Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 160 White Hair Goes to Beijing
Evening, Qingyao Garden.

Ye Tinglan reverted to his imperial advisor attire, stood before the stone tablet inscribed with the poem "Jian Zi Mu Lan Hua," and remained silent for a long time with his hands behind his back.

As Pei Chuyun thought when she witnessed it that day, this poem could touch more than just literati.

"Who wrote this poem? Is there still no news?" Ye Tinglan asked those around her in a low voice.

"Everyone guesses it must have been written by a hero who's been riding high lately. The poem, 'A hundred-foot-tall hero soars into the sky,' uses the scenery to express his feelings," someone on the left and right guessed. "Some guess it might be Qi Tuizhi, the top new talent, who fits the spirit."

“It can’t be him.” Ye Tinglan shook her head: “He doesn’t have that kind of vision.”

"Then we'll have to ask the owner of the garden."

Has the owner arrived?

"Please wait a moment, Grand Preceptor. The owner of the garden holds a public office and should have just finished his shift."

"Oh? There are such magnanimous and otherworldly people among public officials? Who is it?"

"It is said to be the garden of Editor-in-Chief Sheng."

Ye Tinglan: "?"

A girl in a ponytail, dressed in official attire, came running from afar, panting heavily: "Grand Preceptor, you were looking for me?"

Ye Tinglan turned to look at the little girl's energetic appearance and couldn't help but smile with relief. If we're talking about the current elites of Lingxiao, these young and energetic ones probably all count. Although Sheng Yuanyao's family cultivation isn't particularly strong, overall she's undoubtedly one of the current heroes.

"Yes, Yuan Yao should also know what I want to ask."

"Sigh, I've been bombarded with questions these past few days. Lu Xingzhou said it would be a hit when he wrote it, but I never expected it to be this popular!" Sheng Yuanyao said, sounding a little dissatisfied, but her joy was practically overflowing from her eyebrows.

These past two days have been incredibly profitable! If this trend continues, when the trumpet creeper blooms, it'll be packed with people.

Little Lu is truly my lucky star.

Ye Tinglan: "...So this was made by Lu Xingzhou?"

“Yes. It’s not that I deliberately kept it a secret. Lu Xingzhou didn’t sign it himself, and I didn’t figure out what he meant. Was he trying to hide it or tell me something? Anyway, he’s a good person in every way, but he’s not straightforward and always likes to keep things to himself. I don’t understand what he’s thinking, so I can’t just spread it around.” Sheng Yuanyao whispered, “The Imperial Advisor shouldn’t spread it either, or he’ll call me a blabbermouth.”

Just as Ye Tinglan was about to say something, she heard a conversation among several students from the Imperial Academy in the distance: "I never thought that 'Magnolia Flower with Reduced Characters' was written by Lu Xingzhou. He admitted it in the dining hall today."

"Why didn't you say so before, and then suddenly admitted it?"

"Because Miss Pei asked him, and his attitude suggested he might be interested in her..."

"Bah, you bastard!"

Sheng Yuanyao was also cursing: "Pah, you dog! You just said yes as soon as Pei Chuyun asked, didn't you? All that effort I put into keeping it a secret for you was for nothing!"

Ye Tinglan watched Sheng Yuanyao jump up and down, and a rare smile appeared in her eyes.

It's great to be young.

Sheng Yuanyao said, "Grand Preceptor, Grand Preceptor, you and Madam Ye are friends, right? Madam Ye is now a teacher at the Pill Academy, right? Could you please help me tell Madam Ye to keep an eye on Lu Xingzhou, especially to prevent him from getting too close to that stinky Pei family member, okay? I can't go in..."

Ye Tinglan laughed and said, "The academy does not encourage romance, as it affects studies... But it won't be easy for you to get Madam Ye to manage this. Madam Ye is not Lu Xingzhou's mentor, so it's not proper for her to do so."

Sheng Yuanyao said, "The Lu family will definitely choose Madam Ye, so don't worry."

Ye Tinglan asked curiously, "Why?"

"I've inquired, and Madam Ye is the only teacher at the Dan Academy..."

"First-class?"

"female."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

"Oh dear, so many guests have arrived. Grand Preceptor, you can have fun by yourself. I'll go entertain the guests." Sheng Yuanyao dashed off in a flash.

Ye Tinglan watched her retreating figure expressionlessly, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Her beautiful eyes fell on the stone tablet again, and she murmured to herself, "If it's him, no wonder. It seems this person has a more ambitious spirit than expected. However... these days, 'a hundred-foot-tall hero' could refer to many people..."

