Seeing Tan Yuanshang's expression, Qi Zhongbin knew he had understood and said no more. The man before him was one of Great Yong's sharpest minds.
The instant Qi Zhongbin unraveled the nursery rhyme, Tan Yuanshang's destiny became clear.
Faced with Tan Yuanshang's solemn bow, Qi Zhongbin returned it, nodded, and turned his attention back to Chengxing's First Stele.
For an Immortal Dao cultivator like Qi Zhongbin, that was enough to count as a meeting.
"Fine calligraphy. Truly fine calligraphy!"
Stroking his beard, Qi Zhongbin murmured his praise. The writing was exceptional indeed. Rarer still, he could discern a trace of his master's spirit in it, yet it had formed a style all its own. That was truly remarkable.
Of course, reproducing his master's calligraphy perfectly was impossible. Never mind mortals-even among accomplished Immortal Dao cultivators, few could likely manage it.
It was not that the characters themselves were so difficult to write. Rather, they were an expression of the artistic realm attained through personal cultivation. Cultivators of different paths each had their own methods, making a true reproduction all but impossible.
Tan Yuanshang did not leave immediately, however. He stood beside him for a while, studying the writing on Chengxing's First Stele with him.
"These characters were written by Meng Shiming in the spring of the thirteenth year of Hongxing. He had just earned his place on the golden list of successful examination candidates, and His Majesty had personally acclaimed him as a gifted scholar and master of calligraphy. He was at the height of his spirits, and his brushwork possessed tremendous vigor. Through this stele, he also captured our Great Yong's might and prosperity at that very moment!"
Qi Zhongbin nodded and turned to Tan Yuanshang beside him.
"If it was written in the thirteenth year of Hongxing, why