Maiden Galaxy

Ever since the Purple Rose Star Emperor established the Central Star Field and unified Star World, establishing a new era, the Star World with nine thousand Star Fields landed into a golden age of peace and prosperity.

Before this, all of Star World was in utter chaos. Each Star Kingdom engaged in war year after year; the nine thousand Star Fields were filled to the sky with viciousness, and their oceans churned with blood. There was even a heinous and tragic incident where four hundred thousand Star Maidens bearing Star Names were killed all at once.

In that chaotic era, every person was in danger and an enemy to each other. Spiritual power Star Generals, for example, were practically the first target to kill for all martial force Star Generals. After the Central Star Field was established, Star World finally saw stability.

This was the so-called "a formidable character emerges in turbulent times while peaceful times have famous rulers." After the period of swords, blood, and flame ended, an era of culture and the literati took the stage.

Spiritual power Star Generals who were adept at composition turned the tables on the martial generals oppressing them, using their views and articles to pen the growth of their Star Names. The gathering of talented spiritual power Star Generals made top-notch martial generals feel an unprecedented threat, and some spiritual power Star Generals were even able to chase down the first-rate martial generals. In addition, they made themselves known to all at the "Literary Excellence Convention" held in the Miluo Star Field.¹

The Miluo Star Field was the place where the ancient Star Name Qu Yuan was said to have perished. During those tumultuous times, Qu Yuan, the ancestor known as the "Beauty Of Aromatic Herbs"² could not bear the slaughter and oppression of spiritual power Star Generals by martial force and magic energy Star Generals. She quietly sat along the Miluo Star River for nine hundred ninety-nine days, composing one of Star World's Four Books and Five Classics, "Encountering Sorrow."³

Encountering Sorrow contained Qu Yuan's efforts, "I grieve for the many hardships of my people, sigh for the middle of the path between defilement and flattery, raise the virtuous and accept the capable, follow the rules and do not deviate." She extolled that "the Emperor and Heaven are without bias," and she criticized the fate of Star Generals.

After Encountering Sorrow was completed, Qu Yuan destroyed her own Star Name in the Miluo Star River. But her power nevertheless spread through the nine thousand Star Fields. After that moment, all spiritual power Star Generals had an awakening of "names."

Subsequently, the Hundred Schools' wisemen and ancient sages laid down an array in the Miluo Star Field, constructing a city-state on the Miluo Star River, offering tribute to this "Beauty Of Aromatic Herbs." For ten thousand years, the will of countless Star Names coalesced, indestructible, in the Miluo Star Field. At some point in time, it became the aspiration⁴ of sages.

Back then, the Purple Rose Star Emperor unwittingly intruded into this holy land that had been quiet for millennia. The Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends Legion was shaken by the power of this aspiration. Afterwards, the Literary Excellence Convention became the supreme gathering for all literati Star Generals in Star World.

Countless Star Generals made pilgrimages to Miluo, to exchange experience and perspectives. Under the power of the sages' will, they received growth by leaps and bounds.

And the rumored "Lesser Court Hymns"⁵ had the Hundred Sages Stele. Those able to stir the Hundred Sages Simultaneous Shout could become the newest sage and obtain the qualifications to scale Maiden Mountain.

Central Star Era, year of the sixteenth jiazi, Miluo Star Field.

Chen Mo and Jiang Kui sat on a Godly Poise Boat. The Godly Poise Boat was the only ferry able to enter the Miluo Star Field. Because the Central Star Field personally managed it, those who wanted to ride the ferry were required to go through Central's endorsement and receive entry qualifications.

And regarding these qualifications, one would need at least some level of mastery of the Thousand Character Classic's verse or have early accomplishments in some other spiritual power field.

To Chen Mo, this actually was not difficult at all.

The boat was very large, decorated impressively yet without losing a sense of simplicity. The boat's deck had many cultivators, and among them, one seemed to be a bard who was currently droning on and on about details of the Literary Excellence Convention.

"Is the Hundred Sages Simultaneously Shout really so amazing?" Chen Mo asked Jiang Kui, who was beside him.

"Clear And Empty Shadow" was in the middle of preparing Sequel to the Treatise on Calligraphy. She was discussing some of the gaps in the sequel with Mi Fu, but hearing Chen Mo's question, Jiang Yuezhuo raised her head and beautifully cocked her brow as she pondered.

Mi Fu helped reply for her. She had attended the previous Literary Excellence Convention, and because of this, obtained the chance to become a Single Character Heavenly Star. She was much more aware compared to Jiang Kui. "The Hundred Sages Simultaneously Shout is just hyperbole. Who can actually achieve this."

"You have to understand, the ones presiding over this Literary Excellence Convention are the Central Star Field's famous Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove. These Seven Sages are all exceptional characters. ‘Sage of Painting' Wu Daozi, ‘Sage of Calligraphy' Wang Xizhi, ‘Sage of Poetry' Du Fu and others. Every single one of them are known by others to be sages of some spiritual power domain, but after several centuries, after so many Literary Excellence Conventions, even they have not achieved Hundred Sages Simultaneously Shout."

Jiang Kui warmly said: "To achieve the Hundred Sages Simultaneously Shout, they say that only a masterpiece that is astonishing to Heaven and man in all aspects can receive the power of the sages' aspirations. This has to be impossible tor each." 

"Ha, ha, this is difficult to say." That talkative cultivator heard Chen Mo's conversation with the two girls and laughed as he moved closer.

"How so?"

"I fear everyone here is unaware that this time, the ‘Taiyi Hermit' has but left seclusion because this Literary Excellence Convention has a Star General capable of achieving the feat of Hundred Sages Simultaneously Shout."

