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Chapter 249: Apex of Martial Arts

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Two lifetimes of experiences allowed Ling Tian to spot an interesting fact, that martial arts exponents would not use all their strength from the start, probably about 70% to test the waters.

Ling Tian didn't know what rule or habit this originated from, but to him, this was pure stupidity! If you want to fight, then come forth with your full strength! If you cannot win then scram, if you can win, then finish it cleanly and stop dragging it out! What kind of lousy rules are you following?!

However, this gave Ling Tian an inspiration and he decided to go ahead with it. No matter whom that green-robed person was, if he dared to not use his full strength in the first exchange, then so sorry, with the combined forces of Ling Tian and all his comrades, even if this person was the fabled Beyond Heavens Sect Master, Ling Tian was certain that he had the power to make him regret it for life!

To spoil my plans, whether you are in the good or evil way, I'll kill!

A glint of appreciation flashed in the eyes of that green-robed man! To think that this youth could come to a decision so quickly, immediately targeting and setting up such a perfect formation to kill him! While Ling Jian and the rest might be lost among the crowd, but how could the mysterious person not be able to sense that faint killing intent they exuded?

The expert sighed once to himself, feeling much regret! This type of battle was one that he wished to partake in the most! But it was impossible at this time.

From beside Ling Tian's eyes suddenly came a voice, much like a mosquito buzzing, "Kid, you're ruthless enough! Not bad, but a pity that I can't accompany you guys to play today. You must be Ling Tian, right? If I exchange moves with you today, I'll definitely hurt the lives of the five brats there, then it wouldn't be fun anymore! Heh heh, I'll look for you someday!"

Compressing one's voice into a line! Communicating via a mosquito buzz! He was definitely an expert!

Ling Tian narrowed his eyes into slits and sent his voice back the same way, "May I know who is Mister? Why are you here? To say you do not want to exchange moves now, I'm afraid it's too late!"

However, the man didn't reply. Casting his eyes over, he only saw the green-robed man look towards him with a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Although he remained standing in his original spot, he appeared one moment as mountain that one could only look up to and admire, then akin to the great ocean, which gave the feeling that one couldn't harm him in the slightest, then again to as if he had become one with the heavens, only faintly discernible like the mist. The man suddenly moved, his body fracturing into tens of thousands of light beams, disappearing in all directions!

Ling Tian sighed, and his right hand signaled to the others to stop.

And indeed, after that brilliant scene, the person's image became indistinct, finally disappearing altogether! It was unknown at what point he escaped, but his speed was so fast that he actually left a life-like afterimage!

Ling Tian remained silent, his face impassive, but his heart was filled with turmoil.

This person was simply strong beyond his imagination!

When the other six arrived in front of Ling Tian, a trace of lingering fear was still on their faces. All of them knew that even if they were to fight with the man when he wasn't prepared, except for a select few, the rest would have to be buried as collateral damage!

That person's martial arts could be said to be at the apex!

Ling Tian looked at the six of them, and suddenly started smiling, "What do you think of his skills?"

"Unimaginable!" Ling Jian's face was only filled with respect! The other five also nodded their heads in unison, a sort of admiration plastered on their faces.

"Useless!" Ling Tian scolded them jokingly, "Let me tell you guys, everyone can achieve such a state like that man! The question is whether you have the desire to reach such a stage!"

"How could we not want to?" All of them immediately argued.

Ling Tian smiled in response, "In the past, you didn't have an objective, and thus your martial arts were practiced without purpose; now you have a visible goal in front of you! This sort of realm has been reached by someone, and it's just that you guys haven't reached it yet." Ling Tian gave a meaningful smile, "To actually reach such a state, how much hardship did the person have to suffer in order to achieve it? How many things had he given up, in order to reach such a stage? Go and think about it, when you have the answer, then think about whether you guys are able to do it! Once you are certain, then you just have to continue walking on your current road!"

Ling Tian turned about, putting his hands behind his back as he walked towards the Smoky Thea Tower saying, "I'll be in front of you guys, always guiding you!"

The six of them looked at the back of Ling Tian, immediately growing silent. But their eyes burned with a fervent passion!

Yu BingYan was gazing at Ling Tian with eyes full of respect! Ling Tian always made use of live examples of people and objects to explain concepts to Ling Jian and the others, and this also enlightened Yu BingYan! Only by doing so could he dispel the fear of the man that was left behind in the hearts of Ling Jian and the rest, turning it into the ultimate strength and motivation! And this was merely achieved with a few short sentences!

To control the situation with such a technique, this was approaching perfection!

No one was aware of the profound significance these few sentences were to the six of them, not even Ling Tian himself! It was only many years later when the six of them stood at the apex of martial arts that they then linked it to the words that Ling Tian had spoken today!

"D*mn you!" The moment Yu ManTian saw Ling Tian he immediately jumped up, cursing him! "B*st*rdly gigolo, you played this third master here!"

"Third Uncle!" Yu BingYan displeasedly cut in, "You're already so old, why are you still like this? Brother Tian didn't even offend you!"

Yu ManTian immediately choked on his words. He didn't offend me, but he nearly made me get beaten to death! Then almost shamed to death! And then set a whole series of traps for this Third Master to fall into! They said that a female would support her husband's family over her own, but surely it's not to this extent, right? Yu ManTian felt a bit resentful over being chided by his niece.

Shifting his gaze, Third Master Yu's gaze fell upon some familiar characters.

"Wahaha, so you fellows came too!" Yu ManTian bounded forward happily. After the many times of sparring, he had developed good relations with these fellows, to the point of being overly attached.

Not even two steps were taken before Yu ManTian stared in shock, followed by throwing his head back and laughing, "Hahaha, you guys are… grieving scholars? WAHAHAHA…."

On the other side, the six of them were a little embarrassed, angrily staring at the unbridled Yu ManTian. All of them had expressions as though they wanted to beat him up, but Ling Chi recovered the fastest, snapping his fan open as he stepped forward saying, "Third Master Yu, seems like you've changed into a new set of clothes! Does your brain still hurt?"

Having reopened past wounds, Third Master Yu immediately yelled and swatted a palm towards him, which Ling Chi dodged while laughing.

Looking at them jesting, Ling Tian had an inspiration, and pulled Ling Jian over, whispering a few words to him, before pulling both Ling Chen and Yu BingYan out of Smoky Thea Tower.

Ling Jian turned to Yu ManTian, saying, "Third Master, the young noble has just abandoned us, how about going to your Yu Family's side to take a seat?"

Yu ManTian casually waved his hands, "Of course you can, wahaha, welcome, welcome! In a while, let's go attend the scholarly meet as well!"

The six of them froze in shock, shouting in unison, "What! Third Master, you are attending the scholarly meet as well?!" In their tone were obvious hints of shock. They couldn't imagine someone of Third Master Yu's character attending the scholarly meet!

Yu ManTian's hairy face reddened as he raged, "What? Looking down on this Third Master? In the past, all my ancestors were erudite pigs , which one of them wasn't a heaven shaking talent? This Third Master, after all, comes from a family with a literary reputation! An aristocratic family based on ink and brush! If even little brats like you guys can go, why can't this Third Master attend!"

Third Master Yu actually wanted to say the words 'erudite scholars', but due to his lack of knowledge, he actually mispronounced it as 'erudite pigs'! The six of them immediately suppressed a wave of laughter as they replied, "Then we'll have to properly admire this third master's elegance later on!"

Yu ManTian raised his head proudly, "I'll make you guys bow to me in respect! To my absolute literary talent!"

As he spoke, he accompanied the six of them into the tower; shoulder to shoulder, extremely intimate!

"Esteemed Young Noble Ling is here!" Gu XiYan was dressed in festive robes and smiled as she walked over. "Why did I not receive word in advance? All the private booths are already filled, how about I trouble young noble to come over this lowly woman's sitting area for a rest?"

Till now, Gu XiYan was unaware that Ling Tian was the black-robed man that day, so she merely greeted Ling Tian as per normal and even sent a few coquettish glances his way. However, this incurred the jealousy of Yu BingYan and Ling Chen, who sent a jade hand snaking their way to both sides of Ling Tian's waist, giving it a good pinch and twist. Ling Tian drew in a cold breath through gritted teeth. Seems like there would be another two patches of purple on his waist tonight, but hey, at least they were evenly proportioned on both sides! He couldn't help but smile through the pain.

"Tower Master Gu." As things were, there was no need for Ling Tian to continue hiding. "This young noble has booked the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion." This sentence was spoken using the voice of the black-robed man that night to Gu XiYan.

Gu XiYan immediately recognized the voice, and her eyes shrank as her voice trembled, "Ah? This… I didn't know it was the young noble who had arrived… begging for your forgiveness."

Ling Tian indifferently replied, "It's alright."

