Chapter 1112: Literary Giant Sun Mo
“Intolerably vulgar!”
Bai Fu left a sentence behind before flicking her sleeves and leaving.
“Haha, are you qualified to say this to others?”
Sun Mo answered back sarcastically.
Sadly, Bai Fu couldn’t be bothered to care about Sun Mo anymore. In her eyes, what was a four-time champion and what was God Hands? They were merely vulgar stuff.
“Look at your arrogance and how opinionated you are. This is the best proof that you are also a vulgar person and merely pretending to be high-class to conceal how vulgar you are.”
Sun Mo mocked. “Some experts truly have noble thoughts and far vision. They have true sentiments and strength of character. But as for you? You merely want to prove that you are ‘different’ from us commoners. But when you are trying to prove this, you have lost.”
“Beautiful!”
Li Ziqi who was eavesdropping outside wanted to exclaim out loud in admiration.
“You are talking nonsense!”
Bai Fu berated.
“Are you angry? If you are angry, doesn’t that mean you care?”
Sun Mo spread his hands. “Isn’t this more apparent compared to any other evidence?”
In the modern era, Sun Mo was a teacher and had met all types of students before. Also, even if he wasn’t a teacher, what sort of characters had he not met before on the internet?
Having waist-length hair, wearing a white shirt and sandals…
Doing a pilgrimage, purifying one’s heart, heading to remote islands to live independently, feeding the birds…
Honestly speaking, Sun Mo had thought of doing this before.
After all, who wasn’t young before?
“I won’t deny the life you thirst for, but please do not insult the dreams of other great teachers!”
Sun Mo’s tone grew strict. “Living for emotions and dying for emotions is your freedom. However, pursuing the Saint Realm is also our freedom. Although it’s pragmatic and mainstream, what about it? From my point of view, even if a farmer’s dream is to have a fertile land of 100 acres with better harvest and several oxen, a virtuous wife, and intelligent children, what’s wrong with it?”
“Dreams have no distinctions in terms of big and small, superior or inferior! Don’t you like pretending to be high-class, elegant, and graceful? Is your pride the thing that allows you to look down on people’s dream of pursuing sainthood?”
Bzz!
Priceless Advice Activated.
The radiant motes of light drifted past the rooftop and were like dancing fireflies. They also illuminated Bai Fu’s face that was now completely flushed.
She was rebutted so badly by Sun Mo that her embarrassment turned into anger.
“It’s over, the headhunting has failed!”
Lu Zhiruo felt that things were over.
“Why are the personalities of geniuses so strange?”
Li Ziqi didn’t understand.
“This is what it means to be contemptuous and inordinately proud of one’s ability, right?”
The lucky mascot analyzed.
“What do you know?”
Bai Fu argued.
She admitted that Sun Mo’s words were very logical. What’s troublesome was that this fellow truly thought like this, or Priceless Advice wouldn’t have activated.
Now, it was impossible for Bai Fu to say that Sun Mo was hypocritical.
“I don’t know so I need to learn!”
Sun Mo said this in rebuttal.
(Sorry, I’ve never lost when it comes to arguing before. The Black Doggy Sun that’s completely unleashed will consume flesh with every bite. I shall scare you to death.)
“Hehe, that’s very regretful because I was born with Telepathic Understanding. No matter what the subject is, I will understand it the moment I learn it.”
Bai Fu feigned resentment and sighed. “To you guys, the saint realm is something unreachable. But to me, it’s merely a tall mountain. It’s meaningless as I can easily conquer it!”
“What have you created for this world then?”
Sun Mo counter-asked.
“You are talking about life value?”
Bai Fu sneered. “Why must one have ‘value’ when they are living? Would I disturb others if I spend my days eating, drinking, writing, and painting? I’m very willing to waste my life away, so what can you do about it?
“Oh, let me add another sentence. My living expenses are all earned by me!”
(It’s for certain now. She is a freaking nutjob!)
Sun Mo no longer wanted to continue chatting. Bai Fu was like people who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. She was born rich and had never been beaten down by society before.
For ordinary people, the questions they pondered would be how to fill their bellies, how to live better, how to earn more money, how to chase the girl I like, etc.
But Bai Fu didn’t need to worry about all of these when she was born.
In the situation where she didn’t need to worry about life’s necessities, she naturally had too much time to think about other things.
Naturally, she was also very talented and doted upon by many people.
“I was wrong, I shouldn’t have forced my values onto you.”
Sun Mo wanted to advance in the guise of a retreat.
This was the right strategy!
(Is being correct important? Nope. Winning is what’s important.)
“If you know you are wrong, you should leave quickly!”
Bai Fu waved her hands.
“Let me ask you a final question. Don’t you feel that life like this is empty?”
Sun Mo saw the change of expression on Bai Fu’s face and knew that he had struck gold.
As long as one was a human, they would have some problems in their heart.
In Maslow’s theory, there were five categories of human needs. Clearly, Bai Fu was lacking self-actualization on the fifth level and esteem on the fourth level.
