The Poetry Contest was an event held in many places across the Heavenly Profound Continent.
It occurred once a year on a smaller scale and once every ten years on a grand scale.
Although cultivation dominated the continent’s culture, the literary tradition remained just as strong.
Entering the Dao through literature had an extremely high threshold, yet that did not stop many people from loving poetry.
Moreover, most participants harbored a sliver of hope: if they could one day compose a world-shocking masterpiece, they might attract the Wenqu Star and successfully enter the Dao.
Of course, the poetry contest served more as entertainment.
The Heavenly Profound Continent lacked the advanced forms of amusement from Qin Mu’s previous life, and the path of cultivation was unbearably monotonous, so the poetry contest stood out as something special.
It featured not only poetry but also various other activities.
Both noble clans and sects, as well as ordinary mortals, enjoyed it greatly.
At the Qin Family.
With the arrival of the grand poetry contest held once every decade, the entire Qin Family became filled with a literary atmosphere.
In a certain room, a boy around thirteen years old wore a platinum robe and held a jade fan, exuding the air of a scholar.
Before him, a woman in pink was looking him up and down.
The pink-clad woman had a snow-white, delicate face, bright and radiant eyes that sparkled with every glance, soft pink lips, exquisite collarbones, and a single petal adorning the space between her brows, which only enhanced her charming allure.
She clapped her hands once, clearly very pleased.
“Mu’er, let’s go. We’ll head out together.”
Qin Mengyu reached out toward her younger brother, her beautiful eyes brimming with smiles.
On Qin Mu’s other side stood a woman in white who had remained silent the entire time.
The white-clad woman had loose, slightly disheveled hair that still looked stunningly beautiful.
Her fair skin resembled white jade, with visible veins beneath, and a pair of striking crimson pupils that were bright yet icy cold, radiating a chilling light.
Her peerlessly beautiful features, combined with her refined collarbones, fully embodied a cold and alluring elegance.
Seeing her younger sister reach out to hold their brother’s hand, Qin Ruoshuang stepped forward as well.
Her cool jade-like hand took hold of that warm little hand, causing a faint ripple to stir in her otherwise calm heart.
Qin Mu was pulled along by his two elder sisters to attend some kind of banquet.
Truthfully, Qin Mu did not want to go at all.
He felt it would be much more comfortable to stay home, lying on the bed.
Though there was no refreshing soda, it was still enjoyable.
“Sister Mengyu, I really don’t know how to compose poetry. Going would be pointless.”
Qin Mu sat inside the spacious carriage, looking completely unenthusiastic.
“It’s fine, it won’t be troublesome at all. Mu’er, you just need to stay by big sister’s side. You don’t have to say a single word.”
Qin Mengyu peeled an orange and fed it to her brother’s mouth.
She did not want Mu’er to attend such events either—they were complicated, tiring, and required dealing with cunning old foxes—but at this point, Mu’er had to start getting involved in these matters.
When he grew up, Mu’er would take over the Qin Family.
If he did not begin cultivating these connections now, he would struggle to handle those old schemers later.
“Oh, alright then.”
With the conversation reaching this point, Qin Mu could only obediently listen to Sister Mengyu.
While eating the fruit, Qin Mu glanced at Sister Ruoshuang beside him and picked up a piece of cut fruit.
“Sister Ruoshuang!”
Qin Ruoshuang turned at the call, watching as Mu’er scooted closer and sat right next to her.
“What is it?”
Qin Ruoshuang tilted her head slightly, a strand of hair falling down.
This gesture, paired with her aloof demeanor, suddenly carried an unexpectedly cute contrast.
“Hehe, just need to trouble Sister Ruoshuang for a tiny moment.”
Qin Mu grasped her snow-white wrist, placed the fruit in her palm, waited a moment, then picked it up again and put it into his mouth.
An icy-cool sensation spread through him, like eating fruit sorbet.
He had accidentally discovered that Sister Ruoshuang’s body naturally carried a cooling effect.
Back when he was little and had no cultivation at all, the summer heat was unbearable.
