202: Chapter 202 A Poetry Contest as a Bet!

"A bet?"

Chu Wushuang's mind raced, and the surprise on his face was quickly replaced by an uncontrollable ecstasy.

He controlled the curve of his lips, not letting himself smile too obviously.

A bet? Betting with poems and lyrics? This was his best Domain.

No, to be precise, this was the best Domain of the entire five thousand years of Blue Star's civilization. Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Shi, Xin Qiji—if any one of them were pulled into this world to recite a single poem, they would be an existence that directly attained sainthood through the Literary Dao!

He had just completed his Transmigration and entered the Academy when he accidentally learned that one could attain sainthood through the Literary Dao.

He originally wanted to rely on plagiarism to achieve Ascension on the spot, but what is plagiarized is ultimately not one's own and is not recognized by heaven and earth; in the end, he still hadn't proven his own Great Dao of the Literary Path!

But even so, the poems and lyrics stored in Chu Wushuang's belly were enough to open a museum.

This Great Emperor had lived for who knows how many years, but he had only lived in this world.

What could he write? Nothing more than some doggerel about cultivation like "The Great Dao is vast and the world is wide."

Lu Chen looked at the hidden joy on Chu Wushuang's face and sighed in his heart.

This fool.

The entire venue fell silent. A Great Emperor was going to compete in poetry with a Literary Cultivator scholar in the Early Stage of the Xiantai Realm; no matter how one looked at it, this scene was absurd.

Yue Yihao was the first who couldn't sit still.

He leaned close to the ear of a Prodigy beside him, his voice very low, but because he was too nervous, he couldn't control the volume at all.

"It's over, it's over. Why did Emperor Yun bring this up? Who has ever seen a Great Emperor write poetry?"

The Prodigy next to him also had a bitter look on his face.

"Exactly. If it were a contest of fists, Emperor Yun could crush that guy into meat paste with a single finger, but poetry..."

He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

Every profession has its specialty; no matter how strong a Great Emperor is, it's impossible for him to know everything.

An uneasy atmosphere instantly filled the Wushuang Immortal Dynasty's side.

On the contrary, on the Great Xia Delegation's side, several Prodigies who had been huddled in fear quietly exchanged glances.

A round-faced youth used voice transmission to speak to the blue-robed scholar beside him:

"To be honest, those few poems Brother Chu just recited couldn't be matched by anyone else in the entire Central Continent. No matter how high the Great Emperor's cultivation is, he might not win in terms of poetry."

The blue-robed scholar didn't respond, only glancing at Princess Xia Qingyue in the main seat.

Princess Xia Qingyue's expression was very ugly.

She turned to stare at Chu Wushuang's back, her Phoenix eyes almost spitting fire.

She desperately signaled with her eyes.

Blinking the left eye three times meant "admit your mistake."

Blinking the right eye twice meant "kneel down."

Blinking both eyes together meant "if you don't kneel, this Princess will kick you down herself."

Chu Wushuang didn't receive the signal at all.

At this moment, his mind was filled with the image of after he won. Defeating a Great Emperor in poetry in front of the Prodigies of two dynasties—if such an achievement spread, Chu Wushuang's name would resound throughout the entire Central Continent!

By then, wouldn't Princess Xia Qingyue have to look at him with new eyes?

Lu Chen's voice rang out unhurriedly.

"The rules are simple."

He held Yue Shiyun in his arms with one hand and shifted his posture, letting the little girl's head rest in the crook of his shoulder.

Yue Shiyun whimpered, her silver hair brushing against his chin, as she continued to sleep.

"This Emperor will compose a poem on the spot."

When he said the words "on the spot," he emphasized them deliberately.

"If the quality is not inferior to those few you just recited, then you will obediently come with this Emperor."

Chu Wushuang raised an eyebrow.

"Come with you? Where to?"

"Young brother, I see that you have an extraordinary skeletal structure and are a one-in-a-million cultivation Genius. Maintaining the peace of the cultivation world depends on you. I have a peerless martial arts Secret Manual here..."

The smile on Chu Wushuang's face became even harder to suppress; he had been noticed by a big shot.

"Then what if Emperor Yun loses?"

Chu Wushuang asked tentatively.

Lu Chen glanced at him indifferently.

"If this Emperor cannot compose a peerless poem, or if the quality is inferior to what you just recited."

He paused.

"What happened today will be forgiven, and this Emperor will certainly not pursue it."

The entire venue was in an uproar.