…………

A restaurant in the city.

The private room was heavily guarded, while inside, Qi Tuizhi was sitting opposite another young man, drinking alone.

"Brother Qi, why are you so downcast?" The young man smiled elegantly and poured him more wine.

Qi Tuizhi sighed: "Pei Chuyun didn't give any face in public. She's not as easy to approach as I imagined. I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to fulfill Prince Jin's expectations."

The young man opposite them was none other than Prince Jin, Gu Yicheng. He was Gu Zhanting's eldest son, less than two months younger than his older sister, Gu Yitang, and he was the legitimate son of the Empress, making him far more noble than Gu Yitang, who was born to a concubine.

His cultivation was also quite good... Before the Tianxing Sword Sect incident last year, he broke through to the lower fourth rank at the age of twenty-two, ranking twenty-first on the new talent list. Not long after his breakthrough, the Tianxing Sword Sect and Shen Tang encountered trouble.

At the age of 22, he was a fourth-rank lower-level official and ranked quite high on the list of rising stars. He was originally considered a promising talent, but unfortunately, he had an even more extraordinary older sister, Gu Yitang.

She's less than two months older than him, and she's already at the third rank. She's no longer playing the rookie rankings with them; she's playing the heroes rankings... They're not even on the same level.

But as long as Gu Yitang doesn't exist... or as long as Gu Yitang remains a cripple, his position as crown prince is relatively secure.

Most of his younger siblings were very young. Only two, the King of Qi and the King of Chu, had reached adulthood. The King of Qi had been deposed and confined to his home, while the King of Chu was only seventeen years old and was still stuck at the upper sixth rank in cultivation, far behind others.

Given Gu Yicheng's status, his influence naturally extends further.

The Huo family's secret bet was on him; he was behind the Burning Incense Pavilion incident; and he was also behind Jin Mingxiu, the former Sword Peak Hall Master of the Heavenly Path Sword Sect.

Now, the top rookie, Qi Tuizhi, and his sect, Lingtian Pavilion, are all backed by him. It's a pity the Pei family didn't bet on him; in Gu Yicheng's eyes, the Pei family is more worthy of attention than the Huo family. Previously, there was no way to act, but now an opportunity has arisen—a daughter of the Pei family has suddenly appeared…

If he were to propose a marriage alliance, his father might not agree. The Pei family is already powerful enough, and his father doesn't want them to become in-laws, which would be very troublesome. Secondly, Gu Yicheng himself doesn't think much of a woman from a concubine's family, and even if she is a woman with the surname Pei, he would never marry a woman born to a concubine to be his princess consort.

Having one of his subordinates try a marriage alliance would be a good option, and Qi Tuizhi would be a suitable candidate.

The top newcomer, a student of the Imperial Academy, truly excels in both literature and martial arts, and is also quite handsome.

He originally thought that seducing a village girl he found outside would be a piece of cake, but he didn't expect this village girl to be different from others. She actually managed to climb to third place among the new talents... so her standards would naturally be higher than those of ordinary people.

“Pei Chuyun is the third-ranked newcomer, so it’s understandable that her standards are a bit high,” Gu Yicheng comforted her. “But no matter what, Brother Qi, you are still number one. If Pei Chuyun wants to find a husband who can surpass her, then who else but Brother Qi would be the best choice?”

Qi Tuizhi sighed: "I can't write poetry. This Pei family girl seems to value that more."

"Brother Qi, you're overthinking it. In this world of cultivation, poetry is just a minor art. Who would actually bring it up in public? I think Pei Chuyun is just putting on an act." Gu Yicheng laughed. "You should know that her third-place ranking among the new talents has no fighting record. Only Sheng Yuanyao claims to have seen her fight, but others don't refute it because of the credibility of the Demon Suppression Division."

Qi Tuizhi paused, taken aback: "What does the Prince of Jin mean..."

"What I mean is that she probably doesn't have much strength. The Demon Suppression Division is just giving the Pei family face and praising her too much. Otherwise, think about it, Pei Yu is only ranked twelfth among the new talents, and she, as his younger sister, is ranked third? This isn't something the Pei family did on their own. Who would dare to rank them like this? Where would that leave Pei Yu's face?"

"Well, on the surface, Pei Yu is older than Pei Chuyun, but their cultivation levels aren't that much higher. According to the rules of the new talent ranking, younger people are indeed more likely to rank higher."

