Inside an underground palace outside Major Metropolitan City:
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Churning blood filled the bottom of the palace, and bubbles gurgled on top of the blood as though an intense flame was boiling the blood from below.
As the blood roiled, a surging blood mist rose into the air.
Night Pearls lit up the entire blood-misted underground palace, making it look exceptionally sinister.
A rock protruded from the center of the blood pool. A white-clad man sat cross-legged on that rock. However, a spear of blood coming out of the blood pool and piercing that man’s body pinned him in place.
Initially, everything was peaceful.
Then, Archduke Xi Kang displayed “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation” outside. A strand of noble spirit suddenly appeared in the blood-misted underground palace out of nowhere and entered the white-clad man’s head.
Buzz!
This strand of noble spirit seemed to instantly give the white-clad man boundless energy. He blazed with white light, looking like he would struggle free of the blood chains on him.
Although he struggled for a while, nothing happened to the blood chains.
“Ha! Gongyang Sheng, just stop these useless actions. To think that you are trying to escape from my Blood Prison Ritual Array? Archduke Xi Kang’s calligraphy Dao is pretty good. However, he is far from comparable to you. Your noble spirit is already insufficient to struggle free from my Blood Prison Ritual Array, what more a strand of Archduke Xi Kang’s noble spirit?” A voice came from beneath the blood pool.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Suddenly, more bubbles rose from the bottom of the blood pool. Then, an enormous bat’s head emerged from the blood pool. This bat head looked ferocious, with two scars forming a cross above its right eye.
The white-clad man was Gongyang Sheng, the person Gu Hai was tasked with finding on this trip, the chancellor of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s imperial academy.
Gongyang Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked coldly at the huge bat’s head. “Ha! Bat Ancestor, you won’t dare to kill me. I will just keep absorbing noble spirit. I firmly believe that evil will never triumph over good. I am trapped today only for a greater salutation to the light in the future.”
“A greater salutation to the light in the future? Hahahaha! Stop dreaming. With Archduke Xi Kang’s capability, only so much noble spirit can enter this underground palace, even with strong wind and rain accompanying the brush strokes. I can tell you with certainty that this strand of noble spirit is already the limit. There will not be any more,” the Bat Ancestor said coldly.
Just at this moment, Gu Hai’s “Chivalrous Legends” was written down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A meteor shower of noble spirit soared into the sky, turning the sky bright-white. The vast noble spirit was like a vast sea, spreading out in all directions.
Even the blood-misted underground palace experienced the boundless cleansing by the noble spirit.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The sound of crying supernatural beings rang out as a prodigious amount of noble spirit poured over. From just one strand, there were now hundreds—tens of thousands. They instantly lit up the entire underground palace.
Slap!
Gongyang Sheng felt like he heard a ruthless slap land on the Bat Ancestor’s face.
“One strand of noble spirit is already the limit? There will absolutely not be any more? Hahahahaha!” Gongyang Sheng’s mocking guffaw rang out.
Buzz!
The noble spirit rushed towards Gongyang Sheng’s head. It looked like he would absorb it.
“Roar!”
The Bat Ancestor opened its mouth and roared.
Slurp!
Suddenly, the Bat Ancestor sucked up the noble spirit that was about to enter Gongyang Sheng’s head.
Gongyang Sheng did not feel frustrated at losing the noble spirit. Instead, he started laughing.
“So much vast noble spirit appearing in Major Metropolitan City probably means people from my Qian Nation have come searching for me? Hahaha!” Gongyang Sheng guffawed.
“Humph! In your dreams! Do you think a calligraphy Dao expert will come and save you? They will only end up like you, trapped in my underground palace. Humph!” the Bat Ancestor snorted coldly.
“The poem manifests crying supernatural beings? Pretty good. This person is quite capable. ‘Chivalrous Legends’? Excellent poem! Great line! ‘Even with an enemy every ten paces, they can continue killing these enemies for great distances. They brush off their clothes and leave after accomplishing their goal, not claiming credit or fame for their role’? Excellent! ‘After three drinks, they made a pledge so tall, one they would keep even if mountains fall. Though drunk with blurred sight and red ears, even forgetting their age, their hearts brimmed with zeal and courage’? Excellent! ‘They remain gallant in the face of death, worthy of being called chivalrous with every breath. Who can imitate such a life so devotedly, glorious like a star? Even the Supreme Ascendant Scripture pales in comparison to such epics by far!’ Excellent line! Every single word is a gem! It even looks down on the Myriad Age Daoist Palace’s Supreme Ascendant Scripture? Excellent ‘Two great warriors became famous for eternity!’ Purple Subtlety and Longevity? The one coming for me is called Gu Hai? Hey! I have never heard of this person before?” Gongyang Sheng frowned slightly.
“Humph! That person might not be from your Qian Nation.” The Bat Ancestor raised its head and continued sucking up the noble spirit that entered the underground palace. Its eyes slowly narrowed.
“Bat Ancestor? You are consuming noble spirit? Even you think highly of this poem? Ha!” Gongyang Sheng revealed some disdain.
“All calligraphy Dao first editions that appear in Major Metropolitan City are mine!” the Bat Ancestor said coldly.
“That is why your Major Metropolitan City’s cultural Dao will never gain traction,” Gongyang Sheng said coldly.
“Major Metropolitan City focuses on martial arts. Why do we have to bow down to culture?” the Bat Ancestor countered coldly.
“What an insult to culture! Humph!” Gongyang Sheng now ignored the Bat Ancestor. Instead, he started pondering and studying “Chivalrous Legends.”
Like Gongyang Sheng, many calligraphy Dao cultivators in Major Metropolitan City also studied and ruminated on “Chivalrous Legends.”