Chapter 250: War of Words

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

Gu XiYan threw aside all other things and personally led Ling Tian up to the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber. She was extremely hospitable along the way, afraid that her service might be lacking.

Ling Tian then said with a frown, "Tower Master Gu, you just have to provide hospitality the way you would normally. In the future, everything will be counting on how much effort you put in. But as long as you put in some effort, I will definitely not mistreat you. However, your present actions are making me extremely uncomfortable."

With her wit, how could Gu XiYan not understand what Ling Tian meant? She quickly acknowledged his orders and took her leave.

A short while later, five to six beautiful ladies walked into the chamber and served some tea and fruits up respectfully. After Ling Tian had looked around, he suddenly pointed towards the east and said, "When was this curtain hung up?"

One of the ladies then said with a smile, "Young noble Ling has not been here for a few days and would naturally be unaware. Our Smoky Thea Tower has been preparing for this scholarly meet for a few days. There is a huge change on the other side of this cloth, and young noble can witness it yourself by lifting the cloth to take a look.

Ling Tian responded with an 'oh', and Wang Tong walked toward to pull on the edge of the curtain. However, he used too much strength and the whole curtain was torn down!

As everyone looked over, they all couldn't help but take in a breath of cold air. What effort! The Smoky Thea Tower had actually torn down the whole wall and left a huge hole in its place! The Smoky Thea Tower was most famous for their twelve chambers! The place where Ling Tian was at was the largest and most fanciful one, the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber! It faced the south with the back of the chamber to the north and was extremely majestic.

To the left of the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber was the Heavenly Dream Chamber, with Yu ManTian's hairy chest being clearly seen. To the right was the Heavenly Moon Chamber, but it was tightly wrapped in cloth and the insides of the chamber couldn't be seen.

To the east were the Purple Air Chamber, East Arrival Chamber, and the Rising Sun Chamber. To the west were the Purple Clouds Chamber, Extreme Joy Chamber, and Setting Sun Chamber. There were also three chambers in the south: the Pure Sun Chamber, Morning Sky Chamber, and the Crouching Dragon Chamber!

The twelve chambers surrounded the large courtyard in the center, and the original greenery in the courtyard was completely gone!

Covering the courtyard which was almost a 1000 square feet large were stacks of red cloth and a huge wooden board on it! It seems as though it was completely possible for the place to be used as a horse race track! With just this alone, it was something impossible to accomplish without a good 10,000 taels of silver!

Wang Tong then plucked up his courage and carefully walked towards the wooden board. He had no choice but to be careful, after all, the wooden board was a good 50 feet above the surface of the ground. If he were to fall down, it wouldn't be a joking matter!

After taking a few steps on the board he only felt the board shake gently. Then, he began to test the board further by walking to the center of it and realized that it was no different from a normal flat surface! In a moment of excitement, he performed a backflip on the board and began to perform a fist routine. The board was indeed stable without any problems at all!

All of a sudden, the sounds of cheering could be heard and a crisp laughter sounded, "Not bad, not bad! Before the scholarly meet has begun, we managed to witness a monkey show first. Interesting, it's interesting indeed!"

Wang Tong was enraged and looked at the direction of the voice, only to face the Extreme Joy Chamber where the XiMen Family resided. He then saw a tall and charismatic man with a mocking smile on his face, with his hand holding onto a lady dressed in palace garments.

"Who are you?" Wang Tong asked with fire burning in his eyes.

With a 'swoosh' sound, that young man opened up a folding fan and fanned it slightly. With a carefree attitude, he replied with a smile, "This young noble is XiMen Qing."

Wang Tong then burst out into laughter, "I was still wondering who you could be! So it turns out you are from the XiMen Family who hides like turtles after my young noble killed five of your guys! I have long heard of your fame!"

A loud laughter could be heard from the north, with Yu ManTian's laughter being the loudest and the five assassins jeering at the top of their voices.

A crisp chuckle could then be heard from the east, "They definitely wouldn't be able to win against the Ling Family. Do you expect them to line up and rush into their deaths? This is just too immoral of you. Just as the saying goes, those who have a clear view of things are the true geniuses. The XiMen Family can be said to be full of geniuses!" The words were filled with disdain with a strong tinge of sarcasm, not giving any face to the XiMen Family at all. Just who was it?!

Everyone turned to look and saw a figure standing up straight by the entrance of the Purple Air Chamber. He was DongFang JingLei! Ling Tian looked at him and he responded with an amiable smile and a nod of his head. Ling Tian smiled to himself and thought, It seems that the DongFang Family also wants to build ties with my Ling Family. Ling Tian had a good impression of this DongFang JingLei and decided to accept this favor.

Another loud laughter could be heard, "That's right, that's right. Everyone in the XiMen Family is extremely suave. Back then, those from the XiMen Family were all in pieces, I guess that's why they can be called geniuses." 1

The words of this person were even more wicked. While DongFang JingLei's words were sarcastic, they weren't so direct. However, who would have thought that someone wouldn't place the XiMen Family in their sights at all, pouring salt on their wounds in such a direct manner. As everyone turned to look, they unsurprisingly saw the number three figure of the Yu Family, Yu ManTian.

XiMen Qing's face turned red as he bellowed in anger, "This is a scholarly meet and those childish arguments are no more than an embarrassment for all those present. Since everyone's tongue is so sharp, why don't you guys make a display in the scholarly meet?"

A resounding laughter then sounded, "That's right! These words make sense indeed. Since you can't win in a fight, why not drag the boorish fellow into a scholarly battle. Isn't that the best way to gain back your face?"

For some odd reason, everyone seemed to be at odds with the XiMen Family today! Just who was this other person?!

As everyone turned to take a look, they were startled. Everyone then saw NanGong TianHu come out from the Morning Sky Chamber! Why would he help Yu ManTian to speak up? Aren't they enemies? They just had a fight a while back and their enmity isn't small! Furthermore, NanGong TianHu's words were obviously to aid the Ling Family. Since when did the Ling Family form an alliance with the NanGong Family? However, the Xiao Family which usually had a close relationship with the Ling Family, didn't aid the Ling Family at all.

XiMen Qing's face turned ashen from anger, but he also knew that this wasn't the time for him to fly into an outrage. Suppressing his anger, he closed his curtain with a 'swoosh' and the whole Smoky Thea Tower was filled with laughter.

A short while later, a few well-dressed young men and gorgeously dressed women arrived as well. The number of people also gradually increased and the various aristocratic families from Sky Bearing arrived as well, with the Yang Family not being an exception. Yang KongQun walked in majestically with his three sons and two nieces.

'Coincidentally', the Yang Family was situated in the Pure Sun Chamber, the left of the NanGong Family! Both the arch enemies were actually right beside each other! To the right of the NanGong Family was the BeiMing Family in the Crouching Dragon Chamber! The NanGong Family was actually surrounded by its arch enemies! It was indeed like the saying, 'not gathering if they weren't enemies'!

From the Morning Sky Chamber, a frustrated groan could be heard, and Ling Tian couldn't help but smile. He could totally imagine the looks on the faces of those from the NanGong Family.

While the envoy from Northern Wei should be seated with Yu ManTian, none of them dared to enter his chamber when they saw his domineering appearance. Despite there being many Great Families present today, Third Master Yu definitely wouldn't hold anything back if someone were to frustrate him! Thus, the envoy from Northern Wei had no choice but to squeeze in the Purple Cloud Chamber, left of the XiMen Family. As for the Setting Sun Chamber, both the Wang and Shen families shared it with plenty of space leftover!

In the Eastern Arrival Chamber, a few Sky Bearing scholars brought their disciples and were seated within it. They obviously wanted their disciples to become world famous through this scholarly meeting! In the Rising Sun Chamber, the number one financial magnate was seated within it, the Xiao Family! A pair of bright star-like eyes could be seen looking at Ling Tian.

Only the Heavenly Moon Chamber in the north was still silent. Their curtains were still closed up tightly, and it was unknown who was within it.

As Ling Tian looked towards the north, he saw the frail-looking, white-haired Mister Qin. Ling Tian was immediately stunned, standing up and taking a step out. With a fluid motion, Ling Tian had already crossed the center courtyard and appeared in front of Mister Qin. Taking a bow with a smile, he said, "Mister, what are you doing here?"

Mister Qin let out a chuckle and said, "I heard that junior brother LiGe was here and this old man is here to say a few things to him. Furthermore, I also heard that young noble was invited to this scholarly meet. Just like the saying, 'not flying for three years, shooting straight to the sky upon flight', how can I not be here to witness young noble's exceptional means?" In front of everyone, Ling Tian had actually appeared with the status of the Ling Family's head and gave a bow to him. Mister Qin was extremely gratified in his heart as his face shone with radiance.

Beside him, a middle-aged scholar with a well-refined appearance and three strands of black mustache could be seen. Before waiting for Mister Qin to make the introductions, Ling Tian had already said with a smile, "This must be the famous Meng LiGe, senior uncle Meng, right? Ling Tian had long heard about your fame, and it resounds in my ears!"

