Chapter 15: Renowned Courtesan

"First Stage, Third Round: Poetry! We entered an elegant study; many here are familiar, because many people at Wangjiang Tower only entered after passing this stage and the couplet stage. The host of this stage is none other than Young Master Lin."

He waved his folding fan, gazed at the river outside the window, and said: "Both of us will take 'Spring' as the theme, each recite a poem, and let the assembled crowd judge. Young Master, what do you think?"

The words startled everyone inexplicably, because today's first stage at Wangjiang Tower, from the earlier martial contest and couplet round to this poetry round, is more than twice as hard as the usual challenges.

Especially this poetry stage, which normally only required a fitting verse, has turned into a dueling recitation. Young Master Lin Qian is a renowned talent here in Wolong, and competing with him is exceedingly difficult.

The Divine Doctor Youth smiled and said, "Don't ask me, she'll pass this stage." He then pointed to the girl beside him.

The girl was startled and asked in surprise, "You have a free genius you don't need; why involve me?"

The youth shrugged and said indifferently, "If you refuse, we'll just be driven out of here."

The girl, angry yet with no other option, glared at him and said resentfully, "Young Master Lin, please begin!"

Young Master Lin seemed momentarily stunned and incredulous, but quickly regained composure, gave his folding fan a slight shake, and a smile appeared on his face; everyone knew he was confident.

He began to chant:

Bringing bamboo, inviting pine to gather on the grass platform,

Burning incense and brewing wine, awaiting spring's return.

The east wind has not yet fallen, yet the plum is already drunk,

Half‑concealed, rosy cheeks lie upon a snow mound.

When the poem was finished, everyone couldn't help but applaud, thinking to themselves: invoking the old plum to herald spring, Young Master Lin truly lives up to his reputation as a talent; if it were the Divine Doctor, that would be understandable. But how could that little girl possibly have poetry good enough to contend with them?

The middle‑aged man seemed to hear their thoughts, smiled and said, "No wonder you underestimate that girl; I was also thinking that her words and actions don't seem like those of a person full of learning, and I silently feared: could she be about to lose?"

Yet the girl thought briefly, then broke into a smile. When that clear, pleasant voice rang out, I realized how terribly wrong I was.

On a victorious day, seeking fragrance by the Si River banks,

Boundless scenery becomes anew in an instant.

Casually recognizing the east wind's face,

Ten thousand purples and a thousand reds are always spring.

"Casually recognizing the east wind's face, ten thousand purples and a thousand reds are always spring," the Brocatelad Youth murmured repeatedly, then suddenly slapped the table and exclaimed, "Excellent poem! A peerless masterpiece! I never expected her to be such a hidden marvel of a woman."

The middle‑aged man smiled slightly and said, "Otherwise how could we call her a plain‑faced marvel? But you got a line wrong. This poem is still far from being unparalleled; if you let me explain slowly, you'll understand."

The Brocatelad Youth's face flushed bright red, ready to argue, but was restrained by others.

The middle‑aged man merely smiled and continued, "When we reached the final arena of the first stage, no one doubted the talents of the three of them any longer; even Young Master Lin at that moment looked despondent, thinking of the girl's poem."

The song and ode contest differed somewhat from the previous three rounds; he had no special requirements—just use vocal lyrics to move each stage's judge, and then appear for the meeting.

Young Master Lin simply said, "This stage is hosted by Jiangnan's foremost courtesan, Su Wanrou."

One can imagine how many people felt yearning when those words were spoken; everyone present was instantly stirred.

To see the legendary "South Su, North Ma" in one's lifetime is a wish that many young masters can never fulfill.

The girl leaned toward the Divine Doctor Youth and giggled, "Jiangnan's top courtesan, huh! Don't you want to meet her?"

The youth, helpless, tapped her nose and laughed, "You want to see her yourself? Don't pin it on me."

The girl gave an awkward smile, "Old rules?"

The youth smiled gently, nodded, and took from his bosom a jade flute of clear emerald hue.

Everyone was startled, realizing that this stage was to be handled by the Divine Doctor Youth. But soon we knew we were wrong again.

A burst of melodious flute suddenly rang out, feeling as if it rose from the depths of his heart. The music was at times low and mournful, like a gentle woman's sigh; at other times it surged with vitality, like a butterfly reborn from its cocoon. My heart was lifted layer by layer, then gently set down, and countless faces of relatives flashed in my mind, stirring an uncontrollable yearning.

As we were all lost in that flute's sound, the girl's singing rose with the rhythm:

The lingering scent of red lotus on the jade mat of autumn; gently shedding silk robes, she alone boards an orchid boat.

Who in the clouds sends a brocade letter when the geese return, the moon full over the western tower.

Flowers drift and fall, water flows on its own; a single longing, two places of idle sorrow.

This feeling has no remedy; it leaves my brows but rises to my heart.

When the piece ended, the crowd remained as if dreaming, yet only the rustle of pearl curtains could be heard; a woman of countless graceful manners, a national beauty, emerged from the inner chamber.

She had tears streaking her face, yet it did not diminish her appearance; rather it added a poignant tenderness that made me feel even more pity.

She said little, hurried to the girl, seized her hand, and urgently asked, "Who composed this piece? What is its title?"

The girl stared blankly, and after a while regained her composure, saying, "This piece is called 'A Cut of Plum', written by a woman missing her husband who is away, to express parting sorrow."

