"Master Liu, what is the prize? Take it out and show it to us. Who knows, maybe someone will like it and can actually match it up!" someone in the audience shouted. It seemed that they knew the middle-aged man on the stage.

"Yes, yes! Let us have a look, and open our eyes!"

Others followed suit.

"Okay! I, Liu, will take it out and show it to everyone."

Then a servant came up with a mahogany box in his hand.

After Mr. Liu took it, he opened the wooden box and showed it to the audience.

“Isn’t this just a piece of ink?”

"yes!"

The people below said.

Master Liu shook his head and smiled. "You may not know this, but I stumbled upon this inkstone. I got two of them. This inkstone is different from ordinary inkstones. Writing with it is not only smooth but also dries quickly. Another great advantage is that the words written with this inkstone do not smudge when exposed to water and remain clearly visible."

"Master Liu, are you telling the truth? Is there really ink that doesn't smudge when it comes into contact with water?" someone asked in surprise.

"Yes, I, Liu, am quite famous in Qingyun City. Have I ever cheated anyone?" said Mr. Liu.

"If that's the case, would Mr. Liu really be willing to take it out?" someone else asked.

Mr. Liu said, "Giving precious ink to a talented person is not a disgrace to this piece of ink. As long as someone can find the right answer, I will give it away willingly."

Most of the people below were scholars. After hearing what Master Liu said, they all coveted the ink. However, they were not talented enough and could not think of how to write the second couplet.

The people competing on the stage also became interested in this ink.

Master Liu said again: "We will only give you half an incense stick of time. If no one can answer it, we can only move on to the next question."

"Master Liu, how about I pay for this ink?" Wen Yuan on the stage asked, holding a folding fan.

Master Liu bowed and said, "Master Wen, please forgive me. I will not sell this ink. Money cannot measure its value."

Wen Yuan was not angry, and smiled faintly: "That makes sense, but I am the one who is vulgar."

Time passed minute by minute, and still no one could think of a suitable second line.

Xu Wenwu smiled and said, "This ink is good."

Qibao asked, "Brother, do you want this ink?"

Qian Xuedong asked, "Could it be that Wenwu has thought of the second line?"

"Brother Xu, if you can really match it, why not give it a try? This is a rare precious ink!"

Xu Wenwu smiled and said, "Sister, do you think Big Brother should give it a try?"

Qibao said, "Brother, if you want this ink, go and try it."

Xu Wenwu said, "Okay!" Then he turned to Master Liu on the stage and said loudly, "I have an idea for a couplet. Master Liu, would you mind listening to it?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was a teenager, and they felt a little suspicious.

Master Liu raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, "Sir, please feel free to speak."

"With head held high and lofty ambitions reaching the sky, who can compete with me?" Xu Wenwu said calmly.

"Good! That's right!"

The audience was silent for a while, and no one knew who shouted first!

Then there was a burst of applause from the audience.

Everyone looked in the direction of Xu Wenwu with admiration on their faces.

Master Liu laughed heartily and said, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! Young Master is indeed a man of great talent! I admire you! This couplet is neat and powerful, I am very satisfied with it. Does anyone have any comments? If you have a better one, please share it."

Wen Yuan and Zheng Yaoyang on the stage were also looking at Xu Wenwu in the audience in surprise. They didn't expect that this young man looked younger than themselves, but was so outstanding.

"Miss, isn't this the young man we saw in Juxiang Pavilion? I didn't expect that he is not only good-looking, but also so knowledgeable." Yuan'er said.

Miss Wen, who was standing next to him, also admired Xu Wenwu's knowledge and murmured, "I don't know his name either."

Yuan Er was standing close to her young lady, so she heard this as well. She said with a smile, "How about I ask the young lady's name for him?"

Miss Wen blushed and said, "No, we are both women. How can we ask a stranger's name? Do you still have the modesty of a woman?"

"Okay, Miss, I won't ask!"

After a while, Master Liu said, "Since no one can answer correctly, then this piece of ink belongs to this young master!"

He then stepped down from the stage and handed the mahogany box to Xu Wenwu, asking, "May I know your surname, sir? What's your name?"

Xu Wenwu took the wooden box and said, "No need to mention your surname, Xu!"

"Mr. Xu, it's true that heroes emerge from youth!"

"Thank you!"

The competition had to continue, so Mr. Liu turned around and returned to the stage.

Xu Wenwu said: "Let's go back!"

Qian Xuedong said, "Wenwu, why are you in such a hurry to go back? The game isn't over yet!"

Xu Wenwu said, "We've already become famous, so it's not appropriate for us to stay for long. We've also got the ink, so this trip is worthwhile."

A few people nodded, and then the group squeezed out of the crowd and left under the gaze of many people.

"It's them! Wangcai, go stop them for me!" Gao Yuan also saw Qibao and his group through the gap in the crowd. Thinking of what happened last night, he was convinced that it was them who broke half of his tooth.

"Okay, young master!" Because the two were in the front row, when Wangcai pushed through the crowd, he could no longer see any trace of the person he was looking for, so he could only go back and report to his own master.

Needless to say, Gao Yuan scolded him severely.

Everyone returned to Juxiang Pavilion. It was not yet time for dinner and there were no guests in the hall. There were only a few waiters cleaning.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!