Chapter 197: Heaven’s Conscience, It’s Not His Doing!
Stay calm, stay calm!
Stay composed, stay composed!
The Third Prince took a deep breath, calming his excited heart.
He knew he hadn’t won yet; the most important thing now was to write the characters well, so he could secure the final victory.
After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the Third Prince finally calmed his emotions and let his mind and body enter a state of clarity. He began to write on the rice paper with a steady hand, the strokes flowing gracefully and comfortably.
Because he was relaxed, his writing was exceptionally smooth and beautiful.
On the sidelines, the people from the Great Yan Empire were all smiles, praising his work.
“The Third Prince’s calligraphy is as impressive as always, elegant and natural. It’s even better than his usual performance!”
“The Prince has entered a state of clarity, surely his abilities will surpass expectations!”
“While we admire Lin Beifan and appreciate his calligraphy, he made a major mistake. We have won this game!”
“Heaven is on our side, the Great Dao is with us, haha!”
…
On the other side, the people from the Great Wu Empire sighed with regret.
“It seems we are going to lose this game, what a pity!”
“We were doing so well, but who would have known that a gust of demonic wind would disrupt the rhythm of the ceremony!”
“Fate is fickle, what can we do?”
“Alright, let the Great Yan Empire win this round!”
…
In the martial arts arena, the Third Prince continued to pour his ink and brush onto the paper.
With each beautiful stroke, the people from the Great Yan Empire grew more excited, while those from the Great Wu Empire became increasingly disappointed.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Great Yan Empire had secured the victory this round!
Even the Third Prince thought so.
Because he was in such a good mood, his writing became more fluid, beautiful, and generous.
A smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
“After I finish this character, I will have won, and the Great Yan Empire will have won! Haha…”
Just then, Lin Beifan gently hooked his finger.
The Flowing Six Void Art was activated!
The Flowing Six Void Art was a magical technique that controlled the eight natural forces of the world, including the power of wind.
As Lin Beifan’s finger moved, a sudden gust of wind erupted.
“Whoosh~”
It seemed to come out of nowhere!
The wind was stronger and fiercer than what Lin Beifan had encountered earlier.
It stirred up dust and blew onto the Third Prince’s face.
The Third Prince couldn’t help but close his eyes.
However, the wind was too strong, and it also blew the paper on the desk, causing it to float in the air and make rustling sounds.
The Third Prince felt something was amiss and immediately opened his eyes.
But it was too late.
The brush in his hand had already swept across the paper, creating a massive stroke that seemed to split the heavens and the earth like Pangu!
Many characters were destroyed by this stroke, and the entire calligraphy scroll looked extremely unsightly!
The Third Prince let out a cry of despair, “No!!!”
The strong gust of wind came and went in an instant, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Only the Third Prince was left standing in a daze, a blank expression on his face. He stared at the calligraphy scroll on the table, filled with shock, confusion, grief, regret, and disappointment…
His expression was incredibly complex, as if his soul had been stolen.
“What happened? What’s going on?”
“Why is the Prince crying out in sorrow?”
…
The people from the Great Yan Empire were all taken aback!
They thought something had happened to the Third Prince and hurried over anxiously.
But when they saw the calligraphy scroll, their expressions mirrored the Third Prince’s. They had their mouths open, their eyes filled with shock, confusion, grief, regret, and disappointment…
On the other hand, the people from the Great Wu Empire cheered and rejoiced upon seeing the calligraphy scroll.
“This stroke is terrible, it ruined the whole scroll! Haha!”
“We thought we had lost, but it’s a sudden turn of events, haha!”
“That’s right, Lin Beifan only made a single mistake, which didn’t have a significant impact overall! But the Third Prince’s calligraphy is completely unacceptable!”
“Could this be fate? Fate is on our side!”
“Haha! We have won, Great Wu triumphs!”
…
Even the Empress sitting high on the dragon throne couldn’t help but reveal a slight smile.
At this moment, the Third Prince, still in a daze, turned his head and looked at the referee beside him. He wore a smile, trying to please him, and said, “Can I write another one?”
The referee remained expressionless and replied, “Third Prince, you’re joking! Since the beginning of the Yan and Wu Competition, there has never been such a precedent! If you can rewrite, then Lin Beifan should also be able to rewrite.”
“We can have a rematch!” the Third Prince said hopefully.
The people from the Great Yan Empire held on to hope.
But the referee remained stoic, “I’m sorry, Third Prince, but this request is beyond the rules. I cannot grant it.”
Although he was the referee, he was also an official of the Great Wu Empire, so he naturally leaned toward their side within the boundaries of the rules.
Now that the victory is secured, why do we have to compete again?
If he agrees, the Empress will punish him later!
The expressions of the Third Prince and his entourage dimmed instantly.
In the final vote, it was unsurprisingly Lin Beifan who emerged victorious, signifying the victory of the Great Wu Empire.
The eyes of the Third Prince were empty as he looked at the result.
He had bankrupted himself to bribe the strongest opponent from the other side, and they did indeed comply, but in the end, he still lost?
And he lost because of his own mistake!
He couldn’t accept this bizarre and cruel ending!
He placed his hand on his chest, feeling an icy coldness!
“Third Prince, pull yourself together!”
“This is not your fault, it’s the influence of the weather. Look, even Lin Beifan made a mistake!”
“It’s just one match, we’ll win it back in the future!”
“You are our pillar, you can’t fall!”
…
Under the comfort of the crowd, the Third Prince finally regained some spirits and forced a smile, “Thank you all for your concern. I’m fine, just need to rest a bit!”
He touched his chest and felt much better!
