Chapter 75 - 74: Firearms

Chapter 75: Chapter 74: Firearms

Because Qin Wanyue was present, there were some things the father and son found inconvenient to discuss. Thus, it was only after seeing her off that Zeng Anmin followed his father into the study of the Governor’s Mansion.

CLACK!

Zeng Shilin accepted the compact object Zeng Anmin handed over. With a blank expression, he slapped it onto the desk with a sharp SMACK.

"Father..." Zeng Anmin looked up and called out weakly.

The item his father had just placed on the desk was none other than the Firearm given to him at home that day.

"A gadget from the Profound Array Department. Within a hundred paces, no Martial Artist below the Sixth Grade Void Realm can withstand a single round from it." His father’s voice from that day seemed to transcend time, faintly echoing in Zeng Anmin’s ears.

"Hmph!" Zeng Shilin sneered coldly. He looked up calmly at his dear son, his tone indifferent. "You had this item that day. Why didn’t you use it?"

Zeng Anmin immediately shook his head and replied with absolute earnestness, "Actually, I did consider using it that day. But that traitor had too many lackeys. Even if I killed Xu Tong, his soldiers would have charged forward. How much ammunition does this Firearm have?

"Although it can be replenished with Arrays, that takes time. If they swarmed me all at once...

"I still wouldn’t have been able to avoid exposing my identity."

After saying this, Zeng Anmin pursed his lips and looked at his father.

"Then you shouldn’t have exposed it there, either!" His father’s hand slammed heavily onto the desk with a resounding THWACK. Narrowing his eyes, he stared directly at Zeng Anmin, his voice incomparably solemn. "You must remember this in the future.

"Unless facing certain death, you must never reveal your trump cards to anyone.

"Even if that person is your own father!"

Zeng Anmin could naturally tell that his father wasn’t joking. He opened his mouth to ask why, but his father’s profound voice already rang out.

"The Confucian Dao has the heart-questioning technique, Jiang Country’s Eastern Sect has dream-entering arts, the Profound Array Department has the Heaven-Questioning Array for deduction, and the Daoist Sect has Divination and Seeking Dao...

"There are too many things in this world that can see through a person’s mind.

"You might not fear having your heart questioned, but what about others?"

Upon finishing his words, his father stared at Zeng Anmin with a deeply meaningful gaze.

"I will definitely keep this in mind." Subconsciously feeling a bit guilty, Zeng Anmin turned his head away and nodded earnestly.

He thought, "Father, this is all I can tell you. I absolutely won’t breathe a single word about my Golden Finger or transmigration."

"Mm." At this point, his father’s expression softened. Before long, a warm smile appeared on his face. "You do have some poetic talent in you."

Zeng Anmin could clearly see the gratification on his father’s face. Having lived with him for over a month, he was naturally accustomed to his father’s erratic leaps in logic.

"It was truly because Ms. Wanyue’s musical skills were extraordinary. I was merely moved by the moment..."

This explanation made sense. Coupled with the fact that he had stepped out of the house that day to single-handedly block the rebel army, it could indeed be considered a personal experience.

"Fine wine of grapes in cups of luminous jade." His father closed his eyes, slowly recalling the scene from that day. The lingering echoes of his dear son reciting the poem resonated in his heart. After a long while, he slowly looked up, his gaze complex. "This poem is indeed not bad. It is even a sliver better than what I composed back in my youth."

"What you composed back then?" Zeng Anmin was incomparably curious.

One must know that this *Song of Liangzhou* was a masterpiece of Great Success by Wang Han of the Tang Dynasty. It was a classic that had endured for thousands of years without fading, which was proof enough of its profound artistic conception. Yet his father had actually composed something only a sliver inferior to this poem? That would definitely be something worthy of being passed down through the ages!

"Could I have the honor of reading it?" Zeng Anmin looked at his father with anticipation.

Zeng Shilin’s eyelid twitched slightly. He turned his head away and bluntly changed the subject. "Has this poem been given a title?"

"Not yet," Zeng Anmin answered honestly.

"Since it was composed in Liangjiang Commandery, why not call it the Two Rivers Ode?"

Meanwhile, at Shuidu Academy.

The rebellion of King Jiang had become the topic of gossip over tea and meals for all the students. After all, besides studying, students spent their remaining free time gossiping about others.

Qin Wanyue gracefully followed behind Qin Shoucheng, strolling leisurely through the academy. Wherever her figure passed, it would bring about a brief moment of silence. Every student in Shuidu Academy dreamed of marrying Qin Wanyue.

The father and daughter were currently discussing the Confucian Dao. It was primarily Qin Wanyue asking questions and Qin Shoucheng answering them. As the two passed by a certain spot, they suddenly heard a loud shout.

"This is going too far! That Princess Wencheng is truly unworthy of her reputation!"

"It’s just a somewhat catchy poem, yet she dares to claim that a single piece overshadows all of Jiangnan?"

"Shh, keep your voice down... The Dean is right over there..." someone nearby immediately warned.

But it was too late. Qin Shoucheng had already furrowed his brows and was walking over. "Why are you gathered here instead of studying properly?" His expression was somewhat gloomy.

Qin Wanyue merely lifted her head slightly, her watery eyes looking over in curiosity.

"Greetings, Dean Qin," the students bowed in unison.

