Flower Dance

The Chen has come—

The literary gathering started on time.

Li Qi and the others stood in the crowd.

Yan Ke had long since completed his mission and was now holding a social gathering with his sisters at the literary event, taking advantage of the venue, food, and drinks for free.

Surrounding the Yan Ke were those former Hanlin Academy trainees.

No one knows what Yan Ke said, but they actually managed to break away from the group of people who came to cause trouble, and it didn't cause any problems. It seems that the relationship between the two sides is still harmonious, and they even chatted and laughed with Yan Ke.

This guy's got some skills.

Bo Yue left immediately; he disliked such scenes and hated large crowds.

Although it may not seem like anything from Li Qi's perspective, he is actually a very reclusive person.

Zhong Minglou has not shown up yet, and no one knows where he has gone.

Li Qi, meanwhile, found a stool outside the crowd and sat down, waiting for the literary gathering to begin.

As for Liu Shenzhi, he was currently exchanging pleasantries with a group of talented men and beautiful women. Before he became a tech geek, he was a playboy who enjoyed parties and banquets, otherwise he wouldn't have been wearing flowers in his hair all the time.

Li Qi entrusted him with the task of promoting the Witchcraft Silkworm propagation to these participants.

As for Li Qi, he was responsible for handling any unexpected situations that followed, as well as recording the incident.

After the magical robes made by the Witchcraft Silkworm shone brightly on the Trumpet Flower God, he would record everything, upload it to the terminal, and begin to spread it widely.

Everything is arranged.

With a 'clang', everyone looked up.

The literary gathering has begun.

Suddenly, four pillars of light rose up from all around.

A beam of light pierced the sky, and the palace doors opened from the side, from which countless fairies flew out.

Swaying and swirling, these girls, riding the Qingfeng and leaping out like immortals, twirled in the air, emitting shimmering colorful light, leaving the crowd below in awe.

As the music began, flutes, zithers, sanxian, and pipa played in unison, and the girls sang in unison.

Everyone stood up at once, and whether they came to cause trouble, to read the article, or to freeload, they all stared at them.

The dance of the Flower Goddess is a wonder of the world, let alone that of a fifth-rank Flower Goddess; her dance moves are something that cannot be seen in ordinary times.

High-ranking flower goddesses are very busy and don't have time to dance for people every day. Perhaps only certain powerful and influential people, and even those who are shameless, can enjoy watching the flower goddess's dance every day.

As everyone's gaze fell upon her, the Trumpet Flower God suddenly appeared in the center of the scene.

Light flowed everywhere, and stars flew about!

Black Pearl burst forth, chasing after shooting stars; rainbows shimmer, like lightning flashes.

The diving whale is making waves in the sea, and the returning wind is dancing in the sky!

It's as if a dolphin is leaping into the sky from the depths of an abyss!

Then, the girls around suddenly started singing and playing their instruments.

Shanshan, adorned with jade pendants, swayed her waist, and suddenly the sounds of Buddhist music and foreign tunes harmonized with her.

The electric tornado has exhausted all its destructive power, while the thunderous drumbeats and grinding clouds resound!

That's right, the music being played was not the elegant music commonly heard in Chang'an, but rather the Hu music from the Baiyue region.

But then the Trumpet Flower God revealed her figure, and what she wore was not the usual gorgeous dance dress.

Instead... a magical Law Treasure from Shaman Path?

No, those who know their stuff have already recognized it. It's not Shaman Path Law Treasure, but it possesses many of the characteristics of Shaman Path Law Treasure.

However... it's only grade seven, so the quality isn't very high.

However, quality is only a function of these garments when they exist as robes. Now, this garment does not exist as a robe, but simply as a dance skirt.

Therefore, the existence of Shaman Path characteristics actually adds a certain 'exotic flavor'.

Spinning and turning like a blooming flower.

This is the dance of the Hu women.

This is not a ritualistic dance like Wu Yu, which possesses Technique Method power; rather, it is a dance of pure beauty, born purely for the purpose of performance.

Everyone was stunned. Even those of the fifth rank, who were not captivated by the dance, stared intently, unwilling to miss such a beautiful sight.

Teng Ping glanced around, her eyes sparkling with light.

They came in a continuous stream, sometimes continuing and sometimes ceasing.

Her skirts fluttered like swallows, her spirit danced like swirling snow; there she was, her face adorned with powder and rouge, her jade hairpins gleaming, her black hair disheveled.

The Hu women's dance, originating from the southern Baiyue lands of Baiyue, was not as elegant as the local dances of Chang'an, but it was more intense, more energetic, and had larger movements.

That's why "the pearl hairpin stands tall and the black hair is disheveled".

But in this way, there is another breathtaking beauty.

Li Qi was no better off than the others; he too stared wide-eyed, unable to resist watching this scene.

