Chapter 391 Book 4: 67: Simply Can’t Stop
Book 4: Chapter 67: Simply Can’t Stop
“Have you not seen?“The waters of the Yellow River come from upon the sky. They surge into the ocean, never to return, an eternal goodbye.“Have you not seen?“Grieving over white hair in a great hall, seen through mirrors so bright. Though silken-black in the morning, it turned snow white by night.”
Buzz!
Nearly all the calligraphy Dao cultivators in Five Sacred Mountains Academy felt their hair stand on end. Archduke Xi Kang also turned ashen.
Two hundred million citizens were watching the live broadcast. They saw a white light suddenly come out, one that was even more intense than that of “Chivalrous Legends.”
That was a n.o.ble spirit that seemed capable of crus.h.i.+ng the heavens. However, the white light did not leave the paper. All the calligraphy Dao cultivators felt extremely tense, getting gooseb.u.mps all over their bodies.
“No. This is just the first line. Just the first line already gives me gooseb.u.mps? ‘Chivalrous Legends’ only truly started from the third line, ‘Even with an enemy every ten paces, they continue killing these enemies for great distances. They brush off their clothes and leave after accomplis.h.i.+ng their goal, not claiming credit or fame for their role.’ However, this poem already feels intense from the first line.”
“‘Bring in the Wine’? What exactly is Mister Gu writing?”
“Another poem composed on the fly? This is even more magnificent than the one before!”
Countless calligraphy Dao cultivators held their breath.
——
As Fairy Waner looked at Gu Hai in the projection in the sky, her eyes turned slightly dazed.
——
In a small courtyard:
Sima Changkong inhaled sharply. “It is already so grand and majestic from the first line? ‘Have you not seen? The waters of the Yellow River come from upon the sky. They surge into the ocean, never to return, an eternal goodbye. Have you not seen? Grieving over white hair in a great hall, seen through mirrors so bright. Though silken-black in the morning, it turned snow white by night.’ Life and death as though it is day and night? Mister Gu only just came out from the ordinary, mundane world. That’s why he has such a good grasp on life and death. Excellent poem. These two lines alone are sufficient to wash Five Sacred Mountains Academy in blood. Excellent lines! Excellent lines!”
“Composing a poem on a whim? There is no need to think and ponder?” Long Shenwu’s eyes narrowed slightly.
——fre??????v?l.???
In the scene, Gu Hai continued reciting while Purple Subtlety wrote, applying his calligraphy Dao artistic conception.
“In human life, accomplishment must bring one to cloud nine. Do not allow an empty goblet to face the moon’s bright s.h.i.+ne.“Heaven made me; my abilities must have a purpose, one I must discern. I spend a thousand gold pieces completely, but they will return.”
Rumble…!
The paper under Purple Subtlety’s brush suddenly gave off rumbling as though a thunderstorm was brewing under the brush.
There was still no meteor-shower-like n.o.ble spirit. However, a white mist slowly appeared in the surroundings, engulfing Five Sacred Mountains Academy.
“Excellent ‘In human life, accomplishment must bring one to cloud nine.’ Excellent ‘Do not allow an empty goblet to face the moon’s bright s.h.i.+ne.’ Excellent ‘Heaven made me; my abilities must have a purpose, one I must discern.’ Excellent ‘I spend a thousand gold pieces completely, but they will return,’” Sima Changkong said while clapping excitedly.
It was not just Sima Changkong. All the calligraphy Dao cultivators in the city could see how wondrous this poem was. They all clapped to express the excitement in their hearts.
“This poem does not have that meteor-shower-like n.o.ble spirit. Is it not comparable to Archduke Xi Kang’s ‘Rats in the Granary’?”
“I don’t understand the calligraphy Dao, either. However, when I read it, Mister Gu’s seems more incredible. How could it be inferior to ‘Rats in the Granary’?”
“What do you know? Do you not hear the rumbling of a storm or see the spreading white mist? It is definitely superior to ‘Rats in the Granary’!”
The people who did not understand the calligraphy Dao appeared doubtful. However, the people who understood the calligraphy Dao did not explain, as this poem entranced them.
This was different from the earlier “Chivalrous Legends,” which built up tension, slowly coming to the climax. This “Bring in the Wine” was intense from the first word. It did not build up gradually like “Chivalrous Legends” but went straight for the climax and maintained it.
