Chapter 188: It's so lonely to be peerless!
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Xu Que's words jolted everyone back to their senses.
Everyone thought about the bet which Xu Que and young master Zhao had laid down before the challenge.
Young master Zhao's face swelled so red it resembled a pig's liver. He gritted his teeth and glared at Xu Que. He was so furious he couldn't even speak!
A young student finally arrived and brought the necessary stationary to the table. Xu Que then opened a roll of paper before young master Zhao and even warmly picked a pen up for him.
Young master Zhao glared coldly at Xu Que as he bit down hard on his teeth, "Li Bai, I shall remember you! My revenge for today shall eventually be taken!"
"Alright, alright. I welcome the coming days. Pui. I mean, I welcome your revenge any day! That's right. In the meantime, write my name down, and remember to include my Heavenly Explosion Faction!"
Xu Que was beaming from ear to ear. The expression on his face was one of a wretched winner taunting his foe!
"Hmph!"
Young master Zhao cleared his throat before he picked up a pen and started waving it up and down the piece of paper.
This was the hole dug by himself, even if he had to kneel down, he would do so with dignity!
This was the words used to describe the bitterness within young master Zhao's heart. It wasn't that he was willing to fulfil the terms of his bet. The reason he actually did it was because there were far too many students present. In fact, even Madam Ya had witnessed his bold statements. Hence, young master Zhao didn't dare to go back on his words, for if he did, his reputation would be much worse off than this!
"Tch tch…"
The pen in his hand was dancing across the paper, as his arms trembled. If he hung these words over his body, it would be hard to imagine the humiliation and taunts which would befall him.
However, a good man would do as he said he would. Under the scrutiny of all the students, young master Zhao finally wrote, 'Zhao Wu is no match for Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction". After he had written it, he still had to imprint his own stamp on it, to prove that this were on his own words.
The entire hall was filled with silence. Some of the students shook their heads in sympathy, while others felt that it was such a pity. He was the leader of the four great students, and yet he was defeated to such an extent. His status had been reduced dramatically!
"Eh?"
At this point, Xu Que was watching by the side when his expression fell and he shouted out, "Fuck me. Zhao Ri Tian is no match for Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction? Is your name Zhao Ri Tian?"
The audience were taken aback.
Zhao Ri Tian? Who is Zhao Ri Tian?
Everyone cast their glance towards the piece of paper and were at a loss for words.
Big brother, those words are Zhao Wu, and not pronounced Zhao Ri Tian!
(T/N: The written word for "wu" is a combination of both words "ri" and "tian")
You are bloody doing this intentionally. Forget the fact that you refused to give face to young master Zhao after winning your bet. You still had to resort to such methods to instill doubt into the hearts of everyone about young master Zhao's honor.
Young master Zhao's pupils gleamed in cold light as he shouted out, "Li Bai, don't be self conceited. Today, I admit that I've lost. But another day will come, when you have to repay double!"
As he finished speaking, he took the piece of paper and slapped it fiercely on his chest. He then stormed off.
"Alright, alright. I shall wait for you to exact your revenge. Come come come… The mighty Zhao Ri Tian shall depart from this place towards the cold winds and frozen lake. He shall leave and never return. Today, I, Li Bai, shall play a tune of farewell for you…"
Xu Que smiled as he spoke out before retrieving a Guqin from his system inventory and hugged it tightly.
"Zhng zhng..."
His fingers started plucking the instrument as certain sounds vibrated off of it. At once, a melodious sound filled the entire hall!
Young master Zhao who had just walked out through the door paused as soon as he heard it.
The rest of the crowd opened their eyes wide and watched Xu Que in astonishment.
The mighty Zhao Ri Tian shall depart from this place towards the cold winds and frozen lake? He shall leave and never return?
He was clearly attempting to disgrace young master Zhao further. Did he mean that young master Zhao should throw himself into the lake as a form of suicide after this defeat?
This Li Bai is way too vile huh? He wouldn't even leave a shred of dignity left for young master Zhao? He's truly pushing young master Zhao into a corner. Now if young master Zhao doesn��t jump into the lake and kill himself, he would find it hard to ever be in the presence of educated students.
Also, why did this kid take a qin out? What was he trying to do? Could it be that… He even knows how to play music?
Under the many watchful eyes of everyone around, Xu Que opened his mouth as he looked up towards the ceiling at a 45 degrees angle. He condensed his core energy within his dantian and let his voice loose.
"In this world, I wonder if this mountain is the tallest…"
"Hoo hah!"
"Or could there be another taller peak, which extends far into the heavens…"
"Hoo hah!"
"In this world, there is something else taller than this mountain…"
"It's another mountain. Because for every tall mountain, there's another taller one…"
His voice was filled with power and emotions, as he sang brightly and confidently. His voice echoed throughout the entire building.
Everyone who watched on were at a loss for words. Damn it, for every tall mountain, there's another taller one? Big brother, he's clearly lost to you already. Do you have to continue taunting him so relentlessly? You even turned it into a song! Could it be that you truly wished for him to end his life by jumping into the lake?
Young master Zhao who froze by the door blushed a deep shade of red. The veins in his forehead looked like they were about to explode in anger. He then turned to Xu Que and glared at him in fury, "Li Bai, you…"
"Zhng zhng…"
Even before he could complete his sentence, Xu Que strummed once again, interrupting him.
The crowd was once again at a loss for words. What does this mean? The song… Changed?
Xu Que then collected his energy before his mouth formed the shape of an O. Immediately after, a deep and low sounding voice could be heard….
"It's so lonely, so lonely to be peerless…"
"It's so empty, so empty to be peerless…"
"I stand alone at the pinnacle, as the cold breeze blow against my skin. Me, my loneliness and I, who can ever understand me..."
The vision of the audience nearly went black as some of them risked falling to the ground.
It was so lonely being peerless? It was so empty to be peerless? You stand alone at the pinnacle as the cold wind blow against your skin?
Big brother, I beg you, can you stop singing?
Young master Zhao pressed his hand to his chest, as he contained himself, doing his utmost not to spit blood out. His eyes were almost bulging out as fiery anger welled up within his chest. However, he was careful not to cause a scene before Madam Ya. After clearing his throat in anger, he turned around to leave.
Mo Yun Shang's face froze. He didn't dare to linger behind as well and hurriedly followed young master Zhao.
The pair of great students had left and Xu Que still didn't look like he was about to stop. He was still playing on his qin, singing loudly.
This song was obtained because of his Two Star Musician talent, and had affected many people around.
After listening to him repeat his lyrics, they actually felt the sense of loneliness and emptiness within his heart.
Even Madam Ya opened her mouth wide as she looked intently at Xu Que, her heart was appalled. She had never seen someone so multi-talented, and yet felt so lonely in her entire life.
Why was this young mister Li so mysterious? Apart from poems and couplets, he was equally adept in musical instruments? In this world… Was there truly such a talented person? No, no, no, no…
"Eh.. Hmm..."
Soon after, Madam Ya cleared her throat gently as her body trembled, her face was blushing a bright shade of red. She had lost control of herself and the matt which lay below was starting to emit a strange smell. The grey matt had started taking on a black shade to it as well.
However, nobody had noticed the change in Madam Ya's behaviour since everyone else was focused on Xu Que. They had sunk deep into the lyrics of his song. They had also lost themselves in how Xu Que had managed to completely defeat the great students and was now unrivalled.
All the way till the end, when the strumming of the qin ended, and the music had stopped...
The entire hall was filled with silence!
Chapter 189: Worse Than A Beast
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
After the last note had been played, many people remained in silence for a long time.
At the next moment...
"Pa pa pa pa…"
Tang Liu Feng had taken the lead in clapping his hands, as many other students followed suit. These students had recently changed their opinions of Xu Que. Before long, the entire hall was filled with the sounds of applause.
