Chapter 55: The Demonic Prodigy

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  Wei Zhao listened to the surrounding discussions and suddenly fell silent, couldn't help but raise his head to take a look, only to find that everyone was staring at him with piercing eyes. He was slightly startled, then smiled calmly and cupped his hands towards Zhou Shao Yang, saying: "Brother Zhou is a great talent."

  This sentence is sincere, when Weizao was in college, he studied ancient poetry for a period of time and also studied palindrome poems. At one point, he even fantasized about being able to create one or two, but as a result, after seven years of undergraduate and master's studies, he still couldn't find any clues, which shows how difficult it is to write palindrome poems.

  Zhou Shaoyang's gaze swept across everyone, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Wei Zao, whose mouth was curled up in a thick smile, and said: "Brother Wei, is this admitting defeat?"

  As soon as this was said, the originally quiet high platform suddenly became bustling with activity.

  Zhao Yuankui slightly furrowed his brow, and even though he didn't like Wei Zhen, at this moment he cast a hopeful glance in his direction.

  The people below were furious but couldn't find an excuse to attack, and they all cast their eyes on Wei Zhao, wishing they could come up with one for him.

  At this time, inside the northern pavilion, even more people walked out, dressed in luxurious clothes, with an air of nobility, and they all looked towards the high platform.

  Wei Zhuoyu's eyes swept around the room, and although he thought his mental state was already quite good, being stared at by so many people still made him feel a bit uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but relax his body slightly.

  Taking a deep breath, Wei Zao looked at Zhou Shao Yang with a calm expression and smiled: "I don't know how long it took Brother Zhou to come up with this couplet?"

  Zhou Shao Yang saw Wei Qiao not admitting defeat, instead asking about the couplet. He was slightly stunned, then coldly laughed in his heart and smiled calmly, raising three fingers: "Not many, one year and three months." Zhou Shao Yang's tone was light and casual, but he couldn't help feeling proud. For this couplet, he had absolute confidence. He had brought it to many places in Da Qi, visiting many masters, even in Jinling, he had visited many 'masters', but no one could solve it!

  Several people on the stage heard this and frowned. One person spent more than a year pondering a couplet, and just based on this surname Wei, Zhou Shaoyang is worthy of attention. Plus his own talent, this couplet has extra weight.

  But the champion cannot fall into the hands of people from other five states, this is the consensus of all Jinling people!

  Whether on stage or off, all eyes were cast upon Wei Zhao. Everyone knew that this was a palindrome poem, and the difficulty of palindrome poems was also clear to everyone. The crowd, with hearts full of clarity, remained silent as if in the stillness of a deep night, without even the sounds of insects chirping or birds calling.

  Wei Xiao looked at Zhou Shao Yang calmly and took three steps forward. Under the gaze of everyone, he smiled and said: "This couplet by Young Master Zhou is very interesting. 'Ying ti an liu nong chun qing ye yue ming' not only is a palindrome couplet but also a palindrome poem. Ying ti an liu nong chun qing, liu nong chun qing ye yue ming. Ming yue ye qing chun nong liu, qing chun nong liu an ti ying. Whether it's the sentence or the meaning, both are perfect."

  Zhou Shaoyang smiled even more on his face, clasped his fists and said to Wei Zhao: "Brother Wei is too polite, do you have a second verse?"

  Everyone thought it was just a palindrome, but unexpectedly, it's also reversible from front to back! The crowd gasped in unison, and the difficulty of this couplet was suddenly multiplied countless times!

  Everyone's eyes were filled with a strange and eerie gaze, staring at Zhou Shao Yang in shock and horror, their faces filled with incredulity.

  Zhao Yuankui furrowed his brow, and his cold face also showed a hint of emotion. This palindrome couplet was even more difficult than he had imagined!

  Although they had given up hope, everyone couldn't help but cast their eyes on Wei Qiao, with a hint of eagerness in the midst of despair.

  Wei Zhao smiled and looked around at the crowd, who were all holding their breath in anticipation. "Actually, Brother Zhou's couplet should be categorized under 'Spring'," he said. "The oriole sings amidst the green willows, a clear moonlit night in spring."

