My Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden

It was one thing to do at the Li residence, but why is it the same at the Chang residence?

Although they were indignant, no one dared to voice their doubts, because the positions had been decided by Chang Lian.

"Everyone, this wasn't very interesting. I just washed up and got late!"

Chang Lian arrived late, after everyone had sat down.

Many people stood up and bowed to Chang Lian, but Qi Yu remained unmoved, as if he hadn't seen him.

But their gazes fell on the young man behind Chang Lian.

This tall, thin young man, dressed in a long gown and scholarly attire.

Song Yuntao!

After a few days apart, Song Yuntao's demeanor had changed drastically; he had lost his previous liveliness and cleverness.

To put it nicely, they've matured; to put it bluntly, they've become depressed, lifeless, like puppets.

Song Yuntao also noticed Qi Yu, but he didn't dare to look at Qi Yu.

He was too ashamed to face Qi Yu, not only because he had stolen his poem, but also because he was about to hurt him again.

But for Meixiang and for his mother, he had no other choice.

After greeting everyone, Chang Lian looked at Qi Yu and said with a smile, "Brother Qi, it's been a long time! You're still as dashing as ever!"

Qi Yu smiled and said, "It's alright!"

Chang Lian smiled gently and said, "Please sit down, eat and drink well. Tonight we will not discuss state affairs or the political situation, but only talk about romance and poetry."

Qi Yu smiled, said nothing, and then sat down.

Song Yuntao sat down opposite him, head down, not daring to look at Qi Yu.

Chang Lian sat down in the main seat, glancing subtly at Song Yuntao and Qi Yu, his smile widening.

"Someone, invite the dancers and musicians from Zuiqingfang in!" Chang Lian called out calmly.

After a series of footsteps, a group of young women entered. The dancers walked to the center, while the musicians carried their instruments to the back of the seating area.

"Gentlemen, tonight we enjoy fine wine and beautiful women; let's drink until we're drunk!" Chang Lian raised his glass and laughed.

The scholars also raised their wine cups, lifted them slightly, and then drank them down in one gulp.

Qi Yu didn't drink, because his gaze remained fixed on Song Yuntao.

As the melodious music began, several dancers in the center swayed their bodies and began to dance lightly.

Beneath the thin dance costumes, figures were faintly visible, captivating many students who lingered, mesmerized.

Reading is a very tedious activity, so it's quite common for many book lovers to become curious about the opposite sex.

Most intellectuals are generally repressed and lustful, and patronizing prostitutes is a common practice, with some even taking pride in it.

Chang Lian understood the thoughts of this group of hanged men very well, which is why he summoned the dancers from Zuiqingfang.

If I'm not mistaken, these dancers aren't just there to dance.

When the song ended, the dancers stopped dancing. Chang Lian waved his hand, and then the dancers dispersed to toast the scholars.

The scholars feigned reluctance while simultaneously acknowledging the dancers' advances, eliciting continuous laughter from them.

Qi Yu was also included. A beautiful dancer knelt beside him, then raised her wine cup and offered it to him.

"Young master, I'd like to offer you a toast!" the dancer said sweetly, her eyes full of allure.

Qi Yu frowned as he smelled the cosmetics. He didn't really like the scent of rouge and powder, which was why Su Yue didn't use such things.

"Get out of the way!" Qi Yu said, frowning.

The dancer persisted, even pressing her entire body against him.

"Young master, please have a sip!" The dancer's voice was alluring and coquettish; no ordinary man could resist it.

As the dancer pressed closer, the scent of perfume became even stronger, and Qi Yu immediately stood up and moved away from her.

The dancer originally intended to lean against Qi Yu's chest, but Qi Yu moved aside, and she missed her target, letting out a soft cry of surprise as she fell down.

The exclamation drew everyone's attention.

The dancer, who was lying on the ground, rolled her eyes, then sat up with teary eyes, wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes, and spoke pitifully.

"I don't know what I did wrong that makes you so disgusted with me."

Many scholars frowned, and a few even criticized Qi Yu.

Qi Yu glanced indifferently at the dancer and said, "I don't like the smell of rouge and powder. Next time you come to offer a toast, wash yourself clean!"

Qi Yu ignored the dancer and looked at Chang Lian instead.

"You didn't invite me here for something so trivial, did you?"

Chang Lian toyed with his wine glass, smiled, and said, "Tonight is a poetry gathering, a time to make friends through poetry. We shouldn't be so unrestrained. You may all leave!"

The dancers stood up as instructed and then left the hall in an orderly fashion.

The scholars looked reluctant to part with him, and their gazes toward Qi Yu were quite unfriendly.

Chang Lian made a casual move that made Qi Yu the enemy of all the students.

