"Leaning from the high tower as the soft wind stirs, gazing into endless spring sorrow, born from distant horizons."
As Gavin Tsai watched, he unconsciously murmured the words aloud. At the instant he spoke, a surge of orange literary aura erupted from the paper, bursting forth with a vigorous intensity. The aura condensed, faintly taking shape.
"This is..." Gavin's pupils shrank to a pinpoint, and he let out an incredulous cry.
"A single line reaching the prefecture level!"
One line! With only a single line, it had reached "prefecture level." This meant that Nathan's single verse surpassed the entirety of Gavin's previous work. Yet, poetry and verse don't conform to strict measures. Some works may start humbly but gradually build, reaching a dazzling climax that transforms them. Others may open boldly but decline, ending as unremarkable.
But Nathan's approach was different.
He opened with a show-stopping move! Only one line, and he'd already achieved prefecture level.
Could a verse like this fail? Was it even possible?
If this composition were completed, what heights might it ultimately reach?
At this point, Gavin Tsai forgot entirely that he was supposed to be competing with Nathan Ye. The scholar in him was fully awake, eager to witness the birth of a masterpiece.
Everyone held their breath, waiting quietly for Nathan to continue. Like Gavin, they felt they were on the verge of witnessing history.
Nathan dipped his brush once more, penning the next line with a light stroke.
"In the fading glow of smoky grass, who will understand the sentiment at the railing?"
As soon as the line was complete, literary aura surged forth again. Each written character gleamed with radiant golden light.
Nathan's abundant scholarly energy burst forth, multiplying the fragrance of ink by hundreds of times. Even those outside of the Spring Breeze Tower could smell the rich aroma.
"A brush of brilliance, with ink fragrance spreading for miles..." whispered an old scholar, his beard trembling, tears forming in his eyes. "What kind of verse is this?"
The composition itself brought about a wondrous vision, as the literary aura surged a second time. The crowd felt a faint melancholy, a loneliness conveyed directly from the verse itself.
"It's prefecture level—Nathan's verse has reached the prefecture level!" someone shouted, tears of excitement streaming down their face. Who was he to deserve witnessing such a remarkable event? In that moment, he felt that even if he were to die right then, his life would be worthwhile.
"Quiet!" Sang Liu quickly hushed the onlookers, then trembled as he spoke. "Brother Nathan, please, continue."
Nathan remained undisturbed, continuing his writing.
"Let us revel in mad indulgence, singing at the wine cup, yet this forced joy is flavorless."
Everyone fell silent, stunned, savoring the meaning.
Soft sobs drifted through the Spring Breeze Tower. The Eight Courtesans could no longer contain their tears, deeply moved. The poem, Butterfly Lovers, had originally been written by the poet Liu Yong, a master of women's emotions during his time, with verses so moving that many women were drawn to him without expectation of payment. Liu Yong's verses held an allure for women akin to a weapon of irresistible power.
This line especially—"this forced joy is flavorless"—echoed the lives of the courtesans who masked their true selves behind daily smiles. Was their joy real or merely an empty display?
The aura surged for the third time, coalescing into a rainbow of orange light in the sky, enhancing the sense of melancholy. Tears streamed from the women's eyes. Those with stories of their own could not help but sigh.
Only one final line remained.
The scholars barely held their composure, restraining their own emotions, as they awaited the climactic verse—the line that would determine whether this work could be deemed a "nation-stabilizing" verse.
With everyone watching, Nathan finished his writing. Sang Liu, eyes wide, muttered the line aloud unconsciously:
"My belt loosens though I regret it not, all for the sake of my love's longing."
With this final line, the entire Spring Breeze Tower erupted into sobs.
The verse laid bare the sorrow of the courtesans, women who seemed to be adored by men yet were often treated as playthings. Despite their appearances, nights brought loneliness. Men often made promises, only to break them. Yet each woman harbored hopes, wishing for a day when a true lover would free them from their life of sorrow, even though such dreams often ended in disappointment.
Every reader's experience would be unique, shaped by their perspective, but for the courtesans, their regard for Nathan Ye soared to unimaginable heights.
"Master Ye...no, Master Ye is the only man who truly understands us," murmured both the Eight Courtesans and the other women in the Tower, their tear-filled eyes locked onto Nathan.
As the men regained their composure, they were once again captivated by the literary aura. The orange-colored rainbow in the sky turned golden, shooting out from the Spring Breeze Tower, lighting up the capital's night with a multitude of brilliant lights. The paper on which Nathan had written his verse emitted a bright, golden glow.
Sang Liu reached to pick it up, feeling the paper weigh like a thousand pounds.
"It weighs a thousand pounds... A nation-stabilizing verse!"
The entire room gasped in astonishment. Nathan Ye had composed a verse that could stabilize a nation!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。