Chapter 394: Flower Dance

The time had come—

The literary gathering began on schedule.

Li Qi and the others stood amidst the crowd.

Yan Ke had long since completed his task, bringing his sisters to start a social gathering right there, freeloading off the venue, food, and drinks.

Around Yan Ke, the former Hanlin apprentices were still gathered.

No one knew what Yan Ke had said, but they had actually detached themselves from the group of people who came to cause trouble, and it didn't seem to have any negative impact; their relationship with Yan Ke still appeared harmonious, and they were even laughing and chatting with him.

This handsome guy really has some tricks up his sleeve.

Bo Yue had left directly; he didn't like such scenes and hated crowds.

Although from Li Qi's perspective it seemed fine, in reality, he was a very reclusive person.

Zhong Minglou still hadn't appeared; no one knew where he had gone.

As for Li Qi, he found a bench outside the crowd and sat down, waiting for the literary gathering to begin.

Regarding Liu Canzhi, he was currently socializing among a group of talented men and women. Before he became a tech enthusiast, he was originally a Young Master who enjoyed banquets and parties, otherwise he wouldn't have worn flowers in his hair all day.

Li Qi entrusted him with the task of promoting the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact to these attendees.

As for Li Qi, he was responsible for handling any unexpected situations afterward, as well as recording.

He would record everything after the Spiritual Artifact robes made by the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact shone brilliantly on the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, then upload it to the terminal and begin widespread dissemination.

Everything was arranged.

With a 'clang', everyone looked up.

The literary gathering had begun.

Suddenly, four beams of light rose around them.

The light beams shot straight into the sky, and the palace doors opened from the side, from which countless Fairies flew out like clouds.

Swaying and spinning, these maidens, riding the clear breeze and flying out with the grace of immortals, rotated in the air, emitting a shimmering colorful light that made the people below feel dizzy.

Music began to play, flutes blew, and zithers, sanxians, and pipa sounds rang out simultaneously. The maidens sang in unison, chanting loudly.

Everyone stood up together, whether they came to cause trouble, to observe the essays, or to freeload, all fixed their gazes.

The Flower Goddess's dance was a unique wonder in the world, not to mention a Fifth-Rank Flower Goddess; her dance moves were even more extraordinary than what one usually saw.

High-rank Flower Goddesses were very busy and didn't have time to dance for people every day. Perhaps only certain high-ranking Great Powers, and those who were shameless, could enjoy the Flower Goddess's dance daily.

Following everyone's gaze, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess suddenly appeared in the center of the scene.

Light flowed everywhere, and starlight scattered!

Pearls burst from earrings chasing flying stars, and rainbow halos on light scarves pulled electric currents.

Hidden whales secretly inhaled the surging sea, and swirling winds danced with falling sleet in the sky!

It was as if a dolphin from the deep abyss leaped high into the sky!

Then, the maidens around her suddenly began to sing loudly, playing their instruments at the same time.

Jade pendants jingled with swaying waists, and foreign melodies suddenly harmonized with traditional music.

Like lightning and wind, everything was crushed, and thunderous drums ground the clouds!

Indeed, what was played was not the elegant music commonly heard in Chang'an, but foreign tunes from the Baiyue Area.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess revealed her figure, and what she wore was not the usual luxurious dance dress.

Instead… was it a Shaman Dao Spiritual Artifact?

No, those who knew recognized it immediately. It wasn't a Shaman Dao Spiritual Artifact, but it possessed many characteristics of a Shaman Dao Spiritual Artifact.

However… it was only a Seventh-Rank, not very high quality.

But quality was only the function of these garments when they existed as Spiritual Artifacts. Now, this garment did not exist as a Spiritual Artifact, but purely as a dance dress.

Therefore, the presence of Shaman Dao characteristics instead added a certain 'exotic flavor'.

Spinning and twirling like a blooming flower.

This was the dance of a foreign dancer.

This was not a ceremonial dance like Wu Yu, which possessed magical power, but a dance of pure beauty, born purely for the purpose of performance.

Everyone watched in a daze. Even those of Fifth-Rank, who were not captivated by such a dance, still stared intently, unwilling to miss such a beautiful sight.

Her eyes darted around, sparkling with light.

Fluttering and continuous, sometimes connected, sometimes broken.

Her skirt was like a flying swallow, her spirit like returning snow. One could see her powdered face and bright jade earrings, her pearl hairpins standing tall and her dark hair disheveled.

The dance of the foreign dancer from the Baiyue land of the Southern Barbarians was not as elegant as the native dances of Chang'an, but it was more intense, more vibrant, and had larger movements.

Therefore, her "pearl hairpins stood tall and her dark hair disheveled."

But in this way, it possessed another kind of breathtaking beauty.

Li Qi was no better than anyone else; he also widened his eyes, unable to stop watching this scene.

