Chapter 34: The Scholar's Doubt

Duan Rong walked to the desk of the thin scholar and deliberately coughed twice.

The thin scholar raised his head, placed the brush in his hand onto the brush rest on the desk, and said in an elegant voice, "This customer, are you here to have a letter written?"

It seemed that most of the people who patronized this scholar were there to have letters written.

But for this kind of trade, how many coins could one actually earn?

"I want to look at some paintings. I recently built a new house and was thinking of hanging a painting in the main hall as decoration," Duan Rong replied with a smile.

The thin scholar immediately walked over politely and asked, "Does the customer want a Mountain and Water Painting, or a Martial Artist painting?"

The profit from selling a single painting was far greater than writing letters for others.

If he could really sell one, he could add a meat dish to his meal today.

"Let me look first." Duan Rong paced to the paintings behind the scholar and examined them carefully.

Because he had already devoured and digested the Spirit Tool of the Night Banquet of Ladies, he now possessed the Primary Level of Masterful Brushwork.

Once this realm was digested and absorbed, his eye for art naturally improved as well.

As soon as Duan Rong looked at those paintings, he understood that this scholar's style was completely different from that beautiful woman who was a master of Spring Palace Painting.

His Martial Artist paintings were drawn far better than his Lady Painting works.

It seems every scholar has a dream of being a martial artist in their heart!

"How much is this one?" Duan Rong asked, pointing to one of the paintings.

That painting depicted a Youthful Martial Artist practicing with a Sword, with strange rocks and a bamboo forest in the background.

This was just an ordinary painting, but it was drawn with quite a bit of Artistic Conception.

As soon as the thin scholar saw Duan Rong pointing at that painting, his eyes lit up; this painting was the proudest work of his painting career.

"This one is three silver coins," the thin scholar said, suppressing the thumping in his heart, his voice calm.

In truth, his paintings usually sold for one silver coin, but for some reason, he subconsciously said three.

It wasn't that he wanted to cheat Duan Rong, but rather that he subconsciously couldn't bear to part with this painting.

"Help me wrap it up," Duan Rong said.

"Ah..." the scholar was stunned.

Duan Rong took three silver coins from the inner pocket of his robe and handed them to the thin scholar.

The thin scholar looked at the silver in Duan Rong's hand, suddenly blushed, and said, "Ah... no, no, actually... it doesn't cost that much!"

"Didn't you just say three silver coins?"

"Yes... I... I misspoke just now... one silver coin, one coin is enough..."

Duan Rong was slightly taken aback; this man was too honest.

No wonder they say scholars are poor and pathetic; he was even pushing away money that was already in his hand.

Duan Rong stuffed the three silver coins into the scholar's hand. "A proud work, can't bear to part with it?"

The scholar was stunned by Duan Rong's words and quickly said, "The customer chose this one at a glance, so you are a connoisseur; it is not being wasted."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Then why don't you wrap it for me."

"Please wait a moment, customer."

The thin scholar had originally thought that because Duan Rong was dressed in short, rough clothing, he might be an uncultured man, but Duan Rong's words just now had pierced through his thoughts, showing that he truly had an eye for paintings and that choosing this one was not a random, accidental gesture.

The thin scholar took down the painting and rolled it up.

During this time, Duan Rong paced to the desk and discovered an unfinished Mountain and Water Painting on it.

Although it was only half-finished, Duan Rong already had a judgment.

This scholar's brushwork was good at landscapes and skilled at martial artists, but he was not proficient in ladies.

This was likely not a matter of ability, but rather that his heart was not in it.

It seemed this person was still a man of refined interests.

Duan Rong suddenly saw the brush resting on the brush rest on the desk.

Duan Rong's gaze shifted; he reached out, picked up the brush, and silently recited, "Read Spirit Tool."

Artifact: Wolf Hair Brush

Spirit Artifact Tier: First Tier.

Devour Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 1 (Satisfied)

Devour Effect: Brushwork Like a God Primary Level

As soon as Duan Rong saw the set of data floating before his eyes, he smiled slightly and silently recited, "Devour!"