Meng LiGe let out a bitter laughter and responded respectfully, "I am just a countryside peasant and my lowly name has polluted young noble's ears. How could I dare to claim that my reputation is resounding? As for the title of 'senior uncle', I definitely wouldn't dare accept such a title!"

Ling Tian's eyes glimmered as though he thought about something. He also didn't force the matter and let out a profound smile. Then, Ling Tian said to Mister Qin, "Since Mister is here, why don't you and Mister Meng follow me to the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber? If I don't have guidance from both of you for such a scholarly meet, won't I end up making a fool out of myself?"

Mister Qin glared at Ling Tian with a rebuke and said, "I dare you to continue acting in front of this old man! This old man only has a few more years to live. If I can't witness you becoming a shining star in the world, I will not be able to die in peace! If you don't come out on top of this meeting, this old man will be extremely disappointed!" Ling Tian let out a bitter laughter and he heard Mister Qin saying to Meng LiGe, "Dear brother, why don't we go to the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber. We can also help cheer for my disciple!"

Chapter 251: Join My Side

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Meng LiGe frowned a little awkwardly, and after shooting a glance behind him, he bitterly replied, "This one doesn't dare to not comply, but right now I don't have the freedom to act independently, this…."

How smart was this approach used by Meng LiGe? He had long found out that he was trapped and in great danger. His past few years had been spent giving advice to Wei ChengPing, helping him step by step to his current position now as well as the development of his potential. In Northern Wei, the Crown Prince Wei ChengPing could already cover the skies with his one hand! Right now, it was his plan to use this strength to slowly devour the surrounding cities, until he fulfilled his aim of ruling everything under the heavens!

Now that Wei ChengPing had the court officials as well as the military under his roof, with as many strategists as there are clouds, and as many valiant generals as there is rain, Meng LiGe's value had dropped considerably in the eyes of Wei ChengPing, almost like that of an insignificant ant! However, having been beside the crown prince and plotted many schemes with him, he inadvertently knew too many of the crown prince's secrets. As such, Wei ChengPing was already plotting to have him silenced even though he had not fully outlived his usefulness!

However, Wei ChengPing was never aware that whatever Meng LiGe had planned and prepared for him was barely half of his accumulated knowledge! Meng LiGe actually had the greatest knowledge of trickery and tactics, army warfare and formations, logistics and supplies. His knowledge in those areas far outstripped anyone else by miles! This was Meng LiGe's real ace in the hole, and also his strongest suit.

But Wei ChengPing was blissfully unaware of all this, or maybe he refused to believe it. With his growing strength as well as absolute authority, he had long become drunk with power after his initial successes! If not for the huge stumbling block that was the Yu Family, Wei ChengPing would most likely have already blown the horns of war! But before that, Meng LiGe who was privy to too many of his secrets had to be silenced! Thus, handing the final task for Meng LiGe to come into contact with Yu BingYan was just for show, for whatever the outcome, he had to die! In actual fact, even if Wei ChengPing didn't take action, the fact that Meng LiGe was overseeing this assassination of Yu BingYan would cause the Yu Family to hunt him down!

Thus, Meng LiGe could be considered to be already dead!

While Meng LiGe might have an ocean of experience as well as deep plans and foresight, in the end he was just a frail scholar. To be stuck in this sort of danger, while he might have the intelligence to plan his escape, he didn't even have the strength to truss a chicken and was without support as well, so how could he escape from Wei ChengPing's surveillance?

However, Ling Tian's timely invite could be considered the best chance for Meng LiGe! As long as he was able to leave the sight of his watchmen, hiding in Ling Tian's chambers, that would increase his chances of keeping his life by a whole ninety percent! Of course, if he were to come under Ling Tian's wing, then it would be guaranteed that he would be able to survive! However, after going through this trial, Meng LiGe's heart had long turned cold. The cruelest people in history were always the imperial families, without exception! Meng LiGe now fully understood the meaning of such a saying, and now he had developed the desire to live in seclusion for the rest of his life! This was the only hope left in him!

Seeing Meng LiGe's countenance, Ling Tian came to a decision. He immediately stood up, facing the soldiers from Northern Wei, and arrogantly asked, "This young noble is now going to invite Mister Meng to my pavilion for a chat, so anyone who has any objections can come out now!" He displayed an overbearing gesture as he spoke as though he was informing more than asking!

The cloth partition of Heavenly Moon Chamber slightly rustled, as though someone inside was listening to every action from Ling Tian! Ling Tian's eyes slightly twitched, and a thought immediately rose up within him: There was someone with relations to the Northern Wei inside the Heavenly Moon Chamber!

A look of helplessness flashed across the face of the Vice Ambassador of the Northern Wei, "Young Noble Ling, this… our two countries…"

Ling Tian's eyebrows jumped, but he didn't turn to face him, instead rebutting, "Oh? Does it mean that you're admitting that Northern Wei and Sky Bearing are now enemies? Ambassador Shi, please be careful with your words, for this concerns the diplomatic relations between our two countries! Or else there might be rumors spreading tomorrow, saying that our two countries are at war with each other!"

The Vice Ambassador's face showed a frantic expression, with cold sweat beading on his forehead. Right now, news of Ling Tian's prowess had already spread throughout the whole of Sky Bearing. Even for the youngest noble of the XiMen family, he had killed him without speaking a word, let alone a mere vice ambassador of the Northern Wei! His eyes darted left and right as he tried to signal to the various generals to help him to alleviate the situation.

Since Ambassador Shi doesn't deign to reply, this probably means that you have tacitly agreed." Ling Tian spoke as though talking to himself. "Mister Meng, Mister Qin, please!" Pulling on the two of them, he started walking out.

The Vice Ambassador gave a light cough, and two guards immediately stood up to bar their way!

Ling Tian's face chilled as a wave of killing intent shot out. Glaring at them, he forcefully spoke, "Scram!"

The words spoken didn't sound peculiar to anybody besides them, but to the two guards, it sounded like thunder on a sunny day, making their heads spin. Under the penetrative gaze of Ling Tian, a sense of defeat rose up within them, and they could only lower their heads and stand at the side.

This was another application where if one employed the voice shrinking technique, with only a slight bit of internal energy, one would disrupt and shatter the souls of those weaker than them. How could the guards, who had never cultivated, fend against it?

Ling Tian leisurely turned back, "Seems like the Ambassador Shi's throat isn't feeling too good? Do you need this young noble to help you? Oh, I forgot to mention that this young noble is also well versed in medical arts. I guarantee that after I've tended to you, those minor ailments would never occur ever again!

Beads of perspiration the size of soybeans appeared on the Vice Ambassador's head as he thought, 'How to treat? The young noble probably wants to take off my head, isn't that it? Or else why would he mention that those minor ailments would never occur again?'

He could only fake a laugh as he stammered, "I… I wouldn't dare to accept such a prestigious invitation. There's nothing to worry about with this… this little one." He actually wanted to address himself as this official, but thinking twice, decided that it would be better to lower his status instead.

Ling Tian uttered an 'oh' in response, "Pity, pity!" It wasn't certain as to whether he was expressing sympathy at the fact that he had no chance to employ his abilities, or the fact that the Vice Ambassador had lost a great chance. Pulling at both Meng LiGe and Mister Qin, he walked off!

A low sigh sounded from the Heavenly Moon Chamber, followed by a clear and melodious voice speaking out, "Decisive and ruthless, not a single shred of hesitation; to achieve his objectives, any methods are possible, and he doesn't even care about his status. This person is indeed outstanding and hard to deal with! Life is akin to a battlefield, and to have such an opponent to pit myself against, one couldn't ask for more! Ling Tian, a great opponent!"

"Clang!" The ring of a copper gong sounded.

Most of the people had already gathered, and the doors of the Smoky Thea Tower started to close!

Ling Tian laughed out loudly, appearing extremely joyous!

Yu BingYan asked in curiosity, "Brother Tian, what are you laughing about? Are you that happy?"

Ling Tian laughed out, "Hearing that copper gong, I suddenly remembered those old streetside performances. Every time you see them on the streets, they always ring the gong once, before a person will jump out and say, 'Rely on parents at home, relying on friends outside. This little XiMen Qing here had no parents since young and has learned the ability to perform monkey shows. All great officials, if you have the money do donate generously, and those who don't, supporting me in person is also good!' AHAHAHA...."

Ling Tian's voice shrinking had already reached the apex, thus while his voice was not loud, it was long and drawn out, his echo clearly heard. This was especially so for his 'Relying on parents at home', he had actually imitated XiMen Qing's voice, and even to perfection! The over thousand people in Smoky Thea Tower heard it clearly!

A moment of silence blanketed the area before everyone burst out into raucous laughter!

