"Senior, have you solved this problem?" Yan Liqiang asked with a smile.
"Passed, of course passed!" The old man laughed heartily, stroking his long beard, looking at the second couplet written by Yan Liqiang, nodding continuously, and becoming more and more satisfied the more he looked. "I have been in the Sword God Sect for so many years, and I have seen countless disciples of the Sword God Sect. Most of those disciples of the Sword God Sect value martial arts over literature, and think that poetry, books and articles are useless and are minor things. They don't know that the so-called poetry, books and articles are just their form. Their bones and spirits are still in the heart. Just like there is spirit in the moves, there is also spirit in the words and poems. To get a wonderful article is like watching a peerless master practicing the supreme secret method. Just watching from the side is enough to cleanse the mind, broaden the horizons, and cultivate a vast spirit. I think your writing is extraordinary. If you are not a person who is well-read in poetry and books, it is impossible to have such writing. The sect master really accepted a good disciple today!"
"Senior, you are too kind. As the saying goes, a poor man is good at literature but a rich man is good at martial arts. When I was young, my family was not rich, so I had no chance to practice martial arts. So I often went to the bookstores in town and the homes of wealthy families to borrow books. I was lucky enough to recognize a few words!" Yan Liqiang lied modestly.
Speaking of poetry, literature, and prose, looking around the world, the five thousand years of Chinese culture that Yan Liqiang saw in his previous life is so much more than this world that it is difficult to compare. It can be said that to the extent that the martial arts of this world can surpass that world, the poetry, literature, and prose of that world can surpass this world by as much. Yan Liqiang was not a great poet before, but as far as the poetry, literature, and prose he had seen in his previous life are concerned, in this era, they are enough to shock anyone.
And the most amazing thing is that after reading the Yi Jin Jing, Yan Liqiang discovered that the articles and materials he had read in his previous life, even if he did not remember them or had forgotten them after reading them in his previous life, now, as long as he thought about them, those things would appear in his mind continuously, and he could not forget them even if he wanted to. Books such as Tang poetry, Song lyrics, Yuan opera, couplets, and essence of ancient prose, Yan Liqiang had read some of them in his previous life, but he only remembered a few classics before. He might not be able to recite "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital" and "On the Love of Lotus" after working, but now, he could remember them all, even books that he had only flipped through occasionally, he could remember them clearly. In this way, it would be easy for Yan Liqiang to deal with the level on the fourth floor.
"According to the rules, I'm going to ask you two more couplets, but seeing your quick thinking, I don't need to ask you any more couplets. Now there's only one last question. If you can pass it, you can go upstairs!"
"Please give us the questions, senior!"
The old man held the pen, pondered for a moment, then took out a piece of paper, put it on the table, dipped the pen in ink, and began to paint on the paper.
At first, Yan Liqiang thought that the old man was going to write something, but later he found out that the old man was not writing, but drawing. In just a short while, Yan Liqiang could tell that the old man was drawing the scenery of Tiankui Peak, and it was exactly the snow scene that could be seen in the past few days. In the end, in the old man's painting, Tiankui Peak was covered with ice and snow, and a few winter plum trees were proudly blooming, which was very prominent and had the effect of adding the finishing touch.
The old man put down his brush, stood still, looked at his painting with satisfaction, smiled, and then said to Yan Liqiang, "What do you think of this painting, young friend?"
"Yes, the senior's painting skills have reached perfection. It is admirable, and this painting has a unique artistic conception!"
"But the painting is still missing a couple of words. The last question is for you to write words on the painting. You can write poems or articles. As long as your words match the artistic conception of the painting and the words and the painting complement each other, you will pass the last level. If your words don't match the painting and ruin it, you will not pass the fourth level!"
The last question posed by the old man was more difficult than the previous couplets, and the most difficult part was that Yan Liqiang had to perform on the spot.
After the old man finished speaking, he put the pen on the pen holder, giving Yan Liqiang time to think.
Looking at the painting drawn by the old man, Yan Liqiang was moved, and a poem instantly burst out in his mind.
After just a moment's thought, Yan Liqiang picked up the pen and dipped it in ink.
"My dear friend, be careful. For this last question, you can think slowly and wait until you are completely sure before you start writing. This will prevent you from regretting something bad. It is common for people to spend ten days or half a month to consider before writing on a painting!" The old man next to him kindly reminded Yan Liqiang when he saw that he was about to start writing.
"Thank you for the reminder, senior. I know my limits!" Yan Liqiang smiled, moved the pen in his hand, and wrote two words on the painting - Yongmei.
The old man stared at the pen in Yan Liqiang's hand.
Yan Liqiang took a deep breath, and then he wrote quickly, and rows of words began to fly out from his pen.
Wind and rain send spring away, while flying snow welcomes spring.
The cliff is a hundred feet of ice, but the flowers are still beautiful.
Beauty does not compete for spring, but only announces the arrival of spring.
When the mountain flowers are in full bloom, she laughs among the bushes.
When the old man saw the first sentence written by Yan Liqiang, his eyes lit up. But when Yan Liqiang wrote the word "smile", the old man looked at the poem written by Yan Liqiang on the painting and was speechless.
This poem was written by Taizu, and the spirit and energy in the text are unparalleled in the world. The text not only has a noble and proud character, but also the majestic righteousness of heaven and earth and the style of a king. This is Yan Liqiang's favorite poem about plum blossoms. What's more rare is that this poem also vaguely corresponds to Yan Liqiang's current identity as the protector of the Sword God Sect, so Yan Liqiang wrote this poem without hesitation and inscribed it on the painting.
“Such a poem, such a poem…” The old man looked at the poem written by Yan Liqiang and was distracted for a moment. Finally, he sighed, “My friend, you can write such a poem, which is ten times better than mine. No one in the entire Sword God Sect has been able to write such a poem for hundreds of years. But I overestimated my own abilities. This level cannot stop you. Go ahead!”
"Thank you, senior!" Yan Liqiang bowed to the old man, then turned and walked towards the passage leading to the fifth floor.
"Young friend, wait a moment..." The old man suddenly called out to Yan Liqiang. Yan Liqiang stopped and turned around. "Senior, what else can I teach you?"
The old man looked at Yan Liqiang expectantly, "Go up this floor. The secret books on the floors above are all rare in the entire Sword God Sect. The higher you go, the more precious the secret books and skills are. But for more than three hundred years, no one in the Sword God Sect has been able to reach the ninth floor of the Death Gate and obtain the things on the ninth floor. With your talent, maybe you can give it a try!"
"Ah, I wonder what's on the ninth floor here?"
"You will know it when you go up there, but I can't tell you here, otherwise it will be bad!" The old man shook his head but didn't say anything.
"Okay, thank you for your encouragement, senior!"
As soon as the old man said that, Yan Liqiang became curious. He wondered what was on the ninth floor of the dead door of the crystal tower that had eluded the disciples of the Sword God Sect for more than three hundred years.
Yan Liqiang then walked directly towards the door of the fifth floor. There was still a line of words at the door of the fifth floor, reminding Yan Liqiang what the level he had just passed was about.
—Those who are eloquent and have great ideas can go to the fifth floor!
(End of this chapter)