Eternal Life: My Talent Increases by 1 Point Every Day

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Two Pairs of Shoes on the Ground

Fang Yue didn’t know it yet, but a certain young woman was now holding a grudge against him.

He had already eaten breakfast and was preparing to head back to the inn.

Just then, two beautiful young women were walking toward him from a distance.

"Shu, today’s literary gathering was organized by Master Wen. I heard that the great scholar who wrote *Nostalgia* will be there too."

One of them, a girl with her hair in a bun and a round, charmingly naive face, said, looking up at her companion.

"What? You’re saying that Liu the Great Scholar, the one who wrote ’A bright moon before my bed,’ will be there?"

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I didn’t even change my clothes today. I can’t go looking like this, can I?"

Zhang Shu, who had been strolling along leisurely, instantly grew anxious upon hearing the girl’s words.

Although Zhang Shu also practiced martial arts and had been training in Skin Grinding for several years, nearing Great Success, her Talent was good, and she had Zhang Boyang’s guidance.

But perhaps because women were not allowed to participate in the Martial Examination, Zhang Shu wasn’t actually that enthusiastic about cultivating the Martial Dao.

As she grew older, especially in the year since returning from Da Liushu Village, she had become more and more passionate about attending various literary gatherings in the county town.

From despising martial arts to adoring poetry.

Perhaps this was this world’s version of a rebellious phase.

"Not at all! Sister Shu, you’re so pretty, you look good in anything," the girl with the round face and hair bun complimented.

Zhang Shu accepted the girl’s compliment as a matter of course, then immediately continued, "Oh dear, how does that poem *Nostalgia* go again? ’I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon’... what comes after that?"

"I... I don’t remember either," the round-faced girl said.

After all, they hadn’t received a formal elementary education, meaning they hadn’t really attended school.

So, although Zhang Shu and the round-faced girl were enthusiastic about attending all sorts of literary gatherings,

in reality, they weren’t very well-read.

Their knowledge was limited to the fact that this poem had recently become famous in Xiahe County. But when it came to actually reciting it, they couldn’t.

Just as they were feeling vexed, they heard a voice reciting with a catchy, rhythmic cadence.

"A bright moon before my bed, two pairs of shoes on the floor. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, then lower my head to eat with relish."

Hearing this, Zhang Shu’s eyes lit up.

’Isn’t this the full version of the poem she was thinking of!’

’It really is a poem for the ages. To think someone would be reciting it right here in Xiahe County Town.’

Delighted, Zhang Shu silently recited it to herself several times.

Only when she felt she wouldn’t forget it again did she think to look for the person who had just recited the poem.

By then, however, Fang Yue was long gone. She didn’t see him, of course, and just assumed it was some kind person reciting it.

She thought no more of it, and before long, she and the round-faced girl arrived hand-in-hand at a quiet and elegant garden in Xiahe County Town.

This was the place where Master Wen was holding the poetry gathering.

Of course, Wen Donglou himself would not be attending; his disciples were hosting in his stead.

As the author of the poem *Nostalgia*, Young Master Liu was naturally the center of attention.

At this moment, the young master of the landlord family was dressed in light cyan scholar’s robes, a folding fan waving in his hand. Though his face was still boyish, he fancied himself a debonair character and put on a cool, unapproachable air.

Liu Chuanzhi was surrounded by a crowd of scholars. Basking in the admiring gazes of the young ladies from the Noble Families, he felt as if he were floating on a cloud, utterly content.

He was reluctant to let this feeling go, completely infatuated with it.

And so, his worries about having falsely claimed Fang Yue’s poem as his own began to fade.

"Liu, you truly are the great scholar of our Xiahe County! Once *Nostalgia* was released, it shook the entire Prefecture City!"

"Indeed, that’s right. Today’s grand event is all thanks to you, Liu. How about you grace us with your calligraphy?"

"With your great talent, Liu, you are certain to win the title of Wen Kui in the Imperial Examination for the Imperial Scholar three days from now."

Soon, amidst the praise of his fellow students, and after feigning reluctance several times, Liu Chuanzhi had no choice but to walk to the center of the courtyard.

A table had already been set up there, laid with fine Xuan paper. A young maiden stood beside it, grinding an inkstick.

In such a setting, how could Liu Chuanzhi resist? He immediately brandished his brush and began to write.

"Before my window, I gaze at the Mountain Moon, mistaking it for frost upon the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the Mountain Moon; I lower my head and think of my hometown."

As he wrote, the spectating scholars and the young masters and ladies of the great families—never short of enthusiastic onlookers—began to recite along.

Cries of praise rose and fell in waves. After all, even if such verses weren’t a masterpiece for the ages, they could surely be celebrated for a century.

However, unlike the many who were shaking their heads in appreciation,

Zhang Shu’s brow was furrowed as she stared at the finished poem, which had now been hung up on display.

"That’s not right! The poem is written wrong!"

She didn’t even think, simply blurting it out because it felt wrong.

But after she spoke, she was startled to remember where she was.

Zhang Shu’s voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet garden, it was incredibly conspicuous.

Instantly, she drew the attention of everyone around her.

"Young lady, I wonder what might be improper about my poem."

Liu Chuanzhi maintained a suave smile. He stopped waving his folding fan, snapped it shut, and held it in his hand.

’Of course, he hadn’t written this poem, but he didn’t believe Fang Yue had either.’

