Chapter 825: Xiao Yangzi, can you write poetry?

The Lotus Pavilion was renowned among the literati and scholars of the imperial city.

Firstly, it had the Bewitching Sect as its backing. The Bewitching Sect was a legitimate, top-tier righteous sect, and anyone who could enter it was qualified to be called a "beauty." Furthermore, the Bewitching Sect highly valued the Lotus Pavilion, considering it part of their disciples' cultivation. Thus, one could imagine the extraordinary beauty of those at the Lotus Pavilion.

Secondly, the individuals at the Lotus Pavilion were indeed very talented; even members of the Hanlin Academy might not surpass them. If a literary piece received recognition from the Lotus Pavilion, its author would quickly become famous throughout the imperial city.

Of course, Immortal Exquisite didn't care about these details; she was merely there to enjoy the spectacle.

Today was the Lantern Festival, and the Lotus Pavilion was even livelier than usual.

Inside the Lotus Pavilion, there was no thick scent of rouge typical of ordinary brothels. On the contrary, it felt more like an elegant, chrysanthemum-like haven, where gentlemen and refined ladies strolled about.

Female cultivators in vibrant long dresses also flew through the air, their wide, flowing sleeves swaying in the breeze as they gently plucked their pipas, creating an exotic beauty reminiscent of a Buddhist realm.

Immortal Exquisite also spotted many people whom she had defeated in the Luotian Forest.

Regardless of their cultivation levels, the young noblemen of the imperial city were certainly the most well-rounded in terms of their skills. From a young age, they studied both cultivation and Confucian knowledge in private schools, mastering both literary and martial arts.

If they didn't study Confucian knowledge and couldn't recite a few classical poems or phrases, it would be utterly shameful to later encounter truly powerful figures and only be able to utter crude exclamations.

The Lotus Pavilion was a respectable establishment that did not involve intimate affairs, so it was not unusual for women to visit.

Meng Jingyu's curiosity was no less than Immortal Exquisite's; she gazed with curiosity and envy at the diverse beauties.

"All the older sisters are so beautiful."

"Are they?" Immortal Exquisite felt nothing special, thinking the Bewitching Sect disciples were quite ordinary-looking. They wouldn't even qualify for the Top Ten Beauties of Ancient Times, let alone compare to her, the dignified number one among them.

"You, little girl, will definitely be more beautiful than all of them when you grow up," Immortal Exquisite said earnestly. She was always very accurate in judging people and quite liked this little girl who had praised her fighting style as cool. She dotingly tapped Meng Jingyu's little nose. Meng Jingyu blushed, lowered her head, and softly hummed in affirmation, her voice barely a whisper.

Meng Jingzhou, who had just walked in, was speechless.

"Senior Exquisite," Meng Jingzhou thought, "could you please stop saying such cheesy things with Lu Yang's face? It makes me uncomfortable."

In the spiritual space, Lu Yang, who was sparring with Invincible Infant, also temporarily stopped his cultivation, looking at Immortal Exquisite with a strange expression.

"Immortal, do you even know about the distinction between genders?"

"Oh, Brother Lu is here too?" Luo Wushuang noticed Lu Yang had arrived at the Lotus Pavilion. His cultivation had already recovered to the early Soul Transformation stage.

"Lu Yang is here?"

"The Lu Yang who showed great power in the Luotian Forest?"

"Where is he? Where is he?"

The battle in Luotian Forest had only recently concluded, and everyone remembered it vividly. Even those who hadn't participated had heard about it.

"It's quite lively upstairs," Immortal Exquisite said, looking up towards the highest floor of the Lotus Pavilion. Luo Wushuang was standing there, leaning on the railing, greeting her.

"Brother Lu, why don't you go up and take a look?" Zhong Yi urged Lu Yang once more. "I hear that Ye Mengyin, a true disciple of the Bewitching Sect, is cultivating here at the Lotus Pavilion, right on the top floor."

Immortal Exquisite still didn't pay attention to Zhong Yi. She took Meng Jingyu's small hand and went upstairs.

Meng Jingzhou raised an eyebrow, sensing Zhong Yi's ill intentions. But if an immortal wished to go upstairs, who would dare to stop them?

"Brother Meng, you're here too," Luo Wushuang said, cupping his hands in greeting. He invited Meng Jingzhou and the others to sit at his table.

Compared to his appearance in the Luotian Forest, his attire at the Lotus Pavilion was more refined and formal, and he exuded a more distinguished aura.

"What's going on here?" Meng Jingzhou wondered. He noticed the top floor of the Lotus Pavilion was filled with literati and scholars. At the far end, behind a layer of green gauze, a female cultivator sat playing a zither. The zither's notes tinkled like a gentle spring breeze.

Luo Wushuang was surprised. "Brother Meng, don't you know?" he asked. "I thought you were also here for Ye Mengyin."