"It's just an excuse she's telling others," Gu Yicheng said with a smile. "Pei Chuyun just lacks confidence in her own cultivation, so she avoids getting entangled with Brother Qi in this area and only talks about literature. Brother Qi, don't fall for her little tricks."

Qi Tuizhi suddenly understood: "The King of Jin's words have awakened me from my dream."

Gu Yicheng laughed and said, "Judging from what Brother Qi is saying, you've really taken a fancy to this Pei family girl?"

“She really is beautiful, isn’t she? It’s worth it.” Qi Tuizhi lowered his voice: “I originally thought the Prince of Jin would want her himself…”

"Pretty looks alone are useless... If I were to arrange a marriage, I would much rather look forward to the direct descendant of the Tianyao Holy Land, regardless of her appearance."

Qi Tuizhi said, "This person's cultivation should be reliable, right?"

"That's not necessarily true. Ye Tinglan doesn't care about being ranked first and suppressing the Emperor, so why would he care about his disciple suppressing someone on the new talent list? The reason he's ranked second is probably because he lacks confidence. In my opinion, this year's new talent list is the least credible one yet."

Before the words were finished, a cold voice came from outside the door: "I heard that Qi Tuizhi, the top rookie, is eating here. Is he here?"

The guards stopped the newcomer: "Who are you?"

"Please inform him that Dugu Qingli wants to know why he is number one."

Qi Tuizhi and Gu Yicheng looked at each other in astonishment.

I just said that this second-place finisher "lacked confidence," but I didn't expect to be proven wrong so quickly.

Not only were they very confident, but they were also unconvinced and came to our door to fight.

Gu Yicheng coughed twice: "Since you are Miss Dugu from Tianyao Holy Land, please come in."

The door opened, and a white-haired, blue-eyed girl appeared outside, her cool gaze sweeping over the two people in the room: "Which one of you is Qi Tuizhi?"

Gu Yicheng said, "Miss, my name is Gu..."

“Your surname is Gu, that’s not the person I’m looking for.” Dugu Qingli interrupted directly, pointing her ice sword at Qi Tuizhi: “Let’s see your swordsmanship.”

Qi Tuizhi said somewhat helplessly, "Miss, why don't you have a meal first? This is Jin..."

"You keep switching between Jin and Gu, which one of you has the surname Qi?"

Qi Tuizhi had no choice but to say, "I am Qi Tuizhi."

Dugu Qingli nodded: "If it's you, then draw your sword."

A large group of diners surrounded the room, three or four deep.

Rookie showdowns are common, but it's quite rare to see a second-place finisher challenge a first. And this first-place finisher has only been on the list for less than five days…

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qi Tuizhi had no choice but to draw his sword: "Then please enlighten me, young lady."

"Whoosh!" White hair fluttered lightly, and a flash of blue light appeared.

Qi Tuizhi could clearly see through her sword technique, but his body and blood seemed to be frozen by frost, and his movements were a beat slower.

With just this slight hindrance, the sword tip had already slashed across his chest. The two passed each other, blood splattering everywhere.

Those with sharp eyes could even see that the sword was originally aimed at the throat, but the direction changed at the last minute.

That was a killing technique. This white-haired woman wasn't good at sparring... If she hadn't stopped herself at the last minute, Qi Tuizhi would be dead!

Qi Tuizhi clutched his chest in shock, his face filled with disbelief.

"So this is all the rookie is?" Dugu Qingli shook her head, turned and left: "Disappointing, all my efforts in traveling thousands of miles have been in vain."

The crowd outside parted like waves, watching the girl leave. The throng surged, yet not a sound was uttered. Who could have imagined this? The duel between the first and second-ranked rookies would end in a single, decisive blow. The difference in skill was so vast it was like beating a child; they couldn't even force Dugu Qingli to reveal her true cultivation level.

Dugu Qingli stepped out of the crowd, turned around and asked, "Can anyone tell me where Pei Chuyun is?"

Someone stammered, "At the Imperial Academy? Oh no, she should have returned to the Pei family by now."

Dugu Qingli nodded and quietly left.

People watched her figure disappear, then turned to look at Qi Tuizhi inside the house, clutching his chest, as if in a dream.

Gu Yicheng just said that this year's rookie rankings are the least credible ever, and unfortunately, he was right. However, the problem isn't with the second and third places he considers to be ranked second or third, but rather with the first place...

Qi Tuizhi, who had just been ranked number one on the list for less than five days, was challenged from afar and defeated with a single sword strike before he could even settle into his position. This can be described as the fastest rookie number one to fall in history.

(End of this chapter)