Chapter 252: Unworthy Opponent
Chapter 252: Unworthy Opponent
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock
"Why should XiMen Qing be the one to come up with all the questions?"
"That’s right, why should it be him? Don’t tell me it is just because he is more good-looking than others?"
"Who is XiMen Qing? Never heard of him before…"
Before the person on stage could finish what he had to say, a large commotion broke out in the surroundings with protests coming from all around. Together with the effect of Ling Chi and the others fanning the flames, and Yu ManTian, DongFang JingLei and NanGong TianHu adding fuel to the fire, the Smoky Thea Tower broke out into a large commotion. Whistles could be heard coming from all around with people jeering loudly. How did this look like a scholarly meet? It looked more like a gathering of bandits! A few scholars couldn't help but shake their heads in disappointment, feeling as though their originally good mood was lost.
Finally, a few famous scholars took the initiative to quiet the crowd and a few of them had a discussion with Mister Qin. Finally, they decided that all the great families would take turns to pose a question each. However, the XiMen Family wasn’t happy with that and insisted that the party who posed the question could choose any family to answer it.
Everyone knew that the XiMen Family wanted this rule so they could make life difficult for Ling Tian and make a fool out of him. Thus, all the scholars couldn't help but hesitate about accepting this condition. Finally, Mister Qin looked towards Ling Tian and agreed to this condition upon receiving a confirmation nod from him.
The curtains of the XiMen Family’s Extreme Joy Chamber were lifted and XiMen Qing walked out. An amiable smile could be seen on his face, as though nothing had happened before this and he had never been humiliated by Ling Tian.
Many people couldn't help but nod their heads in praise, praising how XiMen Qing was indeed extraordinary. He was actually able to keep up appearances despite suffering such a huge humiliation! The self-control he had wasn't something an ordinary person could compare to!
Ling Tian shook his head as the excitement on his face faded away.
Off to the side, Meng LiGe who had been observing Ling Tian’s action couldn't help but ask, "It seems as though young noble doesn’t think highly of young noble XiMen?"
Ling Tian looked towards Meng LiGe and didn't reveal any intentions of recruiting him. After all, this would only serve to scare him away. With regards to Meng LiGe, Ling Tian already had a plan in his heart. With a smile, Ling Tian replied, "Mister, please don’t joke around with me. Does Mister think that I should think highly of XiMen Qing?"
Meng LiGe twiddled with his beard as a wise look could be seen in his eyes. With a chuckle, he replied, "Why does young noble say that?"
Ling Tian smiled slightly and began to tell a story, "There once was a peerless sword master who had not met a worthy opponent for many years. He was extremely lonely and yearned for the day he could be defeated. However, he just couldn't find a worthy opponent and could only lament about this misfortune. One day, another famous swordsman issued a challenge to him. Do you think he would be happy or sad?"
Meng LiGe didn't expect Ling Tian to suddenly tell him a story and was taken aback for a moment. However, Meng LiGe was certain that Ling Tian had his reasons and listened with a smile.
"This peerless sword master had been lonely for far too long and rushed to the designated location excitedly, looking forward to having a satisfying battle!" Ling Tian continued his story, "However, the sword master was disappointed to find out that the swordsman who had issued him the challenge was a mere three-year-old child!" Ling Tian smiled at Meng LiGe, "At this moment, XiMen Qing is like that three-year-old child to me. This young noble is extremely disappointed. What does Mister think?"
Meng LiGe’s eyes revealed a smile as he asked, "Why does young noble say that?"
"Why does Mister ask such an obvious question?"
"I’d like to hear the details."
Ling Tian laughed and said, "Since Mister wants to force Ling Tian, Ling Tian will explain himself. If XiMen Qing was able to immediately walk out unfazed after what I just said, he might be a worthy opponent for me! However," Ling Tian said slowly, "he was ten minutes too late!"
As he finished what he had to say, Ling Tian turned around and looked at the stage.
Meng LiGe fell into deep thought and looked at Ling Tian with a look of praise. He is indeed extraordinary! If XiMen Qing was able to walk out without any delay, his self-control would make him a formidable opponent! However, he was ten minutes too late. While it wasn’t a long time, his lack of mental fortitude had already proven the fact that he wasn’t an exceptional individual! Thus, Ling Tian no longer placed XiMen Qing in his sights! XiMen Qing wasn't anyone to be feared!
A shout could then be heard from the outside, "Mister Meng, please."
It turns out, the scholars had decided to select a few judges and XiMen Qing had immediately suggested two famous individuals: Mister Qin and Meng LiGe! Since XiMen Qing wanted to humiliate Ling Tian, how could he leave two experts by Ling Tian’s side?
The six chosen judges gave a humble bow in the center of the stage and greeted the audience. While the six of them didn't know each other personally, they had all heard about each other’s reputation. Now that they were able to meet each other, they were naturally elated!
An old man then took a step forward and said in a crisp voice, "This scholarly meet is made for us scholars from all over the continent with the heroes of the world being gathered here today. Everyone from all seven nations and eight families is present today and this is definitely a rare sight to be seen! This meeting will definitely be in the annals of Sky Bearing’s history for the next thousand years! This old man isn’t talented and had received the upper phrase of a rhyming couplet a couple of years back. After thinking of a possible lower phrase for many years, I was still unable to come up with anything. Today, let me start the ball rolling and hope that everyone present can help ease a trouble of this old man, lest I cannot rest in peace thinking about the lower phrase of this rhyming couplet!"
