After taking some time to compose himself, Gui Bei had finally been the last one to arrive in the courtyard of the Divine Feather pavilion. As soon as he walked in though, he saw all the eyes turning toward him. The only thing Gui Bei saw in those eyes was scorn and ridicule. Deep within himself, he felt as though they were mocking him. Then, he saw the worst gaze of them all. Talking with Hall Master Fang and Governor Leng, Huang Cixi was also looking at him. And in her eyes, he felt as though he was nothing.
All of a sudden, Gui Bei felt like he wasn't worthy of being here. He was just the poor kid of a pitiful crook. In his veins, his blood congealed and a voice began to grate his mind. However, his distorted view of the world slowly faded away. The eyes full of scorn, pity and ridicule were in fact quite innocent. Apart from a few people, no one really cared about his presence. In fact, there were even people from lower descent than him. His breath that had become erratic for an instant returned to normal.
Since his return from the expedition, Gui Bei's cultivation had soared through the sky. But he was also more on edge than usual. And in his mind, there was always something trying to give him ideas. Until now, this voice was only making unintelligible sounds, but Gui Bei knew for a fact that it was trying to talk to him. But no matter what he would have to go through, in the end, he would prove his worth to all who had belittled him. Even this Baziyun City would grow too small for him. Even the Hongchen Kingdom or the Piaolu planet would end up as dust in his eyes. No matter the cost, he would crush those who had humiliated him and would become a god among gods.
With this restored confidence, Gui Bei walked forward and sat down at one of the empty tables. Even though his face appeared calm, no one dared get close to him and his blazing eyes. In his pupils, there was a kind of burning ice. This was really strange and difficult to explain. His gaze seemed frozen but still full of fire and rage at the same time.
His arrival didn't really cause any commotion. To the contrary, everyone stopped talking. And Governor Leng used that as an opportunity.
"Dear friends! Thank you all for accepting my humble invitation. I hope that you will all enjoy the modest scenery of this pavilion. And I am certain that our esteemed guests will provide us with enchanting poetry that will resonate with you."
Just as he spoke, two women and a man walked to his side. Everyone recognized them immediately. They were peerless poets. All of them were wearing very light blue clothes that almost appeared white. And they also had a small emblem on them. They were official poets of the Imperial City. The ranks and emblems of the main occupations like alchemist or array formation master could be delivered by both the Imperial City and the various institutes and sects under its administrative supervision. However, only the Imperial City could deliver emblems and ranks concerning the Five Imperial Arts. In a sense, they were a way of expressing the social status of some individuals, just like military ranks.
Although they were always given to people with the right competence, they were also a political tool. With these ranks, the Imperial City could balance out the influence and power of noble families by creating another caste of aristocrats. They often also rewarded commoners. In fact, some noble families had been founded after a mere commoner had received a high rank either in war or thanks to his achievement in the Five Imperial Arts.
The ranks were a bit more vague than those of the main occupations. Indeed, no attainment in any of Five Imperial Arts required a specific cultivation. As a matter of fact, Saint Xun Ke was probably the greatest master of Go in all known history. However, his cultivation had been completely destroyed. However, he had obtained the rank of 5-star God. In death, he was even awarded as Heavenly Minister of Go. It was said that he could see all the world as a one giant board of Go. Both in war and in politics, he was just moving nonexistent stones on an invisible board and could win everything.
Governor Leng presented his esteemed guests.
"5-star Heaven Master Poet Ju Liang." The first woman bowed with a very subtle gesture. Given her status, she was almost on par with Governor Leng himself. Of course, she had neither the authority nor the power but she had the prestige and the nobility. Huang Cixi could hardly make out her cultivation, but she could discern that her body was sufficiently refined. At the very least she was a Mortal Warrior. But she could very well have been an early Spirit Warrior. Unless someone had spiritual senses, it was almost impossible to guess someone's cultivation. Moreover she looked like she was in her twenties. But this could have been the effect of some pill and not her cultivation.
"She is known for her mastery of Four-Four Aphorisms. Her most renown work is 'Resting on the Road to Wuxian'. Anyone who read this masterpiece will remember the many conflicting emotions they have felt. I was even moved to tears by the way some of these aphorisms resonated with my own feelings."
As the name suggested, Four-Four Aphorism was a style of poetry in which poems consisted of four lines with four characters by line. In theory each line had to have a very specific sense for the overall aphorism. Ju Liang had changed the formula a bit and had even made some variations. For examples, she had produced four-four aphorisms linked together in groups of four as well. That way, the structure of the four lines in each stanza as well as the structure of the four stanzas themselves could mirror each other.
"5-star Heaven Master Poet Xiu Ma."
Once again, the woman only bowed slightly. She seemed maybe a bit more charming than Ju Liang. Her forms were also much more voluptuous. Even though her clothes were hiding most of her skin, the imagination of both men and women was able to run rampant.
"The way she declaims her Songs of Zhang Te has no equal in her generation. I would even go beyond that. No master poet alive can match her elegance and charm when she performs her art. Even though she's especially known for her performances of classics, I have been deeply moved by her 'Love Wanderings'. Usually, even I would be hard-pressed to be able to admire a single one of her performances. Yet, she has agreed to greet us today with her presence."
This kind of poetry was way closer to real songs. The tones of each character had to be perfectly chosen so as to produce a specific rhythm. They were difficult to write but even more difficult to perform. However, the Songs of Zhang Te style was probably the most beautiful to hear. And imagining such a beautiful woman performing a love song full of enticing rhythm, everyone in the audience was excited.
"Finally, 1-star Spirit Master Poet Li Muyang."
