Soaring Straight Up Ninety Thousand Miles

Elsewhere.

Some of the young masters from various families who were reciting poetry and making merry noticed Chen Mu as well, but almost none of them knew him.

One of them raised his brows, smiling as he lifted his cup in greeting.

"Brother, you look unfamiliar. May I ask your name?"

"Chen Mu."

Chen Mu lightly cupped his hands.

"Xuanguo Estate?"

He Mingxuan was slightly surprised. After thinking carefully, he could not recall anyone named Chen Mu, so he assumed he was likely just an ordinary concubine's son from Xuanguo Estate. He smiled and gave a wave of his hand, no longer making conversation.

Yet when someone nearby heard the name Xuanguo Estate, he cast a sidelong glance over and sized Chen Mu up from head to toe.

A moment later.

A waiter from Apricot Flower House carefully carried a pot of "Centennial Apricot Blossom" upstairs and brought it before Chen Mu.

It was at that moment that someone suddenly rose to his feet.

Anguo Estate's

Second Young Master, Li Yu!

Li Yu looked at Chen Mu and raised his cup with a light smile. "I have heard that Young Master Mu is brimming with talent, and you have even ordered the finest wine. The finest wine ought to be paired with the finest poetry. Why not let us hear the splendor of Xuanguo Estate?"

His voice cut through everyone else's laughter and conversation.

Quite a few people turned to look.

Everyone naturally understood at once that Li Yu was setting Chen Mu a difficult problem. With just a few words, he had lifted him high into the air. If Chen Mu refused to compose a poem, or if the poem was poor, he would undoubtedly lose face.

And it would not only affect Chen Mu himself. Once word spread, Xuanguo Estate would be dragged into it as well.

Yet no one found this surprising. Anguo Estate and Xuanguo Estate had been at odds for centuries, openly and secretly fighting one another. Not only in the Imperial Court—even among their younger generations, they were hostile to each other.

Moreover, none of them knew Chen Mu, and he was merely a concubine's son. Faint, amused smiles appeared on their faces as they waited at the side to watch the show.

Only He Mingxuan, who had been the first to greet Chen Mu, shook his head with a laugh. He felt Li Yu was lowering himself by making things difficult for a concubine's son, but he said nothing. He also wanted to see how Chen Mu would deal with this.

Chen Mu glanced at Li Yu.

In the original owner's memories, Li Yu had left quite an impression. This man had repeatedly toyed with Chen Ziliang of Xuanguo Estate—the very culprit who had caused Cui'er's death.

Chen Mu gave that matter his approval, but trouble being brought to his own door was another matter entirely.

"Very well."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Mu nodded casually.

"Bring paper and brush."

"Yes."

The servants of the restaurant answered, and before long, someone brought up brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

This left everyone astonished.

They had not expected Chen Mu to actually dare compose a poem after Li Yu had raised him so high. This was Apricot Flower House—anything that happened here could spread throughout the Capital within a single day!

If his poem was passable, that would be one thing. But if it fell far short, he would immediately become a laughingstock, the subject of countless conversations over tea.

Chen Mu casually took up the brush and began to write.

A short while later.

He set the brush down.

"This will do."

After looking over the writing on the page, Chen Mu gave a slight nod. He then picked up the wine pot beside him and headed straight downstairs, leaving behind a crowd of stunned onlookers.

One of the Capital's famed scholars was the first to rise. He walked over to the table and looked at the words on the paper.

Then he froze in astonishment.

Seeing this, the others exchanged glances and also rose one after another. Even He Mingxuan came to the table and looked down at the sheet of paper.

Li Yu was the last to approach. His expression had already darkened. Judging from everyone's reactions, he vaguely sensed something was wrong. When he reached the table and looked, he too fell briefly into a daze.

The handwriting was not particularly beautiful,

and was even quite plain.

But written upon it were:

The Roc rose with the wind one day, soaring straight up ninety thousand miles.

Should the wind cease and it descend, it could still churn the Cangming Water!

After reading it,

silence fell over the room.

No one spoke. Whether Li Yu, He Mingxuan, or the several scholars renowned throughout the Capital, all stood mute, because every word at this moment was pale, powerless, and inadequate!

