The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

The deck fell silent.

Everyone was savoring the seven-character poem Bai Yuan had just recited.

"A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves, to hoist my cloud-like sail and cross the vast, deep sea…"

Situ Nan frowned, pondering the lines over and over.

Though he didn't know where the Yellow River or Taihang Mountain were, it did not diminish the poem's charm in the slightest.

It began with the melancholy frustration of drawing a sword and looking around, lost and adrift, then shifted to the stirring passion of riding the wind and cleaving the waves. The emotional journey was truly soul-stirring.

He then recalled that Bai Yuan had always been in the Northern Ling Province, a place said to be perpetually covered in ice and snow. Wasn't that just like 'wanting to cross the Yellow River, only to find it blocked by ice'?

And he'd heard that Bai Yuan came from a humble, difficult background, only to later astound the world with his achievements.

It was a perfect match for the poem's spirit.

'A masterpiece for the ages!'

Situ Nan had been steeped in poetry and literature since childhood. He quickly realized Bai Yuan's poem could surpass the proudest works of most great Confucian scholars.

His eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Judging the man by his poetry, Bai Yuan's fortune was the most abundant he had ever seen!

In Situ Nan's eyes, Bai Yuan's fortune was like a blazing sun, too brilliant to look at directly.

Beside him, Fanghua also mulled it over again and again.

Then, he looked at Bai Yuan in shock.

He had never imagined that besides being a skilled fighter, Bai Yuan could also be so brilliant at composing poetry.

Although he disdained poetry as a trivial pursuit, his ability to appreciate it was first-rate. He knew all too well the value of Bai Yuan's work. Even a thousand years from now, it would surely be recited by future generations of discontented officials.

Situ Nan did not attempt to recite another poem.

Once Bai Yuan's poem was spoken, the poetry gathering on the deck was effectively over. It was impossible for a better verse to appear.

His expression was calm, showing no frustration at being overshadowed by Bai Yuan's talent.

"With this poem alone, Lord Bai is worthy of the title 'Poetry Immortal.'"

Hearing Situ Nan's words, everyone was stunned.

The two words "Poetry Immortal" carried immense weight. Ever since the death of the Poetry Immortal Du Chun a thousand years ago, no one had dared to claim the title.

But Situ Nan was a Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion. His personal acknowledgment was nearly equivalent to an official recognition of Bai Yuan's "Poetry Immortal" title.

A Military General from the Northern Territory had become Xuan Yang's Poetry Immortal. How were the scholars of the Central Plains and Jiangnan supposed to feel about that?

Bai Yuan was a little surprised.

He hadn't expected Situ Nan to be so straightforward.

In the unseen world, a mysterious and profound aura began to swirl around him.

This was literary fortune.

The Confucian Family placed the greatest importance on fortune. Besides the supreme and powerful fortune of the state, there was another kind: the literary fortune that was now descending upon Bai Yuan.

The Supreme Ancestor Master of the Confucian Family once pointed out two paths for the scholars of later generations.

One path, of course, was to enter the world as an official and work to bring peace to the realm.

The other was to retreat from the world to pursue scholarship, writing books and establishing a legacy of wisdom.

According to legend, that Supreme Ancestor Master never managed to secure even a minor official post before his death, having walked the second path.

This proved that the power of literary fortune was in no way inferior to the fortune of the state.

Bai Yuan was overjoyed.

'With this literary fortune, my cultivation speed for the Dan Tian Breathing Technique will definitely increase quite a bit.'

Bai Yuan hadn't expected this. He had only acted on a whim, wanting to unlock the essential transmigrator achievement of "literary plagiarist," but it had unexpectedly won him literary fortune.

This was a pleasant surprise.

The officials on the deck all gazed at Bai Yuan with envy.

As disciples of the Confucian Family, they were naturally more sensitive to fortune and could all feel the literary fortune on Bai Yuan.

Even the heads of the four great academies could not possibly obtain such a large amount of literary fortune all at once.

How could they not be envious?

But they weren't jealous.

One only becomes jealous of what one can reach. They knew in their hearts they could never write a divinely inspired line like "A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves, to hoist my cloud-like sail and cross the vast, deep sea" in their entire lives.