XiMen Qing, who was about to step out from the Extreme Joy Chamber, suddenly stiffened at the door, staring daggers at Ling Tian with an ashen face and a poisonous expression! He couldn't help but wish that he could rip off Ling Tian's head in one blow!

Ling Tian nonchalantly smiled, since he had already killed an important character of the XiMen Family, there was no point in trying to patch things up any longer! Even if the XiMen Family were to suppress their animosity, Ling Tian had no thoughts about leaving such a loose end untouched! He understood the theory of failing to kill a snake and ending up being bitten very well, so since he had already created a feud, then let it be carried to the end!

Yu ManTian suddenly hollered, "Grandmother, hurry up, this Third Master is waiting to participate in the scholarly meet and show off my awesome skills…"

The moment his voice sounded, before anyone could respond, Yu BingYan had let out a 'puchi' sound, and doubled over in laughter!

When the audience glanced over, they were greeted with his gorilla-like features and his towering iron-like build, and couldn't help but gape in silence. Such an uncouth and brash man; could he also attend a scholarly meet? Where was his elegance? 1

Yu ManTian looked at everyone who was staring at him as though watching a monkey in the zoo, and couldn't help but shout out in frustration, "What are you guys looking at, do you want to fight?!"

The crowd all knew that they were unable to offend this Master, and thus could only turn their gazes elsewhere. They started to stare at the Extreme Joy Chamber, wondering why XiMen Qing had not come out. Could the XiMen Family have gotten cold feet after hosting this meet?

The curtains of the Extreme Joy Chamber flapped once, and a thirty-odd-year-old scholarly man walked out with a forced smile on his face. Stepping onto the platform, he cupped his fists towards all present, before speaking, "I'm indebted to all of you present here. We are all gathered in Smoky Thea Tower today…" After speaking for a bit, he seemed to have regained his wits, and started to blabber non-stop.

Ling Tian slumped comfortably in his chair with lidded eyes, as though he was asleep; suddenly a clear voice sounded, "Hey, are you going to finish? Hurry and announce the opening, how the scholarly meet is being carried out and the rules, why bother with so much rubbish?!"

The crowd once again cast their eyes over and saw a scholarly youth seated at the Heavenly Dream Chamber of the Yu Family. He stood ramrod straight, with a slightly sunburnt face. That was precisely Ling Chi!

Seeing that the members of the Yu Family were the ones interfering, the person immediately panicked, saying, "For this scholarly meet today, young noble XiMen Qing will be the one setting the questions. Making friends through culture, making friends through poems; with the Four Arts of a scholar, in front of all heroes under heavens, let us see who will be the champion!"

Chapter 252: Unworthy Opponent

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

"Why should XiMen Qing be the one to come up with all the questions?"

"That's right, why should it be him? Don't tell me it is just because he is more good-looking than others?"

"Who is XiMen Qing? Never heard of him before…"

Before the person on stage could finish what he had to say, a large commotion broke out in the surroundings with protests coming from all around. Together with the effect of Ling Chi and the others fanning the flames, and Yu ManTian, DongFang JingLei and NanGong TianHu adding fuel to the fire, the Smoky Thea Tower broke out into a large commotion. Whistles could be heard coming from all around with people jeering loudly. How did this look like a scholarly meet? It looked more like a gathering of bandits! A few scholars couldn't help but shake their heads in disappointment, feeling as though their originally good mood was lost.

Finally, a few famous scholars took the initiative to quiet the crowd and a few of them had a discussion with Mister Qin. Finally, they decided that all the great families would take turns to pose a question each. However, the XiMen Family wasn't happy with that and insisted that the party who posed the question could choose any family to answer it.

Everyone knew that the XiMen Family wanted this rule so they could make life difficult for Ling Tian and make a fool out of him. Thus, all the scholars couldn't help but hesitate about accepting this condition. Finally, Mister Qin looked towards Ling Tian and agreed to this condition upon receiving a confirmation nod from him.

The curtains of the XiMen Family's Extreme Joy Chamber were lifted and XiMen Qing walked out. An amiable smile could be seen on his face, as though nothing had happened before this and he had never been humiliated by Ling Tian.

Many people couldn't help but nod their heads in praise, praising how XiMen Qing was indeed extraordinary. He was actually able to keep up appearances despite suffering such a huge humiliation! The self-control he had wasn't something an ordinary person could compare to!

Ling Tian shook his head as the excitement on his face faded away.

Off to the side, Meng LiGe who had been observing Ling Tian's action couldn't help but ask, "It seems as though young noble doesn't think highly of young noble XiMen?"

Ling Tian looked towards Meng LiGe and didn't reveal any intentions of recruiting him. After all, this would only serve to scare him away. With regards to Meng LiGe, Ling Tian already had a plan in his heart. With a smile, Ling Tian replied, "Mister, please don't joke around with me. Does Mister think that I should think highly of XiMen Qing?"

Meng LiGe twiddled with his beard as a wise look could be seen in his eyes. With a chuckle, he replied, "Why does young noble say that?"

Ling Tian smiled slightly and began to tell a story, "There once was a peerless sword master who had not met a worthy opponent for many years. He was extremely lonely and yearned for the day he could be defeated. However, he just couldn't find a worthy opponent and could only lament about this misfortune. One day, another famous swordsman issued a challenge to him. Do you think he would be happy or sad?"

Meng LiGe didn't expect Ling Tian to suddenly tell him a story and was taken aback for a moment. However, Meng LiGe was certain that Ling Tian had his reasons and listened with a smile.

"This peerless sword master had been lonely for far too long and rushed to the designated location excitedly, looking forward to having a satisfying battle!" Ling Tian continued his story, "However, the sword master was disappointed to find out that the swordsman who had issued him the challenge was a mere three-year-old child!" Ling Tian smiled at Meng LiGe, "At this moment, XiMen Qing is like that three-year-old child to me. This young noble is extremely disappointed. What does Mister think?"

Meng LiGe's eyes revealed a smile as he asked, "Why does young noble say that?"

"Why does Mister ask such an obvious question?"

"I'd like to hear the details."

Ling Tian laughed and said, "Since Mister wants to force Ling Tian, Ling Tian will explain himself. If XiMen Qing was able to immediately walk out unfazed after what I just said, he might be a worthy opponent for me! However," Ling Tian said slowly, "he was ten minutes too late!"

As he finished what he had to say, Ling Tian turned around and looked at the stage.

Meng LiGe fell into deep thought and looked at Ling Tian with a look of praise. He is indeed extraordinary! If XiMen Qing was able to walk out without any delay, his self-control would make him a formidable opponent! However, he was ten minutes too late. While it wasn't a long time, his lack of mental fortitude had already proven the fact that he wasn't an exceptional individual! Thus, Ling Tian no longer placed XiMen Qing in his sights! XiMen Qing wasn't anyone to be feared!

A shout could then be heard from the outside, "Mister Meng, please."

It turns out, the scholars had decided to select a few judges and XiMen Qing had immediately suggested two famous individuals: Mister Qin and Meng LiGe! Since XiMen Qing wanted to humiliate Ling Tian, how could he leave two experts by Ling Tian's side?

The six chosen judges gave a humble bow in the center of the stage and greeted the audience. While the six of them didn't know each other personally, they had all heard about each other's reputation. Now that they were able to meet each other, they were naturally elated!

An old man then took a step forward and said in a crisp voice, "This scholarly meet is made for us scholars from all over the continent with the heroes of the world being gathered here today. Everyone from all seven nations and eight families is present today and this is definitely a rare sight to be seen! This meeting will definitely be in the annals of Sky Bearing's history for the next thousand years! This old man isn't talented and had received the upper phrase of a rhyming couplet a couple of years back. After thinking of a possible lower phrase for many years, I was still unable to come up with anything. Today, let me start the ball rolling and hope that everyone present can help ease a trouble of this old man, lest I cannot rest in peace thinking about the lower phrase of this rhyming couplet!"

Seeing how this old man was rather humorous, everyone couldn't help but laugh and someone said, "Sir, there is no harm for you to say it!"

That old man then said, "This old man was originally from Sky Bearing and went to the 'Nature's Restaurant' for a drink. After drinking a few rounds, I suddenly saw an upper verse of a rhyming couplet, 'Customer in Nature's Restaurant, unexpectedly heavenly customers'. He only had the upper phrase but not the lower phrase. The boss of the restaurant even said that the person who can come up with the lower phrase will be able to dine there for free his entire life. While this old man calls himself a scholar, I have no clue on how to create the lower phrase. I have thought of it for half a year until my hair has turned white but I still don't have a way." As he said that, the old man revealed a bitter expression with a completely helpless look. However, there was an expectant gaze in his helpless look, and it was obvious that he had really been deeply frustrated by this for a long time already.

