Spare Me, Poet Immortal! I'm Just a College Student

Li Mo was an ordinary college student. During summer break, he found a battered poetry collection in the attic of his old family home. The moment he opened it, he was pulled into his sea of consciousness, where a man in white with a long sword tipped back a jug of wine. “I am Li Taibai. From this day forward, you are my bonded partner.”

Li Mo said, “Are you running a scam?”

A flash of swordlight sliced off three of his hairs. Li Mo immediately changed his tune. “Brother Bai, it’s great to meet you!”

From that day on, his entire worldview was turned upside down. Every ancient figure had left behind a spiritual relic, which could bond with a modern person and share their existence. Poetry and prose weren’t just things to memorize. They were weapons for slaying demons and vanquishing evil: a fine poem could unleash a lethal move, and a quatrain could embody a sword intent. This was known as “poetry and swordplay in effortless style.”

The other inheritors were even more outrageous. Du Ruo, chosen by Du Fu, was constantly scolded until she was a disheveled mess, and every time she got a word wrong, she had to copy it twenty times. But when Du Fu met Li Bai, the somber, restrained Sage of Poetry instantly turned into his idol’s number-one fan, grabbing Li Bai’s hand and refusing to let go, his eyes reddening. Du Ruo’s mind reeled. “You come down hard on me, but turn into a lovesick puppy around Li Bai?!”

Then there was the club president, who had stepped out of an ancient painting. Smiling at Li Mo, she said, “I never expected to meet Li Taibai’s inheritor.” Li Bai said he had a grudge against the person behind her. What kind of grudge? “I forgot. I’ve met too many women.”

Every ancient figure was alive, with their own temperaments and flaws. Su Shi’s inheritor ate everywhere he went, while Wang Wei’s inheritor lived in the mountains and tried to talk demons into depression. As for Li Mo, he only wanted to know:

“Can I still return him?”

Li Bai said, “Too late. Memorize a hundred poems. Starting today.”