Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46 – This is what you call artistic conception!
Chapter 46: Chapter 46 – This is what you call artistic conception!
Translator: 549690339
At these words, all eyes turned to Ao Cheng, waiting eagerly for him to start.
However, many in the crowd instantly recognized Ao Cheng’s identity, their faces displaying a range of interesting expressions.
“Hahaha, Ao Cheng, you must be kidding me. You, a man with not a single drop of ink in his belly, is going to write a poem?” A mocking voice echoed from the sidelines.
Ao Cheng who had been putting on a cold facade suddenly darkened at the comment. He turned his head and saw Ao Fang laughing uproariously, standing with several guards from Long Valley.
Seeing this, Ao Cheng felt a surge of rage, enough to make him want to slap the smug grin off Ao Fang’s face.
“Hold back, for God’s sake, don’t ruin everything in front of your goddess,”
Jiang Xiaobai urged hastily.
At his words, Ao Cheng managed to restrain his rage, deciding to recite the compositions first.
But what Ao Cheng didn’t realize was that Ao Fang wasn’t the only one present.
Many other influential families’ descendants were here too, and quite a few of them were as influential as Ao Cheng.
“You, Ao Cheng, writing a poem, that is the joke of the century. Every Floraluilding in Tianyuan City knows what you are best at doing!” A young man in a white fox fur robe sneered continuously.
Not far away was a fair-skinned, handsome young man laughing out loud: “Hahaha, Ao Cheng, no joke, if you can recite half a line of poetry today, I will kneel and call you father.”
When these three suddenly challenged him, even Ao Cheng could not hold himself back, especially since he was known for his volatile temper.”
“Who the hell do you guys think you’re looking down on? Do you really think I can’t do it?” Ao Cheng yelled.
The young man in the fox fur robe sneered, “Sorry, it’s not that we think you can’t… it’s that you really can’t.”
“You son of a bitch, Liu Yuheng, are you asking for it?” Ao Cheng growled through gritted teeth.
“Oh, dare you become so angry in front of the saint?” Liu Yuheng wore an expression of surprise, “Shouldn’t you worry about ruining the image you’ve worked so hard on? Besides, everyone knows that out of all the young disciples from Long Valley, you are the least literate.”
“If someone like you could write poetry, he would be lauded as a great poet,” he scoffed.
“I can testify that Ao Cheng has detested studying since he was a child,” Ao
yang Jumped ln.
This time, Ao Cheng was truly shaking with rage and even Jiang Xiaobai could see a puff of steam rising from his head.
“You bastards, you truly want to compete with me today, don’t you?” Ao Cheng gritted his teeth.
“What’s there to compete with a piece of trash like you?” Liu Yuheng scoffed and laughed continuously, showing clearly that he did not consider Ao Cheng as an equal.
Filled with rage, Ao Cheng made a move to charge at him, but Jiang Xiaobai quickly stopped him. “Hold it, for your goddess!”
“I can’t hold it anymore!”
Ao Cheng’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth gritted, “All these pieces of trash dare to swagger in front of me. I swear, if I don’t give them a good beating today, this matter will not end.”
“Physical altercations can wait. You should focus on creating a poem. Otherwise, your reputation with the goddess will keep going downhill, ” Jiang Xiaobai persuaded him earnestly.
God knows, his task was to help Ao Cheng pass the saint’s test. If Ao Cheng couldn’t restrain himself right now, they would not stand a chance and lose hundreds of years of cultivation practice!
Upon Jiang Xiaobai’s urging, Ao Cheng was finally able to calm down. After all, he was in the presence of his goddess. If he continued this way, even if he were to pass the test, she might not think highly of him.
With that in mind, Ao Cheng snorted coldly.
“You all just wait. Wait for me to pass the test.”
Liu Yuheng and the others scoffed at that, though they stopped their mockery. After all, their target was the saint too, and saying too much might not be advantageous.
“Hey, are you going to recite your poem or not?” An impatient voice echoed from the large ship.
“Of course, I am.’
Ao Cheng cleared his throat. In his mind, he recalled the words Jiang Xiaobai had taught him while trying to compose himself like a poet.
His action caused Ao Fang and the others to erupt in laughter again. Even the bystanders couldn’t help but chuckle.
Ao Cheng gritted his teeth in resentment and gave up on the pretense.
“This poem was inspired by my feelings. I hope the saint will appreciate it.” Looking towards the solitary boat, Ao Cheng began reciting.
“A grove of spring mountains brings many joys, staying long into the night.
Hand in the river holds the moon, flowers play with fragrant clothes.
No matter how far the merry mood takes us, it breaks our hearts to leave the blooming fragrance behind.
Looking south where the bell tolls, the tower looms in the misty green.”
As he finished the poem, Ao Cheng put his hands behind his back, remaining quiet and serene, as if he were actually enjoying the beautiful scenery of the world.
“Hahaha, you counted that as a poem?” The moment Ao Cheng finished his recitation, Liu Yuheng burst into laughter, eager to belittle Ao Cheng.
However, he quickly noticed something was wrong. The surroundings were too quiet, and he noticed that the Jade Celestial Sect’s saint that had always been disinterested in everything, had turned her gaze towards Ao Cheng.
At this moment, everyone was immersed in Ao Cheng’s poetic atmosphere, as if they were truly here to enjoy themselves, enraptured by the spring mountains and the moon, the riverside landscape.
Liu Xi’s eyes moved gently, her lips under the face veil murmuring softly, repeating the words over and over again.
“When the mood takes us, distance doesn’t matter, and when it’s time to leave, we regret leaving the blooming fragrance behind…”
“Great poem, great atmosphere!”
Liu Xi looked at Ao Cheng as she spoke, causing quite the stir among the crowd.
The saint actually spoke?
Not only that, but she also acknowledged Ao Cheng’s poem?
The first reaction of Ao Fang and the others was disbelief.
Who didn’t know what Ao Cheng was like? There was no way he could have created a poem with such an exquisite atmosphere. Hell, he could probably barely write a couplet.
Yet Ao Cheng did it. He got the saint’s acknowledgment.
Ao Cheng was overjoyed by Liu Xi’s approval. But he knew that this was the most important moment to exhibit calm and not to lose face.
“Are there more poems?”
Unexpectedly, the saint asked Ao Cheng, who seemed to look forward to more. It was obvious that she was intrigued by Ao Cheng’s poem.
Jiang Xiaobai was well prepared for this. He had given Ao Cheng more than one poem, just in case he ran out of inspiration.
The moment the Saint’s words fell, Ao Cheng responded with a faint smile. “The moon is beautiful tonight. How about I create a poem about the moon?”
“Yes, please.”
Liu Xi’s cold voice echoed across the lake. Her eyes, filled with expectation, were fixed on Ao Cheng.
Ao Cheng then cleared his throat.
“The moon sets, crows caw, frost fills the sky, maple trees on the riverbank and fishermen’s lights magnify my sorrowful sleep.
Hanshan Temple outside Tianyuan City, the bell tolls reaching my boat at midnight.”
When the last character “boat” fell, the whole scene fell into a deathly silence.
At this moment, everyone was utterly absorbed in the atmosphere created by the poem.
What is torment?
This is torment!