The rapid drumbeats and rhythm, combined with the constantly swirling skirt—

Jade tassels and emerald pendants mixed with light silk, fragrant sweat slightly stained her rosy face.

Wearing pearl shoes, stepping onto the jade banquet, she lightly rose to dance before the red candles, her graceful and enchanting figure both alluring and beautiful.

However, though alluring and beautiful, she was not 'seductive'.

Seductive means flattering, enticing, charming, making one feel she has allure and appeal.

At this moment, she was merely fully displaying her vibrant temperament and her graceful dance moves.

A flower blooms for itself, not to please anyone.

The pipa was urgent and fast, the dance like a sea eagle soaring in the wind.

The beauty glided lightly over the water, soaring high into the empty sky, a green shadow rising.

Her clear cries echoed in the nine heavens, her radiance illuminating the clear mist, piercing through the green smoke.

She didn't need to please anyone; she just needed to fully bloom as she should, and naturally, she would attract countless eyes.

This was a Flower Goddess; they were born with the quality of attracting attention.

However, besides watching the Flower Goddess, Li Qi was also looking at the dress.

The Spiritual Artifact robe that he and Liu Canzhi had made, and Bo Yue had further modified.

They complemented each other perfectly.

Li Qi could not think of any other word to describe it besides 'complementary'.

This Spiritual Artifact robe seemed alive, like green leaves beside a flower, perfectly accentuating the Lingxiao Flower Goddess's dance moves.

It would act on its own, occasionally emitting light effects, or floating with just the right amount of anti-gravity, and moving in sync with the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, making the overall scene more dynamic.

Everything was for aesthetic appeal; this self-reactive measure was what Bo Yue had left for this garment.

This Spiritual Artifact robe couldn't think, but it could 'predict'.

Algorithms from Diviner gave this Spiritual Artifact robe the ability to anticipate in advance.

When used for dancing, it would actively cooperate with its owner to strike graceful poses.

When used in combat, it would automatically defend.

All of this was not due to a mind at work; the Spiritual Artifact robe itself had no so-called intelligence, it merely responded to external stimuli like a mimosa plant.

As for what response was 'correct', that required calculation based on algorithms.

This was what Bo Yue did.

Fortunately, through multiple trial-and-error attempts using the demonic seed, this Spiritual Artifact robe could achieve the ultimate in this aspect.

Such computing power is difficult for ordinary mass-produced Spiritual Artifacts to possess.

Because this calculation is based on the premise that items woven by the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact are 'alive'.

Possessing the characteristic of being 'alive', even having a portion of biomass as its composition, although this biomass exists in the form of fibers.

But isn't hair also alive? Fibers do not affect the existence of this characteristic.

Living biomass can serve as a carrier for this kind of thinking ability; this is a manifestation of the 'natural perfection' of Shaman Dao Spiritual Artifacts.

Pure runes and forging methods find it difficult to achieve this direct use of biomass as a carrier; at least, assembly lines cannot do it.

This is the advantage of Spiritual Artifacts woven by the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact.

To achieve this level through Artifact Refining techniques, an assembly line won't suffice. Refiners need to use things like demon beast spirits as raw Materials, cleanse the souls with spells, then embed the unconscious and memory-less souls into the Spiritual Artifact, and slowly cultivate a semi-Artifact Spirit.

Of course, such a semi-Artifact Spirit can even speak and actively learn, which is much stronger than the instinctive reactions of Shamanic Silkworm Artifact Spiritual Artifacts.

However, it's important to know that Shamanic Silkworm Artifact Spiritual Artifacts are mass-produced.

Of course, if there are semi-Artifact Spirits, there are naturally true Artifact Spirits… unfortunately, those are on the level of the Peng Hai Cauldron, true Cultivators, not mere tools.

Li Qi looked around and could see that many people had noticed this point.

Although the Lingxiao Flower Goddess was dancing, she was also deliberately showcasing the dance dress, this Spiritual Artifact robe, on her body.

The Spiritual Artifact robe, a combination of Shaman Dao and humanity, combined with a Flower Goddess from Chang'an who danced a foreign dance, two completely different things harmonized, creating a special kind of beauty that made the Lingxiao Flower Goddess even more captivating.

However, even the most beautiful dance eventually comes to an end.

Soon, the music concluded.

Everyone was in awe.

Regardless of any opinions they had about the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, this dance was utterly flawless, and these Hanlin scholars naturally wouldn't come out to say that the Lingxiao Flower Goddess's dance was poor.

That would be asking for trouble.

After the dance, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess was also covered in sweat.

Fragrant sweat permeated the gauze, but the garment automatically began to evaporate the sweat, creating a faint fragrant mist around her.

It was truly fragrant mist, unlike the scent of humans. The Flower Goddess's scent was filled with the fragrance of the lingxiao flower, giving a refreshing feeling, and her sweat was also a product similar to nectar, looking like dewdrops.

