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Members of the Gentleman’s Assembly, armed with various clubs, knives, guns, and all kinds of Spiritual Treasures, made their way to the grounds of Book Mountain with a menacing aura.

Jiang Li found the situation fascinating and sent a message to Bai Hongtu, “Looking at their posturing, are they about to fight? This isn’t at all how gentlemen handle things.”

Bai Hongtu put on a knowing expression, “This must be due to the imperfect state established by the founder of the Gentleman’s Assembly. People here seem to handle things civilly, but when confronted with a problem, resolution lies in their fists.”

Upon seeing the arrival of the aggressive Gentleman’s Assembly members, Book Mountain was not one to back down. They brought out their various Spiritual Treasures to confront the Gentleman’s Assembly, matching its force.

“You petty people with your pretentious airs! You’ve kidnapped students from our Gentleman’s Assembly, release them now!”

On their way there, members of the Gentleman’s Assembly had understood the situation. Book Mountain invited some Gentleman’s Assembly students to visit and learn from them. Now, people from Book Mountain claimed that these students wanted to join their organization.

“Stuff and nonsense! Who’d believe you, claiming we have kidnapped anyone? It’s clear that these students found our conditions favorable and wanted to join us of their own volition.”

“Offer up whatever you will, we of the Gentleman’s Assembly will double it!”

“No homework assignments after class.” The people from Book Mountain chuckled proudly.

Everyone knew the students of the Gentleman’s Assembly were burdened the most with homework, often having to transcribe the scholars’ discourses ten times over.

“…you scoundrels! The scholars have always said learning involves going over old material to understand it anew. You dare to cancel homework assignments?”

“The scholars also say that teaching should be tailored to the individual. Who has decided that only homework can help absorb old material? We instruct by setting an example, imparting knowledge to students.”

“You’re quibbling.”

“Take your own incompetence elsewhere!”

The conflict between the Gentleman’s Assembly and Book Mountain rapidly escalated. Various Spiritual Treasures hummed with power, surging Spiritual Power indicating an imminent battle. The air itself seemed to carry a thick aura of death.

“It seems today’s dispute won’t be resolved without a duel!” Members of the Gentleman’s Assembly were livid.

“Bring it on, if you’ve got the guts!” Book Mountain remained undeterred. The highest level among them was at the Nascent Soul Stage, overall being a stronger assembly than the Gentleman’s Assembly.

Just as Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu thought a fight was imminent, a member of the Gentleman’s Assembly spoke:

“As per tradition, a poetry contest.”

“Bring it on.”

Setting their Spiritual Treasures aside, both sides immediately set about grinding ink and composing poetry.

“???”

Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu were not quite sure what was going on, prompting them to ask, “Since you had already taken out your Spiritual Treasures, why did you put them away?”

Members of the Gentleman’s Assembly chuckled, “As gentlemen, we certainly can’t be waving weapons about to determine life and death.”

“But why did you bring out your Spiritual Treasures in the first place?”

“To show our power.”

Then the member suggested, “You two are members of our Gentleman’s Assembly. Why not also participate in the contest?”

“Our poetic skills may not be exceptional. Just that we can recite poems quickly but risks messing it up.”

“We, the Tang family, are known for our 300 Tang poems, but I did not inherit my ancestors’ talent and ability to compose poems.”

A Gentleman’s Assembly member laughed, “No need to worry, participation matters more. If the students genuinely want to stay with Book Mountain, we’ll respect their wishes, but the challenge now is not to lose face.”

To ensure fairness, the Gentleman’s Assembly proposed the specific rules for the contest, while Book Mountain posed the challenges.

A member of the Gentleman’s Assembly cleared his throat and said, “True poetry is a natural gift, a stroke of genius, creating a timeless masterpiece on the spot isn’t realistic. If we were to write about what we see, it could easily become embellished and empty. Let’s decrease the difficulty. We will engage in a quick-fire poetry contest. You propose the first half of a verse, we will reply with the second half within ten seconds. If we fail to do so, we accept defeat.”

