Chapter 109: Xueyan Residence

The carriage traveled for about half a stick of incense's time before turning in through a side gate in front of the white wall of a residence!

Unlike the Xia Mansion, this carriage actually drove straight into the estate!

After traveling a bit further, the carriage suddenly stopped in front of a moon gate. Duan Rong got off the carriage, and the Personal Attendant Shi Liang led him through the moon gate. Duan Rong turned his head to glance and saw that an old man had already taken over the stopped carriage, grabbed the horse's reins, and turned around to leave!

Shi Liang led Duan Rong along a small garden path, then walked to a quiet little courtyard. He saw that on the courtyard gate were written the words "Xueyan Residence" in elegant cursive script, the brushwork showing quite a bit of skill!

Walking through the gate, one could see green turf inside, white stone slabs laid out like steps, and lush vegetation all around—trees, shrubs, bamboo, and flowers were arranged in a scattered yet orderly fashion, quite methodical!

Duan Rong's eyes lit up. "This is truly a quiet and elegant dwelling!"

Shi Liang did not go to announce them, but led Duan Rong directly into the house!

Once inside the room, he saw Jiang Qingyu and a round, short, fat man playing Go on a large, spacious chair!

Only after entering the room did Shi Liang say, "Young Master! Young Master Qingyu! Escort Duan has arrived!"

The short, fat man had originally been holding a chess piece, scratching his head in distress, but as soon as he heard Shi Liang speak, he rolled his eyes, pushed his hand out with a clatter, and ruined the game, saying, "This game doesn't count! We'll compete again another day!"

"How does it not count? How can you be such a rascal?" Jiang Qingyu was naturally unwilling.

"What rascal? Can't you see Escort Duan has arrived? It would be impolite for us to keep playing! When you were young, did your teacher not teach you how to sweep, respond, advance, and retreat? You have no sense of etiquette at all!" Ximen Kankan instead scolded Jiang Qingyu.

After Ximen Kankan finished speaking, he had already stood up and walked over to greet Duan Rong.

Jiang Qingyu naturally knew that Ximen Kankan was talking nonsense, but with Duan Rong present, he found it difficult to refute him, so he had to swallow his anger and also stood up to greet Duan Rong.

"Brother Duan, I trust you have been well?" Jiang Qingyu said to Duan Rong, cupping his hands.

Duan Rong also cupped his hands toward Jiang Qingyu and smiled, "It has been a few days, and Brother Qingyu is still as dashing and refined as ever!"

Duan Rong's praise made Jiang Qingyu's face turn slightly red.

Ximen Kankan, however, came right up and circled Duan Rong twice. While looking him over, he stood with his hands behind his back and said in an old-fashioned tone, "I saw a painting of yours at Xia Shuangshuang's place, called something like the Heaven and Earth Spear Dancing Painting! Xia Shuangshuang had nothing but praise for you! I was quite unconvinced! When I came back and chatted with Jiang Qingyu, he blew you up to the heavens even more!"

"Seeing you today, don't you also just have two eyes and one nose? I thought you really had three heads and six arms?"

Duan Rong saw that Ximen Kankan was a full head shorter than Jiang Qingyu, with a stature of only about 1.5 meters, yet he was exceptionally fat and bulky, with broad shoulders and a thick waist—a total short, round melon!

Yet the tone and manner in which he spoke somehow exuded an air of old age, making Duan Rong think of those oily, slick old scoundrels from his past life's workplace.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Young Master Ximen is joking. If I really grew three heads, wouldn't I have to argue with myself every day? How could I live like that!"

As Duan Rong spoke, he shook his head as if he were truly troubled by the matter.

Ximen Kankan was amused by Duan Rong and said, "You are quite interesting to talk to, much better than this muddle-headed Jiang Qingyu!"

Seeing Ximen Kankan mocking him, Jiang Qingyu glared at him with sudden indignation.

Duan Rong laughed at himself, "Young Master Qingyu is refined; how could he be a rascal like me?"

