"Are the two of you ready?" asked Jiang Songyun.
Ouyang Huazai did not even look at Fangzheng as he looked up and said, "No problem."
Fangzheng nodded and said, "Amitabha."
"In that case, the two of you will be competing in calligraphy. Naturally, you have to write the same words to determine the victor. How about this? Why don't the two of you write Su Shi's poem, 'Remembering Your Charm – Remembrance of the Crimson Cliff'? " Although Jiang Songyun was asking, he did not give Fangzheng a chance to answer. He said, "Since the two of you have no objections, please begin!"
When Fangzheng saw this, he was rendered completely speechless. He was not even given a chance to speak. Wasn't this bullying? "Remembering Your Charm – Remembrance of the Crimson Cliff"? He had indeed read it in school and had been shocked by the magnificent poem. However, he had long forgotten about it after not reading for so many years. Now, he was to write it? He did not even know what to write!
As for Ouyang Huazai, his eyes clearly flashed when he heard about the competition. He looked confident.
Ouyang Fenghua revealed a smile of absolute trust. Instead, it was Cui Jin who frowned slightly. Clearly, she was displeased with the matter, but she did not say a word.
Ouyang Huazai shot a glance at Fangzheng and sneered inwardly. If it was writing Buddhist scriptures, he did not have much confidence. But writing a poem? And such a famous one at that? Ouyang Huazai had absolute confidence! Which calligrapher had not written such a poem before? Perhaps most people had written it or practiced it. How could he not write a poem that he had practiced thousands of times? Would he lose? Lose to an unknown young monk deep in the mountains? From his point of view, it was absolutely impossible!
Furthermore …
"It's actually 'Remembering Your Charm – Remembrance of the Crimson Cliff'? Hehe, this is going to be interesting. I heard that Mr. Ouyang had once won a provincial award with this poem. He was even nominated for a national award. "
"That's the work that made Mr. Ouyang famous. It's amazing. It's hard to say about other competitions, but he will definitely win in this one! "
The Calligraphy Association members who were familiar with Ouyang Huazai discussed quietly. Their voices were very soft, so only a few people near them could hear them.
Even Monkey, Fatty, and Wu Changxi did not hear them.
However, Wu Changxi knew of this matter. He immediately jumped up and shouted, "I object! This isn't fair! Isn't it too much of a bully to use Ouyang Huazai's best poem to compete with Master Fangzheng? "
Jiang Songyun snorted coldly and said, "Wu Changxi, you were the one who suggested the competition. You're the one who set the time and location. What's wrong? Can't I set a poem for the competition today? As for fairness? There were countless scholars in the world, and there were also countless people who practiced calligraphy. "Remembering Your Charm – Remembrance of the Tale of the Crimson Cliff" was a very common and commonly used word for practice. If he couldn't even write this character well, what else could he write well? I will use a word that everyone has practiced, just to be fair. Otherwise, if Fangzheng is a monk who's good at writing scriptures, but Mr. Ouyang has never written or practiced it before, would that be fair? "
Although Wu Changxi felt that these words were wrong, he had nothing to say.
The other members of the Calligraphy Association also jumped up and echoed.
One of them was a master calligrapher in the city, a powerful person in the circle, and the other was the president of the Calligraphy Association, also having great influence in the circle. Naturally, they wanted to take this opportunity to curry favor with them.
Most importantly, they did not acknowledge an outsider like Fangzheng as a calligrapher! Deep down, they did not treat Fangzheng as a calligrapher, nor did they believe that Fangzheng was someone from their circle.
One was from the circle, while the other was from outside. It was obvious who was close and who was distant. They were naturally speaking up for Ouyang Huazai!
Especially the Songwu County Calligraphy Association members. They were in a sorry state after Fangzheng closed the door and released the wolf. They were filled with anger, so they took the opportunity to vent their anger and criticize Fangzheng.
With so many people speaking up at the same time, Wu Changxi did not even have a chance to speak. He was completely suppressed.
When Fangzheng saw this, he felt helpless. He was not good at such arguments, and he would only end up being tortured if he spoke up. Since he could not beat them in an argument, he might as well not argue!
Hence, Fangzheng said, "Amitabha. Patron Wu, thank you for speaking up for justice. However, This Penniless Monk does not know how to write, and the words he writes are not presentable. It's not something that can be seen, so it doesn't matter what he writes. "
"Little Monk, at least you know your limitations! I can't guarantee anything else, but this time, you will definitely lose! "Ouyang Fenghua raised her swan neck and shouted with a smug look.
Fangzheng smiled faintly and did not say a word.
When Jiang Songyun saw Fangzheng say so, with his words sounding like he was admitting defeat, his smile widened. He said, "Little Monk, it's important to know one's limitations. It's not bad that you can think that way. Unfortunately, you should not have done such a thing just to become famous. Ignoring the fact that you have wasted everyone's time, this competition will only be a joke when people discuss it in the future. "
Jiang Songyun never expected that he was right. In the future, when people discussed the calligraphy competition on Mt. One Finger, the competition would really become a joke! A huge joke! However, the person who was the subject of the joke was actually …
"Little Monk, I think you should just admit defeat."
"That's right. Since you know you can't write, don't try to show off. Admit defeat."
"I think so too. There's no need for the competition to continue. You have already lost in terms of momentum. There's no point in continuing. "
…
Everyone shouted.
When Fangzheng heard that, he smiled bitterly. He did not know how strong he was. Compared to the real Dragon Buddha Epithet, his words were terrible. He had no idea if he could win. Furthermore, the people in front of him were from the Calligraphy Association. It was said that they had seen pictures of his calligraphy on the Internet. Since they did not think highly of him, it was likely that it was ugly.
With this in mind, Fangzheng really did not believe he could win. However, he had planned it out. Regardless of victory or defeat, One Finger Temple would definitely spread along with the news. At the very least, people would know of the existence of such a place. As for his reputation being lacking? So be it …
"Alright, stop babbling. Whether it's a mule or a horse, just come out for a stroll! All of you, before the competition even begins, you are already blabbering incessantly. Is there any meaning to it? Also, aren't those whose pants are half-worn cold? If you aren't cold, let's chat for another hour! "At that moment, Fatty could not bear to watch any further as he shouted.
It would have been better if he had not said it. The moment he said it, those whose pants were torn immediately felt a cold wind blow. Their legs turned cold as they hurriedly moved closer to the fire. At the same time, some people went out to find firewood. However, it was winter and it had just snowed. It was not easy to find good firewood. Thankfully, there was plenty of grass on the mountain. No one chopped it down. Sweeping away the snow and getting some dry grass was enough.
However, this was not a long-term solution. Seeing how these people were almost frozen like dogs, Jiang Songyun did not waste any more time. He stood up and said, "Since both sides have no objections, I officially announce the beginning of the competition!"
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