This appearance made people feel a sense of desire, but it didn't last too long. After only a few seconds, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess lightly waved her sleeve. As her sleeve fluttered, her body had already returned to normal, and her long hair, which had been loose for the dance, was now tied up into a bun.

Then, she descended from the air, her posture graceful.

Her light skirt fluttered, lush like spring flowers.

Her cloud-like bun was high, seemingly radiant.

Her feet touched the ground, and she slowly walked to the center of the crowd, saying gracefully, "Essays are meant to proclaim the phenomena of heaven and earth, clarify the order of human relations, and exhaust principles and nature to explore the appropriateness of all things. When achievements are made, praises arise; when virtues and merits are established, inscriptions are recorded; when beauty concludes, elegies are gathered. This means that above, one can manifest the phenomena of the sky and spread the forms of the earth, and below, one can express aspirations through poetry and observe the heart to compose chapters."

"Therefore, shaping character and achieving success lies with the wise. Even the writings of the ancient Sages can still be heard today, thus the emotions of the Sages can also be seen in their words."

The meaning of this passage was very simple; it was to emphasize the importance of essays, and it also served as the opening speech for today's literary gathering.

However, some subtle messages were also hinted at.

'The emotions of the Sages can also be seen in their words.' This sentence was clearly trying to rally people to a side. Since even the emotions of Sages could be recorded in essays, could Liu Donghe's emotions be recorded?

Of course they could. Therefore, Liu Donghe's essay represented his stance.

If Liu Donghe praised the lingxiao flower, it meant this famous scholar supported the Lingxiao Flower Goddess. Those who didn't support her had better think twice before speaking.

The verbal confrontation had already begun with the very first opening line.

"Recently, I accidentally came across an excellent piece of work, and my heart was filled with uncontrollable joy. I felt that its praises would echo a thousand miles, and its treasures would spread to ten thousand households. However, no one in the Baiyue Area could appreciate it, which is why I hurried back, wanting to display this literary heart so that it wouldn't be buried."

As the Lingxiao Flower Goddess spoke, someone in the crowd suddenly said, "The Flower Goddess is far away in Baiyue, more than a million li from Chang'an. Can she really obtain an authentic work from Chang'an's Liu Manor?"

This was questioning the origin.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess chuckled lightly: "This essay was completed at White Horse Temple. My relationship with White Horse Temple is not shallow. This essay, by a twist of Opportunity, fell into my hands. Perhaps this is Buddhist Karma."

With a single light sentence, she neither admitted nor denied, blocking the question about its origin.

If asked, it was Buddhist Karma. After all, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess's relationship with White Horse Temple was common knowledge; everyone knew she was a flower that bloomed before the Buddha, and had Karma with White Horse Temple.

Seeing no one respond, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess smiled contentedly, then continued: "Hawks and falcons, though lacking adornment, soar high into the sky due to their strong bones and fierce nature. The talent and power of an essay are similar to this. Today's literary gathering, I am merely an embellishment, and my dance is but a frivolous thing. I still ask all of you to present your magnificent works, and let your literary talent add character to this grand event. Only then can it truly be called a 'grand event'."

After she finished speaking, the Hanlin scholars exchanged glances. Then, a Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar stood up and bowed, saying, "Flower Goddess, do you know that for any composition, it must adhere to the correct form, with emotion and will as its spirit, facts and meaning as its backbone, rhetoric as its flesh, and musicality as its breath? Only then can it evaluate the profound and magnificent, and radiate like gold and jade, truly making people awaken from their stupor."

"That is natural. An essay comes from the heart. When the heart is upright, the essay is upright," the Lingxiao Flower Goddess said.

"So, since you want us to compose, we must not write anything against our true feelings, otherwise, if the heart is not upright, the essay will not be upright, and it will only spoil everyone's enjoyment. Is this the correct principle?" the Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar said.

"Indeed," the Lingxiao Flower Goddess said.

At this point, the other onlookers realized. Even those who didn't know about the grudges between the Lingxiao Flower Goddess and some of the Hanlin scholars could sense the tension.

The literary gathering hosted by the Lingxiao Flower Goddess would certainly be centered around the Flower Goddess, like other Flower Goddess literary gatherings, with the main theme being the praise of flowers, or at the very least, using flowers as metaphors for people or aspirations.

And the meaning of this Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar was, "I truly don't like you, lingxiao flower, so naturally, I can't say anything good about you. You wouldn't want me to flatter you, would you?"

His words, both direct and implied, were quite clear.

However, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess smiled and said, "Whether praise or criticism, all are nourishment for the blooming of myriad flowers. Just like fallen petals and manure, once in the soil, they are the same. Perhaps manure even plays a greater role. Your Excellency, just do as you please. An essay that only praises others, on the contrary, makes one suspect if the author is a sycophant, wouldn't you agree?"

These words showed a greater magnanimity, causing the Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar to nod slightly.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess had accepted the challenge.