Since he had already been spotted, there was no longer any need for him to hide.
Su Bei told Dan Wuque to take good care of Sword Maiden and his reckless apprentice. Then, an auspicious cloud surged beneath his feet, and he drifted toward the city tower.
In an instant, everyone's gaze turned skyward to Su Bei.
At the sight before them, the young man in the scholar's kerchief jumped in shock, then hurriedly turned to the person beside him and said,
"I... I just spoke with Elder Su!!"
The surrounding people nodded in agreement, affirming,
"Mm-hm, that's right, we saw it!"
The city tower had a rather poetic name, "Juxian Pavilion."
Smiling, Su Bei looked at the person before him. He knew Mayor Li, since Sword Sect wasn't very far from Luoxue City, and he could even be considered an old acquaintance of the sect.
Then he noticed a gaze fixed on him, as if beholding a rare treasure, and he felt a chill dance up his spine.
Observing the man in Confucian attire, he ventured a guess, Could this be Naerxia?
Immediately, he greeted the two men with a bow and said,
"I pay my respects to Mayor Li and Mr. Er Xia."
This Er Xia seems quite normal, without the bulging muscles one might expect, he inwardly surmised.
Er Xia scrutinized Su Bei with a smile, his eyes narrowing in examination. Su Bei wore an Azure Crown, a moon-colored inner robe beneath a white outer garment, its hem exquisitely embroidered with begonias. His mouth curled in a gentle smile, and his face glowed with a soft luminance.
Picking up a cup of tea, Er Xia offered it with a laugh. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt
"Er Xia pays respects to Elder Su."
"I have long heard of Elder Su's overflowing talent, and today I finally meet you in person."
Su Bei responded with a smile,
"Today, I intended to visit Mayor Li. I've come with my disciple and junior martial sister on a tour and didn't expect to disturb you, Mayor."
Li Zhidong cast a meaningful glance at Su Bei. Then, with a sweep of his arm toward the city below, where myriad scholars were seated at low tables composing poetry, he said,
"Elder Su has long been reputed as a gifted scholar. I wonder if you could offer a few pointers to these young scholars?"
The moment his words fell, Er Xia's eyes brightened as well. The many cultivators on the tower, all of notable realms, turned their gaze toward Su Bei.
Er Xia carried a cup of tea to Su Bei's hands and, with a gentle smile, said,
"We don't have wine, but there is tea."
"I, too, would like to witness your great talent!"
Er Xia regarded Su Bei—a man renowned for his ability to compose eloquent poetry extemporaneously, even supposedly five classic poems in a single day—with a mixture of complex emotions. Yet, admiration was undeniably present. He found it hard to imagine that in Dongfeng, where Daoism was the mainstream, such a great talent, proficient in all forms of poetry, could emerge. Not long ago, just as Li Zijun had left Empty Cicada Lake, his master, Li Qiu, learned that the immortal verse "The Immortal Path is Hard" had come from Su Bei's hand. After a long silence, he instructed Er Xia to seek Su Bei out, wishing to invite Elder Su to Empty Cicada Lake.
For some reason, Li Zijun held an unusual fixation on the Sword Sect. And since Su Bei was well-versed in poetry and prose, Li Qiu had thought it a good opportunity. He had specially sent Er Xia to meet Su Bei, both to observe him and with the subtle intention of testing his abilities.
Based solely on appearance, Su Bei is truly one of the few genuinely elegant individuals I have ever encountered, Er Xia thought.
In quiet moments, he is as gentle as a refined scholar, as tranquil as one picking wild ferns.
When he smiles, his bearing transforms, soaring like a solitary pine standing tall on a cliff's edge.
For a moment, a myriad of emotions welled up in his heart. He sighed inwardly. How could such a person be born in the Dongfeng Ancient Country? If he were in the South Wind Ancient Country and cultivated the Confucian Dao, he might well have become the next Confucian Sage!
Su Bei gazed at the green tea in his cup, then lifted his head to look distantly at the three women standing there.
He then turned to the two men with a smile and said,
"As for giving pointers, I shall refrain. My own learning is too shallow to guide these young scholars. However, today, being the Lantern Festival, I do have a verse to offer."
The moment Su Bei finished speaking, all eyes immediately turned to where he stood.
This is indeed the moment to validate what I've been thinking, Su Bei mused. Did I really compose that poem? Li Zijun... that rather unique, gentle woman whom I can't quite see through, she's quite mysterious!
Taking a deep breath, his heart slightly nervous, Su Bei clasped his hands behind him and softly recited,
"The east wind at night adorns a thousand trees with blossoms, then blows them down, a shower of stars. Fine steeds and carved carriages fill the fragrant roads; the phoenix flute's music sounds, the jade pot's light revolves, a night-long dance of fish and dragons."
Suddenly, all around fell silent, as if time itself had stopped.
The next moment, the sky exploded with blinding golden light.
The heavens whirled wildly, golden carp leaped from the water, and amidst the earth and sky, the faint sound of dragon roars could be heard – a harbinger of their transformation into dragons!
Golden Carp after Golden Carp swam upstream, scrambling over each other as they leaped from the water, rushing toward the bright moon that had been dyed gold!
Waves surged, and beams of golden light shot across the sky!
Several figures on Juxian Pavilion stood up instantly, their eyes filled with shock as they savored the poetry Su Bei had recited.
Er Xia's hand trembled lightly, clutching the teacup tightly, and he murmured to himself,
"Does every verse he writes truly manifest celestial phenomena?"