CH 172

Feng Yuanjun said, "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl stars have existed for billions of years, but they only shine on you two. Even if the magic of these two stars is less than one ten-thousandth of the God of Literature, they must have great significance. Rest assured, you will definitely discover the wonder of this Double Seventh Festival starlight in the future."

Fang Yun nodded, about to discuss further, when suddenly someone shouted.

"First disciple of the Poetry King! Where are you going? Stop!" A young man's voice rang out.

The bustling city wall suddenly fell silent. Whether it was those who were moved by the poem and fell into contemplation, or those discussing the subtleties of the poem, all turned to look.

They saw the first disciple of the Poetry King standing stiffly by the table, his face full of shame and his eyes filled with resentment.

Fang Yun looked closely and saw that he was less than three steps away from his seat.

The young Child Scholars at the neighboring table were laughing smugly.

Some people from the Qing Nation simply turned their faces away. This was too embarrassing. The first disciple of the Poetry King, a Presented Scholar of the Qing Nation, who was bound to become an Imperial Scholar this year, was exposed by a few Child Scholars.

The first disciple of the Poetry King said, "I need to wash my hands."

Fang Yun shook his head secretly. The first disciple of the Poetry King actually used going to the toilet as an excuse to escape. The face of the Qing Nation was about to be lost.

Prefect Dong said calmly, "You can wash your hands, but first, bring out the Double Seventh Festival poem of the Poetry King."

"We've been waiting for a long time!"

"Bring it out! Isn't the Poetry King going to suppress our entire Jing Kingdom? Fang Zhenguo's 'Magpie Bridge Immortal' is right here, try to suppress it!"

"Please present the Poetry King's poem."

Many people looked on with smiles, ready to enjoy the show.

Fang Yun suddenly remembered the scenes of the Jing Kingdom people comparing with the Qing Nation people in the past. At that time, the Jing Kingdom people were extremely excited, almost gnashing their teeth in a vengeful state. But now it was completely different, almost like they were teasing.

Fang Yun felt very gratified. The people of Jing Kingdom finally had confidence.

The sky was full of brilliant stars, and the oil lamps on the city wall were lined up. More than thirty tables of Jing Kingdom people were all looking at the first disciple of the Poetry King.

The first disciple of the Poetry King felt desolate in his heart. There was a time when coming to Jing Kingdom was like being an imperial envoy, not taking the Jing Kingdom people seriously at all. Even if he beat and scolded the Jing Kingdom people, he didn't have to take responsibility, at most he would have to compensate some silver. But ever since Fang Yun appeared, Jing Kingdom had completely changed.

The Qing Nation suffered unprecedented defeats one after another, and the literary reputation of the Qing Nation was almost suppressed by Fang Yun alone. This was something that had never happened in the two hundred years since the founding of the Qing Nation.

Even when Chen Guanhai, Li Wenying and others were galloping across the world, the Qing Nation won more than it lost.

But in front of Fang Yun, the Qing Nation had never won!

The first disciple of the Poetry King knew in his heart that if Fang Yun's poem was just about Mingzhou, then he could also bring out his master's Mingzhou poem without losing face. But Fang Yun's poem was about the Town, and it was a four and a half foot talent, surpassing all the Double Seventh Festival poems. If there is no better Double Seventh Festival poem in the next hundred years, this poem will definitely reach the level of being passed down to the world.

The Poetry King could not write a few Town poems in his lifetime, let alone pass them down to the world.

Looking at the various expressions of hundreds of Jing Kingdom people, the first disciple of the Poetry King almost cried out. Just a year ago, they were looking at the Jing Kingdom people with the same eyes.

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "The rain in Jiangzhou is heavy, and that poem was soaked by the rain."

A few young Child Scholars were almost choked with anger. If he didn't dare to bring it out, that would be fine, but he even dared to take the opportunity to smear the flood in Jiangzhou.

Prefect Dong said coldly, "The Poetry King gave a poem to our country, and the disciple of the Poetry King actually tried to embezzle it. Come, take him down, strip him, and search him!"

"Understood!"

The soldiers on the side shouted in unison.

