Only after Chu Xuan spoke again did Li Shengnan snap out of her shock.
At this moment, the way she looked at Chu Xuan had completely shifted; the initial astonishment had transformed into envy—yet mixed within that envy was a touch of jealousy. Although she was a sword cultivator at Sword Heart Pavilion, she was different from the rest. Since childhood, she had loved literature and calligraphy, leading her down a path of Confucian cultivation that ran counter to her sect. Her parents and grandfather had never opposed her choice, even pulling every string they could to hire renowned masters of Confucianism to tutor her. She had not disappointed them either; three years ago, her essay on the themes of "Poetry" and "Sword" had caused a sensation across the entire Dayuan literary circle, and she had been accepted as a direct disciple by the Dean of Hongying Academy.
Yet today, Chu Xuan had recited two lines of poetry that she found herself utterly unable to continue. She could finally empathize with the turmoil Wushuang Muqing must have felt at Bailu Academy. More importantly, Chu Xuan’s words were not merely poetry; they were a raw, helpless outpouring of grief over the pain of severed family bonds. Reflecting on her own family, Li Shengnan felt a crushing sense of shame. She knew deep down that her grandfather and her aunt were both unable to let go of their affection for one another, yet neither could swallow their pride to seek reconciliation. Only she knew how devastated h…
Chapter 116