"Truly a talented woman, Fan. Whether it's calligraphy or poetry, she's definitely a representative of the younger generation."
"Yes, she writes so beautifully..."
The surrounding young talents and ladies applauded and commented, while Huang Yao Dong and Zhao Yu Shi, Lin Yu Shu and Hou Xue Song also nodded frequently, having to admire Fan Shu Yuan's calligraphy and poetic talent, which inspired their admiration.
"How about that, scared yet?"
Fan Shu Yuan, handing her brush back to Zhu Rong, turned around and glanced proudly at Wan Yun Ting. As she put down the sleeves of her hands, she chuckled triumphantly, "If your writing is better than mine, Fan Shu Yuan will call you daddy!"
"Pfft..."
The ladies around were instantly amused by Fan Shu Yuan's words. Even Wan Yun Ting hadn't expected that Fan Shu Yuan, with her seemingly virtuous and dignified talent, would say something like that.
Although it was just a joke, it showed that Fan Shu Yuan's personality was lively and cheerful, unlike Gu Si Nuo's elegant and aloof demeanor that made her unapproachable.
"Then if I lose, won't I have to call you Grandma?" Wan Yun Ting also became interested and teased with a smile.
Fan Shu Yuan's peach blossom eyes lit up, and she pointed at him, nodding, "Alright, it's a deal."
Wan Yun Ting smiled and nodded. After Zhu Rong spread a fresh sheet of Xuan paper on the desk again, he made a welcoming gesture. Wan Yun Ting nodded in acknowledgment, stepped forward, picked a suitable brush, and began to dip it in ink. He then turned to Huang Yao Dong with a smile and said, "Brother Huang, could you read me a poem with some momentum?"
This statement made Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhou Rong, as well as the other young talents and ladies present, slightly taken aback. Fan Shu Yuan even said, "Hey, can't you compose your own poem?"
Wan Yun Ting looked at her and smiled, "I'm sorry, when it comes to poetry, I truly can't compare to you, so I can only rely on external help. Besides, we are competing in calligraphy now, not poetry. Do you have any objections?"
"Hmph."
This made Fan Shu Yuan even more disdainful and smug. She scoffed, "With you like this, what good calligraphy can you possibly write?"
Huang Yao Dong and Zhao Yu Shi, Lin Yu Shu and Hou Xue Song smiled wryly, knowing that Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy was outstanding, but he was indeed poor at poetry and songs.
"Then I'll read you Wang Chang Ling's 'Cong Jun Xing'," Huang Yao Dong said. Knowing that Wan Yun Ting wrote in a wild cursive style, he preferred poems with a special momentum that could express the sword-like energy in his extraordinary wild cursive calligraphy. He began to recite, "Under the vast clouds of Qinghai, the snow-capped mountains loom, from a solitary city, we gaze afar at the Jade Gate Pass..."
As Huang Yao Dong recited, Wan Yun Ting's eyes, holding the brush, instantly became sharp and fierce. A powerful aura emanated from him, causing Fan Shu Yuan, Gu Si Nuo, Shang Guan Wen Shan, Zhu Rong, and others standing nearby to change their expressions instantly. They looked at Wan Yun Ting in surprise, clearly sensing the difference in his aura at that moment.
Wan Yun Ting's brush transformed into a long sword, wielding ink on the Xuan paper, integrating vital energy and sword intent, making his characters appear full of powerful momentum.
Coupled with this battlefield poem, it was as if the Xuan paper depicted soldiers wielding long swords and bravely fighting enemies. Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhu Rong, who were watching closely from the side, gradually became immersed in this artistic conception, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
"We will not rest until we conquer Loulan..."
As the last line of the poem fell, Wan Yun Ting lifted his brush and slowly placed it by the brush rest, looking at the calligraphy he had written on the desk with satisfaction.
However, the scene was utterly silent at this moment. Fan Shu Yuan, Gu Si Nuo, Shang Guan Wen Shan, and Zhu Rong stared at Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy on the desk with frozen expressions and dazed eyes, unable to recover for a long time.
The young talents and ladies who had craned their necks and stuck their heads out to gaze at Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy were also firmly drawn into the artistic conception of the calligraphy, unable to extricate themselves...
Only Huang Yao Dong and Zhao Yu Shi, Lin Yu Shu and Hou Xue Song, who had seen Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy before, quickly recovered and smiled at Wan Yun Ting, saying, "Brother Wan, your calligraphy is truly astonishing. Even though we were mentally prepared, we still unknowingly fell into the artistic conception of your calligraphy and couldn't escape."
Wan Yun Ting turned back and smiled at them, saying, "You don't need to flatter me."
"Alright, how about you give me this piece? I'll auction it off for wine money?" Lin Yu Shu said with a grin.
Huang Yao Dong and Zhao Yu Shi immediately rolled their eyes at him and said, "Brother Wan's calligraphy is worth 450 million yuan. If you were to buy wine with that, it would be enough for you to drink yellow wine for ten lifetimes."
"Oh, I was just saying," Lin Yu Shu shrugged with a wry smile.
"Uh..."
At this moment, Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhu Rong, Fan Shu Yuan and Gu Si Nuo finally came back to their senses. The four of them stared with wide eyes at Wan Yun Ting's wild cursive script on the desk. The scene of ancient soldiers wielding swords and fighting fiercely on the battlefield still lingered in their minds. The blood-surging emotions within them seemed to have been ignited, causing Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhu Rong's bodies to tremble uncontrollably, their hands clenching into fists without them realizing it.