"Customer in Nature's Restaurant, unexpected heavenly customers"

What a good palindrome, what an impossible rhyming couplet! 1

All of a sudden, the hundred plus people present began mumbling to themselves with some of them looking up in deep thought and others with brows furrowed. There were some who shook their heads in frustration as they paced around. For a long time, no one could come up with a lower phrase.

While this phrase seems ordinary, it was a palindrome and was the same when read forward or backward. Furthermore, it also subtly raised the status of the guests at the restaurant and it was fluently executed.

In the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber, Ling Tian's eyes were shut with his legs crossed and shaking indifferently. By the side, Ling Chen was smiling with a look of confidence on her face. This rhyming couplet was something which Ling Tian already knew from his past life and had mentioned it in passing before. However, Ling Tian never imagined that someone would use this exact rhyming couplet in this life as well and it had become something impossible to match! Since Ling Chen knew many possible answers in her heart, how could she not be smiling?

However, Yu BingYan had her eyes shut tight with her brows furrowed as though she was deep in thought. Being someone who was known for her talents, how was it possible for her to admit her defeat in the face of this rhyming couplet?

In the Extreme Joy Chamber, a soft chuckle could be heard and a calm voice sounded, "While this couplet is difficult to match, it isn't impossible. This young noble explored the continent many years ago and had been to a temple called the Big Buddha Temple! Walking past big Buddha, big Buddha greater than man. I wonder if my lower phrase is correct?" The person who spoke was XiMen Qing. With his robes fluttering slightly, he stood outside the chamber with a proud smile on his face, as though he was extremely satisfied with his lower phrase.

Everyone lowered their heads in thought and felt that the lower phrase matched well. They then couldn't help but cheer for him.

"Puchi!" A mocking laughter could then be heard with a cold voice following it, "Can this be considered a match? What a joke!"

XiMen Qing's face turned dark as he glared at the source of those words and said coldly, "I wonder what kind of a masterpiece you have for us?" Seeing that this person came out from the Yu Family's Heavenly Dream Chamber, XiMen Qing suppressed his anger and didn't blow up.

As Ling Tian and Ling Chen turned to take a look, they saw a laughing Ling Chi. Ling Tian had already expected that the few of them would not stay by the side quietly and this proved to be true.

Ling Chi then said with complacency, "A talent comes from a paradise, a paradise produces many talents! Haha, how about that?" As everyone thought about it, they couldn't help but cry out in praise! Regardless of suitability or the use of words, this lower phrase was far neater than XiMen Qing's lower phrase. Especially since it was more relevant to the upper phrase, it was much better than XiMen Qing's lower phrase!

Yu BingYan suddenly let out an 'ah' and shouted out, "I know!" She was previously in deep thought, ignoring everything happening on the outside, "Fragrant plums on a frosty pavilion, a frosty pavilion produces fragrant plums!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment before shouting out a praise! They never imagined this beautiful lady to have such talents! While her lower phrase was also beautiful, it was losing slightly to the lower phrase given by Ling Chi!

XiMen Qing let out a snort, feeling as though he had lost face by being compared to the two other lower phrases. In an effort to overturn the tables, he said, "With the inspiration of this scholarly meet today, this young noble just came up with another couplet. May the various geniuses present correct me. 'Poetry stage, poetry talent; poetry talent on poetry stage; exceptional poetry stage, exceptional poetry talent!' I wonder if anyone can match this couplet of mine?"

XiMen Qing stood in the center of the stage, looking into each and every chamber. Finally, his gaze landed on the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber which Ling Tian was in and looked towards Ling Tian with a provocative smile. Anyone who was observant enough would be able to tell that this couplet was obviously meant to humiliate Ling Tian! With regards to the matters of two Great Families, who would dare say a thing? As for Yu ManTian and the others, they were no more than brutes who were skilled in martial arts. It was already a miracle for them to remember their own names, how was it possible for them to be of any help?

At the same time, the only two people who were able to help, Mister Qin and Meng LiGe, were presently judges! Thus, everyone was guessing that Ling Tian would definitely make a fool out of himself today! Many of them couldn't help but look at Ling Tian with a mocking smile. In the Rising Sun Chamber, Xiao YanXue was frowning with a trace of worry in her eyes.

As XiMen Qing looked at Ling Tian with an arrogant gaze, the first thing he saw was the two beautiful ladies by Ling Tian's side. In that moment, XiMen Qing was completely astounded and finally understood why his little brother, XiMen Zhang, died. After all, what guy wouldn't want such a beautiful lady in his bedroom?

Chapter 253: Exquisite Couplets After Another

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

A cold light flashed through Ling Tian's eyes, as he spoke, "Chen'er, go and put out his fire!"

Ling Chen nodded in agreement as she stood up. Facing XiMen Qing, a look of disdain could be seen within her eyes as she thought, How could this sort of person receive the title of gifted scholar?

Her cherry red lips lightly moved as she recited without even glancing at XiMen Qing, "Rosy sky, rosy clouds, rosy skies amidst rosy clouds, sky is eternal, clouds are eternal!"

The moment this lower phrase was spoken, the entire area went silent. Not only was the lower phrase well executed, there was even a hint of an artistic expression! The surprising thing about this was the fact that this lower phrase was an absolute phrase; while XiMen Qing's phrase was a result of his careful pondering, he might not even be able to match it to this absolute lower phrase. In this arena, all of them knew of this theory, so how could they not be shocked!

After a long while, sounds of applause rang out from the audience, continuing long without stopping!

XiMen Qing unfolded the fan he carried, lightly waving it twice as though emphasizing his elegance, the corner of his mouth curling up in a friendly smile as he praised, "A perfectly matched, fine work! This lady's talent really leaves XiMen Qing breathless! This XiMen Qing will gladly retreat in face of your prowess, but before that, could I have the name of this Miss here? I believe that with your talent you should already be famous worldwide!

Ling Chen retorted icily, "This little girl's name is not worth mentioning, and as for talent, that's even more not worth bringing up. To be able to speak something of this caliber, what's there to be proud of? Young noble XiMen is clearly exaggerating my achievements."

While Ling Chen's words sounded like she was being humble, it was actually a means to put XiMen Qing down! Her words were indirectly saying that he had no standard, and came out with such a simple couplet to showcase his lack of literary talent simply to fish for compliments! Ling Chen had long reached her limit on how XiMen Qing was so openly against Ling Tian, and thus did not hold back on her words!

The moment she spoke, an uproar sounded through the entire arena!

Ling Chen only intended to insult XiMen Qing, but her words just now had the unintended effect of offending all those present!

All those present felt that this peerless beauty had over-exaggerated the facts a little. In the upper section of the couplet which XiMen Qing had recited previously, even after exhausting all of their efforts and ingenuity, they were unable to think of anything suitable. That already went to show how high the difficulty was. Even if this phrase were to be termed as unsolvable, it would be accepted by the masses.

This lady might have the necessary talent and happened to be able to answer it, but to actually say that it was too easy a couplet, wasn't this as good as saying that all the people gathered here were incomparable to one woman?

Based on Ling Chen's intellect, it was impossible for her to have such a slip of the tongue. However, the continuous criticism that XiMen Qing had directed towards Ling Tian was beyond the pale for Ling Chen. Just like how Ling Tian's reverse scale was Ling Chen herself, how could Ling Chen not have Ling Tian as hers?

But coming back to the topic, even if she said this, with her intellect, it wasn't too far off!

XiMen Qing's face hardened as he snapped his fan shut and coldly spoke, "To speak as such, it seems like this lady is quite the exaggerating one! Even if you have the talent, how could you look down on the various heroes of the world like that? Is this the attitude of the world famous Ling Family?"

Ling Tian interjected at this time, "Look at who's spitting bullsh*t, dragging the various heroes into the picture just because of a lass! Young noble XiMen is really good at telling jokes! Furthermore, with such a superficial upper verse, you even dare to brag it as exquisite. The moment someone manages to answer it you fly into a rage because of the humiliation! Is this the attitude and bearing a noble is supposed to have? Is this what the XiMen family teaches? This is the famed first-rate education of the XiMen Family? This is the elegant bearing of the number one scholar? I spit on that! This is what I call having no sense of shame!"

His words were sharp and piercing, not leaving even a shred of face for the entire XiMen aristocratic family as well as XiMen Qing! The disdain in his words was obvious for all to hear!

XiMen Qing was totally unable to restrain his anger any longer, and with a swift turn of his head, he viciously faced Ling Tian and spat out, "Since young noble Ling has spoken thus, you must be an exemplary version of a young noble, unrivaled under heavens! This XiMen Qing would like to beg for your teachings!"

Ling Tian only snorted once, replying with a tone of disdain, "I don't see myself as unrivaled, but against a kid like you, this young noble won't have any problems."

XiMen Qing stared daggers at him with bloodshot eyes, his previous refined bearing nowhere to be seen. He spit out word by word, "I'm waiting for your enlightening remarks!"

