem?
Well, it was an erotic poem without erotic words. Only a real shameless man would have created it!
Le Xuan felt like tearing Wang Hao apart alive as Wang Hao was using her identity. It meant that her name as a lustful poet would spread throughout the Glorious Sky Federation after the party.
After they rescued Qiu Lei and returned to the Universal Federation, she would be known as a girl who wrote erotic poems. Could she ever go shopping again?


Waking up from a hangover, Wang Hao finds himself reborn in an alternate world. To his delight, he realizes that he has a system to help him in this new world. However, his system turns out to be a highly unconventional one. Instead of serving justice and winning the respect of other people, Wang Hao has to do all kinds of bad things in order to make use of the system. So, Wang Hao embarks on the journey to being cursed for good…

Days continued uneventfully for Meixiang as the girl would either be at the Zhao or Lin estate. 

After the Prime Minister brought forward the wedding invitation to the Empress for approval, everyone in the country soon learn of the wedding date. By the end of the year, Zhao Meixiang will marry Lin Heng as his official wife. 

While Lin Heng's reputation as a intelligent young scholar and strategists is far and wide, Zhao Meixiang was relatively unknown. Other than being the Viscount's lovely daughter, not much else is known about her. 

Because the second male lead, is after all, a good catch, he has several young maiden admirers; thus, those very admirers wanted to know who the lucky girl was to catch someone like Lin Heng. On the other side, Lin Heng's friends and acquaintances were also curious to know who his fiancé was - since Lin Heng never disclose any information about Meixiang. Just like that, Zhao Meixiang became the talk of the country with everyone wanting to know what she was like.                  

The Royal Spring Banquet was the best opportunity for everyone to see who the mysterious Zhao Meixiang. Normally only daughters and sons of first and second rank Duke or Marquise can attend royal banquets, so as a daughter of a 2nd rank Viscount, Meixiang never had the opportunity to attend such banquets. But the Royal Spring Banquet was rarely thrown by the reclusive Empress Dowager who hadn't hosted any events in the last 10 years, so had extended the invitation to all young maiden of the 1st or 2nd rank official of any position. The invitation had many young maiden very happy and excited as it was the best opportunity for them to create a good image before the royal family.                  

Zhao Meixiang, on the other hand, was not as excited as many others was. For an engaged young woman, there was really no gain on her end to attend such banquet. If anything, it's stressful. To maintain proper representation for her father on one end and to uphold her image toward her future husband family on the other end. At these type of banquets, young maiden are often use as a source of entertainment. Dancing, music, poetry, or painting, everything is through the young women who put themselves out there to be seen as potential brides for sons of nobility or aristocratic families. Meixiang understood the intention and only sneer inside at the idea of being used as entertainment.

  "Good daughter, do not be nervous and try to enjoy yourself"                  

The Banquet was hosted in the largest garden in the Imperial City. In the center of the banquet hall was the largest tent made with pure gold. As expected, the Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager, princes, and princess all sat within the open tent. Then to each side of the golden tent held two rows of ten silver tents for each officials and their family. With the Viscount rank and position, Meixiang and her father sat on the Right row, eight position from the top - practically at the end of the row. 

From the Viscount's tent, Meixiang could barely see the royal family or Lin Heng who sat in the Prime Minister's tent at the top of the Left row. Even the female lead seat was better than hers with the first rank Duke being next to the Prime Minister. Instead of nervous, Meixiang felt bored out of her mind. The entertainment had been closer up front so her view was always of people's back. 

But not wanting to cause her father's concern, Meixiang gave a light smile and kept her boredom hidden. Seeing his daughter's usual graceful behavior, the Viscount was pleased and continued to watch the event.                  

It didn't take long before the female lead made her grand appearance. As the fourth prince's future consort and was well liked by the Emperor and Empress, the young woman was soon called forward to give her performance. Everyone already knew of Liu Jiaying's talents so watched with admiration as she played the Guzheng. And being the story's female lead, it was expected that everyone was entrance by her music and beauty. Listening quietly, Meixiang smiles were unreadable. When Liu Jiaying finished, everyone applaud loudly. The Empress was a known music lover so was very happy with Liu Jiaying's performance. No one was surprised with the Empress gifted a rare Guzheng to the young woman. 

 "Jiaying has long heard Viscount Zhao's daughter, Lady Meixiang's talents. If Lady Meixiang does not mind, Jiaying wish to play a duet with her"                  

All of a sudden, Meixiang was called forward by the female lead. Startled, Meixiang hadn't expected to be called out. On top of that, the female lead actually is taunting a small character like herself? Sneering inside, Meixiang could take a guess it was due to Lin Heng. It seems the female lead does not like her so-call good friend being stolen by another woman. Meixiang wondered how the fourth prince was feeling? Did he care that his woman was taunting his best friend's fiancé? Or was he foolish not to see the female lead's aim?                  

While everyone attention suddenly turned to Viscount Zhao and his daughter, Meixiang could see how her father's face went slightly cold. With a soft smile, she understood the Viscount was unhappy on her behalf. Even if the man was seen as cunning fox in court, at home, the man was a good, kind father. So for her to behave as a good daughter was only normal. 

Standing up quietly, Meixiang did not make any move to leave the tent. Instead, she bow properly toward the royal tent. 