What is divine calligraphy, capable of instantly immersing the soul, is a living example.
It can be said that Fan Shu Yuan, Shang Guan Wen Shan, and Zhu Rong had never truly encountered such a situation where calligraphy transported them into an environment. This was simply an unimaginable feeling.
But the calligraphy Wan Yun Ting had just written on the desk before them, as soon as one recited the poem "Cong Jun Xing," involuntarily plunged one into the scene of being on the battlefield, witnessing soldiers swinging swords to strike down enemies and fighting valiantly. It gave a sense of wonder and incredulity.
"No wonder Mr. Yuan was almost scared to death at the Lanting Award Calligraphy Competition. So his calligraphy truly has such a bizarre artistic conception. It's so terrifying," a lady said with a pale face, patting her chest in lingering fear.
Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhu Rong, having fully recovered, turned to look at Fan Shu Yuan. The girl's peach blossom eyes were still staring blankly at Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy. Gu Si Nuo patted her shoulder, and Fan Shu Yuan finally came back to her senses with a startled cry. Her face turned pale, her chest heaved violently, and her breathing became rapid.
"Shu Yuan, are you alright?"
Gu Si Nuo quickly patted her back to comfort her. The other young talents and ladies around also recovered, their faces filled with astonished expressions as they pointed at Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy on the desk and began to discuss animatedly.
It was as if they had personally experienced being on an ancient battlefield, which made everyone feel a sense of strangeness and amazement, giving them a thrilling and breathtaking feeling.
"I'm fine..."
Fan Shu Yuan, having recovered, waved her hand. Her peach blossom eyes were a little fearful, and she didn't dare to look at Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy anymore. She turned her gaze to him with a look of surprise and confusion and asked, "Hey, do you know some kind of sorcery? Why do we see this calligraphy as if we are witnessing the scene of ancient soldiers fighting on the battlefield?"
"Sorcery!"
Wan Yun Ting was amused by her astonishing statement.
Huang Yao Dong said from behind, "Brother Wan's calligraphy expresses artistic conception. This is not something ordinary people can achieve."
"I don't believe it."
Fan Shu Yuan's peach blossom eyes widened, her hands on her hips, and she pouted indignantly, clearly unconvinced. "Why is it that when we look at the calligraphy passed down from ancient famous calligraphers, we don't have this feeling, but he does? It means he must have done something tricky while writing!"
"Yes, he studies medicine. He must have given us some hallucinogen or something, making us see the characters and fall into an illusion. It must be like this. I'm a genius."
...Wan Yun Ting's mouth fell open. He was stunned by her whimsical words. Hallucinogen? It made him speechless to the point of shaking his head with a wry smile. He said to Fan Shu Yuan, "Miss, it's a shame you don't write fantasy novels."
"Who says I don't? I'm currently writing a fantasy novel," Fan Shu Yuan nodded and said haughtily.
"Heh, no wonder."
Wan Yun Ting smiled and nodded, then pointed to the calligraphy on the desk and said to her, "Alright, now tell me, who will evaluate whose work is superior?"
This made Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhu Rong, as well as those around them, look at each other.
Everyone who came to Wenchang Hall today was from the younger generation of talents and ladies. There were no senior figures to judge whose work was better or worse.
"Of course, mine is better," Fan Shu Yuan said with wide, uncertain peach blossom eyes.
This made Shang Guan Wen Shan and Gu Si Nuo exchange glances. They both chuckled secretly. It was obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy had more artistic conception.
"Wen Shan, Zhu Rong, you two say."
Hearing them laugh, Fan Shu Yuan glared at them fiercely. Shang Guan Wen Shan and Zhu Rong quickly shook their heads and waved their hands, saying with a smile, "We are not qualified to be judges. You should ask someone else."
Fan Shu Yuan glared at them fiercely, then scanned the crowd and shouted, "Who will be the judge?"
The surrounding young talents and ladies looked at each other, shaking their heads and saying it was inappropriate...
Wan Yun Ting smiled, pointed to Beihai Lake outside the pavilion, and said, "How about this, we take our works out and let five people who don't understand calligraphy see them, and let them decide who wrote the better characters, what do you say?"
Someone immediately said, "If we let people who don't understand judge them, how can they evaluate who is good or bad?"
"Yes, isn't this ridiculous?"
Wan Yun Ting turned to them and smiled, "Or perhaps you would like to?"
Those young people quickly shook their heads and waved their hands. Wan Yun Ting turned back to Fan Shu Yuan and the others and smiled, "What I want are people who don't understand calligraphy, to feel it with their intuition. This way, it's fairer, isn't it?"
Fan Shu Yuan rolled her eyes at him and turned to Gu Si Nuo, saying, "Si Nuo, what do you think?"
Gu Si Nuo glanced at Wan Yun Ting and nodded at her. Fan Shu Yuan nodded, "Okay, let's do it then. Let's go..."
Saying this, she asked Zhu Rong to carry her calligraphy, and Huang Yao Dong also went up to help carry Wan Yun Ting's calligraphy. The group descended from the pavilion and majestically arrived at Beihai Lake.
Looking at the parents on the ice who were taking their children skating, they were ordinary citizens who didn't understand the subtleties of calligraphy at all, and didn't even recognize Fan Shu Yuan and Wan Yun Ting.