Chapter 120: The Art of Deception

Zhou Zhi had long anticipated that Cheng Dingbang would seek revenge, but he had not expected it to happen so soon, nor that Cheng would wait for him here—bringing his father along, no less. It went without saying that they had already poisoned Qu Renbin’s mind with slander, which explained Qu’s current attitude toward him.

With this thought, Zhou Zhi cast a cold, sharp gaze toward the father and son, Cheng Ke and Cheng Dingbang. Cheng Ke had already shifted his grim eyes away from Zhou Zhi; as they landed briefly on Kou Peihan, he could not help but frown.

Qu Renbin turned to Kou Peihan and said, "Girl, did you hear that? It is plain as day. It takes ten years of diligent study to produce a single excellent 'eight-legged' essay. How could this boy, Zhou Zhi, write such a thing after only a few months of schooling? If he is not a fraud, then what is he? Girl, stop being so naive. I will make this decision for you: in the future, you are to have no dealings with such a rustic fellow!" There was no mistaking the genuine concern in Qu Renbin’s tone.

Zhou Zhi had already realized that Kou Peihan and Qu Renbin were acquainted. Back on the boat, she had claimed she didn't know any "Old Instructor Qu." *Hmph! This beauty is quite cunning; she has been leading me in circles.*

At this moment, Kou Peihan could not help but waver. After all, she had not known Zhou Zhi for long, and coming from a family of warriors, she knew little about scholarly matters. She stood up and asked Qu Renbin, "Old man, are you saying this essay is well-written, but it wasn't written by Zhou Zhi—that he had someone else provide it to deceive you?"

"Hmph! That goes without saying. This is a superior piece of writing. Even among the top-tier students I have taught, very few could produce such work, let alone a village boy," Qu Renbin said, squinting his eyes with absolute certainty.

Kou Peihan’s bright eyes darted to Zhou Zhi, a flash of indignation crossing her pretty face. She asked in a low voice, "Zhou Zhi, tell me the truth: who actually wrote this essay?"

Having heard the exchange between Qu Renbin and the Chengs, Zhou Zhi understood the source of the old man’s anger. With the situation clarified, his heart settled. He smiled lightly at Kou Peihan and said, "This essay was indeed written by me, Zhou Zhi!" His tone was firm and devoid of hesitation.

Cheng Dingbang blinked and suggested to Qu Renbin, "Uncle Qu, since this fellow is so certain, why not have him recite this 'Confucius Says' essay on the spot?"

Cheng Dingbang had been filled with envy and resentment toward the talented scholars of Jiangnan—Xu Jing, Gu Dingchen, and Wu Wending—ever since they formed a literary society that excluded him, the so-called "Child Prodigy of Qingdu." He wasn't entirely sure if Zhou Zhi had written the piece, but he knew that, by all logic, a boy who had only studied for months could not possibly produce such a work. Regardless, he had a backup plan.

Qu Renbin nodded slightly, and Zhou Zhi began to recite. Possessing an eidetic memory and having written the piece himself, he rattled it off rapidly, without missing a single word. Qu Renbin’s old eyes widened in genuine astonishment, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Well recited, Zhou Zhi!" Kou Peihan clapped in excitement.

Cheng Ke and Cheng Dingbang, however, were unimpressed. Cheng Ke let out a cold huff, looking toward his son. Cheng Dingbang was his most pampered child, and it was he who had dragged Cheng Ke here to deal with Zhou Zhi.

Cheng Dingbang gave a cold, mocking smile. "Uncle Qu, it is no surprise that he can recite it. This essay was polished over many days by the literary society formed by Lü Xingchuan and Che Lang, and refined through discussions with many Jiangnan scholars. I am acquainted with one of them, and he sent me the essay to review via letter. I didn't expose this earlier out of respect for the fact that Zhou Zhi is my fellow townsman, and because Che Lang and the others are your students. I was worried you might take your anger out on them!"

Though a bit dim-witted in his daily affairs, Cheng Dingbang was a master of glib fabrications. His story sounded so convincing that Qu Renbin began to waver again.

"In that case, can you recite it as well?" Kou Peihan asked, blinking her eyes.

"Naturally!" Cheng Dingbang lifted his chin in disdain. He didn't know Kou Peihan or her background, but he saw that she had arrived with Zhou Zhi and decided to treat her as an enemy as well.

"Then let's hear it. Old man, listen carefully and see if he gets it right," Kou Peihan said sharply.

"Go ahead and recite it," Qu Renbin said.

Cheng Dingbang stepped forward. Though shorter than Zhou Zhi, he stood tall, casting a haughty, sidelong glance at his rival before reciting the piece in a loud voice.

Being the "Child Prodigy of Qingdu," Cheng Dingbang was indeed clever; he had read the essay once at the county school and had just listened to Zhou Zhi recite it with full concentration, allowing him to memorize it perfectly. He did not miss a single word.

Zhou Zhi could not help but feel a grudging sense of wonder. Regardless of his character, Cheng Dingbang’s memory was impressive.

Having successfully passed off the work as his own, Cheng Dingbang curled his lip at Zhou Zhi with utter contempt. "You think you could write an essay like this? You are truly thick-skinned. I don't know what kind of madness has possessed a country bumpkin like you to take up the path of a scholar, but it is truly delusional and utterly shameless!"

His punchable expression ignited a fire in Zhou Zhi’s chest. *Shameless? You are the one who is utterly shameless for plagiarizing my work!* Zhou Zhi cursed internally. *Am I really going to fall into the hands of this guy today?* Only the presence of Qu Renbin kept him from losing his temper.

Cheng Ke looked on with satisfaction. "Brother Qu, you see? This boy is nothing but a fraud. He has no real talent, yet he tries to use your reputation for his own gain, and even dreams of passing the imperial examinations. How shall we deal with him?"

Qu Renbin was now deeply suspicious. He knew Cheng Dingbang’s abilities well enough to know the boy could memorize the text, but the claim about the literary society was damning. If Che Lang and the others had indeed conspired to deceive him, it would be a betrayal by a student he held in high regard.

As Qu Renbin weighed his options, Kou Peihan asked angrily, "Zhou Zhi, are you a fraud or not?"

Zhou Zhi felt dejected. "How could I be a fraud? I truly wrote this piece!" It was a frustrating situation where he felt unable to clear his name.

"Heh! If you aren't a fraud," Cheng Dingbang interrupted with a mocking, provocative grin, "then why don't we have Uncle Qu set a new topic? We shall both write an essay on the spot and see if you can produce another one of such quality!"