Chapter Thirteen: The Realm Awakens, the Fox Demon Perishes!
At the very moment when that clear and melodious female voice rang out, the fox spirit leapt away in terror and vanished.
Song Mu felt the cramped alley around him begin to shift suddenly, the scenery transforming in an instant. Golden light blossomed before his eyes, and his vantage point soared uncontrollably upward. Beneath him, a tall tower rose swiftly, piling itself higher and higher. The bricks and tiles unfurled upward like blooming lotus petals, stacking and arching skyward. In the blink of an eye, he found himself seated high atop a golden-tiled, bracketed eave.
The scene reminded Song Mu of the dreamscapes unfolding in "Inception," yet here, surveying the city from such a lofty perch, the swiftly emerging structures and the river bathed in sunset struck him with awe.
"Yuzhang, the old county, Hongdu, the new prefecture, stars divided between Yi and Zhen, land stretching to Henglu..."
...
"Embracing three rivers and girded by five lakes, commanding the lands of Man and Jing, reaching to Ou and Yue..."
...
A solemn recitation drifted through the air. Song Mu turned his head toward the sound and saw, upon the roof of the pavilion where he now sat, a young man standing at the highest point, hands clasped behind his back.
The youth had a broad face and wide eyes, clad in dark robes adorned with golden embroidery. As each line of poetry fell from his lips, a cool breeze whipped his garments, making them flutter.
"The Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion?" Song Mu murmured, only to realize that the surroundings had utterly changed. The sun hung low, its amber light reflected on the river, linking heaven and earth. The pavilion was ablaze with lanterns, pinpricks of light mirrored on the water, and the evening breeze whispered—a splendid landscape of river and mountains.
It was Song Mu's first time witnessing the mystical power poetry could wield: a single piece by Wang Bo, one of the Four Talents of Early Tang, conjured such a magnificent vision!
Song Mu was still marveling when a terrified scream echoed nearby.
"Who are you?! How dare you ruin my plans!"
Snapped out of his reverie, Song Mu saw the fox spirit, previously smug and alluring, now leaping onto a bracket of the pavilion, glaring furiously at the other side.
Song Mu followed her gaze—and his mouth fell open in astonishment.
The fox spirit was staring at Li Mo'er, whom Song Mu had met earlier that day at the county academy. Now, Li Mo'er wore a dark, gold-threaded tunic; her hair, no longer in a bun, was tied behind her head. Though only thirteen or fourteen, she radiated a heroic aura.
Li Mo'er glanced at Song Mu, her proud features still calm, and addressed him.
"With the literary spirit of a scholar-child, you shattered the illusion of this demon with a single line of ancient prose. Young Master Song, your methods have surprised me yet again."
Song Mu remained composed, though confusion was written across his face.
Li Mo'er seemed to understand his thoughts. She stepped lightly across the pavilion, plucked a silver hairpin from her headpiece, and spoke.
"Young Master Song, your poem today was brilliant enough; the Song family's literary lineage has not faded after all. Allow me to deal with this creature for you. If you pass the imperial examination in the future, remember to seek us out."
With that, her demeanor changed dramatically. A jade pendant with engraved dragons appeared at her waist, glowing brightly. The silver hairpin in her hand expanded rapidly, transforming into a long, gleaming sword.
"But didn't you say Li and Du's poetry has grown stale?" Li Mo'er spoke again, her gaze sidelong, her brow bold and spirited.
"Then, let me show you why, among all the poems under heaven, Li and Du reign supreme!"
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When her words ended, an astonishing surge of literary spirit erupted around her. Streams of dazzling literary power flowed from Li Mo'er's body. Song Mu was stunned, hearing her quietly recite,
"Ten steps to slay a man, a thousand miles without stopping."
Song Mu's eyes widened as countless sword lights burst forth from Li Mo'er's blade, shooting toward the fox spirit. The fox, feeling the threat, revealed its true form, shrieking wildly as pink demonic energy spread.
"You are a jinshi?! You're actually a scholar of the highest degree!"
From within the pink mist came the fox's desperate cries.
In the next instant, metallic clashes rang out from the haze, which quickly dissipated. A figure crashed heavily onto the pavilion roof.
Li Mo'er still radiated literary power, her cherry lips reciting another line,
"Once the deed is done, I brush off my robe and leave, hiding my merits and fame."
