enjoyebooks Chapter 50 Jiang Family Literature Meeting
Chapter 50 Jiang Family Literature Meeting
"Damn, guys, I'm going to become a plagiarist too."
On the gaming forum, the sudden appearance of "I'm Not a Sword Immortal" instantly sparked heated discussions among players.
As the pioneer of the new map, the news about Sword Immortal is still very attractive to many players.
Running Knife Rat: "Sword Immortal, is there some new development on the Jiang family's side?"
Big Sword: "That's for sure. The Jiang family is holding some kind of literary gathering recently, and the leader can get a reward of 100 spirit stones...tsk tsk tsk."
A few casual remarks: "100 spirit stones! How long would I have to farm to earn that much?"
Cangfeng Mingyue: "But Sword Immortal, isn't plagiarism a bit unethical?"
I'm Not a Sword Immortal: "Ahem, how can you call something a scholar does plagiarism? It's called learning from others."
"Besides, I just wanted to help Li Bai increase his popularity in the cultivation world... after all, he is our great Tang Dynasty's banished immortal."
The night wind swept across the ruins of the Qingxuan Sect, swirling a few withered leaves in the moonlight.
Zhou Yi sat cross-legged in the room, the string of numbers on the panel glowing faintly in the darkness.
[Luck Value: 120]
Thirty points to go.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, a faint frown appearing between his brows.
Zhou Qinghe could come knocking at any moment, and with his Qi Refining Level 6 cultivation, his chances of winning against a late-stage Qi Refining expert were slim. Even with player assistance, their strength was ultimately limited.
"We must break through before they arrive."
Zhou Yi closed his eyes, his mind filled with the lively atmosphere of the forum that evening.
Da Baojian and Jianxian went to the Jiang family, saying they were going to attend some kind of literary gathering. Those two guys usually wield swords and spears, suddenly going off to pretend to be cultured, who knows what they'll come up with.
He shook his head, cleared his mind of distractions, and continued to practice his internal energy cultivation.
The spiritual energy flowed slowly through the meridians, like a gentle stream, still some distance from the breakthrough point.
It can't be rushed.
Zhou Yi took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
Meanwhile, at the Jiang family's home, a thousand miles away.
The lights were bright, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air.
The Jiang family's literary gathering was held on a waterside pavilion, surrounded by water on all sides, with lotus lanterns floating among them, reflecting the shimmering light throughout the pond.
Dozens of cultivators sat on both sides, all of them direct descendants of the Jiang family and invited guests. Amidst the clinking of cups, they discussed poetry and philosophy, creating a lively atmosphere.
Da Baojian and Jianxian sat at the end of the table, both dressed in blue robes. Although they were somewhat uncomfortable, they wore polite smiles on their faces.
Before they arrived, they hadn't expected there to be so many people at this literary gathering.
Not only did they see some of the Jiang family's direct descendants in recent days, but guests from many surrounding forces also came.
"Sword Immortal, do you really think we can make it?" Da Baojian lowered his voice, holding a cup of spirit wine in his hand, and pretended to drink it.
The sword immortal glanced at him and replied irritably:
"When it comes to poetry, you may not believe in yourself, but you absolutely cannot question my, Brother Bai's, level of skill."
"Besides, since we're already here, we might as well make some contribution points. Moreover, before the sect leader left, he specifically instructed us to try our best to make a name for ourselves in the Jiang family."
"Okay then..."
As the two were whispering, an elderly man with white hair and beard stood up from the main seat. He was Jiang Yuanhai, the head of the Jiang family.
He smiled, raised his glass, and spoke in a loud voice:
"Gentlemen, today's literary gathering is open to all, including poems, lyrics, songs, and prose. Anyone who submits a fine line will be rewarded with a generous gift."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room echoed his sentiments.
Soon, talented scholars rose to recite poems, some praising plum blossoms, others lamenting the moon. Their words were ornate, but they always seemed to lack a certain spirit.
The crowd either nodded or applauded politely; the atmosphere was lively, but it lacked that one thing that truly impressed everyone.
Jiang Yuanhai stroked his beard and smiled, but his eyes betrayed a hint of disappointment.
However, his disappointment was not solely due to the mediocre quality of the poems and songs presented at the literary gathering.
As the head of the clan, Jiang Yuanhai values his family's current influence more. However, the number of invited forces at this year's literary gathering is more than half that of previous years.
"well……"
Jiang Yuanhai sighed softly.
He knew this was because the Liu family had already issued an ultimatum to those other families.