Book Mountain immediately agreed, “Alright. However, I would like to add one condition.”

“What is it?”

“These two new gentlemen must be recent recruits of your Gentleman’s Assembly. If you lose, you must hand these two over to us.”

Not making a decision for Jiang Li, the kuixiu asked, “Tang Li and Bai Lan, what do you think?”

“We don’t mind either way.” Jiang Li felt it didn’t matter where he ended up.

Once agreement was reached, Book Mountain posed the first challenge, “Listen carefully, I will recite the first half of the verse: ‘Flying down the waterfall three thousand feet’, what is the second half?”

To warm up, Book Mountain started with an easy verse which was quickly answered.

“Till reaching the Yellow River, one’s heart won’t rest.” Bai Hongtu blurted out the second half.

Book Mountain focused their attention on Bai Hongtu, viewing the Gentleman’s Assembly as having taken in a genuine talent.

“The first half of the verse is ‘Having no faithful companion at the end of the road’, what is the second half?”

“To the west of the Yellow Pass, there’s no such friend!” Bai Hongtu was the first to answer again.

Book Mountain wanted to retort, ‘Did you eliminate all your faithful companions?’

“Where iron shoes tread, no place found…”

“That man is at the dim-lit end of the street.” Jiang Li beat Bai Hongtu to the response.

Upon first hearing, members from both the Book Mountain and the Gentleman’s Assembly didn’t see an issue. Upon closer thought, they realized something was off.

It was clearly ‘Where iron shoes tread, no place found, all effort spent in vain’, versus ‘In the lantern gloom at the corner, turning to look back suddenly, that man is there’.

How did you manage to join two unrelated lines into one verse?!

“On the ancient road outside the long pavilion…”

“A line of egrets ascends into the sky.”

“A hundred charms from that backward glance and smile…”

“In silence, so much more profound than speech.”

“Gazing up at the bright moon…”

“Meeting oneself in the shadow.”

Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu replied without hesitation, without a hint of pause.

As other students gathered to watch the literary battle, members of Book Mountain and the Gentleman’s Assembly quickly shooed them away.

They could not afford to learn from these two.

“Next, on the brink of death, he gets up with a start.”

“Laughing, he asks the guest from whence he came?” Bai Hongtu once again beat Jiang Li to the response.

“Did the author of the poem have a near-death experience?”, shouted a member of Book Mountain.

“I have a kind heart and can’t bear to see people die. If I can save one, that’s one less death.” Bai Hongtu replied sincerely.

“The author of the poem is long dead, for over ten thousand years!”

“May he rest in peace.”

Members of Book Mountain were on the verge of losing their patience with Bai Hongtu.

You must think we gentlemen of the Gentleman’s Assembly can’t fight. Can you withstand my Nascent Soul Stage fist?

Privately, a member of the Gentleman’s Assembly asked Bai Hongtu, “Bai Hongtu, haven’t all of your responses been incorrect?”

“All you wanted was speed, right?”

Realization dawned on the member from the Gentleman’s Assembly. He felt as if two gods had descended upon them.

The Gentleman’s Assembly was a small testament to their presence and couldn’t accommodate these two gods.

The Gentleman’s Assembly member was headstrong. He clasped his fists and said, “We’ve lost this contest! We, the Gentleman’s Assembly, honor our bets. Tang Li and Bai Hongtu, you now belong to them.”

A gentleman admits and corrects his mistakes.

Book Mountain, however, respectfully declined the ‘gift’, “No, no, no! On the contrary, the essence of a quick-fire poetry contest is speed. Your quick and nimble thinking, able to come up with what others can’t, indicates that we, Book Mountain, are the ones who lost.”

“We conceded first, we’re the ones who lost.”

“We, Book Mountain, don’t acknowledge your concession. It’s us who lost.”

The two sides outdid each other in expressing goodwill, leading bystanders to praise both the Gentleman’s Assembly and Book Mountain for their virtues, generously relinquishing victory to the other.