Chapter 17: The Copycat of the Cultivation World

Returning from the Xue family, Heng Xian continued his sword practice.

As for whether the Xue family would harbor a grudge, he didn't give it a second thought.

The Xue family and the Heng family were not in the same weight class.

If he really had to consider threats, it would be the Ye, Xiao, and Li families.

The "War to Annihilate the Hengs" that Li Tong spoke of put a bit of pressure on him.

Better to develop quietly for now; he would worry once he had the power to protect himself.

Another seven or eight days passed.

Heng Xian had already swung his sword nearly three hundred thousand times; even he didn't know to what extent his sword skills had matured.

By this time, the Heng family's Seven-Cliff Grass had finally sold out.

Not knowing how his father, Heng De, had managed it, after deducting costs, the total profit was 14.78 million low-grade spirit crystals.

According to the four-six split, Heng Xian received 8.86 million.

After deducting the 2.5 million advanced to him, he should have been given 6.36 million.

Heng Xian thought he could finally stretch his legs and buy pills to nourish his body.

As it turned out, his father became stubborn, insisting on giving him only one million for pocket money and keeping the rest for him.

He wouldn't listen to any explanation.

A doting father acting haughty is truly terrifying.

It seems he would have to find a way to trick him!

The moment he got the money, Heng Xian distributed generous "bonuses" to the servants and redeemed his aunt Heng Yueruo's storage bracelet.

Then, he headed straight for Heng Yueruo's "Tingmei Courtyard."

"Tingmei Courtyard" was where Heng Yueruo lived before she was married; it was filled with autumn plum blossoms, and as it was the season for them to bloom, the air was filled with fragrance.

Today, Heng Yueruo had invited over a hundred talented ladies and misses from the various great families of Donglan City to compose poetry and discuss literature.

That's right, although this world was centered on cultivation, their leisure entertainment consisted of writing poems and painting.

At this moment, the large "Tingmei Courtyard" was filled with ladies, and the air was thick with laughter and chatter.

Xie Lingyu was also there, grinding ink for Heng Yueruo.

Just then, a maid hurried over: "Grand Aunt, Young Master Xian is here, asking to see you outside the courtyard gate!"

As soon as she spoke, the whole place went quiet.

Many misses and ladies immediately showed expressions of disgust; after all, everyone had heard of the notorious reputation of Heng Xian of the Heng family.

Xie Lingyu looked toward the courtyard gate in surprise.

Heng Yueruo also frowned slightly; she had been very surprised by how Heng Xian had hoarded Seven-Cliff Grass and made a huge profit for the family recently!

She had been preparing to find him to talk.

But the timing was wrong now, so she said: "Tell him to go back first; I have guests here!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Heng Xian's voice came from outside: "Old Aunt, I've come to return something to you; it won't take long!"

Heng Yueruo shook her head and said: "If you can compose a poem about plum blossoms, I'll let you in!"

"Pfft..." The surroundings were filled with stifled laughter.

Who didn't know that Heng Xian was famously wicked and lazy, barely able to recognize a few characters?

An elderly lady of about fifty said: "Yueruo, asking this kid to write a poem is really making things difficult for him!"

Another miss of seventeen or eighteen laughed: "He probably doesn't even know what poetry is."

Xie Lingyu also shook her head gently.

Outside the courtyard.

Heng Xian looked surprised. Compose a poem?

The vibe was all wrong!

Shouldn't they be discussing cultivation? Why write poems?

"If you can't write one, go back; come again tonight!" Heng Yueruo's amused voice came from inside.

Heng Xian scratched his nose. If you're going to say that, then I'll have to whip up a few today.

If Heaven didn't produce me, the Copycat, the path of copying would be as long as the night—let's copy!

"Several branches of plum blossoms in the corner of the wall, blooming alone in the bitter cold.

Knowing from afar that it is not snow, because of the faint fragrance coming."

"This body stands in the forest of ice and snow, unlike the peach and plum blossoms mixing with the dust..."

"... Scattered into mud and ground into dust, only the fragrance remains as before..."

He put together five or six that he could remember.

When finished, he asked: "Is that enough?"

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Heng Yueruo, Xie Lingyu, and over a hundred ladies and misses were shocked beyond measure!

When they first heard him start, they thought it would be some crude doggerel.

These... what kind of divine poems were these!!

How were they composed?

How could anyone dare to write about plum blossoms in the future?

He actually asked if it was enough?

"This... this is too magical! Every single one is a masterpiece!" an old lady said, dumbfounded.

