Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Ten poems in ten steps?
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around were roused!
The students were agitated and furious. Even Tang Liu Feng was afraid.
To compose a poem in seven steps was considered a great art form and required the poet to be extremely proficient. Being able to do this would cause many students sing great praise about the poet.
However, to compose ten poems in ten steps, how good can the poem be? This conversation wasn’t about composing poems anymore. In fact, it seemed to the students that Xu Que was just trying to humiliate young master Mo.
Outrageous Li Bai! You’ve got overboard this time!
You are not worthy of being called a student and are a disgrace to the educated. What a low down!
What a heretic. If you had been born a hundred years ago, they would place you on a stake and burn you to death. Outrageous!
Ten poems in ten steps, that’s unbelievable. Who do you think you’re kidding?
And you even dare to spout rubbish like this here in Madam Ya’s banquet. You have no regard for anybody and are too arrogant
The crowd started hurling abuses at him, clearly outraged by what he claimed.
Mo Yun Shang was elated at how the students were responding towards Xu Que. He looked at Xu Que in a mocking expression and asked,
Brother Li, I shan’t add more comments. You went overboard earlier with your jokes. But now, you’ve crossed the line when it comes to calling yourself a student!
Arrogant braggart, you are nothing more than a joke!
The leader of the four great students, young master Zhao shouted out with an expressionless face.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Que was the butt of ridicule and insults once again as everyone shouted at him in rage.
Even Madam Ya was stumped by this. She had never imagined that Li Bai was capable of spouting such rubbish. It was indeed overboard for him to say something like that.
She opened her mouth, about to say something.
Whoosh!
All of a sudden, a rasping sound could be heard.
Xu Que flung his wrists as he opened the fan in his hands and fanned himself twice, allowing a gentle breeze to brush against his face. He looked extremely confident and at ease.
He then stood up as he cast his glance outwards before breaking out in uncontrollable laughter,
While others are teasing my madness, I am laughing at their short sightedness!
Everyone paused, their faces revealed looked of shock!
Tang Liu Feng opened his mouth wide in a daze.
Even Madam Ya’s eyes were wide open as her body trembled.
Young master Zhao’s expression froze.
Young master Mo’s smile froze before it faded off his face.
While others are teasing my madness, I am laughing at their short sightedness!
This line was extremely poetic, and was an attack at the students. The words he chose were intentional and had successfully made his point. This was an amazing line!
Indeed, when Xu Que took his next step, there was absolute silence within the hall as the students craned their necks to get a better look of him.
Good rain knows its time well, and will fall once spring arrives. With the wind it steals the night, and silently dampens all things.
All the students present felt their hearts froze as their eyes bulged out of their sockets.
My god, this was an amazing poem, and… Every single line was an excellent combination of the right words. In fact, it was much better than young master Mo’s poem!
Mo Yun Shang was dazed. He was aware of how great this poem was and he knew that it had completely crushed his own poem!
In that short time, Xu Que took his second step as he recited.
On this piece of land, a thousand miles across, birds linger and flock in hues of red and green. In coastal villages and by the city walls, tavern signs flutter in the gentle breeze. Of the four hundred and eighty temples built in the Southern Dynasties, Most were shrouded in the hail of mists and rain.
The students within the hall inhaled deeply. This… This was another wonderful poem and it was such a scholarly piece!
Dong!
Xu Que took his third step.
I wake up at the dawn of first spring, and hear birds everywhere sing.
As sounded the wind and rain o’ernight, I wonder how many blooms alight.
It was a fantastically composed rhyming poem!
The audience were so shocked that most of them were afraid at this point. The expressions across most of their faces were so appalled that they looked extremely foolish!
Huff puff huff puff!
Right at this point, on a house across the Great Lake were several white birds spreading their wings before landing by the side of the lake. Leaves from fallen peach blossom plants lined the entire walkway. These birds would pick up fishes from within the lake with such agility.
Dong!
At the exact same moment, Xu Que took his fourth step as his lips curled upwards revealing a snarl.