But at that moment, Lin Beifan’s arrogant laughter echoed, “Haha! I won again! Even when I made a mistake, you still can’t win! It seems that the Great Yan Empire is truly incapable and worthless!”
The Third Prince: “Cough!”
Next, the literary battle continued.
“Literary Battle, Round 4 – Painting!”
“Both sides please select a talented individual for a painting competition! The winner stays, the loser exits! The competition ends when one side’s five talented individuals have all been defeated. The remaining side will be the ultimate winner!”
As soon as the emcee finished speaking, both sides sent forth a talented individual.
The Great Yan Empire sent their top scholar, Tang Yong.
Since they had already lost three rounds in a row, the morale of the Great Yan delegation was low and their spirits were greatly diminished.
They had no choice but to send out Tang Yong, known for his stable performance.
The Great Wu Empire sent a talented artist.
At this moment, a box filled with pieces of paper was brought before the Empress.
These pieces of paper contained the topics, and whichever topic the Empress drew, both sides would paint accordingly.
The Empress randomly picked a piece of paper and read aloud, “Stone!”
So, both sides started painting stones and had to finish within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. After completing their paintings, they would be handed over for everyone to vote on.
Next, it was the Great Yan’s turn to perform.
“52 votes to 22 votes, Great Yan’s Tang Yong wins!”
“49 votes to 25 votes, Great Yan’s Tang Yong wins!”
…
Just the top scholar Tang Yong alone managed to sweep away the representatives of the four talented individuals from the Great Wu Empire.
As a result, the situation of Lin Beifan facing one versus five emerged again.
Amidst great anticipation, Lin Beifan stepped onto the stage once more.
The Great Yan Empire, once again, faced an intense battle.
Looking at Lin Beifan as if facing a great demon, sweat covered their faces.
Feeling sorry for them, Lin Beifan quickly smiled and said,
“Don’t be nervous, I’m not a good person…”
The representatives of the Great Yan Empire: “…”
“Sorry, I almost spoke my mind!”
Lin Beifan coughed and said earnestly, “What I mean is that friendship comes first, competition comes second. Don’t care so much about winning or losing, participation is what matters! No matter how hard you try, you can’t beat me! So don’t struggle, just surrender quickly, sooner or later you’ll die anyway!”
The representatives of the Great Yan Empire were infuriated beyond words!
Listen, is this how people talk?
Are you trying to infuriate us?
“Principal Lin, don’t get too proud, we will win the next competition!”
“Just die already!”
…
“Then come on, I’ll take all of you!” Lin Beifan laughed triumphantly.
Next, the two sides began the painting competition.
Once again, Lin Beifan displayed his astonishing painting skills and defeated the representative of the Great Yan Empire.
“72 votes to 5 votes, Great Wu’s Lin Beifan wins!”
“69 votes to 8 votes, Great Wu’s Lin Beifan wins!”
…
Lin Beifan once again won three consecutive matches in a landslide victory!
The morale of the Great Wu Empire soared, celebrating and rejoicing!
In comparison, the morale of the Great Yan Empire reached its lowest point, feeling disheartened and despondent!
They seemed to see the same outcome of continuous defeats!
At this moment, the Third Prince of the Great Yan Empire secretly winked at Lin Beifan.
Signaling that it’s enough, you have already performed well enough. Although defeated, it’s still honorable. Hurry and step down!
He was afraid that another unexpected mistake would occur in the final match!
Lin Beifan nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
The Third Prince secretly let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight off his heart. This time, they should be able to win, right?
The Great Yan Empire sent their fourth talented individual, Jia Zheng.
Although he wasn’t a top three scholar, he possessed the talents of a top scholar, making him a rare bookworm.
However, at this moment, he looked extremely nervous, his whole body drenched in sweat, his face and corners of his mouth pale, as if he were going to the execution ground.
Lin Beifan couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay?”
“I…I can do it!” Jia Zheng gritted his teeth, looking a bit uncertain.
With everyone in position, the competition between the two sides began.
Lin Beifan performed as usual, planning to make a few deliberate mistakes later on to fool the Third Prince.
Jia Zheng, on the other hand, seemed overly nervous, his hands trembling, his painting not stable enough.
Watching this, Lin Beifan sighed. This guy’s mental resilience is not good, he’s already doubting life due to losing.
It seems that a few deliberate mistakes are still needed.
But at that moment, Jia Zheng suddenly looked up and glanced at Lin Beifan.
Lin Beifan responded with a friendly smile.
This smile startled Jia Zheng, causing him to exclaim, “Ah!”
And he slipped and fell to the ground!
Unexpectedly…
He fainted just like that!
The entire audience was dumbfounded!
Lin Beifan was also dumbfounded!
How did he faint out of the blue?
As sure as heaven and earth, he definitely didn’t do anything!
The representatives of the Great Yan Empire hurriedly ran over to help Jia Zheng, who had fallen to the ground.
“Jia Zheng, what happened? Wake up!”
“What’s wrong?”
…
At this moment, the imperial physician arrived and, after a check-up and treatment, Jia Zheng woke up but appeared pale and weak.
“Your Majesty, esteemed officials, Jia Zheng’s physical discomfort was caused by extreme nervousness, which led to insufficient blood and qi supply in his body, resulting in symptoms of fainting! There’s nothing serious, just drink some water, eat something, and rest for half a day!”
“Can he continue the competition?” The Great Yan representatives asked with concern.
“Although it’s possible, it greatly affects his performance, and the chances of winning are slim. There’s no need to continue the competition! Therefore, I suggest that he goes back and rests!”
