Chapter 69: Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear

"Xueqing, go fetch my Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear!" Xia Shuangshuang said with a calm smile to Xueqing, who was inside the pavilion.

Xueqing performed a curtsy and left the pavilion!

Before long, Xueqing returned holding a spear wrapped in a moon-white spear cover. The spear seemed to have some weight to it; as Xueqing held it horizontally in her arms, her gait appeared to be somewhat strained!

Xueqing walked up to Xia Shuangshuang, who grabbed the spear and cover together in one go, gave a sharp tug, removed the cover, and placed it into Xueqing's hands!

One could see that as Xia Shuangshuang gripped the spear with her right hand, her entire temperament seemed to change abruptly!

The spear was almost as tall as she was. The spear blade was shaped like a phoenix feather, curved and sharpened. Engraved on the spear shaft were patterns of various birds, and a snow-white spear tassel fluttered beside the phoenix-feather blade.

Duan Rong, sitting in the pavilion, could not help but let his eyes brighten! Truly a fine weapon!

"What I practice is the Green Water Spear Technique. I hope you will offer some pointers, sir!" With the long spear in hand, Xia Shuangshuang swept away all traces of a young lady's demeanor, suddenly becoming heroic and spirited, her aura sharp!

Once Xia Shuangshuang finished speaking, the long spear swung out suddenly. With thrusts, stabs, and horizontal slashes, her skirt billowed like waves, and the long spear moved like a boat!

Xia Shuangshuang suddenly flipped and leaped, executing the move White Rainbow Piercing the Sun, thrusting rapidly in mid-air, which made Duan Rong's breath hitch!

This Green Water Spear Technique of Xia Shuangshuang's had already reached the Small Success Realm of the Inner Breath Realm Third Layer!

Once unleashed, the spear's Artistic Conception stacked layer upon layer, each move more ferocious than the last!

Xia Shuangshuang finished her routine, retracted the spear, stood to the side, and smiled with composure, looking calm and collected!

After watching, Duan Rong felt no small amount of pressure. Are all children of noble families this formidable?

Duan Rong hesitated slightly and did not begin painting immediately. Instead, he stood up, walked to the edge of the pavilion, looked at the pond in front, and pondered in silence.

A look of doubt appeared in Xueqing's eyes, and she looked at Xia Shuangshuang with a questioning expression. Xia Shuangshuang raised a slender hand, signaling that she need not say more!

She knew that Duan Rong was conceptualizing!

It was just that, historically, talent did not lie in the mere polishing of phrases. To rack one's brains so much could sometimes be counterproductive and make it difficult to produce a masterpiece!

"This sir is young after all, I fear his level is only average!" The disappointment in Xia Shuangshuang's heart grew a little more.

Duan Rong stood for a long time, then suddenly turned around, walked to the stone table, bent over, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and stood to paint!

Splashing ink with freehand style, the brushstrokes were sparse!

In just a few breaths, the painting was finished!

Duan Rong stood in the pavilion, smiled slightly, and said, "Please take a look, Miss!"

"This... is done already?" Xueqing was slightly surprised.

Xia Shuangshuang, however, remained indifferent and unconcerned. She walked slowly into the pavilion, stood before the stone table, and leaned over to look.

On the snow-white rice paper, there was a large area of blank space, with only a woman in purple robes in the painting, dancing with a spear!

Her sleeves were like clouds, and the long spear was like a silk ribbon!

Apart from this woman, the painting was almost empty. Only in a lonely corner at the bottom right of the image, somewhat abruptly, was a cluster of weeds painted, with a single ink-wash chrysanthemum poking its head out from among the weeds, swaying gently in the wind...

At first glance, Xia Shuangshuang shook her head slightly.

Although this painting showed skill in its brushwork, the composition was too monotonous and felt unbalanced; it could hardly be called a masterpiece!

Xia Shuangshuang then saw the title of the painting, which read: Heaven and Earth Spear Dancing Painting!

"Heaven and Earth Spear Dancing Painting?" For some reason, upon seeing this title, Xia Shuangshuang's heart trembled slightly.

Subconsciously, she looked at the woman in the painting again, and a chill suddenly ran through her entire body.

"Heaven and Earth?"

That single ink-wash chrysanthemum among the weeds represented the earth, while the large area of blank space in the painting was the boundless Cangqiong!

That woman was dancing between heaven and earth!

When she danced with the spear, apart from heaven and earth, no other trivial things were in her heart!

The Artistic Conception in this painting was an external manifestation of the woman's current state of mind!

