Chapter 52: At the Very Least, a Person Shouldn't Make Such a Catastrophic Mistake

Li Qingguang furrowed her brow and asked with great perplexity,

"Eldest Senior Brother, what has gotten into you?"

Since they were going to play drinking games and compose poetry, this was naturally an opportunity for their "Poetry Lineage" to thoroughly showcase their skills before so many like-minded peers. Given Liu Xuan's fondness for showing off in public, he should have been brimming with enthusiasm by now. Why was he wearing such a gloomy expression instead?

Not only was Li Qingguang puzzled, but other academy students nearby also noticed that the attitude of the eldest senior brother of the "Poetry Lineage" was far from normal. They cast sideways glances and began to whisper among themselves.

The "Immortal of Poetry" Li Wangji was renowned as one of the academy's three absolute masters of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. His most famous feat occurred fifty years ago, when Li Wangji faced the invading Qingman army. Using poetry as a sword, he gathered a surge of scholarly vital qi that soared into the heavens, transforming into two azure serpents that decapitated Yelu, the ghost general of the Qingman.

Before that battle, the Qingman, aided by traitors within the imperial court, had breached the line dividing the realm in half and almost captured the six circuits of Shobei in a single sweeping push. Had Li Wangji not projected his divine soul to venture directly into the enemy camp for a desperate, do-or-die battle, the current state of affairs would likely be vastly different.

However, that sword strike executed through soul projection also exposed Li Wangji to the Grand Shaman, who nearly shattered his spiritual platform and dealt a severe blow to his cultivation realm, forcing him into a long recovery that continued to this day. As his direct disciple, Liu Xuan had naturally built a prominent reputation among the younger generation in recent years. At twenty-six years old, he had already reached the fifth rank of the Divine Path.

Although he could not compare to the brilliance of the Gu family siblings, he was undeniably an absolute genius. The spiritual resonance of his poetry was no match below his teacher's, earning him the moniker "Junior Immortal of Poetry."

To Li Qingguang, her eldest senior brother was wonderful in every way except for his tendency to speak without thinking, compounded by his bad habit of fondness for alcohol. Whenever he drank too much, he would go wild and babble drunken nonsense, frequently offending people.

Yet today, Liu Xuan's unusual silence made her feel deeply ill at ease, stirring worry in her heart.

Liu Xuan offered an awkward smile, raised a hand to support his forehead, and put on a pained expression.

"Er... Junior Sister, I—I may have drunk a bit too much yesterday. My head hurts today, my thoughts are in a mess, and I suppose I won't be able to compose any poetry."

Li Qingguang blinked, let out a sigh, and grumbled softly,

"I told you not to drink so much, but you wouldn't listen!"

Hearing this, those around them chuckled and began to tease him. The fact that the eldest senior brother of the "Poetry Lineage" loved drinking to his own detriment was a well-known amusing anecdote in the martial world.

None of them knew that deep within, Liu Xuan was struggling in agony and groaning aloud.

*Teacher! I have failed you!*

Liu Xuan buried his face in his hands and thumped his head against the table, his expression twisting into an indescribable grimace.

If today's event were merely a matter of taking turns queuing up to present ordinary birthday gifts, it would be one thing. Even if he handed his gift to Gu Fangchen, it might at most appear a bit eccentric, and he could brazenly tough it out with excuses like being drunk or simply having an arrogant and conceited personality. When the time came, he could apologize to his teacher, kowtow, and go reflect upon his faults in solitary confinement for a few months, and his teacher's heart would eventually soften. After all, the trouble he usually stirred up was no small amount anyway...

Yet Gu Youren had to go and propose a drinking game!

This Gu Fangchen was notoriously unlearned and devoid of skill. Asking him to compose poetry—well, if he managed to write a piece of doggerel, that would already be a blessing.

If he rambled incoherently and wrote complete nonsense in public, that truly would be the height of humiliation.

And if, under such circumstances, Liu Xuan were still to bestow the "First-Rate" grade upon Gu Fangchen...

The eldest senior brother of the "Poetry Lineage": "..."

He simply dared not imagine that scene.

Before the eyes of all the senior figures of the literary world at the Qionglin Banquet, the reputation of the entire "Poetry Lineage" would be utterly ruined.

By then, it probably wouldn't just be a matter of solitary confinement; his teacher would likely hunt him down to personally purge the sect. It wasn't entirely impossible that a few retired senior masters of the "Poetry Lineage" might be startled out of seclusion.

No!