"Great! Brother Li's talents are undisputed. I am in full admiration!"
"I didn't expect brother Li to be so multi-talented. At first, many of us doubted the authenticity of brother Li's works. Looks like we severely misunderstood him!"
"Yes! Based on the song lyrics played today, along with the, 'smoke seals the willows over the lake' sentence was a true masterpiece. He's already overtaken every single student here within the Imperial City!"
"That's right. Smoke seals the willows over the lake. To be frank, up till this point, I'm still unable to come up with a matching couplet. Even if you give me several more years, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to come up with a reply!"
The entire hall was filled with praise and admiration for Xu Que. There was still a small group of students who were still not used to thinking highly of Xu Que. At this point, most of the students had gathered around Xu Que, wanting to be his acquaintances.
For an individual to possess such talents, Xu Que had already surpassed all the other great students within Imperial City.
Having excelled and created a stalwart reputation for himself here at Madam Ya's banquet, his name would soon spread around the entire city like wildfire.
Everyone was hoping to befriend him, even if it was just to exchange a couple of words. Once they managed to interact with him, they could be considered a 'good friend of Li Bai, from Heavenly Explosion Faction'. They would be able to boast about this for many more years to come.
Because of Xu Que, Tang Liu Feng was receiving praise and recognition for the first time in his life. People even saluted to him and started conversations with him on their own accord.
This caused Tang Liu Feng to be startled from all the attention that he was receiving. Having come from Eastern College, he was always the butt of jokes and humiliation. He was even unable to hold his head up high everywhere he went.
And yet he could never have imagined that his status would be elevated just because of this brother Li beside him. In the blink of an eye, his entire life had changed. The ups and downs of life were so abrupt, it was exhilarating…
The entire hall had become lively once again, as everyone approached Xu Que, trying to make conversation with him.
Madam Ya intended to step forward and speak with Xu Que as well, but at this point, her body was limp and she felt drained of energy. Additionally, her entire skirt was wet, hence she was unable to stand up at all. She could only lean forward while seated down. Her beautiful looking eyes were glistening with the complex emotions of awe, admiration and liking. She watched Xu Que closely as if she didn't even wish to blink for fear of losing sight of him.
Just like that, the banquet which was suppose to be a freedom of expression for artistic talents had resulted in the elimination of two prominent great students. Soon after, a concert starring Li Bai from the Heavenly Explosion Faction begun, followed by a meet and greet session with the star himself.
Several seconds later, a female student rushed over and whispered several words into the ears of Madam Ya.
Madam Ya nodded her head plainly and muttered under her breath before speaking to the audience, "Everyone, the Flaming Sun Princess isn't feeling in best health thus she was unable to attend today's banquet!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present paused in shock.
The Flaming Sun Princess wouldn't be coming? That… What's that supposed to mean? One of the main reasons we all came down today and attended this banquet was to interact with the Flaming Sun Princess. And now… Ai!
Most of the students started to reveal looks of disappointment!
Xu Que was somewhat surprised as well.
Although he was addressed as Li Bai here, the Human Skin Mask bore the image of the person also known as Hua Wu Que.
Hence, he badly wanted to see the reaction of the Flaming Sun Princess when she saw him. At the same time, he would look for her to retrieve a map of the Imperial Tombs. However, he didn't expect this girl to be so stubborn and decide to change her mind at the last minute.
"That's just as well. It seems like this Act Tough Gangster has acted tough enough for a day. I shall let you rest and recover. A few days later, when the Prince Consort is supposed to be chosen, I shall spring up again and frighten all of you to tears!" Xu Que spoke in his heart as his lips curled into a smile.
After all, when it came to the matter of acting tough, a person should only do it thrice a day at most. Each time, he shouldn't invest too much effort in it. Also, when it came to the methods, there has to be some variation. Only then would a person truly be able to act tough well.
After Madam Ya told the students about the absence of the Flaming Sun Princess, she noticed that the mood of everyone was down. She then sighed out in displeasure as well.
Even though she knew that most of the students had come for the Flaming Sun Princess, she still felt somewhat sour about it deep in her heart.
When it came to outer appearances, she wasn't inferior to the Flaming Sun Princess at all. In fact, she knew that she looked more mature and tender compared to the Princess. She even felt like her body was much better than her nieces body!
Maybe it was because she had shown herself so frequently to the public that her appearances had lost its novelty to the masses. This was in sharp contrast to the Flaming Sun Princess who barely showed up in public. This gave her an air of intriguing mystery.
However, Madam Ya's eyes fell upon Xu Que once again.
When she saw that Xu Que was still smiling brightly despite hearing the bad news, Madam Ya felt a certain warmness in her heart. Her feelings for Xu Que swelled once again.
"Looks like he wasn't here for the Flaming sun Princess and was actually here to learn and sharpen his knowledge. What a good and proper gentleman!" Madam Ya thought to herself.
However, she wouldn't have known that Xu Que wasn't here to sharpen his knowledge and gain wisdom! He was here only to act tough. Wherever there was a crowd or a scene, that was the best place for Xu Que to act tough and he wouldn't miss it for the world.
This was his basic duty as the Act Tough King of his generation.
Some time later, Madam Ya looked around at the rest of the students present.
After knowing that the Flaming Sun Princess wasn't going to show up, along with the fact that the two great students from Bright Saints College had left in a hurry, most of them weren't interested in staying further.
In fact, after Xu Que had demonstrated his abilities in playing the qin, many students who were equally adept in music kept their instruments under the table. It was obvious that nobody wished to compete with Xu Que at anything.
Simply put, nobody in their right frame of mind would sing after Xu Que had sang his last song!
Because after hearing Xu Que's irritating voice singing "It's so lonely to be peerless", who else could outdo him when it came to such lyrics?
Madam Ya sat atop the matt, her skirt was covering the part of the matt which had been soaked through. She then looked at the audience and spoke, "Everyone, this humble nobility isn't feeling well too. How about we conclude this banquet now?"
Most of the students had no intention to stay longer as well. After Madam Ya said this, most of them clasped their hands in a salute and left.
Many students had also invited Pei Zi Yun and Tang Liu Feng out for tea, but Xu Que rejected them all without considering. Drink tea? What a joke. Big brother here only drinks beer. Why would I ever drink tea?
Tang Liu Feng however, seemed to enjoy all the attention he was receiving and gladly followed the students out for tea.
"Tang Liu Feng you scum… Forget it. You're unteachable. I even gave you the chance to be Tang Bo Hu, but you chose to let me down! Why would you agree to drink tea with this bunch of lowlives! Sigh, it's good that you've gone with them anyway. At least I can save on buying a beer for you!" Xu Que scoffed at Tang Liu Feng and shook his head, ready to depart from the hall.
"Young mister Li, please wait!" At this point, Madam Ya called out after him.
Xu Que's eyebrows jumped as his heart hammered in his chest. Could this gorgeous lady be looking for a one night stand?
Feeling a sense of anticipation and wariness, Xu Que turned around and laughed out politely, "I wonder what instructions Madam has for me?"
Madam Ya batted her eyelids and replied, "Young mister Li's talents are extraordinary and they opened my eyes. I wonder if you would stay behind and accompany me. I wish to see more of your talents!"
Fuck me! You address yourself as "this nobility" in front of everyone, and now you decided to address yourself informally with me?
Xu Que��s heart trembled. Looks like she really wanted a one night stand. How amazing was that? If he agreed to stay, that would be so immoral, it would be beasty!
At this point, he froze before saluting, "Many thanks to Madam for your patronage. It's just as well that this humble subject has nothing to do. I would gladly stay behind and discuss poems and lyrics with you!"
"Great. Young mister, please wait for a little while. I have to change into fresh clothes and tidy myself up." Madam Ya's happiness was very obvious as she slowly stood up and followed several female students.
