Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock
Is this even a poem? Everyone couldn’t help but stare at each other in a daze, trying their best to hold in their laughter. However, there were a few of them who couldn’t help but giggle.
Yu BingYan stomped her foot in frustration and embarrassment while thinking, My dear Third Uncle, you shouldn’t spout nonsense if you are ignorant. They are now playing with rhyming couplets and what has that got to do with poems? Where did the good poem come from?
The corners of Ling Tian’s lips twitched up in an odd manner. After finally controlling his laughter, he said,
Young noble XiMen, wait a moment.
XiMen Qing felt extremely embarrassed, uncomfortable to remain in the center of the stage. Just when he wanted to walk back to the Extreme Joy Chamber, he was stopped by Ling Tian. He then couldn’t help but turn around and force a smile,
I wonder what teaching young noble Ling has for me?
Ling Tian let out a chuckle and said,
Previously, young noble felt disdain towards my upper phrase and it was indeed extremely similar to what you came up with previously. However, it is alright. I have another upper phrase and I wonder if young noble XiMen will want to try matching it?
As everyone heard that, they all shouted out in praise. At the same time, they were all extremely clear that XiMen Qing and Ling Tian were officially at odds today. However, just what kind of challenging upper phrase would Ling Tian come up with?
XiMen Qing felt his mood being lifted and was confident that he would definitely be able to come up with something if it wasn’t like the previous ‘impossible’ couplet. At the same time, XiMen Qing was resolute about regaining his reputation through this. Energized, he said,
Young noble Ling, please give me the upper phrase and XiMen Qing is all ears.
XiMen Qing said with a stern look, as though he was about to face a formidable opponent.
Ling Tian smiled lightly and said,
My knowledge is shallow and I can only come up with a short upper phrase. My upper phrase is ‘Three lights; sun, moon, stars’. Ling Tian is not able to come up with anything better and let us make do with this. I think young noble XiMen shouldn’t have any problems at all. Haha.
After everyone heard the upper phrase, it seemed extremely ordinary and nothing difficult at all. But thinking about it carefully, they realized that this upper phrase was actually extraordinary! Their faces all began to change as they lowered their heads in deep thought. After thinking for a long while, everyone couldn’t help but take in a breath of cold air! A mere rhyming couplet of five words was actually so difficult to match!
Since there was a numerical term in the upper phrase, the lower phrase should also have a numerical term. Since the upper phrase had ‘three’, the lower phrase should not contain it. However, the three words that followed, ‘sun, moon, stars’ were all singular objects and fulfilled the criteria of ‘three lights’. Thus, any other numbers used in the lower phrase would definitely be either less than or more than three. It was just far too difficult! Besides that, sun, moon, and stars were the names of the three continents!
XiMen Qing fell into deep thought and they only reply he could think of was, ‘Three talents; heaven, earth, human’. However, the upper phrase had already used the number three and it wasn’t appropriate for him to do so. But, all other lower phrases didn’t make any sense. Thus, he couldn’t help but furrowed his brows with deep contemplation.
All of a sudden, the whole Smoky Thea Tower fell into silence. Only the sound of Third Master Yu loudly chewing could be heard!
More than a thousand people fell into deep thought at the same time with some of the scholars especially hardworking, with their beards being twiddled and a face full of frustration. The few of them were of equal stature to Mister Qin. But because of Mister Qin’s fabulous disciple, they felt as though they were unknowingly suppressed. If they couldn’t even match the upper phrase which Mister Qin’s disciple came up with they would truly feel ashamed. While Ling Tian’s couplet was obviously targeted at XiMen Qing, the few old scholars treated it as a competition with Mister Qin.
A long while later, a white-bearded old scholar shook his head depressedly and said with a long sigh,
I can’t match it, I just can’t match it! The younger generation is really commendable! This short five-word phrase is actually so difficult to match. It is indeed easy to come up with a rhyming couplet but hard to match one!
As this voice sounded, sounds of sighing could be heard all over the tower!
Even Mister Qin himself couldn’t match it and was shaking his head with a sigh. However, he still looked extremely energized without a single trace of sadness to be seen on his face! Seeing how his disciple was able to stump all the heroes of the world with an upper phrase, Mister Qin felt extremely proud in his heart! In that moment, he felt as though he had finally reached the apex stage which he had dreamed of all his life!
Looking at the few scholars who he had usually fought with, Mister Qin felt delighted in his heart! Hehe, this is my proud disciple! How about that? Are you guys convinced?
XiMen Qing’s face turned uglier and uglier with his originally fair complexion turning completely red and beads of sweat flowing down like rain.
On the other hand, Ling Tian let out a chuckle and said leisurely,
Young noble XiMen, you can think about it slowly, there is no rush at all. This young noble will first go back to take a nap. Hahaha…
Hold on!
The veins on XiMen Qing’s forehead bulged up,
Your upper phrase has the word ‘three’ in it and it is obviously meant to make things difficult for us. This is obviously an upper phrase which cannot be matched, and I am unable to do it. However, I believe that no one will be able to come up with a match for it either!
As XiMen Qing said that, many people began nodding their heads in approval!
XiMen Qing was not the only one who felt this way. After understanding the true difficulty of this upper phrase, many people had the same thought. However, none of them dared to voice it out openly like XiMen Qing!
Hahaha, what a joke!
