Du Fu had just written, "I shall climb to the very top and look down on all the mountains below," when he transmigrated overnight.
Where he found himself was a place of countless towering buildings, reaching into the clouds, made of what seemed to be the legendary Cloudglass. The streets were neat and clean, filled with a graceful fragrance, like a celestial paradise.
When he turned around, he saw several young people dressed in clothes from different eras. Asked their names, they said Confucius, Li Bai, Zhuge Liang, Meng Haoran, Bai Juyi, Tang Yin...
A mysterious voice appeared:
Welcome to the Literary Friends Infinite Livestream.
Please complete tasks in the livestream to earn rewards.
Writing has a spirit. Once any literary creation comes alive, it will awaken different abilities. Create as much as you can!
Du Fu: Hm?
*
In the year 3030, time travel became a reality.
After ten thousand years of cultural development, many traditional cultures had been lost.
The Cultural Bureau decided to invite great cultural figures from ancient times to teach in the modern world in person.
A variety show company received approval for an educational yet entertaining program and launched the Literary Friends Infinite Livestream Variety Show. It invited ancient writers to participate, awaken the spirit of writing, and fight monsters in a livestream.
Viewer: What a garbage concept. The very first stage is this hard. Didn't you see how Socrates from the European edition didn't even make it through the first night? He started talking philosophy, and nobody could understand him.
Viewer: Exactly, exactly. Ancient Chinese literature is so hard to explain, too. No matter how they explain it, nobody understands. Wait, what are they doing? Why aren't they fighting monsters?
Unlike the people from Europe's past, who rushed to complete their tasks as soon as they arrived, why were our ancient Chinese ancestors all off doing anything but their actual jobs?
Su Shi slowly waved his fan as he lifted the lid off a pot.
Du Fu picked the city's tallest building early in the morning and climbed step by step to the rooftop.
Lady Yi An brought a pot of wine and lay among the lotus blossoms all day.
Viewer: Oh no, oh no, have our ancestors already given up?
That was until the boss appeared...
Su Shi slowly recited: "Wash the pot clean, add only a little water, and cover the firewood so the flames barely show. Let it cook on its own; don't rush it. When the heat is just right, it will be delicious."
The viewers immediately pictured steaming, soy-colored chunks of pork belly trembling. A pair of chopsticks picked one up, and the fat gave way. Their mouths watered despite themselves.
Ding! Su Shi has activated the skill Ode to Pork. He can obtain one task hint without conditions.
Facing a terrifying invisible assassin, Lady Yi An calmly recited, "Row, row again! Startling a flock of gulls and herons into flight."
Ding! Lady Yi An has activated the skill Like a Dream 1. After mentally selecting a target character, gulls and herons will accompany her for 30 minutes.
Facing the most vicious boss, Du Fu recited, "I shall climb to the very top and look down on all the mountains below."
Ding! Congratulations, you have activated the skill Viewing Mount Tai. It grants the group a 200% courage buff, with a chance to transform into a giant or shrink the target character.
Everyone: Amazing.
The people of the stars went from saying, "I'll never learn this," to writing two or three poems before they even realized it. Strange, they hadn't even studied.
Later, after the ancestors had figured out how the world worked, they smiled freely at the viewers' confused comments in the livestream.
"The skill lies beyond poetry. Writing is meant to convey feelings and meaning. Anyone who has feelings or sees a scene needn't be bound by meter. It can all be poetry."
"Anyone with feelings is a poet."
Viewer: ! Aww, our ancestors put it so beautifully. From now on, I'm a poet too!
*
A Little Scene: Breaking Stereotypes
Cheng and Zhu criticized Li Qingzhao for being improper, claiming Confucius had said so. Confucius flew into a rage and beat Cheng and Zhu on the spot: "I never said that!"
The composed Du Fu climbed trees to pick pears every day.
The great writer Xin Qiji smashed rocks against his chest live on camera.
Theme: Chinese culture will endure for ten thousand years.
