Chapter 350

【You looked at the desk; the paper was all expensive Chengxin Hall paper from Above Bianjing, a specialty of the Jiangnan Circuit.】

【How could ordinary commoners dare to hope for it? Its finished product has always had the reputation of being "as smooth as spring ice, as dense as silkworm cocoons."】

【You had never used this kind of paper before.】

【Zhou Yuner lowered her head to grind the ink, and slowly looked up to see you with your chin resting in your hand, lost in thought, your nose bridge high and straight, your jawline clearly visible, and your long, black hair hanging over your shoulders.】

【There was a sense of contemplation in your eyes, and you naturally possessed an extraordinary air of elegance.】

【It was not that Zhou Yuner had never seen people with handsome features, but the temperament you revealed was far different.】

【Confucianism often says, "A heart filled with literature is as empty as a valley; a belly filled with poetry and books makes one's spirit naturally magnificent."】

【You turned your eyes slightly, noticed Zhou Yuner's gaze, and gave her a gentle smile.】

【"Many thanks, Miss Yuner."】

【Zhou Yuner was known for her bold speech, but at this moment she was momentarily speechless, and could only respond in a voice as thin as a thread: "You are too polite, Young Master Guan."】

【Jia Yu witnessed this scene and was immediately furious. Recalling just a moment ago, Zhou Yuner had not shown such tenderness, and even when everyone took turns toasting her, she hadn't touched a drop of wine.】

【Not to mention the act of grinding ink for him.】

【And now, she was so considerate to that Xie Guan, which truly made Jia Yu feel dissatisfied.】

【He secretly thought to himself, that Xie Guan is just a pretty boy with nothing but looks; what real talent could he have in his belly!】

【Just you wait, in a moment I will make you all see his true colors!】

【Jia Yu looked at you and said coldly: "Young Master Guan, are you willing to accept the bet?"】

【You said indifferently: "A gentleman's word is like a four-horse chariot; once spoken, it cannot be taken back."】

【Jia Yu ignored him, immediately tore off the snow-white paper that had been accidentally stained with ink, and calmed his heart.】

【He had learned painting since he was young and had studied under Master Liu Xing of the academy, concentrating on his studies for six years.】

【At this moment, he held the brush in both hands, using both simultaneously; this was the unique skill he had practiced hard for many years.】

【Painting with both hands at the same time, using one mind for two tasks, yet being able to complete them simultaneously—the exquisiteness of his technique was evident.】

【He was especially good at painting tigers; to achieve both form and spirit, he had once asked his father to hunt a variegated fierce tiger and place it in the backyard for him to observe day and night.】

【He didn't know how much effort he had spent; the tigers in his paintings were either sitting or standing, roaring or crouching, all lifelike.】

【At this moment, his left hand painted a "sitting tiger," standing in the wind, majestic and awe-inspiring.】

【"The fierce tiger lurks in the deep mountains, roaring and creating its own wind."】

【His right hand outlined the form of a "roaring tiger."】

【He Xiao watched quietly from the side; although he had no good feelings for Jia Yu and the others, he had to admit that Jia Yu's painting skills were indeed extraordinary.】

【With just a few strokes, the tiger's form had already leaped onto the paper.】

【Among their circle of scholars taking the imperial examinations, Jia Yu had quite a reputation for painting tigers, and He Xiao had naturally heard of it.】

【He Xiao turned to look at you, but found that you still hadn't moved your brush, and were even carefully selecting a brush on the desk.】

【He couldn't help but sigh, thinking that if it were a calligraphy competition, you might have a chance of winning, after all, he had seen your handwriting with his own eyes, and it already possessed quite a bit of character.】

【However, now you were going to compete with him in painting skills; I fear this round will be hard to avoid defeat.】

【Zhang Yuanlai often visited the small courtyard, but had never seen you paint, and at this moment he felt extremely anxious.】

【This matter started because of him; if you ended up losing and leaving the Gathering of Fragrant Flowers, wouldn't he have become someone who achieved the opposite of what he intended?】

【However, seeing your expression as calm as water, Zhang Yuanlai felt a bit more settled in his heart.】