Yes, Xu Que had agreed to stay behind.
Although it would be immoral to the point of being beasty if he stayed, if he chose not to stay, that would mean that he is worse than a beast!
Chapter 190: A Lady Called Moonlight
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
The entire hall was empty except for Xu Que. Hence, he decided not to stand on ceremony and sat down.
At the next moment, his eyes opened wide as his gaze fell upon the place Madam Ya was seating in earlier.
That's strange. Why was the mat she was seating on look so different from the other mats? The color was slightly darker than the rest!
Hence, the nosey Xu Que walked over suspiciously. As soon as his hands touched the mat, he was stumped.
It was wet. It was truly wet!
Why would a normal sitting mat be wet?
Sitting mat, sitting mat!
Who did you offend, tell me who did you offend?
That you would end up the victim of such a vicious attack?
Quick, tell me who did this to you! I shall vow to avenge you!
He picked up the mat and held it right before his eyes, examining it with a frown, just like how Sherlock Holmes would when he was investigating a crime. He then told the mat very severely, "Very good. The slightest evidence and traces of the culprit will always be picked up by me. These Sherlock Holmes' eyes are infallible�� It also seems like the perpetrator has left behind many clues. Eh? It's a bodily fluid, with a certain scent… That's awesome! All we have to do now is to conduct a DNA testing… But it seems like we're not equipped with the necessary items in order to conduct such testings. The only way to determine who the guilty person is would be to use the most effective method -to smell it!"
He then took a deep sniff before he understood everything that had happened. Although... He already knew what happened even without sniffing the mat.
"Fuck me, forget it! Why am I acting tough to a piece of sitting matt? This obviously belonged to Madam Ya…"
The crazed acting tough Xu Que placed the mat down before he thought about Madam Ya's invitation. He was filled with anticipation as he returned to his original sitting position and pretended not to have discovered anything.
Several moments later, a student walked in and led him to the yard behind.
Within the yard, Madam Ya had already changed into a white, silk gown. She was smiling as she sat on a stone bench, waiting for Xu Que to arrive.
However, Madam Ya didn't do anything in which Xu Que had imagined. Instead, she truly discussed poems and lyrics with Xu Que, causing him to feel speechless at this outcome.
They had long discussions till the night was dark and deep. Several students walked in and delivered food dishes.
Xu Que flipped his hands and retrieved two bottles of beers and whipped out a packet of cigarettes as well.
It can't be helped, his mood wasn't feeling very good since he was rather disappointed. He thought it would be a one night stand, but it was instead a one night discussion!
Madam Ya looked at the cigarette in Xu Que's hands and asked curiously, "Young mister Li, I wonder what that item is?"
Xu Que's brows were raised as he smiled slyly. "This is called a cigarette, would you like to try it?"
"Sure!" Madam Ya was a rather adventurous person and was always keen to try new things. She seemed rather excited by this prospect.
Xu Que decided to mess with Madam Ya. He thus took a long drag from his cigarette and blew it right into her face.
Madam Ya blushed a deep shade of red, but didn't seem to mind. Her luscious lips parted as she inhaled the smoke expelled by Xu Que!
"Slowly suck it in, let the smoke enter your lungs before blowing it out." Xu Que was guiding her gently. As he watched her, he half expected her to choke on the smoke and tear from the pain.
After all, when it came to smoking cigarettes, nobody gets it right on the first time. Anyone trying it would definitely choke on the smoke and feel rather horrible!
However, when Madam Ya inhaled her first breath of smoke, she didn't look like she was about to choke. She took the smoke smoothly before expelling it out of her lips, and revealed a look of immense satisfaction!
When Xu Que saw this, he was bewildered. What the hell? She actually got it right on the first time? What incredible blowing skills…
Xu Que laughed out before replying, "As the famous saying goes, 'a smoke after dinner makes you feel like a winner'. Since Madam Ya enjoyed it, I shall give this to you!"
"Many thanks young mister!" Madam Ya didn't refuse it and kept it with a smile.
The pair of them continued having chats under the night sky and were enthralled by each other's company!
Madam Ya looked up at the numerous stars in the sky and asked in anticipation, "Young mister Li, I wonder if you can recite a poem now. I wish to feel your poetic talents once again."
"Of course!"
Xu Que was able to see past the fact that he wasn't going to get laid tonight and decided to make the best of this situation- by acting tough!
He stood up and looked at the silver moonlight and spoke out, "The moonlight appears right before my bed, and resembled snow on the floor! I look up to view the bright moon, and look down to reminisce about my home village!"
Madam Ya paused as she started to feel the emotions stir up in her as a result of the poem. She then reacted and realized that this poem was about a person feeling home sick. She then sighed and asked, "Does young mister Li miss his home very much?"
"Nope!" Xu Que shook his head.
"Then why was the poem you recited so full of homesickness? Unless young mister Li looked up at the sky and was reminded of your home?" Madam Ya asked once again.
"That's not it as well. Madam Ya has gotten it wrong."
Xu Que shook his head once more and replied, "This poem was actually referring to a beautiful lady called Moonlight as she appeared before my bed and stripped naked. Her skin was as smooth and pale as snow on the ground. When I look up, I see this soft and tender lady called Moonlight…"
"..." Madam Ya was taken aback!
It was such a great poem, and yet… Had such a poor explanation?
A lady called Moonlight stripped naked. Could it be… That young mister Li was hinting at me?
At this point, Madam Ya blushed as her cheeks turned hot.
Although she wasn't a young girl, she was an unmarried lady who had never known any man intimately.
Actually, that wasn't right as well. The best way to say it would be that Madam Ya was a virgin. As the eldest Princess of the previous Emperor, she had to obey his orders. The previous Emperor was a pious man and followed religious customs which said that his first daughter had to be sacrificed as the wife to the Fire God in order to ensure the prosperity of the nation. Although this was just a ritual, it showed the strong faith in the Fire God by the population.
Hence, Madam Ya had to obey the orders from her father, the previous Emperor and remain unwed for life, since she belonged to the Fire God. If she decided to disobey this ritual, the entire nation would lose the blessings and protection of the Fire God.
It was precisely because of this reason that the once young and attractive Madam Ya is still single at this age. Hence, two generations of students could only look at her, but can never hope to get her. They could only enjoy her good looks from a distance.
Right when Xu Que had spoken those flirtatious words to her, she didn't feel anything at all, surprisingly. However she was somewhat unsettled and uneasy.
After all these years of remaining a single and lonely lady for the Fire God, was she truly satisfied? Was it truly worth it?
Madam Ya had thought about such questions in the past, and yet she had never met someone like Li Bai before. Not only was her body trembling in the presence of such a man, even her soul was shaking like the wind. He was such an extraordinary student with exquisite talents and a unique personality.
As her breathing became more labored, Madam Ya seemed to be making a painful and tough decision. Several breaths later, she then replied, "Young mister… Li, I… I'm not ready yet, can we speak about this again in future?"
"Ah?"
Xu Que paused, as he looked at the shy expression on Madam Ya's face before understanding what had happened. She had realized that he was hinting at her.
To be frank, did you really think I was being flirty? In actual fact, I'm just acting tough all the time!
Xu Que laughed out and replied, "Of course, of course. We still have many days together. If Madam Ya truly likes listening to poems, there shall be many more opportunities to do so. I can recite more poems in the future for you!"
"Young mister Li is truly a gentleman!" Madam Ya laughed out and replied.
Xu Que's lips trembled and didn't speak more.
After all, the Flaming Sun Princess was due to choose her Prince Consort in several days time and he wanted to ruin the affair. Hence, he decided that he shouldn't go overboard with Madam Ya today.
If it weren't for such circumstances and if he found himself in today's position, he would've used his entire arsenal of seduction techniques and succeed in landing himself a one night stand!
