Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1192: Wenhua Jingsheng
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Today, two chapters with 3000 words.

……

April 1st, evening.

The lights just came on, like stars falling into the earth, gently pushing away the night.

Qushui Liushang Chang'an Branch - this rare neutral place located in the northeast corner of Chang'an, beyond the troubles of the world, is bathed in an unprecedented atmosphere of warmth and tranquility.

Today is the day for it to compete with the famous Wenhua Pavilion in the imperial capital. The air is filled with a mixture of tension and excitement.

The night falls, but it does not mark the beginning of silence, but the beginning of a prosperous prelude, casting a mysterious and gorgeous veil over the competition.

The place was bustling with people coming from all directions, flocking to this focal point. The sounds of conversation and laughter intertwined together, forming a lively prelude.

The main building of the Qushui Liushang branch looks even more majestic in the dim lights.

The flying eaves were filled with twilight, and twelve glazed soul lamps cast a warm yellow glow on the blue brick wall.

The crowd passing through the moon gate walked on the mossy stone road. The fragrance of wisteria wrapped in the air of books spread over the three-fold curved bridge and swirled under the eaves of the corridor where bronze chimes were hung.

The seven-treasure gilded lanterns hanging from the main building's dome had lit up three thousand candles, making the carved wooden railings inside the building look as if they were gilded.

The nine-turn corridor winds down from the third floor, with gurgling water, a deep and far-reaching meaning, and beautiful water scenery.

The lobby on the first floor is densely packed with tables filled with people, some chatting in low voices, some waiting attentively.

Waiters in indigo shorts shuttled back and forth carrying silver-gilt trays. The sweetness of candied green plums mixed with ambergris stuck to the sweaty silk handkerchiefs of the onlookers.

The private rooms on the second floor are a different scene, private and elegant, with bone china teacups making crisp sounds when knocked against each other.

As for the VIP room on the third floor, it is a symbol of nobility and mystery, and celebrities from all walks of life gather there.

In such a scene, there is tranquility in the midst of prosperity and order in the midst of bustle.

The competition between Qushui Liushang Chang'an branch and Wenhua Pavilion made this small world the most dazzling stage in Chang'an City.

Many people from various major forces arrived. Chen Xiaojun saw many people from the top ten families. People from the four giants were also present, not to mention the neutral organizations. The Food Palace, Treasure Pavilion, Rose Hotel, major chambers of commerce, etc., were all present.

…………

First round, article:
The scholar in Wenhua Pavilion sat at his desk, writing freely.

The rosewood screen trembled, and a six-foot piece of raw rice paper hung like a waterfall. The scholar was writing with a brush, and the blood from his bitten tongue dyed the tip of the wolf hair red.

With his unique perspective and profound thinking, he writes articles that are profound and thought-provoking.

The literati of Qushui Liushang have rich ideas and eloquent writing skills. Their articles have rigorous structure, strict logic and gorgeous rhetoric.

However, after careful evaluation by the judges, the scholar from Wenhua Pavilion was slightly better, winning the first victory for Wenhua Pavilion.

Second round, tea art:
The tea artist at Qushui Liushang is dressed in traditional costumes and his techniques are skillful and elegant.

He selects top-quality tea leaves and brews them carefully. The tea soup is clear in color, fragrant and has a mellow taste.

What is particularly memorable is that he suddenly chuckled in front of the tea table, and the moment the boiling water washed away the Baihao Silver Needle tea, a complete golden circle of Phoenix Single Cone appeared in the steaming mist.

Although the tea artists at Wenhua Pavilion have extraordinary skills, they are slightly inferior in terms of tea presentation and drinking experience.

Finally, the tea artist of Qushui Liushang won the game back with his exquisite tea art and perfect tea soup.

……

At this time, the accountants in cloud-patterned short brown clothes had already brought out three-foot-long sandalwood abacus. The sound of the beads colliding was in unison with the sound of the egrets flapping their wings startled from the roof.

The five fortune tellers of Wenhua Pavilion had dark patterns on their crimson brocade robes flowing in the light.

On the Qushui Liushang side, there were also five people standing in front of the green jade table.

The girl with a high ponytail tapped the soul guide on the desk with her fingertips, and the sound of the beads colliding drowned out the whispers in the room.

When the copper bookcase in front of her popped open with a click, there came a crisp sound of a teacup falling and shattering from the second floor.

Afterwards, the crowd suddenly made way for a path like a tide, and an old man in brocade referee uniform, carrying a black iron scale and a cinnabar handle, came staggering over.

When he hung the symbolic bronze bell on the central lamp stand, the three-story pavilion suddenly became silent, and the tinkling sound of the bronze wind chimes on the eaves could suddenly be clearly heard.

The draft in the hall blew up the scattered gold paper on the table, and the jade pendants on the girl's earrings left afterimages. The Adam's apple of the fortune teller in Wenhua Pavilion opposite slid heavily.

The moment the bronze bell rang, the sixteen glazed lamps at the four corners of the main building suddenly turned blue.

A gasp was heard from the private room on the second floor, and a certain soul master's protective jade pendant emitted a green light in response.

……

On the third floor, in a VIP room.

The lights are bright, and the atmosphere is solemn yet elegant.

A middle-aged man in a gorgeous robe stood by the window with his hands behind his back. His handsome face was made to look even more fierce by the silver hair hidden in his black hair.

The corners of her lips were slightly pursed, revealing the noble and majestic demeanor unique to a noble family.

As the dark blue brocade robe fluttered, the black-patterned jade pendant reflected a cold light, just like the cold and proud gleam in his eyes that had been hidden for a hundred years.