Meng Jingzhou did know Ye Mengyin; she was a beauty comparable to Junior Sister Tao. At the Grand Inquiry Ceremony, Ye Mengyin had participated as the Bewitching Sect's representative at the mid-Golden Core stage, and her opponent was Meng Jingzhou.

Seeing that Meng Jingzhou genuinely didn't know, Luo Wushuang explained, "Ye Mengyin arrived at the Lotus Pavilion only half a month ago and has already become its courtesan queen. People are spending fortunes just to see her once."

"But she's a direct disciple of the Bewitching Sect," he continued, "and reportedly has Venerable Qianjiao as her backer. How could she possibly lack spirit stones?"

"So Ye Mengyin set a rule: whoever could compose a poem or verse that pleased her would be granted a meeting and a dance."

Ye Mengyin's dance was not only exquisitely beautiful but also greatly beneficial for cultivation.

Luo Wushuang pursed his lips, gesturing for Meng Jingzhou to look at the seated crowd. "See?" he said. "Five days have passed, and no one has managed to compose a poem or verse that satisfies her."

"Today is the Lantern Festival," he added, "and Ye Mengyin requires today's poems to be related to it."

Not everyone here was solely for Ye Mengyin's dance; many also sought to gain fame in the imperial city.

As they spoke, someone handed a completed poem to a maid, who then passed it to Ye Mengyin behind the green gauze.

"The moon is full, lanterns bright as day,The Lantern Festival market bustling and gay.Laughter hides riddles, a joyous display,Sweet glutinous rice balls warm the throat, come what may."

Ye Mengyin softly recited the poem, then continued playing her zither.

The crowd burst into laughter. It was merely a mediocre doggerel; how could anyone dare to present such a thing at the Lotus Pavilion?

The person who had written the poem fled in embarrassment.

Zhong Yi forcefully snapped open his fan, looked at Lu Yang, and chuckled softly. "Brother Lu," he said, "as a disciple of the Daoist of Silence, you should be well-versed in poetry. Why not give it a try?"

"After all, the Daoist of Silence left several famous works here at the Lotus Pavilion back in the day."

He surmised that while Lu Yang was exceptionally talented in cultivation, he knew nothing about Confucian studies; otherwise, why had he never heard of it before?

If Lu Yang failed to compose a poem, he would only become a laughingstock.

Immortal Exquisite was puzzled. "When did I become well-versed in poetry?" she wondered.

Zhong Yi was left speechless. He hadn't expected Immortal Exquisite to admit it so straightforwardly, rendering his subsequent plans to provoke her useless.

"Since Brother Lu is too timid to try, why not let me give it a go?" said the person behind Zhong Yi, looking at Immortal Exquisite with a hint of disdain.

Only then did Immortal Exquisite notice that someone else was following Zhong Yi.

Immortal Exquisite pointed at the person, a look of sudden realization on her face. "Oh, I remember you!" she exclaimed. "I beat you in the Luotian Forest!"

He had merely average combat power, so she hadn't retained much of an impression of him.

In the spiritual space, Lu Yang helplessly introduced the person's identity to Immortal Exquisite. "His name is Yang Changbin," he explained. "His father is a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, and he himself is a Confucian cultivator. It's said that he could write at age three, compose poetry at five, and write essays by ten. His poems and essays are quite famous in the imperial city."

Zhong Yi had specifically brought Yang Changbin here to compose poetry at the Lotus Pavilion. Seeing Lu Yang was also there, he planned to make Lu Yang embarrass himself with poetry, and then have Yang Changbin step up as a contrast.

Unfortunately, Lu Yang had seen through his scheme and didn't fall for it.

"It's Yang Changbin!"

"Damn it, he's here too!"

Yang Changbin's fame was greater than Lu Yang had imagined. The crowd showed expressions of regret upon seeing him, as if Yang Changbin only needed to compose a poem to win Ye Mengyin's dance.

Yang Changbin revealed a confident smile. He had heard about Ye Mengyin's challenge and prepared a poem even before arriving.

Ye Mengyin, behind the green gauze, once again stopped playing her zither. She softly recited the poem, and after finishing, she unusually offered a critique.

"What a pity," she said. "The words are good, but the overly flowery language makes it inferior."

The crowd burst into uproarious laughter. They had initially thought, after hearing Ye Mengyin recite the poem, that it was a masterpiece that would earn her favor. Who would have expected Ye Mengyin to critique it so mercilessly?

Yang Changbin was furious with embarrassment. He turned and glared fiercely at the crowd, especially at Immortal Exquisite, who was laughing the loudest.

"Brother Lu, with such boisterous laughter, you must surely have a masterpiece already formed in your mind!" Yang Changbin retorted. "Why not write it down for us to see!"

Immortal Exquisite scratched her head and hastily entered the spiritual space to seek help from the system.

"Little Yangzi, can you write poetry?"

Lu Yang hesitated slightly. "Writing poetry is difficult for me," he replied, "but if you mean reciting a few impressive ones to make an impression, then yes, I have some."