My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 231 - 190: Master of One Word

Chapter 231: Chapter 190: Master of One Word

At the Nuanyi Gathering by the creek, aside from the desks and stools along the stream, there was also a large central table set up on the spacious area surrounded by the curved waterway.

On it were displayed poetic writings and drawings, as well as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Those attending the gathering could come forward to write poetry on a whim, or if they weren’t so inclined, they could sit by the small desks along the creek with their female companions, laughing and chatting, watching the literati and beauties engaged in elegant activities at the main table.

At this moment,

Liu Kongyi snapped back to reality and saw a group of senior and junior sisters gathered around, admiring and praising a piece she had just written titled "Ascending." She couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chide, "Stop looking, you all. Stop with the peculiar praises. I’m not as amazing as you make me out to be. You’re embarrassing me. Master Du is truly remarkable. His ’A Blossom Red’ really reaches the state of being one with the falling flowers. Look at his departure..."

The girls giggled and teased each other in jest.

All of a sudden, Liu Kongyi turned to everyone at the gathering and crisply said, "For the past few days, something has been troubling me, even hindering my cultivation..."

Everyone looked on with curiosity, ears perked, wondering what was so troubling to warrant concern from such an existence.

Liu Kongyi sighed lightly, took a wine cup, and came to the edge of the creek, gazing into the clear flowing water.

"A while ago, one day, I received a pile of invitations to various gatherings and literary events. But for some reason, I felt rather troubled and declined them all. Around noon, I sipped a few cups of wine alone in the tower, listening to music, and unknowingly dozed off. When I awoke, dusk had fallen. Although the drunkenness had faded, that strange train of thought had not diminished; if anything, it had grown stronger. So I went for a stroll in the small garden outside just as evening was setting in... Ah, that night, when I returned, I was inspired and penned a verse."

She turned back, looked at everyone, and smiled, "I have been rambling on, please don’t mind me. What I wanted to say is regarding that verse. After writing it, I felt quite pleased, but once I put down my brush, there was no more movement on the paper. These past few days, I have been contemplating and refining the lines, but to no avail. How should I put it? I feel the melancholy I had while writing it wasn’t conveyed, which I believe is why it falls short of being outstanding. What I wrote... it lacks a key word."

Liu Kongyi gracefully gave a curtsy to everyone and softly said, "Although I’m rather dull, I pride myself on being eager to learn. Today’s gathering is brimming with people, and I was hoping there might be a young master of exceptional talent willing to stoop to teach me, becoming my one-word master. If you could help refine a phrase or refine a word to elevate its quality, Kongyi would be willing to serve tea and pour wine for the young master, and in addition... there will be a generous reward."

The Residence Students and scholars from the Academy saw the enchanting fairy, who was once the object of much adoration, now adopting such an approachable and charming demeanor. Who could resist such an offer? They nodded in agreement, eagerly rubbing their hands together.

Particularly Du Yifu, whose eyes gleamed brightly, slightly lifted his chin, feeling the opportunity was at hand.

Seeing the response, Liu Kongyi walked up to the table, picked up a brush, and wrote down the verse she had composed.

Immediately after, several young Red Carp girls, as instructed, took four pieces of special paper and a bowl of clear water, stepped forward, and transcribed Liu Kongyi’s verse onto these four pieces of special paper.

Such actions as Liu Kongyi’s, of sharing one’s composition for others to amend and act as a ’one-word master,’ were not uncommon at literary events.

Consequently, there was a well-established process in place.

The special papers that the Red Carp girls brought were pure and immaculate, ordinary at a glance, yet they were extraordinary washable ink papers.

The ink on this paper can be removed simply by dripping a drop of clear water onto the writing, washing the ink away completely and leaving the paper as dry and pristine as before, even exuding a bewitching fragrance of flowers.

This was the standard paper provided at gatherings for poets to refine their verses.

Now, with Liu Kongyi’s verse written on four washable ink papers, set at the four sides of the central table at the gathering, should any man or woman wish to make an attempt to change a word, they could approach the table, drip water and put pen to paper. If they were dissatisfied with what they wrote, they could also wash it away with clear water and make way for the next person. As for the original draft written by Liu Kongyi, it was placed at the center of the table for reference.