 "Zhao Meixiang is untalented. How can this small status Meixiang think to perform a duet with Lady Liu? If Meixiang caused others to laugh, and thus, harm Lady Liu's reputation, how can Meixiang live with herself?" Meixiang's voice was clear and sweet like always. "Instead, please allow Meixiang to impart with a poem which was inspired by Lady Liu's beautiful performance"                  

Everyone was amazed by Zhao Meixiang's response to Liu Jiaying's request. Admitted to having no talent is one thing, but Meixiang boosted Liu Jiaying's talent as if it was untouchable showed her humility. With a response like that, Liu Jiaying was unable to refute. 

 "Oh, then let's hear your poem" The Emperor, on the other hand, was intrigued by the lovely voice.  

"Meixiang obeys his royal majesty and hopes that Lady Liu would laugh at her poor poem"                  

Giving another proper bow, Meixiang lifted her head and begin to recite.  

My Soul, there is a world  Far beyond the heavens  
All the dexterous in the wars  
Where swords and arrows cease  
Sweet Peace lay, sleeping with smiles  
And the Crown born with wings  
Commanding Peace and Joy  Our Souls, there is a country  
Here in this world  Flower blooming, Spring everywhere  
Sweet Peace sits, forever smiling
  And the Crown spread wings  
Give Peace and Joy                  


Meixiang's poem was met with silence. Liu Jiaying's music was a well known piece written by the previous Emperor to his Empress - who now the Empress Dowager herself. Everyone had thought the music expressed love and affection, yet Meixiang's poem was that of peace. Moreover, no one had ever heard such a heart-moving poem which meant the young woman had created herself. Hearing it made anyone feel thankful to be living in a time of peace. Meixiang had indirectly implied her thankful toward the Royal Family for providing peace to the Country. It had been much more powerful than Liu Jiaying who had played originally to please the Empress Dowager.

  "Very good" The Empress Dowager's soft but fervent voice carried through the banquet.                  

The Empress Dowager who had not spoken since the beginning of the banquet had only said two words. But the two words was more rewarding than any young maiden had wished to receive.  

"Yes" The Emperor agreed and clapped with a smile. "A very good poem"                  

Everyone immediately applaud after the Emperor. Meixiang bowed graciously before she sat back down behind her father and away from anyone's clear view. The Viscount with a proud smile, even sat up straighter.