The first disciple of the Poetry King quickly took out a rolled-up piece of paper from his sleeve, then, under the surprised gaze of everyone, quickly crumpled it into a ball, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it hard. During the swallowing process, his eyes bulged out, his face was ferocious, like a wicked demon.

"Haha! I said there is none, then there is none! Want to use this to discredit my master? Dream on! This poem is ours in the Qing Nation, we have the final say! Want to suppress our Qing Nation? Wait another thousand years!"

Not only were the Jing Kingdom people stunned, but even a few Qing Nation people were extremely shocked.

A Qing Nation Presented Scholar stood up with an embarrassed expression and said, "Literature is judged by talent, if it's inferior, it's inferior. Our Qing Nation has lost before, why do you have to do this? If this gets out, you will lose the face of the Poetry King and the Qing Nation! When did our Qing Nation become a country that can't afford to lose?"

The first disciple of the Poetry King said contemptuously, "Ignorant! Short-sighted! I can lose, but the Qing Nation can't lose!"

"But you are ruining the literary reputation of our Qing Nation! Today's 'swallowing poem' incident will make our Qing Nation the laughingstock of the ten nations!"

The first disciple of the Poetry King said confidently, "When has my miscellaneous family ever cared about literary reputation? As long as we can make our Qing Nation swallow Jing Kingdom, even if we swallow a hundred poems, it doesn't matter."

Fang Yun said firmly, "As long as I, Fang Yun, am here, your Qing Nation will never be able to swallow Jing Kingdom!"

"Jing Kingdom only has five years left. Once Chen... that person is gone, Jing Kingdom will be nothing more than fish on the chopping board!" The first disciple of the Poetry King finished speaking and showed regret.

Whether it was the old people or the young Child Scholars, all the Jing Kingdom people stood up, and every soldier drew their long knives, pointing at the first disciple of the Poetry King.

These people had calm faces and determined eyes.

The first disciple of the Poetry King turned pale.

Fang Yun slightly narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "A Semi-Saint is the foundation of a nation and the pillar of the human race. Since you curse our Jing Kingdom's Chen Semi-Saint like this, if you don't kowtow to apologize, you don't need to leave today! Killing someone at the Double Seventh Festival poetry meeting can also be considered a refined affair."

The energy in the sky suddenly became violent.

The first disciple of the Poetry King gritted his teeth and slowly knelt on the ground, lowering his head and said, "I spoke without thinking and inadvertently involved Chen Semi-Saint. It is indeed a sin. I hope Chen Semi-Saint will forgive me." After that, he kowtowed three times.

Prefect Dong said, "You can be spared from death, but you can't escape from punishment! Come, cut off his two arms at the shoulder! Let him know the price of insulting our Jing Kingdom's Semi-Saint!"

"You can't treat me like this! I'm a Presented Scholar! I'm protected by the Holy Academy."

Several soldiers rushed over and pressed the first disciple of the Poetry King to the ground, grabbing his arms.

"The Holy Academy does not protect evil people who curse the Sage! Do it!"

Two flashes of bright knife light passed by, cleanly cutting off the first disciple of the Poetry King's two arms, blood splattered.

"Ah..." The first disciple of the Poetry King screamed and fainted.

"Bandage him up and then throw him at the entrance of the Qing Nation's embassy. If he dares to insult the Semi-Saints again, even if he hides in the palace of the Qing Nation, we from Jing Kingdom will drag him out!"

The people from Qing Nation hurriedly apologized, but no one paid them any attention.

No one thought that the people from Jing Kingdom were in the wrong. Chen Guanhai was the spiritual pillar of Jing Kingdom. If anything happened to him, the Jing Kingdom would collapse. Protecting the reputation of the Semi-Saints was everyone's duty. If the Semi-Saints could be insulted and cursed at will, then the foundation of the human race would be destroyed.

One could criticize the Semi-Saints, but not insult or curse them.

Looking at the bloodstains on the ground, the people from Qing Nation felt incredibly sad. The fact that the head disciple of the Poetry King swallowed the poetry book was already a disgrace, and he even cursed Chen Guanhai in front of the people from Jing Kingdom. This incident would definitely be reported in the "Literature News" and would surely provoke a wave of criticism.

