8: Wen Dao Level, First Stage Goal

"Who approves, who opposes?"

Those who understood what had happened lacked the courage to contest it.

Those who did not understand were even more afraid to speak up when they saw such a grand display.

Consequently, in this calm situation, Qin Chuan easily took first place in the poetry gathering.

With this poem "Qingming" leading the way, the subsequent proceedings seemed dull and tedious.

During this time, quite a few people approached Qin Chuan.

This was not surprising; trying to get close to someone was nothing to be ashamed of!

However, what Qin Chuan did not expect was that quite a few of them actually asked him—

"Where is that tavern called Xinghua Village?"

And they expressed that they would definitely go to taste the fine wine there.

Qin Chuan was momentarily speechless; he knew nothing about any Xinghua Village.

However, he had a flash of inspiration and immediately told those who were asking.

"Xinghua Village doesn't exist yet, but it will soon!"

After leaving the Purple Bamboo Garden, Qin Chuan was carrying so many bags and packages that he could barely walk.

This was precisely the prize he had won for taking first place in the poetry gathering.

It seemed to be some Four Treasures of the Study or something similar?

That was not important; what was important was—how was he supposed to take these things back!

Very quickly, this problem was solved.

"Young Master Chen Chuan, the Master sent us to take you back."

A sedan chair stopped in front of him, and a servant spoke to him respectfully.

Qin Chuan was stunned; was this the treatment a Genius received?

He did not decline and rode the sedan chair back home.

What he did not expect was that the aftermath of his poem "Qingming" at the poetry gathering was far from over.

Nightfall!

When Chen Zhou and Zheng arrived in a hurry outside his room, Qin Chuan had already rested.

After all, he had to participate in the Chen clan's ancestor worship early tomorrow morning, so he needed to get some good rest.

But when your parents come looking for you, it is just that unreasonable.

The two of them dragged Qin Chuan right out of his bed.

Chen Zhou looked at him eagerly: "Where is the poem? Let me see it quickly!"

Zheng was much more pragmatic; she directly gave Qin Chuan a money pouch:

"This is ten taels of gold just given by the clan; it's yours directly. Besides that, there are five mu of farmland and three shops. I will keep these for you for now; they can only be transferred to your name after you start a family. Hmm. Also, there is cloth and meat; I was just planning to get those for you in the next couple of days."

Before Qin Chuan could even answer his father's question, he was stunned by the list of items Zheng reeled off like she was reciting a menu.

Was she really this generous?

In the end, Chen Zhou was the first to mutter to his wife: "Why mention these worldly, copper-smelling things? Chuan'er, where is the poem?"

"It's on the table," Qin Chuan replied.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhou didn't even spare a glance for Qin Chuan and rushed straight to the desk.

As for Zheng, she rolled her eyes: "Without these worldly goods, what would you eat, you bookworm."

After saying this, she turned to Qin Chuan.

"I originally didn't want to come over and disturb your rest, but who knew your unreliable father would insist on coming to take a look. Let him look; I'm going back first. Staying up late is bad for one's complexion."

After Zheng left, Chen Zhou continued to admire the poem "Qingming" at the desk, completely intoxicated by it.

Under these circumstances, how could Qin Chuan possibly fall asleep?

He climbed out of bed, planning to take this opportunity to have Chen Zhou answer some of his questions.

"Haha! Good, a good poem! There isn't a single difficult character or allusion in the entire piece, yet it manages to write out a sense of harmony and Perfection; the imagery is very fresh and vivid. You truly are my son!"

"Ahem!"

Qin Chuan coughed, interrupting Chen Zhou's performance.

"Father."

"Hmm? What is it?" Chen Zhou turned back and looked at Qin Chuan in confusion.

Qin Chuan carefully considered his words before speaking:

"I don't know what is so special about this poem that made the Prefect and the others take it so seriously. Also, I ask Father to clarify what 'image-mimicking' means."

Chen Zhou was not surprised upon hearing this; he pondered slightly before saying:

"Hmm, since you can create an image-mimicking poem, it is time for you to be exposed to these things. Do you know the categories of poetry?"

"I do not."

Although he wanted to answer with things like 'object-chanting' or 'ambition-chanting', Chen Zhou was definitely not asking about those.

Chen Zhou nodded and said: "The Literary Dao is not as simple as the martial arts of brutes. No one can say for sure how many categories there are, but generally, there are object-mimicking, image-mimicking, and ambition-stating."

After saying this, he gestured with his hand, and a ruler abruptly appeared in his hand.

"This is object-mimicking; it can create objects out of thin air. This Dao-Instruction Ruler of mine has the effect of enlightening the mind."

This ruler was very clear in Qin Chuan's memory; his predecessor had often been struck by it.

"Enlightening the mind?"

No wonder his memory and comprehension ability would briefly increase after being struck by it.

Chen Zhou did not dwell on this question for long and pointed at Qin Chuan's poem "Qingming".

"This poem of yours is a typical example of image-mimicking. When your Haoran Righteousness is deep and thick in the future, you can summon it, or seal it separately into an independent space."

"Oh!"

Qin Chuan nodded, half-understanding, and then he thought of the "Bamboo Forest Map" under his bed.

In that case, could that also be a similar thing?

At this moment, Chen Zhou still hadn't stopped and continued to educate him on the basics he needed to know.

"As long as a person reads deeply, they will have Haoran Righteousness to protect them. Regarding this Rank, although there is no clear division, roughly speaking, it can be distinguished by the fame and titles one has obtained."

"For example, a Child Student already possesses basic literary Qi, which can deter some minor ghouls and evil spirits; A Scholar can temporarily control their own literary Qi and will have some special talents, but they are not of much use; Upon reaching Recommended Man, the wonderful uses of literary Qi become much greater; this is the reason why a Recommended Man can serve as a local official; As for a Jinshi, they can use their tongue as a sword and kill while laughing!"

Qin Chuan listened intently; this was the first time he had heard of the supernatural powers of this world.

Seeing Chen Zhou stop speaking, he couldn't help but ask: "What else? A Jinshi can't be the end, right? I have heard of Great Scholars and Saints."

Chen Zhou glared at Qin Chuan upon hearing this.

"Do not be overly ambitious; I am not a Great Scholar, so how would I know? I only heard people say: a Great Scholar possesses the ability to make their words reality; as for a Saint, a single word can become the law of the world!"

When he said this, a look of longing appeared in his eyes, as if he were imagining that scene.

Hearing this, a question flooded into Qin Chuan's mind.

"A single word can become the law of the world? Then what about our Chen clan's old Clan Chief?"

Seeing him ask this, Chen Zhou sighed: "The old Clan Chief? Although it is a bit disrespectful to say this, neither he nor the other six sages are anywhere near being a Saint; they are just a step further than a Great Scholar."

Qin Chuan stood there, his eyes flashing as his thoughts raced.

After a moment, he said: "Understood, thank you for clarifying, Father."

Chen Zhou waved his hand: "No problem, you will be exposed to these sooner or later. By the way, your main goal now is the upcoming Prefecture Examination. After the ancestor worship tomorrow, just stay at home and study. A tall tree catches the wind; it's not certain that everyone wishes you well."

"Understood."

"Hmm, rest early, haha. You don't need to worry too much; there is still the Chen clan, and there is still me. The poem was written really well! Rest now, I'm going to find my colleagues for a drink!"