"Hssss!"
The crowd inhaled a breath of cold air!
Composing a poem on the spot was young master Mo’s expertise!
Someone then shouted out, "I’ve heard that young master Mo managed to compose a poem in just ten steps for the Fire Emperor. Do we have the fortunes of seeing such a skill?"
Everyone started to reveal cheers of joy and anticipation.
Most of them had heard of young master Mo’s ten step poem before the Fire Nation's Emperor. If they manage to hear young master Mo compose a poem in ten steps once again, it would be a historical moment for everyone!
Once the poem was completed, it would also be a poem that would be recorded in the books of history.
Besides, young master Mo’s talents in poem are undoubted. In fact, he was so good in poetry that he was the unrivalled Poem King within Fire Nations. Anyone who could witness his ‘ten steps poem’ would be deemed to be extremely fortunate.
Madam Ya was rather astonished as well. In previous banquets, the crowd would come up with their own topics of discussion, since they would have made preparations before coming and allow others to enjoy their work. Today, young master Mo requested for her to give a topic. He clearly wanted to win some of his pride and dignity back.
Although Madam Ya felt that agreeing in this wouldn’t be fair to Xu Que, she badly wanted to witness young master Mo’s ten step poem as well.
"Regardless of whatever topic Madam Ya gives, I will be able to complete a full poem within ten steps!" Young master Mo stood up, as he readied himself. His eyes were focused as he smiled and looked at Madam Ya.
Complete a full poem within ten steps!
Madam Ya was so excited by these words that her heart was hammering in her chest. Such confidence and exquisite talents caused her to go in a daze!
For a student to compose a good poem was the ultimate test of how brilliant and knowledgeable he was. If he wasn’t the best student or the most talented, how will he ever dare to speak such big words to promise a complete poem within ten steps?
Hence, Madam Ya replied, "Alright. Since young mister Mo’s so full of confidence, I shall come up with a topic!"
As she finished, she turned her head back to look at her surroundings before looking at the sky.
At this point, the sky was gradually turning dark as if it was about to rain anytime soon!
Madam Ya smiled gently as she spoke, "Since we’re right on the brink of spring, everyone can look out and see that the clouds are dense and thick. Maybe we shall receive our first spring rain today. Let’s have spring rain as the topic. What do you think?"
Spring rain?
When the students heard this, their eyes gleamed. This wasn’t very hard!
However, even though this wasn’t a difficult topic, it would be rather hard to compose a poem within ten steps!
To most of the students present, writing a poem would always have the comfort of their own homes. They would rack their brains and think for hours on end before they produce a work that’s average at best. For someone to do it in within ten steps was practically impossible to them.
Xu Que was still standing by the side when he heard the topic of ‘spring rain’ and was elated.
Hehe... spring rain? Within my book of 300 Tang Poems, most of them can be linked to this topic. Besides, each and every poem in this book is a work of genius!
Even before Madam Ya could finish speaking her sentence, Mo Yun Shang walked out.
When he took his first step, everyone’s expression was one of surprise.
"How... How is this possible?"
"Doesn’t he even need to think?"
Even Madam Ya reacted to this in amazement. As soon as he heard the topic, he could immediately compose a poem. That was amazing. It’s no wonder he’s referred to as Poem King!
Mo Yun Shang’s eyes exuded immense confidence in his own abilities as endearing dimples were able to capture the hearts of those who heard him. Mo Yun Shan reared his head up before taking his second step, "The spring rains are as fine as dust."
Soon after, he took his third step, "While the willow trees outside, a brilliant shade of yellow."
Even before the audience could ponder over his words, he took another step forward and recited the fourth line, "Curtains entwined with the gentle wind."
He was down to his last line. Everyone held their breaths in nervous anticipation as they watched his feet. He had three steps to go. Could he complete the poem within three steps?
Indeed, the contented look on Mo Yun Shang’s face indicated that he was more than confident of achieving such a feat. He took a deep breath before finishing his last three steps. He then spoke loudly, "As the satin cloths sway in the mild breeze."
He took a total of ten steps and delivered such an amazing poem!
Clap clap clap clap…
The audience were filled with astonishment and were clearly impressed!
The sounds of applause were almost deafening.
"Great poem! What a great poem!"
"Indeed, he’s the Poem King. He could compose a brilliant poem from scratch within just ten steps.
"The spring rains are as fine as dust, while the willow trees outside, a brilliant shade of yellow. Indeed, that is the scenery we get to view at this very moment across the great lake!"
"It’s hard to imagine how talented young master Mo is. Even before the first drops of rain had descended, he’s already painted a beautiful picture of spring in our imaginations that is so lifelike!"
Several students voiced out their opinions and were filled with respect.
Tang Liu Feng was sighing as well, "The title of Poem King is indeed not in vain. Today, my eyes have been treated to a sumptuous experience!"
Madam Ya was mildly trembling as her eyes twinkled in delight. She sighed, "Young mister Mo’s poem is indeed the best poem to describe spring rain!"
"Pu!" Xu Que spat out an entire mouthful of tea on the floor, as his face contorted in disgust.
Fuck, how could this be considered ‘best poem’? Are you trying to tease me?
Indeed, when he spat out tea, he had attracted the attention of everyone again.
Mo Yun Shan turned around and glared at him, his eyes emanated an icy stare and laughed coldly, "What? Could it be that Brother Li despises my poem?"
"Gulp… It’s alright, but it isn’t even worth my despise!" Xu Que wiped away some tea water on his lips and laughed dryly.
As soon as this words were spoken, the crowd’s lips puckered in disgust.
It isn’t even worth his despise?
Fuck me! Big brother, you’re bragging a little too much here right?
The quality of this poem could even be the best in Fire Nation! And he even composed it all within ten steps. With the amount of talent it took to produce something like that, you even say that it’s not worth your despise?"
Mo Yun Shang couldn’t bear it any longer and burst out, "Since that’s the case, I wonder if brother Li has a better piece of work?"
"Me? Of course I do. Are you sure you wish to hear it?" Xu Que blinked several times as his heart roared with happiness. This humble subject didn’t wish to act tough, but you forced me to. I shall oblige you. Looks like sometimes, even when I don’t wish to act tough, the career catches me off guard! So, don’t blame me for putting on a good show!
The crowd looked at his face and had to suppress the inner urge to rush forward and beat his stinking face. Their hearts were filled with disgust and repulse for him.
A student then cleared his throat, "Young master Mo composed his poem in ten steps. If you can really compose a poem, it still won't mean that you’re more talented than him!"
"Hehe… did you say ten steps?" Xu Que laughed coldly before shaking his head, "To me, that poem was utter trash!"
"You… What did you say?"
"The audacity! How outrageous! You dare to lose your mannerisms and speak in such a way!"
"If a ten step poem is too easy for you, are you going to compose a poem in seven steps?"
The crowd was enraged when they heard this and that Mo Yun Shan was truly being treated unjustifiably.
The ten steps poem was extremely difficult and he even managed to compose such a high quality poem, but you actually called it trash?
"Boom!"
Xu Que slammed the tea cup heavily on the table, as he smiled out, "Seven steps poem? What’s the big deal with that? But I have to apologize. This humble subject won’t just compose one poem in ten steps. Instead… I shall compose ten poems in ten steps!"


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!  