  Zhou Shao Yang was taken aback, he had subconsciously forgotten about the season, but immediately afterwards, he coldly smiled to himself and proudly said: "Since Brother Wei has seen through the season, I suppose you already have a next move?" This sentence was a naked mockery.

  Everyone listened and turned their angry faces towards him, but their eyes on Wei Zhao were a little more eager.

  Wei Zhao smiled and glanced at everyone, saying: "Since Brother Zhou is 'Spring', then I'll be 'Summer'. Listen carefully: Lotus green water moves with the cool breeze of summer, it's said to be long."

  As soon as Wei Xiao's words fell, everyone immediately fell into contemplation.

  Zhou Shaoyang was taken aback, and then his face turned waxen as he muttered the next line, his body swaying involuntarily.

  Fragrant lotus green water moves wind cool summer says long, long says summer cool wind moves water green lotus fragrant. Fragrant lotus green water moves wind cool, water moves wind cool summer says long. Long says summer cool wind moves water, cool wind moves water green lotus fragrant.

  Whether it's neat antithesis or contextual word count, there is nothing to pick on, and no feeling of being forced at all!

  Wei Zhao has come out! The couplet of the poem is correct, Wei Zhao has come out in three steps!

  Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they stared at Wei Zhao.

  A palindrome poem is rarely seen in a hundred years, and Zhou Shaoyang spent a year and a half thinking about it! Wei Xiao only took three steps, lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and then said the next line smoothly.

  Everyone gasped heavily, their eyes wide with fear, and their entire body trembling! This, this, this is simply a monster!

  Zhou Shaoyang's face turned pale, his whole body trembling, his eyes bursting with bloodshot, and he kept muttering the next line, then let out a low growl: "How is it possible, how is it possible? It can't be, it can't be! We fifty people thought for a year and a half to come up with an absolute solution, how could someone else have figured it out, it's impossible, absolutely impossible!..."

  Everyone listened and looked at Zhou Shaoyang with strange expressions, immediately followed by cold ridicule and hot sarcasm, scolding Zhou Shaoyang until he was left with no dignity!

  "Haha, as expected, he's a barbarian. I was wondering how he could write such profound palindrome poetry..."

  "It turned out that fifty people discussed it together for half a year, haha..."

  "As a result, we people from Jinling, after taking three steps, came up with a matching couplet... Haha..."

  "Haha, barbarians from the five states, get out of here... You won't make it in Jinling..."

  Zhou Shaoyang's chest heaved, his face twisted in a scowl as he raised his head, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, and almost shouted at Wei Zao: "Tell me, how did you get out!"

  Wei Xiao smiled slightly, just about to refuse, when suddenly her heart skipped a beat, and she glanced at the talented young man from Jinling below. Her eyes sparkled as she took three more steps forward, smiling: "Actually, it's quite simple, for example, 'Autumn River Chu Geese Lodge on Shallow Water Sandbank' is also acceptable."

  Everyone listened as Wei Xiao suddenly came up with another couplet. At first, their faces were extremely strange, but after careful consideration, their expressions changed dramatically, their eyes wide with astonishment, and they stared blankly at Wei Xiao for a long time, their mouths dry and tongue-tied, their lips trembling, and their throats constantly convulsing.

  Monster, monster, this is simply a monster!

  Zhou Shaoyang's eyes turned bloodshot, and he subconsciously gritted his teeth. His face suddenly sank, and his eyes widened in horror!

  Autumn river Chu geese lodge on shallow sandbank, flowing water shallow sandbank lodge geese Chu river autumn. Autumn river Chu geese lodge on sandbank, geese lodge on sandbank flowing water shallow. Flowing water shallow sandbank lodge geese, sandbank lodge geese Chu river autumn.

  This is autumn!

  Zhou Shaoyang's whole body trembled, his lips quivering as he stared at Wei Xiao, his eyes flashing violently, the corners of his mouth clenched in a barely audible whisper: "Wei brother, is there still... Winter..."

  As soon as Zhou Shaoyang's voice fell, there was a silence on and off the stage.

  Two palindrome poems in a row are already quite remarkable, if there's another one, can Wei Zhao surpass the remarkable or not?