As her words faded, the swirling literary spirit and dazzling power vanished into thin air.
The fallen figure was the once-arrogant fox spirit—now dead beyond doubt.
Li Mo'er, her literary power withdrawn, returned to her usual self, like a lively neighborhood girl. She hopped over to Song Mu, stood beside him, and smiled sweetly.
"Well then, Young Master Song, do you still believe that new talents rise in every generation?"
Song Mu forced a bitter smile, scrutinizing the girl before him, and slowly uttered,
"You are of the lineage of Li Bai, the Poet Immortal..."
Li Mo'er shrugged and pouted, tacitly acknowledging his guess.
Song Mu's heart was in tumult—the girl before him was a descendant of Li Bai, the Poet Immortal.
With "Song of the Gallant," she had summoned earth-shaking literary spirit, and the fox's dying shriek echoed in his mind.
This girl was a jinshi?
That fox spirit had nearly killed him with little effort, yet she had dispatched it in four lines of verse.
And today, he had dared to show off before the Li family.
Song Mu pondered quietly, then smiled and shook his head.
"Li and Du's poetry surpasses all ages, but I think Master Li would be pleased to see his descendants achieve the same greatness, wouldn't he?"
As he spoke, Li Mo'er raised her eyebrows in mild confusion. She tucked the silver hairpin back into her headpiece, then produced a delicate little gourd from somewhere, uncorked it, and took a sip—her face scrunching up in delight.
"Wang Senior Brother, stop reciting and withdraw the vision."
She stowed the gourd and called out to the young man still reciting "The Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion." He responded, and literary power surged in his hands; the vision of the pavilion began to dissolve from the distance.
Song Mu noticed that Wang's literary power was not as fierce—perhaps not as formidable as Li Mo'er.
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"Wang Senior Brother is a collateral descendant of the poet Wang Bo, an expert in creating alternate realms. Rest assured, the vision will vanish in a moment," Li Mo'er explained beside Song Mu, who nodded vacantly, then eyed her clothing.
"Miss Mo'er, your attire..." Song Mu inquired, and Li Mo'er produced a token.
It was a silvery-gray circular token, studded with starlight, entwined with dragon patterns. Song Mu was momentarily mesmerized by its brilliance.
"We are from the Azure Sky Guard."
"This is a Literary Star waist token. Once you attain the rank of xiucai, you'll receive something similar."
Song Mu hesitated, not quite grasping her meaning.
Li Mo'er continued,
"I intended to invite you into our Poet lineage today, but now, I'd rather see how you perform once you become a xiucai."
"And also, please don't speak of today's events," she said, pointing to herself.
"I trust you can do that, Young Master Song."
Song Mu nodded, but suddenly the surroundings began to shift rapidly. When he next opened his eyes, a haze still lingering, he found himself back on the familiar streets north of the city.
He was seated by the roadside, the corpse of the fox spirit lying across the street.
Beside him stood Wang Senior Brother, who seemed to sense something, smiling as he gazed down the avenue.
Li Mo'er, who had moments before sat by Song Mu, was nowhere to be seen.
Soon, three powerful streams of literary spirit approached. Song Mu, feeling weak, stood up and saw Kong Siqi appear before him, his entire body radiating literary power. Kong glanced at Song Mu, swept his gaze over the dead fox spirit, and eyed Wang Senior Brother warily.
Two others quickly arrived—Song Mu recognized them as Master Xun and County Magistrate Jin Changwu, and hurriedly paid his respects.
All three shifted their attention to Wang Senior Brother. Master Xun beckoned to Song Mu.
"You wear the Azure Sky Guard uniform—do you have a token for verification?" Kong Siqi asked. Wang calmly produced his waist token and handed it over respectfully.
"Magistrate Kong, County Magistrate Jin, I am Wang Xiwen of the Wang family of Longmen, Jiangzhou. Passing through by chance, I encountered the fox spirit causing trouble and intervened to assist."
Wang Senior Brother bowed. Hearing this, Kong Siqi and the others' expressions changed slightly.
Jin Changwu activated the token with literary power. Seeing the glow it emitted, his demeanor became solemn and he returned the token respectfully.
"So you are truly an officer of the Azure Sky Guard. Thank you for your assistance."
...
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