JULIA
Weeks have passed, and Khalil's friend's birthday is getting closer. The more I think about it, the more I just wanted to laugh at myself. To think that I would do this crazy thing with him? It's just unbelievable. To think that, Julia Anderson is the girlfriend of Khalil Evans? It's a crazy thing to think about, right? I mean it's very hopeless for someone so perfect like Khalil to have a crush on me, and now, I mean just for one day, I'm going to be his pretend girlfriend?!
I thought that maybe I should buy Khalil a present for his birthday next week, He didn't tell me though. But I just wanted to thank him for being there for me whenever I needed him. His birthday is on Tuesday, and his friend's birthday is on Sunday. I figured that I didn't need to buy a gift for his friend's birthday, besides it's a friend of his and not mine. As I was walking inside the mall, I found myself at a stuffed toy store, and I saw a cute-looking lovey-dovey dog hugging each other while holding a heart-shaped pillow.
wait, what?
why am I holding such a thing?! This isn't the one that I'm looking for! for heaven's sake! what is happening to me?! This doesn't suit him! I mean he would never like something like this! An overwhelming manly Khalil Evans would want a stuffed toy for his birthday? urgh! how childish of me to think of that.
But come to think of it, I really have no idea what to give him. I can't buy him clothes because  I don't know the style that he likes or the real reason was that I don't know his size! even his shoe size! I really am clueless about everything about him, he never talked about his t-shirt size, pants.... wait, PANTS?! there's no way I would like to know what his size is! what am I? his girlfriend?!
But seriously, I really have no idea what he likes. All that I know is that he likes eating so much and that his favorite color is blue, the same as mine, his favorite fruit is strawberry, the same as mine again! we have a lot of similarities in what we both like and what we both adore, just like Bruno Mars. He doesn't talk about his family, he knows almost everything about me and my family, meanwhile, I am still clueless about his!
So I thought about it now. Why am I exerting too much effort for him? We're not as close as best friends, but our friends say that both of us look like best friends.
The pain, and the torment that I felt when mom left me and when I knew dad wasn't loyal to mom, It just... somehow when he came, ever since I knew Khalil... there is nothing left for me to feel but only happiness in me, the happiness that I'm comfortable with when I'm with him, the happiness that I feel safe whenever he's around. The kind of happiness that I never shared with someone before mom died. And I know that there's another reason why I agreed to do this pretend girlfriend with him. I didn't do it just because he's my friend. I feel like I'm doing it because of my own personal reasons.
I felt like just going back home instead of walking around in the mall without intending to do anything. As I walk home I saw a beautiful sight, it is a withered tree, right from where I was standing I was watching it, there are still leaves falling from it. The tree looks so lonely and it gives me the idea of its sad story, as to why all of the trees that grew big and strong, it is the only tree that died. It seems so dry and its small branches still make it look beautiful.
The other people might say "It's an old tree, and there's nothing beautiful you can find in it."
except for me, I find the most beautiful things from the ugliest form. because if it's not because of those ugly forms, there will be no other forms that will be called 'beautiful'
Those ugly forms were the reason why there were beautiful things such as a flourishing tree and a dying tree.
I find those ugly forms were the most beautiful thing in the world, not just the view of nature and not just a view of seeing a couple loving each other.
It is a view of how they can give you a lot of meaning in your life.
There's a beautiful mountain view background of this dying tree, and there's a bench beside it. So I sat on the bench and put out my mini notebook and pen, this is where I write my poems, most of it actually. But with all the poems that I've made, I don't think there's a poem that has ever been my favorite. It's because I like all of them.
I let out a deep sigh and think of everything that I see as a part of someone's life.
As I looked up, I smiled and wrote three words for the first sentence, I looked at that part again and wrote another four words for the next sentence and realized how lonely it must have felt when you die, I didn't look back at it again because I heard a chirping sound. And then I laughed a little after writing the last sentence of the poem.
Now I could swear to you that out of all the poems that I made, this is the only one that really caught my attention while reading it again. I wrote the title "SILENCE"
                                                    SILENCE
                                          A withered tree;
                                          A bird sits in,
                                          And sing a song for me.

A short but sweet poem. The loneliness that I felt while writing the words, the silence that has been broken because of a bird. Making me think.... "who will be my bird?"   "who will break the silence in my life?" "who will bring music to my life?" and "who will make the loneliness that I feel right now disappear?"

Once she was in love. But she learned how it feels to be left alone. She was broken. She doesn't know who and how to trust.
"We fall in love by chance, We stay in love by choice"
She fell in love once again, he thought her how to love. He showed her happiness once again.

But what if there are still more secrets to be revealed? What if their love was not enough?
This is a story of love and sacrifices. Love and regrets. A story of Love and secrets.

Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei were utterly speechless.
They wanted to criticize Fang Yuan, but Qiao Si Liu had made such a remark, if they criticized now, would they not be embarrassing Qiao Si Liu?
Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei felt like they had swallowed a housefly but were unable to spit it out, it was unbearable.
Fang Yuan was laughing on the inside as he gazed around.
Qiao Si Liu was forcefully maintaining her smile, while Fairy Tian Lu gazed at her concernedly, her gaze seemingly containing some sympathetic feeling. As Qiao Si Liu's best friend, how could Fairy Tian Lu not know of her intention? It was just that Fang Yuan did not take the bait at all, making them be unable to do anything.
As for Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei, they had such stiff expressions that it was quite funny.
Fang Yuan looked at these two: "How was it? My poem was not bad, right?"
"Not bad?!"
Luo Mu Zi's and Lun Fei's eyes immediately opened wide as they looked at Fang Yuan, seemingly wanting to see how shameless this person could possibly get.
But immediately afterwards, they heard Fang Yuan speak: "Although I had a flash of inspiration, it seems a true masterpiece poem is also created like this. Si Liu really approves of my poem, but I still would like to hear your constructive feedback."
"Constructive feedback? This dogshit thing can be considered a poem? You want feedback?!"
"Si Liu, Si Liu… why are you speaking of her so closely? You scumbag, hey! Who let you address her so intimately!"
Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei were madly raving inside their minds.
But they could not lose their temper, they had to evaluate it and give good remarks just like Qiao Si Liu's words so that they would not embarrass her.
This disgusted them even more than eating a housefly.
Fang Yuan was clearly their rival in love and it was also garbage that could not be considered a poem, but Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei still needed to 'evaluate' it and give nice comments!
"This poem, ah… it is clear, easy to understand… and easy to read…" Luo Mu Zi stammered, his expression was becoming increasingly unsightly and he felt like he was going to vomit!
Fang Yuan nodded with a smile, then turned towards Lun Fei: "What do you think?"
Lun Fei saw Fang Yuan staring at him, the corners of his lips were raised slightly in a smile and seemed to be twitching, he insipidly remarked: "This is a good poem."
Fang Yuan's eyebrows rose, how could he let this person off so easily, he pursued: "What is so good about it?"
Lun Fei was furious, his face flushed red with anger as he screamed internally: "How would I know what's good about it? There is nothing good about it! You created this garbage and still want to be praised! You scumbag!!"
Looking at Fang Yuan's smiling expression, Lun Fei had an intense urge to smash the teacup on Fang Yuan's face. 
It would really appease his anger!
But he could not do that.
Qiao Si Liu was right beside them, if Lun Fei did that, what would happen to Qiao Si Liu's face? Wouldn't he embarrass this fairy?
Moreover, he was not like Luo Mu Zi, he was a lone immortal. By contrast, Wu Yi Hai had a noble status, he was in Wu clan, and was the younger brother of Wu Yong!
Lun Fei could only restrain his anger as he racked his brains to think of words for 'evaluating' Fang Yuan's 'poem'.
"I am really pleased with this moon appreciation festival, never had I thought I am talented in composing poems." Fang Yuan smiled at Qiao Si Liu, his gaze full of deep meaning.
Qiao Si Liu's mind shook slightly as she smiled: "Next is rock dissecting, maybe you will have a huge harvest."
"Indeed, indeed. I am also most expectant towards this event, let us dissect rocks." Fairy Tian Lu quickly helped to change the subject.
"I have prepared a huge amount of rocks here for everyone to choose. Please." Qiao Si Liu naturally had come prepared, with Qiao clan as her background, gathering some rocks was of course not a troubling matter.
The mood in the pavilion eased.
Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei also let out sighs of relief, at least they no longer needed to praise Fang Yuan's poem against their own will.
The rocks prepared by Qiao Si Liu were of all sizes, the Gu Immortals chose them one after the other and dissected them on the spot to see if there were any Gu worms inside.
As far as mortal Gu was concerned, it was very easy for Gu Immortals to get them.
As such, the atmosphere was relaxed, unlike the seriousness when Gu Masters dissected rocks. 
Naturally, this only applied to mortal Gu, if Immortal Gu were involved, this rock dissecting activity would be given serious attention by Gu Immortals.
Gu Immortals had a lot of methods to check whether a rock had mortal Gu or not. However, in today's event, they naturally would not use their methods to cheat and only relied on their insight and luck.
As for rocks that had Immortal Gu, they could only be found by chance and not through seeking, the investigative methods of Gu Immortals were deficient and without options in regard to such rocks. 
Trying to get an Immortal Gu in tonight's event would be wishful thinking and unrealistic.
No one present had such expectations as this was only meant to be an entertaining event.
It was just that this entertainment held different meaning to Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei compared to the past.
They were secretly contending with Fang Yuan, but the result was they were almost at the verge of coughing out blood, Fang Yuan's rock dissecting results had maintained first place from start to finish.
Rock dissecting relied on the Gu Master's discerning eye, Fang Yuan naturally did not lack in this aspect, he had even started his own rock gambling den in his first life. 
As for luck, was Fang Yuan's luck bad?
Not to mention he had connected his luck with several other lucky people, he himself had dogshit luck Immortal Gu to help him.
However, although Fang Yuan obtained victory, it was a rather close one. He maintained superiority from the start, but this superiority was not obvious at times.
The one who exerted such strong pressure on him was Luo Mu Zi.
This person was not a lone immortal, he came from one of Southern Border's super forces — Luo clan.
His insight was very sharp, and most importantly, his luck was quite good, his results were only slightly inferior to Fang Yuan.
"Looks like his luck is quite good."
"Otherwise, he would not have known about Qi Jue's Five Words Poem, isn't that right…"
Fang Yuan thought to himself.
It would not be troubling for him to make a move against Lun Fei, but to target Luo Mu Zi, he had to worry about Luo clan.
Naturally, no matter what he decided to do, Wu Yi Hai's identity absolutely could not be implicated.
By the time the moon appreciation festival ended, it was already deep into the night.
Everyone bid their farewells one after the other, the scene was quite lively.
"I will see you off." Qiao Si Liu took the initiative to see Fang Yuan off.
Luo Mu Zi's and Lun Fei's eyes flushed red.
"Let's go!" Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei were originally competitors and found one another an eyesore, but through the course of tonight's event, they had instead reached a tacit agreement.
The four Gu Immortals left the pavilion successively, leaving behind Fairy Tian Lu and her lover.
"Sigh." Fairy Tian Lu sighed: "Tonight's moon appreciation festival was so tiring."
"Nothing to be done about it." Her lover also sighed, his gaze clear and bright.
Both held each other's hands and smiled as they stepped on the clouds and left.
"This Wu Yi Hai is a complete boor. What in the world did he compose? Can that thing even be called a poem?!" Luo Mu Zi was burning with rage.
"But Fairy Si Liu actually has a completely different view of him!!" Lun Fei gritted his teeth.
"Hmph, what different view, his greatest worth is his identity." Luo Mu Zi said in a slightly envious tone.
Lun Fei's expression was malevolent: "I cannot take this lying down, I cannot let Wu Yi Hai continue living so happily!"
On their way, Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei conversed heatedly.
"Oh? What idea do you have? Wu clan might be facing difficulties from all sides and they might lack the initiative, but they still have the ability to maintain their status. If you want to make a move against Wu Yi Hai, you will have to consider Wu clan. Whether it be publicly or privately, Wu Yong will stand behind Wu Yi Hai. We need to take this relationship properly into account." Luo Mu Zi spoke, he was a righteous path Gu Immortal and was aware of the difficulty here. 
If they overestimated their relationship, they would not be able to cause any harm to Wu Yi Hai. But if they underestimated it, who would be able to bear Wu clan's retribution?
Lun Fei curled his lips as he thought: Righteous path Gu Immortals have to worry about everything. On the other hand, the demonic path can directly take action.
However, Lun Fei was not a demonic cultivator, he was a lone cultivator who was more inclined towards the righteous path.
Lun Fei sneered as a sinister light flashed in his eyes: "We don't need to personally make a move. Fairy Si Liu has a lot of pursuers, not just us two. We can inform that person, he will definitely be furious because Fairy Si Liu did not invite him this time."
"You are talking about that guy from Chi clan?" Luo Mu Zi's expression became slightly complex.
That Gu Immortal from Chi clan was the biggest pursuer of Qiao Si Liu. Before tonight, Luo Mu Zi greatly loathed him. But now, he was about to make use of his strength to teach a lesson to Wu Yi Hai.
"Although Wu Yi Hai won against Xia Fei Kuai, it was because he relied on his knowledge of the enemy. If he was strong, why would he have to discuss any conditions with that Mountain Moving Old Monster, he could have directly seized back Mount Snail. That guy from Chi clan is definitely stronger than Wu Yi Hai, moreover, he hates it when others have any desire towards Fairy Si Liu." Lun Fei continued.
Luo Mu Zi's gaze became resolute: "Alright, we will inform Chi Shang of today's matter!"
Qiao Si Liu accompanied Fang Yuan for a distance before she bid a reluctant farewell to Fang Yuan.
But she did not directly return to Qiao clan's headquarters, instead returning to the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, there was a Gu Immortal sitting on a rock chair and quietly drinking bewitching tea.
This person was Qiao clan's first supreme elder.
The crucial character who had helped Fang Yuan return to Wu clan previously!
Qiao clan's first supreme elder slowly put down the teacup: "Although Wu Yi Hai grew up in Eastern Sea, he is after all Wu Du Xiu's son. So what do you think?"
Qiao Si Liu's gaze was slightly dim as she softly said: "I agree." 
Fang Yuan targeted Luo Mu Zi and Lun Fei, forcing them to say his poem was good, but in fact it was an indirect attack on Qiao Si Liu. 
Qiao Si Liu was well aware that this was the way of a righteous path confrontation, it was all smiles and jovial on the surface, but was actually a maelstrom of dark undercurrents.
Qiao clan's first supreme elder sighed: "Our Qiao clan has all along been allies with Wu clan, but we have never been able to penetrate deep into their core. For the sake of Qiao clan, Wu Yi Hai is a huge opportunity, do you understand?"
Qiao Si Liu bit her lips, her gaze containing reluctance, but she still nodded in the end: "I understand."