Situ Nan cupped his hands toward Bai Yuan. "Lord Bai, I will take my leave first."

Seeing Situ Nan's rare show of courtesy, Bai Yuan returned the gesture from a distance with a cupped fist salute.

The others had lost their enthusiasm as well and returned to their cabins, their spirits dampened.

...

The great ship sailed south with a favorable wind, covering a thousand li in a single day.

In just two days, they arrived in Jiangzhou.

Jiangzhou was the only major province in Jiangnan that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Chuzhou.

This province was the closest to the Central Plains, but the reason it could rival Chuzhou—a province that had produced several high ministers—was precisely because of the Dragon Tiger Sect, which held sway within its borders.

The people of Jiangzhou might not fear the Government Office, but they were unfailingly respectful toward the Dragon Tiger Sect.

This was not only because the Dragon Tiger Sect was powerful and had a deep foundation, but also because of the sect's actions in Jiangzhou.

Before the Grand Ancestor Emperor established Xuan Yang, demons ran rampant across the land.

The Celestial Master of the Dragon Tiger Sect led his disciples down the mountain to slay demons, turning Jiangzhou into a pure land in the mortal world.

The people of Jiangzhou had never forgotten this debt of gratitude.

More than ten massive ships slowly docked at the shore.

Bai Yuan walked down the gangplank, gazing at the prosperous and flourishing Jiangzhou City.

When he had traveled to Jiangnan with Li Huan and Yan Lei before, they hadn't visited Jiangzhou.

The Yan Family's name carried no weight in Jiangzhou, so Yan Lei hadn't bothered to waste his time there.

Yang Fangyu's family was from Jiangzhou.

With the Holy Emperor passing through Jiangzhou for the celestial sacrifice, all the officials of Jiangzhou, great and small, had long been waiting at the docks.

Bai Yuan looked toward two middle-aged men kneeling respectfully before Emperor Li Chengyuan. They were the Prefect and the General of Jiangzhou.

The aura they casually revealed was far beyond anything the Prefect of Lingzhou, Kong Sen, could compare to.

The foundation of Jiangnan was indeed much stronger than that of the northern provinces.

Kong Sen was already a top-tier Prefect in the Northern Territory, but he was still far inferior to a Chief Official from Jiangnan.

Emperor Li Chengyuan was eager to perform the sacrifice and did not linger in Jiangzhou, intending to head straight for the Dragon Tiger Sect.

The Prefect and the General of Jiangzhou, of course, would not let such a prime opportunity to impress go to waste. They had already cleared the way with their troops.

The Official Road was completely empty.

The entourage of officials and attendants from the Capital City already numbered three thousand. With the addition of several thousand more from Jiangzhou, the procession on the Official Road looked even more massive.

Bai Yuan watched the long, dragon-like procession, secretly astounded.

'No wonder the monarchs of old rarely left the capital,' he thought. 'It truly exhausts the people and drains the treasury. I can't imagine how much snowflake silver this trip is costing.'

The Dragon Tiger Sect was not far from Jiangzhou City, only about fifty li.

By dusk, the massive procession had arrived at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The Emperor's celestial sacrifice was an event of the highest importance, so the Dragon Tiger Sect's two remaining Grand Celestial Masters made a rare joint appearance, waiting at the foot of the mountain.

From a distance, Elder Pei could be seen dressed in his usual tattered Daoist Robe.

Standing beside him was another old Daoist, clad in a purple and gold Daoist Robe, who carried himself with the grace of an immortal.

'Without a doubt, that old Daoist must be the Sect Leader of the Dragon Tiger Sect, Celestial Master Zhang.'

Emperor Li Chengyuan, Grand Tutor Liang Yuan Kang, a few of the Emperor's close attendants, and members of the Royal Family followed the two Grand Celestial Masters up Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The remaining several thousand people, of course, could only make camp where they were.

Despite the grand size of the procession, besides a select few, everyone else could only watch from afar.

As for the officials participating in the sacrifice, they would have to wait for an auspicious day to ascend the mountain. Until then, they could only wait obediently.

But just as Bai Yuan was settling into his pitched tent, a Little Daoist appeared in the encampment.

He called out in a young, clear voice.

"Requesting Lord Bai to ascend the mountain!"

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