After having supper together, Xu Que stood up and decided to bid farewell before returning to his inn for some sleep.
Although Madam Ya couldn't bear to watch him go, she didn't actually dare to ask Xu Que to stay the night. Hence, she walked him out.
Soon after, she returned to her yard and sat by the stone bench mumbling to herself for sometime. She then lit another cigarette.
"This is truly amazing. I can take these cigarettes to the minister's wives and general's wives to let them try it!"
Chapter 191: Act A: Massive Wave Of Toughness!
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
By the second day, the name "Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction" had spread like wildfire within the entire Imperial City.
First, this was because the leader of the four great students, young master Zhao was wearing a note on his body as he walked around the entire Imperial City. The note read, "Zhao Wu is not match for Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction!"
Secondly, it was because of the word game which Xu Que had played. He referred to Zhao Wu as Zhao Ri Tian, which thus became a cruel nickname for him.
Soon after, all the students who were present for Madam Ya's banquet started recounting the details of the banquet to everyone.
A person told ten other people. Ten people told a hundred others. In the span of a single night, almost the entire Imperial City was speaking about Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction!
Of course, the tales which spread to the furthest were of the poems recited by Xu Que.
"Good rain knows its time well, and will fall once spring arrives. With the wind it steals the night, and silently dampens all things. This is such a good poem. This Li Bai must truly be a genius to come up with such great lines!"
"There was also, 'as sounded the wind and rain o'ernight, I wonder how many blooms alight', that is truly a masterpiece!"
"It's unfathomable how a person would recite so many masterpieces within the span of a single night. And he even composed all these poems in ten steps. Such talents is truly worthy of admiration!"
"He has my respects. The rest of us highly qualified students won't even be able to hold our own in the presence of such a great talent!"
"Actually, the one which benefited me the most was, 'these drops of rain were born of the heavens but died here on earth. Their lives spanned the entire duration it took for the raindrops to land.'"
Many talented scholars and cultivators, and even the commoners were all talking about Xu Que's poems!
Even the female students would sit around and recite the poems composed by Xu Que.
"On a cold night within a small building, the sweet sound of autumn rain could be heard. Deep within an alley, a merchant sold flowers in herds. What a genius Li Bai!"
"Of the four hundred and eighty temples built in the Southern Dynasties, most were shrouded in the hail of mists and rain. I wonder what caliber of genius did it take for someone to come up with something as impressive as that? I truly wish for the chance to interact with him!"
"While others are teasing my madness, I am laughing at their shortsightedness! Only someone with extraordinary skills could ever think of such lines!"
Without even realizing it, Xu Que had a female fan club dedicated to reciting his poems!
What was most impressive was the fact that he came up with the couplet, 'smoke seals the willows over the lake'. This attracted the attention of many well learned students, both old and young as they attempted to find a reply worthy of the first half.
Indeed, nobody was able to come up with a proper reply to his couplet.
Something funny that happened was the fact that many paintings had circulated within the Imperial City and were titled . Many students had purchased the paintings for themselves and hung it in their homes, proudly showing their guests this piece of art.
There were even fans who picked up Xu Que's songs and were singing them everywhere they went, "It's so lonely to be peerless!"
Everyone was also trying to find the stick which the great genius Li Bai had in his mouth. They were unsure of what it was, and only knew it was called a 'cigarette'. But how does one smoke a cigarette? And what were cigarettes made of?
To give the genius Li Bai so much inspiration, this cigarette has to be something good.
Apart from the cigarettes, another powerful catchphrase which had begun circulating was, "With cigarettes and beers, my powers have no peers". This caused many cultivators around to go crazy deciphering its meaning.
Within a short span of time, the entire city of refined and cultured students, who enjoyed experimenting with new ideas, were all on the streets looking for cigarettes and beers.
However, even though they've combed the entire city, nobody was able to get a good understanding of what those items were.
By afternoon, Madam Ya had brought the packet of cigarettes when she visited the wives of other nobilities. After the first puff, everyone was astounded by how good it felt.
Even some of the generals asked for a stick as they inhaled and exhaled in glee. Before long, everyone was begging for cigarettes from Madam Ya.
Not even an hour later, all the cigarettes which Xu Que had given Madam Ya had finished!
Hence by nightfall, many of these generals were finding hard to sleep and were feeling extremely uncomfortable and edgy. This was because they were already addicted to the cigarettes!
Xu Que was sleeping soundly within his inn while Tang Liu Feng went out to have some drinks. While he was out, he was being asked so many questions up till the time he returned back.
Since nobody disturbed him, Xu Que slept soundly for two consecutive nights. He seemed to be unaware that just by attending a single banquet, he had turned the entire city upside down.
Within his mind, the system detected that the host was asleep and thus didn't give any notifications. But his act tough points were accumulating rapidly!
Three days after the banquet, Xu Que finally woke up and stretched himself. He opened the system interface and saw more than 8,000 act tough points and was stumped!
When he left his room and decided to head downstairs for some food, he was surrounded by an entire group of people who clearly idolized him. Only then did he find out what had happened while he was asleep.
There was even a student who took a copy of and asked him to write a poem on it.
Xu Que didn't even hesitate. After all, it was madness not to act tough when an opportunity arose. He then wrote, "I hold the universe in my hand, like me, there is no man."
Signed by: Li Bai, Heavenly Explosion Faction!
Soon after, the group of fans were starstruck by his poem. After hearing the system beeps in his head, Xu Que decided to return to his room where he burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"Hahaha! My acting tough points have increased so much that I can even smile in my dreams. I shall continue to act tough this way the next place I go to!"
He then ordered the waiter to deliver some hot water to his room, where he cleaned himself up and took a bath.
Xu Que then put on a fresh set of black robes as he pulled out his Dark Buster Sword and left the room.
It wasn't that he no longer wanted to become a student. It was that he was afraid students would continually stop him for poems. Hence he wore his black robes and dressed like a rouge cultivator as he made his way to the Imperial Palace.
As Xu Que had enquired earlier, the Flaming Sun Princess would choose her Prince Consort tomorrow and the venue was in the palace.
Hence, he decided to go earlier to find Zi Xuan and the Flaming Sun Princess and ask them for the map of the Imperial Tombs. He can then find out more about the Prince Consort matter.
Because tomorrow, he was going to act a mighty wave of toughness!
He wanted the Fire Emperor to look foolish before the huge swarm of people.
However, such matters required good planning. The Fire Emperor was of the Infant Transformation Stage, level 6. Hence, Xu Que had to make sufficient preparations so that he will successfully act tough instead of eating grass when the time arose.
As he walked down several alleys towards the Imperial Palace, he could hear people discussing Li Bai and his talents. Everyone was reciting the poems which he had composed.
Since Xu Que was dressed in his black robes, nobody could tell who he was. Thus he arrived before the palace without obstruction.
He then started thinking of an excuse to enter.
Just before he could approach the entrance, an Original Infant Staged guard step forward and extended a hand outwards, speaking coldly, "This is the Imperial Palace. Entrance is prohibited for people who have no business here!"
"Haha! No business here? I advise you to inform the Flaming Sun Princess of my arrival." Xu Que laughed coldly.
"Tell her, that Hua Wu Que of the Heavenly Explosion Faction is here!"
Chapter 192: Reputation Spread Far And Wide
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Standing before the imperial guard, Xu Que styled himself as Hua Wu Que of the Heavenly Explosion Faction.
If only he had the luxury of time and could afford to delay revealing his identity, he would take out his Prince Consort tile and messed around with the guard. This guard would certainly be so startled he wouldn't know what to do.
As soon as this guard heard what Xu Que said about the "Heavenly Explosion Faction", his face revealed a look of shock.
