Only after he finished writing did Chen Yi return to his senses.
He gazed at the poem on the Yunsong Paper. The characters, some large and some small, some simplified and some linked in a continuous stroke, flowed together as one, like a painted scroll.
'So it can be like this.'
'Minor Achievement Calligraphy Dao doesn't just guide the improvement of one's Calligraphy; it is a Calligraphy Dao Realm in itself. I just hadn't realized it before.'
'And it's not just through an Opportunity that I can raise my Realm and obtain profound insights. I can also make progress through my own comprehension.'
Just like this time, the Qi Mechanism produced in his body by the Big Spear Pile Skill had unexpectedly connected with the will of heaven and earth as he wrote, imbuing his characters with a touch of divine charm.
With this in mind, Chen Yi read the poem over once more, then took up his brush. On the right, he wrote the title: *Spring Joy: Wan God's Ode*. On the left, he signed it: "A casual piece by Chen Qingzhou, during a night stroll in the twenty-first year of the Anhe era."
He didn't feel there was anything wrong with composing a poem for a woman who wasn't his wife.
After all, 'a fair maiden is a gentleman's delight.' He was just a common man, so it wasn't as if he was deeply stirred.
On the contrary, Chen Yi was quite satisfied as he looked at the free-flowing, natural calligraphy of his work.
'First there was the *Luoshen Fu*, and now there is the *Wan God's Ode*. This means Cao Zijian and I share eighty percent of the world's literary talent between us.'
Of course, this was just wishful thinking on his part.
Cao Zhi could compose a poem in seven steps, relying entirely on his own genius.
He, on the other hand, was only able to write the *Wan God's Ode* because his heart was moved, aside from a few neat couplets and correct tones.
If he were asked to write another similar poem, he'd probably have to go back to being a plagiarist of the *Three Hundred Tang and Song Poems*.
But aside from the poem's beauty, what was even more brilliant was his Calligraphy.
'My skill in the Wei Qingzi script should now be considered among the famous masters of this generation.'
'It's time to learn other styles. Cursive Script, grass script...'
Just as Chen Yi was lost in thought, a soft knock came from the door.
It was followed by Wang Lixing's voice, "Young Master, the hour of the Tiger is more than halfway past. It is time for you to practice your Pile Skill."
Before he knew it, it was already four in the morning.
Chen Yi answered, placed the *Wan God's Ode* on the desk, and got up to leave.
"Brother Wang, have you been standing guard outside the garden all night?"
"I am on military duty. I hope you will forgive me, Young Master."
"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just asking. Let's go..."
Hearing the sounds, Xiaodie woke with a start and scrambled out of bed to get dressed.
When she saw that Chen Yi and Wang Lixing were already walking away in the distance, she couldn't help but slap her face in self-reproach.
'Xiaodie, oh, Xiaodie, the Young Master is already up, and you were still sleeping in.'
'As punishment, you must prepare breakfast for the Young Master. Also, he's sure to be sweaty after his Martial Arts practice, so you must get his bathwater and clean clothes ready.'
As Xiaodie made her plans, she began to tidy up the ink, brushes, and paper on the desk.
When she saw the poems on the scattered papers, she looked through them one by one, her bright, lively eyes fixating on the piece titled *Wan God's Ode*.
Don't be fooled by the fact that she had only studied with Xiao Wan'er for five years; though her literary knowledge wasn't profound, she could already understand the meaning of the poem.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have understood that the meaning of Chen Yi's previous poem, *Entering the Xiao Sect as a Son-in-Law*, was "the Young Master still wants to escape the Xiao Family."
Therefore, after Xiaodie finished reading *Spring Joy: Wan God's Ode* word by word, a look of astonishment immediately appeared on her small face.
"...Jade Steps and Jade Trees, a likeness of you, rare in the mortal world. You once startled the aging Gushen Immortal, making the Luochuan odes and the Chishui ballads seem pale in comparison... Even the finest Painting could not capture your spirit, your lone brilliance shining for a thousand autumns under the vast Chu Tian."
'*Wan God's Ode*... Wan... Could it be that the Young Master saw the Eldest Miss last night?'