With his Three Fundamental Views* unrighteous, the demon is reborn.
An old dream in the ancient days, a new author with an identical name.
An old story about a time traveler who was constantly being reborn.
An eccentric world that grows, cultivates, and uses Gu. 
The Spring Autumn Cicada, Moonlight Gu, Liquor worm, Comprehensive Golden Light Worm, Fine Black Hair Gu, Hope Gu. . . . . .
And a peerless great demon that freely acts to his heart’s content.
Translator's Synopsis: 
A story of a villain, Fang Yuan who was reborn 500 years into the past with the Spring Autumn Cicada he painstakingly refined. With his profound wisdom, battle and life experiences, he seeks to overcome his foes with skill and wit! Ruthless and amoral, he has no need to hold back as he pursues his ultimate goals. In a world of cruelty where one cultivates using Gu - magical creatures of the world - Fang Yuan must rise up above all with his own power.
--------------------------------
Gu is a legendary venomous insect, often used in black magic practices. It can take on the form of several insects, usually snakes, crickets, worms etc.
* = one's world view, values of worth and philosophy on life 


A total of ten rounds.

Winning six rounds meant overall victory.

Quite a number of people on the team behind Master Wei could no longer sit still. This was no longer a competition where friendship came first, and competition came second. If the other party was a master, it was still alright. They would not say anything about it as they wouldn't feel ashamed of losing. However, with their opponent being some nobody, this made these calligraphers feel that they had lost face. It was too shameful.

"Heh, I don't believe it!

"If it were ancient melody poems, I'll go up myself!"

"If it's five word poems, leave it to me!"

"Just a kid, yet he doesn't give any face to us seniors!"

"Haha, Old Yu and Old Lu, the both of you want to go up? Sure, then count me in too. No matter what, we need to get serious, or there's no where to put our faces."

"I really don't believe he is so all-powerful."

"At such a young age, how deep can his knowledge be!?"

These calligraphers began to sharpen their weapons, ready for a fight.