As families specializing in weapon crafting, the two families are fierce competitors in their business. If it weren't for the Jiang family's ancestral weapon crafting secrets, they would have been suppressed by the Liu family long ago.
As for why the Liu family didn't choose to directly acquire it, the reason is actually quite simple—
That is, behind the Jiang family, there is a Foundation Establishment ancestor who is cultivating in seclusion at the Jade Purity Sect. However, that ancestor is quite old, and I'm afraid…
Therefore, the main reason he held this literary gathering was to test the true influence of his family.
As for the other purpose, it was also to find a good husband for his granddaughter. But the men in front of him were mediocre and not worth his time.
Just then, the sword immortal suddenly stood up in the elegant seating area.
"Brother Xiaoyao, would you like to compose a poem as well?"
Jiang Yunhe, sitting opposite the Sword Immortal, was somewhat curious.
When he invited the two to the Jiang family, he only knew that their swordsmanship was exceptional, but their talent in poetry and prose was not something that just anyone could do.
The sword immortal smiled and nodded, bowed to Jiang Yuanhai in the main seat, and then walked straight to the center of the waterside pavilion.
Upon seeing this, a glint of inspiration flashed in Jiang Yuanhai's eyes.
This person was named Li Xiaoyao. Jiang Yuanhai knew something about him beforehand; he seemed to come from a newly emerging sect.
Although we don't know the extent of his poetic talent, his courage to walk directly to the center of the waterside pavilion and recite poetry is commendable.
It should be noted that many talented scholars before him had only reached the edge of the waterside pavilion.
Of course, the sword immortal's actions also aroused the dissatisfaction of many talented men.
They wanted to see what kind of good poems this unknown monk could compose.
The sword immortal took a deep breath, his mind racing.
How could he possibly write poetry?
But when he heard those people reciting, he suddenly remembered a poem that had transcended a thousand years and was still as powerful as ever.
"Bring in the Wine"!
He cleared his throat and recited aloud:
"Have you not seen the Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return? Have you not seen the bright mirror in the high hall reflecting sorrowful white hair, like black silk in the morning turning to snow by evening?"
The moment the first sentence was uttered, everyone in the room was astonished.
Its magnificent momentum was like a surging river, rushing straight into the sky.
The guests who had been whispering fell silent, and even Jiang Heming sat up straight, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.
The sword immortal didn't stop; his voice grew even louder.
"Enjoy life while you can, for time will not let your golden goblet stand empty before the moon. I was born with talents that will surely be put to use, and though I spend all my wealth, it will return."
The pavilion by the water was completely silent.
Someone's wine glass slipped from their hand and smashed on the ground with a crisp sound, but no one picked it up.
Jiang Heming suddenly stood up, his beard and hair trembling slightly.
He had lived for seventy years and read countless poems, but he had never heard of such spirit. This was no poem; it was a sharp sword, piercing straight to the heart!
As the sword immortal finished chanting, his voice gradually deepened, yet every word carried immense weight:
"A dappled horse, a thousand pieces of gold, call the boy to exchange them for fine wine, to dispel with you our age-old sorrows!"
The lingering sound echoed in the air above the waterside pavilion, lingering for a long time.
After a long silence, Jiang Heming slammed his fist on the table, his voice booming like a bell: "Excellent! Excellent is 'Everyone has their own unique talents!' Excellent is 'Let us dispel all sorrows of the ages together!'"
He strode down from the main seat, approached the swordsman, placed his hands on his shoulders, and asked with excitement, "Young friend, what is the title of this poem?"
The sword immortal smiled slightly: "Drinking Song."
"Bring in the wine... Bring in the wine..." Jiang Heming murmured twice, then suddenly laughed loudly, "With this poem, the Jiang family's literary gathering will be renowned for a hundred years!"
He waved his hand dismissively: "Guards, bring one hundred spirit stones and present them to this young friend!"
The room erupted in uproar.
A hundred spirit stones is an amount that an ordinary rogue cultivator might not be able to accumulate in more than ten years.
Big Sword stared wide-eyed down below, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.
The sword immortal remained calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you, senior."
Of course, he knew he hadn't gotten these spirit stones for free.
Jiang Yuanhai's excitement, besides stemming from his appreciation of talent, might also be motivated by a desire to win him over. However, that's a matter for later; the most important thing right now is—
[Ding! Player "I'm Not a Sword Immortal" has triggered an event disturbance by reciting "Bring in the Wine" at the Jiang Family Literary Gathering, causing a stir among the attendees and gaining 30 points of Luck.]