An Extraordinary Battle Painting

The Qing Kingdom people who had just been filled with righteous indignation immediately flushed red with embarrassment.

Fang Yun was indeed a Void Sage, but Void Sage was a status, not strength. No matter what, he was still a young Metropolitan Graduate.

Moreover, the Literary Contest Across a Prefecture had not been provoked by Fang Yun. The cause was Qing Kingdom Provincial Graduates going to Jiangzhou to humiliate Jing Kingdom scholars, while the later cause was the Zong Family's attempt to seize the Instructional Sacred Way. No matter how one looked at it, Qing Kingdom had been discourteous first.

If Qing Kingdom won, Zhang Huzhu's conduct would demonstrate the bearing of a great nation: knowing propriety and shame, winning openly and honorably, leaving others unable to criticize them.

If Qing Kingdom lost, Qing Kingdom could naturally claim that it had not gone all out, preventing others from kicking them when they were down. No one would be able to smear Qing Kingdom with disgrace.

If the ten Metropolitan Graduates of so vast a Qing Kingdom all resorted to every means possible to win, it would instead stir the Human Race of the Ten Kingdoms' sympathy for Fang Yun and disgust toward Qing Kingdom. In the end, it could very likely create the awkward situation of winning without truly winning.

That was precisely why Zhang Huzhu had taken the initiative to request battle.

"A land of rites and courtesy, a gentleman of shining virtue." Fang Yun clasped his hands toward Zhang Huzhu.

"However, aside from battle paintings, this old man is also a Poem Maniac. Void Sage Fang, do not let your guard down," Zhang Huzhu said candidly.

Fang Yun smiled. "This student has long heard of Elder Zhang's accomplishments. You have cultivated one Provincial Graduate Protective War Poetry and one