Ximen Kankan said, "I just like rascals! Come, Escort Duan, since we are meeting for the first time, let me introduce myself!"

"My name is Ximen Kankan, the 'Kankan' of 'bumpy and uneven'! Let me tell you! Names are all meant to be the opposite! My father gave me this name in the hope that my life would be smooth sailing."

"Look at my father, named Ximen Yong—how outstanding is that!"

"The world is ignorant and always likes high-sounding names, not knowing that if a name is set too high, you won't be able to bear it, and your fate will be miserable!"

Jiang Qingyu rolled his eyes at Ximen Kankan and said, "Twisted logic!"

Duan Rong also rubbed his nose, feeling quite indifferent to such theories.

"You two don't believe it..."

Ximen Kankan still wanted to argue, but Jiang Qingyu, no longer wanting to hear his nonsense, interrupted him, "Enough! Stop babbling about those irrelevant things. You invited Brother Duan here, isn't it because you want to request a painting?"

Ximen Kankan was a bit disappointed, but when he remembered the painting, his eyes lit up as he looked at Duan Rong and said, "Escort Duan, please paint one for me too! My requirements are very simple: it must surpass those two paintings by Jiang Qingyu and Xia Shuangshuang!"

Duan Rong's expression remained unchanged, but his heart felt greatly troubled.

Those two paintings by Jiang Qingyu and Xia Shuangshuang were almost the highest level of all his works, and both were created with specific inspiration!

Now, Ximen Kankan was actually demanding he surpass those two, and judging by his appearance, he had seen both of them!

How was he supposed to accomplish this?

"I've seen both of those paintings; they are as bland as boiled water, completely tasteless!" Ximen Kankan curled his lip, seemingly very dissatisfied with those two works.

Seeing Ximen Kankan criticizing his work right in front of Duan Rong, Jiang Qingyu felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Brother Duan, don't take offense! This kid has been playing with fighting cocks and dogs since he was young; he really knows nothing about the art of calligraphy and painting! Don't listen to his nonsense!"

"Who knows nothing? I don't know how many paintings I have in my collection, and they are all treasures!" Ximen Kankan retorted.

For some reason, when Ximen Kankan said that his collection consisted of treasures, Jiang Qingyu's face flushed red instantly, which Duan Rong found very strange.

However, after their exchange, the difficulty in Duan Rong's heart was immediately resolved. He thought to himself: So this short, round melon is just a crude fellow who knows nothing of literature! That should be easy to handle!

"It's no trouble at all! I guarantee I will make Young Master Ximen satisfied!" Duan Rong said with a smile.

Jiang Qingyu was stunned for a moment; he felt Duan Rong was too confident. He knew Ximen Kankan's character best.

But Ximen Kankan was very happy to hear this and laughed, "I knew we were a good match! Come! This young master will grind the ink for you himself!"

Shi Liang had already laid out the Four Treasures of the Study and drawing paper on the table.

Duan Rong mixed some pigments, pondered for a moment, and once Ximen Kankan had finished grinding the ink, he took up a brush, saturated it with ink, and began to paint on the paper!

After only a quarter of an hour, a colorful painting was already finished!

In the painting, Ximen Kankan was holding a Moon Blade Curved Saber, standing beside some strange rocks in a pine forest!

Duan Rong had noticed the weapon at Ximen Kankan's waist, so he had faithfully included it in the painting!

In the painting, Ximen Kankan was straddling the back of a large, yellow-furred tiger with black stripes and a white forehead!

And on a pine tree nearby, a giant python as thick as a child's waist was coiled around the tree, flicking its scarlet tongue at Ximen Kankan!

The tiger was leaping into mid-air with Ximen Kankan, and the Moon Blade Curved Saber in Ximen Kankan's hand was chopping straight down at the giant python!

"What a magnificent 'Fierce Tiger Fighting a Python' painting!"