The thin scholar wrapped the painting and handed it to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong put the brush down, reached out to take the painting, and bowed to take his leave.

The thin scholar watched Duan Rong leave, wondering if he would ever be able to paint another work of the same standard as that second Youthful Martial Artist painting in his life.

Some things are actually accidental gifts of fate that cannot be forced.

The thin scholar shook his head to himself, smiled lightly, walked to the desk, picked up the brush again, and prepared to finish the unfinished Mountain and Water Painting before him.

As soon as the thin scholar put the brush to the paper, his wrist stopped; he gave a soft sound of surprise and looked at the brush in his hand with a puzzled expression.

This Wolf Hair Brush was bought and given to him by his wife the year they were married.

Because he and his wife were deeply in love, he had been using this brush for the past year or two.

After a long time, it had become familiar, and every time he held it, it felt like an extension of his own arm.

But today, it felt somewhat awkward.

The thin scholar turned the brush horizontally, held it before his eyes, and looked at the texture of the brush barrel, confirming it was the original brush.

"Strange, could it be that I am feeling unsettled because I lost that Youthful Martial Artist painting?" A deep sense of confusion appeared in the thin scholar's eyes.

He suddenly remembered that when he was wrapping that painting, the customer seemed to have touched this brush of his.

"The jianghu is full of strange things, perhaps..."

The lean scholar raised his eyes to look toward the street corner, but the figure of Duan Rong was already nowhere to be seen...

Duan Rong walked past a street corner holding the scroll of paintings, and suddenly thought: "Spirit Reader."

Artifact: Painting of a Young Martial Artist

Spirit Artifact Tier: Second Tier

Devour Requirement: Host Level 2 Mental Power (Not Met)

Devour Effect: Primary Level Brushwork Like a God, Primary Level Wonderful Hand Obtained by Chance

Duan Rong looked at the set of data appearing before him, his heart filled with astonishment.

"This..."

"It actually cannot be devoured!"

"How could it be a Second-tier Spirit Tool!?"

Duan Rong had not touched every painting the scholar had hung up; would that not have just become "touching one" again?

But he had still touched one of the paintings and read its Spirit Tool; that one was only a First-tier Spirit Tool, and the devour effect was only the single item of Primary Level Brushwork Like a God.

Duan Rong looked at the Primary Level Wonderful Hand Obtained by Chance in the devour effects and suddenly understood.

This painting was the scholar performing beyond his normal limits, which was why it was so brilliant and possessed such unique Artistic Conception.

"No wonder he was reluctant to sell this painting; it is a masterpiece of Wonderful Hand Obtained by Chance, and I fear he himself could never paint to this standard again."

"However, it is fortunate that I devoured the Spirit Tool of his Wolf Hair Brush; otherwise, I would have had to make another trip to him, which would surely have aroused suspicion, wouldn't it?"

Duan Rong had only read the Spirit Tool of that Wolf Hair Brush out of momentary curiosity, and once he saw it was the same as the Spirit Tool of the painting he had read earlier, he had devoured it directly.

Duan Rong went to that Four Treasures of the Study shop again, replenished a batch of the rice paper and dyes he had used up yesterday, and only then took them back to the Escort Agency.

When Duan Rong walked back to the Escort Agency, it was only just past the Shen hour.

As he passed through the Martial Arts Arena, he saw many Escorts either doing Standing Stake or practicing routines, but Duan Rong turned his steps and headed toward the dormitory courtyard.

He needed to take a nap to digest the Spirit Tool he had just devoured.

Zhao Mu was doing Standing Stake in the Martial Arts Arena; he had been standing for a full two hours and had just finished his practice, preparing to go drink some tea and rest, when he saw Duan Rong walking by not far away.

Zhao Mu immediately called out enthusiastically: "Kid Rong, where are you going?"

"Ah... it's Escort Zhao Mu, I am... going to the dormitory to sleep." Duan Rong smiled slightly, then turned and walked toward the dormitory.

Zhao Mu's eyes were filled with suspicion as he looked up at the sun.

"In the middle of the day at such a good hour... going to the dormitory to sleep... is this child's head not right lately..."

(End of this chapter)