A young girl's face flushed slightly: "Could Sister Yueruo have set a trap to whitewash her nephew?"

Heng Yueruo's mouth twitched: "Even if I wanted to whitewash him, I'd have to be able to write these poems myself!"

The women looked at each other; that was true!

This... was too unbelievable!

Was that wicked young master actually a man of culture?

An old lady said: "Yueruo, why don't you test him again?"

Heng Yueruo nodded: "Heng Xian, compose another poem representing... longing between a man and a woman!"

Heng Xian pondered for a moment and said: "Once having seen the vast sea, it is hard to be moved by other waters; except for the clouds over Mount Wu, no other clouds are worth looking at. I lazily pass through the flowers, half for the sake of cultivation, half for the sake of you."

The courtyard fell into silence again.

A group of old ladies was deeply drawn in, seemingly recalling some past events, and couldn't help but shed tears.

Heng Yueruo gritted her teeth and said: "Can you write a poem about love between a man and a woman?"

Heng Xian thought for a moment: "... When the golden wind and jade dew meet, it surpasses countless encounters in the human world... If the two hearts are together for a long time, does it really matter if they are together day and night!"

"Uh..."

You could hear a pin drop in the courtyard.

Nothing but silence.

"If the two hearts are together for a long time..." a group of girls and young wives whispered, filled with melancholy.

Heng Yueruo was completely stunned.

Xie Lingyu also blinked blankly; that guy...

A young girl finally spoke: "So Young Master Xian is so talented; I'm afraid his bad reputation before was all a disguise!"

"That's right, someone who can write such masterpieces is no vulgar person." The women echoed.

"Aunt, are you okay?" Heng Xian's surprised voice came from outside.

Heng Yueruo quickly said: "Invite him in."

"Yes!" The maid hurried to open the gate.

The moment the gate opened, Heng Xian looked inside and couldn't help but curse inwardly.

He had put on a bit too much of a show today!

Waving his sleeves, he braced himself and walked in.

The eyes of the entire courtyard of ladies and misses were fixed on him.

As they watched Heng Xian, dressed in white like snow, with a tall posture and fair, handsome features, walking step by step.

A phrase popped into everyone's mind: "A young master without peer in the world."

They couldn't help but stand up in unison: "Greetings, Young Master Xian!"

Heng Xian was taken aback and returned the greeting: "I have been abrupt to all the elders, ladies, and misses; I shall take my leave now!"

As he spoke, he took out the storage bracelet and handed it to Heng Yueruo, then set down five hundred high-grade spirit crystals: "This is to return to my aunt!"

Having said that, without waiting for anyone to react, he turned and left.

He only let out a sigh of relief once he was out of the courtyard.

Did I act too dashing just now?

It damages my image as a wicked young master!

I should be more vulgar and lewd!

Forget it!

Back to sword practice!

"The poems Heng Xian wrote" quickly spread.

It sparked a craze in the circles of the city that couldn't practice cultivation.

The head of the Heng family, the Heng Wei brothers, and the Heng family elders, who were in the middle of a meeting, also received the news.

The old man, Heng Xiu, picked up the paper, read it, and laughed: "This kid isn't good at cultivation, but he writes excellent little poems!"

Heng Wei sighed: "Once having seen the vast sea, it is hard to be moved by other waters; except for the clouds over Mount Wu, no other clouds are worth looking at—this speaks of the story between me and his aunt!"

"Second brother, this son of yours is quite interesting, second brother? Second brother?"

Heng De, holding the paper in a daze, was trembling: "My son, my son has the potential of a Poetry Emperor!"

A group of elders awkwardly turned their faces away.

Heng Wei said irritably: "Stop with this emperor and that emperor for your son all day long, that's enough!"

"My son has really been different since he recovered from his illness last time. No! With so much talent, if Xian'er can't practice cultivation, it's a waste!"

Heng De said, turning and walking away.

Heng Xiu asked angrily: "Where are you going?"

Heng De didn't look back: "To the Shengong Snow Mountain to beg for a divine pill for my son; I'll be back in seven days!"

"It's not that easy to beg for; you're throwing your life away!" Heng Wei was also angry.

"I don't care!"

When Heng Xian learned that his father had taken his five million low-grade spirit crystals and gone to a strange place to beg for a divine pill for him,

he ran out to chase after him.

But where could he find a shadow of him?

He couldn't help but pinch his brow: "My spirit crystals..."

He would have to have a showdown with him when he returned.

(End of chapter)