In some respects, Xiaodie was quite clever.
Especially when she connected Chen Yi's appearance outside the walls of Jiaxing Garden with the words "Wan God" in the poem, the image of Xiao Wan'er surfaced in her mind.
And in her heart, the only person who could live up to the beauty described in this poem was the Eldest Miss.
Even the Second Miss, Xiao Jinghong... well, she was only a close second.
Thinking this, Xiaodie almost threw the poem away. Her little heart pounded wildly, and she felt as if she had discovered a heaven-shaking secret.
'Oh gods, the Young Master and the Eldest Miss... No, no, it's the Young Master has feelings for the Eldest Miss... that's not right either, that's not it.'
Xiaodie suddenly felt like her brain wasn't working anymore.
After thinking it over and over, a look of determination appeared on her small face. 'Xiaodie saw nothing, and she must not say a word about this to anyone.'
Only then would the Young Master avoid being punished by the Eldest Miss for this "rebellious poem."
'That's right, Xiaodie knows nothing, Xiaodie doesn't know...'
Muttering to herself, Xiaodie finished tidying the desk, thoughtfully placing *Spring Joy: Wan God's Ode* at the very bottom of the pile to prevent anyone else from seeing it.
She was even more afraid of the Second Miss seeing it someday... The Young Master would be beaten to death, wouldn't he?
***
Meanwhile, Chen Yi was completely unaware of Xiaodie's turmoil.
He was following his plan to conceal his talent in the Martial Arts.
To avoid arousing Wang Lixing's suspicion, he was being very careful.
Either his form would falter during the Stand Form practice, or he would go through the motions with no real effect.
But his most common trick was to mess up his breathing rhythm, letting out a couple of coughs now and then to interrupt his Pile Skill Cultivation.
"Young Master, your Pile Skill is much worse today than it was yesterday," Wang Lixing couldn't help but say.
"Is your mind troubled? Are you unable to clear away distracting thoughts?"
Chen Yi pretended to think for a moment, then nodded along, an apologetic look on his face as he said:
"Perhaps I didn't rest well last night. I keep feeling that my body won't listen to my mind. My breathing is short, and I feel a bit weak and tired."
Wang Lixing looked him up and down, then frowned. "Young Master, it must be that your body is too depleted. On top of that, you practiced the Stand Form for too long yesterday without timely replenishment."
Hearing this, Chen Yi blinked. 'Is he saying I'm weak?'
'I can't believe it. Wang Lixing looks all thick-browed and honest, but he's so mean with his words. How dare he say I'm weak.'
'This is tolerable, but what is not...?'
'Tolerate it! I have to tolerate it!'
Thinking of his plan, Chen Yi gave a dry laugh. "Maybe so. How about we stop here for today? I'll have Xiaodie prepare some extra food later, and we'll see if I'm better tomorrow."
Wang Lixing hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well."
"However, Martial Arts Cultivation requires diligent and unceasing practice. It is like rowing a boat upstream. One day off is fine, two might be acceptable, but after three, four, or five days, even the highest Cultivation will regress, let alone..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: without hard work, one cannot achieve success in the Martial Arts.
"I'll be sure to make up for it once I'm well-rested."
Seeing this, Wang Lixing could only take his leave with a helpless sigh, departing straight from the Spring Lotus Garden.
Chen Yi watched Wang Lixing walk away, wiping a thin layer of sweat from his forehead.
'Good thing he left when he did. Any later and I would've been exposed.'
In fact.
Because he had raised his [Martial Arts·Body] to entry-level yesterday, the moment he began cultivating the Big Spear Pile Skill today, he had instantly entered the proper state.
If he hadn't reacted quickly and interrupted himself by coughing, his muscles, bones, and skin would have all begun to radiate heat, generating a thread of Qi Mechanism to temper his five viscera and six organs.
'Having too much talent isn't always a good thing.'
Thinking this, Chen Yi opened his panel and directly raised his "Martial Arts·Body" to the Minor Success Realm.
Instantly, some mysterious and profound Dao Intent appeared in his mind, like a lake shrouded in mist, waiting for him to peer into its depths.