As an imperial guard of the palace, he always kept a ear out for the latest news and gossip. He remembered hearing Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction coming up in conversations, something about him making a name for himself within Imperial City. There was no reason why he shouldn't have heard of Li Bai.
However, he was incharge with the duty of protecting the palace and thus couldn't make an exception for Xu Que despite the familiarity of the faction.
Hence, the Imperial Guard wore an expression of friendliness and warmth. He spoke softly, "My daoist friend, can I invite you to return to where you came from? The Fire Emperor has given new orders. Before the layout of the training grounds have been finalized, nobody is to enter or leave this palace. Even the Flaming Sun Princess would be denied exit!"
"Training grounds?" Xu Que paused in shock.
Why were they changing the layout of the training grounds at this time? Could it be because of the Prince Consort selection tomorrow?
Aye, it looks like I've discovered a piece of news which would be useful!
He squinted and laughed plainly, "So what he means to say is that the training grounds would look incredible, huh? Even the Flaming Sun Princess won't be able to leave the palace?"
"Don't you know about this? The Fire Emperor has already issued an imperial edict. The training grounds will be used for the selection of the Prince Consort. There will be a total of three stages. The first stage will test the candidate's literary abilities. The second stage tests the candidate's fighting abilities. The third and final stage was called the palace test. Candidates will have to draw lots and be tested according to what they've drawn. In a sense, this was a test of luck as well. If a candidate were to draw an easy test, he would pass through easily. I've heard there's a possibility of getting an extremely challenging task. This task was the sole reason for the change in lay out!" The guard exclaimed.
Xu Que was taken aback. So it seemed like the training grounds was being utilized for this purpose. Is it because you're afraid that the palace would get wrecked? Since that's the case, it's not half as fun as I expected it to be. I thought I chanced upon an earth shaking secret which the grounds were being used for!
Forget it then. I'm in no hurry anyway. Tomorrow, yours truly will personally make the palace explode!
My Heavenly Explosion Faction even dares to explode the heavens. Why shouldn't I dare to explode your lame palace? Just you wait Fiery Dog Emperor!
Xu Que sniggered to himself before he saluted the guard and turned to leave.
When he returned to the inn, he realized that the entire area was swamped with people. Evidently, many people had found out that this was the place where Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction was staying in. Hence, they came to seek him out!
The owner of the inn was rather pleased with the huge surge in popularity of his inn as well. He was elated that the news was spreading about the great genius, Li Bai and that he was a resident of the establishment. Without an hour, the entire inn was filled with people.
When Xu Que returned back, he took off his headwear and forgot to keep it on.
As soon as his face was revealed, a swarm of people rushed up to him like bees surrounding their hive. There was even a middle aged woman who started dancing excitedly while waving her handkerchief around as soon as she saw him.
"Please wait young master Li, I've had to cross many mountains and lakes before I could get here, all just to meet with young master Li for a little while!"
"Quick! Young master Li is over there. Haha… I've finally seen how he looks like. I even got a quick grab at his butt. His little butt is so perky and tight…"
"I managed to touch it too. Young master Li's chest is so tough and strong. I shall not wash my right hand for a year after managing to touch him. With the aura of young master Li with me, I will most certainly have a newfound inspiration for poems and essays…"
It took a great deal of effort before Xu Que managed to squeeze his way past the crowd. He was feeling rather strange deep down, for he had never expected to be this popular and well-liked by the crowd.
Xu Que was rather startled by a large group of old perverted women who nearly caused him to pee in his pants with their forceful mannerisms. Xu Que had to cling onto his black robes and squeeze past the frenzied crowd who were trying to tear his clothes off his body.
Just as Xu Que managed to escape the raving crowd, he shook his head before looking over his shoulder warily and noticed that they were still chasing after him.
Why was there a meet and greet session for fans so early in his career?
Grope? Grope your sisters!
I can't tolerate it! I mustn't tolerate it!
Big brother is here to act tough and not here for you to grope!
And you even spoke about not washing your hands! That's so disgusting!
The core of acting tough!
Consists of a main point and two secondary points.
First off, the core of acting tough was to maintain a low profile and privacy during daily routines!
No fans, no followers!
And yet this bunch of brain dead followers have come here to create a scene and even started chasing after me. How am I supposed to act tough this way?
Can you please let me act tough in peace without groping me or making a scene? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?
He shook his head as he sighed. He then turned around and walked to another inn nearby. This time, he didn't dare to reveal his Li Bai's face to the crowd again.
On the morning of the next day, the sky had just turned bright when Xu Que woke up and rushed to the Imperial Palace.
Today was a big day since it was the day which the Imperial Family will be searching for a worthy Prince Consort.
Despite the fact that Xu Que had left early, there's already a large group of people gathered outside the palace. Apart from several cultivators present who came to register themselves as candidates, there were many other hundreds of people who had come to witness the event!
The queue into the palace was extremely long by this time and was moving rather slowly. Even if Xu Que decided to join the queue immediately, he would probably have to wait till noon before he could enter.
"Damn it! Why did all of you arrive so early? Are you all rushing to be reincarnated or something?!"
Xu Que cursed under his breath before he scanned his surroundings sneakily. He then noticed several young masters who had been present at Madam Ya's banquet just arriving as well. These were the same people who had laughed at Xu Que earlier during the banquet. However, when they came, they started laughing at those people in the queue loudly while they strode over to the front.
When Xu Que craned his neck, he then realized that these young masters had instructed several younger students to wake up early and queue up for them. Hence, they could afford to sleep in before taking the places of these younger students and still be ahead in the queue.
"Outrageous! Are you taking advantage of the fact that I don't have any younger juniors to do this for me?"
He thus decided to follow closely behind the group of young masters walking to the front and waited for them to change places with the young juniors. Since he moved rather quickly and deftly, he managed to squeeze himself to the front of this group while they were swapping places.
However, despite how quick Xu Que was, he still managed to get discovered by these students and received a scolding, "Ai yo! Who's this person standing in front of me?"
"Me? You're asking who I am? I am me! Why would you have to ask such a silly question? Is there something wrong with you?" Xu Que smiled as he replied, feigning ignorance.
When a young master heard this, he turned angry and started pointing at Xu Que, "Outrageous! Everyone's here queuing up! How can you cut the queue? Who do you think…"
"That's because I have no morals!" Xu Que laughed as he replied matter of factly.
"You…" The few young masters wanted to berate Xu Que further but were caught speechless. They were just about to scold and insult Xu Que for having no morals and for being shameless. Right before they could berate his lack of virtues, he actually admitted to it himself.
This… This was damned unconventional! How could he speak in such a manner?
"Guard! Guard! This bastard here had cut the queue. Chase him away!"
The few young masters were clearly agitated by Xu Que and waved their hands in the air to attract the attention of the Imperial Guard.
As coincidence would have it, the guard who walked by was the same guard who had met Xu Que yesterday.
He had a rather deep impression formed for the black robed man from Heavenly Explosion Faction and was rather afraid of offending this fearsome sounding "Heavenly Explosion Faction". Hence, he regarded those students with impunity and treated them as though they were making a scene. He stepped forward and started berating the students, "What are you shouting about? Who cut the queue? Why didn't I see anyone cutting the queue?"
"You…" The few young masters opened their eyes wide in surprise and helplessness as they realized that the guard was defending Xu Que.
This guard decided to close an eye and let Xu Que get away with this matter without consequence.
After he had finished scolding these students, he then turned around to leave.
However right at this point, Xu Que started raising his hands anxiously as he shouted out at the guard, "Comrade! Over here, over here! I'm the person who cut the queue!"
Guard : "..."
Chapter 193: The Wonders Of Cigarettes
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
The guard looked at Xu Que wordlessly and felt a shadow creep up deep within his heart as he watched this strange development unfold before his eyes.
