You Wrote This Poem?!

"..."

Chen Mu looked at Song Wanjun before him, painfully parting with her treasure, her reluctance to give it away outweighing her desire to offer it.

Then he lowered his gaze to the words on the roll of rice paper.

Accept it?

How could I accept it? Taking a closer look at Song Wanjun's expression, Chen Mu truly worried.

If he accepted it, she would be miserable for quite some time.

Besides, he had sold this thing precisely because he had no use for it.

Take it back... and sell it again?

Ye Qingcheng saw Chen Mu's dilemma, so she stepped forward and said, "Miss Song, the young master actually wrote this calligraphy himself. I then took it to Auction City to sell on his behalf."

At these words, Song Wanjun's expression froze, then turned incredulous. A moment later, stars seemed to sparkle in her eyes.

Her admiration spilled out uncontrollably.

Although she already knew the answer, she still could not resist asking again to make absolutely sure. "Young master, did you write this verse—no, all these poems yourself?!"

Chen Mu could clearly feel that Song Wanjun's respect for him now came even more deeply from the heart than before.

"I did indeed write them." Chen Mu nodded in acknowledgment.

It was nothing shameful. There was no need to conceal it.

Hearing this, the old eunuch marveled at how wonderfully inexplicable fate could be!

Perhaps there was still a chance for the marriage alliance?

Beside them, Chen Tianlin reached for a sheet of rice paper on the table. Holding it in both hands, he murmured, "Across three thousand miles, one man fought from field to field; against a million troops, one sword once held the line!"

Truthfully, Chen Tianlin had little knowledge of calligraphy or poetry.

Yet now, paired with the sinewy strength and sturdy bones of the brushwork, its force seeming to pierce the paper, such commanding verses moved even him deeply.

My son possessed such talent?

He picked up several more sheets. The more he read, the more his heart surged, unable to settle.

It was not hard to understand why even Song Wanjun, the Great Wu Dynasty's foremost talented lady, had shown such admiration upon learning that his son had written all these verses.

"You've come from afar, Eldest Princess, and I don't have much to give you. Since you like my poems so much, I'll write one especially for you."

Chen Mu enveloped a sheet of rice paper in spiritual energy, unfurled it, and spread it flat in midair.

Then he took out a brush and dipped it into the ink Ye Qingcheng had ground. With one hand behind his back, he raised the other and swiftly danced the brush across the paper.

His graceful bearing was a delight to behold.

Song Wanjun, Chen Tianlin, and the others hurried to Chen Mu's side, eager to see the poem he was writing.

Chen Tianlin read aloud:

"Clouds call to mind her robes, flowers call to mind her face; the spring breeze brushes the railing, dewdrops gleaming rich."

"If not atop the Mountains of Jade, then beneath the moon on the Jade Terrace must we meet!"

"Wonderful! Beautifully written!"

The old eunuch also offered heartfelt praise. "Clouds bring to mind her splendid robes, and flowers her lovely face. With such heavenly beauty, she must be either a floating immortal atop the Mountains of Jade or a goddess bathed in moonlight before the Jade Terrace!"

He thought this poem could not have been more fitting as a description of Song Wanjun.

It captured her beauty perfectly!

"Thank you for your gift, young master. I will treasure it dearly!" Song Wanjun's pretty face flushed with bashfulness, and her voice grew softer.

She deliberately lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see.

"In that case, I won't keep you two any longer." Chen Mu had Ye Qingcheng see the guests out.

Song Wanjun hesitated, words on the tip of her tongue, then turned and left Qingyun Prefecture with the old eunuch.

"Mu, I won't disturb your cultivation any longer either."

Chen Mu could tell that despite what Chen Tianlin said, he simply wanted to hurry back and brew himself a cup of Enlightenment Tea.

Seeing through him without saying so, Chen Mu replied, "Take care, Father."

Before leaving, perhaps Chen Tianlin felt it was inappropriate to have come empty-handed only to accept such a precious Enlightenment Tea Cake.

Or perhaps he feared Chen Juexin would give him a thorough scolding if she learned of it.

After taking only a few steps, Chen Tianlin turned back.

With a sweep of his hand, three jade bottles containing a total of fifty ninth-grade pills appeared on the stone table.