The composition managed to manifest crying supernatural beings, something very startling.
Many calligraphy Dao cultivators felt like they had obtained a great treasure.
The trend in the city of despising Gu Hai now changed. Most of the people thought highly of Gu Hai, Purple Subtlety, and Longevity, no longer seeing them as vile people. Perhaps they had been wronged.
However, some die-hard fans of Archduke Xi Kang showed hate and anger.
“These three vile people not only performed sneak attacks, they even insulted culture, copying a poem from someone else. How shameless!”
“Ah? What do you mean by ‘copying a poem from someone else’? Isn’t that the first edition?”
“So what if it is the first edition? It still can be copied. It is not like you haven’t heard of Gu Hai. He is only seventy-odd years old and came from an ordinary region of the world. How much accumulations could he have in the calligraphy Dao? How could he have written such a good poem?”
“Ah? You are saying that others prepared the poem for Gu Hai to recite?”
“That must be the case. I don’t believe that he can compose a poem that manifests crying supernatural beings!”
Two factions appeared within the city. One side started worshiping Gu Hai, and the other used their imagination to vilify Gu Hai, thinking that Gu Hai’s poem came from someone else.
Fairy Waner showed rage in her eyes, wanting to debate with those with bad intentions. However, there were too many people. There was no way to debate this.
——
In a small courtyard in the city:
Sima Changkong ruminated on the long poem. However, Prince Shenwu frowned slightly and said, “Is this Gu Hai’s calligraphy Dao? Could he have…”
“Prince is guessing that Mister Gu copied someone else’s poem? Haha! This humble one does not think so,” Sima Changkong said with a smile.
“Oh?”
“The things that Gu Hai spoke about were not made up. Rather, they illustrated a complete and true story. How could it have come from someone else if he was just illustrating this particular story?” Sima Changkong smiled.
The poem manifests crying supernatural beings? I recall that every poem requires one to spend a lot of time pondering it, making many alterations before reaching the final form. However, Gu Hai came up with it so casually, bringing out this excellent piece of work in just a short time?” Prince Shenwu frowned.
“Perhaps this is just raw talent,” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile.
Indeed, Gu Hai seemed like he had not thought much before reciting this excellent poem, giving Archduke Xi Kang tight slaps to the face. It was indeed quite uncanny. However, Sima Changkong firmly believed that it was Gu Hai’s work for some reason.
Everyone looked up at the scene in the sky.
——
In the scene:
Everyone turned quiet at the banquet.
“This humble one is just so-so at the calligraphy Dao. Many thanks to Archduke Xi Kang for gifting me with ‘The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation.’ It is an excellent poem. Excellent, indeed. I will be sure to treasure it and not let this prize collect dust,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
Slap! Slap!
Everyone felt like they heard two resounding slaps from Archduke Xi Kang’s face.
All the officials immediately looked at Archduke Xi Kang with stiff expressions as though checking to see if Archduke Xi Kang’s face swelled up.
You wrote this excellent piece of work—“Chivalrous Legends”—and still claim that your calligraphy Dao is merely so-so? You even said that you would treasure “The Army Returns on Arriving in the Han Nation” and not let it collect dust? Are you going to take it out frequently to criticize it?
Archduke Xi Kang’s face had already turned ashen.
Long Wanyu’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Gu Hai with adoration.
Bing Ji appeared confused. His Majesty’s calligraphy Dao is this incredible?
Although Li Shenji smiled, displeasure lurked in his eyes. He had not expected Gu Hai’s calligraphy Dao to be so incredible. How can this be true? Doesn’t he come from the impoverished Thousand Islands Sea?
“Treasure it? I don’t even want to wipe my ass with it!” Purple Subtlety made another jab.
Now, Archduke Xi Kang’s ashen face turned red.
“Gu Hai, is this for us? Hahaha! So, Purple Subtlety and I are great, ancient warriors? Great poem! Great poem!” Longevity looked at “Chivalrous Legends” with excitement.
“You two were wronged. This poem is merely to clear your names!” Gu Hai smiled.
“That’s right. Our names are finally cleared. We are great, ancient warriors. Purple Subtlety, am I right?” Longevity shamelessly embraced the role the poem depicted.
“Indeed, we are great, ancient warriors. Actually, I wanted to try writing a poem and reciting for everyone to hear too!” Purple Subtlety said, finding it unfortunate.
Longevity’s expression changed. “Recite, my ass. Don’t ever recite your poems in front of me!”
“What’s wrong with my poems? Haven’t you listened to them for so many years?”
The two suddenly started arguing, looking like they would soon come to blows.
“Let’s stop talking about poems for now. Sit down and eat first,” Gu Hai interrupted.
“Alright!” the two immediately agreed, their expressions changing.
The surrounding officials found this strange. These two can change their expressions even faster than flipping a page when they hear the word “eat.” Are they really great warriors? Chivalrous legends? These two gluttons?
The banquet continued, and the two gluttons finally showed their coarse side.
Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! Nom! Nom! Nom!
After just fifteen minutes, the initially festive atmosphere, which encouraged chatter, suddenly turned awkward. Everyone’s jaw dropped.
Purple Subtlety had a lamb leg in his left hand and a cow leg in his right. The meat on the two legs vanished completely in just a few bites. Longevity carried a vat of wine, drinking it like he was just pouring water into his mouth.
Leg after leg, vat after vat.
The attendants responsible for bringing food over kept running to bring more food, so pressed that sweat covered their heads. However, the two were just getting started.
Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! Nom! Nom! Nom! Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
The amount startled the officials and the two hundred million citizens in the city.
Suddenly, someone said, “Are these two glutton spirits?