That upper verse was something XiMen Qing had coincidentally came across, and even after racking his brains he still wasn't able to think of a matching couplet. He thought that since he was unable to think of the matching verse that it had to be a dead end and that all the scholars would definitely also find it hard to find a matching verse. However, little did he expect that when he wanted to show off, there came a lass from nowhere who easily paired it up, even causing him to be ridiculed by Ling Tian! This caused the rage to build up in XiMen Qing, almost driving him nuts, so why would he still care about any scholarly bearing?!

To match the verse was already an exceedingly difficult matter, to make it a rhyming couplet would be beyond the level of mortals! In order to keep whatever remaining face he had, XiMen Qing couldn't care any further!

Ling Tian only let out a loud laugh as he replied, "What's the difficulty in making another?! Listen carefully, my lower verse is 'Hear the rain pavilions, Hear the rain falling, I hear the rain falling in the rain pavilion, midnight in the rain pavilions, the raindrops fall at midnight.' How is it?" XiMen Qing's expression turned pale at this, swaying on the spot.

As it turns out, Ling Tian's matching couplet was a level higher than Ling Chen's! While 'Poetic Stage, Poetry Talent' was one of reality, Ling Chen's 'Rosy Sky, Rosy Clouds' gave off an ethereal feeling. The antithesis was sound in her couplet, but if one were to delve further, Ling Tian's 'Hear the rain pavilions, Hear the rain falling' was above it by a notch!

Ling Tian smirked as he dropped another bomb, "If you aren't satisfied, I can give another! 'A book pavilion, a book rustling, a book rustling in a book pavilion, book pavilions are eternal, book rustlings are eternal'. How is that? 'Admiring the snowcaps, admiring the snowfall, admiring the snowfall while admiring the snowcaps, snowcaps of ten millennia, snowfall of ten millennia'. Hahaha, or would you prefer this oriental style more?"

XiMen Qing's face turned a deathly white, unable to even let out a sound.

The corners of Ling Tian's mouth now turned upwards in a teasing smile as he spoke, "Young noble XiMen, this one here also has a couplet, would it be ok if I display my mediocre skill?"

XiMen Qing's face changed, though swayed, he was still certain of his own knowledge, and confidently replied, "Please bestow it!"

Ling Tian gave a light smile as he recited, "This is actually quite simple, my upper verse is 'Listening for the rain pavilion, listening for the rain speaking, listening for the rain pavilion while listening to the rain speaking'!"

XiMen Qing's face changed at this sentence. Ling Tian had purposely chosen a phrase to cause him to stumble! Ling Tian had already spoken a total of three phrases, but XiMen Qing actually couldn't come out with a sentence to reply his upper verse!

The audience went into uproar once again. Based on the rules, XiMen Qing giving out his 'Poetry Stage, Poetry Talent' without a matching couplet was not at all excessive, but to think that he actually couldn't match someone else's verse, this was something unacceptable!

XiMen Qing was also someone used to thinking fast, and his face regained his composure as he replied, "As the saying goes, coming up with one is easy, but a pair difficult. From this, we can already see how much of a genius brother Ling is! But we've already gone through this genre too many times, and it is no longer beneficial, so we shouldn't harp on this sort of poetry any longer!"

While his words sounded nice, but there were no fools in this crowd. Everyone knew that XiMen Qing had resorted to such a tactic because he was unable to answer the couplet!

Ling Tian laughed coldly in response, "It seems like brother XiMen couldn't be bothered to answer my couplet. Indeed a good move, no wonder you're the number one scholar of the XiMen Family!"

At the side, there were a few elderly scholars who were displaying their flamboyant calligraphy skills, penning down the above phrases that Ling Tian had just recited. Those who were interested gathered around the calligraphy, mulling over his verses, but the more they looked at it, the more they felt that Ling Tian's verses were ingenious beyond words. Every single one of his verses was completely in sync with the upper verse, seemingly flawless beyond words, as though the god of poetry had personally come down for a visit, and they couldn't help but sigh in praise. To think that this infamous silkpant could actually be such a scholarly talent!

Xiao YanXue looked at the elegant and suave Ling Tian on stage, bursting with vigor and spirit, and couldn't help but rub her eyes in confusion. This, was this still the number one silkpant of Sky Bearing?

On the north side, inside the Heavenly Moon Chamber, a youth with delicate features mouthed the words of one of the lower verses Ling Tian had recited, unknowingly sighing deeply to himself. He took the piece of paper in front of him with the lower verse, 'Viewing azure seas, viewing azure pines, viewing the azure pines and the azure sea, the infinite azure sea, the infinite azure pines', and wadded it up, a look of shame on his face.

Based on his standard, while this 'viewing azure sea, viewing azure pines' was stable in the antithesis, compared to Ling Tian's there was still a distance to go!

Ling Tian now turned his head and shouted across while smiling, "Mister, this disciple didn't sully your reputation, right?"

Mister Qin stroked his beard and nodded his head, his face full of smiles.

The moment Ling Tian raised his voice, everybody's attention focused on Mister Qin. The eyes of the audience were filled with admiration as well as praise to Mister Qin for having yet another prodigious disciple. Mister Qin's words were, however, full of humility as he said, "My disciple is young and rash, and thus does not display proper manners on this stage. When I go back, I will definitely take care of him!"

These words caused the various scholars to feel miffed as they thought, Just look at how you are grinning from ear to ear, it would be a wonder if you didn't praise him, let alone lecture him! Such a talent and you describe him as 'young and rash, not displaying proper manners'! Aren't you exaggerating a little too much?

However, to have such a talent, it would explain why Mister Qin would be so gratified. This was especially so when Ling Tian called him teacher in front of all the scholars present. While this may have seemed unbridled, all the elderly scholars present also wished that their disciples would be able to do the same so arrogantly, allowing them an extra few points of bragging rights!

XiMen Qing's heart had long been hoping for Ling Tian to drop dead on the spot, and he could only force his face into a stiff smile, "Young noble Ling is indeed a dragon among men, XiMen Qing is thoroughly impressed!" While his mouth spoke thus, his heart was unbearably bitter about it.

Ling Tian carelessly replied, "Not at all, I know that young noble XiMen lost on purpose and you simply disdained to answer. This one merely passed the competition by a fluke, and I am actually still pretty terrified in my heart!" Hearing this, XiMen Qing's face warped once more!

In the Heavenly Dream Chamber, Yu ManTian hollered out, "Good poetry! Indeed a good piece of poetry!" Then he grabbed the big piece of meat in front of him and took a huge bite, with grease overflowing from his mouth.

Chapter 254: Making Things Difficult

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

Is this even a poem? Everyone couldn't help but stare at each other in a daze, trying their best to hold in their laughter. However, there were a few of them who couldn't help but giggle.

Yu BingYan stomped her foot in frustration and embarrassment while thinking, My dear Third Uncle, you shouldn't spout nonsense if you are ignorant. They are now playing with rhyming couplets and what has that got to do with poems? Where did the good poem come from?

The corners of Ling Tian's lips twitched up in an odd manner. After finally controlling his laughter, he said, "Young noble XiMen, wait a moment."

XiMen Qing felt extremely embarrassed, uncomfortable to remain in the center of the stage. Just when he wanted to walk back to the Extreme Joy Chamber, he was stopped by Ling Tian. He then couldn't help but turn around and force a smile, "I wonder what teaching young noble Ling has for me?"

Ling Tian let out a chuckle and said, "Previously, young noble felt disdain towards my upper phrase and it was indeed extremely similar to what you came up with previously. However, it is alright. I have another upper phrase and I wonder if young noble XiMen will want to try matching it?"

As everyone heard that, they all shouted out in praise. At the same time, they were all extremely clear that XiMen Qing and Ling Tian were officially at odds today. However, just what kind of challenging upper phrase would Ling Tian come up with?

XiMen Qing felt his mood being lifted and was confident that he would definitely be able to come up with something if it wasn't like the previous 'impossible' couplet. At the same time, XiMen Qing was resolute about regaining his reputation through this. Energized, he said, "Young noble Ling, please give me the upper phrase and XiMen Qing is all ears." XiMen Qing said with a stern look, as though he was about to face a formidable opponent.

Ling Tian smiled lightly and said, "My knowledge is shallow and I can only come up with a short upper phrase. My upper phrase is 'Three lights; sun, moon, stars'. Ling Tian is not able to come up with anything better and let us make do with this. I think young noble XiMen shouldn't have any problems at all. Haha."

After everyone heard the upper phrase, it seemed extremely ordinary and nothing difficult at all. But thinking about it carefully, they realized that this upper phrase was actually extraordinary! Their faces all began to change as they lowered their heads in deep thought. After thinking for a long while, everyone couldn't help but take in a breath of cold air! A mere rhyming couplet of five words was actually so difficult to match!