No need to guess, this person is Chen Hua. He clapped his hands and praised, saying with a smile, "Excellent, wonderful! Five on five, ten people competing, I didn't expect this little girl to be the fastest."

"Ji Lao San, it seems that Qu Shui Liu Shang was more skilled in the third round and won this round. He is indeed a local boss."

Next to him was a middle-aged man in his forties, the hem of his black gown having dark golden cloud-lightning patterns stained by the twilight.

His eyebrows are long and slender, with a few strands of silver hair visible at the peaks of his eyebrows.

His eyes were like stars reflected in a cold pond, revealing the sharpness tempered by a noble family. However, when he gazed at the copper bell on the eaves, it turned into the setting sun in late autumn.

There was a half-broken jade hanging around his waist and a faint arrow mark on his right cheekbone. The scar was like a seal, hiding twenty years of ups and downs under his skin.

Jixiang looked at Chenhua speechlessly. He came uninvited, followed by a few children, and looked leisurely and contented.

Jixiang muttered to himself: Why didn’t I realize before that this guy is so shameless?
He said the place was overcrowded and the VIP room on the third floor had already been booked, so he wanted to come over and squeeze in.

Jixiang really wanted to spit on him.

I thought to myself: You are the heir of the Chen family, the most aristocratic family in the world, and the legitimate son of Duke Qiankun. Will the people of Qushui Liushang not reserve a place for you?
Who would believe this?

On the other side, his daughter Ji Tiantian and several girls were whispering together.

They were chatting animatedly, giggling from time to time, and were obviously very amused by some interesting topic.

Jixiang looked at them and couldn't help feeling a little warm in his heart, temporarily forgetting Chenhua's uninvited visit.

……

Jixiang said leisurely: "The Yupan Zhu family is a giant family in Jubao Pavilion. When it comes to calculation and mental arithmetic skills, they are first-class in the industry. It is reasonable for them to win."

"However, the winner is a girl who is only 20 years old. She is quite stunning. It's really amazing how young people can be formidable."

Chen Hua stroked his beard and praised, "Nine games, five wins. In the first two games, Wen Zhang and Cha Yi won one game each, and it was a tie."

"Qushui Liushang has surpassed the others this time. The reputation of Chang'an City as a place of cultural beauty is truly well-deserved."

Jixiang continued the conversation with great emotion: "In the three western provinces, the land of Laghammar, the people are bold and unrestrained; in the land of Osw, the romance is overflowing."

"However, if we talk about the profoundness of its cultural heritage, it is still not as brilliant as Fasno, which has the reputation of being a relic of the ancient Tang Dynasty."

Chen Hua heard this and asked with a smile: "Ji Lao San, Ji Lao San, which side do you stand on? In Wenhua Pavilion, your family is the new star; in Qushui Liushang, you are also the backbone."

Jixiang smiled calmly and responded: "I don't stand on either side. It is precisely because we have relationships on both sides that we have always remained neutral. This is my position."

"Hey, that old referee in brocade cloud clothes is one of my cousins."

Chen Hua asked softly, "So how do you view the outcome of these nine rounds of competition?"

Jixiang pondered for a moment and slowly answered, "Randomly selected from the question box are article writing, tea art display, calculation competition, dance performance, piano duet, calligraphy, painting creation, chess competition and song singing."

"I estimate that the first eight items will be evenly matched, and the final victory will probably depend on the song."

Jixiang raised his eyebrows and asked, "What about you? What do you think about this?"

Chen Hua waved his sleeves elegantly and said decisively: "I bet on Wenhua Pavilion."

Jixiang looked puzzled and asked, "Why is that?"

Chen Hua raised a playful smile and replied leisurely, "Because I am Chen Wenhua!"

It turns out that "Chen Wenhua" was the pseudonym that Chen Hua used in the literary world when he traveled to Tiandou City in the past.

Jixiang felt a chill rushing to his forehead and almost couldn't help spitting out blood.

The children nearby covered their mouths and chuckled when they heard this.

Chen Xiaojun secretly shook his head and sighed in his heart: "Sixth Uncle, Sixth Uncle, you really are worthy of being called 'arty'."

Jixiang finally suppressed the helplessness in his heart and laughed angrily: "Can't you speak seriously? If you like Wenhua Pavilion, then just like it. Why are you playing tricks like that?"

He is not like Chen Xiaojun who has never seen Chen Hua's charm.

He would not look down on Chen Hua. Although he often claimed to be a dilettante, he was a man who had made some achievements and stirred up many trends in Tiandou City back then.

…………

At this moment, the fourth round, the dance, began.

On the water show stage in the center of the lobby, a dancer in red, with crisp silver bells wrapped around her fingers, spun lightly to the melodious overtones of the guzheng.

The hem of her skirt, which was decorated with gold foil, lightly swept across the ink-colored words on her back as she spun, and quietly transformed the word "照" (zhao) in "The bright moon shines among the pines" into a brilliant red morning glow.

In the shadow of the corridor column, a hand tightly grasping a flute suddenly tightened, and the tune of "Folding Willows" that seeped out slowly from the flute hole tightly entangled the dancer's sleeves that were about to fall lightly to the ground, making the dance at this moment even more lingering and sad.

On the glazed tiles, the water drops that had originally been flowing down the winding corridor now seemed to be flowing backwards, slowly condensing along the eaves and corners.

Eventually, it turned into a string of crystal clear bead curtains, adding a touch of dreamlike color to the competition.

In this round, Qushui Liushang wins!
3: 1!

(End of this chapter)