She was a genius but were others truly impressed from the bottom of their hearts and felt respect for her?
Although Bai Fu verbally said she didn’t mind it, she still minded it in her heart.
Alright then!
Even if she had never thought of such things before, Sun Mo would help her think of them now.
(Trash talk? Clashing worldviews? Sorry, at this moment, all the philosophers and psychologists of Earth exist together with me.)
“From your appearance, you seem to be very fond of poems. You are probably someone who loves literature, right? Since you said that you can understand anything the moment you learn them, can I ask you if you have created any literary works?
Sun Mo laid a trap.
“Ha, your question shows your shallowness!”
Bai Fu found a way to retaliate. “A true literary masterpiece cannot be mass-produced or written out just like that. The author can only create it under a moment of epiphany, without actively pursuing it. This is then the charm of literature!
“For alchemy or weaponsmithing, after you learn them, you will be able to directly create pills and weapons personally. But for literature, everyone knows how to write, but who can write an immortal tale that can last through the ages?”
Bai Fu showed the book in her hands. “For example, this book [Journey to the West].”
“Pu!”
Outside the door, Li Ziqi and Lu Zhiruo almost died from laughter.
(You are destined to lose the moment you said this.)
Sun Mo’s lips twitched.
Although [Journey of the West] was written by Sun Mo in colloquial speech and was somewhat different from the original version, it was still something he plagiarized. Hence, he forbade Zheng Qingfang and the others to promote it.
So, only a small number of people knew that he was its author.
“I feel that this book can break the shackles of humanity and allow their wings of dreams to spread. So, the world can be like this too.”
Bai Fu stroked the book cover, and her tone was filled with admiration.
“You should have read this book, right? Is the content something you can imagine?”
Sun Mo fell silent. (I’m afraid I will scare you to death if I tell you about the world I fantasized about.)
“You want to headhunt me to work in the Central Province Academy? Sure, I will go as long as you can create an immortal tale like this!”
Bai Fu waved the book in her hands and no longer spoke to Sun Mo. She walked out of the iron gate, and her eyes turned toward Li Ziqi and Lu Zhiruo.
“If I can write one, will you work like an ox and horse for me?”
Sun Mo mocked.
“I can even be your chamber pot!”
Bai Fu sneered.
(This book is the masterpiece of the century. You want to write something like that just with your skills? Honestly speaking, the probability of you becoming a saint is higher compared to you writing out such a masterpiece!)
“You like this book a lot?” Li Ziqi asked with a smile.
“I will lend it to you. After you read more, you will understand that this world isn’t worth it!”
Bai Fu tossed the book to Sun Mo.
“Where are the latter parts?”
Lu Zhiruo discovered that many pages at the back had been torn.
Bai Fu didn’t reply and continued making her way down the stairs.
(Is my life empty? Sun Mo was correct!)
Bai Fu felt very empty. The fact that she could learn everything instantly was truly very boring. So, when [Journey to the West] spread to Liaojing and Bai Fu read it, she discovered that a fantasy world was filled with the most freedom.
Bai Fu envied that monkey.
She envied the Great Sage Equal to the Heavens who had yet to wear the Band-Tightening Circlet.
Because of that, she tore the latter parts of the books.
One could say that Sun Mo was the culprit that had caused Bai Fu to like the arts and culture.
“Teacher, I feel that although Great Teacher Bai is talented, she is unsuitable for teaching others!”
Lu Zhiruo mumbled in a low voice. She couldn’t see the quality of a great teacher from Bai Fu.
“This has to depend on what we are getting her to teach.”
Sun Mo glanced at Bai Fu’s departing silhouette.
He had read her information before. She was proficient in zither, chess, poems, and painting. At 15 years old, she could already guide those top courtesans in the way of arts.
Under her tutelage, she had produced three queens of flowers with both looks and intelligence.
Yet, this wasn’t something important to Bai Fu as she had only done it out of boredom. She basically didn’t put her heart into it at all.
In other words, Bai Fu was truly very talented in these subjects.
“Teacher, are you going to write a book?”
Li Ziqi was filled with anticipation.
“It cannot be considered as writing one.”
Sun Mo sighed. He could only plagiarize again.
After returning to the room, Sun Mo got the little sunny egg to cast Retentive Memory on him, followed by Unrealized Dreams to help him recall his memories as a student.
Sun Mo had to reread [A Dream of Red Mansions] again.
[Water Margins] definitely wouldn’t cut it. It was too reactionary. Even if he wrote it, no publishers would dare to publish it. And the moment he walked out of his house, other people might report him to the authorities and catch him.
[Romance of the Three Kingdoms] also wouldn’t do. Only men loved to read about heroism texts like it. It wasn’t compatible with a young girl who was into the arts and culture.
Honestly speaking, if he wanted the book to be more popular than [Journey to the West], he could write [The Golden Lotus]. It would surely be extremely popular and in terms of the art value, this book could rank very high.
However, due to the content, any girls who were into the arts and culture would surely refuse to say anything about it.