"These pills should be enough for your breakthroughs."

Looking at those bottles of pills, Chen Mu wanted only to say:

Cultivation—isn't breathing all it takes?

Still, this was a token of Chen Tianlin's affection, so Chen Mu did not refuse. "Thank you, Father."

He figured he would keep them. They were bound to come in handy someday.

Even if he had no use for them himself, he could give them to others to earn rebates or win people over.

Outside Qingyun Prefecture.

Watching Ye Qingcheng shut the courtyard gate tightly, Song Wanjun felt a tangle of emotions.

When she saw Chen Tianlin pass her, about to head off into the distance, she immediately called out, "Holy Lord, please wait!"

"Is there something else, Eldest Princess?" Chen Tianlin stopped and continued, "If this concerns a marriage alliance between our families, Mu has refused, and I truly cannot decide for him. I hope you understand."

"I don't like forcing others."

Song Wanjun shook her head. "That's not it. I wish to ask you to let me stay in Tianyuan Holy Land. I am willing to become a disciple here."

"The Great Wu Eldest Princess wishes to join Tianyuan Holy Land?" Chen Tianlin looked troubled.

How could Chen Tianlin fail to see through Song Wanjun's little scheme?

My son was fated to be beset by peach blossoms!

Feeling Chen Tianlin's gaze turn toward him, the old eunuch hurriedly said, "I believe His Majesty will certainly agree."

In the old eunuch's view, since they could not arrange a marriage alliance, having Song Wanjun stay at Tianyuan Holy Land as a royal hostage was a viable alternative.

Everyone knew Song Ao doted on Song Wanjun. Keeping her at Tianyuan Holy Land would be tantamount to holding Song Ao by his vulnerable spot.

That way, Tianyuan Holy Land would no longer need to worry about whether the Great Wu Dynasty might harbor thoughts of rebellion.

The old eunuch could not help admiring Song Wanjun's intelligence.

Little did he know that his thoughts and Song Wanjun's were as far apart as heaven and earth, on entirely different planes.

"In that case, take this token and report to the Inner Court." Chen Tianlin conjured a token and handed it to Song Wanjun.

He made an exception and promoted her directly to an Inner Court disciple.

She was a princess of a nation, after all, and might very well become his daughter-in-law someday. He could hardly have her start as a menial disciple like everyone else, could he?

"Thank you, Holy Lord." Song Wanjun raised both hands and respectfully accepted the token.

By the time she looked up again, Chen Tianlin had vanished without a trace.

"Eunuch Yan, sorry for troubling you with matters on Father's side," Song Wanjun told the old eunuch.

"Rest assured, Eldest Princess. This old servant will spare no effort!"

Based on what he had seen and heard at Qingyun Prefecture today alone, the old eunuch believed Song Ao would certainly praise Song Wanjun's flexibility of thought once he heard about it.

Then the two parted ways.

The old eunuch headed toward the Flying Boat.

Song Wanjun turned toward the Inner Court to report in, admiring the poem Chen Mu had given her as she walked and praising it endlessly.

The blush on her face deepened further.

In her eyes, no amount of praise from anyone else could compare with these four lines of poetry.

She had come to understand what it meant that beyond every person stood someone greater, and beyond every heaven lay another heaven!

As for Chen Tianlin, he had already returned to the Holy Lord's Residence.

Bubble, bubble!

With flames in his palm, he quickly brought a pot of cold water to a rolling boil.

Then he carefully broke off a corner of the tea cake and placed it inside.

He covered the pot, anticipation written all over his face. "It's already been half a year since I last drank this Enlightenment Tea. I hope I'll get another chance to experience that exhilaration of body and mind that comes with sudden enlightenment."

The higher one's cultivation, the harder it was to achieve sudden enlightenment.

That was especially true for someone as powerful as Chen Tianlin.

Correspondingly, however, the rewards he could gain from a single moment of enlightenment far exceeded those of others.

He looked at the large Enlightenment Tea Cake in his hand.

Surely, with this much, I could achieve enlightenment at least once?

Chen Tianlin considered his luck quite good.

He had no idea that this Enlightenment Tea was entirely different from the Enlightenment Tea he knew.