The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

The cool river wind was refreshing, lifting one's spirits.

Compared to traveling by land, the waterways were indeed much faster.

For this trip to the sacrificial rites, a full seventeen large ships had been dispatched. Many Court officials were in attendance, though the procession was much more streamlined than before.

The most magnificent ship at the front naturally housed members of the Royal Family, a display of their lofty status. The second ship was for high-ranking Court officials.

As a high-ranking official of the From-the-Second-Rank, Bai Yuan was undoubtedly staying on that second great ship.

He and Fanghua stood on the deck, watching the trees on the banks fly rapidly backward.

This was Bai Yuan's second time on a boat, but the feeling of traveling a thousand li in a day was incredibly exhilarating.

"This ship is called the Divine Might. It is the masterwork of a Divine General from the Ministry of Works and can withstand attacks from a Knowledge and Sensation Martial Artist without taking damage."

Bai Yuan was surprised.

He had long sensed that the great ship beneath his feet was extraordinary, but he hadn't expected it to be this formidable.

Not even a Knowledge and Sensation Martial Master could damage it. In naval warfare, it would be an invincible superweapon.

Just as he was chatting idly with Fanghua, a group of officials also came up onto the deck.

A refined, scholarly man was surrounded by them.

It was the Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion, Situ Nan.

Although Situ Nan's official position wasn't the highest—merely Just-Third-Rank—his future was limitless. It wasn't impossible that he might one day be ranked among the Three Ducal Ministers.

Compared to Bai Yuan, the lone courtier; Li Dai, who was rarely seen; and that other figure guarding the Southern Border, his social connections were undoubtedly the best.

Bai Yuan's and Situ Nan's gazes happened to meet.

The other officials also saw Bai Yuan on the deck, and their expressions became intrigued.

These two were both prodigies from the Hidden Dragon List. They had even crossed blows before. With them meeting again, the air was naturally thick with tension.

Situ Nan was not one for dithering; he strode forward.

"Lord Bai, my previous actions were at the behest of another. I had no intention of targeting you personally."

Bai Yuan was at the zenith of his power, and he belonged to the Imperial Inspection Office, a government office that supervised all other officials. Even as a Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion, Situ Nan was unwilling to make an enemy of him.

Bai Yuan just gave a faint nod.

'Whether he was acting on someone's behalf or not, he's already made a move against me. Resolving this isn't something that can be done with just a few words.'

That was one of the perks of the Imperial Inspection Office: you could ignore whomever you wanted. Their whole motto was self-reliance.

Seeing Bai Yuan's arrogant attitude, Situ Nan felt a flicker of displeasure.

But since he had been the one to instigate things, he couldn't say much more.

At that moment, a young official suddenly spoke up. "Everyone, why don't we take advantage of this magnificent scenery to compose some poetry?"

Hearing this, all the officials showed eager expressions.

These men were all Civil Servants, and what's more, they were scholars of the Confucian Family.

Besides statecraft and aiding the populace, the Confucian Family also appreciated elegant pastimes, with composing poetry being a common form of entertainment.

Everyone present was at least a Jinshi scholar, and those on deck were all high-ranking ministers of the Court. It was the perfect time to display one's talents.

The crowd instantly hit it off and agreed.

Hearing the commotion, many of the other officials who were out on deck getting some fresh air also gathered around.

Before long, half of the officials on the great ship had gathered on the deck.

Seeing more and more officials gathering around, the young official who had made the initial proposal grew even more excited.

"Then allow this humble official to start things off, if I may be so bold."

"The long river carries our light boat,Green waves ripple under the sun's gleam.On both banks, green mountains rise to greet us,As specks of white sail drift along with the stream."

...

The young official's poem was commendable, earning nods from many of the other officials.

Although it was suspected he had prepared it in advance, it was still worthy of praise.

When the young official saw some of the high-ranking Third-Rank ministers casting appreciative glances his way, he felt even more smug.

With this opening, the atmosphere for composing poetry grew even thicker.

For scholars, a poetry battle was like a duel for Martial Artists; the scene instantly became white-hot with competition.

