By the time Chen Yunfan returned to Guiyun Academy, the poetry gathering had already been declared over. Liu Hong, Yang Ye, Liu Si, and other key officials of Shu State had left a step earlier. The remaining Academy Masters—Yue Ming, Zhuo Ying, and Lingchuan—were standing at the academy gates, seeing off the guests from Yuelu Academy and Yingtian Academy. Their exchanges were mostly filled with polite pleasantries.
The other talented scholars and wealthy young ladies who had attended the gathering strolled out of the academy in twos and threes. Their expressions could only be described as yearning for more, and their conversations revolved entirely around everything that had transpired tonight. Naturally, there was a great deal of discussion about the *Song of the Water Melody*, as well as profound admiration for Chen Yi, the esteemed Mr. Qingzhou.