The rapid drumbeats and rhythm, paired with the constantly swirling skirt—

Jade tassels and emerald pendants mingled with light silk, her fragrant sweat slightly dampened her rosy cheeks.

She shone her pearl-embroidered shoes upon the jade banquet, and danced lightly before the red candles, her beautiful figure both alluring and enchanting.

However, although she was alluring, she was not seductive.

Mei, flattery, Gu, is to seduce, to please, making people feel that she is seductive and attractive.

At this moment, she simply displayed her vibrant spirit and graceful dance moves to the fullest.

Flowers bloom for themselves, not to please anyone else.

The pipa plays rapidly, the dance is like a bird soaring in the wind.

A beautiful woman skims lightly on the water, her emerald shadow rising high into the sky.

Its clear cry echoes through the heavens, its light illuminating the rosy clouds and breaking through the azure mist.

There's no need to please anyone; just be yourself and you'll naturally attract countless eyes.

These are the goddesses of flowers; they are born with an eye-catching quality.

However, besides looking at the Flower Goddess, Li Qi was also looking at that dress.

The robes made by myself and Liu Shenzhi, and then modified by Bo Yue.

They complement each other perfectly.

Li Qi could only describe it as a perfect match; there was no other way to describe it.

This robe seems alive, like the green leaves beside a flower, perfectly complementing the dance of the Trumpet Flower God.

It will take action on its own, occasionally flashing light effects, or dancing in anti-gravity at just the right moments, and coordinating with the dance of the Trumpet Flower God to make the scene more dynamic.

Everything is for the sake of aesthetics; this self-reactive mechanism is what Bo Yue left for this garment.

This robe doesn't think, but it 'predicts'.

The algorithm from the diviner gave this robe the ability to predict in advance.

When used for dancing, they will actively cooperate with their owner to strike graceful poses.

When used in combat, it will automatically defend.

None of this is caused by any mind; the robe itself has no wisdom. It is simply a response to external stimuli, like a mimosa plant.

As for what constitutes the 'right' response, that requires calculation using algorithms.

That's exactly what Bo Yue did.

Fortunately, through repeated trials and errors by the Demon Seed, this robe can achieve the ultimate in this aspect.

This kind of computing power is something that ordinary mass-produced Law Treasure can hardly possess.

This calculation is based on the premise that the items woven from the Witchcraft Silkworm are 'alive'.

It possesses the characteristics of being 'alive', and even has a body composed of some biomass, although this body exists in the form of fibers.

But isn't hair also alive? The fibers don't affect this property.

Only living biomass can serve as a carrier to bear this capacity for thought; this is a manifestation of the 'natural perfection' of Shaman Path Law Treasure.

Simple runes and forging are difficult to replicate using biomass directly, at least not on an assembly line.

This is the advantage of using Witchcraft Silkworm to weave magical Law Treasure.

To achieve this level of crafting through refining techniques, an assembly line won't work. Refiners need to use things like the spirits of Demon Beast as raw materials, cleanse the spirits with Technique Method, then smash the spirits, which have no consciousness or memory, into the Law Treasure, and slowly cultivate a semi-spirit into it.

Of course, this kind of semi-spirit can even speak and learn on its own, which is much stronger than the instinctive reaction of the Witchcraft Silkworm Law Treasure.

However, it should be noted that the Law Treasure of the Witchcraft Silkworm are mass-produced.

Of course, if there is a half-spirit, there must be a true spirit... Unfortunately, that's at the level of the Sea Cooking Pot, a true cultivator, not a tool.

Li Qi looked around and could see that many people had noticed this.

Although the Trumpet Flower God was dancing, she was also deliberately showing off her dance dress and her magical robe.

The robes, a fusion of Shaman Path and Human Path, combined with a flower goddess from Chang'an who dances the Hu Ji dance, create a unique beauty when these two completely different things are harmonized, making the Trumpet Flower God even more eye-catching.

However, even the most beautiful dance must eventually come to an end.

Soon, the music ended.

Everyone was impressed.

Regardless of any opinions they might have about the Trumpet Flower God, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her dance, so these scholars naturally wouldn't come over and say that the Trumpet Flower God's dance was subpar.

That's just asking for trouble.

After the dance, even the Trumpet Flower God was covered in sweat.

Her sweat soaked through the fabric, but the clothes began to evaporate the sweat automatically, creating a faint fragrance around her.

It was truly a fragrant mist, unlike any human scent. The Flower Goddess's fragrance was filled with the aroma of Trumpet Flowers, giving people a sense of tranquility and joy. Her sweat was also a product similar to nectar, looking like dewdrops.