When Zhang Ye saw this, he sought Wu Zeqing's view. "President Wu, should we lose a few rounds? Of course we will definitely have to win the rest, but in this process..." According to Zhang Ye's intent, he didn't mind. This was after all Wu Zeqing's birthday and it was her circle. Zhang Ye was afraid President Wu found it inappropriate, so he sought her opinion to see what her attitude was.

Wu Zeqing retorted, "Why should we lose?"

Zhang Ye said, "The other side are all seniors of the calligraphy world. I'm afraid you would..."

Wu Zeqing gave a faint smile and said, "In art, there is no modesty. If you are really lacking in ability, which results in your loss, then that's just too bad, but if you can win, why don't you win?"

Zhang Ye blinked his eyes as he said, "It's fine even if we win?"

"What problems would there be?" Wu Zeqing sipped her tea.

Zhang Ye got an idea of her attitude. "Alright, I was just waiting for those words of yours!"

Offend people? Since when was Zhang Ye afraid of that? This fellow had never concerned himself with this. He was afraid Wu Zeqing would eventually be put in a tough spot, however, President Wu's words wiped all his concerns away. He finally understood why he liked Old Wu so much. Just like back when she invited him to teach, any typical President of an esteemed school of higher learning would never dare to take such risks. Furthermore, he had such a shocking theory about ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’, yet Wu Zeqing did not even ask him about it before supporting him. She never doubted the person she chose. From a certain point of view, Wu Zeqing was even more bold than Zhang Ye. She was indeed very different from a typical woman!

Win?

That was of course not a problem!

If you want to win, I'll win it for you!

"I'll do the draw." Zhang Ye took the initiative and went over.

The fourth round's topic came out. An ancient melody poem, and the last word had to have the word 'liu' (flow).

This sort of topic was a little more difficult. If it was just the first word, it would have been easy. Just giving it some thought would allow people to recall one. After all, everyone read a poem from beginning to end. However, if it was the last word, even if it were a poem one knew inside out, not everyone would be able to remember it. They would have to go from the first word all the way down to the last word. This increased the difficulty due to the time constraints.

"Finally there is a designated word constraint. I'll do it!" Teacher Yu came forward.

However, Zhang Ye had already picked up a brush and began writing.

"Lady Yu, the Royal Beauty"

Spring flowers and autumn moon, O when will all these end?

How much of my past I comprehend?

Last night, to my loft once more, the vernal east wind came;

 In moonlight, I could not bear to look back towards my homeland rid of my name.

Jade steps and carved railings may still as ever be there,

Though changed are the faces fair.

O how great, how grave, I ask, can my woe and sorrow be?

Just like the River's swelling spring-tide waters rolling east to the sea.

Zhang Ye put down his brush, having finished writing it. Then he looked at his opponent.

Teacher Yu came over with a smile while brimming in confidence. He was in no hurry, and took a cursory glance at the melody poem that Zhang Ye had written. Then, his smile transformed into another expression. His face alternated between red and green. In the end, it changed into an action as he smacked himself in the forehead!

F**k!

You can even write melody poems?

And this is another impromptu creation!?

Teacher Yu wished he had not spoken just now. I'll do it? Doing nothing but fart! After a few seconds of silence, he turned around at a loss of whether to laugh or cry before running back dejectedly towards Master Wei's side.

Master Zhou was amused. "Old Yu?"

Teacher Yu waved his hand. "I'm not writing."

"Then you have abstained?" Master Zhou asked.

Teacher Yu felt that was nonsense. "It will be pointless to continue writing it, so forget it, I give up." This melody poem's literary value was too shocking. His calligraphy was also written very beautifully. Teacher Yu believed that even though his calligraphy attainment was higher than his opponent’s, it was not much higher. However, no matter what he wrote, it would definitely not be better than his opponent's "Lady Yu, the Royal Beauty". It would only incur ridicule on himself.

The surrounding crowd was dumbfounded. Even Teacher Yu admitted defeat? He was a famous calligrapher who won first place at this year's calligraphy competition!

Master Zhou said, "Then let's begin the fifth round."

The fifth rounds topic was reminiscing and remembrance.

The topic was very broad, but the broader it was, the harder it became to come up with something appropriate.

No one from the other side came forward, as if they were waiting to see what Zhang Ye had to write.

Zhang Ye drank a mouthful of wine and without any further ado, he grabbed the brush and dipped it in ink without any thought.

"The Lavishly Decorated Zither"

The lavishly decorated zither, for no reason, has fifty strings; each string, each bridge, reminiscing a magnificent year.

Master Zhuang lost himself in the morning dream of being a butterfly; Emperor Wang's amorous spring heart was entrusted to the cuckoo.

Deep under the vast azure sea, reflected the bright moonlight, pearls cry tears; In Indigo Mountain, bathed under the warm sunlight, jade releases smoke.

This feeling might have become something to be remembered later on; Merely, at that time I was already perplexed and lost.

When he finally put down the brush, there were already people giving their kudos!

Su Na exclaimed out and clapped forcefully. "Nice! Nicely written!"

This poem was liked by many of the women present. Their thoughts also seemed to float away a bit. "This feeling might be something to remember later on; Merely, at that time I was... already perplexed and lost?"

Many people were engrossed just by listening to it!

No one from Master Wei's side spoke a word!