I recall that you were from the Heavenly Explosion Faction and wanted to help you through this mess but you didn't even follow societal expectations in such situations. How am I to help you then?
"It's him! Guard, even he admitted to doing it himself. He was so blatant in cutting the queue. Standing right in the sacred grounds of the palace, can you turn away from such an admission of guilt?"
The few young masters watched how Xu Que shot himself in the foot and were elated as they hurriedly raised it up to the guard once more.
When the guard looked at Xu Que, he saw a look of indignance on his face and Xu Que didn't look the least afraid. He looked up at the guard with his huge eyes and appeared rather innocent. The guard still felt like it was better for him to offend the young noble students in the city rather than offend this mysterious looking Hua Wu Que of the Heavenly Explosion Faction.
"Cough, cough... the few of you, stop making a scene here on the sacred grounds of the Imperial Palace. Even if it's true that this young master did cut the queue, he must have done so because of the difficulties in his life. Isn't that right?"
As the guard finished speaking, he looked at Xu Que nervously, hoping that Xu Que would help him out here. The guard thought to himself, "Hurry, I can only help you up to this point. Fabricate a story about how you've gone through a difficult time and ask for sympathy. I might be able to pull you through."
Difficulties?
Xu Que paused before he laughed and spoke, "Of course, I've been through many difficulties in my life. If not, why would I cut the queue?"
"Yes, yes, yes, tell us about your difficulties which you've braved through. I believe these few young masters here would understand and sympathize."
The Imperial Guard finally wiped a sweat off his brow. He then thought to himself about how these men from Heavenly Explosion Faction were rather silly but was still relieved that he had finally directed him onto the right track.
The few young masters look at the guard and could tell that the Imperial Guard was evidently defending Xu Que. It seemed to them like Xu Que's background wasn't ordinary at all since he had such connections. They sighed out and decided to let the matter pass no matter what excuse Xu Que came up with.
Everyone thus looked at Xu Que, ready to listen to his difficulties and forget about the matter. Xu Que then spoke out, "My difficulty lies in the fact that I wished to enter the palace to register but the queue was way too long. Only a stupid person wouldn't cut the line."
His difficulty was that he wished to enter the palace?
Of all the damned students and cultivators here, who doesn't wish to go in as well?
All that was needed was a barely believable excuse and everyone would forget about the matter and allow Xu Que in and yet he came up with such a lousy excuse. This caused everyone around to feel rather uncomfortable.
What was going on here? Why were there people making a scene about someone cutting the line on the sacred grounds of the Imperial Palace?
The scene had attracted the attention of the Garrison General, Li Tian Zhong. Li Tian Zhong was feeling particularly uncomfortable today, feeling as if something was missing from his lips. After he had been introduced to cigarettes by Madam Ya, all he wanted to do was to have a cigarette between his lips. Now that he didn't, he felt like something was missing from his life.
The strict and fearsome Garrison General Li Tian Zhong walked over and inquired about the matter with his tone being extremely irritable and intolerant.
That Imperial Guard hurriedly rushed over to him and shouted out, "Respects to Garrison General Li. Everything is going well here, for nobody would dare to cause a scene and even dream of cutting queues on the sacred grounds of the Fire Imperial Palace."
As soon as these words were spoken out, the Imperial Guard realized that he had made a huge mistake.
At the next moment, Xu Que raised his hands weakly and spoke, "You're General Li huh? This humble subject had just cut a queue."
When everyone around heard this, they started to feel worried for Xu Que. Even the General of the garrison had arrived and you still dared to admit cutting the queue? Even we would have spoken up for you and denied that you had cut the queue. You really shot yourself in the foot there.
In spite of it, Xu Que didn't look like he cared the least about the general.
Because I'm an Act Tough Tyrant...
I would cut queues without hesitation.
So what?
I am a member of the Heavenly Explosion Faction. I shall admit to whatever I've done without fear of the consequences.
At the same time, he observed General Li's frustration and restlessness. Xu Que saw how he was rubbing his fingers on his pants in evident discomfort. This was a symptom of cigarette addiction!
The cigarettes which Xu Que purchased from within the system store weren't any other ordinary products. Most cigarettes would take some time before the user would get addicted to it. However, the system's products were definitely cheating items. Even Xu Que had experienced this for himself. It was evident that the system wanted the user to get so severely addicted to the cigarettes that he had to keep spending act tough points in order to keep up the habit, hence the cigarettes were extremely addictive.
As soon as the first puff was inhaled, the user would immediately feel the urge to purchase several more packets to smoke.
Hence, when Xu Que saw how General Li was behaving, he guessed that the General was probably given some cigarettes from Madam Ya.
"You dared to cut a queue right here before the Imperial Palace? Are you sick of living?"
When General Li heard Xu Que's admission of guilt, he was about to open his mouth and give Xu Que a thorough dress down before calling his men to arrive and take him away.
"What's the big deal with cutting queues in the Imperial Palace? I've done this many times over the past few years." Xu Que muttered under his breath.
He then laughed out before purchasing a packet of cigarettes from the system store and placed it between his lips and snapped his fingers to light the cigarette up.
As soon as he did this, everyone opened their eyes wide and their faces turned to astonished glances.
This was the fabled and legendary cigarette which they've heard so much about.
The few of them were appalled. They've heard about such a precious item in circulation within the Imperial City. After taking a few puffs, the user would feel a sense of euphoria and his body would feel as light as an immortal. Many high ranking generals had announced that they were willing to pay high prices in order to acquire more of it but were unable to find any.
They never expected to see this black robed man taking a packet of cigarettes out. In fact, the packet looked completely new.
At this point, Xu Que exhaled a thick smoke ring.
General Li closed his eyes and inhaled the second hand smoke and was elated.
"Cough, cough, I've already checked the status of this young master. In fact, you don't even have to queue up. You have a special privilege of direct admission."
General Li's attitude took a complete turn as he forced out a warm and friendly smile while speaking to Xu Que.
Xu Que's brows twitched, "How can I accept special privileges? Everyone's waiting here for their turn and I'm such a modest and humble person. How can I ever accept special privileges and gain direct admission?"
The few people around snarled.
Fuck! You're a modest and humble person?
You even intentionally took out the highly sought after cigarettes before us but refuse your special privileges?
General Li's addiction and withdrawals were peaking as he hurriedly replied, "Young master is probably kidding. We've prepared an alternative route for people with such grand and lofty statuses. This isn't a special privilege."
"Oh, this isn't a special privilege? Alright then. Lead the way."
Xu Que revealed a look of inner struggle as he made up his mind to follow General Li and took the side entrance into the palace.
Just before he left, he looked at the group of young masters with disappointed look, "Continue working hard, young men. Watch how I'm taking a route only reserved for people with grand statuses."
The few students were so furious they were trembling and yet they couldn't do anything to Xu Que, since he had cigarettes and the protection of the Imperial Guards. What else could they do except to bite the bullet?
Following the lead of General Li, Xu Que entered the palace without issues and was led towards the training grounds.
Xu Que had gone to such lengths in order to distinguish himself as a person with status, entering the palace through a side door with a motive.
This was because there was a protective spell placed at the main entrance where everyone would have to go through. This protective spell would break his disguise and reveal his true identity.
On the other hand, entering from the side door meant that there was a lower chance that of being directed to the protective spell to be screened. As long as he was careful, this would be very unlikely. After registering himself, nobody would suspect his identity any longer.
As long as he could protect his true identity, he could create more opportunities to act tough in the future.
This was another key point to successful acting tough.
Chapter 194: Looks like another Act Tough Criminal has appeared
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
After giving two sticks to General Li and handling all the relevant administrative matters, Xu Que finally stepped into the palace.
This was his first time entering the palace after transmigrating, and yet the impressions and memories which swarmed his mind were so vivid.