With only these few lines, this poem would surely spread throughout the Capital within a day!

No one knew how long passed.

Only then did He Mingxuan turn to gaze toward the horizon and softly praise, "There is someone of such talent in this generation of Xuanguo Estate... What a pity."

The people beside him all understood what he meant by "what a pity."

Xuanguo Estate already had two Eldest Sons, one devoted to letters and the other to martial arts, each set to inherit a share. Even the Third Eldest Son had no place left to contend for, much less Chen Mu, a mere concubine's son.

No matter how talented he was, he could only remain a pearl buried beneath snow, drinking and making merry for the rest of his life.

In truth,

there was another path he could take: the pure path of martial arts. If he could attain First Grade Martial Dao and become a Martial Saint of the present age, not only Xuanguo Estate—even the current Imperial Family would revere him as an Imperial Tutor!

But He Mingxuan had clearly sensed earlier that Chen Mu lacked any dense aura of blood and vitality. Evidently, he had not even entered through the gate of basic martial arts.

"..."

Li Yu shook his head slightly as well.

He Mingxuan's "what a pity" brought him back to himself. Chen Mu's poem had indeed made him angry, but now he could not help mocking himself. How had he allowed his emotions to be unsettled by a mere concubine's son?

"This poem may one day spread across the realm."

Li Yu spoke with a smile.

He had already cast the earlier awkwardness completely behind him, returning to his calm and composed manner.

No matter how grand and imposing this poem was, at most people would pass it around in admiration. Perhaps in the future, that Roc soaring straight up ninety thousand miles would be none other than Li Yu himself.

Since even Li Yu had spoken, the others all began laughing as well. The atmosphere instantly returned to normal. He Mingxuan even pointed at a servant of Apricot Flower House and smilingly told him to preserve the poem carefully, have it mounted someday, and hang it in Apricot Flower House.

Thus,

over the centuries to come, countless people would visit for the sake of this poem, standing atop Apricot Flower House to see the line: "The Roc rose with the wind one day, soaring straight up ninety thousand miles."

And to imagine how boundless and sweeping Chen Mu's ambition had been when he composed this poem here.

Chen Mu carried the wine pot downstairs from Apricot Flower House.

Below Apricot Flower House, the manager did not ask why Chen Mu was leaving after buying only one pot of wine. He merely smiled and said, "Thirty gold will do."

"Ren Yan."

Chen Mu called out.

Ren Yan immediately responded, took out gold ingots from his person, and paid Apricot Flower House. At the same time, he muttered inwardly, Thirty gold for one pot of wine—this is practically robbery.

Chen Mu casually handed the wine pot to Ren Yan. Ren Yan hurriedly received it and carefully cradled it against his chest.

"Let's go."

After accepting the gold notes returned by the manager, Chen Mu started walking.

Ren Yan followed behind and asked quietly, "Second Master, are we returning?"

Chen Mu considered for a moment, then said, "Do you know the exact location of Xiao Qingshan's burial site?"

Though he knew Xiao Qingshan was buried North of the Capital, North of the Capital was far too vast. Even after arriving there, he would still have to search carefully, and Chen Mu's memories contained no record of ever having gone.

Ren Yan had no idea whether to laugh or cry. He looked at Chen Mu in confusion and asked, "Second Master, who is that?"

Chen Mu replied casually, "A wandering hero from a book. His bearing suits mine. I intend to take wine and pay my respects."

Pfft!

Ren Yan's expression turned strange.

After going to such lengths and spending thirty gold, it was only to pay respects to a wandering hero from a book. His Second Master was becoming harder and harder to understand.

Still, he immediately said, "This servant does not know where he is buried, but since he is famous, this servant knows where to ask. It will only take a little while."

Chen Mu had reached the carriage by then.

He stepped into it.

"Then go."

He waved Ren Yan away.

Ren Yan immediately answered, placed the wine pot in the carriage, then ran off at a trot, disappearing into the stream of passing pedestrians.

Not long afterward, Ren Yan came running back again.

He was panting.

"Second Master, I have found out."

"Then let us depart."

Chen Mu's voice came from within the carriage.