Before the Great Lake were several swallows, willow leaves and water entwined as they flowed.
Green bamboo hats and woven jackets, once the rain falls, it never returns.
Hsss….
The entire crowd inhaled yet another breath of fresh air.
Damn it… This was indeed another brilliant poem.
And all it took was just for him to open his mouth, and take a step… And poems after poems were being composed!
Hence, at the moment, the audience were filled with anticipation infused with sheer shock!
Xu Que took his fifth and sixth steps without even pausing.
Line after line of brilliance came from the book which Xu Que had acquired. 300 Tang Poems had included many great works in relation to spring wind and all he did was to regurgitate these word after word.
The drizzling rain falls like tears on the day of mourning, the mourner’s heart is breaking while on his way…
This was Du Gu’s famous poem which was timeless and lasted through the ages!
On a cold night within a small building, the sweet sound of autumn rain could be heard. Deep within an alley, a merchant sold flowers in herds…
This was Lu You’s poem!
Startled by magpies leaving the branch under the moonlight, I hear cicadas shrill in the breeze at midnight. The rice fields’ sweet smell promises a fruitful year. Listen, how frogs’ croak pleases the ear.
This was a poem by Xin Qiji!
All the way ‘till he took his tenth step, Xu Que recited ten absolutely brilliant poems and had finished.
The crowd was beyond bewildered, as their hearts were still hammering in utter disbelief. They were still dreaming about the final poem which Xu Que had recited.
The entire hall was completely silent, a pin drop could even be heard!
Drip drip drip…
A strong wind blew, carrying several tiny raindrops.
The spring rain… Has finally arrived. This was the first raindrops in spring!
Some of the students were finally able to regain their senses after the tenth poem, but they were staring out at the rain in a daze.
Madam Ya had almost fallen to the ground, completely drained of energy. She was panting as her face blushed a deep shade of red.
Xu Que walked over to the door and stretched his hands out!
Pi da!
A few drops of rain descended down and onto his hands, wetting his palms!
The crowd were still astonished, as all eyes were on Xu Que, who was gazing far into the distance. His face had an expression of regret and sorrow as he spoke,
These drops of rain were born of the heavens but died here on earth. Their lives spanned the entire duration it took for the raindrops to land. Hence, this showers that we’re looking at, isn’t heaven, neither is it earth, nor raindrops. We’re actually looking at the lives of raindrops! This… is life and death!
As soon as his words were spoken, Xu Que raised his palms higher into the air before he clenched his fists!
Boom!
In that second, the raindrops outside seemed to halt and were suspended in midair. It was almost as if time had reached a standstill!
Xu Que then walked out, as if he was a guest who had overstayed his welcome in this world. He left an impression that was lonely and regretful as he disappeared into the distance.
The entire hall was still silent.
The hearts of the students were trembling by Xu Que’s revelations about how the showers were the lives of raindrops!
After Xu Que had walked some distance away from the hall, a series of system notifications rang out in his head.
Ding! Congratulations to host ‘Xu Que’ for successfully acting tough. The reward is 40 act tough points!
Ding! Congratulations to host ‘Xu Que’ for successfully acting tough. The reward is 60 act tough points!
Ding! Congratulations to host ‘Xu Que’ for successfully acting tough. The reward is 90 act tough points!
Ding! Congratulations to host ‘Xu Que’ for successfully acting tough. The reward is 120 act tough points!
Ding! Congratulations to host ‘Xu Que’ for superbly acting tough and acting ‘super duper smooth’. The reward is 500 act tough points!
Ding! Congratulations to host ‘Xu Que’ for successfully completing five achievements: ‘Fleeing after acting tough’, ‘Acting tough superbly’, ‘Acting massively tough’, ‘Acting smooth’ and ‘Acting super duper smooth’. You have gained a new title, ‘Act Tough Tyrant’. As a result, prices are permanently reduced by 8 folds. Additional sections in the system store has been added!
