96: Chapter 96 Ouyang Wanqing

Looking at the empty seat on the podium,

the lecture hall remained silent.

A breeze blew in from the window, swirling a few fallen leaves.

"Slap!"

A hand, still smelling slightly of grease, naturally slapped Chen Shanzhi's shoulder.

Jiang Feiyu walked over boisterously, her bright eyes scanning Chen Shanzhi from head to toe, clicking her tongue in amazement:

"Not bad, Chen Shanzhi! I didn't expect you to be hiding your strength so deep!"

"With just a few casual words, you actually managed to swindle this precious medal out of my mas— our teacher?"

As Jiang Feiyu spoke, she circled around Chen Shanzhi.

The purple brocade robe transformed from the "Poetry" medal not only had incredible defensive power but also looked magnificent.

Dark gold runes shimmered on the purple fabric, fitting Chen Shanzhi's figure perfectly.

It accentuated his tall, slender frame, making him look even more upright and otherworldly, radiating a natural air of nobility.

As Jiang Feiyu watched, her gaze suddenly drifted.

On her Face, which usually bore the aura of a female hooligan, a faint blush unexpectedly flashed across.

She turned her Face away awkwardly, rubbed her nose, and muttered in a strained tone:

"I didn't expect that a wealthy guy like you... would actually look quite handsome in these clothes."

At this moment, Chen Shanzhi was having a headache over this hot potato.

He didn't notice the rare, feminine behavior of the female hooligan beside him at all.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance and slapped away Jiang Feiyu's hand from his shoulder:

"Handsome my foot! You think I wanted this piece of junk?"

Chen Shanzhi threw up his hands innocently and complained in a low voice:

"I was just spacing out in class when I was suddenly called on; my mind went blank."

"How was I supposed to know what that 'little pond' poem was about?"

"To cover up the fact that I knew nothing, I just decided to wing it and talked a load of nonsense!"

"Who the hell could have guessed that Master Su's train of thought would be so bizarre?"

"He filled in the blanks himself and then had an Epiphany..."

"Now look what's happened, it's all being credited to me! I've become a damn target!"

Hearing this,

Zhang Qi, who had just sat up from his seat, slapped his thigh hard, his Face filled with bitter regret:

"Holy crap! So it was just a lucky guess?"

"If I'd known, I wish he'd called on me! I probably would've said the same thing as you!"

"This is a Yellow Rank High Grade Treasure Artifact, plus a spot in the Secret Realm!"

Zhang Qi clearly completely ignored

Chen Shanzhi's earlier line: "A masterpiece is naturally formed, captured by a chance stroke of brilliance."

He really thought Chen Shanzhi was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

Chen Shanzhi couldn't be bothered with this idiot.

But he didn't notice Tang Xiaowu, who had been sitting obediently beside him with her head down.

At this moment, she was secretly watching him with a strange look in her eyes.

Tang Xiaowu's eyes shimmered, and deep within them flashed a brilliance and attachment she hadn't even noticed herself.

Others might not know,

but she knew perfectly well!

This poem "little pond," which had recently gone viral in the capital's literary circles, was written by Chen Shanzhi himself!

What "reclusive Genius trying to win a beauty's smile"?

It was clearly this man before her who wrote it... for her.

So in Tang Xiaowu's eyes, Master Su hadn't just reached an Epiphany through his own imagination.

He had been enlightened by Chen Shanzhi's few words!

A surge of indescribable pride suddenly welled up in Tang Xiaowu's heart.

Even a master of the Four Seas Academy was no match for Chen Shanzhi's talent in poetry!

Only she knew of the peerless talent hidden beneath his cynical exterior!

This secret shared only between her and Chen Shanzhi

made Tang Xiaowu's heart race a little faster for some reason.

Jiang Feiyu also snapped out of it. She pulled Chen Shanzhi up and said boisterously:

"Don't act like you're suffering after getting such a good deal."

Let's go, let's go to the Dining Hall.

"You have to treat us to a proper meal this time."

Zhao Qi and Murong Yun immediately perked up when they heard about the free meal.

They dragged and pulled Chen Shanzhi out of the lecture hall.

The group left the lecture hall and headed toward the academy's Dining Hall.

Along the way, students passed by continuously.

Without exception, the gaze of everyone they passed fell squarely on Chen Shanzhi.

Their eyes were filled with various emotions.

Shock, jealousy, and even undisguised greed.

