When the first four lines of “Chivalrous Legends” appeared, they immediately overwhelmed “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation.”
Even those not familiar with the calligraphy Dao could tell. The noble spirit from “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation” dimmed, appearing like a brooklet trying to compete with a large lake in volume. It simply overestimated itself.
However, the people who understood the calligraphy Dao experienced it on a deeper level. This was especially so for the lines that said, “Even with an enemy every ten paces, they continue killing these enemies for great distances. They brush off their clothes and leave after accomplishing their goal, not claiming credit or fame for their role.” The moment these two lines appeared, these people no longer wanted to look at “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation.”
As the saying goes, there is no first in culture, and there is no second in the martial arts. In a martial competition, one could determine a winner. However, it was difficult for one to determine a winner in a cultural competition, as everyone had an appreciation for different things. Some people might like a particular essay, while others might prefer another. Judgment was subjective, and a clear victor could not be determined.
[TL Note: This saying says there is no second for the martial arts because everyone only has eyes for the winner and none for the second place. It is not saying there is no literal second place. Essentially, it is saying that a martial arts competition is objective while a cultural competition is subjective.]
However, this was not the situation now. These two poems were easy to understand. Even the people who did not cultivate the calligraphy Dao could sense how different the two poems’ levels were.
“Chivalrous Legends” described a vivid image of the chivalrous legends in merely four lines.
Just the first four lines already utterly crushed “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation.” However, it was not over yet. Gu Hai was still reciting.
At the side, Li Shenji’s expression changed. Like the nearby people, Li Shenji had made many guesses. However, he could not possibly have guessed that Gu Hai’s ability to compose poems was so strong. Gu Hai had already proven excellent in the Go Dao and the music Dao. Now, he was equally excellent in the calligraphy Dao?
Although Long Wanyu did not understand poetry, she also felt excited when she saw the noble spirit for “Chivalrous Legends” suppressing that of the poem critical of her brother-in-law such that the other poem’s light seemed dim. When she looked at Gu Hai, her eyes sparkled in admiration. My brother-in-law is truly incredible!
Bing Ji sat behind Gu Hai, looking at him in shock.
Since Bing Ji had been sent to assist Gu Hai, she had studied up on him. Starting from his debut at Nine-Five Island, he had crushed everyone with his Go Dao, taking down everyone in his way. Even the Ninth Young Master of Guan Qi’s nine inheritors could not defeat him.
This should have been his limit already. After all, Gu Hai was just seventy years old.
However, Gu Hai soon went on to crush others with his music Dao, appearing unrivaled. In his many battles in Ying Province, his music Dao always won.
Victory after victory, he swept his way through.
Now, Gu Hai appeared excellent in the calligraphy Dao, a Dao where a clear victor was hard to determine. Bing Ji had never seen such a ridiculously talented monster, even in the Solar Divine Palace.
Are you cultivating all aspects of cultural cultivation? Even if you omnicultivate them, how could you be so incredible in all of them?
“Chivalrous Legends”?
Bing Ji also had some understanding of the calligraphy Dao. From the moment the first line appeared, her heart clenched tightly. Indeed, each line was even more excellent than the one before, trampling on “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation” with a vengeance. What kind of person was she following?
Gu Hai continued reciting the poem.
“Gu Hai offered drinks and a place to rest; they removed their swords and behaved like guests.“Purple Subtlety enjoyed food so fine, and Longevity reveled in wine.“After three drinks, they made a pledge so tall, one they would keep even if mountains fall.“Though drunk with blurred sight and red ears, even forgetting their age, their hearts brimmed with zeal and courage.“They saved Wan with a knock, helping Chaoge to great shock.“Two great warriors became famous for eternity, causing a huge stir in Major Metropolitan City!”
Rumble…!
As Purple Subtlety wielded the brush, a fresh barrage of noble spirit shot into the sky from the paper, looking like many huge meteors charging out—one, ten, twenty, even one hundred. The barrage seemed endless.
The calligraphy Dao’s artistic conception spewed out. As the brush moved, the world changed color.
Initially, the individual pillars of light were distinct. Later on, they looked like dazzling fireworks in the sky.
