Chapter 838: Little Yang'zi, Can You Write Poetry?

The Lotus Building was exceptionally famous among the literati of the Imperial City.

For one, it possessed the backing of the Sect of Allurement, an authentic and elite righteous sect; anyone capable of entering its ranks was fully entitled to be called a "beauty." Furthermore, the sect placed great importance upon the Lotus Building, viewing it as a crucial part of their disciples' cultivation. One could well imagine the unparalleled grace of the women who resided within.

Secondly, the denizens of the Lotus Building were indeed profoundly talented, to the extent that even the scholars of the Hanlin Academy might not necessarily surpass them. Should an essay or verse receive the building's acclaim, its author would instantly achieve renown throughout the Imperial City.

Of course, the Immortal Fairy cared nothing for such things; she had merely come to enjoy the spectacle.

Today being the Lantern Festival, the Lotus Building was even more bustling than usual.

Yet inside, it lacked the dense, suffocating aroma of rouge typically found in ordinary brothels; quite the contrary, the atmosphere resembled a tranquil and elegant paradise of chrysanthemums, where those walking to and fro were all gentlemen and refined ladies.

There were even female cultivators clad in bright, brilliant gowns flying through the air, their long, wide sashes swaying in the wind as they gently plucked pipas, evoking the exotic beauty of foreign Buddhist kingdoms.

The Immortal Fairy also spotted quite a few individuals whom she had personally beaten in the Luotian Forest.

Putting the cultivation levels of the young masters of the Imperial City aside for a moment, when it came to their areas of expertise, they were undoubtedly the most well-rounded. From their earliest youth, they studied the principles of cultivation and Confucianism in private academies, mastering both the civil and martial arts.

If one did not study Confucianism or master a few lines of classical poetry, encountering a truly formidable figure in the future would leave them with nothing to say but "Holy crap, incredible!"—which would simply be far too embarrassing.

The Lotus Building was an honorable establishment entirely devoid of any carnal affairs; thus, it was not at all unusual for women to visit.

Meng Jingyu’s curiosity was no less intense than the Immortal Fairy's, and she gazed with a mixture of wonder and envy at the beautiful women, each possessing her own unique charm.

"The older sisters are all so beautiful."

"Are they?" The Immortal Fairy felt nothing of the sort, considering the disciples of the Sect of Allurement rather average in appearance. They could not even rank among the Ten Beauties of Antiquity, let alone compare to her, the undisputed head of those ten ancient beauties.

"When you grow up, little girl, you will definitely be prettier than all of them," the Immortal Fairy said in all seriousness. Her judgment of people had always been impeccable, and she grew quite fond of this young girl who had praised her combat style as handsome. She affectionately pinched Meng Jingyu’s small nose, causing the girl to blush, lower her head, and murmur an assent as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Meng Jingzhou, who had just walked in: "..."

No, Immortal Senior, could you please refrain from saying such mushy words while using Lu Yang’s face? I am really not used to seeing this.

Lu Yang, who was currently sparring with the Invincible Infant within his spiritual space, also paused his cultivation temporarily, staring at the Immortal Fairy with a bizarre expression.

Fairy, do you even know the concept of propriety between men and women?

"Oh, Brother Lu has also come here?" Luo Wushuang noticed Lu Yang’s arrival at the Lotus Building; his realm had already recovered to the early stage of Divine Transformation.

"Lu Yang is here?"

"The same Lu Yang who displayed such miraculous power in the Luotian Forest?"

"Where is he, where is he?"

The battle of the Luotian Forest had concluded not long ago, and its memories remained fresh in everyone's minds; even those who had not participated had certainly heard of it.

"It is so lively upstairs." The Immortal Fairy looked up toward the highest floor of the Lotus Building, where Luo Wushuang stood, leaning against the railing to greet her.

"Why doesn't Brother Lu come up to take a look? I hear that Ye Mingyin, a true disciple of the Sect of Allurement, has come to the Lotus Building to practice her cultivation, and she is right on the top floor." Zhong Yi once again egged Lu Yang on to go upstairs.

The Immortal Fairy continued to ignore Zhong Yi, holding Meng Jingyu’s small hand as she walked up the stairs.

Meng Jingzhou raised an eyebrow, sensing that this fellow Zhong Yi harbored ill intentions, but since an immortal wished to go upstairs, did he dare to stop her?

"Brother Meng has arrived as well." Luo Wushuang clasped his hands in greeting, inviting Meng Jingzhou and the others to take a seat at his table.

Compared to his appearance in the Luotian Forest, his attire in the Lotus Building was far more exquisite and formal, lending him an aura of even greater refinement.

"What is going on here?" Meng Jingzhou noticed that the top floor of the Lotus Building was packed with literati and poets. At the far end hung a curtain of green gauze, behind which sat a female cultivator playing the zither. The notes tinkled like dripping water, refreshing as a spring breeze.

Luo Wushuang blanked for a moment: "Does Brother Meng not know? I assumed you came here for Ye Mingyin as well."

Meng Jingzhou actually knew Ye Mingyin; she was a beauty on par with Junior Sister Tao. During the Grand Dao Ceremony, Ye Mingyin had competed as the representative for the middle stage of the Golden Core realm from the Sect of Allurement, and her opponent had been none other than Meng Jingzhou.