The training ground was located right beside the throne room, over a large patch of flat lands. When Xu Que looked over, he realized that a large spell had been placed over the training ground and resembled a dome, clearly separating the training grounds from the rest of the palace.
The piece of flat land was extremely wide and was the size of about seven football fields. More than a dozen stages were fitted all around the training grounds. An Imperial Guard stood beside each stage, watching out for any suspicious activity.
Right in the middle of all these stages was a peculiar looking teleportation spell, which was surrounded and maintained by ten Original Infant Staged cultivators. Xu Que watched but couldn't determine the purpose of a teleportation spell.
What was the use of a teleportation spell here? Could it be that the candidates would be transported to another location to be tested? Xu Que muttered under his breath softly.
At this point a student walked past him and heard him mumbling to himself and smiled. "Fellow brother, haven't you heard the announcements yesterday? Apart from testing literary talents, candidates would even be tested based on how well they fought."
"Oh, then what was the purpose of the teleportation spell?" Xu Que asked curiously.
The student replied him passionately, "Of course it has something to do with the demons which have been causing problems to Fire Nations. Hundreds of victims had been harmed by these demons over the past few months. The teleportation spell would thus be a test of how well a candidate can fight. It would thus send the candidate into a forest to kill the demonic beasts."
Xu Que was taken aback by how simple the test was.
The student then started sweating as he continued speaking, "Brother, doing this is no easy feat. The demonic beasts are innately stronger than most humans of the same cultivation level. Besides, this test was about which candidate could kill the most Golden Core Staged demonic beasts. The fighting here would be very intense."
When Xu Que heard this he was elated. A test of who could kill the most demonic beasts, that was interesting.
Killing demonic beasts? Isn't that too simple? It's just TOO EASY.
"Fellow brother, please do not let your guard down while you're attempting to kill these beasts. If you get into trouble in the wilderness, nobody would be able to rescue you. And yet getting to that stage isn't easy. Look, we still have to get through the first round of literary tests." The student stretched his hand and pointed towards the elevated stages within the training grounds.
Xu Que looked at the dozens of stages and creased his eyebrows, "Why were these stages needed for the tests then?"
"Of course it's for us to compete against one another fairly. This test is actually a test of our martial arts foundations. The spells around the stage would seal up our core energy. Hence we're only allowed to use our own physical strength and compete against one another."
"So this was to test our basic martial arts capabilities? I thought it was to test our knowledge on poems."
"Naturally there would be tests on poems, but you have to first pass through this stage of martial arts testing before you can advance to the next stage, which would discuss poems."
"So that's the case, thank you my fellow brother for you guidance."
Xu Que clasped his hands in a salute.
The student returned the salute as he departed.
Xu Que swept a glance at the training grounds as his lips curled into a smile. After all, martial arts was much simpler than reciting poems.
Hehe, this is going to be too easy.
Right at the same time, the crowd started to thicken within the training grounds. Many cultivators who had queued up early had been granted admission into the palace grounds, along with several other esteemed candidates who had been allowed to skip the queues like Xu Que had.
All of a sudden, the crowd broke out in audible discussion as people were roused and alarmed. The scene was rather noisy, and Xu Que was unsure about what had just transpired./
When Xu Que turned his head to look, he saw that the huge gates had been opened where several members strolled in under the protection of several Imperial Guards.
"Quick look, those are the disciples from the three biggest sects across the five nations." A student shouted out in excitement.
It's been long rumoured that disciples from the three great sects would participate as well, although nobody had expected so many of them to show up.
Indeed, each of them looked extraordinary, and everyone could tell that these disciples were extremely powerful
The group leading the way belonged to Jade Sword Sect, and the person leading the sect was dressed in white robes. He must be the legendary swordsman, Ye Zhang Feng.
Indeed, the rumours stated that he owned a blood coloured shadowless blade that could move with such lightning speeds. It's been said that this treasured item was betrothed to him by the sect leader of the Jade Sword Sect himself. Whenever he killed, his victims won't even be able to see his strikes due to how quick they were.
His cultivation level wasn't low as well. Although he looked rather young, he was already of the third stage of the Original Infant Stage.
The crowd broke out in hushed discussions as their eyes fell onto the highly skilled swordsman in white robes.
When Xu Que heard some of these discussions, he turned to look at him as well and thought to himself, "Damn that scoundrel. Looks like another Act Tough Criminal has appeared. But how dare you act tough right before the act tough king. You are not worthy."
Look at all of you, what rubbish about being from the three great sects of the fire nations? You look just like students who have been guaranteed admissions into schools, but when it comes down to it, you still have to compete with me on those stages.
Xu Que especially hated it whenever other people acted tough in front of him. This supposedly legendary swordsman was just displaying his skills before an expert. If you're really that good, you should use this chance to stop the spread of my famous name and reputation!
Xu Que watched the way he swaggered as he walked, and was repulsed by him. "Your robes are so white, do you think you're the leading actor in this acting tough scene? This act tough king will play with you until you're sick of it!"
He thought to himself deep down in his heart. Naturally, he wouldn't even give regard to this rubbish 'legendary swordsman', for he was only level 3 of the Original Infant Stage. Xu Que could kill him with just a slap.
Apart from the Jade Sword Sect, there were disciples from Sky Incense Valley and Enlightenment Sect. The disciples of these three sects looked rather heroic and extraordinary. Each of them possessed a certain fearsomeness to them.
As soon as they entered the training grounds, each of them had his chest stuck out, clearly enjoying the attention received by all these cultivators and students.
However to Xu Que, these were a group of weak act tough criminals. His attention was directed at the group of Sky Incense Valley disciples.
He recalled how he was at the trial area of the Sky Incense Valley some time back, and the huge scene he caused. Soon after, he met a woman who was as calm as water atop the Soul Tower. It was such a pity that he had to activate his Escape Emblem even before he could get his hands on her.
Seeing the group of Sky Incense Valley disciples at this point caused him to pay them closer attention, as he sought someone out from the crowd.
However he was evidently disappointed. Apart from the ten disciples sent by Sky Incense Valley, there was only an Infant Transformation Staged elder who led them. Everyone of those faces were unfamiliar, none of them were those he had met while at the trial area.
"Ai, could it be that we're not fated?" Xu Que sighed as he shook his head.
Before long, there was a group of people who had entered the palace. The disciples of the great sects along with several students from different colleges were dispatched to their assigned area and was given tea.
Only people like Xu Que, who came as an unknown individual without any status, had to look for an empty spot to stand.
Right at this point, a eunuch appeared from the throne room and walked over.
He was holding on tightly to an imperial edict and had a rather fearsome posture. He stood atop a stage and cleared his throat before shouting out, "Arrival of the Imperial Edict!"
Immediately, everyone around ceased in their discussions as they looked up at the stage outside the throne room.
The eunuch pulled open the scroll and started reading out, "Behold the words of the mighty Fire Emperor's, : Only a person complete in both martial arts and literary skills would be worthy of becoming the Prince Consort to the Fire Nations."
After the simple message had been broadcasted, the eunuch rolled the scroll as he scanned across the crowd and exclaimed in a shrill voice, "The first test begins."
Dong dong dong!
The drums started hammering away somewhere in the distance, and were so loud they hurt the ears and caused adrenaline to pump within the hearts of those competing.
Everyone around straightened themselves up and started heading towards the training grounds.
"The hardest part for us would be the fighting parts, as long as get through it, we would find the other tests easy." A student spoke out in glee.
"The disciples of the great sects or other rogue cultivators would have difficulties with the poems and literary arts."
The Fire Emperor evidently favors students like us. The first round was to compare martial arts strengths against each other. The purpose of this was to prevent death or severe injuries to each other. Later on, we would then be able to eliminate some of these brutish cultivators, and allow us to successfully advance.
