Chapter 36

As palace maidens passed through the hall, dishes and wine were served in a continuous stream. The sound of bells and drums changed, turning into the pleasant music of stringed instruments. A group of colorfully dressed young women surged out, dancing gracefully to the rhythm in the center of the hall.

These young women were all beauties, with red marks on their foreheads, mysterious and beautiful. However, for some reason, they seemed to lack the grace of the palace maidens.

The scholars seated there noticed this. Some were about to ask, but the palace maidens timely laid out the seats and dishes, their gentle and attentive manner exuding a faint fragrance, which made the scholars feel a subtle sensation, preferring to be served by them alone rather than have them dance for everyone.

Among them, several scholars were fortunate enough to catch the bright eyes of the serving maidens.

The Dragon Lord observed everything clearly from the dais, stroking his fine beard and smiling, pretending not to notice. He was pleased, but when he turned to Ye Qing, he noticed the tense atmosphere between Heng Yun and Ye Qing, his eyes narrowing.

At this moment, Heng Yun had changed back into the attire of a servant. Ye Qing was slightly puzzled: "The scholar standing third from the right is Yu Fan, right? He looks a lot like you. Is he your sister? He’s teasing your sister, and you just watch her be bullied?"

"This is my sister, born of the same mother!" Heng Yun glanced at her sister, whose face was flushed with embarrassment, and she couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"Is she pretending? Whenever my sister has a plan, she deliberately acts like she’s easy to bully... But this is too much. Has she really fallen for him?"

Ye Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly stopped eating, slamming his chopsticks on the table: "I can’t stand it anymore. I must stand up and save the beauty from her plight..."

As he spoke, he got up, ready to go, but Heng Yun was shocked and quickly grabbed his sleeve: "Scholar, you don’t really not know, do you?"

Recalling what her mother had said, she knew that human scholars around fifteen or sixteen often visited brothels to indulge in their romantic pursuits. Even if they were more honest, they at least kept a maid in their chambers.

"Of course I understand the affairs of men and women!" Ye Qing tugged at his sleeve, but it didn’t budge. He couldn’t help but get angry: "Why are you holding so tight? I’m not going to fight. I just want to teach this rogue a lesson. The sage said, in matters of love, one should express feelings but maintain propriety..."

Although they were in a corner, they had become the focus of the entire hall. Their tussle immediately drew many gazes, including that of Yu Fan, whom Ye Qing intended to teach a lesson.

Even the Dragon Lord, seated at the top, looked over in surprise.

Heng Yun quickly pressed him back into his seat, covering her face with her sleeve, feeling very embarrassed. Looking at the fifteen-year-old boy, whose expression was still somewhat childish, his eyes clear and pretending to be mature, his forehead full and his vital energy unspent, she didn’t know what to say, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Ye Qing, having achieved his goal of teasing Heng Yun, didn’t mind and continued to enjoy the feast.

After a while, Heng Yun reacted and asked in a low voice: "Scholar, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"

"You mean your sister? Hmm..." Ye Qing bit into a piece of unknown delicious meat and mumbled: "With over a thousand descendants, there must be five hundred dragon maidens. If they all married, it would bankrupt the Dragon Palace. Each one would need a dowry, and they would need to marry well. They need to come up with a clever plan..."

"To be honest, even I, a genius from the heavens, am dazzled by the beauty and would want to marry a few of the most pleasing ones. Your father really, why make it so hard for you to marry?"

"You’re the one who can’t marry! And you’re thinking of marrying a few..." Heng Yun was furious, giving him a punch after a long pause. After a while, pretending not to care, she asked: "Scholar, which ones do you find the most pleasing?"

Ye Qing wouldn’t answer such a question, burying himself in the food and pretending not to hear.

Heng Yun was very annoyed but couldn’t force him. Recalling how she had been teased by this boy since they met, she suddenly realized, feeling both embarrassed and angry, with a hint of an indescribable feeling.

Ye Qing smiled and ate another exotic fruit, his body subtly vibrating as it absorbed the hidden essence. Regardless of anything else, this feast alone would more than make up for the body’s constitution and lay the foundation for the Six Yang Diagram, thinking to himself: "This one feast is worth three years of hard cultivation!"

As for the dragon maidens, even the Dragon Lord was pleased with this, so Ye Qing wouldn’t cause trouble. He thought to himself: "Let’s see the results of the review. If I fail, I won’t dare to defy his will, but I’ll take you, his daughter... There can’t be many dragon maidens with a dragon pearl in the Peaceful Lake. I don’t believe he won’t be heartbroken."

The Dragon Lord was reviewing the manuscripts on his throne, occasionally squinting and surveying the hall, noticing Yu Fan’s excessive flattery. He thought: "How could I forget Jing Yu?"

But seeing Jing Yu resist with a flushed face, the Dragon Lord, knowing his daughter’s nature, was reassured.

