Prodigal System in the Flourishing City

Chapter 428: Chapter 426: Admitting Defeat [Fourth Update 3.1k Bonus Chapter for Votes]

Listening to the battle of wits between Liu Chen and Lu Xiaobu.

Everyone present, without exception, was dumbfounded, listening to their exchange of couplets like statues!

They felt their brains weren’t up to the task, this was a duel of top Jianghu swordsmen, not something little shrimps like them could participate in.

They could only listen, only to be continuously shocked by the clever couplets of the two, time and again!

Damn, thankfully this wasn’t a real martial confrontation, otherwise, they’d probably be injured by the Sword Qi!

Liu Chen paced back and forth: ”The sea welcomes the tide, tide after tide it ebbs away!”

Lu Xiaobu, sleepy-headed: ”The clouds billow unceasingly, growing and shrinking, they fade away!”

Liu Chen’s face flushed with excitement: ”The sea welcomes the tide, tide after tide it recedes!”

Lu Xiaobu was only kept awake by Wu Qianmin’s call: ”The clouds billow unceasingly, swelling and shrinking, they dissipate!”

Can this work?

Do these actually match?

Liu Chen was so excited he was nearly crazed, like a swordsman possessed, with eyes only for the sword, ready to unleash his grand move: ”The sea greets the morning tide, the tide each morning it falls!”

This time it’s a ’five-five split’ phrase.

Lu Xiaobu nodded constantly, sleepy: ”The clouds grow incessantly, swelling and shrinking, they vanish!”

Liu Chen, relentless, each move lethal: ”The sea’s tide greets the dawn, dawn after dawn it ebbs away!”

Lu Xiaobu, slow and easy, like idle clouds and wild cranes: ”The clouds grow long and strong, billowing and shrinking, they fade away!”

Finally.

Liu Chen hits Myriad Swords Return to the Origin, the formless trumps the tangible: ”The last one, the sea greets the dawn’s tide, the tide at dawn recedes!”

This time it’s an irregular six-four split phrase.

The formless trumps the tangible!

Lu Xiaobu stands up, stretches lazily: ”Finally over, the clouds grow long, long and strong, swelling and shrinking!”

As the final phrase matched, the woods suddenly erupted into chaos!

”Holy moly!”

”Holy crap! What the heck!”

”What the hell did I just hear?”

”How could this even work!”

”...”

Lu Xiaobu actually matched them! Matched them all!

Every single variant couplet matched!

And not just barely matched, but perfectly seamlessly!

Is this even human?!

Lu Xiaobu, are you still human?!

The female top student’s face filled with astonishment, at a loss for words.

Her heart was a mix of excitement, shock, and disbelief!

Yu Jian felt the same shock and disbelief in his heart!

Even a trace of fear!

Yet, the young lass Wu Qianmin was excitedly delirious: ”Oh yeah! Xiaobu is awesome! Too awesome!”

Without thinking, she jumped next to Lu Xiaobu.

Aiming at Lu Xiaobu’s cheek, she gave him a smooch!

Lu Xiaobu’s lips curled into a smile—this Wu Qianmin was no fiery pepper, such initiative from her was truly rare!

While they were astonished, Liu Chen was feeling utterly carefree and refreshed, soaked in sweat as if he had just finished exercising: ”Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!”

He shouted ’awesome’ thrice and then, facing Lu Xiaobu, he gave a bow with clasped hands: ”Sir, your talent is unparalleled, Chen admits defeat!”

He pondered his own first line for months, took it to the Writers’ Association, but no one there could match it.

Even he himself hadn’t come up with an answer yet.

But now, Lu Xiaobu had solved it.

And how long did Lu Xiaobu take?!

Such a person is truly learned and well-read beyond measure!

”Forget it, there’s nothing praiseworthy here.”

Lu Xiaobu waved his hand.

What he said was the truth; the couplet wasn’t his own original creation.

It was in textbooks back on Earth.

This was from a temple dedicated to Lady Meng Jiang on Qinhuang Island, carved on the columns of the front hall.

The couplet depicts the natural scenery around Shanhai Pass and the Lady Meng Jiang temple, while also expressing a view of nature and the cosmos.

It suggests that everything in the world is like the sea’s tides and drifting clouds—rising and falling, swelling and ebbing—without a permanent state.

The couplet is something of a rarity, capable of being read in over a dozen ways.

So today, Lu Xiaobu’s purpose wasn’t solely to show off and take away Zhang Shilin; it was also to complete this unique wonder of the world.

After all, it would be a pity if only half of it were known!

”Now, Zhang Shilin can come with me, right?” Lu Xiaobu looked at Liu Chen and said.

”Of course! Shilin will surely learn a lot with you.”

Liu Chen readily agreed!

Zhang Shilin had talent and ability in literature.

Now that there was a better master, he certainly wouldn’t stand in the way.

The members of the literary club also naturally didn’t dare to speak.

Teacher Liu had been convinced, so they were even less qualified.

They were really afraid of being injured by the Sword Qi!

”Wait a minute!”

However, one person stood up, unconvinced, and said: ”I Don’t Agree! Lu Xiaobu must have studied this beforehand!”

The speaker was none other than Yu Jian.

He confidently said: ”Everyone knows how long Teacher Liu studied this couplet, but what about this Lu Xiaobu? Just a few minutes of looking, how could he know so quickly!?”

”I’m sure that Lu Xiaobu must have planned for today well in advance!”

”He must have learned about Teacher Liu’s proudest couplet and then got someone to research a solution. That’s the only way he could have done it!”

Listening to his seemingly reasonable words, Liu Chen was furious!

”Nonsense!”

For the first time, Liu Chen was angry as he rebuked: ”No one in the Writers’ Association could match the first half of my couplet. Even if Lu Xiaobu had researched it beforehand, so what?! He matched it, and that’s that. You’re just causing trouble for nothing!”

”Teacher Liu, please don’t speak. It’s not about you anymore. Zhang Shilin is not only your student but also the president of our literary club. Now he wants to take away the president of our literary club, has he asked us?!”

Yu Jian was telling the truth.

Although Liu Chen was a teacher and Zhang Shilin’s mentor, very esteemed in the literary club, he was indeed not a member of the literary club!

His words did have some logic to them.

Of course, his main purpose was to stir up enmity among everyone.

But not a single person responded.

Others aren’t fools; if Yu Jian isn’t afraid of Lu Xiaobu, we are!

Besides, as Teacher Liu said, what does it matter if he had researched in advance?

If you were given time to research, could you come up with a solution?!

”You’re still brooding over that slap from earlier, aren’t you?”

Lu Xiaobu’s lips curled into a smirk.

Alright, if you want to play, we’ll continue to play!

”That’s right! I want to have a couplet match with you! Do you dare?”

Yu Jian gritted his teeth and admitted.

Screw that so-called honor, whatever agreement, he was just after that slap in the face, and also after Wu Qianmin!

He had hoped Liu Chen could properly discipline this Lu Xiaobu and then he could kick him while he’s down.

But how did it turn out?!

This good-for-nothing Liu Chen actually got tossed aside by someone else!

Still a teacher, still in the Writers’ Association, always boasting about his greatness, yet defeated by a prodigal son!

So, it seems he must take matters into his own hands.

It’s just a couplet, right?

He knew many people, he could find some tricky couplets for him, he didn’t believe Lu Xiaobu could match them all!

Just asking if you, Lu Xiaobu, dare!