The news had spread too fast!

In just the short time since class ended,

the news that Chen Shanzhi, the Heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo, had made Master Su reach an Epiphany with some casual nonsense in class,

and picked up a "Poetry" medal for nothing,

and that obtaining this medal guaranteed a spot in the year-end Secret Realm,

spread to every corner of Four Seas Academy as if it had grown wings!

What made people even more envious was

that on the academy's wind and cloud ranking, which represented supreme honor,

Chen Shanzhi's rank had shot up from the very bottom at forty-ninth,

like a rocket, all the way to thirty-ninth!

This immediately caused a huge stir throughout the academy.

"Have you heard? That playboy Chen got the Poetry medal!"

"I heard! Word from the Heaven Class is that the kid was just talking nonsense in class to save Face!"

"But he got lucky and happened to hit the nail on the head, triggering Master Su's Epiphany!"

"Pah! What dumb luck! Is he really getting that Secret Realm spot for free?"

"For free? You're overthinking it!"

Several Martial Artists with long swords on their backs sneered, rubbing their hands as they watched Chen Shanzhi's retreating figure:

"Master Su said publicly that this medal can be challenged and snatched at the end of every month!"

"Can a playboy who got the medal by luck actually keep it?"

"Let's go! To the Scripture Pavilion! I'm going to take the poetry class test right now."

"I'll raise my poetry rank first. If I can get that medal at the end of the month,"

"I'll have direct qualification for the Academy Secret Realm."

At this moment, in everyone's eyes, Chen Shanzhi in his purple brocade robe

was not some hidden peerless Genius.

He was a piece of fat meat with no deterrent power, giving everyone a chance to snatch a spot in the Academy Secret Realm!

Chen Shanzhi ignored the predatory gazes around him.

Holding Tang Xiaowu's hand, he chatted and laughed with Jiang Feiyu and the others as they walked straight across the academy square.

...

Meanwhile,

at the entrance of the giant jade archway of the Four Seas Academy's central Martial Arts Arena,

to the right of the wind and cloud ranking, a giant golden notice emitting a faint golden light had appeared at some point.

Five large characters were written on it: Literary Dao Merit Notice.

Below the golden notice, only a single line of text was currently displayed.

[Poetry Medal: Chen Shanzhi]

The handwriting was bold and powerful, seemingly carrying a kind of natural literary talent, dazzling to the eye.

Beside the golden notice, ten ranking boards corresponding to different literary classes had also been posted.

On the ranking list for the Poetry Dao class,

the first place in the Heaven Class was none other than Tang Liu.

After all, he had seriously shared his insights on martial arts anticipation in class and received a blessing of literary talent.

Since Chen Shanzhi had obtained the medal directly, his name was naturally removed from the ordinary ranking list and placed on the golden notice.

At this moment, a beautiful figure stood quietly beneath the Poetry Dao ranking list.

The woman's skin was as white and translucent as jade, possessing a delicate texture.

Her eyes were as clear as a stream, without a hint of seductiveness, instead carrying an elegant grace that made people forget their worldly troubles.

A small white flower was pinned in her hair, and a few strands of thin gauze hung amidst her black locks, fluttering slightly in the wind; she was the epitome of refined gentleness.

She wore a water-blue short jacket.

Below it, a matching slim-fitting skirt perfectly accentuated her tall and slender figure.

Especially her waist, which could be encircled by a single hand, was perfectly proportioned—an inch more would be too much, an inch less too little.

She possessed a charming loveliness, yet retained the dignity and grace of a lady from a noble family.

This woman was none other than one of the four famous talented women of Four Seas Academy,

the daughter of the current Prime Minister, Ouyang Wanqing.

At this moment, Ouyang Wanqing's clear eyes

were quietly watching the name "Tang Liu" on the Poetry Dao ranking list.

Then, her gaze shifted to the golden notice beside it.

Looking at the three large characters "Chen Shanzhi"...

Ouyang Wanqing's beautiful eyebrows knitted together in a rare frown.

She raised her slender fingers and gently rubbed her temples.

The development of events was too sudden.

It was completely outside her original plan.

Ouyang Wanqing was born in the Prime Ministers Mansion; she had been well-read since childhood and loved poetry and songs most of all.

In Four Seas Academy, regarding her attainments in poetry,

she believed she was second to none, except for the elderly masters.