White mist spread around the banquet. This white mist was condensed n.o.ble spirit.
Li Shenji looked at Gu Hai with a horrified expression.
That’s impossible! How could he compose another one?
A gleam appeared in Mo Yike’s eyes.
However, Archduke Xi Kang turned ashen.
From the first two lines of “Bring in the Wine,” he already understood he had lost. Furthermore, it was a thorough loss. Earlier, “Chivalrous Legends” crushed him. Now, the gap between “Bring in the Wine” and “Rats in the Granary” was like that of cloud and mud; one was above the nine heavens, while the other was at the bottom of a valley.
However, it was not over yet. Gu Hai’s next two lines were even more tyrannical. “In human life, accomplishment must bring one to cloud nine. Do not allow an empty goblet to face the moon’s bright s.h.i.+ne. Heaven made me; my abilities must have a purpose, one I must discern. I spend a thousand gold pieces completely, but they will return.” These four lines would be repeated for eternity. While both the poems spoke about the two gluttons, they were of completely different levels.
“Boil a lamb and butcher a cow; now we shall rejoice in pleasure; we must drink three hundred cups all at once for sure.
“Scholar Subtlety. Artist Longevity. Bring in the wine. Never stop the wine.
“I’ll sing you a song to hear. I ask that you lend me your ears.”
Rumble…!
As the white mist grew thicker, the entire Five Sacred Mountains Academy appeared shrouded in a sea of clouds.
It was not over yet. The crying of supernatural beings filled the place.
However, the poem was not finished yet. It was not over.
Archduke Xi Kang’s eyes bulged.
“‘Boil a lamb and butcher a cow; now we shall rejoice in pleasure’? This…didn’t Archduke Xi Kang slaughter the auspicious animals of Five Sacred Mountains Academy? Gu Hai even included them? This is clearly a composition done on the fly.”
“‘We must drink three hundred cups all at once for sure’? This refers to the great appet.i.te of Longevity and Purple Subtlety?”
Both poems spoke of the two’s gluttony. Why was it that Gu Hai could make them so unconstrained, giving them an unruly image? Why bother about how much one could eat or drink?
“‘Scholar Subtlety’? That is referring to Purple Subtlety? ‘Artist Longevity’? Is Longevity good at painting? ‘Bring in the Wine. Never stop the wine.’ Is that saying to keep drinking and not stop? ‘I’ll sing you a song to hear. I ask that you lend me your ears’? Gu Hai has more?”
Archduke Xi Kang stared at the moving brush.
The crying of supernatural beings echoed in the air. The poem manifested crying supernatural beings. No. This was even more intense than that.
There was no meteor-shower-like n.o.ble spirit, but there was a vast sea of n.o.ble spirit in the surroundings.
Gu Hai continued reciting:
“Bells, drums, delicacies, and jade; they are not fine enough. I only wish to be forever drunk and never sober again, living in a bluff.“Since ancient times, sages have all been solitary. Only a drinker can leave his name behind for eternity!“Guan Qi once held feasts for the Supreme Singularity. Ten thousand cups of wine, abandon restraint and be merry!“Why would a host speak of having little money for some brew? Go buy some, and I’ll drink it with you!“A lovely s.h.i.+p and furs worth a thousand gold pieces in wages. Call the waiter to swap them for fine wine, and together with you, I’ll wipe out the cares of ten thousand ages!”
As Gu Hai spoke the words, Purple Subtlety wrote them down. The n.o.ble spirit already formed a sea of clouds, and the rumbling intensified.
At the end, Gu Hai even used a scene of Old Mister Guan Qi having a banquet with the Supreme Singularity to reflect these two gluttons. This instantly raised the image of these two gluttons significantly.
Now, no one thought that these two were glutton spirits. Instead, they were heroic and bold. How else could they have eaten so much?
“Rats in the Granary”?
Who would remember the inferior “Rats in the Granary” at this moment?
Compared to “Bring in the Wine,” “Rats in the Granary” was far inferior.
“Rats in the Granary” did bring out n.o.ble spirit. However, “Bring in the Wine” brought out a cloud sea of n.o.ble spirit that extended far and wide, appearing endless.
The many officials were already gaping long ago.
This is another poem that manifests crying supernatural beings?
No. This was intenser than the earlier “Chivalrous Legends”; supernatural beings already started crying in the middle of this poem.