As for some minor indiscretions, the Dragon Lord wouldn’t mind. He turned his attention back to the poems, reviewing them one by one.

In the end, he selected four.

In the Dragon Lord’s eyes, Ye Qing’s talent could only rank third, but the indescribable dragon aura in his poetry left a lasting impression.

"Looking at this boy’s destiny, his constitution is weak. I wonder how he passed the child scholar exam. Let alone a dragon, even becoming a scholar or a provincial candidate would be extremely difficult."

"But the dragon aura in his poetry, and his character, whether real or feigned, playful or profound, is not something a poor and humble person could have."

"I sense a great calamity approaching, which may be detrimental to the Daoist sects. But in the collapse, there will be no survivors. For the divine race, it is a matter of unpredictable fortune."

"At this critical moment, there is this subtle and profound variable."

"The Great Dao is inscrutable!"

The Peaceful Lake was now a scene of autumn, with green qi hanging down in the water palace. The Dragon Lord was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The yellow dragon has gone and will not return, the white clouds have lingered for a thousand years.

At sunset, where is my hometown? The misty river makes one feel sorrow.

The Dragon Lord’s gaze passed through the palace, seeing the vast Peaceful Lake, which seemed like a heavy dragon turtle lying prone, with the surrounding streams like ribbons.

The dragon turtle can still gather dragon qi, but alas, the Great Dao has changed—this thought came to the Dragon Lord, recalling the words of the previous Dragon Lord before his demise.

The divine path is eternal and noble. Even under the suppression of the Daoist sects, it is impossible to change this nature.

It was unclear whether the young man before him was a real variable or a trap, but the Dragon Lord still smiled. After eight thousand years of restraint, a trace of divinity still lingered in his heart.

The previous Dragon Lord, knowing the decline of the divine path, still tried, but ended in failure.

This vague premonition of a great calamity had awakened many deities from their long slumber. Although they knew it might be a trick by the Daoist sects to lure them out, they still awoke.

The hardships and fears were always present, but at this moment, the Dragon Lord smiled. Whether it was a trap or an opportunity of the Great Dao,

—Wishing for freedom and fearlessness,

—I will place you at the top, to see which can change the winds and clouds, which can bear fruit, and which can satisfy my desire for vengeance.

After a while, the hall was filled with music and dance, and the scholars, each with their own thoughts, had finished eating!

The Dragon Lord’s voice came from above: "Summon the noble concubines and water ministers to the hall."

"遵命！" The palace maidens received the order and all withdrew. The scholars were somewhat surprised but knew it was the host’s will and couldn’t object.

Soon, dozens of ministers came up, most wearing red robes, some with scales on their foreheads, indicating they were water creatures in human form.

A few in bright yellow feathered robes had the status of true deities, all in complete human form.

The crystal bead curtains rustled, and dozens of concubines emerged from behind the hall, all in crimson dresses, stunningly beautiful. The first four, not only breathtakingly beautiful, wore bright yellow silk and feather robes, ascending the jade steps and sitting beside the Dragon Lord, immediately drawing the attention of the scholars.

The Dragon Lord smiled, and one of the concubines spoke in a voice like pearls and jade: "Please summon the princesses to the hall."

The music of stringed instruments ceased, and the sound of bells and drums resumed, the proper music for a grand feast. The scholars, seated properly, looked up. The bead curtains rustled, and the sound of jade pendants tinkled, but no one was visible.

Just as they were wondering, the curtain slid down, and a hundred young women in green-patterned crimson robes appeared, their beauty overwhelming, making it hard to look away. But these scholars were not ordinary people and quickly regained their composure, recognizing them as the palace maidens from before.

Some even recognized the maidens who had been attentive to them, now realizing they were dragon maidens. Their hearts were filled with mixed feelings, and their gazes grew hot.

The Dragon Lord remained silent, waving his hand, and a senior minister announced the rules: "The scholars’ manuscripts will be reviewed by the scholars, water ministers, concubines, and princesses, for a joint evaluation."

Hearing this, the scholars, including Ye Qing, stood up, bowed deeply, and responded: "Yes!"

Thus, the scholars passed around the poems, all suppressing their literary qi, making the poems indistinct. Ye Qing’s poem, due to the mist on the paper, attracted everyone’s attention.

Many scholars, reading "East of the plum stone, I observe the Peaceful Lake. The water is calm, the mountains and islands stand tall. Trees grow in clusters, and the grass is lush," felt a sense of foreboding and quickly passed it on.

Even those with confidence, holding light green invitations, turned pale when they read "The autumn wind is bleak, the waves surge, the sun and moon rise from within," and passed it on.

Only a few, like Yu Fan, read the entire poem, finishing with "The stars are brilliant, as if emerging from within. How fortunate, I sing to express my aspirations!"

After a long pause, a wave of defeat washed over him, then receded, leaving his eyes calm.