’Fang Yue must have copied it from somewhere, so what was wrong with him borrowing it for a bit? Besides, he had even modified the poem.’

Liu Chuanzhi felt his changes were an improvement.

He had once recited this modified version to some friends in the city, and they had indeed praised it profusely.

His heart filled with satisfaction, and the idea of claiming the poem as his own began to sprout in Liu Chuanzhi’s mind.

Once the wicked thought took root, there was no turning back. So, over this period, he had slowly spread the verse through casual and deliberate circulation.

’As for what would happen if Fang Yue found out in the future... so what? He’s just a poor country boy who can barely read. Who cares if he’s a Martial Scholar!’

’Who would believe he wrote this poem!’

This was the source of Liu Chuanzhi’s confidence after his act of plagiarism.

Now, to be called out by a woman on the spot... ’Could she know something?’

For a moment, Liu Chuanzhi’s heart skipped a beat.

"The poem is wrong. It should be, ’A bright moon shines before my bed.’"

As she recited this line, the surrounding crowd immediately began to murmur.

"Why didn’t I think of that? Using ’Bright Moon’ is so much better! It’s on a completely different level than ’Mountain Moon.’"

"Indeed, indeed, it’s truly brilliant."

Liu Chuanzhi’s heart sank again. He stared at Zhang Shu in shock and uncertainty. ’Could this woman really know something?’

’I can’t let her continue reciting, or how will I get out of this today?’

But Zhang Shu wasn’t about to give him the chance.

She blurted out the next line.

It was: "two pairs of shoes on the floor."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was stunned. No one expected that such a beautiful young woman would alter the original poem into something so vulgar.

The hall erupted in laughter as everyone began to ridicule Zhang Shu.

"Where did this foolish girl come from? Doesn’t she even listen to what she’s saying?"

"Exactly. An ignorant person with such improper thoughts is simply defiling our literary gathering by being here."

Liu Chuanzhi, who should have been the most nervous one, now found himself sighing in relief.

"Young lady, I think it’s best you leave. And remember, please don’t randomly alter poems or make crude jokes, lest you only make a fool of yourself."

Liu Chuanzhi said with a smile, shooing her away.

The other scholars also joined in the jeering.

Zhang Shu had never been in a situation like this. She just stood there stubbornly and said, "But I haven’t finished reciting the last few lines!"

Zhang Shu was vexed with herself. ’Why did I have to act so reserved? I should have just recited the whole poem in one go.’

’If these people had heard the complete poem, they surely wouldn’t be acting like this.’

In the end, however, Zhang Shu was still driven out as an uncultured simpleton.

It was only because she was a woman; otherwise, she would have faced a torrent of verbal and written condemnation.

Even so, some of the young ladies from the Noble Families who were usually close to Zhang Shu unconsciously decided to keep their distance from her.

’Being associated with a woman like that would damage one’s reputation.’

Only after being kicked out of the garden did Zhang Shu finally realize that there was something wrong with the poem she had recited.

But she didn’t think it was her fault. Instead, she began to hold a grudge against the person who had been reciting the poem that morning.

After all, she had been thrown out of the literary gathering. She had never been so humiliated in her life.

Back at the literary gathering, the event should have proceeded as planned after Zhang Shu left.

But some people were looking at the poem hanging on display, combining it with what Zhang Shu had recited.

Changing "Mountain Moon" to "Bright Moon" made the entire verse flow exceptionally well.

The artistic conception was elevated by a huge margin.

’Could there be some hidden story behind this poem of Liu Chuanzhi’s?’

Among the crowd, there were naturally those who were suspicious of how Liu Chuanzhi had suddenly produced such a timeless masterpiece.

’Could it be true, as the rumors say, that Liu Chuanzhi plagiarized it?’

At this moment, because of the commotion Zhang Shu had caused, the literary gathering could no longer continue.

~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Fang Yue’s days had become peaceful and fulfilling.

He had no idea what trouble he had caused for Zhang Shu by spouting a few lines of a nonsensical poem that day.

’Of course, even if he did know, what did it have to do with him?’

’He hadn’t told Zhang Shu to go show it off.’

And he certainly had no idea that someone would be bold enough to plagiarize it.

Ever since reaching the initial stage of Bone Forging, Fang Yue had been training even more diligently.

As time went on, his supply of silver coins was quickly dwindling.

With half a month left until the Martial Scholar examination, he had already run out of silver coins.

Two doses of the Bone Forging Secret Medicine alone had cost him fifty taels of silver.

And that was only because he was now valuable in Elder Zheng’s eyes, who had given him a discounted price.

’I really need to find a way to earn a living,’ Fang Yue thought. ’Otherwise, I’ll need at least five or six doses of the Bone Forging Secret Medicine a month. That’s nearly two hundred taels of silver per month.’

Fang Yue did a quick calculation of this month’s expenses and couldn’t help but be shocked.

The consumption of Secret Medicine after reaching Bone Forging was much higher than it was during Skin Grinding.

Furthermore, the price of the Bone Forging Secret Medicine was also three times higher than the Skin Polishing Ointment.

Even with just five doses of the Secret Medicine a month, it would cost nearly one hundred and thirty taels of silver.

That would be nearly 1,500 taels a year.

His family, even with the rent they collected, only brought in about a hundred taels of silver a year.

’Practicing martial arts truly is a money pit. No wonder even Fang Hu squandered his family’s fortune back in the day.’

’No wonder so many people fight tooth and nail to become a Martial Scholar!’