This time, it was the man who barely bowed. Contrary to the other two women, he seemed a bit older, in his late thirties or even forties. His body was extremely slender but his face showed a strict and firm resolution. His rank was above the other two masters, but it didn't mean anything about his cultivation. Just like them, Huang Cixi could tell from his constitution that he had to at least be a Mortal Warrior, but nothing more precise.
"He is the current reference in the domain of Ancient Prose. Enumerating all his works would be way too long, but I am sure you have all read the famous 'Forty Thoughts of Old'. Even though this is not an original work, that is certainly the best anthology of our millennium. To understand poetry during the Blood and Dirt Era, this is the most coherent treatise with in-depth analysis of every poem. This is the work of both a great poet and a precise historian."
Ancient Prose was a style of poetry that had way more freedom to it than more modern ones. It had originated among the slaves when humans were still subjugated by demons. In fact, it had probably existed way before this period but finding documents written by humans before this period was almost impossible. The Blood and Dirt Era was the time during which the first humans broke their chains, helped by Emperor Nuwa. After more than twenty thousand years of slavery, humans left the Great Sorrow Era and forged their own destiny. Most likely, even as slaves, humans had produced art, but none of it remained nowadays.
As soon as he was done presenting his guest, Governor Leng clapped. Immediately, several servants went to each table where the guests were now sitting. They gave them cups of wine. Each one was extremely well crafted taking the form of a jade vessel with three legs. Cultivators could hardly get intoxicated by wine as the Qi in their blood would detoxify alcohol very quickly. As such, wine brewers came up with many different methods and formulas to create intoxicating liquors.
They were sought after by a lot of cultivators. Even with powerful liquor, it was hard to get drunk but they could find the thrill of wine in these liquors. And the mere fragrance leaving the cups was extraordinary. It wasn't surprising that the governor would have exceptional wine. To be honest, some guests had come more for the wine than both the poetry and the social gathering. But it didn't mean that even they weren't anticipating the poetry. As one of the Five Imperial Arts, this was a popular entertainment. Moreover, Xiu Ma's curves had made many men impatient for her performance.
Huang Cixi was not fond of wine but wine and tea were the main beverages drank in the Hongchen Kingdom. As such, knowing about them was a necessity to attend social gatherings of any kind. Moreover, some official ceremonies or rituals required people to drink cups of either specific wine or tea. With her new mind cultivation, she discovered that her senses allowed her to enjoy the smell and taste of the liquor way more than before. As she slowly drank, this Five Minerals Rice Wine flowed through her body and slowly sipped through her blood, she felt every sensation. As her Qi tried to detoxify the liquor, it had little time to exert any toll on Huang Cixi's mind. But the feeling was quite exhilarating.
The different flavors hidden within the wine activated all her senses. And as everyone was enjoying this fine liquor, Ju Liang began to speak. No music or sound of any kind accompanied her voice. But each syllable out of her mouth was pure music to the ears.
"Idle clouds and wild cranes,
The worries of the mundane world disperse,
The soul travels the vast expanse,
A tranquil smile vanquishes evil."
The poem was magnified by the sound of her voice and the fragrance of wine. Huang Cixi could literally see the scene around her. The clouds in the sky and the cranes flying through it turned into black shapes. The universe got covered in darkness. All men cowered and feared for their future. But amidst this anguish, a face she couldn't really distinguish smiled. This smile was so subtle that Huang Cixi wondered if she had just imagined it. However, as soon as she saw it, the colors came back to the world. And these new colors seemed deeper than before. Everything around her seemed as though it had gained a new and more vivid life.
After that first performance, a moment of silence allowed everyone to meditate on these images and drink more wine. Then, this was Xiu Ma's turn. Her voice sounded like a musical instrument. Even though no music was played, the rhythm of her voice created the illusion of hundreds of musicians accompanying her. To enhance her performance, she also danced a little and completely transfixed everyone.
"High mountains, and deep waters, the road stretches,
I yearn your warmth, even though the end comes near.
Our hearts will bloom, but like flowers may wilt,
Closer and closer, yet we cannot meet, may our love persist."
This time, no one saw any vision. However, a myriad of emotions and memories assaulted the audience's minds. They could remember the feelings of a forbidden love between a soldier leaving for war and his wife administrating his domain. Although they had not lived this love, they felt every emotion as if they had. Some tears were even shed by a few guests. Some had slightly different emotions and memories based on their personal history, but they all felt something intense.
Huang Cixi felt as though she could have blocked these emotions with her mind cultivation. But she was here to enjoy the performance and she submitted to it. Strangely, for her this wasn't about a love story. Her story was about her second brother's love.
When finally, their hearts calmed down, the final poet was ready to begin. With his experience, he chose the perfect moment to start talking. Contrary to his two comrades, there wasn't anything fancy in his poetry. He almost sounded like any other man.
"Iron chains weigh down on my tired body,
Nights of black, pain and sorrow rain on me,
Weak and feeble, my soul doesn't dare to hope,
Torn wings and broken bones can't take me far."
Despite the simplicity of his declamation, his words had an incredible power. Every single person was transported in the ancient time. They imagined themselves in chains, working in the mines, watching their brothers die for someone else's enjoyment. A powerful rage flooded their hearts and their very souls. This righteous rage and indignation turned into sorrow. Finally, all emotions left them. And as they were lost into an ocean of despair, devoid of all hope, a figure appeared. Millions of broken bodies, covered in dirt, in bruises, in blood and bound by irons, stood up. As one man, all of humanity was ready to fight for its freedom.
All the emotions that had left them got replaced by pride, by vigor and above all else, by hope.