Chapter 110: The Master of the Spring Palace Painting

Watching the way Duan Rong swallowed his saliva, Ximen Kankan felt immensely gratified and said, "How about it, Brother Duan? Never seen anything this explosive, have you? Let me tell you, I've got plenty more like this one!"

Duan Rong rubbed his nose and sneered in his heart.

This Spring Palace Painting was nothing more than two naked little figures in some attic within a deep mansion, engaging in lewd acts in broad daylight!

Ninety percent of the image was just background; the real focus was those two blurry, indistinct little figures. To be honest, you couldn't even see the positions clearly!

To someone like Duan Rong, who had seen 200GB of high-definition, uncensored material, this was nothing.

However, Duan Rong had no intention of exposing Ximen Kankan. He smiled, pointed at the Spring Palace Painting before him, and asked, "How did that black smudge turn into this Spring Palace Painting just now?"

A look of pride appeared on Ximen Kankan's face once again. "Pretty impressive, right?"

"Impressive!" Duan Rong immediately flattered him, "Truly miraculous!"

Ximen Kankan grinned, feeling thoroughly satisfied by Duan Rong's flattery. Now quite patient, he explained, "This is a medicinal liquid I forced Lao Qin, the one in charge of stocking the Raw Medicine Shop, to concoct for me!"

"Lao Qin was a wandering folk doctor in his early years, and was later discovered by my father to manage the supply for our three Raw Medicine Shops."

"Don't look down on this old guy; he is very familiar with the properties of all sorts of obscure herbs and is full of wild recipes."

"This liquid is made by mixing black donkey hooves with Peach Gum, chicken blood, mirabilite, and other ingredients in specific proportions, then processed through several techniques! After being lightly roasted with fire, it becomes transparent within two hours, and after two hours, it automatically reverts to a purplish-black color!"

Duan Rong rubbed his nose, a look of contemplation in his eyes.

"Are you wondering why I use this liquid to paint Spring Palace Paintings?" Ximen Kankan glanced at the pensive Duan Rong and guessed.

Duan Rong was actually thinking about how to ask Ximen Kankan for that liquid, but Ximen Kankan was naturally dramatic, and having taken a liking to Duan Rong, he had suddenly become a chatterbox.

Hearing this, Duan Rong gave an awkward smile, neither confirming nor denying.

Ximen Kankan actually sighed, his chubby face showing such a bitter, deep-seated expression that it nearly made Duan Rong laugh.

"It's to stop my father from rummaging through my things! Years ago, after my father found the Spring Palace Paintings I'd hidden, I got a brutal beating! The beating was one thing—just flesh wounds that healed quickly! The key was that he burned all the fine pieces I'd worked so hard to collect! Tell me, how can there be such a god-forsaken father!"

Duan Rong remained silent and didn't take the bait; how could he comment on another man's family affairs?

After thinking for a moment, Duan Rong decided to get straight to the point: "Young Master Ximen, do you have any of that liquid to spare?"

Hearing this, Ximen Kankan gave Duan Rong a wary look. "I do have some to spare, naturally. But I have to keep it for my own use; after all, collecting is my life's work."

The meaning behind Ximen Kankan's words was that he wouldn't give any away.

Duan Rong smiled, looked at the Spring Palace Painting before him, and said, "To be honest, this Spring Palace Painting is quite mediocre!"

"What?" Ximen Kankan was instantly enraged upon hearing this—it made him even angrier than if someone had questioned his manhood. He mocked, "Aren't you afraid of twisting your tongue? If you can produce a better one, I'll kneel down and kowtow to you! I'll call you Grandfather!"

"That won't be necessary! I don't need you making me sound old!" Duan Rong deliberately goaded Ximen Kankan, saying, "Just give me one bottle of that liquid of yours, that's all!"

"You..." Ximen Kankan was choked with anger by Duan Rong.

"Fine!" Ximen Kankan said fiercely, "And what if you can't produce a better one!"

"Then I'll kneel down and call you Grandfather!"

"That's all I needed to hear! You'd better not welsh on the deal! I think we should set a time! When can you bring the painting over?" Feeling he had the victory in the bag, Ximen Kankan wanted to lock in the bet.

A flash crossed Duan Rong's eyes. "The Hour of the Dog!"

"It's a deal!"

"Good!" After saying this, Duan Rong turned and headed straight back to the Yuanshun Escort Agency.

