Chapter 481: Chapter 307: Exotic Scents Compete for Brilliance, Ordinary Incense Draws Eyes; The Lady Enters the Hall, Mere Inches Away!

As more and more young talents gathered, the atmosphere was truly grand. Even though Gu Nianjun took care of Li Xiaofan, she couldn’t fully protect him. Moreover, Li Xiaofan was determined to travel and study, and he should be resilient and independent, no longer a frightened fledgling.

Li Xiaofan noticed Gu Nianjun’s concerns and laughed, "Sister Gu, it’s rare for you to make friends, you don’t need to constantly look after me." Gu Nianjun smiled, "Brother Xiaofan, you’re probably unfamiliar with such scenes. I can’t take care of everything, but by following me, you might meet one or two people." She focused more on chatting with the young talents. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Zhou Shijie held a folding fan, graceful and composed, fitting in perfectly here, feeling quite at ease. He was very adept at subtly showcasing his talents; although martial arts weren’t his forte, his "fortune" was unique and elusive.

When the other young talents heard of his fortune, they would surely look at him in a new light, curious to inquire. His eloquent speech and extensive knowledge often impressed people. It was truly lively to the extreme.

The incense burner was filled with different incenses. Extraordinary scenes emerged, with colorful clouds hovering, lingering fragrances, dragons and phoenixes dancing, and even golden light radiating.

Yang Wentian said, "Ah, Miss Gu, Brother Zhou, Brother Li... it seems you haven’t gone to offer incense yet?"

Zhou Shijie laughed, "Oh, I almost forgot. Truly, my mistake, my mistake. Nianjun, why don’t you go first?"

Gu Nianjun smiled, "Alright." She opened a special box containing "Five-Five Level Incense," which was five feet and five inches long. Its pattern was both square and flat, akin to a ruler and scale, symbolizing constant self-reflection, with internal rules and angles.

Gu Nianjun anticipated that someone had already acquired grand and unique incense like Eternal Peace Incense and Jade Dux Incense. Using this scene, she burned this special incense to express her heart, constantly measuring and weighing herself. Self-reflect first, before daring to question the world.

She smiled and said, "Nianjun’s skills are modest, and everyone else’s incense offerings are so diverse. I know I’m not as good, so I won’t embarrass myself. I’ll just insert the incense directly." With that, she walked over, placed the incense, lit the tip, and bowed three times.

The young talents felt slightly disappointed, expecting Gu Nianjun to showcase her skills. However, given her unique personality, some people dislike showing off. Besides, Gu Nianjun’s knowledge and demeanor were well acknowledged, and upon considering her family’s background, which was quite remarkable, they said no more.

Gu Nianjun smiled at Li Xiaofan. She originally wanted to showcase some talents, but remembering that Li Xiaofan hadn’t learned martial arts and would need to personally walk up to offer incense later, it seemed inappropriate to shine alone and leave Xiaofan feeling mediocre. So she sacrificed the opportunity to exhibit her skills and accompanied Xiaofan.

Li Xiaofan understood Gu Nianjun’s thoughts, feeling very grateful, yet thinking it wasn’t necessary. Zhou Shijie took this opportunity to fully showcase himself. He had acquired "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Incense," attracting countless birds and beasts when lit.

Zhou Shijie wasn’t in a hurry to offer the incense. He passionately recited poetry, displaying his grand ambitions, endowed with fortune and his words deeply moving, echoing in all directions and easily impressing others.

Words of wit flowed, and at that moment, those offering incense appeared to be pillars of the Great Wu, new stars in martial arts, elites of the world, future heroes... praising himself while also commending the others, naturally making everyone feel recognized.

He related the act of offering incense to the heavens and earth. It was an act of establishing heart, purpose, and self. When he spoke like this, all the young talents felt a sense of solemnity in their hearts, finding the act sacred.

After speaking, he lit the incense and played the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," using the smoke to attract birds and animals. Then he played music to control the flock of birds, which carried the incense into the copper tripod.

This act resembled "Yang Wentian’s" tigers and leopards carrying incense, but perhaps not as mystical. Zhou Shijie’s "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" had deep artistry, but it wasn’t enough to truly lead the birds in homage. He needed the scent of the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Incense" to first attract the flock of birds.

He then used music to control them. Coupled with his eloquence earlier, it was distinctly different, momentarily stealing the spotlight, with no one noticing this aspect. Everyone felt Zhou Shijie’s insight was exceptional, his demeanor uncommon, a rare and wonderful person, increasing their desire to build friendships with him.

Praise surged forth.

Zhou Shijie said, "You’re all overpraising me. If we speak of knowledge, Shijie is just a half-trained, knowing only a little martial arts, having read a few poems, and luckily gaining some fortune." Then he turned to Li Xiaofan, saying, "Ah, Brother Xiaofan, it’s your turn."

Everyone turned to look. Li Xiaofan kept a calm demeanor, saluted everyone, opened the wooden box, and took out the "Heart-Guarding and Mind-Awakening Incense." This incense was the cheapest and shortest among all the special incenses, creating no extraordinary scenes when burned.

But it had the effects of guarding the heart and awakening the mind. At the time, Li Xiaofan thought, "This incense was bought with Sister Gu’s silver. It’s really not good to be too expensive, and I can find a way to return it later. Besides, other incenses look good when burned but aren’t very practical. This incense can help awaken the mind and guard the heart, so it’s not a waste."

Thus he chose this incense. Despite Gu Nianjun’s persuasion, wanting Li Xiaofan to purchase incense representing ambition, like "Sage Seeking True Incense"... and so on. Li Xiaofan simply smiled and insisted on using this incense.

This incense was unique yet of a lower grade, with a body only a foot long, short and ordinary. If it had been the first to be inserted, others would have had nothing to say. But later, as many distinctive incenses showcased their splendor, it became increasingly hard to present.

Now, appearing last... inevitably diminished the momentum. All the young talents’ expressions changed slightly, initially thinking Li Xiaofan, traveling with Gu Nianjun and Zhou Shijie, would have prepared incense of significance. Who could have expected something so common?

Moreover, Zhou Shijie’s previous eloquence elevated the act of incense offering to the highest degree. They anticipated a perfect conclusion, not wanting today’s elegant occasion to be in vain. Looking back, it was indeed a gathering of peers.

All the young talents looked at each other, exclaiming, "This..." "This... but..." "Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?" "This incense is too ordinary, not quite fitting for the copper tripod, right?" "Inappropriate, inappropriate, young brother... perhaps it’s better not to offer incense?"