Chang Lian drank the wine in his glass, then stood up and pointed at Song Yuntao.

"Gentlemen, this is Brother Song Yuntao, the yamen runner who composed a poem in three steps at Zuiqingfang a few days ago. He is also my guest advisor, Chang Lian. Brother Song, please begin by reciting a poem for us!"

Many students looked at Song Yuntao. Although he had no official rank, he could compose a poem in three steps and was also a guest of Chang Lian. They were not stupid and naturally would not undermine Song Yuntao.

Song Yuntao stood up, his gaze darting away, not daring to meet Qi Yu's eyes.

Chang Lian glanced at Song Yuntao and laughed, "Brother Song, didn't you write a poem called 'Song of a Wanderer' a few days ago? Read it aloud for everyone to hear. Such a masterpiece will surely be remembered for generations!"

------------

Chapter Sixty-Two: Shameless

Chang Lian had already found out everything about the relationship between Qi Yu and Song Yuntao.

Song Yuntao had no talent for poetry, he knew that, but he didn't care.

In the past few days, he sought out several literary masters, wrote a few poems, and then sent someone to secretly slip them into Song Yuntao's room.

Unlike his brothers and sisters who were skilled with weapons, he preferred to solve problems with his mind.

Throughout history, civil officials have always been in power; there has never been a time when military generals held sway.

Throughout history, countless valiant military generals have perished at the hands of civil officials.

Although scholars are weak, they are not without merit; on the contrary, they are a very powerful force.

This power is the idea!

People die and disappear, but ideas can be passed down.

Therefore, he preferred to befriend scholars and literati rather than martial artists.

Song Yuntao was the one he intended to elevate to a divine status.

Song Yuntao will be the future poet saint of the Great Yun Dynasty!

He was preparing a plan to create a god, to erect a statue to guide all the scholars of the Great Yun Dynasty.

This is difficult, because if you want to guide scholars, being knowledgeable and well-versed in the past and present is only the foundation. The most important thing is to have the moral character to win people's respect.

The most difficult thing is to win people's hearts with one's character; it requires accumulating a good reputation over time.

Fortunately, Song Yuntao's "Song of the Wanderer" has laid the foundation for the most solid altar of "filial piety".

Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. With the performance of "The Wanderer's Song," Song Yuntao's moral character should at least barely meet the standard.

It wouldn't be difficult to leverage the Chang family's influence to create a positive image for Song Yuntao and establish him as a "god." (If you don't understand, please refer to the current trends of celebrities and internet influencers.)

The reason he chose Song Yuntao was because he found a quality in Song Yuntao that was very similar to his own.

Thick-skinned and ruthless!

However, Song Yuntao is still not mature enough because he comes from a poor background and has some inferiority complex. He cannot truly be ruthless and cunning.

There were two purposes in calling Qi Yu here: first, to sharpen Song Yuntao's skills and help him transform.

The second one... is to kill!

Qi Yu's value lies solely in this!

No matter how talented he is, if he sides with Li Ming, he will die!

Those who cannot be used by me will surely be killed by me!

Chang Lian narrowed his eyes as he looked at Song Yuntao trembling, and said with a smile, "Brother Song, there's no need to be so modest. Haven't you composed many poems in front of Miss Meixiang? Relax!"

Song Yuntao raised his head and glanced at Chang Lian.

Chang Lian's subtext was easy to understand: he was reminding her that if she didn't do as he was told, she would never see Mei Xiang again.

She glanced at Qi Yu with a guilty look, but that guilt quickly vanished, replaced by a firm resolve.

"Because my family was poor when I was young, my father passed away early. Even so, my mother still supported me to study for a few years. It wasn't until my mother's eyes were injured and she could no longer see that I took on the burden of the family and became a yamen runner."

“Whenever I think of my mother burning the midnight oil day and night to buy me clothes, and seeing me off no matter how cold it was, my heart feels so heavy that I can’t breathe.”

"So it was with this heavy heart that I wrote this poem, 'Song of the Wanderer'."

Qi Yu looked at Song Yuntao calmly, his eyes very indifferent.

He didn't mind Song Yuntao copying the poem, because it wasn't his poem; it was Meng Jiao's.

Even they themselves copied, so why laugh at someone who is eighty times worse than them?

He wanted to see just how far Song Yuntao could go.

"A loving mother's thread in her hand, a traveler's clothes on his back."

……

Song Yuntao was reciting poetry, and the students around him nodded slightly, then thought of their elderly mothers at home.

Ning Xuan was the one who felt it most deeply, thinking that he was a son-in-law who had married into the family.

Only after enduring scorn and experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions can one truly appreciate the value of family.