Chapter 23: Beimi Academy Is Nothing More Than This

There was no need to engage in a verbal dispute; after all, the other party had come looking for trouble from the start. His goal was to trample their pride into the dust.

"I am Xu Feng. And who might you be?"

"Song Qinghe, from Beimi Academy."

Song Qinghe seemed to believe his name alone would intimidate Xu Feng, yet Xu Feng remained expressionless, not uttering a word in response.

"Young Master Song is the finest of the younger generation at Beimi Academy. He could compose poetry at the age of nine, earned his degree at fourteen, and possesses an eidetic memory. He is not someone a plagiarist and opportunist like you can compare to."

"Those few poems of yours were either recorded in ancient texts or written by Brother Song in his spare time, only to be exploited by a petty person like you. It is truly shameful."

...

Followed by a group of sycophants, Song Qinghe’s camp successfully steered the public opinion. The onlookers began to whisper, pointing fingers at Xu Feng.

So, they had come prepared.

As the leading talent of Beimi Academy, Song Qinghe was considered a benchmark for contemporary Confucian scholars. To these men of letters, the martial artists of the pugilistic world were merely mindless brutes; how could they possibly surpass a scholar in the art of poetry?

"Could it really be plagiarized? I always said that Xu Feng is nothing but a live-in son-in-law for the Feng family; how could he possibly have such literary talent?"

"Let’s wait and see. Song Qinghe hasn't produced any evidence yet; he can't just ruin a man's reputation with empty words."

This was, after all, the territory of the Tianxiang Pavilion, and Miss Rong could naturally arrange for some voices to speak on their behalf. However, she had to control the situation; if she let the opposition continue, it would inevitably bring more unfavorable consequences for Xu Feng.

Before Song Qinghe could speak again, Miss Rong rose to interrupt him.

"Very well. Since you are here to stir up trouble, let us have a fair contest with Young Master Xu. You claim the poems are yours, but words alone prove nothing. Why not compose poems on the spot and let us all be the judges?"

This had been Song Qinghe’s original goal, so he naturally did not refuse and agreed immediately.

"A contest is fine, but let us not compare poetry. Let us compare couplets. Otherwise, who knows how many poems he has stolen from others?"

Miss Rong felt a pang of worry. She knew Xu Feng’s proficiency in poetry, but she was unsure if he could best his opponent in the art of couplets. She did not agree on his behalf, instead turning to look at Xu Feng to let him decide.

Xu Feng stood still, his expression calm and unruffled. Whether it was poetry or couplets, he was confident he could crush his opponent.

"Do you dare to compete with me in couplets?"

"Why would I not? Bring it on. Let me see just how much talent this so-called best of the younger generation from Beimi Academy truly possesses!"

The two sides took their positions, and the first round began.

The surrounding crowd was eager for the spectacle. Song Qinghe’s face was flushed with excitement; if he could suppress Xu Feng here, his status upon returning to the academy would be as steady as a mountain.

"I shall provide the first lead line. You have no objection, do you?"

"Please."

Song Qinghe was only capable of petty tricks; the person who sets the prompt always holds a certain advantage. If he truly had the confidence, he should have let Xu Feng go first. But Xu Feng simply didn't care for these roundabout tactics.

"Listen closely: The spring rain, soft and fine, moistens all things."

The moment the line was uttered, Xu Feng responded without a second's hesitation.

"Red plum blossoms, dot by dot, embroider the thousand mountains."

It was completely beyond everyone’s expectations. The scribe responsible for recording the contest hadn't even had time to put his brush to paper.

"Well? Is there any issue with my response?" Xu Feng asked, seeing the silence.

Crisp applause broke out from the side; Miss Rong nodded in satisfaction. She knew Xu Feng would not disappoint her.

"How could there be an issue? 'Red plum blossoms' matches 'spring rain,' and 'embroider the thousand mountains' matches 'moistens all things.' The tone and momentum are perfectly balanced. I assume Young Master Song agrees?"

Song Qinghe could only force a laugh and nod. He had intended to avoid the areas where Xu Feng excelled, only to find he had stepped into another field where his opponent was equally masterful. If it were a contest of classical prose, Xu Feng might not be his match, but when it came to poetry and couplets, he could crush Song Qinghe ten times over—they simply weren't on the same level.

"Let’s continue. You provide the lead lines. When you grow tired, I shall provide them instead."

His confidence was absolute. Song Qinghe, not one to be outdone, immediately offered another.

"Sit in silence and often reflect on one's own faults..."

"Speak at leisure and never discuss the wrongs of others..."

...

Time and again, Xu Feng responded instantly, without a moment of thought. This began to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the onlookers regarding Song Qinghe. Song Qinghe kept insisting that Xu Feng had plagiarized his poems, but judging by the contest, Xu Feng’s talent seemed far superior.

The so-called top talent of Beimi Academy was failing to live up to his reputation. If this continued, Song Qinghe would not only be dragging his own name through the mud but ruining the reputation of Beimi Academy as well. He had come prepared, of course. One does not set out to perform a diamond-cutting job without the proper tools; he had specifically gathered a few "eternal absolute" couplets, having only been testing the waters until now.

"Listen well, I have one more lead line for you."

"Please!"

"East pawnshop, west pawnshop, the eastern and western pawnshops pawn everything..."

Upon hearing the line, Miss Rong’s pupils contracted; a hint of worry flitted across her eyes. This was clearly far more difficult than the ones before.

Yet, Xu Feng surprised her once more. Just as before, he did not hesitate and immediately countered with the matching line.

"Spring reading, autumn reading, the spring and autumn readings read the Spring and Autumn Annals..."

In this world, there were also great scholars who had written extensively on the *Spring and Autumn Annals*. The response was flawless, the scope even grander than the prompt itself—a complete and total crushing victory.

Beads of cold sweat appeared on Song Qinghe’s forehead, while Xu Feng remained expressionless, watching him with a mocking smile.

"Well? Surely you aren't going to say this response was also plagiarized from you?"

"We are meeting for the first time. I have no idea where this talk of plagiarism came from. Today, we must decide the outcome once and for all to clear my name."

"It is my turn to provide the lead line. I hope it gives Young Master Song a good challenge."

With so many people watching, Song Qinghe could not retreat and had to brace himself. "Fine."

"Listen closely: Mist locks the mountain peaks, the mountains lock the mist."

This was a palindrome couplet—it could be read forward or backward, with the meaning remaining constant and the wit fully displayed. Song Qinghe was certainly not ignorant of palindromes, but for the life of him, he could not think of a matching line.

He fidgeted for a long time without a word. The contrast between him and Xu Feng was instantly clear.

"This is unfair! You must have seen this in some ancient text. It is surely an 'eternal absolute'; I don't believe anyone can provide a matching line!" Song Qinghe resorted to cheating. Laughter broke out from the crowd, making his face turn bright red, but he hoped that if he could just brush it off, he could say whatever he wanted later.

"Then listen well. Let me show you how it is done: Heaven connects to the water’s end, the water connects to the heavens."

"Bravo!"

All those among the crowd who were literate burst into thunderous applause.