Just after he had walked a distance from the courtyard gate, Ximen Kankan chased after him to the gate and shouted from behind, "Grandson! Don't you dare go back on your word!"

"Your grandfather here always keeps his word!" Duan Rong retorted over his shoulder.

Ximen Kankan spat at Duan Rong's retreating back and said, "Pah! What are you bragging about! I've seen all the spring scenes there are; what kind of Spring Palace Painting haven't I seen? I don't believe you can produce anything better than mine!"

His good impression of Duan Rong had been completely wiped out! He couldn't stand anyone questioning the Spring Palace Paintings he collected; it was like someone squeezing his testicles!

Duan Rong left the Ximen Mansion and walked quickly back to the Yuanshun Escort Agency, returning to his dormitory.

As soon as Duan Rong entered the dormitory, he began to prepare the dyes and grind the ink!

Duan Rong set up his easel, unfolded his stool, and sat down before the easel!

Duan Rong picked up a brush, lightly dipped the tip in ink, pondered for a moment, and began to sketch across the paper.

He first used the ink to outline the contours!

Then, Duan Rong put down that brush, picked up another, saturated it with dye, and began to carefully paint on the paper!

Duan Rong already had a foundation in Painting Skill, and after he began practicing martial arts, his wrist strength became extraordinary. Now, holding the brush with his wrist suspended, his hand was as steady as Mount Tai, and the brush tip traced out delicate details!

Duan Rong painted for nearly a full hour!

A layer of sweat had already faintly beaded on his forehead!

He was determined to make this Spring Palace Painting good enough to shock Ximen Kankan in one go!

Duan Rong had absorbed and digested the artistic intent of the Spring Palace Painting's great beauty, and combined with the countless films he had watched in his past life, he had accumulated a wealth of material.

The ancients were still too reserved!

Therefore, most of those Spring Palace Paintings were vague and indistinct, and even that was considered lewd!

But what Duan Rong wanted to show Ximen Kankan was a high-definition, close-up shot!

"I'll let you see what a real Spring Palace Painting is!"

Finally, Duan Rong buried his head, carefully suspending his brush between the legs of the figure in the painting, cautiously tracing line by line...

Sweat dripped from his chin, drop by drop, but Duan Rong was so extremely focused that he didn't notice at all...

Dusk had passed, twilight had gathered, and the Hour of the Dog was almost upon them!

If Duan Rong didn't show up by then, Ximen Kankan was prepared to head straight to the Yuanshun Escort Agency; he was going to make Duan Rong kowtow to him no matter what!

"Fine, so you really are going to stand me up!"

Ximen Kankan jumped off his grandmaster chair, preparing to mount his horse and head to the Yuanshun Escort Agency to catch him, when a figure walked quickly into the twilight!

He saw the person holding a scroll of paper and shouting, "Light the lamps!"

Ximen Kankan was stunned for a moment before he recognized the person—it was Duan Rong!

This Xueyan Residence was his mother's former residence; after his mother died, this courtyard had remained empty, and he only came here occasionally to meet friends! If he didn't call for them, the servants wouldn't take the initiative to light the lamps in this courtyard!

Ximen Kankan took out a Fire Folder and lit the Candle Lamp!

Upon seeing the painting in Duan Rong's hand, which was just a sheet of drawing paper not even mounted, he immediately let out a cold snort through his nose!

Carrying this painting, Duan Rong had been on edge the entire way; if a passerby were to accidentally see such a grand Spring Palace Painting, his reputation would be ruined!

At the very least, the title of "lecherous demon" would likely stick to him for good!

In the yellow, bright halo of the Candle Lamp, Duan Rong unfolded the drawing paper!

Ximen Kankan took one look and immediately gasped!

His entire person instantly turned to stone!

After a long while, Ximen Kankan finally let out a breath, his eyes shining as he exclaimed, "A work for the ages! A masterpiece! The light of humanity!"

Ximen Kankan took the painting from Duan Rong's hand, and as if he had lost his soul, he called out repeatedly, "How could there be such a good thing? How could... there be such a thing?"

As Ximen Kankan watched and watched, he suddenly discovered that the ink on the painting did not seem to be completely dry; he felt a chill all over, turned his head, looked at Duan Rong with an astonished expression, and asked with his hands trembling slightly, "This... did you paint this?"

(End of this chapter)