“I’m afraid I have to use the pen name Gandalf to release this, the second masterpiece of the [Journey to the West]’s author.”
Sun Mo sighed.
The artistic level of [A Dream of Red Mansions] was very high, but this would cause another problem. Ordinary people might not be able to understand it, and this would mean that it was impossible for its popularity to spread like wildfire in a short period to achieve great sales.
Sun Mo would at most stay in the Black-White Academy for a month. By depending solely on word of mouth, [A Dream of Red Mansions] would hardly become a hit.
“You guys should go and rest!”
Sun Mo decided not to sleep. He started to write at tremendous speed.
After becoming a great teacher, his memory became exceedingly good. After he woke up from Unrealized Dream, everything he saw in the past remained fresh in his memory.
Monovalent hydrogen, chlorine, potassium, sodium, silver… Bivalent, oxygen, calcium, barium, magnesium, zinc…
Sadly, this world couldn’t use such knowledge!
…
Li Ziqi didn’t sleep the entire night because she felt so much anticipation for Sun Mo’s new book.
From her point of view, the stuff written by her teacher would definitely be a magical work.
She endured her impulse all the way until dawn before she could no longer do so. She then directly headed to the school’s canteen.
“Uncle Wang, is it done?”
Li Ziqi smiled and asked.
“It’s ready! It’s ready!”
Head Chef Wang smiled and when he saw Li Ziqi opening the lid to check, he hurriedly guaranteed. “Everything is freshly made by me. I’ve been working since midnight.”
“Many thanks, Uncle Wang!”
Li Ziqi smiled sweetly and used a small box to contain chicken soup, buns, and four dishes before she left the area.
“Old Wang, who is this little lady?” The farmer delivering veggies saw Li Ziqi and asked in curiosity. “She’s so beautiful!”
“Retract your dog eyes. Is a noble someone you can casually look at?”
Head Chef Wang scolded.
“Hehe!”
The old peasant awkwardly smiled.
He understood that because Head Chef Wang’s culinary skills were outstanding, he could be considered the controller of the Black-White Academy’s canteen.
He had stopped cooking for others since a few years ago and would only cook if there were major characters coming. But now, he was actually cooking for a little lass.
“Seeing the air of nobility from her, she’s probably a descendant of some major aristocratic clan, right?”
The old peasant made a guess.
Bang!
Head Chef Wang aimed a kick at the old peasant’s buttocks.
“What nonsense are you thinking of? She’s Great Teacher Sun’s eldest disciple!”
Head Chef Wang explained.
At the start, when Li Ziqi had come to the canteen to order things, Head Chef Wang had been against it. However, Li Ziqi had simply convinced him with money.
He could earn a year’s worth of salary just by working for a day—all for the sake of Sun Mo having a good meal.
This disciple was truly too filial.
“Si? Great Teacher Sun? The one that helped Great Teacher Zhang become a secondary saint?”
The farmer inhaled a breath of cold air.
“Even you guys have heard about this?”
Head Chef Wang was astonished.
He wanted to refund the deposit to Li Ziqi all for the sake of letting his son experience God Hands.
“What are you talking about? This is such a major matter. The entire Liaojing already knows about it.”
The farmer took out a stash of tobacco. “Do you want some?”
Just when Head Chef Wang wanted to take it, he controlled himself. “I can’t. During these few days, I have to cook for the Great Teacher Sun. I can’t stain my hands with the stench of tobacco!”
“After Great Teacher Sun becomes a secondary saint, your fame will surely go through the roof. You will become a chef who has cooked for Saint-Candidate Sun before!”
The farmer was envious.
“That’s only natural.”
Head Chef Wang smiled complacently. At the same time, he decided to do his utmost and show all his culinary skills so Sun Mo could eat something he would never forget, enjoying so much that he forgot to go home.
At that time, he could request a small favor from Sun Mo.
…
When Li Ziqi arrived, she saw Lu Zhiruo hugging her knees, napping while facing the door.
“What are you doing?” The little sunny egg was astonished. “Do you want to read the new book too?”
“Ah? Eldest Martial Sister!”
The lucky mascot wiped away the drool from the corner of her mouth. “I wish to be the first one to read Teacher’s new book!”
“…”
The little sunny egg mentally mused that this was impossible. (I’m the eldest martial sister, so I’m the first in line! I can let you go first for anything else except for this!)
Boom! Boom!
Li Ziqi knocked on the door.
“Teacher, I brought breakfast. You should eat a little!”
The candle inside hadn’t stopped burning. Her teacher must have written through the entire night.
“Enter!”
Upon hearing this, Li Ziqi impatiently pushed the door open. As she entered, she turned her gaze toward the table.
(Wow! What a thick draft! My teacher is truly highly efficient!)
It was just that she didn’t know what kind of story he had written.
Li Ziqi wanted to be more reserved, but Lu Zhiruo didn’t feel like this. She immediately rushed to the table and squatted beside it, staring fixedly at the draft papers.
“[A Dream of Red Mansions]? I can tell that this is going to be a good read just from its title!”