"Really? Even the Taiyi Hermit has come?" Mi Fu was astonished. Of the names in Star World that could surpass the Seven Sages Of the Bamboo Grove in the Literary Excellence Convention, perhaps there was only this Taiyi Hermit.

For three hundred years, the Taiyi Hermit practically monopolized the position of number one in the Literary Excellence Convention. Later, feeling she was too obsessed with the Hundred Sages Simultaneously Sigh, she returned to seclusion in the countryside and ignored the tumult of worldly affairs. Several times, the Central Star Field invited her out of seclusion, but she did not move.

"Of course, this time, ‘Peerless Star Talent' Su Shi has reportedly mulled over this Literary Excellence Convention for a very long time. She has even received the support of the master of the Central Star Field, Dream In A Millennium. Her mastery has already reached unfathomable levels. Someone must obtain the aspirations in this convention" 

"I actually heard that last time, Su Wanyang spared no effort. Her calligraphy, writing, words, poetry, and portraits are all extremely brilliant, and she obtained a high evaluation from ‘Sage Of Writing' Han Yu, ‘able to form novel ideas in old styles, show mastery outside of original styles."

"Hmph, I feel that Su Shi may not necessarily win. In this convention, there is the once in a millennium genius writer Liu Yong. She held her destiny since birth and is graceful in Star World. Immortal Of Poetry Li Bai was even extremely impressed with her level of elegance."

All of a sudden, several women nearby spoke.

When they mentioned Liu Yong's name, their eyes were filled with adoration. Hearing the group discuss Su Shi with the conviction that she would take first place, they were very unconvinced.

"‘White Clothed Court Official' Liu Yong is also exceptional, indeed, a genius character of outstanding talent. However, she is still a bit lacking overall compared to Su Shi."

"Hmph, you must never have heard of her reputation as ‘known to all, understood by all?'"

"How can Su Shi compare to this."

"Exactly, currently in the Inner Star Fields, only Chen Qingzhi, wo received the ‘Magnificent Army Avoids The White Robe' appellation, can even compare."

"When Chen Qingzhi is so formidable, can it be that our Liu Yong loses out?"

The three women argued for their own idol without backing down at all. Their heroic spirit flourished, forceful.

That talkative young cultivator chuckled, unable to find grounds to refute them.

Indeed, in Star World, the fame of a "Star Name" was more important than at any other moment. The amount of fame a Star General's name had represented the amount of power she could receive, so Star Generals currently racked their brains and spared no effort to create their own feats for the sake of making their Star Names eternal.

Known to all, understood by all!

They refused to acknowledge anything different.

Hearing their debate suddenly bring up Auntie's name, Chen Mo had a bit of a realization.

He wondered how Auntie was faring right now.

"To think that playing with a few words can make one's name immortal for all ages is ridiculous."

In the middle of the argument, there was suddenly a jeer, a cold voice. This voice was filled with disdain for the literati, and it contained a balefulness that made them tremble.

"In any case, Chen Qingzhi put her own life on the line to attain her fame a ‘Magnificent Army Avoids The White Robe.' Can an empty title like ‘known to all, understood by all' have the qualifications to be compared?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Chen Mo threw a glance. In front of him, a woman draped in golden silk armor spoke.

This woman's pupils were more brilliant than gold, filled with a cruel, overbearing, and cold aura. Each word she uttered seemed to emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Everyone aboard the Godly Poise Boat were cultivators and Star Generals attending the Literary Excellence Convention. Practically all of them had a distinct fondness and adoration for writing or spiritual power.

But after the woman spoke, no one dared to make a sound; they hung their heads silently.

Even those girls who were fanatically worshipping Liu Yong just now kept silent out of fear.

The sneer on the woman's lips was became even thicker. This seemed to verify her words.

How can a reputation earned through mud and blood be compared to one that was dainty and delicate?

The boat fell into silence. Chen Mo was a bit unable to bear watching this woman press the others. Thereupon, he answered back: "Dragons that stay in water later become gods, the masses that masters stay among later become their might. All names under Heaven need people to spread and endorse them in order to circulate and deter."

Chen Mo's words simply startled everyone.

The phrase "dragons that stay in water later become gods, the masses that masters stay among become their might" caught the woman absolutely by surprise. For a time, she was speechless.

"Hmph, are you saying This Lady is biased?" The woman eerily smiled, apparently not wanting to retort.

"If the Lady is biased, then do not participate in the Literary Excellence Convention."

"This is supposed to be a gathering of spiritual power Star Generals, why must the Lady find herself trouble."

"Exactly, Chen Qingzhi's reputation as Magnificent Army Avoids The White Robe is outstanding, but Liu Yong is not lacking, merely that hers demonstrates a martial general's tyranny and bloodlust. But she may not necessarily be unable to risk life and limb. This is just her own style. Her ways are different, nothing more."

After Chen Mo's refutation, the others who were silent out of fear seemed to have found support and relentlessly gave their evaluations.

The woman watched apathetically, brimming with disdain for these people who curried favor. She looked at Chen Mo, her expression increasingly odd. Her slender finger manifested a twinkling golden chrysanthemum, its petals withering one by one.

"Very good." The woman smirked. She turned and left, humming a slow tune.

When everyone heard her poem, their expressions immediately changed.

From this poem, these people felt the woman's unfathomable skill and unimaginable wickedness. Chen Mo felt moved – When the day in autumn comes, my flower will bloom when all the others are gone. My surging fragrance will flood Chang'an, filling the city with golden armor…

1. 汨羅星域 ↩
2. 香草美人. Might change this later. ↩
3. 離騷 ↩
4. 宏願 Seems to be some abstract form of lingering will from these bygone sages. Without better context, I'll use the literal definition for now. ↩
5. 小雅 ↩

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