The dark clouds and strong wind disappeared, leaving only that vast white light flooding the world.
Five Sacred Mountains Academy was still a distance from Major Metropolitan City. Initially, the citizens in Major Metropolitan City watched the scene from the Profound Light Mirrors. However, when this meteor shower soared into the sky, they could see it with the naked eye. The dazzling white light north of the city was visible through the cracks in the white clouds.
Previously, it was like a lake of noble spirit. Now, it was a vast sea, flabbergasting countless cultivators.
Those who did not understand the calligraphy Dao could tell that Archduke Xi Kang wanted to humiliate Gu Hai. However, Gu Hai ended up turning things around with this poem, giving Archduke Xi Kang a slap with every line. As everyone looked at the scene and his stunned appearance, it felt like his face had already swollen up. They could not help feeling sad for him.
As for those who understood the calligraphy Dao, they understood everything from these six lines.
These lines spoke of Purple Subtlety and Longevity befriending Gu Hai. Gu Hai set up a banquet for them, and they rested their weapons. There was a scene of Gu Hai treating the two to meat and wine. Then, he asked them to help out a woman called Waner. After three cups of wine, they made a promise, willing to help their confidant. This promise weighed as heavily as mountains to them. The pride and zeal in their hearts flourished. To save this Wan woman for Gu Hai, they raised their weapons and knocked on someone. This action shocked everyone in Chaoge City, making the two warriors heroes. From then on, their chivalry would be a legend in Major Metropolitan City.
“What a ‘Two great warriors became famous for eternity!’” Sima Changkong stood up with his fists clenched tightly. Clearly, this poem completely entranced him.
Inside a restaurant:
Fairy Waner looked at Gu Hai speaking fluidly in the scene. Her eyes reddened slightly.
That woman called Wan is me. It turned out that even though we parted, Gu Hai kept thinking about me. Due to the issue of crossing borders, he could not come personally, so he sent two people to protect me in secret.
“Silly!” Fairy Waner’s eyes turned teary.
The other people in the city now understood what had happened.
“So, that is what happened?”
“Archduke Xi Kang misunderstood those two brave warriors!”
“The noble spirit proved everything. Gu Hai did not lie. Those two warriors answered Gu Hai’s call. That’s why they sneak-attacked Archduke Xi Kang.”
“That demon woman might have been misunderstood as well.”
“Two great ancient warriors? Why did I previously think that they are vile people? They are such loyal people. How could they be vile?”
“They are not vile people. Gu Hai is not a vile person, either. Didn’t the archduke say that birds of a feather flock together? This poem is filled with vast noble spirit. How could he be a vile person?”
The citizens in the city finally started reconsidering their opinions. Some of the calligraphy Dao cultivators looked at Gu Hai with boundless awe and reverence on their faces. Such an excellent poem was hard to come by.
This was not just on the level of being hard to come by. Even on Earth, Gu Hai’s previous home, only one Li Bai appeared over several thousand years. No one managed to surpass him in writing such poetry. He was like an immortal, standing on the clouds and looking down on everything.
[TL Note: In the Chinese language, deities and beings of heaven are known as immortals.]
How was this noble spirit still just meteors? This was simply a meteor shower—a very concentrated one at that.
In the plaza:
Mo Yike inhaled sharply as he stared at Gu Hai.
Of all the people here, Mo Yike understood Gu Hai the best. Initially, there was the Go Dao. Mo Yike was skilled at the Go Dao, although he rarely displayed it. He understood that an excellent tactician could be evaluated by the strength of one’s Go Dao. The stronger the Go Dao, the further one could plot. Even in the Go Dao that he was the proudest of, he could not compare to Gu Hai.
Back in Ying Province, Gu Hai showed unrivaled brilliance with the music Dao.
Now, Gu Hai could suppress Archduke Xi Kang with the calligraphy Dao?
I’m finding you increasingly unfathomable. Ha! Mo Yike let out soft, bitter laughter as he looked at Gu Hai.
As Chang Sheng looked at Gu Hai, he narrowed his eyes.
Long Wanyu sat at the side. Although she did not understand much about the calligraphy Dao, she roughly understood most of the poem’s meaning. It was about Gu Hai treating these two gluttons to ten thousand portions of food before asking them to take care of Fairy Waner. These two did so. It was that simple.