Miss Su seemed not to see anyone around her; her expression shifted between sorrow and sweetness, her tear‑washed eyes seemed to recount endless thoughts. After a long pause she sighed,

"You have passed the stage; please proceed to the third floor."

The girl, still not fully recovered, unconsciously nodded, then grasped her hand again and softly said, "If love endures long, it need not be bound by day‑to‑day."

Miss Su suddenly lifted her head, tears and disbelief filling her eyes, and after a moment managed a single sentence: "Thank you."

The girl pondered for a while, then her expression changed abruptly, saying, "You just said we should go to the third floor? Why? Haven't we still not cleared the second stage?"

Miss Su, with tears on her face, couldn't help but flash a dazzling smile, astonishing the many onlookers, and said, "You have just passed all the tests of the second stage; why don't you hurry up?"

Only then did everyone realize why the first stage's difficulty was so great. It turned out Young Master Lin had, suspecting whether the three of them were idle, directly moved the second stage's contest down to the first floor.

The middle‑aged man paused at this point; the crowd remained lost in thought, offering no urging.

This is also why, even after many days, few who witnessed the events are willing to speak about them; the shock from those contests was so immense that everyone needs a long time to contemplate each scene.

After finishing a pot of wine, the middle‑aged man ordered another; the crowd finally regained composure and urged him to continue.

The middle‑aged man, however, smiled wryly in his heart: the real shock, indescribable in words, still lay ahead.

Miss Su seemed only then to realize someone was still beside her; her gaze fell on the Divine Doctor Youth, and she was stunned for a moment, unable to think.

The youth, appearing unfazed, smiled gently and said, "My apologies, Miss Su."

Miss Su then gave an embarrassed smile, bowed slightly, and said, "Please, three of you."

According to Wangjiang Tower's rules, we had no right to ascend to the third floor, but today none of us could mind such formalities. We all knew that anyone present who missed this contest would regret it for life.

The manager of Wangjiang Tower likely considered this, so he gave no trouble, and our group marched grandly up to the third floor.

I used to think Wangjiang Lou's arrangement was elegant and noble; ordinary shops couldn't compare, and I doubt there are even a few places in the world that could be mentioned alongside it.

But only after going up to the third floor did I realize how shallow my usual view had been. I never imagined that the same hall, with a few elegant rooms and a few martial spaces, could differ merely by being on different floors, giving the impression of 'heaven' versus 'the mortal world'.

Everyone present, aside from Miss Su Wanrou, had like me never set foot on the third floor; at this moment they showed expressions of shock, envy, and sighs, all kinds of dazed looks.

As for those three, one still wore a light smile, one still gave a cold stare, and one still looked around with keen interest.

The girl looked around and exclaimed, 'Everything uses the golden ratio—how impressive!'

'Bing Yi, what is the golden ratio?' the youthful divine doctor asked, lowering his head in puzzlement.

'This...' the girl furrowed her brows, rather helplessly saying, 'It's hard to explain! Just pretend I didn't say anything.'

A silence fell.

Miss Su bowed slightly to the three and said, 'The sequence of obstacles in the third round differs from the first two; it is not something you can choose for yourselves. My guidance extends only this far; thereafter you have only the right to observe.'

The divine doctor youth chuckled and asked, 'Miss, do you mean we should first find another guide?'

Miss Su startled, then smiled and said, 'The peerless divine doctor truly lives up to his reputation.'

She then pointed with her slender jade finger at a nearby elegant room and continued, 'This place is called the Wind and Moon Pavilion; within its inner chamber hides an expert whose name even Wanrou and Master Lin have never known.'

Saying this, she turned her gaze to Lin Qian, who had come up with the crowd; Master Lin nodded to confirm that was indeed the case.

'If you wish to pass the third round, you must first play any instrument in the room to move him; only then can he lead you to the next trial site.'

'Please don't think Miss Su is being long-winded; though she has never seen that expert, she gets to hear his qin music every night. I can only say its echo lingers, startling and moving—surpassing even the young master's xiao playing, with no shortfall.'

Hearing this, the youthful divine doctor showed no change in expression, still smiling faintly, and said, 'Thank you for the reminder, Miss.'

Upon entering the Wind and Moon Pavilion, what first caught the eye was not its strange arrangement, but the room full of instruments—drums, se, qin, zheng… whatever you could imagine, it was all here.

Miss Su said, 'There are many rare treasures here; please, young master, choose carefully.'

The youth, however, gave a faint smile, casually picked up an unremarkable jade qin at hand, and said, 'This one will do.'

Miss Su and Master Lin both brightened, exclaiming in unison, 'Young master, you have excellent taste!'

The youth this time froze, lowered his head to examine the jade qin closely, and couldn't help but wryly smile, saying, 'It's actually the famed "Phoenix Tail Cold"—what a joke. Well then, may I begin?'

The divine doctor youth sat cross-legged with graceful poise, his long fingers plucking the strings twice; a few pleasant notes leapt from the instrument, and he smiled, saying, 'Indeed a fine qin.'

Instantly a gleam flashed in his eyes; he laid his hands on the instrument, and the qin sound burst forth in an instant, sending a wave of numbness through my heart, yet indescribably comforting.

Before I could recover, the music softened. The qin tone was peaceful yet powerful, at times soaring high and exalted as if beyond the nine heavens, at times low and murmuring like sinking into the deep sea, like an observer of myriad beings calmly narrating the inescapable joys and sorrows of this world. 'What joy in life, what suffering in death! Yet since we are alive, we must strive to live.'

(End of chapter)