"This poem is grand and majestic, with a hint of imperial aura, but the final decision rests with the Dragon Lord."

The poems were passed among the scholars and then to the water ministers.

After the first round, many poems showed little change, and Ye Qing’s poem grew only slightly.

The scholars in the hall felt somewhat awkward, but this was human nature. Even Ye Qing smiled, knowing that scholars often looked down on each other.

Behind the western curtain, the dragon maidens whispered and continued to watch.

In the second round, the poems were passed to the water ministers, who had no personal gain and read them carefully. Soon, the poems began to show a red aura.

Those selected by the Dragon Lord had talent, and this rapid change was normal.

For the concubines and princesses, the change in literary qi was a different perspective. Seeing the red aura deepen, they were filled with anticipation.

The second round took a long time, but gradually, differences emerged.

In this world, the boundaries between humans, immortals, and deities were strict. The Dragon Lord could freely visit the human world, but it was difficult to interfere in human affairs. The water ministers, being subjects of the Dragon Palace, were not allowed to go ashore without special permission and had little to do with the scholars, so they wouldn’t hold back their true feelings.

Some poems were quickly abandoned and placed on the table.

Others were passed around and praised.

In the end, only about twenty poems were still circulating, including Ye Qing’s, which continued to change.

The water ministers read carefully, both out of duty and because these twenty poems were deeply meaningful.

The water ministers understood why the Dragon Lord had summoned them to the hall. They were immersed in the literary qi, and through the enhancement of their spirit palaces, they could clearly feel the hidden nuances, which greatly benefited their spiritual nature.

"Each of these poems is like a pill of return, truly making the spirit joyful, saving a year of cultivation. No wonder the Lord values poetry!"

Ye Qing’s poem received special attention. Each time the water ministers read "The autumn wind is bleak, the waves surge," they felt a special nuance.

Those who truly appreciated it wished to keep it all day, until someone urged: "Do you really want to read it all day? The ladies on the dais don’t need to see it?"

They had to reluctantly hand it over.

When the poems reached the senior ministers, who were true deities, they enjoyed the peace of the Peaceful Lake and focused on the principles in the poems.

Ye Qing’s grand and serene rhythm attracted them, and they smiled at "The autumn wind is bleak, the waves surge," and were captivated by "The sun and moon rise from within, the stars are brilliant, as if emerging from within."

These true deities looked at the dais, deep in thought, even feeling a bit melancholic. The vast Peaceful Lake, with its powerful water qi, had a spirit palace, but it lacked such subtlety.

The previous Dragon Lord used twelve pillars to support the green sky, showing the sun and moon in their courses, the stars in their orbits, forming a unique domain, thus extending the fortune of the Peaceful Lake.

"The sun and moon rise from within, the stars are brilliant, as if emerging from within... This poem has a hint of imperial aura!" With this thought, the senior minister presented the poem to the concubines.

The third round took less time than the second, but it was still considerable. The poems that were eliminated in the second round were quickly set aside, while the top twenty were read carefully.

Thus, the top twenty poems, as the concubines read them, deepened in color, showing a yellow aura, making the scholars below change color.

Some were already in despair, while others showed signs of joy!

When the poems reached the princesses, the top twenty were all yellow, and Ye Qing had already stood out, ranking in the top ten.

Some dragon maidens read the poems and then looked at the authors. Ye Qing returned their gaze with appreciation, but in the end, he thought to himself: "Dragon maidens, don’t flirt with me in public. I’m still developing, and Qian Qian warned me not to pick wild flowers..."

Finally, Heng Yun took the poem from her sister, who was reluctant to let it go, glanced at it, looked at Ye Qing, and turned to present it to the dais.

When it reached the Dragon Lord again, only ten poems remained, all golden yellow. Ye Qing was fifth, and the top three had a light green aura.

This was a combination of family fortune, literary qi, and appreciation.

"How fortunate, I sing to express my aspirations, heh!" The Dragon Lord smiled, having already made his decision, and pointed to the poem without hesitation.

With his decision, Ye Qing’s poem jumped to the top, the other two light green poems ranked second and third, and the last light green poem fell to fourth.

Seeing the three light green poems, the Dragon Lord sighed: "These three can pass as advanced scholars!"

As he spoke, the music rose, and Heng Yun stepped forward, taking the dragon-patterned yellow scroll, slowly unfolding it, and announced: "In this Dragon Feast, 'Observing the Peaceful Lake' is first, awarding Ye Qing a hundred gold pieces and a pearl."

Even though he had prepared for this, even though he had been calm and teasing the dragon maidens in the Dragon Palace, when Heng Yun announced it to the hall, Ye Qing was still in a daze.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he left the feast and bowed solemnly to the Dragon Lord.

As the ceremony concluded, a light green aura descended, enveloped in mist, making people both envious and jealous.