Fang Yun watched as the head disciple of the Poetry King was dragged away, feeling no sympathy for him. Chen Guanhai was injured in a battle with the Barbarian Saint. Qing Nation could hope for his death and then annex Jing Kingdom. But cursing him in front of the people from Jing Kingdom, even beating him to death wouldn't be too much.

The outcome was clear, and the people from Qing Nation left together. Once they were down from the city wall, they stopped in a dark corner.

Not far away, the people from Jing Kingdom were laughing and chatting, while they were isolated from the world.

Some of them even squatted down weakly, completely lacking the demeanor of scholars, looking more like street thugs.

"You guys, stand up! We just lost to Fang Yun, how can we be so disheartened! Even the Poetry King lost, what does our loss matter!"

"I... I'm not afraid of losing. I'm just lost. When did we, the people of Qing Nation, become so unable to accept defeat? The people of Qing Nation in my heart are not like this!"

"This is the art of diplomacy, the power of the miscellaneous family, and the strategy of the Military Strategists. Our plan is to unite with the barbarians to exterminate the demons. For this goal, we can sacrifice, the Poetry King can sacrifice, even Qing Nation can sacrifice! Now, it's Jing Kingdom's turn to sacrifice!"

"Then, why do you get to decide who sacrifices!"

"Because we can help the human race exterminate the demons! We can help the human race become stronger!"

"If sacrificing you can also help the human race become stronger, are you willing to sacrifice?"

"Of course!"

"Good, I'll remember that!" The man from Qing Nation who was squatting slowly stood up.

"What are you planning? Treason is a serious crime!"

"Don't worry. I'm just like you, helping the human race become stronger!"

"I hope you can do it!"

"Of course."

However, every person from Qing Nation heard a faint sound of something shattering.

On the city wall, the atmosphere of the Qixi Poetry Meeting plummeted. Although everyone knew that Chen Guanhai wouldn't live much longer, they still couldn't let go of the fact that he was cursed by the people from Qing Nation.

Soon, many officials began to get busy, as their official seals kept receiving messages from carrier pigeons. Most of them were asking about the National Poem, and some were asking about the Emperor's Poem.

Fang Yun also received a message from Cai He, the County Magistrate of Ji County. However, the content of Cai He's message was a bit different. Fang Yun could almost see Cai He's furious face behind the words.

"You actually wrote me as a pedantic and conservative Grand Academician who destroys the love between the white snake demon and the human scholar? Don't force me to go to Jade Sea City! Change it immediately, or I'll block your door!"

To read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com.

Fang Yun pretended not to see it.

Feng Yuanjun, who was standing by his side, said, "The Qixi Poetry Meeting is about to end. After that, let's go to the North Suburb together to see what you need, and then exchange it for the dragon horn."

"I know about that. Every time there's a big festival, the merchants in the North Suburb become particularly active. What's the biggest event in the North Suburb today?"

"I can't say what's the biggest. There are many large-scale events. For example, the Jewelry Fair at Fuyuan Pavilion, the Trading Fair at Famous Liquor Workshop, the Calligraphy Exhibition at Moxiang Pavilion, and the Exchange Fair at Yinlong Pavilion, and so on. There are too many to count."

"Then where is the best place to exchange my dragon horn?"

"Of course, it's Yinlong Pavilion. It's a property of the East Sea Dragon Palace. Merchants or prominent families from all over go to Yinlong Pavilion for the treasures of the dragon race. If you want to exchange your dragon horn for other treasures, as long as your price is a little lower than that of the East Sea Dragon Palace, you can definitely sell it quickly."

"Besides the Exchange Fair at Yinlong Pavilion, are there any other options?"

Feng Yuanjun showed a helpless expression and said, "On the two major festivals, Qixi and Lantern Festival, only Yinlong Pavilion can hold an exchange fair in Jade Sea Prefecture. Because any merchant who holds an exchange fair on these days will be seen as an enemy by the East Sea Dragon Palace."

"The dragon race is quite domineering." The word 'monopoly' popped up in Fang Yun's mind.

"When has the dragon race not been domineering? But it's not a big deal. Having all the exchange fairs in one place is actually more convenient." (To be continued.)