Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Qing Shuang was taken aback: "A challenge? What challenge?"

Then, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she cracked her knuckles excitedly, asking, "Does anyone want to fight me?"

Three years ago, she was undefeated among her peers in the capital, and for a long time, no one dared to challenge her to a fight.

The butler quickly waved his hand, "Miss, you've misunderstood! It's not a fight! It's a talented woman from the Yaoguang Poetry Society who wants to compete with you in poetry!"

"What?"

Upon hearing the poem, Qing Shuang's face instantly fell.

When it comes to fighting, she has never been afraid of anyone her age.

But when it comes to writing poetry and lyrics, she's fearless...

She can't even recognize all the characters; isn't that making things difficult for her?

She rubbed her hands together, complaining, "I thought I could stretch my muscles a bit..."

The butler tentatively asked, "Shall I go and cancel it for Miss?"

Qing Shuang waved her hand and said, "Reject it, reject it. Tell them that if they want to fight, I, Xiao Qing Shuang, am ready to fight anytime. As for writing poetry, forget it..."

The steward accepted the order and left, arriving at the gate of the Xiao residence.

Two women stood at the bottom of the steps, each holding a round fan, their demeanor elegant.

The steward cupped his hands in greeting and said politely, "Ladies, my young lady said that she has been very busy lately and is unable to keep the appointment. Let's cancel the competition."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wanying gently waved her fan, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said unhurriedly, "The competition will last at most an hour. What, can't the talented Miss Xiao even spare an hour?"

Yang Yuchan chimed in, "Sister Sun is right. Perhaps Miss Xiao knows she's not very capable and is feeling guilty?"

The butler remained composed and politely said, "Miss is indeed unable to leave. Please return home, both young ladies."

The two women had come with a purpose, so how could they leave so easily?

Sun Wanying stepped forward and raised her voice, "What kind of number one talented woman in the capital? She doesn't even have the courage to accept the challenge. All she does is hide in the general's mansion, trying to gain fame and reputation..."

Yang Yuchan covered her mouth with her fan and chuckled, "Tsk tsk, I wonder who wrote that poem, yet they put their own name on it, how shameless..."

The two men's sarcastic remarks drew the attention of several passersby.

The butler frowned slightly. These two girls seemed quiet and gentle, but their words were so unpleasant.

Just as he was about to speak again to persuade her, a figure strode out of the Xiao residence.

Qing Shuang stood on the threshold, looking at the two of them with displeasure, and asked, "What did you say? Say it again!"

Sun Wanying closed her fan and smiled faintly, "What, Miss Xiao, are you going to make a move? We frail women can't withstand a punch from someone from your military family..."

Yang Yuchan added fuel to the fire, saying, "These rough men from military families only know how to brandish weapons and fight. What do they know about poetry? Asking them to accept a challenge is asking too much of her..."

Hearing that the military family had been insulted, Qing Shuang took a deep breath, slowly loosened her clenched fist, and gritted her teeth, saying, "It's just a poetry contest, fine, I accept!"

Sun Wanying was the first to regain her senses. She took out Lin Wenjing's challenge letter from her sleeve, handed it to her, and said, "Three days from now at noon, at Wangyue Tower, you will compete in poetry with Lin Wenjing, the head of our Yaoguang Poetry Society. Best two out of three rounds..."

She curled the corners of her lips and said, "If you lose, you must admit in public that you are not as good as Sister Lin, and you are never allowed to mention the title of the number one talented woman in the capital again."

Qing Shuang raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what the so-called number one talented woman in the capital was.

She had no interest whatsoever in the title of the most talented woman in the capital; she simply couldn't tolerate being mocked and provoked at her doorstep.

She accepted the challenge and said coldly, "It's a deal!"

Sun Wanying and Yang Yuchan exchanged a glance, a hint of joy in their eyes.

Yang Yuchan closed her fan and smiled, "Three days from now, we will be waiting for the talented Miss Xiao at Wangyue Tower..."

After saying that, the two left hand in hand.

Qing Shuang returned to the manor in a huff. General Xiao leaned back in his armchair and asked with a smile, "I've heard that the head of the Yao Guang Poetry Society is the beloved granddaughter of the Minister of Rites. She's been well-versed in poetry since childhood and is best known for her graceful and delicate style of poetry. She's called the number one talented woman in the capital... Do you really want to compete with her in poetry?"

He knew his granddaughter's abilities better than anyone else.

If it comes to martial arts, there are few people her age who can rival her in the entire capital, or even the entire Da Ning.

But when it comes to poetry, she's not much better than a child who has just started learning to read and write.

Qing Shuang pursed her lips and said, "Grandpa, don't worry about it, I have my own way!"

She hadn't done anything, yet she was inexplicably mocked and insulted at her door. Just thinking about it made her angry, and she lost her appetite for dinner. She stormed off from the general's mansion...

A small courtyard in the south of the city.

Chen Chang'an sat on the stone bench, his hands resting naturally on his knees, his breathing long and steady.

Although the internal energy within him was still weak, its circulation was much smoother.

A moment later, Chen Chang'an stood up, tried to guide the internal energy to his legs, and then suddenly leaped upwards.

This jump was about three feet high, much higher than that of an average person, but still far from Qing Shuang's level of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops.

Chen Chang'an landed firmly, stretched his ankles, and shook his head.

"Looks like I still need to practice..."

He sat back down on the stone bench, about to continue circulating his inner energy, when suddenly he heard a rapid whooshing sound of clothes breaking above his head.

Before he could even look up, a figure fell straight down from above the courtyard wall.

After landing, Qing Shuang strode up to Chen Chang'an, plopped down on the stone bench opposite him, crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks, and didn't say a word.

Chen Chang'an looked at her, paused for a moment, and asked, "Who upset you?"

Just as Qing Shuang was about to speak, her gaze fell on Chen Chang'an, and she suddenly narrowed her eyes.

Chen Chang'an felt uneasy under her gaze and asked, "Why...why are you looking at me like that?"

Qing Shuang suddenly reached out and grabbed Chen Chang'an's wrist. The next moment, her eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, "You, you've cultivated internal energy?"

Chen Chang'an nodded, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and asked, "How was it? Quick, right?"

Qing Shuang's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. She had mastered internal energy in just one night—that was more than just fast.

It took her a full month to go from first practicing the Breaking Army Technique to sensing her first wisp of internal energy. Even so, it shocked the entire capital and she was considered a martial arts genius that military families rarely see in a century.

A month against one night—her martial arts talent, which she was so proud of, was a joke in front of the person in front of her!

Qing Shuang took a deep breath, circled Chen Chang'an, and looked him up and down with a complex expression. She murmured, "What kind of monster are you? You can compose couplets so well, write poems so well, and even your martial arts talent is so outrageous?"

Chen Chang'an looked smug, but feigned modesty and said, "It's alright, it's alright..."

Qing Shuang touched her nose, her competitive spirit reignited, and she snorted, "Hmph, don't be too smug. In martial arts, it's not about who develops internal energy first and then becomes more powerful. You need to work harder and not be lazy..."

Despite saying that, she knew in her heart that it was she who needed to work hard to practice her skills.

She is not as good as Young Master Shen at writing poems and couplets. If she can't even beat him in a fight in the future, where will she put her face?