Liu Xuan shivered. A person simply could not afford to commit a blunder of such magnitude.

He raised his head, glanced at Gu Fangchen sitting above, calmly pouring and drinking wine as if none of this concerned him, and hardened his expression.

There was still a way to remedy this!

Liu Xuan took a deep breath, feigned physical indisposition, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

The next instant, his divine soul detached from his body and flashed through the air, arriving beside Gu Fangchen in the blink of an eye.

It didn't matter if Gu Fangchen, that unlearned wastrel of a scion, couldn't write poetry—

He would do it himself!

...

Gu Fangchen sat in the second seat, poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip, and smacked his lips.

This wine was called "Thought Without Depravity," celebrated for its light, elegant, and serene qualities. It was quite popular among literati, and high-ranking officials also liked to affect refined tastes, making it rather expensive.

The original owner had spent his days frequenting pleasure quarters and brothels, so he had certainly consumed his share of alcohol, and his evaluation of "Thought Without Depravity" was actually quite favorable.

As for Gu Fangchen, however...

He felt it was... inferior to cola.

Gu Fangchen could not help falling into contemplation.

He recalled that some players had indeed experimented in the game by joining the Demonic Cult's "Craft" Path and replicating a beverage similar to cola. The reactions and reviews from NPCs who drank it were identical to those for cola. Later, after it was promoted on a large scale, it even turned many Great Wei cultivators over to the Demonic Cult.

Let him think, what were the ingredients in the formula again...

While Gu Fangchen was spacing out, the atmosphere of poetry composition below was growing lively. After a few students tested the waters, the lot finally fell upon Gu Youren.

With her talent, naturally, nothing more needed to be said. After a brief moment of thought, she came up with a verse.

Gu Youren chanted softly:

"Lotus parts to show the boat's advance, ripples break to reveal the egret's trace. Seeking no praise from passing guests, why must the fragrance linger dense and base?"

This casually composed little poem possessed an elegant artistic conception and a refined, leisurely charm, naturally earning cheers and soaring praises from the multitude of students.

The drinking game was not an examination; it did not demand masterworks. Instead, it tested one's reactive capacity within a short span, akin to composing a poem within seven steps. For the average person, managing to think up a metrically balanced verse was already quite a feat.

Yet one could catch a glimpse of the whole leopard through a single spot regarding one's level of skill.

For Gu Youren, this was merely a routine affair. After sitting down, she turned to look at Gu Fangchen, whose expression remained unchanged, and emitted a cold snort in her heart.

*Posturing! I'm afraid this fellow is already panicking inside.*

*What use is having a sharp tongue? In the end, it's just petty cleverness.*

As the sage said, the petty person seeks from others, while the gentleman seeks from himself.

Even if he won the master's favor, what use was it? She wondered how unsightly it would be when this customarily unlearned fellow made a fool of himself before everyone shortly!

Soon, amidst the gaze of all, it was Gu Yuandao's turn.

Gu Yuandao smiled calmly, paced back and forth for a moment, and then spoke:

"The path of poetry is not my forte, so I shall take 'Withered Lotus' as my theme and make a fool of myself."

His gaze grew sharp as he chanted:

"Frosty blades once withered ten thousand groves, leaving only barren stems to battle the western wind. Is the mortal world truly lacking in scenes of blooming spring? I choose to establish the first great merit upon the chilly pond!"

His voice rang out with resounding force. In an instant, several elderly ministers below sprang to their feet, slapping their desks.

"Wonderful! Excellent poem!"

"As expected of the Martial Saint's son! This poem possesses an extraordinary spirit, fully displaying a youth's untamed arrogance and a sharp, unmasked edge! If one is to achieve merit, naturally it must be the very first merit!"

The younger ones were even more stirred:

"We scholars of Great Wei should naturally serve our country. Reading this poem stirs one's ambitions!"

Seeing the atmosphere pushed to a climax, Qingjian, standing beside Gu Fangchen, noticed that he still looked completely unruffled and could not help asking,

"Young Master, do you know how to write poetry?"

Gu Fangchen maintained a deadpan expression, suddenly wishing to tease this Attendant of Heshin.

"Naturally I do. I shall compose one for you right now."

"Books are regretted as too few when the time comes to apply them, so many lotuses are taking a bath in the pond..."

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

A sudden fit of choking coughs reached Gu Fangchen's ears.

————

*PS: This plot arc does not focus primarily on plagiarism; my guiding principle for the story remains fun ￣▽￣*