A Great Emperor personally promised not to pursue it? This was equivalent to giving Chu Wushuang a death-exempt medal! And giving him a peerless Cultivation Technique! This kid is going to take off in the future!

Yue Yihao's face turned green.

"If I had known, I should have just slapped this sour scholar to death!"

However, everyone thought again; all the benefits were going to this kid. The Great Emperor was so experienced and surely wouldn't go up just to be stepped on!

There was probably something else going on, and they all shifted into a posture of watching a good show!

Meanwhile, Chu Wushuang's heart was pounding.

A death-exempt medal in hand, a chance to surpass a Great Emperor in poetry, and the possibility of receiving the Great Emperor's Legacy—it was truly killing three birds with one stone.

Was there any better deal in the world?

In his mind, he quickly flipped through the memories of his past life: Li Bai's 'Bring in the Wine', Du Fu's 'Climbing High', Su Shi's 'Nian Nu Jiao'... Which one, if brought out, wouldn't be a masterpiece for the ages?

Cultivators in this world generally Cultivate by comprehending the Dao; in the end, they cannot comprehend the cultural depth that requires study.

This Great Emperor was destined to stumble on the battlefield he was best at.

Chu Wushuang took a deep breath and snapped his folding fan open.

With the fan face outward, he used spiritual power to barely glue the broken fan ribs back together. Although it was crooked, his Aura was at its peak.

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

He cupped his hands in a salute, his tone steady, even carrying a hint of composure.

"Emperor Yun, please enlighten me!"

These words were said beautifully, and his posture was well-executed.

But the way everyone present looked at him was as if they were watching a play.

Princess Xia Qingyue bit her lower lip, her chest heaving violently. Fool, a fool beyond saving.

You think a Great Emperor is going to reason with you? You think if a Great Emperor says he 'won't pursue it,' he really won't?

Even if he really doesn't pursue it, do you think the people present will let you off afterward? Will they let the entire Great Xia Delegation off?

More importantly, who will judge the quality of the poem?

Among the hundreds of people present, who would dare to say "you didn't write well" in front of the Great Emperor?

Even if the Great Emperor only wrote the word "good," the entire venue would have to shout in unison, "Exquisite words, unsurpassed through the ages!"

This Chu Wushuang couldn't even think of this layer, and he's supposed to be a Literary Dao Genius?

Just as Princess Xia Qingyue was about to speak and stop him, Chu Wushuang suddenly turned his head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Princess, do not worry."

He lowered his voice, his tone full of confidence.

"It's just composing a poem; I know what I'm doing."

Princess Xia Qingyue stared at Chu Wushuang's confident face and suddenly felt very tired.

A deep-seated sense of helplessness towards a fool.

On the Wushuang Immortal Dynasty's side, Yue Yihao was pacing back and forth anxiously, rubbing the back of his head with his large hand.

"Can Emperor Yun really do it? If he loses, where will the face of my Wushuang Immortal Dynasty go?"

A Prodigy beside him gave a bitter smile.

"Marquis, you're overthinking it."

"Hmm?"

"Even if the Great Emperor only recites 'one two three four five, go up the mountain to hunt the tiger,' do you think anyone here would dare say it's not good?"

Yue Yihao was stunned for three breaths, then slapped his thigh.

"Damn! You're right!"

His eyes lit up instantly, and he turned to look in Lu Chen's direction, his mouth curling into a grin.

This wasn't Emperor Yun competing in poetry; this was clearly a cat playing with a mouse.

Behind the curtain on the second floor, Yue Qingxuan's Phoenix eyes narrowed.

Most of her killing intent subsided, and the curve of her lips broke the ice.

She knew Lu Chen too well.

This man never did anything he wasn't sure of. If he said it was a bet, then the chance of winning was one hundred percent.

Yue Qingxuan leaned against the remains of the railing, crossing her arms, her long golden hair draped over her shoulders, looking down with a hint of playfulness in her Phoenix eyes.

"Fine, let's see how this fool dies."

In the center of the hall, Lu Chen did not speak immediately.

He lowered his head and readjusted Yue Shiyun's small braids, tucking the stray hairs from the little girl's ear behind it.

Yue Shiyun pursed her lips in her sleep, her small hands loosening slightly on his collar before tightening again.

Lu Chen patted her back.

Then he looked up.

His pupils were as black as ink, yet so deep they seemed bottomless.

All the laziness and decadence faded away in an instant.

Lu Chen took a deep breath and spoke.

"Alright, then I'll begin."