226: Chapter 226 His name is Chen San, and he is the author of Xiao Chi's work.

From now on, whenever scholars and poets across the land gather to discuss love between men and women, who could avoid this line?

Who would dare to avoid this line?

If anyone is unconvinced, if you have the ability, why don't you write a line that can stand alongside it?

This is simply a "closing masterpiece," effectively sealing off the path for future generations to write love poetry.

"This... this is impossible..."

After what felt like an eternity, someone finally swallowed with a dry throat, their voice trembling uncontrollably.

Countless complex gazes were fixed firmly on Chen Shanzhi.

So, this person, throughout all the warm-up games earlier—refusing to write poetry, refusing to compose couplets, and just drinking and slacking off...

It wasn't because he didn't know how to write.

It was because he simply disdained to play such childish games with a bunch of mediocre people like them.

He just couldn't be bothered to pick up a pen, yet Young Miss Ouyang insisted on dragging him into this final competition.

Then, forced by circumstance, he casually threw down a card, and it ruthlessly crushed them all, along with the talent they were so proud of, into fragments.

"Playing the pig to eat the tiger... He has been playing the pig to eat the tiger all along!"

A scholar muttered, looking dejected, his folding fan dropping to the ground and shattering into pieces.

Meanwhile, some scholars who hadn't been prejudiced against Chen Shanzhi to begin with were filled with excitement upon hearing this poem.

They never expected that they would actually be able to witness the birth of a masterpiece that would be passed down through the ages.

Some had even begun trying to comprehend the poem, hoping to be the first to achieve resonance with its Literary Qi.

This poem was by no means inferior to that little pond which had been widely circulated in the capital.

One had to know that little pond was a work containing blue Literary Qi.

If one could achieve resonance with it early, it would mean that their future path of martial arts would at least reach the Tongxuan Realm.

That was the level of a big shot who could become a Gold Medal Constable in the Jiantian Division.

"I don't believe it!"

The First Scholar of the Capital, Zhang Yun, was as pale as a sheet, his body swaying violently, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

He looked at his own sheet of rice paper, filled with his calligraphy, which would have originally been hailed as the best of the day.

Then, looking at Chen Shanzhi, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

Now, after this person's poem had appeared, his own sheet of paper was worthless.

It had collapsed; his Dao Heart had been smashed to pieces in that instant.

His pride as the First Scholar of the Capital, all his reputation, all his arrogance—in the face of this ode to the wild goose, he was like a ridiculous clown.

What made it even more unacceptable to him was that with this poem around, the love poem he had carefully prepared and thought was filled with sincere emotion now looked shallow and vulgar enough to make one retch.

But none of this was the most important thing.

The most important thing was that as this poem grew more famous and spread further, the name Zhang Yun would surely be treated by everyone as a laughingstock for after-dinner conversation.

From now on, whenever he met someone and they learned his name was Zhang Yun, they would inevitably ask if he was the Zhang Yun from this Poetry Gathering.

If they heard it was him, what would await him would be ridicule.

The good news was that he would likely be remembered in history forever alongside this poem.

The bad news was that this wasn't being remembered for greatness, but being infamous for ten thousand years.

As the First Scholar of the Capital, Zhang Yun naturally had his pride.

He absolutely could not allow this to happen!

At this moment, Zhang Yun's mind began to spin frantically.

"No... that's not right!"

Zhang Yun suddenly raised his head, looking as if he had fallen into a state of madness, pointing at Chen Shanzhi and screaming sharply:

"This is impossible! You, a nobody, how could you casually write such a divine work that is worthy of being passed down for generations?"

Zhang Yun's face was completely distorted by jealousy and rage, and he raved wildly:

"You must have cheated! You must have found out the theme of today's Poetry Gathering in advance through some unknown channel! Then you spent a fortune buying this masterpiece from some reclusive great scholar or some old master from the Four Seas Academy! Yes! That must be it! To show off in front of Young Miss Ouyang, you are simply utterly shameless!"

Once these words were spoken, the eyes of the scholars around, who had already been battered and bruised, flickered slightly.

It was true that the man in white had behaved too crudely before.

He had even been able to say vulgar nonsense like "The sky is pitch black."

How, in the blink of an eye, did he become a peerless Genius capable of writing "Ask the world, what is love?"

This extreme contrast made it very easy for people to associate it with "buying a work" and "cheating."

"That's right, this doesn't make sense..."

"If he were truly a Genius of the Literary Dao, an unknown person like him would have long since become famous in the capital; how could he have remained obscure for so long?"

For a time, voices of doubt arose everywhere.

Off to the side, the First Prince's eyes beneath his mask were cold to the extreme.

He stared fixedly at Chen Shanzhi, his fists clenching until they cracked.

Although he also didn't believe that this poem was written by a nobody, what he cared about even more was the sentiment in this ode to the wild goose.

Ask the world, what is love, that it teaches life and death to be exchanged?

Was this kind of poem something he could just casually give to Ouyang Wanqing?

Or could it be that this person had long been deeply in love with Ouyang Wanqing?

Thinking back to the fact that this person was brought in by Ouyang Wanqing, a flash of murderous intent crossed the First Prince's eyes.

Very well, since one person was already going to die, he wouldn't mind if one more died as well.

Just as the voices of doubt in the back garden grew louder and louder, and Zhang Yun, with a crazed look on his face, thought he had caught the other party's weak spot:

"Bought?"

A cold, yet deeply mocking female voice suddenly rang out in the stone pavilion.

Ouyang Wanqing slowly raised her head.

Her water-blue skirt swayed slightly, and she walked unhurriedly up the stone steps.

Passing by the livid Zhang Yun, she finally stood beside Chen Shanzhi.

Her beautiful eyes swept across the faces of the scholars below, and the corners of her mouth curled into a cold arc:

"Bought? Cheating? Young Master Zhang, do you mean to say that I, Ouyang Wanqing, in order to let this person win, told him the theme in advance?"

Ouyang Wanqing's voice was not loud, but every word was like a resounding slap, fiercely striking Zhang Yun's face.

Zhang Yun's expression changed, and he gritted his teeth, arguing defensively:

"Young Miss Ouyang, that is not what I meant; I naturally trust Young Miss Ouyang. I am afraid that one of Young Miss Ouyang's servants leaked the news. After all, this person is a nobody; if he didn't cheat, how could he..."

"Who said he is a nobody?"

Ouyang Wanqing sneered, interrupting him, her cold, ethereal voice instantly drowning out all the noise in the arena:

"Do you know who he is?"

Everyone was stunned.

The First Prince couldn't help but take half a step forward, staring fixedly at Chen Shanzhi on the stone steps.

Ouyang Wanqing turned her head slightly, her eyes, beautiful as autumn water, glancing charmingly at the white jade mask.

Then she turned around, facing the entire crowd, her red lips slightly parted.

She spat out a bombshell that instantly made everyone's mind go blank:

"His name is Chen San."

"He is the author of that... little pond."