However, the hardest part would be the second stage, in which we're required to kill demonic beasts. We only have to rely on our own individual strengths then.
The few student cultivators whispered among themselves, as their faces revealed looks of confidence.
Right at this point, a loud sound rang out as the protective spell started to shine brightly. Nine entrances were opened up, as they led to 81 different stages where candidates would compete.
Chapter 195: This Humble Subject Is Ye Liang Chen Of The Heavenly Explosion Faction
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
"Everyone, please enter the training grounds. The teleportation spells will send you to the respective stages and place you with an appropriate opponent!" The eunuch stood before the throne room and shouted out and his voice echoed around half the entire area of the palace.
"The stage requires the candidates to defeat three opponents and would only emerge victorious after satisfying these three conditions." The eunuch spoke as he waved his hands.
A wisp of white energy ascended into the air from his hands as they transformed into the imperial edict. Golden words started to form as the crowd gawked in amazement.
One: In three battles, a candidate mustn't lose a single round. If he does, he faces elimination.
Two: Each round requires the candidates to wield different weapons.
Three: Opponents must not hurt or kill each other.
Everyone broke out in discussion as soon as they read the requirements. These were rather unique.
Apart from the third condition, the first two posed a certain level of difficulty.
Three rounds of fighting without using the same weapon and a candidate mustn't lose a single round. This required a great deal of skill to emerge victorious.
Most of the people present were trained in sword fighting. Apart from sword fighting techniques, they might have a small grasp of knife techniques. But other than knives and swords, the only thing they were proficient in were probably with bare knuckles.
As for those who specialized in cultivating in spears or in polearms only, they were stumped by this requirement. It was extremely difficult for them to survive three rounds using different weapons each round.
However, when some of the students and several disciples of the great sects heard this, they were elated and were filled with confidence.
There were many options open to students. They could use their pens, a sword, or even a scroll as weapons.
The disciples from these great sects were also well versed in many weapons. These disciples were often trained in the basics of sword techniques, knife techniques, rod techniques, as well as many other weapons. After all, these formed the foundations of learning for these disciples and thus, they're not flustered by these rules at all.
"Hehe… it seems like these conditions were set in place to eliminate those rogue cultivators who had only trained in a single weapon." Xu Que laughed coldly within his heart. He too, knew that these rules were implemented to weed out those rogue cultivators with poor foundations in other weapons and eliminate them.
However, when it came to martial arts foundations, Xu Que was probably had the worst foundation and was utter rubbish. He had never learnt any sword techniques or knife techniques. Additionally, his skills like the Flame Devouring Wave and Six Corporeal Forms all required core energy to activate.
In simple terms, without his core energy and ignoring his physical strengths, he had no other areas of strengths.
"Sire, may I ask if you've seen Li Bai of the Heavenly Explosion Faction?" At this point, a familiar voice rang out a distance away.
When he turned his head, he saw Tang Liu Feng asking another student a question.
The student shook his head and replied, "Many people are looking for him today. But it's a pity I haven't seen or heard about him. I'm afraid he isn't showing up today."
"Ai, many thanks." Tang Liu Feng sighed as he walked away.
When Xu Que saw him, he was somewhat glad but wondered why he was looking for him.
At this point, he took a step forward and stood in Tang Liu Feng's way. He then spoke, "Brother, may I ask, why are you searching for my faction's brother?"
Tang Liu Feng paused as he looked up at Xu Que and was unable to recognize him because his black robes had disguised his identity. He then replied curiously, "I wonder who this sire is?"
"I am Ye Liang Chen of the Heavenly Explosion Faction. Li Bai and I are brothers." Xu Que replied as he lowered his voice to sound different. He wanted to trick Tang Liu Feng for fun. When he registered his name earlier, he randomly chose a name for himself, which was what he told Tang Liu Feng.
When Tang Liu Feng heard this, he revealed an expression of utmost reverence as he replied, "That's great, brother Liang Chen. Can I ask if you have a way to contact brother Li Bai? I have something urgent I wish to tell him."
"What urgent matter?"
"It's regarding Madam Ya. Wait a second. Can I ask if there's any way to prove that you know brother Li? If not, this humble subject cannot divulge the information." Tang Liu Feng spoke halfway before realizing that this person could be lying. He thus looked up at Xu Que warily.
When Xu Que heard that this matter involved Madam Ya, he looked up at Tang Liu Feng and realized that he did look rather anxious. His heart started to beat faster. Could something bad have happened to Madam Ya?
"Tang Ho Bu, look clearly and see who I really am!" Xu Que then lowered his hood before putting back on hurriedly.
Just a glance was enough for Tang Liu Feng to see Xu Que's appearance and recognize him. His eyes opened wide, "Brother Li, how did you…"
"There's no time. Quick, even though there's nowhere we can go and have a quiet conversation, don't beat around the bush. Tell me what's going on." Xu Que interrupted him.
Tang Liu Feng's expression froze in his face as he looked around suspiciously before creeping up closer to Xu Que and whispered, "It's been said that the Fire Emperor found out about you and personally paid Madam Ya a visit. Soon after, several highly proficient fighters from the Imperial Palace sealed up the entire area around the lake. Madam Ya and several other young students are being locked up within the area."
"Oh, then how did you find out about it?" Xu Que frowned and asked. Why would the Fire Emperor lock Madam Ya up because of this? Could it be because he heard the words 'Heavenly Explosion Faction'?
Tang Liu Feng lowered his voice and spoke, "One of the students manage to swim under the sealing spell by the lake. He carried Madam Ya's message and went to the inn looking for you, but you weren't around. It was coincidental that we bumped into each other, since we were friends. Hence, I came to find you and deliver the message."
"What did Madam Ya say?" Xu Que's expression froze as he asked.
Tang Liu Feng gave a strange expression as he spoke two words, "Save me."
Xu Que was astonished.
"Madam Ya was being locked up and she actually looked for me to rescue her. Could there be more hidden layers of unknown conspiracies beneath?"
"Brother Li, you have to be careful. I have to be blunt with you. That day during the banquet, this humble subject noticed the way Madam Ya looked at you and realized that it was rather strange. I'm afraid that the Fire Emperor might have realized that Madam Ya had feelings for you and thus decided to seal her up. Don't be too complacent!" Tang Liu Feng reminded him once more.
A white ray of light flashed across Xu Que's mind as he recalled the memory of Madam Ya looking at him. After hearing what Tang Liu Feng had to say, he then understood everything that was going on.
Madam Ya was a noble and sacred royalty. She was supposed to remain faithful to the Fire God and thus had to preserve her virginity for life. Once she loses it to a man, it was said that the entire Fire Nation would lose its protection from the Fire God.
The Fire Emperor was worried that Madam Ya would fall too deeply in love with him and thus decided to lock her up.
Hence, there were more than just students looking for Xu Que now. It seemed like there would probably be highly skilled assassins searching for him too.
Thinking up to this point, Xu Que's lips parted to reveal a cold grin. He wasn't surprised by the Fire Emperor's tactics.
This were the decisions made by the Emperor and thus Xu Que didn't wish to read too much into it. And yet, he felt a certain compulsion to exact revenge, since he was being plotted against by the Fire Emperor.
"Gulp, brother Li, I hope you're not thinking about saving her and being rash. You mustn't ever go there." Tang Liu Feng realized that Xu Que wasn't replying him and hurriedly coaxed him.
A gleam flashed past Xu Que's eyes as he laughed, "How could I be rash? Madam Ya was only being sealed up. Her life is not in danger and there's no urgent need for her to be rescued. Today, I shall have my fun."
"Fun?" Tang Liu Feng paused in shock.
Even before he could regain his senses, Xu Que had already strode off towards the training grounds.
Tang Liu Feng's eyes remained wide open in shock.
Fuck! You… You're going to participate in this contest?