Seeing that Meng Jingzhou genuinely had no idea, Luo Wushuang explained: "Ye Mingyin arrived at the Lotus Building barely half a month ago, yet she has already become its top courtesan. People willingly spend a thousand pieces of gold just to catch a glimpse of her."

"But she is a personal disciple of the Sect of Allurement, and rumor has it she possesses the backing of Venerable Thousand Charms, so how could she ever lack spirit stones?"

"Thus, Ye Mingyin set a rule: whoever can compose a poem or verse that satisfies her will be granted an audience, and she will perform a single dance for that person."

A dance by Ye Mingyin was not only exceedingly beautiful but also highly beneficial to one's cultivation.

Luo Wushuang pouted his lips, signaling Meng Jingzhou to look at the gathered crowd: "See? Five days have passed, and not a single soul has written a poem that satisfies her."

"Today is the Lantern Festival, so Ye Mingyin demands that today's poetry must be related to the festival."

Not everyone who came here sought Ye Mingyin’s dance; many were simply there to make a name for themselves in the Imperial City.

As they spoke, someone handed a finished poem to a maidservant, who then passed it behind the green gauze to Ye Mingyin.

"The moon is round, the lamps bright as day, the Lantern Festival crowds shout and play. Laughter conceals the riddles told, and sweet dumplings warm the throat from cold."

Ye Mingyin softly read out the verse, then resumed plucking her zither.

The crowd burst into boisterous laughter; it was nothing more than a thoroughly mundane piece of doggerel verse, yet someone had the audacity to present it in the Lotus Building.

The author of that poem fled in utter humiliation.

Swoosh!

Zhong Yi opened his fan with great flourish, looked at Lu Yang, and smiled softly: "As a disciple of the Daoist of No Words, Brother Lu ought to be highly proficient in poetry. Why not give it a try with a verse of your own?"

"Back in the day, the Daoist of No Words left several famous masterpieces right here in the Lotus Building."

He wagered that while Lu Yang was exceptionally talented in cultivation, he knew absolutely nothing of Confucian scholarship, or else it would have been heard of long ago.

Should Lu Yang fail to compose a proper poem, he would merely become a laughingstock and the butt of a joke.

The Immortal Fairy was bewildered: "When did I ever become proficient in poetry?"

Zhong Yi was choked for words, never expecting the Immortal Fairy to admit it so smoothly and bluntly, rendering his subsequent plans for provocation entirely useless.

"Since Brother Lu is timid and unwilling to try, why not let me have a go?" spoke a man standing behind Zhong Yi, casting a slight look of disdain toward the Immortal Fairy.

Only then did the Immortal Fairy notice that someone was following behind Zhong Yi.

Pointing at the man, the Immortal Fairy wore a look of sudden realization: "Oh, I remember you! You were beaten by me in the Luotian Forest!"

His combat prowess had been entirely mediocre, leaving almost no impression on her.

Within the spiritual space, Lu Yang helplessly introduced the man's identity to the Immortal Fairy: "His name is Yang Changbin. His father is a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, and he himself is a Confucian cultivator. It is said he could write at age three, compose poetry at five, and write full essays by ten. His poetry and literature are quite famous in the Imperial City."

Zhong Yi had specifically brought Yang Changbin along, inviting him to the Lotus Building to compose poetry. Upon spotting Lu Yang here as well, he thought to humiliate Lu Yang by making him write poetry first, using Yang Changbin's subsequent performance as a grand contrast.

Unfortunately, Lu Yang had seen through his scheme and refused to take the bait.

"It is Yang Changbin!"

"Damn it, why did he come too?!"

Yang Changbin’s fame was even greater than Lu Yang had imagined. Upon seeing him, the crowd wore expressions of regret, as if the moment Yang Changbin composed a poem, he would inevitably win Ye Mingyin’s dance.

Yang Changbin wore a confident smile; he had already heard of Ye Mingyin’s prompt before arriving and had prepared his verses.

He commanded the attendants to bring brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. With strokes like flying dragons and dancing snakes, he dashed off a poem and requested the maidservant to pass it through.

Behind the green gauze, Ye Mingyin once again ceased her zither playing and softly recited the poem. After finishing, she offered a rare critique.

"A pity. The wording is fine, but the rhetoric is far too ornate, which ironically renders it inferior."

The crowd erupted into roaring laughter. Originally, when they heard Ye Mingyin recite the poem, they all believed it to be a masterpiece destined to win her favor. Who could have foreseen that Ye Mingyin would offer such a merciless critique?

Shame turned into fury as Yang Changbin whipped around, glaring fiercely at the crowd, particularly at the Immortal Fairy, who was laughing the loudest.

"Since Brother Lu’s laughter is so loud, you must surely have a brilliant essay hidden in your chest. Why not write it down for all of us to see!"

The Immortal Fairy scratched her head, quickly entering her spiritual space to seek the assistance of her cheat code.

"Little Yang, do you know how to write poetry?"

Lu Yang hesitated for a moment. "Writing it myself is a bit of a stretch, but if you just need me to recite a few verses to keep up appearances, I can manage that."