Since there was a numerical term in the upper phrase, the lower phrase should also have a numerical term. Since the upper phrase had 'three', the lower phrase should not contain it. However, the three words that followed, 'sun, moon, stars' were all singular objects and fulfilled the criteria of 'three lights'. Thus, any other numbers used in the lower phrase would definitely be either less than or more than three. It was just far too difficult! Besides that, sun, moon, and stars were the names of the three continents!

XiMen Qing fell into deep thought and they only reply he could think of was, 'Three talents; heaven, earth, human'. However, the upper phrase had already used the number three and it wasn't appropriate for him to do so. But, all other lower phrases didn't make any sense. Thus, he couldn't help but furrowed his brows with deep contemplation.

All of a sudden, the whole Smoky Thea Tower fell into silence. Only the sound of Third Master Yu loudly chewing could be heard!

More than a thousand people fell into deep thought at the same time with some of the scholars especially hardworking, with their beards being twiddled and a face full of frustration. The few of them were of equal stature to Mister Qin. But because of Mister Qin's fabulous disciple, they felt as though they were unknowingly suppressed. If they couldn't even match the upper phrase which Mister Qin's disciple came up with they would truly feel ashamed. While Ling Tian's couplet was obviously targeted at XiMen Qing, the few old scholars treated it as a competition with Mister Qin.

A long while later, a white-bearded old scholar shook his head depressedly and said with a long sigh, "I can't match it, I just can't match it! The younger generation is really commendable! This short five-word phrase is actually so difficult to match. It is indeed easy to come up with a rhyming couplet but hard to match one!" As this voice sounded, sounds of sighing could be heard all over the tower!

Even Mister Qin himself couldn't match it and was shaking his head with a sigh. However, he still looked extremely energized without a single trace of sadness to be seen on his face! Seeing how his disciple was able to stump all the heroes of the world with an upper phrase, Mister Qin felt extremely proud in his heart! In that moment, he felt as though he had finally reached the apex stage which he had dreamed of all his life!

Looking at the few scholars who he had usually fought with, Mister Qin felt delighted in his heart! Hehe, this is my proud disciple! How about that? Are you guys convinced?

XiMen Qing's face turned uglier and uglier with his originally fair complexion turning completely red and beads of sweat flowing down like rain.

On the other hand, Ling Tian let out a chuckle and said leisurely, "Young noble XiMen, you can think about it slowly, there is no rush at all. This young noble will first go back to take a nap. Hahaha…"

"Hold on!" The veins on XiMen Qing's forehead bulged up, "Your upper phrase has the word 'three' in it and it is obviously meant to make things difficult for us. This is obviously an upper phrase which cannot be matched, and I am unable to do it. However, I believe that no one will be able to come up with a match for it either!" As XiMen Qing said that, many people began nodding their heads in approval!

XiMen Qing was not the only one who felt this way. After understanding the true difficulty of this upper phrase, many people had the same thought. However, none of them dared to voice it out openly like XiMen Qing!

"Hahaha, what a joke!" Ling Tian burst out into laughter as his lips curled up in disdain, "Everything in the world definitely has an opposite and this is an iron-clad rule which has not changed since the ancient times. Every upper phrase would definitely have a lower phrase. The only reason why you aren't able to match it is because of your ignorance. However, you actually dare to say that no one will be able to come up with a match for it. Aren't you looking down too much on the heroes of the world?"

XiMen Qing could clearly hear that Ling Tian was returning his previous words to him with great sarcasm. Thus, his face turned ugly as he retorted, "I don't believe anyone will be able to match this upper phrase!"

"What if there is?" Ling Tian questioned.

"If young noble Ling Tian is able to come up with the lower phrase, XiMen Qing is willing to admit that I am inferior in the area of rhyming couplets. From today on, I will never touch rhyming couplets again in my life!" XiMen Qing was actually crafty with his words. First, he only locked his sights on Ling Tian. In other words, only a lower phrase by Ling Tian would be counted. Even if someone else were to come up with the lower phrase, it would have nothing to do with Ling Tian! Second, he only said that he would admit his inferiority in rhyming couplets and never touch them again! But, he never mentioned anything else!

Even if he didn't touch rhyming couplets anymore, he could still touch poetry, music, zither, chess, calligraphy or painting! In other words, it wouldn't affect him too greatly at all. Furthermore, after he had failed terribly at the previous 'impossible' couplet, XiMen Qing probably wouldn't have the face to attend any other rhyming couplet meetings from today on.

Everyone present today wasn't an idiot and could naturally hear the meaning behind XiMen Qing's words. Thus, jeering sounds could be heard from all over with everyone displaying their disdain towards XiMen Qing's shamelessness.

XiMen Qing's face turned pale again as he ignored the jeering sound from around him. He felt as though he still had a stomach full of talent he had yet to display, so how would he be willing to admit his defeat?

Ling Tian sneered and ignored the words XiMen Qing said. After all, Ling Tian had already lost his patience with XiMen Qing's shamelessness, "Listen carefully, my lower phrase is…"

Everyone perked their ears up only to hear Ling Tian emphasizing on every word he said, "Four poems; style, hymns, ode!"

"Three lights; sun, moon, stars. Four poems; style, hymns, ode!"

Silence filled the tower before a round of applause exploded forth! The Heavenly Star Continent also had the 'Book of Songs' and it was no different from the Book of Songs which was in Ling Tian's time. Everyone knew that the Book of Songs was separated into three main categories: style, hymns, and ode. As for hymns, it was split into two subsections, lesser court hymns, and major court hymns. Thus, it wasn't too much to call it four poems!

Not only did the words rhyme well, they matched each other perfectly and it could even describe the present atmosphere!

It was indeed an ingenious match!

XiMen Qing's face was ashen; he had always thought that he had remarkable talent and would never be able to find a match. However, his arrogance built up over the years was completely destroyed by Ling Tian today! In that moment, he was completely disheartened!

Amongst the judges, the oldest scholar stood up and looked and Ling Tian with praise, "Young noble Ling is really a heavenly gifted talent! For Mister Qin to have such a disciple, you should have no regrets for life!"

Mister Qin's eyes were already reduced into a thin line from the bright smile on his face. Twiddling with his beard, he looked at Ling Tian proudly. At the same time, his face was no longer merely radiant, it was already sparkling like gold.

Ling Tian chuckled and said humbly, "Actually this isn't the only lower phrase for 'Three lights; sun, moon, stars'. There are many lower phrases that can be a match for it. For example, 'One wave; wind, lightning, rain' or 'two nations; close, brotherly, states'. Ah ah ah, it is just that all of you had not given it enough thought. If you guys were to mull over it carefully, you would definitely be able to come out with more."

"Three lights; sun, moon, stars. One wave; wind, lightning, rain… Three lights; sun, moon, stars. Two nations; close, brotherly, states." That old scholar mumbled a few times under his breath before saying with a wide smile, "You are indeed a heavenly gifted talent! Indeed a heavenly gifted talent! This old man is convinced!" he then went back to his seat. But when he looked towards Ling Tian, his gaze was full of joy as though he was looking at his own grandchild.

Ling Tian said with a smile, "Back then, I had this conversation with senior Ye QingChen as well. He also had a lower phrase for it which was even more exciting! His lower phrase was 'Six meridians; inch, pass, feet'! This is the true work of art! Senior Ye said that while it was easy to come up with the upper phrase, matching it was extremely difficult! While it was difficult to match an upper phrase, there is no such thing as an impossible match!"

Now that Ling Tian had said that, he had saved the faces of many of the scholars present. While the younger generations may not know about Ye QingChen, men like Mister Qin had long heard of his fame. Now that they had heard Ling Tian relating what Ye QingChen 'said' to all of them, the scholars all felt thankful in their hearts. The impression they had of Ling Tian was also greatly improved, feeling as though the people of Sky Bearing must have been blind to call such a character the number one silkpants!

At this point, there was no longer any meaning to continue with the topic of rhyming couplets. After a short discussion, the judges decided to enter into the next segment, poetry competition!

All the talented youths who were depressed from being defeated by Ling Tian were immediately energized, sitting up straight and changing their targets from XiMen Qing to Ling Tian!

Chapter 255: Third Master's Poem

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Originally, the various scholars all came over to Smoky Thea in order to achieve some sort of fame for themselves and get some background. Another reason was that they were unsatisfied with the tag of 'number one scholar under heaven' that was given to XiMen Qing. If they attended this meeting and managed to stump him, would that not be a reputable matter?

But no one expected that after only a mere few minutes since the event began, the number one scholar XiMen Qing had actually been beaten until he looked like a dog with its tail between its legs. While this was heartening to all the audience on the scene, it also proved the prowess of the other 'talented scholar', Ling Tian! However, composing poems could be considered the forte of most of those present, and all of them immediately started to mentally compose drafts. Some of them even began to try and recall all their best works, secretly seeking for one that would suit the occasion today.

