"When will the results of the top ten in the Lanting Award be announced? Will it be tonight?"
"I don't know. It's already past nine o'clock. The official website clearly stated that the top ten results would be released at 8 PM, but they still haven't come out!"
"Wow, Huangfu Hongfang's votes have surpassed 200,000! Ning Yuqing's have also broken 180,000 votes. Could it be that they're all inflated and faked?"
"Nonsense. If it wasn't for backroom dealings, could their votes be more than 80,000 higher than the third and fourth place? The rest have votes in the seventies and eighties of thousands. This shows that besides the first and second place, whose votes are faked, the rest are voted by us normally!"
"Heh, does this even need to be said!"
At this moment, on the second floor of a small tavern in a lively ancient street, the place was bustling. Several young scholars and beauties were gathered, sitting on chairs, drinking yellow wine and eating snacks, looking at the phones on the table, and heatedly discussing the Lanting Award calligraphy competition today.
"Although I hoped that on the competition stage, I wouldn't believe that Wan Yunting's first piece could almost scare someone to death, his second piece, in wild cursive calligraphy, whether in terms of momentum or technique, is far superior to Huangfu Hongfang's wild cursive calligraphy piece!"
"That's right. Although his work appears well-written, when compared to Wan Yunting's work, the latter is clearly superior!"
"Also, Fairy Luo Tang's work, I also feel it's better than Ning Yuqing's. Yet, her vote count only ranks fourth. This is definitely due to vote manipulation by Huangfu Hongfang and Ning Yuqing behind the scenes...!"
Besides this table of scholars and beauties, all the young scholars and beauties gathered on the first and second floors of the entire tavern were discussing, feeling that the voting rankings on the Lanting Award calligraphy competition official website were heavily inflated and untrustworthy.
"However, at the competition venue today, Wan Yunting's first piece of calligraphy did almost scare Elder Yuan to death!"
"Oh, quickly tell us the details of the afternoon competition. We weren't there. Was Wan Yunting's first piece of calligraphy really that eerie?"
Besides discussing the voting rankings, some people were also discussing the commotion caused by Wan Yunting's first calligraphy piece written with the help of wine at the competition venue this afternoon, which shocked everyone. Now, both the art world and outsiders are hotly discussing this matter.
However, many media reporters are still blocking the entrance of the Art Museum and have not interviewed judges like Elder Yuan and Shen He, who were startled by Wan Yunting, so they cannot confirm it.
But many scholars who witnessed Wan Yunting's first piece of calligraphy at the competition venue, as well as those supervising teachers and cameramen, revealed the eeriness of Wan Yunting's first piece from their mouths...
Therefore, people are now half-believing and half-thinking it's official hype...
At a window seat on the second floor of the small tavern, Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao, Huang Yaodong, Zhao Yushi, Lin Yushu, and Hou Xuesong were sitting together, listening to the topics being discussed by the young scholars and beauties seated behind and to their left.
Wan Yunting listened and merely smiled dismissively, drinking his yellow wine and eating aniseed beans with gusto, completely unconcerned.
"Brother Yunting, Sister Luotang, it seems the top ten rankings are already set!" Huang Yaodong sighed and put down his phone, looking at the voting rankings on the competition's official website.
His girlfriend, Zhao Yushi, said, "The judges' results haven't been announced yet. Perhaps there will be a change!"
"No hope."
Lin Yushu, holding a folding fan, shook his head and said, "The chief judge is Mr. Yuan Deyou. He was originally a student of Huangfu Hongfang. Furthermore, during the afternoon competition, Yunting's work almost scared him to death. Although everything was fine afterward, Elder Yuan probably holds a grudge against Brother Yunting now, so there won't be any miracles in the rankings."
Hou Xuesong raised his wine cup and gestured to Wan Yunting sitting in front of him, smiling and saying, "That only proves that our Brother Yunting's first piece of calligraphy was written with divine skill, allowing people to experience it as if they were there, capable of slaying demons and monsters with a single sword!"
"Haha..."
This remark made Wan Yunting unable to help but laugh. He raised his wine cup and smiled at Hou Xuesong, "Brother Hou, your praise is excellent. I toast you."
"Not at all, Brother Yunting's calligraphy is divine. He doesn't need these empty accolades."
Hou Xuesong was already a bit tipsy, his demeanor relaxed, and his voice inevitably grew louder, immediately drawing frequent glances from the group of young scholars and beauties sitting behind him, who sized up Wan Yunting and Gu Luotang...
"Old Hou, you've had too much to drink."
Huang Yaodong shot Hou Xuesong a glare, but he still couldn't help but turn to Wan Yunting and say, "Brother Yunting, why don't we seek help from Elder Fan?"
Lin Yushu and Zhao Yushi were startled. Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao also turned to look at Wan Yunting. To be honest, they were also unwilling.
"Forget it."
Wan Yunting picked up the wine pot and poured himself more wine, smiling, "I don't care about it in the first place. Why bother asking Elder Fan for help and owing him a favor? Let them have their way. Besides, as Brother Hou said, these are just empty accolades."
"Exactly."
Hou Xuesong nodded and smiled. The two then couldn't help but clink their wine cups and take a hearty sip of wine...
