By the time Chen Yunfan returned to Guiyun Academy, the Poetry Gathering had already been declared over.
Liu Hong, Yang Ye, Liu Si, and the other important officials from Shuzhou had left earlier.
The remaining academy teachers, including Yue Ming, Zhuo Ying, and Ling Chuan, stood at the academy gates, seeing off the guests from Yuelu Academy, Yingtian Academy, and elsewhere.
Their exchanges consisted mostly of polite pleasantries.
The other young scholars and wealthy young ladies who had attended the Poetry Gathering emerged from the academy in twos and threes, their expressions best described as reluctant to let the evening end.
Everything they discussed concerned tonight's Poetry Gathering.
Naturally, much of it revolved around "Prelude to Water Melody" and their admiration for Chen Yi, the man known as Mr. Qingzhou.
Chen Yunfan turned a deaf ear to it all. After scanning the crowd and finding Cui Qingwu, Xiao Wan'er, and the others, he walked over with a displeased expression.
Cui Qingwu noticed something amiss. After a moment's thought, she went to meet him, smiling as she asked why he had only just returned, then lowering her voice to ask:
"Chen... how is he? Why didn't he come back with you?"
Chen Yunfan paused and snorted. "Dead."
"Dead?"
Cui Qingwu froze briefly. She could not help glancing at the people behind her, signaling him to watch his words, before asking:
"What happened?"
Noticing her gesture, Chen Yunfan glanced at Xiao Wan'er, Xiao Wuge, Shen Huatang, and the others, then gave an ambiguous answer:
"I arrived too late. Someone else intervened."
On his way back, Chen Yunfan had thought it through.
Chen Yi had always kept a low profile, revealing only his Perfection Realm attainment in the Way of Calligraphy. He must have had his reasons.
As Chen Yi's elder brother, he