Once the Red Carp girls had busied themselves and stepped down,

a majority of people at the gathering flocked over to look at the verse that had troubled Liu Kongyi for a long time.

Zhao Rong, standing a little further away, perked up when he heard Liu Kongyi’s words and suddenly stood up.

He had no intention to help revise others’ writing; rather, he thought of using it as a means to ease the tension between himself and Qing Jun.

Zhao Rong brushed off his sleeves and softly said to his lady who was looking away in silence, "Qing Jun, let’s go have a look."

Zhao Lingfei’s blush had already faded as she nodded lightly in response.

Zhao Rong smiled and extended his hand, she bit her lip and placed her bare hand in his.

Lu Zhu, who had been waiting by the stream and serving the guests, saw that the surrounding guests had all left. Being naturally curious, she hopped and skipped to follow Zhao Rong and Zhao Lingfei.

The two of them walked hand in hand to the table.

They found a quiet spot with fewer people around and looked over, seeing Liu Kongyi’s verses coming into view.

Zhao Lingfei leaned against Zhao Rong, curiously uttering, "Heavenly Immortal..."

At that moment, a small head popped up beside them, it was Lu Zhu.

Her big, round eyes wide with curiosity, she read aloud in a crisp voice:

"Listening to a few notes of a water melody while drinking wine at noon, waking from drunkenness, the sorrows yet to clear... When will spring, once gone, return? At late mirror’s edge, I mourn the fleeting scene, the past events lightly recalled in vain... Sand pairs with birds, pond welcomes dusk, as clouds disperse the moon arrives, flowers shadowing... Behind layers of curtains that hide the light, the wind unsettled, the person just at peace, tomorrow the falling petals will likely carpet the path."

Lu Zhu’s eyes lit up as she read it several times over.

The crowd was getting a bit thick, and Zhao Rong held Zhao Lingfei close in his embrace.

With their fingers entwined, Zhao Lingfei snuggled against him and listened. She tasted the words, only understanding the gist, and said softly, "It sounds nice, Rong’er, what do you think?"

Zhao Lingfei gave a slight smile, looked up to see Zhao Rong but found he was looking down at her intently, not focusing on the poem at all, his thoughts entirely on her...

Zhao Lingfei’s heart skipped a beat, she quickly lowered her head, and after a moment of quiet in Zhao Rong’s embrace, she squirmed a little, "Stop... stop looking."

Her voice was very soft, very faint.

Zhao Rong chuckled, looked up at the verse on the table, "Hmm, it is quite pleasant..."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but lower his gaze again to look at his wife’s profile, nodding, "Beautiful."

Seeing him teasing her again.

Zhao Lingfei kept a cool face, silent and not looking at him. However, in the cloth of her sleeve where others couldn’t see, their hands gripped even tighter.

Zhao Rong, feeling her hand clasping tighter, glanced again at his ’indifferent’ wife’s cold profile, coughed lightly, and shifted his gaze, not to embarrass her further.

He casually observed the verse of "Heavenly Immortal" once more.

The emotions the poetess aimed to infuse were a kind of inexplicable melancholy; that was easy to grasp.

At that time, she felt weary, listless, uninterested in the merriment and refined gatherings. Upon waking, the fairy Liu would look in the mirror at dusk, wandering alone in her little garden as night fell, seeking solace in the night scenery to dispel her sorrows... She wanted to express precisely this feeling of melancholic mood.

Poetry expresses one’s aspirations, even thinking deeper, Zhao Rong could vaguely discern Liu Kongyi’s cultivation path. From the "late mirror", "fleeting scene", "spring’s departure", "hidden lamp" and other words in her poem, it was clear what the fairy Liu was sighing over, what she was seeking, and what path she was yearning for...

He raised an eyebrow.

The scene constructed in this poem wasn’t bad, giving the reader a sense of being there. But the choice of words and sentence structure... needed further refinement.

An idea flashed through Zhao Rong’s mind, a few words emerging.

However.

He had no intention whatsoever of stepping forward to correct the text...