"My goodness, it's really Fairy Luo Tang and them..."
The young scholars and beauties from the alerted tables stood up and approached Wan Yunting and Gu Luotang to get a closer look, confirming their identities: "He is Wan Yunting, who wrote the eerie calligraphy at the afternoon competition!"
"What eerie calligraphy? Do you understand what the realm of divine calligraphy is?"
Hou Xuesong couldn't help but turn back and huff at the young man behind him who called Wan Yunting's calligraphy eerie.
"My dear sir, was your work really that frightening? Could you show it to us?" a not-so-beautiful maiden asked Wan Yunting curiously.
"Yes, everyone says your work almost scared Elder Yuan to death. We are very curious. Can you let us broaden our horizons and see if it's really that astonishing and terrifying?"
Instantly, the young scholars and beauties surrounding Wan Yunting's table said to him.
This is because the events of the afternoon competition were too outrageous to believe.
"Brother Yunting, since they are not afraid of death, let them see."
Hou Xuesong pointed to the scroll placed next to Wan Yunting's left hand. It was the first piece of wild cursive calligraphy he had written with the help of wine in the afternoon. He had brought it back, planning to have it framed at home and hung in the main hall to ward off evil spirits.
Of course, he was just joking. He knew that his work contained a strong sword intent, and ordinary people would experience the hallucination of being pierced through the throat with a sword. Even martial artists who saw it would be intimidated by the sword intent.
"People with heart conditions should not look too much. I won't be responsible if anything happens."
Seeing that everyone around wanted to see the work, Wan Yunting picked it up, ready to let them see, but he had to add a warning.
"Tsk, it's just hype. Does anyone actually believe it!"
Suddenly, a mocking voice came from behind the crowd. It was a young man in Hanfu, who looked decent and carried an arrogant demeanor. He glanced coldly at Wan Yunting through the onlookers and sneered, "Your calligraphy is decent, but compared to Brother Huangfu, you're still far behind."
Upon hearing this, Huang Yaodong chuckled, "So, it's Huangfu Hongfang's followers!"
"That's right. Brother Huangfu is my idol, Wang!"
Immediately, this young man named Wang Xiuwei, along with his two friends, pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, and Huang Yaodong. Wang Xiuwei adopted a condescending posture, looked down at Wan Yunting with his chin raised, and sneered, "Your name is Wan Yunting, right? You're just an outsider. Although your calligraphy is good, how can you compare it to my idol, Brother Huangfu? Do you have his talent, or a grandfather like him, a contemporary master of the Lingnan School of painting?"
*Slap!*
Suddenly, Hou Xuesong slammed the table and stood up, pointing at Wang Xiuwei and directly cursing, "Kid, are you looking for a scolding?"
Wang Xiuwei was startled, then sneered dismissively, "I'm just here to clarify the facts."
"Damn it, believe it or not, I'll tear your mouth apart."
Hou Xuesong, already tipsy, seeing Wang Xiuwei's arrogant and overbearing look, grabbed an empty wine pot beside him and was about to smash it at him, but Lin Yushu immediately restrained him. Nevertheless, Wang Xiuwei was startled and cried out that classic line, "A gentleman uses words, not fists. Do you intend to resort to violence?"
"Damn it, what if I hit you..."
Having failed to enter the top 100, Hou Xuesong, already in a bad mood, was about to charge at the impudent Wang Xiuwei with the help of the wine, but Lin Yushu and Huang Yaodong quickly stood up and pulled him down. "Forget it, Old Hou. There's no need to bother with someone like him. Sit down quickly..."
Wan Yunting, sitting opposite, had already picked up the scroll with his left hand. He turned to face Wang Xiuwei and the other onlookers who were clamoring to see his work, and smiled with the corner of his mouth raised, "Didn't you want to see my first piece? Then I'll show it to you now..."
Saying this, Wan Yunting slowly unfolded the scroll with both hands. It was indeed the first piece of wild cursive calligraphy he had written with the help of wine in the afternoon. He held it up in front of him with both hands, allowing Wang Xiuwei and the scholars and beauties present to get a good look...
"Let me see..."
Instantly, the crowd surged forward. Wang Xiuwei and the others standing in front involuntarily widened their eyes, looking at the wild cursive calligraphy piece held up by Wan Yunting's hands...
In an instant, a howling sound echoed in Wang Xiuwei's ears. His wide eyes involuntarily revealed fear, his face gradually turned pale, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His entire body began to tremble slightly...
*Clang!*
Suddenly, Wang Xiuwei's pupils contracted sharply. He suddenly clasped his neck with both hands, as if he saw Wan Yunting holding a long sword and stabbing at his throat, making him feel suffocated. His trembling body suddenly recoiled backward...
*Crackling...*
*Ah...*
For a moment, Wang Xiuwei and his companions were so scared that they retreated. The people standing behind them were pushed down, and a group of people fell to the ground. Several tables were knocked over, and the wine pots, bowls, and plates on them scattered, making crackling sounds as they hit the ground.
Instantly, Wang Xiuwei and his companions trembled all over. Their dazed spirits returned to their senses, and they looked at Wan Yunting, who had already stood up and put away the scroll, with terror in their eyes...