Although there were formations to ward off heat, his frail body could not withstand the spiritual fluctuations of the array.
Ordinary mortals could endure those low-grade cooling formations, but Qin Mu’s body simply could not.
The summer heat nearly killed him.
Without air conditioning, he had to fill the room with large blocks of ice.
Then one time, Sister Ruoshuang held him in her arms, and a wave of coolness washed over him.
Ah! That feeling! Refreshingly cool to the core! Heart soaring!
Qin Mu immediately became addicted.
That day, he stayed nestled in Sister Ruoshuang’s arms the entire time—so wonderfully cool.
Afterward, when Sister Mengyu found out, her face was full of displeasure.
She clearly stated that she wanted to hold Mu’er together with Sister Ruoshuang at night while sleeping.
This arrangement continued until Qin Mu began Qi Induction and developed cultivation, gradually becoming resistant to heat.
Before long, the carriage came to a stop.
The three Qin Family siblings stepped down and arrived at the main entrance, presenting their invitation.
Inside the banquet hall, there were pitifully few people—only about ten or so, mostly elderly grandfathers and grandmothers, with a few middle-aged individuals.
Young people were almost nowhere to be seen.
“Hehe, the two young misses of the Qin Family—welcome, welcome.”
An old man walked over.
His gaze passed over Qin Ruoshuang and Qin Mengyu, landing on Qin Mu behind them.
“This must be Young Master Qin. This old man greets you with respect.”
With that, he bowed with a face full of smiles.
Qin Mu had no idea what tricks this old grandfather was playing, but on the way here, Sister Mengyu had told him he did not need to say anything.
“President Ma, inviting so many people this time—I’m afraid it’s not simply about composing poetry, is it?”
Qin Mengyu scanned the room roughly.
Everyone present was someone of significance.
Among the Qin Family’s two young misses, the Eldest Miss Qin Ruoshuang was not good with words and rarely spoke.
Compared to talking, she preferred to draw her sword and strike—decisive, ruthless, and sparing with words.
Therefore, handling the Qin Family’s external affairs had basically fallen to the Second Miss, Qin Mengyu.
“Hehe, Second Miss, you worry too much. This old man truly only wishes to gather everyone for a pleasant chat today. No business, no ulterior motives—just relaxation and enjoyment.”
President Ma spoke with apparent sincerity.
Qin Mengyu, however, looked full of suspicion.
Getting all these old foxes to show up together was already difficult enough.
Claiming no hidden motives? Not even ghosts would believe that.
“In that case, I look forward to the program President Ma has prepared.”
Qin Mengyu held Mu’er with one hand while secretly transmitting to her sister Qin Ruoshuang.
If anything goes wrong, Sister Ruoshuang, take Mu’er and leave first.
I’ll stay behind and let these old fellows learn that we are not to be trifled with!
Qin Ruoshuang replied with a single word: Good.
Ever since the Head of the Qin Family went missing, the overall strength of the Qin Family had not weakened, but the main branch—the lineage of Qin Mu—had suffered a sharp decline in power.
If things continued this way, they would soon be unable to suppress the branch families and would be forced to relinquish their position as the main line.
Because of this, many external forces had begun secretly supporting some of the stronger branch families.
If the branch they backed became the main line, the benefits would be immense.
Moreover, the Qin Family was now controlled by two young girls with limited strength and experience.
Did they really have the ability to fully control the Qin Family?
This was therefore their golden opportunity to force the Qin Family sisters to relinquish some authority—or even surrender the position of the main branch!
However, this time, they seemed to have underestimated the strength of the Qin Family sisters.
That very day, news spread rapidly that the two young misses of the Qin Family not only shattered President Ma’s Nascent Soul but also crippled the meridians of numerous elders from various noble families.
There were even rumors that, late that night, a terrifying Tribulation Stage aura enveloped those forces.
By the next day, the leaders of the major powers had one after another stepped down from their positions and gone into seclusion.
From then on, voices of dissatisfaction toward the Qin Family sisters’ control over the family grew much quieter.