This appearance evoked desire, but it didn't last long. Just a few seconds later, the Trumpet Flower God lightly waved her sleeve, and as the sleeve fluttered, her body returned to normal. The long hair that had fallen loose while dancing was now tied up in a bun.

Then, she fell from the sky, her movements graceful.

Her light skirt fluttered, as lush as spring flowers.

Her hair was piled high in a cloud-like bun, seemingly radiant.

With her feet touching the ground, she walked slowly to the center of the crowd and said with grace and poise, "Writing is the means to proclaim the phenomena of heaven and earth, to clarify the order of human relations, to explore the principles of things and to investigate the suitability of all things. When success is achieved, it is praised; when virtue and merit are established, it is inscribed; when good deeds are completed, it is eulogized. This is what is meant by being able to display the beautiful phenomena of heaven and earth, to express the aspirations of poetry, and to observe the heart to create literature."

"Therefore, the cultivation of character and temperament is the work of the wise. Even the writings of the sages of the past can be heard today, so the feelings of the sages can also be seen in their words."

This passage is quite simple; it expresses the importance of the article and serves as the opening remark for today's literary gathering.

However, some information was also subtly revealed in it.

The statement, "The feelings of a sage can also be seen in his writing," is clearly an attempt to garner support. If even the feelings of a sage can be recorded in writing, then can the feelings of Liu Donghe be expressed in the same way?

Of course, so Liu Donghe's article represents his stance.

Liu Donghe's praise of the Trumpet Flower indicates that this scholar supports the Trumpet Flower God. Those of you who do not support it should think twice before speaking.

The verbal sparring began the moment the very first sentence was uttered.

"Recently, I came across a fine work, and I was overjoyed. I felt that its praise could reach a thousand miles and its beauty could resonate in Baiyue households. However, there is no one in the Baiyue region who can appreciate it. That is why I rushed back, wanting to show this literary talent and prevent it from being buried."

As the Trumpet Flower God finished speaking, someone in the crowd suddenly said, "The Flower Goddess is far away in Baiyue, more than a million miles from Chang'an. How could she possibly obtain the genuine artifact from the Liu family in Chang'an?"

This is questioning the source of their origins.

The Trumpet Flower God chuckled softly, "This article was written at the White Horse Temple. I have a close relationship with the White Horse Temple. By chance, this fortuitous opportunity ended up in my hands. Perhaps this is a matter of Buddhist affinity."

With a simple, noncommittal remark, she effectively shut down the question of her origins.

The answer is that it's a matter of Buddhist affinity. Everyone knows the relationship between the trumpet Trumpet Flower God and the White Horse Temple. Everyone knows that this flower blooms in front of the Buddha's seat and has a karmic connection with the White Horse Temple.

Seeing no one respond, the Trumpet Flower God smiled with satisfaction and continued, "Eagles and falcons soar to the heavens without adornment, their bones strong and their spirit fierce. Literary talent is similar to this. Today's literary gathering is but an embellishment for me, and dance is but a decadent affair. I would like to ask everyone to present their masterpieces and add spirit to this grand gathering with their literary talent. Only then can it be called a 'grand gathering'."

After saying this, the Hanlin scholars looked at each other, and then one of them, a fifth-rank Confucian scholar, stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Does the Flower Goddess know that all writings must be of proper form, with emotions and will as the spirit, principles and righteousness as the backbone, diction as the skin, and music as the tone, so that they can be refined and elegant, and make the writing truly inspiring and thought-provoking."

"That's natural. Writing comes from the heart; only with a pure heart can writing be pure," said the Trumpet Flower God.

"Therefore, since we are required to write essays, we must not write anything against our conscience. Otherwise, if our hearts are not upright, our writing will not be upright either, and we will only spoil everyone's enjoyment. Is this the principle?" said the fifth-rank Confucian scholar.

"Indeed," said the Trumpet Flower God.

Now the other onlookers realized what was going on. Even those who didn't know about the feud between Trumpet Flower God and some members of the Hanlin Academy could understand the situation.

The literary gathering held by the Trumpet Flower God will certainly be like other flower goddess literary gatherings, centered around the Flower Goddess, with the main theme being praising flowers, or at the very least, using flowers to symbolize people and aspirations.

What this fifth-rank Confucian scholar meant was. "I really don't like you, Trumpet Flower, so naturally I can't say anything nice about you. You don't expect me to flatter you, do you?"

The implication is quite clear.

However, the Trumpet Flower God smiled and said, "Whether it is praise or criticism, it is all nourishment for the blooming of all flowers, just like fallen petals and manure. Once they enter the soil, they are all the same. Perhaps the manure will even play a greater role. You just do what you want. You only praise other people's writings. Shouldn't you be wondering if you are a sycophant?"

These words were quite magnanimous, causing the fifth-rank Confucian scholar to nod slightly.

The Trumpet Flower God accepted it.