"What were you being so impetuous about just now?" The Dean’s expression remained stern. Evidently, having his train of thought interrupted while explaining concepts to his daughter had stoked a bit of anger in his heart.

This...

One student gritted his teeth, bowed lightly to Qin Shoucheng, and said, "Dean Qin, you may not know this, but a few days ago, news came from Jiang Country that Princess Wencheng had composed a poem.

"Someone then claimed that this single piece could suppress all the students of our Jiangnan, making us unable to lift our heads.

"We were just voicing our injustice here!"

Having said his piece, he lowered his head, quietly waiting for criticism.

Qin Shoucheng’s brows knitted slightly as he let out a cold sneer. The Great Saint Dynasty was rampant with the Confucian Dao, having suppressed Jiang Country in the literary arts for hundreds of years. He had never heard of anyone from Holy River Country being able to best the Holy Dynasty in literature.

"What poem has such audacity?" Dean Qin’s cold sneer became increasingly pronounced.

However, after that student recited the entire poem, Dean Qin fell silent.

"When the sea reaches its end, the sky becomes the shore; when I climb to the mountain’s peak, I am the summit.

"Like the sun rising from the eastern mountains once more, the great roc spreads its wings, only to lament that the sky is too low."

These short four lines left Dean Qin’s scalp tingling from the pressure. He thought to himself that without a stroke of serendipity, it would be extremely difficult to compose a poem with such a seamless and profound artistic conception.

"This poem is indeed somewhat..." Dean Qin trailed off for a long time before suddenly recalling something. He looked at the student blankly. "Did you say this poem was composed by Princess Wencheng?"

"I wouldn’t dare deceive you, Dean." The student kept his posture very low.

"It doesn’t suit her status; it’s nothing more than hollow sentiments," Dean Qin waved his hand dismissively. Sensing that things were taking a bad turn, he wanted to leave.

But it was too late; the students had already spoken up.

"We have truly racked our brains, but we cannot think of any verses that could firmly overpower this poem..."

"That’s right, Dean! Our Great Saint Dynasty has a prosperous literary Dao. How can we be suppressed by a woman?!"

"This disciple is so bold as to ask you to compose a verse. Otherwise, the face of us Jiangnan students will be completely lost!"

"..."

Many students wore truly ashamed expressions, yet they cast hopeful gazes upon Qin Shoucheng.

They thought, "We might not be able to do it, but could the Dean also fail to produce one?"

Feeling the eager, expectant gazes of the students, Qin Shoucheng’s expression stiffened. What did it feel like to be roasted over a fire by the academy’s disciples? He was genuinely unskilled in the path of poetry.

However, before he could say much, he heard Qin Wanyue’s gentle and melodious voice from behind. "By chance yesterday, I acquired a seven-character quatrain. It might be able to compete."

"Ms. Qin?" All the students’ eyes lit up as they turned to look at Qin Wanyue.

Among the students of Shuidu Academy, there was no one who didn’t know Qin Wanyue. To have already understood the path of the heart at such a young age meant that entering the Sixth Grade Gentleman Realm was only a matter of time.

"Dare we ask, Ms. Qin, are you confident in that seven-character quatrain of yours?" All the students looked at Qin Wanyue hesitantly but eagerly.

Qin Wanyue chuckled lightly, ripples dancing in her autumn-water-like eyes. A daze washed over her mind as she recalled Zeng Anmin’s display of brilliant literary talent from yesterday, and she slowly replied, "Absolutely confident."

Qin Wanyue possessed exceptional beauty and was steeped in the aura of poetry and literature. Her radiant, confident smile naturally left all the students completely mesmerized.

GULP.

Someone swallowed hard and stepped out from the crowd. The student walked up to Qin Wanyue and bowed deeply. "Please grace us with the verses, Ms. Qin. Broaden our horizons!"

Meanwhile, doubt flickered across Dean Qin’s face. How could he not know his own daughter’s foundational skills in poetry? Compared to him, she was slightly better at writing graceful styles, but overall, they were roughly on the same level...

Before he could speak, Qin Wanyue’s voice rang out.

"Fine wine of grapes in cups of luminous jade,

"Just as I wish to drink, the pipa summons on horseback."

In just two short lines, Dean Qin was already thoroughly entranced. All other thoughts in his mind subsided, leaving only a tranquil focus to savor the poetry.

The students, too, wore expressions of astonishment.

"Do not laugh if I lie drunk on the battlefield,

"For since ancient times, how many have ever returned from war!"

Qin Wanyue slowly closed her cherry lips and looked at the crowd with a smile.

The poem concluded.

Pin-drop silence followed.

After a long while, someone finally stammered incoherently, "This poem of yours, Ms. Qin... truly has a profound artistic conception! I am in complete awe!!"

Only then did the rest of the people react. Tides of praise came surging forward.

However, Qin Wanyue simply shook her head calmly. "This poem was not composed by me."

Huh???

The entire crowd was stunned.

Qin Shoucheng looked down at his daughter, his face displaying a ’just as I expected’ expression, and asked softly, "Then who was it?"

An inexplicable yearning flashed through Qin Wanyue’s eyes. She pursed her lips and uttered a name: "Zeng Anmin."

Who?!!

Him again?!!

Dean Qin looked at his daughter’s expression—one tinged with awe, yearning, and even affection...

His facial expression contorted ever so slightly...