Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

In an instant, Chen Zhuo felt refreshed and his spirits were much higher.

Congratulations, junior brother!

Gu Qing'e walked over and said sincerely.

"Thank you, senior sister."

Chen Zhuo returned the greeting and was about to check what changes had occurred on his panel when Gu Qing'e suddenly glanced at the time.

He suddenly grabbed Chen Zhuo and ran outside.

"Quick! Junior brother! There's still time. The literary gathering might not be over yet, and we still have a chance to participate!"

As the word "urgent" appeared in the air.

Gu Qing'e pulled Chen Zhuo away quickly from the Academy of Literature, leaving the crowd looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Scholar Song, your daughter has a truly decisive and efficient personality!"

The registrar smiled and smoothed things over.

Song Zhiyuan shook his head, not paying any attention.

The scenery around Chen Zhuo changed rapidly, a feeling similar to driving in his previous life.

The junior sister was incredibly strong; my newly enhanced physique offered no chance against her.

He tried to ask what this document was, but his mouth was filled with air.

Chen Zhuo simply stopped talking.

There's a saying, what's it again? Since you can't resist, you might as well submit.

During this time, he examined the extra equipment slot.

The fox-tail pen happened to be right next to him.

After equipping it, the panel changed.

[Fox Tail Brush (White): Increases spell casting speed by 1% (Already equipped)]

[Equipment Effect: Reduces writing energy consumption by 10%]

[Note: The fox tail hair possesses a literary quality; when held and used for writing, the strokes flow smoothly like clouds and water.]

On its own, the 10% reduction in losses is not noticeable.

However, compared to the original 1% release rate, it seems much more acceptable.

At least it's useful.

"Alright, junior brother, we've arrived at Ju Restaurant!"

The surrounding scenery stopped changing; they had moved from the north of the city to the east.

What appeared before him was a huge restaurant.

He remembered this place; the original owner of this body had been here before. It was just an ordinary restaurant, and he had never seen any so-called literary gathering.

Just as he was about to ask, Gu Qing'e exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you!"

"The Jujiulou Literary Gathering is a place where scholars from Qingshan County who have entered the literary path regularly exchange ideas and discuss topics. Each session will have a specific theme."

"The winner will receive a prize jointly sponsored by the Academy and the County Government; this time it is a piece of jade."

"Junior brother, you should know what Wen Yu is, right?"

Gu Qing'e blinked her big eyes and looked at Chen Zhuo.

Chen Zhuo nodded.

He had seen it yesterday while browsing through books; Wenyu is a treasure naturally produced by the Wen vein.

The inner literary energy can quickly replenish the consumed literary energy during battle, and can also be gradually refined to increase one's upper limit of literary energy.

It is the hard currency among literati.

When Gu Qing'e led him to the top floor, the people inside were having a heated discussion about a certain topic.

"Phew, at least I'm not late."

The junior sister's chest rose and fell slightly, and she waved her arm excitedly.

"Qing'e is here. And who is this lady next to you?"

Their arrival did not cause much of a stir at the literary gathering; only a few people who were on good terms with Gu Qing'e came over to say hello.

"Let me introduce you, this is my junior brother, Chen Zhuo."

Then she looked at Chen Zhuo and whispered, "This is my good friend, Su Ning, the eldest daughter of the Su family."

Chen Zhuo looked at Su Ning, who was wearing a well-fitting long dress and scrutinizing him with her delicate features.

Seemingly noticing Chen Zhuo's gaze, her eyes lingered on Chen Zhuo's face for a moment before a smile appeared on her face.

"Welcome! If you don't mind, you can call me Senior Sister Su!"

As she spoke, she looked at Gu Qing'e with a half-smile.

"Ah Ning! You're always teasing me!"

Gu Qing'e and Su Ning were playfully fighting.

Chen Zhuo glanced at the two of them and walked inside. The outer area was full of people just watching the fun, while those who really wanted to win the prize were showcasing their talents in the inner circle.

"Alright, that concludes our discussion on war. Now, let's get to the main event. Write a poem about war based on our previous discussion. The winner will receive this piece of jade."

The host placed a piece of jade on the stage.

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Besides meeting fellow enthusiasts, my biggest purpose in attending this literary gathering today is to acquire this piece of jade.

"Then I shall make my first attempt." A scholar dressed in white stood up and bowed to those around him.

The subtle literary charm emanated from the air and coalesced into a poem.

"Beacon fires illuminate the border town, and troops are reviewed on the autumn battlefield."

The cold light gleamed on his iron armor; a single rider shattered a thousand camps.

"Okay, okay!"

People around cheered and showed their support.

The final evaluation result of the literary gathering is jointly determined by the host and all participants.

Therefore, very few people would dare to directly undermine someone's efforts without giving them face.

Chen Zhuo sat quietly to the side, observing the entire process silently.

"Please welcome the next fellow Daoist."

"I'm next!"

"Where the smoke of war rises, the drums beat loudly; the iron horses and cold spears never cease their advance."

"What do I fear if the yellow sands are stained with blood? I will not let the flames of war illuminate my home."

Everyone took turns composing poems, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Chen Zhuo noticed that there were young men next to him taking notes. Some of them looked familiar, as if they were the owners of a tabloid.

"Junior brother, do you know why these people are so passionate about writing poetry?"

At some point, Gu Qing'e came to his side.

"To win that piece of jade?" Chen Zhuo guessed.

"Yes and no," Gu Qing'e said, shaking her head.

"Please give me your guidance, Senior Sister!" Chen Zhuo deliberately emphasized the words "Senior Sister".

The junior sister was easily swayed by this, and a smile spread across her face.

"They're doing this for the sake of spreading the work!" Gu Qing'e said, pointing to the young man next to her who was quickly taking notes.

"These works will be spread throughout the streets and alleys of Qingshan County by tomorrow morning, and will be read by everyone. The outstanding works among them will be talked about for a long time."

Hearing this, Chen Zhuo became even more confused.

"So what does this have to do with the artwork?"

Gu Qing'e didn't keep her in suspense any longer, "Junior brother, do you know the standards for becoming a Xiucai?"

This is somewhat of a blind spot for him; he only just advanced to the novice level today, so how would he know about these things?

"Accumulate 50 points of literary talent, master at least three different types of literary skills, pass the provincial examination organized by the government, and have at least one poem or essay that is widely praised in the village."

The moment Gu Qing'e spoke, Chen Zhuo immediately understood.

So this was a requirement for promotion.

At the same time, Chen Zhuo also gained a deeper understanding of the literary gathering format.

"So, junior brother, now that you know all this, how about you go up and show it off? What if it becomes a hit?"

Hearing his junior sister's persuasive words, Chen Zhuo was somewhat tempted.

He possesses a wealth of cultural knowledge about the world; wouldn't it be a waste not to share it?

Suddenly remembering what Qingluo had been telling him about the scholar-army slaying the demons of the long night, Chen Zhuo instantly came up with the poem he wanted to write.