What is this guy doing? One poem after another, how are you f**king throwing out all these excellent poems worthy of being classics out like they cost nothing? Can you at least write some poem that we are familiar with!?

Who's going forward?

Who can take down this round?

We can't have no one taking up the challenge, or not only would we lose, we would lose our stance!

They nudged one another and eventually, as there was really no one, someone from the team bit the bullet and came forward. He wrote a relevant poem, which was quite long. He took a long time to write the exaggerated tale filled with high-flown phraseology. A long poem allowed a time extension, so this person was probably trying to use his calligraphy skills to win this round.

However, when he finished writing, Master Zhou still announced that Wu Zeqing's team won. There was no other reason. No matter how high a calligraphy standard one had, it needed to be expressed through text. The poem the youth in shades wrote was enough to blanket out anything else. It even increased his calligraphy by an entire realm!

Another round was won again!

Wu Zeqing decided not to even stand up. She just sat there, drinking her tea and watching the bustle.

The surrounding people began to discuss in murmurs. Some women began pointing at Zhang Ye.

"He's so amazing!"

"This young lad is godly!"

"Why is he wearing sunglasses? I can't see his face!"

"I sure didn't come to this anniversary for nothing. I managed to experience such fun!"

Master Zhou announced, "The sixth round begins." After both sides drew their lots, he said, "The topic this round is Mourning Day, and it has to be used at least twice."

Oh?

Mourning Day?

The topic was random. There really was no poem that began with Mourning Day.

However, the people on Master Wei's side were no ordinary people. Immediately, a young talent stepped forward. He stood in front of the table and with the brush in hand, began to compose something on the spot. Do you think you are the only one who can compose?

Zhang Ye was also writing.

"Mourning Day"

A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day;

The mourner's heart is breaking on his way.

Where can a wine house be found to drown his sadness?

A cowherd points to Almond Flower Village in the distance.

Before he was done, he ended a paragraph, and added his name out of habit.

When the youth from Master Wei's team had written half of his poem, he curiously gave Zhang Ye's side a glance. The moment he saw it, his eyes nearly popped out. With a few coughs, he lowered his head to look at the poem he composed. With a sigh, he placed the brush down, no longer wishing to carry on.

"I admit defeat." The youth was convinced.

Master Zhou asked, "Aren't you going to finish it?"

The youth said with a wry smile, "Forget it, I don't want to incur ridicule on myself."

Six rounds!

Zhang Ye had won all of them!

Master Zhou said with a laugh, "There are still four rounds remaining, yet the victor has already been decided, so should we carry on?"

Wu Zeqing said, "I'm fine with anything."

Master Wei did not speak, but quite a few people behind him said,

"Yes!"

"Why shouldn't we?"

"There are still four rounds."

Although they had already lost, the result was no longer important at this moment. So what if Master Zhou's calligraphy piece went to Wu Zeqing, what they needed to do was recover what was left of their face. At least, at the very least, they should win one round, right? We cannot let him wipe us out completely! If it spread out, it would become a joke!

Master Zhou smiled and said, "Alright, then let's carry on."

A young calligrapher said, "Master Zhou, I think this competition isn't fair. It's a calligraphy competition, but why has it become a poetry competition? We all know calligraphy cannot be void of expression and cannot do without text or poetry, but poetry is not everything in calligraphy. We have already witnessed the prowess of this friend's ability in creating poetry. He is indeed better than us, but that doesn't mean his calligraphy skills are better than ours, right?"

Master Zhou opened up his arms. "But, those are the competition's rules. Every anniversary has always had these rules."

Was it fair?

It was indeed unfair!

Master Zhou knew it, Master Wei knew it, and Wu Zeqing also knew it.

In previous calligraphy competitions, everyone's literary standards were about the same. They were neither too bad nor good. After all, calligraphers were not literary experts. Hence, this sort of competition was usually quite fair. Everyone was pretty much on the same level, but a godly person had appeared in this year’s competition. Not only were his calligraphy skills excellent, his literary foundation was universe startling. This made the competition lose all suspense. Everyone knew that this youth in shades did not win due to his calligraphy but rather by his literary skills!

Calligraphy skills? He could only be said to have a chance against some of the calligraphers present. There were many here who were better than him.

But literary foundations? He alone was enough to steamroll dozens of calligraphers! Yes, steamroll. Steamrolling without any suspense!

One person was enough?

Now many people recalled through hindsight the meaning behind Wu Zeqing's words in the beginning! President Wu was not saying that she alone was enough. She was saying the youth alone was enough! President Wu clearly knew this youth from before, and knew his ability. Hence, when she saw the youth join her team, she declined on having other teammates. She had rejected the request of those who wanted to join her team out of pity! This was because Wu Zeqing knew this youth alone was enough! And that was indeed what had happened! This youth had really won over dozens of calligraphy seniors!


Zhang Ye was originally a mundane college graduate with aspiring dreams to become a star, but unfortunately has below average looks and height. However one day, he woke up and suddenly found himself in a parallel world! 
It’s like the same world, but wait a minute…many brands, celebrities and even famous works from his world changed and are gone in this new world! Armed with the profound literary knowledge of his previous world and a heaven-defying Game Ring that gives him magical items, stats and skills, Zhang Ye embarks on a journey to pursue his life-long dream of becoming famous!
Follow Zhang Ye as he takes the new world by storm, one plagiarized piece at a time, to hilarious reactions!

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