As soon as Duan Rong finished, Ximen Kankan held the painting, his eyes shining as he praised it incessantly!

Jiang Qingyu also leaned over to look and immediately shook his head endlessly. Although this painting was colorful and the content was exotic, it truly had no Artistic Conception to speak of; it could hardly be called good!

Jiang Qingyu was just about to speak, but seeing Ximen Kankan's repeated exclamations of approval and looking at Duan Rong's calm and indifferent demeanor, he finally understood: this was something Duan Rong had done on purpose!

Jiang Qingyu's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but admire Duan Rong even more.

He painted a Martial Artist Sword-dancing Picture for him, and a Fierce Tiger Fighting a Python Picture for Ximen Kankan; both of them cheered, which shows that Duan Rong not only possesses superb Painting Skill, but also the ability to see into people's hearts!

"Brother Duan, I really like this painting! I don't know how many times better this painting is than those two by Jiang Qingyu and Xia Shuangshuang! Later, I will definitely take this painting to show Xia Shuangshuang, to dampen her arrogance!"

"As long as Young Master Ximen likes it!" Duan Rong laughed, though he still hoped Ximen Kankan would not show this painting to Xia Shuangshuang.

Watching Ximen Kankan's behavior, Jiang Qingyu could only shake his head secretly; after all, aesthetics is something that is sometimes very difficult to communicate.

"Brother Duan, we hit it off the moment we met! Come! I'll let you see the treasures I've collected!" Ximen Kankan said with a smile as he set down the painting in his hand.

Upon hearing Ximen Kankan say this, Jiang Qingyu's expression changed immediately, and he cupped his hands and said: "Brother Duan, you two chat! That... I have something else to do, so I'll be going first!"

Having said that, he actually left directly.

Watching Jiang Qingyu leave, Duan Rong was instantly confused.

Ximen Kankan, however, said: "Don't mind that sissy! It's just that I don't have a penchant for men; if I did, I would have fucked him first!"

Duan Rong was startled by Ximen Kankan's words! Is this guy playing so wild?

As Ximen Kankan spoke, he flashed behind the screen, and after a few breaths, he walked out holding a somewhat yellowed scroll!

Ximen Kankan smiled at Duan Rong and spread the scroll out on the desk!

Duan Rong fixed his eyes on it, only to see that the painting was nothing but blobs of black graffiti, with absolutely no image to speak of!

"This..." Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan, puzzled for a moment.

"Don't be impatient! I'll show you a magic trick first!" Ximen Kankan gave Duan Rong a meaningful look.

Ximen Kankan took a Fire Folder, blew it bright, removed the lampshade from the Candle Lamp at the corner of the desk, and lit the candle inside!

Duan Rong was slightly puzzled; in broad daylight, with the light here so bright, why light a candle for no reason?

Ximen Kankan walked over, shoved one end of the scroll into Duan Rong's hand, and said: "You hold this end!"

Ximen Kankan took the other end himself, held the painting suspended and spread out, and then he took the candlelight and moved it slowly beneath the painting paper...

Before long, where the candlelight had toasted, the black graffiti faded away, and ink paintings actually appeared!

It was actually a Spring Palace Painting!

Duan Rong instantly understood why Jiang Qingyu had suddenly blushed when Ximen Kankan mentioned he had collected many treasures, and why he had suddenly left in a hurry just now!

So, the treasures Ximen Kankan spoke of were Spring Palace Paintings!

Duan Rong looked at the Spring Palace Painting before him and swallowed his saliva!

However, he was not tempted by the obscene scene before him; as the owner of a 200GB hard drive in his past life, how many high-definition, uncensored works had he seen, and what kind of scenes had he not witnessed?

Duan Rong's focus was on the magic trick that could make the black graffiti disappear instantly!

As long as he mastered this method!

He could construct a hidden Mandala!

As long as the hidden Mandala was constructed, he could immediately begin practicing the Womb Treasury Sutra!

(End of this chapter)