Looking at the group of eager people rolling up their sleeves and getting ready to do battle, the judges couldn't help but secretly sigh to themselves, knowing that this bunch of kids would definitely receive a heavy blow once again! Wasn't the knowledge of pairing couplets the fundamental to composing poetry? To be able to immediately produce such an unconditional match, and even a few at one go, how could his poetry composition be inferior to others?

The judges unanimously pinned their attention and hope onto Ling Tian, fervently hoping for him to once again come out with a poem that would be universally appreciated! Not strangely, they were not too concerned about who would be the winner of this literary meet.

A hubbub of laughter and conversation suddenly sounded, as a strong fragrance of wine drifted over. The crowd subconsciously frowned in displeasure, and turning to the source of the fragrance, they saw Third Master Yu acting like the king of a country seated in the host's seat, with five other scholarly-dressed and refined looking gentlemen, all slouching in their seats! There was even a kid that looked like he was fourteen or fifteen, holding a wine cup and fighting with Third Master Yu! Their voices were raucous and piercing to the ear.

"Third Master Yu!" While others might not have dared to say anything, Mister Qin was definitely not the sort, "We're having a scholarly meet now, could you lower your voice? Should I ask Tower Master Gu to get you a table outside instead?"

Yu ManTian glared at him, "What scholarly meet? I heard my big brother say that Mister Qin is a capable person, but even so, you can't judge a person by its cover! This Yu ManTian here is also a learned man, and my Yu Family is also a family with a literary reputation! How could you ask me to keep quiet just like that? Do you think that I wouldn't be able to compose a poem as well? You're looking down on me too much!

"To think that even you can compose poems!" An airy and ephemeral voice traveled over. This voice was dreamy and indistinct, unable to pinpoint which direction it came from. Even with Yu ManTian's cultivation, he couldn't locate the speaker!

Yu ManTian immediately flew into a rage, abruptly standing up and hollering, "Who's that b*st*rd talking?!" His bloodthirsty eyes scanned past every person, and those being scanned only felt a chill invade their body, causing an unspeakable discomfort. However, no one answered, and the silence was soon broken by another, "Who is that b*st*rd sprouting nonsense?!" Still, the surroundings remained deathly silent!

Ling Tian, however, clearly located the voice; it belonged to that cross-dressing female named Qian ShuiRou whom they had met that day! However, that voice came too suddenly, and only spoke that short sentence, thus Ling Tian couldn't even clearly locate where the actual person was!

Yu ManTian revolved once but couldn't locate the source. However, he didn't return to his seat, instead grabbing onto the wine jar with one hand, taking a few steps forward and raising his voice, "Everyone thinks that this Third Master is unable to compose and is a boor! Today, this Third Master is going to explain himself, and compose a poem to let the world know of my scholarly-ness!"

Everyone was completely tongue-tied at this statement, and Yu BingYan couldn't help stomping her feet in anxiety behind Ling Tian, as she wondered what her third uncle was up to at this point in time. Are you insane? You can't even compose poems, let alone be scholarly!

Ling Tian glanced over and met Ling Jian's eyes. It was at this time that he realized that Yu ManTian was probably incited and provoked by those few little ghosts!

XiMen Qing laughed as he mediated, "Third Master Yu is naturally a brilliant strategist, with peerless martial arts. But every person has their strengths, for this sort of recitation and calligraphy, it would better to leave it to people like us, and Third Master you actually just need to critique."

XiMen Qing's words were obviously spoken out of goodwill, plus he even took the initiative to complement Yu ManTian, allowing him to step down in a graceful manner. In his mind, for someone as uncouth as Yu ManTian, what would he know about composing? Thus, he could use this opportunity to retreat with his reputation intact, and this would allow for the relations between their families to improve!

With such thoughts, XiMen Qing gave a light smile, waiting for Yu ManTian to express his gratitude towards him.

Unexpectedly, Yu ManTian not only failed to reciprocate but instead started to scream and shout at him, "Your grandma, you little XiMen b*st*rd, you brat, you actually think that this old man cannot compose poetry, right? Is that so?"

XiMen Qing's bootlicking apparently backfired on him, and he only felt extremely embarrassed. He angrily retorted, "Then I'll see what Third Master has to show!" Before flicking his sleeves and leaving.

"Shrrring!" Yu ManTian suddenly drew out his sword, pointing it at the back of the leaving XiMen Qing! Everyone got a shock at that moment. However much you don't appreciate his good intentions, you shouldn't try to kill someone here, right?

'Shua shua shua', a few sounds were heard, and from the Extreme Bliss Chamber came out seven to eight experts, protecting XiMen Qing in the very center, all of their swords drawn as though waiting for war.

Yu ManTian only guffawed, saying, "This old man is just composing my poem, I didn't even violate any rules! What, you guys want a fight? I'm more than happy to!"

Everyone went silent at that. You pull out a sword and want to hack and kill, and say that this is all for composing poetry?

Third Master Yu waved his sword, then boomed out his first sentence, "This old man has a sword in hand!"

This sudden shout made many of the listeners spit out their tea in response, but unabated Third Master Yu continued with his second phrase, "The b*st*rds of this world are many!"

Yu BingYan pursed up her mouth, looking as though she was laughing but at the same time furious, and for the rest of the aristocratic families, they were already giggling to themselves. A few of the elderly judges were already looking annoyed, huffing at their beards.

Yu ManTian now turned one round, the blade in his hands constantly refracting light, and stately shouted out the last two stanzas of his 'poem', "If one provokes the fire in this old man's heart, I'll raze and kill all these b*st*rds!"

Returning his sword to the sheath in satisfaction, Third Master Yu tilted his head in pride, "How is it? Each of my phrases were rhyming! Not bad right! Praise me, I can accept it!"

Everyone fell to the ground in shambles!

"Clap clap clap…" The sound of applause was heard, and someone's voice could be heard praising loudly, "Good poem, really good poem!" This was followed by a long and clear whistle. That was Ling Chi!

All the elderly scholars had dark-lined disapproving faces!

"This could be considered a poem?" A jeering laugh sounded once more, clearly heard even through the laughter in the entire hall! This was the same voice of the person who had mocked Yu ManTian earlier, and with that ephemeral voice of hers, despite the large number of experts in the Smoky Thea Tower, none were able to pinpoint where exactly this person was hiding!

Third Master Yu let out a bellow, "Who dares to say that this isn't a poem? Come out now!" His voice boomed like the thunder, and immediately, the whole hall turned absolutely silent! Yu ManTian swept his hawk-like eyes across the room once more, but not surprisingly, he couldn't locate the person!

The moment the voice sounded once again, Ling Tian's eyes immediately fixed on Heavenly Moon Chamber!

He turned his head and instructed a servant, "Call your tower master over!"

The lass gave a sound of assent and headed out.

After a while, Gu XiYan rushed in. Seeing Ling Tian coldly staring at her, Gu XiYan felt her whole body covered in cold sweat! Only then did Ling Tian ask, "Who's situated in Heavenly Moon Chamber? Why did I not know of such a character coming to Smoky Thea Tower!"

Gu XiYan wiped her sweat before softly answering, "Begging for forgiveness, but that room was the option picked by the butler of the Imperial Family after knowing that the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber was already occupied!"

Ling Tian frowned. He had of course known about this matter, and originally thought that it was the entourage of some prince or princess from another country, but to think that the voice belonged to Qian ShuiRou! Since Qian ShuiRou could speak inside, this meant that her authority was also the highest! Thus Ling Tian was certain that the reason that he hadn't received any information was that nobody from the Sky Bearing Imperial Family was within the chamber!

If this was the case, then therein lies a problem. Who was Qian ShuiRou? Why would the Sky Bearing Imperial Family help her to reserve the Heavenly Moon Chamber? For the arrogant Imperial Family to settle only for the A-class Heavenly Moon Chamber, was it because Qian ShuiRou didn't want to raise suspicions about her identity? Then what was her relation to the Imperial Family, and what exactly was hidden from him?

After muttering irresolutely to himself, he asked again, "Do you know how many are there inside? Who is serving them? Any of our own people?"

Gu XiYan answered in a low voice, "There were a total of four people at the start, I'm not sure if more came. All of them wore wide-brimmed hats, hiding their faces, and rejected any of our hospitality."

"Oh?" Ling Tian narrowed his eyes. This was strange! It seems like he would need to pay a visit to have a chat with the butler Long QianXing.

Ling Tian called Ling Chen over and whispered a few words in her ear. She agreed and immediately set off.

Quietly standing beside him, Gu XiYan only felt the aura around Ling Tian becoming more and more sinister, and she couldn't help but feel her heart racing, the sweat on her face unceasingly flowing.

The sounds of applause rang non-stop from the outside, evidently a few of the talented people had also begun to showcase their skills, but Ling Tian had completely lost interest in this scholarly meet!