Most of the others composed their poems impromptu, and quite a few fine lines were produced. In that moment, even the officials who had been watching from the sidelines grew eager to try.

If a flash of inspiration led to a verse for the ages, one might even be blessed by a surge of great fortune. For a Confucian scholar, that was a stroke of destiny they all dreamed of.

Just as everyone was composing their poems, the young man who started it all spoke up again in a loud voice, "We have long heard that Grand Scholar Situ's talent is second to none in this generation. I wonder if we might have the honor of witnessing it?"

At these words, everyone's gaze fell upon Situ Nan.

As the sole disciple of the Confucian Family on the Hidden Dragon List, Situ Nan's martial skill was first-class, and his literary attainments were not lacking either.

He was even a former Zhuangyuan.

If he were to make a move, it was bound to be extraordinary.

Situ Nan instantly became the center of attention.

He remained calm and unruffled, his expression still serene. He did not accept the invitation to compose a poem, but instead turned his head to look at Bai Yuan.

"Lord Bai, are you in a poetic mood?"

The officials were stunned.

They never expected Situ Nan to invite Bai Yuan to compose a poem.

Although an Imperial Censor of the Court of Imperial Supervision was a Civil Servant, Bai Yuan himself came from a true Military Officer background. Back in Ling Province, he had never been known to have a penchant for literary pursuits.

'Is Situ Nan deliberately trying to make things difficult for him?'

Although Situ Nan and Bai Yuan were both on the Hidden Dragon List, there was a considerable age gap between them.

Previously, he and Bai Yuan had exchanged a single blow, and the fight had ended in a draw.

Though it was a draw on the surface, anyone could see that Situ Nan had come out worse for it. Perhaps now he was trying to get his face back.

The crowd couldn't help but turn to look at Bai Yuan in unison.

Fanghua, standing beside Bai Yuan, looked displeased.

'Situ Nan's tactic is a bit too shameless. Making a Military Officer like Bai Yuan compete in poetry... no matter how you look at it, this is just bullying.'

Situ Nan, however, simply stared intently at Bai Yuan.

Of course, he wasn't trying to make Bai Yuan lose face.

In fact, as long as Bai Yuan could produce a coherent poem, no one would think he had embarrassed himself. The standards for a Military Officer wouldn't be too high.

The real reason he did this was to observe Bai Yuan's innate fortune.

As a scholar of the Confucian Family, he had learned a Secret Technique that allowed him to judge a person's innate fortune through their poetry.

Fanghua snorted coldly. "We scholars study for the sake of statecraft and saving the people. Composing poetry is but a trivial art."

Although he himself was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he particularly detested the act of showing off one's literary talent.

In truth, this had always been a point of contention within the Confucian Family.

Many great Confucian scholars advocated for the principle of "literature for a practical purpose," but elegant poetry gatherings had nevertheless never ceased.

The reason he said this was to give Bai Yuan a graceful way to refuse.

But to his astonishment, Bai Yuan actually took a step forward.

He actually looked thoroughly interested.

This scene also left the other officials unsure of what to think.

'Ever since this Imperial Censor Bai arrived in the capital, he has been meticulous in all his actions. He may seem unrestrained on the surface, but everything he does is secretly in line with His Majesty's wishes. He's a man of deep cunning; he would never do something to invite humiliation.'

'Could it be that he really knows how to compose poetry?'

In an instant, everyone's interest was piqued.

Bai Yuan suddenly turned, leaned against the railing, and gazed out at the magnificent view of the grand canal.

"A golden goblet of clear wine, worth ten thousand cash a bout,A jade platter of rare delicacies, a fortune to lay out.But I set down my cup, I cast down my chopsticks, I cannot eat;I draw my sword and gaze around, my heart in a void, incomplete.I long to cross the Yellow River, but ice chokes the water's flow,I aim to climb the Taihang peaks, but the mountains are white with snow.At leisure, I could be fishing by a turquoise stream so grand,Then suddenly on a boat again, dreaming I'm near the sun's own land.The road is hard, the road is hard! With so many forks, where am I now?But a time will come to ride the long wind and break the waves, I vow!I will hoist my cloud-white sail and cross the vast, blue-gray sea!"

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