Therefore, she had originally been determined to obtain this "Poetry" medal.

After all, an extra medal meant holding an extra spot in the Academy Secret Realm.

When the time came, one more Martial Artist from the Prime Minister's faction could enter the Secret Realm and seek opportunities.

This held extremely important strategic significance for the expansion of the Prime Minister's influence in the imperial court.

But she never expected

that because she had something to attend to this morning and missed the first day of literary class,

this Poetry Dao medal she considered hers would be given away just like that?

And to Chen Shanzhi, the playboy Trash famous throughout the capital?

Ouyang Wanqing sighed.

The reason she hadn't come to class today was that early this morning,

she had received an invitation from First Scholar of the Capital, known as the "Number One Genius of the Capital."

He said he had new insights into the poem "little pond," which had recently become famous in the capital, and wanted to discuss it with her.

To discuss this quatrain that she also loved dearly, she had made an exception and taken leave.

As it turned out,

she had just returned from First Scholar of the Capital's when she heard this absurd news!

And...

In Ouyang Wanqing's mind, she was quickly processing

all the details about the class she had just gathered from other students.

She wasn't like those Martial Artists who had muscles but no brains!

Those Martial Artists thought Chen Shanzhi was talking nonsense.

But after hearing Chen Shanzhi's words, a storm of shock surged within Ouyang Wanqing!

"A masterpiece is naturally formed, captured by a chance stroke of brilliance..."

"Being too obsessed is becoming too attached to form..."

Ouyang Wanqing mulled over these two sentences in her heart, her clear eyes sparkling with brilliance.

Every word was a gem!

This was absolutely the most perfect understanding of the poem "little pond"!

Without exception!

In comparison,

the "noble purity of the lotus" she had discussed with First Scholar of the Capital, the "Number One Genius of the Capital,"

in the teahouse this morning...

was simply shallow to the extreme!

Ouyang Wanqing truly regretted it now.

She regretted going to that boring appointment instead of attending this literary class!

If she had been there,

if she could have heard the discussion between Chen Shanzhi and Master Su with her own ears,

then when that massive literary talent, capable of triggering heavenly phenomena, descended,

she would have been able to get a very generous share of the benefits!

But regret was useless.

In the future, who else in the world could analyze "little pond" so perfectly from another angle?

Even if the mysterious original author of "little pond" were to appear in person,

it would likely be difficult to surpass Chen Shanzhi's brilliant discourse today.

Thinking about how most of the natural literary talent condensed from that famous poem, destined to be remembered for ages, had been absorbed by Master Su,

Ouyang Wanqing couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache and envy.

Even a novice like Chen Shanzhi, who had no idea how to absorb this talent,

had managed to break through one aperture under the forced infusion of this talent!

The benefits Master Su gained from it were likely immeasurable.

After all, Chen Shanzhi's line "A masterpiece is naturally formed"

had probably more than doubled the natural literary talent triggered during their discussion!

Ouyang Wanqing took a deep breath and fixed her gaze once more on the name "Chen Shanzhi."

Who would have thought?

This Heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo, who used to follow Shen Lingfu around like a dog and was the laughingstock of the entire capital,

had undergone such an earth-shattering transformation in just over a month?

Ouyang Wanqing pursed her red lips, a strong sense of curiosity rising in her eyes.

Had this Chen Shanzhi spent the past eighteen years

playing the fool and hiding his light under a bushel in the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion?

Or had he just gotten lucky and happened to hear

this brilliant insight into "little pond" from some reclusive expert?

But regardless,

literary talent is something that cannot be faked!

It's not something you can possess just by having a sudden realization or studying hard for a month or two.

As it happened, Chen Shanzhi was in the same Heaven Class A as her.

It seemed she needed to find an Opportunity to get in touch with this Heir Apparent during this period.

To test his depth.

To see if he was truly a useless sack or a hidden dragon.

If he was a useless sack...

then she, Ouyang Wanqing, would definitely take that Poetry medal.

"If I don't get a chance to find out your true nature,"

Ouyang Wanqing looked at the golden notice, a faint, cold curve touching the corners of her mouth,

"then we shall see each other at the Poetry Dao challenge at the end of the month, Your Highness."

Having said that, Ouyang Wanqing ignored the male students around her whose eyes were glued to her.

She turned gently, her water-blue skirt tracing a graceful arc.

Then, with elegant steps, she disappeared into the crowd in the square.