No way?
What does this have to do with her!
Chu Hongluan was speechless and choked with emotion.
"Miss Xu, are you intentionally trying to humiliate me?"
Xu Qingqiu's face stiffened. "Miss Chu, what makes you say that?"
"Who doesn't know that I, Chu Hongluan, am a complete fool? You invited me to exchange poems, isn't that an insult? What? Miss Xu ran into a snag with the young prince, so you're taking it out on me?"
The disregard for the lives of others conveyed in those words is strikingly similar to that of Liu Jinghong.
Xu Qingqiu was completely speechless. Her original intention was indeed to embarrass Chu Hongluan so that everyone wouldn't focus solely on her own mistakes. Who would have thought that Chu Hongluan would be so sharp-tongued!
The different gazes from those around her made her feel even more uneasy.
But if she can't criticize Prince Liu, can't she criticize Chu Hongluan?
"Miss Chu is overthinking it. Qingqiu originally thought that since Miss Chu was unable to participate in the previous winding stream party, now that everyone is sitting by the lake, reciting poems and composing verses, it would be a good opportunity for Miss Chu to show off her talents."
No sooner had Xu Qingqiu finished speaking than someone else chimed in.
"Yes, yes. Miss Chu, since you're already here, why be so aloof? Since Miss Xu has extended such a warm invitation, Miss Chu shouldn't be so self-deprecating."
"Yeah yeah."
"Could it be that Miss Chu looks down on us? And is unwilling to associate with us?"
"That's right, and Prince Mo is here too. Even if Miss Chu doesn't respect us, shouldn't she at least give Prince Mo some face?"
These people are now willing to sell Xu Qingqiu out again, since they always pick on the weak.
Besides, who wouldn't want to see a chaotic scene?
Everyone knows what Xu Qingqiu is thinking about Prince Mo.
Liu Jinghong frowned impatiently, clicked her tongue and was about to lash out when she suddenly remembered that Chu Hongluan had indeed fallen deeply in love with Mo Yu before, and was unsure whether she really wanted to take this opportunity to show off.
So he tentatively looked at her, only to hear that she had already agreed.
"OK."
Chu Hongluan smiled calmly.
In the eyes of others, this means they are determined to compete, but it's unclear how much real skill they possess.
The noble young men in the room couldn't help but cast teasing glances at Mo Yu.
Mo Yu stared intently at Chu Hongluan, his gaze softening slightly.
Liu Jinghong watched this scene, hesitant to speak, feeling a pang of unease in her heart.
“Then I shall begin.” Xu Qingqiu sneered and took the initiative: “Miss Chu, you only need to provide the second half of the first half of my poem.”
"Miss Xu, please."
“It’s not that I particularly favor chrysanthemums among flowers—” Xu Qingqiu curled her lips provocatively, her willow-leaf eyes full of mockery.
"It would be better to hang oneself from a tree in the southeast."
?
The entire hall fell silent, and the excited young men and women who had been waiting to see the spectacle were frozen in place.
Chu Hongluan blinked innocently: "I told you, how could a good-for-nothing like me know how to compose poetry?"
She may not be able to write poetry, but she's good at using internet memes.
Everyone then realized that she wasn't initially provoked to fight by Xu Qingqiu; rather, she relied on her own reputation as a good-for-nothing and simply gave up without any panic.
Liu Jinghong chuckled, opened her folding fan to cover half her face, and her gloom vanished. She said, "I think Miss Chu's words are wonderful and resonate with me."
Chu Hongluan glared at him, then turned to Xu Qingqiu again: "Miss Xu, please continue."
Xu Qingqiu's delicate eyebrows twitched violently.
Of course she knew that Chu Hongluan was not very learned, but she invited her to compete because she wanted to see how Chu Hongluan, under her, racked her brains and used all her knowledge to struggle desperately, trying to compete with her, but was still mercilessly trampled in the mud, and how she would feel so indignant.
And this is what she did to her?
What's the difference between this kind of fighting spirit and whipping a dead fish?
But since she herself proposed the sparring match, we had to continue, even if we were crying.
"Such stunning beauty—"
"Why not hang yourself from a tree in the southeast?"
"No more willow catkins rise with the wind—"
"It would be better to hang oneself from a tree in the southeast."
"Flowers bloom red on the trees, and orioles sing in disarray—"
"I'd rather hang myself—from a southeast branch!"
"......"
Damn it, I'm not playing anymore!
Xu Qingqiu closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again, and finally curtsied to Chu Hongluan: "Miss Chu is very talented, I am ashamed to say that I am not as good as her."
After saying that, he turned around and returned to his seat.
The guests looked at each other, their expressions all unreadable, except for Liu Jinghong, who laughed so hard she almost fell over, repeatedly praising how wonderful it was.
After the banquet, a new portrait of Chu Hongluan was leaked, and her reputation outside changed from a plain, infatuated, and ugly woman to a beautiful but foolish one.
But the phrase "better to hang oneself from a tree in the southeast" seems to be under some kind of spell, lingering in everyone's minds for a long time.
Whenever someone composes a poem, as soon as the first half of the line is uttered, one can't help but think of adding the second half—"Why not hang yourself from a tree in the southeast!"
Meanwhile, at the first level of the Great Power Cave, a large group of demonic cultivators surged in. The leader was an exceptionally handsome man, but his brows were shrouded in an extremely strong evil aura. His luxurious black robe hung loosely on his body, revealing half of his fair chest. His long black hair reached his ankles and fluttered as he walked.
A pair of long, sharp black demon horns on his forehead proclaimed his identity.
Lan Xiao, the Demon Guardian.
"The Great Protector is indeed incredibly resourceful!"
"Indeed! No matter how hard those righteous disciples racked their brains, they would never have imagined that our Great Protector discovered this cave dwelling earlier than them! And he replaced the entrance to the second level with the Mirror of Reincarnation, directly luring them into a trap!"
"Haha! Now they've all entered the Mirror of Reincarnation, their consciousness detached from their bodies, trapped in the Mirror Realm. As long as we kill them in the Mirror Realm, their consciousness will also perish! In this way, their bodies left in the Mirror of Reincarnation will all belong to our fellow citizens of the Ten Thousand Demon Cave! Brilliant, brilliant!"
"We have a secret technique that allows us to separate our souls and enter the Mirror of Reincarnation. This time, won't we wipe out all those elite disciples of the righteous sects?!"
At this point in the discussion, the demon cultivators became very excited and raised their arms in unison, shouting, "The demon race is revived! The demon race is revived!"
Lan Xiao laughed arrogantly, raised his hand, and the demonic cultivators all fell silent.
"Remember, you can kill everyone else, but there is one person you must not touch."
“We all know! As for that Liu Jinghong, we will definitely be careful not to harm him in the slightest.”
"Wrong. Just spare his life. If he gets in the way, you have plenty of ways to make him wish he were dead, don't you think? After all... as long as his consciousness doesn't perish, the damage he suffers in the mirror world won't be carried back to his original body when he returns."
"Yes!" the demon cultivators replied in unison.
"But why is Liu Jinghong so favored by His Excellency?" A demonic cultivator who looked quite young couldn't suppress his curiosity.
Lan Xiao glanced at him coldly and said only, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. You only need to know that His Majesty has given orders that it is not the time to kill him yet."
He paused, then suddenly frowned, as if he had thought of something, and added, "Keep that woman named Chu Hongluan for now."
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