Seeing how this old man was rather humorous, everyone couldn't help but laugh and someone said, "Sir, there is no harm for you to say it!"
That old man then said, "This old man was originally from Sky Bearing and went to the ‘Nature’s Restaurant’ for a drink. After drinking a few rounds, I suddenly saw an upper verse of a rhyming couplet, ‘Customer in Nature’s Restaurant, unexpectedly heavenly customers’. He only had the upper phrase but not the lower phrase. The boss of the restaurant even said that the person who can come up with the lower phrase will be able to dine there for free his entire life. While this old man calls himself a scholar, I have no clue on how to create the lower phrase. I have thought of it for half a year until my hair has turned white but I still don't have a way." As he said that, the old man revealed a bitter expression with a completely helpless look. However, there was an expectant gaze in his helpless look, and it was obvious that he had really been deeply frustrated by this for a long time already.
"Customer in Nature’s Restaurant, unexpected heavenly customers"
What a good palindrome, what an impossible rhyming couplet! 1
All of a sudden, the hundred plus people present began mumbling to themselves with some of them looking up in deep thought and others with brows furrowed. There were some who shook their heads in frustration as they paced around. For a long time, no one could come up with a lower phrase.
While this phrase seems ordinary, it was a palindrome and was the same when read forward or backward. Furthermore, it also subtly raised the status of the guests at the restaurant and it was fluently executed.
In the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber, Ling Tian’s eyes were shut with his legs crossed and shaking indifferently. By the side, Ling Chen was smiling with a look of confidence on her face. This rhyming couplet was something which Ling Tian already knew from his past life and had mentioned it in passing before. However, Ling Tian never imagined that someone would use this exact rhyming couplet in this life as well and it had become something impossible to match! Since Ling Chen knew many possible answers in her heart, how could she not be smiling?
However, Yu BingYan had her eyes shut tight with her brows furrowed as though she was deep in thought. Being someone who was known for her talents, how was it possible for her to admit her defeat in the face of this rhyming couplet?
In the Extreme Joy Chamber, a soft chuckle could be heard and a calm voice sounded, "While this couplet is difficult to match, it isn’t impossible. This young noble explored the continent many years ago and had been to a temple called the Big Buddha Temple! Walking past big Buddha, big Buddha greater than man. I wonder if my lower phrase is correct?" The person who spoke was XiMen Qing. With his robes fluttering slightly, he stood outside the chamber with a proud smile on his face, as though he was extremely satisfied with his lower phrase.
Everyone lowered their heads in thought and felt that the lower phrase matched well. They then couldn't help but cheer for him.
"Puchi!" A mocking laughter could then be heard with a cold voice following it, "Can this be considered a match? What a joke!"
XiMen Qing’s face turned dark as he glared at the source of those words and said coldly, "I wonder what kind of a masterpiece you have for us?" Seeing that this person came out from the Yu Family’s Heavenly Dream Chamber, XiMen Qing suppressed his anger and didn't blow up.
As Ling Tian and Ling Chen turned to take a look, they saw a laughing Ling Chi. Ling Tian had already expected that the few of them would not stay by the side quietly and this proved to be true.
Ling Chi then said with complacency, "A talent comes from a paradise, a paradise produces many talents! Haha, how about that?" As everyone thought about it, they couldn't help but cry out in praise! Regardless of suitability or the use of words, this lower phrase was far neater than XiMen Qing’s lower phrase. Especially since it was more relevant to the upper phrase, it was much better than XiMen Qing’s lower phrase!
Yu BingYan suddenly let out an ‘ah’ and shouted out, "I know!" She was previously in deep thought, ignoring everything happening on the outside, "Fragrant plums on a frosty pavilion, a frosty pavilion produces fragrant plums!"
Everyone was stunned for a moment before shouting out a praise! They never imagined this beautiful lady to have such talents! While her lower phrase was also beautiful, it was losing slightly to the lower phrase given by Ling Chi!
XiMen Qing let out a snort, feeling as though he had lost face by being compared to the two other lower phrases. In an effort to overturn the tables, he said, "With the inspiration of this scholarly meet today, this young noble just came up with another couplet. May the various geniuses present correct me. ‘Poetry stage, poetry talent; poetry talent on poetry stage; exceptional poetry stage, exceptional poetry talent!’ I wonder if anyone can match this couplet of mine?"
XiMen Qing stood in the center of the stage, looking into each and every chamber. Finally, his gaze landed on the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber which Ling Tian was in and looked towards Ling Tian with a provocative smile. Anyone who was observant enough would be able to tell that this couplet was obviously meant to humiliate Ling Tian! With regards to the matters of two Great Families, who would dare say a thing? As for Yu ManTian and the others, they were no more than brutes who were skilled in martial arts. It was already a miracle for them to remember their own names, how was it possible for them to be of any help?
At the same time, the only two people who were able to help, Mister Qin and Meng LiGe, were presently judges! Thus, everyone was guessing that Ling Tian would definitely make a fool out of himself today! Many of them couldn't help but look at Ling Tian with a mocking smile. In the Rising Sun Chamber, Xiao YanXue was frowning with a trace of worry in her eyes.
As XiMen Qing looked at Ling Tian with an arrogant gaze, the first thing he saw was the two beautiful ladies by Ling Tian’s side. In that moment, XiMen Qing was completely astounded and finally understood why his little brother, XiMen Zhang, died. After all, what guy wouldn’t want such a beautiful lady in his bedroom?