Ling Tian burst out into laughter as his lips curled up in disdain,
Everything in the world definitely has an opposite and this is an iron-clad rule which has not changed since the ancient times. Every upper phrase would definitely have a lower phrase. The only reason why you aren’t able to match it is because of your ignorance. However, you actually dare to say that no one will be able to come up with a match for it. Aren’t you looking down too much on the heroes of the world?
XiMen Qing could clearly hear that Ling Tian was returning his previous words to him with great sarcasm. Thus, his face turned ugly as he retorted,
I don’t believe anyone will be able to match this upper phrase!
What if there is?
Ling Tian questioned.
If young noble Ling Tian is able to come up with the lower phrase, XiMen Qing is willing to admit that I am inferior in the area of rhyming couplets. From today on, I will never touch rhyming couplets again in my life!
XiMen Qing was actually crafty with his words. First, he only locked his sights on Ling Tian. In other words, only a lower phrase by Ling Tian would be counted. Even if someone else were to come up with the lower phrase, it would have nothing to do with Ling Tian! Second, he only said that he would admit his inferiority in rhyming couplets and never touch them again! But, he never mentioned anything else!
Even if he didn’t touch rhyming couplets anymore, he could still touch poetry, music, zither, chess, calligraphy or painting! In other words, it wouldn’t affect him too greatly at all. Furthermore, after he had failed terribly at the previous ‘impossible’ couplet, XiMen Qing probably wouldn’t have the face to attend any other rhyming couplet meetings from today on.
Everyone present today wasn’t an idiot and could naturally hear the meaning behind XiMen Qing’s words. Thus, jeering sounds could be heard from all over with everyone displaying their disdain towards XiMen Qing’s shamelessness.
XiMen Qing’s face turned pale again as he ignored the jeering sound from around him. He felt as though he still had a stomach full of talent he had yet to display, so how would he be willing to admit his defeat?
Ling Tian sneered and ignored the words XiMen Qing said. After all, Ling Tian had already lost his patience with XiMen Qing’s shamelessness,
Listen carefully, my lower phrase is…
Everyone perked their ears up only to hear Ling Tian emphasizing on every word he said,
Four poems; style, hymns, ode!
Three lights; sun, moon, stars. Four poems; style, hymns, ode!
Silence filled the tower before a round of applause exploded forth! The Heavenly Star Continent also had the ‘Book of Songs’ and it was no different from the Book of Songs which was in Ling Tian’s time. Everyone knew that the Book of Songs was separated into three main categories: style, hymns, and ode. As for hymns, it was split into two subsections, lesser court hymns, and major court hymns. Thus, it wasn’t too much to call it four poems!
Not only did the words rhyme well, they matched each other perfectly and it could even describe the present atmosphere!
It was indeed an ingenious match!
XiMen Qing’s face was ashen; he had always thought that he had remarkable talent and would never be able to find a match. However, his arrogance built up over the years was completely destroyed by Ling Tian today! In that moment, he was completely disheartened!
Amongst the judges, the oldest scholar stood up and looked and Ling Tian with praise,
Young noble Ling is really a heavenly gifted talent! For Mister Qin to have such a disciple, you should have no regrets for life!
Mister Qin’s eyes were already reduced into a thin line from the bright smile on his face. Twiddling with his beard, he looked at Ling Tian proudly. At the same time, his face was no longer merely radiant, it was already sparkling like gold.
Ling Tian chuckled and said humbly,
Actually this isn’t the only lower phrase for ‘Three lights; sun, moon, stars’. There are many lower phrases that can be a match for it. For example, ‘One wave; wind, lightning, rain’ or ‘two nations; close, brotherly, states’. Ah ah ah, it is just that all of you had not given it enough thought. If you guys were to mull over it carefully, you would definitely be able to come out with more.
Three lights; sun, moon, stars. One wave; wind, lightning, rain… Three lights; sun, moon, stars. Two nations; close, brotherly, states.
That old scholar mumbled a few times under his breath before saying with a wide smile,
You are indeed a heavenly gifted talent! Indeed a heavenly gifted talent! This old man is convinced!
he then went back to his seat. But when he looked towards Ling Tian, his gaze was full of joy as though he was looking at his own grandchild.
Ling Tian said with a smile,
Back then, I had this conversation with senior Ye QingChen as well. He also had a lower phrase for it which was even more exciting! His lower phrase was ‘Six meridians; inch, pass, feet’! This is the true work of art! Senior Ye said that while it was easy to come up with the upper phrase, matching it was extremely difficult! While it was difficult to match an upper phrase, there is no such thing as an impossible match!
Now that Ling Tian had said that, he had saved the faces of many of the scholars present. While the younger generations may not know about Ye QingChen, men like Mister Qin had long heard of his fame. Now that they had heard Ling Tian relating what Ye QingChen ‘said’ to all of them, the scholars all felt thankful in their hearts. The impression they had of Ling Tian was also greatly improved, feeling as though the people of Sky Bearing must have been blind to call such a character the number one silkpants!
At this point, there was no longer any meaning to continue with the topic of rhyming couplets. After a short discussion, the judges decided to enter into the next segment, poetry competition!
All the talented youths who were depressed from being defeated by Ling Tian were immediately energized, sitting up straight and changing their targets from XiMen Qing to Ling Tian!
