Chapter 14: Breaking Through

That day I fortunately passed the first round of the 'couplet' contest, ordered a pot of fine Longjing tea, sat in the hall to taste it, and faced the envious, jealous glances of those who had been eliminated or lacked the courage to enter. I couldn't help feeling a bit proud. Just then, three people walked in from outside, instantly drawing everyone's gaze in the hall. The reason was that, at first glance, the trio's aura and appearance were too extraordinary for ordinary people. The leader, a youth under twenty, was exceedingly beautiful. I have lived over thirty years, traveled south and north, and I consider myself to have seen countless handsome people, but even if you added them all together, they would not amount to a tenth of his beauty.

Everyone in the hall couldn't help but draw a cold breath, secretly yearning, regretting why they hadn't been there that day.

The youth in fine clothes sneered, coldly scolding: 'What use is it for a man to be so beautiful? It merely adds femininity.'

'Young brother, you've got that wrong!' the middle-aged man's expression turned stern, as if he couldn't tolerate anyone insulting that youth, he said, 'The title Peerless Divine Doctor is surely known to everyone present. Once you truly see him, you'll know the righteous aura and kingly majesty he unconsciously exudes—how could that be linked to femininity?'

Everyone's faces turned solemn, they nodded in unison, and the youth himself dared not speak further.

The middle-aged man continued: 'The latter man has an ordinary appearance, a cold-handsome face. Yet his physique and the faint glint in his eyes let everyone know he cannot be underestimated. The last to enter was completely beyond my expectations—a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, her small face covered with several crisscrossing knife scars; even we, accustomed to scenes, couldn't bear to look at her face any longer. Yet she paid no heed to others' gazes, her lively big eyes darting around.'

The middle-aged man paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said: 'Speaking of this—no, I suspect even if I didn't say it, you all already know who they are, right?'

The old man stroked his beard, delighted, and said: 'The Unwandering Trio—Peerless Divine Doctor, Cold-hearted Blade Warrior, and Odd-faced Maiden—in these short three months, who doesn't know them, who hasn't heard of them?'

The youth in fine clothes frowned slightly and hurriedly asked: 'Sir, I admire the prestige of Crouching Dragon, and just a few days ago I came by sea from Ting State. I am not familiar with the Unwandering Trio; I hope you will enlighten me. Why are they so famous?'

The old man sighed, his voice full of admiration: 'I hear they first appeared in Changping Town of Qi State, and wherever they went—famine-stricken towns that became prosperous within days; plague-ridden villages now bustling with life; corrupt officials they removed; wrongful cases they swiftly cleared; poetry contests on the stage they easily won—such youthful heroes, undertaking deeds greatly beneficial to the world's people, are truly talents hard to find in a hundred generations! If my Yin State could be fortunate enough to have their aid, unifying the realm would be imminent.'

After hearing the old man's words, the hall's crowd stirred, those with intent already drafting reports to their lord. The old man, realizing his remark was inappropriate, hastily changed the subject: 'Let's instead hear about how those three fared that day at the River-Viewing Pavilion.'

Upon hearing that, everyone recalled having neglected the middle-aged man, and urged him to continue.

The middle-aged man was not annoyed, smiled slightly, and continued: 'As soon as the girl entered the hall, she loudly called, "Waiter, any specialty dishes?" Her voice was unusually clear and pleasant. At the time I hadn't realized they were the world-renowned Unwandering Trio; many probably think the same. "The waiter leapt down from the second floor and said, "Miss, which challenge do you three wish to undertake?"'

"Which challenge?" the girl asked puzzledly, "We came to eat; why must we undertake a challenge?"

The waiter blinked, never expecting that someone arriving at Crouching Dragon would still be unaware of its rules, but he calmly explained them without annoyance or haste.

The girl furrowed her brows and couldn't help complaining: 'Such a troublesome rule? What benefit is there in passing all three challenges?'

The waiter was again taken aback, we spectators couldn't help sighing at such ignorance of one's limits. He said: 'Those who clear all three challenges, relying on the gold-inlaid jade pendant, may enjoy complimentary service at the River-Viewing Pavilion for life.'

"Is that true?" the girl's eyes sparkled as she hurriedly turned and said, 'Qiran, I want to undertake the challenge!'

The exceedingly handsome youth smiled gently; we in the hall couldn't help drawing a cold breath, and only now did I notice his eyes were blue. He helplessly said, 'It's just you who has the most tricks.'

The waiter, having listened for a while, also felt somewhat annoyed, and said coldly: 'Since the River-Viewing Pavilion was built on Crouching Dragon Street, it has existed for a century; many arrogant sorts have thought they could clear the three challenges, yet those who actually managed it are still fewer than ten to this day.'

The girl paid no heed to the waiter's mockery, eagerly asking: 'Please tell me how to undertake the challenge—I'm starving!'

The crowd below burst into laughter, and I too thought this lass was delightfully naive and fun.

But this notion was soon overturned.

The waiter, at a loss with her, had to say: 'Are you undertaking the challenges individually or as a trio?'

The girl wondered: 'Is there a difference?'

'Naturally there is.' A voice from the second floor rang out; a graceful young man in white robes floated down, none other than the manager of the Poetry and Books Academy, Lin Qian.

Seeing him land, he unfolded his folding fan with suave elegance, graceful and charming. Alas, before the youth called Peerless Divine Doctor, any man inevitably loses some of his color.

'If you undertake the challenge alone, you may choose any one of the couplet, poetry, lyric, martial arts, gambling, or military strategy stages; passing grants you the corresponding gold and jade.'