“Why would a host speak of having little money for some brew? Go buy some, and I’ll drink it with you!” This was a blatant mockery of Archduke Xi Kang.
We were just eating some of your food and drinking some of your wine. Yet you are so stingy about it? Is there not enough money? Just go and get the wine.
“A lovely s.h.i.+p and furs worth a thousand gold pieces in wages. Call the waiter to swap them for fine wine, and together with you, I’ll wipe out the cares of ten thousand ages.”
If there is no money, then take my flying s.h.i.+p and fine clothes and fur to exchange for fine wine. We shall share the wine as we drown our sorrows.
Boom!
When Purple Subtlety made the final stroke, a large beam of light finally soared into the sky from the n.o.ble spirit cloud sea.
Twilight had already fallen; hence, the sky was now dark. When the final beam of white light suddenly shot up, it was even more intense than that of “Chivalrous Legends.”
Buzz!
Finally, something came out of the paper.
However, it was not a meteor shower like earlier but a blazing sun that instantly lit up the sky.
A blazing white sun slowly rose out of the cloud sea.
When the blazing sun appeared, it illuminated the land.
The light of this vast white sun shone on Five Sacred Mountains Academy, Major Metropolitan City, and even the land tens of thousands of kilometers around the city.
The blazing white sun kept rising. Nearly all the officials inhaled sharply.
The two hundred million citizens goggled as they watched the blazing sun rise increasingly higher.
The surroundings immediately fell silent, leaving only the voices of the supernatural beings crying out, “Bring in the Wine.
“Have you not seen?“The waters of the Yellow River come from upon the sky. They surge into the ocean, never to return, an eternal goodbye.“Have you not seen?“Grieving over white hair in a great hall, seen through mirrors so bright. Though silken-black in the morning, it turned snow white by night.“In human life, accomplishment must bring one to cloud nine. Do not allow an empty goblet to face the moon’s bright s.h.i.+ne.“Heaven made me; my abilities must have a purpose, one I must discern. I spend a thousand gold pieces completely, but they will return.“Boil a lamb and butcher a cow; now we shall rejoice in pleasure; we must drink three hundred cups all at once for sure.“Scholar Subtlety. Artist Longevity. Bring in the wine. Never stop the wine.“I’ll sing you a song to hear. I ask that you lend me your ears.“Bells, drums, delicacies, and jade; they are not fine enough. I only wish to be forever drunk and never sober again, living in a bluff.“Since ancient times, sages have all been solitary. Only a drinker can leave his name behind for eternity!“Guan Qi once held feasts for the Supreme Singularity. Ten thousand cups of wine, abandon restraint and be merry!“Why would a host speak of having little money for some brew? Go buy some, and I’ll drink it with you!“A lovely s.h.i.+p and furs worth a thousand gold pieces in wages. Call the waiter to swap them for fine wine, and together with you, I’ll wipe out the cares of ten thousand ages!”
The voices of supernatural beings cried endlessly. Accompanied by the blazing sun, they presented a magnificent spectacle.
Archduke Xi Kang had chosen the topic, a poem to describe the two gluttons eating. He wrote “Rats in the Granary,” talking about rats and rice. At first, it seemed pretty good. However, when compared to “Bring in the Wine,” it suddenly felt much too inferior, intolerably so.
Did someone help Gu Hai to write that? Anyone who thought that now would be a fool. No one dared to believe in Archduke Xi Kang’s speculation anymore.
Gu Hai composed this.
On the first iteration, it was already so magnificent and glorious.
Copying the poem? That seems laughable. Would Mister Gu need to do that?
With just two lines, he inspired gooseb.u.mps. Furthermore, he wrote a long poem while Archduke Xi Kang wrote only two lines. Look at Mister Gu! He can’t even be bothered to write a two-line poem.
To think that you acted so c.o.c.kily, challenging Mister Gu in poetry?
“This humble one’s calligraphy Dao is only so-so. However, writing a simple poem is not that difficult. Even so, I did not do too well. I wonder, how does it compare to Archduke Xi Kang’s ‘Rats in the Granary’? Archduke Xi Kang, would you offer me some pointers?” Gu Hai’s voice suddenly rang out.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
Nearly everyone seemed to hear slaps coming from Archduke Xi Kang’s face, resounding and penetrating deep into the heart.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
The slapping never stopped.