【You had always been mature for your age and never acted rashly; back then, when playing chess with Xie Yuan, you also turned defeat into victory.】

【After some contemplation, you did recall the flood dragon in the Ze Lake.】

【You finally grabbed an excellent brush and prepared to start.】

【Feng Yaya saw the young man make a move and hurriedly cast a gaze of attention.】

【The woman in gold, Li Xiangjun, also focused her eyes on Xie Guan.】

【You walked slowly to the desk, lifted the brush lightly, and then let it fall.】

【The ink was waved freely on the vast, snow-white paper, slowly lengthening.】

【The scholars beside Jia Yu also cast their gazes, and seeing you drop the brush so casually, without any rules or methods, they couldn't help but sneer.】

【Their previous worries dissipated instantly; after all, Xie Guan was somewhat famous in Above Bianjing, otherwise Li Xiangjun and the others wouldn't have valued him so much.】

【Although they looked down on the Caotang Poetry Society founded by Su Yun, they felt awe for this Su family young master who came from a powerful family in Above Bianjing.】

【Not to mention making friends, even being able to cling to this young master was a beautiful thing they couldn't ask for.】

【Li Xiangjun, however, was full of confusion; the reason she treated Xie Guan with such courtesy was all because Miss Zhang Yuzhi of the Zhang family, while chatting with Sister Yun, spoke highly of this Xie family concubine-born son, calling him "a flood dragon within reach, definitely not a thing of the pond."】

【It was because of such high praise that she took note of Xie Guan.】

【Although she was not proficient in painting, she also felt that your way of dropping the brush was inappropriate.】

【Looking at Jia Yu instead!】

【He was concentrating on his painting. The "sitting tiger" he painted with his left hand was already half-finished; the tiger had cold eyes and hanging pupils, an angry mouth and drooping lips, and the fur on its body danced and fluttered in the wind.】

【The "roaring tiger" on his right hand was also lifelike, mouth open in a posture of roaring at the sky, its momentum so aggressive that it seemed capable of intimidating all beasts.】

【"The long wind whistles and shakes the trees, all beasts scatter and bow in the wind."】

【The tiger, as the king of all beasts, is brave and majestic, the leader of mountain beasts, and therefore is also called the Mountain Lord.】

【The fierce tiger walks alone!】

【And the two variegated, hanging-pupil fierce tigers painted by Jia Yu, although independent, complemented each other, showing a unique beauty and majesty.】

【By comparison, your painting had not yet taken shape, while Jia Yu's painting was already gradually entering the best state.】

【It caused many people in the C-zone of the Gathering of Fragrant Flowers to look sideways, and a few people gathered around, praising: "What a tiger painting, it has both form and spirit; the tiger is the master of all beasts, who dares to provoke its anger?"】

【"Even the masters of the academy couldn't paint a tiger better than this."】

【Most of the people here were from wealthy families, so naturally they were literate, and even if they didn't read poetry and books, they naturally had some ability to appreciate paintings.】

【Jia Yu smiled a bit more upon hearing this, and his brushwork became a bit steadier.】

【Zhang Yuanlai's expression was ugly; today Jia Yu's tiger painting seemed even more outstanding than usual, perhaps it was a flash of inspiration on the spot.】

【At this moment!】

【A woman's exclamation, "This is..."】

【Feng Yaya looked in the direction of the sound; the voice was made by Zhou Yuner, who was grinding ink for Xie Guan. At this moment, she seemed to have seen an incredible scene, her eyes fixed on the paper where the young man was dropping his brush.】

【The woman in gold, Li Xiangjun, stared fixedly at the snow-white xuan paper on the yellow pear wood desk, her red lips slightly parted, and she whispered in disbelief: "It's a cloud..."】

【Her voice attracted curious gazes from several people nearby.】

【Just look!】

【The young man held the brush, waving it freely, and a long, long ink trail instantly leaped onto the paper, occupying the upper half.】

【This unexpected stroke left everyone confused and puzzled. However, the young man did not stop; he dipped in ink again, added a heavy stroke below the ink trail, and paused at the end.】

