Chapter 248: A Challenge from South Korea’s Most Beautiful Woman

Chapter 248: Chapter 248: A Challenge from South Korea’s Most Beautiful Woman

Before the tea ceremony match, everyone assumed the final result would be a draw.

Both sides had three judges, and it was a given that each set of judges would vote for their own team.

After all, with something as subjective as the art of tea, it was often difficult to declare a clear winner.

But to everyone’s surprise, Jin Dingjia conceded defeat.

A match that was expected to be a draw had turned into another loss, and the faces of the South Korean organizers instantly turned livid.

Some of them cursed Jin Dingjia through gritted teeth for bringing shame upon them, but those who truly understood the art of tea could see the truth. Jin Dingjia’s skills were indeed far inferior to Wu Jingyi’s. It was like comparing a top-tier amateur to an elite professional; there was a gap of at least two or three levels between them.

Jin Dingjia’s decision to concede was perfectly understandable. As two people intimately familiar with the art of tea, it was easy for them to tell who was more skilled.

By conceding, Jin Dingjia showed her magnanimity—a quality highly valued in the art of tea. For this, she earned the respect of every member of the Huaxia delegation.

Out of five matches, their side had won two. Just one more victory, and they would win the entire competition.

Next up was the qin competition.

The qin competition was a team event.

Just as the selected team members were preparing to take the stage, a tall and stunningly beautiful girl suddenly emerged from the ranks of the South Korean students.

She wore a blue trench coat, her high ponytail swaying as she walked. An innate nobility, coupled with a face beautiful enough to topple kingdoms, instantly made her the center of attention.

"Li Yanxian! Li Yanxian!" some of the South Korean students began to shout excitedly.

But after the beautiful girl made a hushing gesture, the entire venue immediately fell silent.

"I wish to challenge Mr. Wang Chenning to a competition of qin and calligraphy!" the beautiful girl said, challenging Wang Chenning in fluent Mandarin after taking a wireless microphone. "I just heard Mr. Wang say that an ordinary person such as himself can defeat any South Korean scholar. I’m no scholar, but I would still like to challenge him."

She then repeated herself in Korean.

The moment she finished speaking in Korean, the entire crowd erupted.

Chants of "Li Yanxian! Li Yanxian!" rose in waves, each louder than the last.

Wang Chenning watched with a smile as the beautiful girl stepped forward to challenge him, his mind flashing back to the stunning, fleeting glimpse he’d caught of her at Li Fuzhen’s villa the previous evening.

Li Fuzhen’s niece was truly gorgeous, with an incredible figure and quite a bit of personality, too.

"Alright, I accept your challenge!" Wang Chenning announced, stepping out from the group and striding toward Li Yanxian. When he was about three meters away, he cupped his hands in a traditional salute. "I await your instruction, Miss Li!"

Li Yanxian’s large, beautiful eyes sized Wang Chenning up.

She hadn’t originally planned on competing today. Even though she’d listened to Li Fuzhen praise Wang Chenning’s many talents the night before, the proud and arrogant Li Yanxian, who had been coddled her entire life, still hadn’t thought much of him.

She hadn’t expected him to steal the show the moment he appeared. He had effortlessly defeated the Taekwondo master Li Chengchang—a man who had never known defeat—in the Martial Arts competition, and he carried himself with an extraordinary air.

Furthermore, Wu Jingyi, the woman who had just forced the renowned "Little Tea Immortal," Jin Dingjia, to concede, was standing right beside him. And the other women surrounding him were also beautiful and exuded an exceptional elegance. Finally, Li Yanxian couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped forward to challenge Wang Chenning herself.

’This man is too arrogant. I have to find a way to knock him down a peg.’

Since Li Yanxian had issued a challenge and Wang Chenning had accepted, the organizers from both sides had no choice but to change the schedule, allowing the two of them to compete in the next two events.

At the same time, the Go players from both teams were sent to play their match in a separate area, with the game being broadcast live on the big screen for the audience.

Seeing such a beautiful girl step up to challenge Wang Chenning, Zhao Xiao’an and Yang Xiaofu suddenly had a bad feeling. As Wang Chenning came back to prepare, Yang Xiaofu rushed to his side and pleaded in a small voice, "Let me take the qin competition! I’m really good at it!"

"Do you think someone who dares to step up and challenge me would be bad at the qin?" Wang Chenning asked, looking at Yang Xiaofu with a knowing smile. He knew exactly what the young woman was thinking, but there was no way he was going to miss a match against Li Yanxian.

’Women are creatures who hate to lose,’ he mused. ’If I defeat her in public today, she’ll come looking for me on her own, even if I don’t seek her out!’

Wang Chenning knew that Yang Xiaofu had indeed signed up for the qin event, but not as a soloist. She was part of an ensemble piece that included other girls and a dance performance—a group program. The South Korean side had also planned a group performance, an arrangement that served the dual purpose of competition and entertainment.

Before Yang Xiaofu could react, Wang Chenning added, "Your group will definitely still perform later, it’ll just be an exhibition piece. I’ll get to see your qin skills then, and we can see who’s better!"

Without another word to Yang Xiaofu, Wang Chenning strode toward the changing room to get ready.

Yang Xiaofu had no choice but to drop the matter.

Soon, Wang Chenning emerged, having changed into a men’s Hanfu. The traditional clothing gave him a heroic, dashing air, imbuing him with a classical elegance.

It was just a shame his hair was too short to be tied up in a traditional topknot, which slightly detracted from the ancient aesthetic.

Li Yanxian had also changed her clothes, emerging in a modernized set of Korean traditional attire. She hadn’t styled her high ponytail into a bun, but even so, she looked sharp and commanding, her beauty stunning the entire audience.

A guqin had already been prepared on the stage. Wang Chenning glanced at where the instrument was placed, then once again offered a formal salute to Li Yanxian. "Please, Miss Li, grace me with your instruction!"

Li Yanxian mimicked a man’s salute by cupping her own hands, then retorted in Mandarin, "I hope your qin skills live up to your boasts!"

’Tch, this woman’s Mandarin is surprisingly fluent,’ Wang Chenning thought. ’Way more fluent than Li Fuzhen’s stammering, beginner-level attempts.’

After they both sat down cross-legged, Li Yanxian said magnanimously to Wang Chenning, "You’re the guest. You first."

Wang Chenning didn’t stand on ceremony and readily agreed.

After ceremonially cleansing his hands, Wang Chenning bowed to the audience once more, then extended his long, slender fingers and began to play the qin.

Soon, the clear, flowing notes of the qin filled the venue.

Wang Chenning was playing a famous guqin piece, "Threefold Sunlight." As he played, he began to sing: "Morning rain in Wei City dampens the light dust, at the farewell pavilion, the willows gently sway..."

"This guy... his qin skills are incredible!" Yang Xiaofu’s expression changed the moment she heard the prelude.

She knew his qin skills had to be decent from the calm way he’d accepted Li Yanxian’s challenge, but she never imagined the music would be so fluid and captivating, or that his singing voice would be so beautiful. She felt a pang of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

’That annoying guy... how can he have mastered so many incredible skills?’

On stage, after listening to the first half of Wang Chenning’s piece, the faintly arrogant expression on Li Yanxian’s face shifted slightly...