However, Long Wanyu could not understand how this poem eliminated all suspicions of the three and made them look righteous and loyal.
Li Shenji squeezed his wine cup hard—so hard that his fingerprints became imprinted on the cup.
At this moment, the one with the most unsightly expression had to be Archduke Xi Kang. He gritted his teeth, dumbfounded.
How can this be? How can Gu Hai be this good at poetry?
At this moment, Gu Hai started on the final two lines.
“They remain gallant in the face of death, worthy of being called chivalrous with every breath.“Who can imitate such a life so devotedly, glorious like a star? Even the Supreme Ascendant Scripture pales in comparison to such epics by far!”
Rumble…!
Dense noble spirit suddenly erupted, severalfold more than before. The beams of white light shot into the sky, encasing the surroundings.
The brightness intensified dramatically, even rushing towards Major Metropolitan City. Despite it being evening, it now looked like noon in Major Metropolitan City. The dazzling light lit up the entire city. The noble spirit within the light seemed to cleanse the bodies of all the cultivators in the city.
Countless cultivators immediately felt comfort spread throughout their bodies as though listening to this poem could cleanse all the accumulated filth.
When shone on by noble spirit, all filth was eradicated.
However, the signs did not end there. Countless cultivators suddenly heard voices reciting this poem. It sounded like multitudes of supernatural beings continuously reciting it from somewhere unseen.
“‘Chivalrous Legends’“Visitors to the Han Nation with tasseled caps on their hair, bearing weapons bright as frost and snow in a pair.“They ride on silver-saddled, white horses, moving as swift as the wind and shooting stars with great force.“Even with an enemy every ten paces, they continue killing these enemies for great distances.“They brush off their clothes and leave after accomplishing their goal, not claiming credit or fame for their role.“Gu Hai offered drinks and a place to rest; they removed their swords and behaved like guests.“Purple Subtlety enjoyed food so fine, and Longevity reveled in wine.“After three drinks, they made a pledge so tall, one they would keep even if mountains fall.“Though drunk with blurred sight and red ears, even forgetting their age, their hearts brimmed with zeal and courage.“They saved Wan with a knock, helping Chaoge to great shock.“Two great warriors became famous for eternity, causing a huge stir in Major Metropolitan City!“They remain gallant in the face of death, worthy of being called chivalrous with every breath.“Who can imitate such a life so devotedly, glorious like a star? Even the Supreme Ascendant Scripture pales in comparison to such epics by far!”
One, one hundred, ten thousand, one million…
These ethereal supernatural beings’ voices echoed in the world. They sounded unwilling to read, but there seemed to be a force compelling them to do so. Their voices were somewhat strange, as though crying and trying to resist. But over time, they slowly accepted the cleansing of this poem.
The two hundred million citizens in Major Metropolitan City goggled and fell silent.
In Five Sacred Mountains Academy’s plaza:
The officials fell silent as well. They goggled as they watched Purple Subtlety write the last word.
After Purple Subtlety finished, the crying voices of the supernatural beings gave nearly everyone goosebumps—their souls trembling.
“Strong wind and rain accompanying the brush strokes, the poem manifests crying supernatural beings?” someone suddenly said.
“The poem manifests crying supernatural beings? It really is a poem that manifests crying supernatural beings!” some calligraphy Dao cultivators in Major Metropolitan City exclaimed, their eyes wide.
The crying of these supernatural beings lasted for an hour before fading into silence.
However, the written words continued to release boundless light into the world.
As for “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation” at the side, it had already been suppressed to the point where it looked lightless.
The surroundings of the banquet were quiet. Everyone held their breath until Gu Hai broke the silence.
“This humble one is just so-so at the calligraphy Dao. Many thanks to Archduke Xi Kang for gifting me with ‘The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation.’ It is an excellent poem. Excellent, indeed. I will be sure to treasure it and not let this prize collect dust,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
Slap! Slap!
Everyone felt like they heard two resounding slaps from Archduke Xi Kang’s face.
All the two hundred million citizens watching the live broadcast seemed to hear these two slaps as well.