"Using a single ink-wash chrysanthemum to represent the earth, and the boundless blank space to represent the Cangqiong—sir, what a magnificent breadth of mind and spirit you have!" Xia Shuangshuang raised her head, and when she looked at Duan Rong again, she was already filled with admiration.

"This is the spirit of your spear dancing, Miss. I merely saw it and felt joy, so I recorded it with brush and paper," Duan Rong said with a slight, understated smile.

"A reputation is well-deserved! You are truly a man of high talent, sir!" Xia Shuangshuang's praise at this moment truly came from the bottom of her heart.

When she danced with the spear, how could she ever manage to see only heaven and earth, and not the mundane world?

The brilliance of Duan Rong's painting lay in his freehand style!

But Duan Rong had also exhausted his efforts in making this painting, nearly reaching the end of his wits.

His brushwork, through daily practice recently, might have improved slightly, but it was basically negligible; it was merely a matter of hand familiarity.

This painting succeeded because of its conception.

However, this conception of the heaven and earth Artistic Conception was indeed something he had chanced upon by the pavilion!

But since a painting is a seal of the heart, could this grand and vast Artistic Conception at the tip of the brush not stem from a vast and open state of mind?

Duan Rong had lived two lifetimes; compared to ordinary people, his state of mind was indeed different!

While the two were talking in the pavilion, a little maid suddenly lifted her skirt and ran over in a hurry, saying in a panic, "Miss, Miss Shen is here! She is almost at the Rockery!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Shuangshuang's expression changed instantly. She turned to Xueqing and said, "Xueqing, quick! Take the sir and leave through the side door over there!"

She herself immediately rushed out of the pavilion toward the Rockery to intercept Shen Mizhi.

Xia Shuangshuang rushed to the Rockery and almost collided with Shen Mizhi. She grabbed Shen Mizhi and laughed, "My dear sister, the steward just bought some new birds from the Prefecture City! Let's go over there and take a look at the new birds..."

Xia Shuangshuang pulled Shen Mizhi toward the other side...

Shen Mizhi's clothes were shifted by her pulling. She glared at her and scolded, "You girl, why are you so clumsy and rash?"

While pulling Shen Mizhi, Xia Shuangshuang looked over her shoulder toward the other side. From afar, she saw that Xueqing had already led Duan Rong into a winding corridor and hidden their figures. Her heart eased, and she let go, saying, "Still blaming me for being clumsy? I don't know who it was that suddenly lost their temper for no reason a few days ago. I even went to find you, but you wouldn't even let me in the door!"

Shen Mizhi was slightly taken aback. Knowing that she had indeed been a bit extreme a few days ago, she smiled and said, "Look at you, still holding a grudge? Didn't I come here to apologize to you?"

"Fine, come." Xia Shuangshuang suddenly sat down on a stone on the Rockery and said, "Apologize! Call me 'Grandmother'!"

"You shameless Xia Shuangshuang, see if I don't tear your mouth apart." Shen Mizhi blushed at Xia Shuangshuang's words and playfully lunged at her, and the two immediately began to scuffle.

Duan Rong exited through the side door of the Xia Mansion's Back Courtyard, the midday sun casting mottled tree shadows into the alleyway beneath his feet.

Duan Rong unfolded the banknote in his hand and raised his eyebrows slightly.

This banknote was what Xueqing had hurriedly shoved into his hand when he left just now.

"Five hundred taels!"

"The Little God of Wealth is truly the Little God of Wealth! It was worth all the trouble I went through!"

Duan Rong was in a great mood and prepared to go to the street to have a good meal and improve his diet.

Although Duan Rong practiced diligently every day, the Middle Courtyard canteen of the Yuanshun Escort Agency was quite rich in grease and meat, and he hadn't eaten at a proper restaurant in a long time.

"Oh, my temple of the five viscera, you are in for a treat today!"

Thinking this, Duan Rong turned his steps and walked out from the other end of the alley.

The restaurants on West Street were too expensive; although Duan Rong had quite a few assets now, the stingy habits he had developed in his previous life remained unchanged!

As the saying goes, ride a bicycle to the bar—save where you should, spend where you must!

It was just to appease his stomach, so there was no need to go to those big, brightly lit, and exquisitely decorated restaurants on West Street; they were deathly expensive and just for show—who was he trying to impress?

Duan Rong arrived at a small street corner not far from West Street and found a dilapidated, greasy little tavern.

He ordered two hearty dishes, three sesame flatbreads, and a pot of yellow wine!

With a slurp of yellow wine, he swallowed a large piece of pork belly covered in sauce along with the flatbread; the satisfaction of his appetite rose up instantly...

Duan Rong chewed in large mouthfuls, feeling every taste bud in his mouth groaning...

(End of this chapter)