'If you undertake the challenge as a trio, you may freely select three or more events to compete in; the more you clear, the more gold and jade you naturally obtain. However, if any one fails, the other two, even if they earn gold and jade, must be expelled from Crouching Dragon Street.'

'I see.' The girl nodded, realizing, and smiled: 'Then we three will undertake the challenge together—may we begin?'

Lin Qian's eyes flashed with light as he said: 'Miss, you have great confidence—please proceed! The River-Viewing Pavilion's trials are divided into three levels and six venues: martial arts, couplet, poetry, lyric, gambling, and military strategy. Each promotion moves you up a floor; only those who pass all three challenges in every event may reach the top floor to view this river's waters. But I must remind you, in the past dozen years no guest has ever ascended to the top floor.'

The girl pursed her lips: 'Manager, you're too wordy—can we start? I'm really hungry…'

Lin Qian gave them a deep look, waved his hand, and said, 'Set up!'

'May I ask which subjects you three choose?'

'Martial arts, couplet, poetry, lyric…' the girl enumerated each with her jade-like, slender fingers.

"'Bingyi.' The exceedingly handsome youth couldn't help interrupting, rubbing his forehead in headache before saying, 'What do you need all that gold and jade for? Aren't you hungry?'"

The girl blinked, then quickly nodded: 'Right, we can't waste that much time. Just these four will do!'

At that moment, everyone in the hall couldn't help but be astonished; can you imagine someone treating the River-Viewing Pavilion's three challenges so lightly, as if clearing them were merely a matter of time?

First round, first bout: martial arts.

"The River-Viewing Pavilion sent out three unexpected individuals. I say them, and you likely aren't strangers: the Flood Dragon King Yuan Jiuzhou, chief of the Yuan Jiuzhou Gang; the Third Prince's senior advisor, the martial artist Yin Yue; and Elder Li of the Sun-Moon Gang."

Upon hearing this, even though everyone had braced for the unexpected, they were still startled. Each of these three, when named, carries a thunderous reputation in the martial world—needless to say, Yin Yue, known as the Moon Shadow Sword Warrior, kills like it's nothing. Yuan Jiuzhou has held the chief position of the Hai Sha Gang for nearly ten years, dominating the north of the river, unmatched. Elder Li is likewise the second-in-command of the Sun-Moon Gang.

Such masters—each alone would be extremely hard to deal with—now the Pavilion has made them a trio as its first gate; it's truly frightening.

The youth in fine clothes couldn't help asking: 'Did these seniors actually lose to two youths and a girl?'

The middle-aged man narrowed his tiger eyes, slowly shook his head, and said: 'No, they lost to a single person.'

The crowd again drew a cold breath in unison, shouting: 'Cold-hearted Blade Warrior!'

"'The scene of that martial match, even though I was present, felt only hazy. As the starting gong sounded, I only saw a black shadow flash—he vanished like a ghost from our sight. Moments later, after I regained my composure, I heard two 'dings'; he had quietly withdrawn from the battle. The opponents bore no obvious injury, except that aside from Yin Yue, the weapons of the other two lay at their sides. The black-clad man coldly swept his gaze over them, then, with a hint of appreciation, fixed his eyes on Yin Yue's trembling hand still gripping her weapon, and said, 'Still want to fight?'"

Yin Yue smirked, saying: 'No need, Cold-hearted Blade Warrior truly lives up to his name; we are far no match for the young master. Please proceed to the next contest venue.'

Only then did I realize they were indeed the famed Unwandering Trio; the hall buzzed with discussion.

Even Lin Qian was moved. He hurriedly said: 'Indeed it is the Unwandering Trio; no wonder they have such confidence. Just now, in my probing, my tone may have offended—please forgive me, miss.'

"'Nothing to forgive.' The girl said: 'I never expected the name Unwandering to spread so widely!'"

After saying that, she gave a 'pfft' laugh, revealing two rows of white teeth; unaware what amused her, the two men beside her looked rather grim, somewhat embarrassed.

The girl clapped her small hands and said: 'Truly impressive; now it's your turn, peerless genius, to shine!'

The divine doctor youth gave another bitter smile, helplessly and affectionately ruffling the girl's hair.

First round, second bout: couplet.

At this point, knowing their identities, we naturally doubted neither their ability nor that the River-Viewing Pavilion's fame, long established and not easily attained, made this showdown truly fraught with suspense.

Following the three into a room, an upper couplet, written in vigorous cursive script, was already posted on the wall. It read:

"River-Viewing Pavilion, River-Viewing Flow, on the River-Viewing Pavilion one views the River-Viewing Flow; the pavilion endures through ages, the flow endures through ages."

The divine doctor youth smiled faintly, took the wolf-hair brush from the inkstone, and with a graceful stroke instantly completed the lower couplet.

"Yin Yue Well, Yin Yue Shadow, in the Yin Yue Well lies the Yin Yue Shadow; the well lasts ten thousand years, the shadow lasts ten thousand years."

As soon as this couplet was presented, the surrounding crowd burst into applause.

But what's even more remarkable than the couplet the youth produced itself is the calligraphy of the lower line — it matches the upper line exactly, as if it were written by a single hand in one go; truly a miracle.

The youth's extraordinarily beautiful face showed no pride nor humility; he merely gave a light smile, truly unperturbed by favor or disgrace, and said, 'Young Master Lin, you have passed the test.'

Please move on to the next venue, all three of you.

(End of chapter)