In a Fantasy World as Cannon Fodder, I Got Entangled with the Heroine - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Gulp~ It’s Over!

Translation by: Weebsread👹

Jiang Qian stared, dumbfounded, at the three women blocking the mouth of the alley. The corner of his mouth twitched as he stammered, “Wait, I can explain—”

“Explain what?” Hu Murui asked, shooting him a strange look as she stepped forward. “Brother Jiang, what were you doing running alone into this alley?”

Alone?

Jiang Qian turned around and blinked—the mysterious woman from earlier had disappeared without a trace.

He let out a breath of relief, running a hand sheepishly through his hair. “Well, uh, I just saw a respectable lady being dragged in here by two thugs.”

He tried to sound casual. “So I had Beifeng—my Ice Wolf—take care of them. The lady must’ve gotten scared and ran off!”

“Oh, so that’s what happened!” To his surprise, Hu Murui and Bai Piaoxue accepted his explanation without hesitation. They each took an arm and wove their way cheerfully out of the alley with him.

Only Jiang Zixuan hung back, eyeing Jiang Qian with suspicion, though she kept her thoughts to herself as she trailed after the group.

Suddenly, Hu Murui and Bai Piaoxue paused, drawn by the sight of a raised pavilion, its stage crowded with scholars reciting poetry and song.

“Brother Jiang, what’s that over there?” Hu Murui asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes as she glanced back at him.

...

...

“That’s the Spring—” Jiang Qian began, but Jiang Zixuan smoothly interrupted, “That’s one of the highlights of the Lantern Festival. All the cultured men of Tianze City gather here for the poetry contest.”

Hu Murui nodded, still frowning with confusion. “But why are there only men competing... and one woman in a veil?”

“That woman? She’s the top talent in all Tianze City. She’s like the champion—every man is hoping to beat her!” Jiang Zixuan answered without missing a beat, as though it were just common knowledge.

In truth, this contest was hosted by Chunxiang Pavilion—a challenge set up so that anyone who surpassed their courtesan queen at poetry could spend a night alone with her. But since the contest began two years ago, no one had ever managed to claim victory.

Wait a second.

Jiang Qian frowned inwardly. Is Jiang Zixuan explaining on purpose? Is she up to something?

He couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding as her words washed over him.

Bai Piaoxue turned, eyes bright with anticipation. “Jiang Qian, why don’t you give it a try?”

“That’s right, Brother Jiang! You even competed at the Bamboo Grove Poetry Gathering—you could easily outshine her!” Hu Murui chimed in, eager and excited.

Jiang Qian shook his head quickly. “No, no, I think I’ll just—”

“The Young Master of the Jiang Clan would like to enter the contest!” Jiang Zixuan declared suddenly, her voice carrying above the crowd. A sly, mischievous smile played at her lips.

In an instant, all eyes locked onto Jiang Qian.

“The Young Master? With wives that beautiful, now he wants the courtesan queen too?”

“What do you know? Young Master Jiang isn’t ordinary—he’s Azure Mountain Sect’s Chief Disciple, favored by King of Qin. You think a man like that would stop at two wives?”

“Now that you mention it, that does make sense!”

“……”

Jiang Qian leaned in, whispering furiously to Jiang Zixuan, “You set me up! You know full well what kind of contest this is!”

Jiang Zixuan just giggled, taking a dainty step back, looking completely innocent.

Just wait, Jiang Qian thought darkly. I’ll get you for this.

Cornered, Jiang Qian had no choice but to grit his teeth and climb onto the stage.

Standing before the veiled courtesan, he could only scratch the back of his head and force a weak smile. “I’m Jiang Qian. Please, don’t go too hard on me.”

The veiled woman’s eyes twinkled as she replied, “I know you, Young Master Jiang. ‘Phoenix Hairpin,’ ‘Song of Breaking the Battle Formation,’ ‘Thoughts on a Quiet Night’—these three famous works are yours. In all the Longyan Kingdom, what scholar doesn’t know your name?”

“Haha, you flatter me, miss.” Jiang Qian replied humbly, keeping a modest smile.

“Young Master Jiang, shall we get right to it?” the veiled woman said, her voice gentle yet inviting. “Shall we each compose a poem, right here and now?”

Jiang Qian nodded easily. “Gladly.”

The courtesan queen began first, choosing Jiang Qian himself as her subject.

Her verse described not only his strength, but his bearing—every line etched his character vividly in the minds of the listeners. Her words were straightforward and clear, yet never crude or blunt. That was the hallmark of a true master.

As she finished, a wave of applause erupted from the audience.

“Amazing! As expected of Miss Zi—her talent is unrivaled!”

“If only she’d written that poem for me! I’d give anything for that…”

“Dream on. Miss Zi is composing for Young Master Jiang, a veritable dragon among men—of course she’d go all out! If it were you, pfft…”

“……”

Even Bai Piaoxue gave a soft sigh of admiration. “She’s truly talented. At this level, she’d have no trouble excelling at the Bamboo Grove Poetry Gathering.”

“Absolutely,” Hu Murui agreed, nodding decisively. She’d seen the so-called prodigies at the Bamboo Grove Gathering, and most of their poems couldn’t hold a candle to what had just been recited.

The veiled woman smiled gracefully. “Forgive my meager skills, Young Master Jiang. Now, it’s your turn.”

Jiang Qian sifted through the poems in his memory, eventually settling on an immortal classic—Li Bai’s “Song of Pure Peace.”

He cleared his throat, and in a gentle, melodious voice recited:

“Clouds think of her dress, flowers think of her face;

The spring wind brushes the balustrade, the dew is thick with grace.

If not for seeing her atop Jade Mountain’s heights,

She’d meet me by moonlight on the Jasper Terrace tonight.”

Jiang Qian let the last words linger, letting only the first lines hang in the air.

But just those verses were enough.

The entire square fell silent a beat longer, spellbound by his recitation.

Beneath her veil, the woman’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink. She gazed at Jiang Qian, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Was... was that poem truly written for me?”

Bai Piaoxue, Hu Murui, and Jiang Zixuan stared at Jiang Qian, the same thought echoing silently: If only such a poem had been written for me...

For several heartbeats, the silence held—then the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

“Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Even in a hundred years, I could never compose something like that!”

“Hah! A hundred years? You flatter yourself. In all the Longyan Kingdom, there’s not a single person who could create a poem to rival this!”

“Young Master Jiang isn’t just a genius at cultivation—his literary skill is frightening, too!”

“……”

The veiled woman approached Jiang Qian, shy and hesitant, so unlike her previous composure.

“May I ask, Young Master Jiang, what is this poem called?” she asked softly.

“Song of Pure Peace,” Jiang Qian replied.

“Song of Pure Peace… Song of Pure Peace…” the veiled woman murmured the words as if committing them to memory, unable to hide her delight.

Oblivious to her reaction, Jiang Qian only said, “I still have some business to attend to. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Master Jiang, aren’t you at least going to visit my chambers?” the veiled woman called after him plaintively. “After all, your victory is absolute.”

“My chambers?!” Hu Murui and Bai Piaoxue latched on to those words at once, their gazes turning icy as they bored into Jiang Qian.

Gulp~ I’m doomed!

A cold sweat slipped down Jiang Qian’s brow as his mouth twisted in despair.