【The ink was not yet dry, and when everyone stared again, they seemed to see a cloud of mist gently scattered on the paper.】

【It wasn't like it; that ink really seemed to be swimming, floating in the air, seemingly pregnant with thunder, emitting a mysterious power.】

【He Xiao rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrong. He stared again, and the ink was still ink; it seemed it was just an illusion just now.】

【However, when he continued to stare, the mist appeared again.】

【He began to suspect whether he had drunk too much, whether his tolerance was poor, or whether he had been too indulgent with his old lover these past few days, leaving his body weak, to the point of kidney deficiency, eye weakness, and tinnitus.】

【Just as He Xiao was having these wild thoughts, a child's voice suddenly rang out: "Mother, the ink on this paper is moving!"】

【Among the six or seven people nearby, an adult was holding a child who spoke innocently.】

【He Xiao was suddenly startled.】

【He looked at the crowd, and they all showed expressions of disbelief or were blinking.】

【It really was moving!】

【The ink seemed to possess life, swimming freely on the paper.】

【The young man continued to wield the brush, his technique simple but bold, and another heavy stroke fell.】

【In everyone's eyes, the mist became a bit thicker.】

【"What kind of painting is this..."】

【The woman in gold had already stood up, her expression surprised.】

【Xie Guan had only just started painting, and there was already such a strange sight.】

【With the mist in the sky, the young man added a few more strokes below the mist, like falling rain.】

【He then "brushed away" a few more strokes under the mist, like a long wind blowing diagonally.】

【Rain is born in the clouds, and wind is born from the rain.】

【Everyone felt as if "the wind is angry like pulling up a mountain, and the rain is like a pouring river."】

【Feng Yaya saw this and sighed in her heart; Xie Guan's brushwork was so unconventional, waving freely, without the exquisite feeling of iron-drawing and silver-hooking or bird-like delicate sketching.】

【However, it was precisely this bold and extremely casual brushwork that gave birth to such a mysterious scene on the paper.】

【Li Xiangjun's beautiful eyes were strange, and she asked confusedly: "Is this a painting of a thunderstorm?..."】

【"No, there seems to be an image in this cloud!"】

【Zhang Yuanlai looked closely; the young man lifted his brush and made a light stroke in the mist, adding a few more strokes.】

【Another strange image appeared within it!】

【Faintly visible, a dragon head was spitting air and probing down from within the mist.】

【The young man painted lightly, and the blurry dragon head gradually took shape, with two horns on its head and dragon whiskers fluttering.】

【There seemed to be thunder and lightning in the dragon's horns, and it opened its mouth to swallow the wind and rain.】

【It wound and swam in the mist, with scales rising and falling on its body.】

【Zhang Yuanlai couldn't help but exclaim, "It's a dragon!"】

【"A true dragon hiding in the mist, stirring up clouds and spitting out fog, magnificent and grand!"】

【The people around also sighed, "The dragon follows the clouds; it really is a star falling from the sky into the pool, a dragon opening the mist in the water."】

【"The world says there are divine dragons, and now I see one winding before my eyes."】

【"Wait a minute... why doesn't this dragon have eyes."】

【You dropped the final stroke, outlining the swaying dragon tail amidst the swirling mist.】

【When everyone looked again, they only felt that this dragon seemed to want to break out of the paper, probing its body from the mist, about to appear completely.】

【The flood dragon is trapped, unable to be free!】

【As everyone was stunned, they seemed to hear the dragon's roar echoing in the mist.】

【The young man had already gently set down his brush.】

【Zhou Yuner hurriedly tidied up the brush and inkstone, not daring to be the least bit careless.】

【Li Xiangjun and the others seemed to have no heart to pay attention to the outcome of this competition.】

【Those who were originally paying attention to Jia Yu's tiger painting were also stunned by the young man's painting.】

【Jia Yu's classmates beside him were full of shock, having no time to care about the remaining ink in Jia Yu's inkstone.】

【You started painting after Jia Yu, but finished before him.】

【Your expression was calm, and after waiting a moment, Jia Yu finally finished painting.】

【Jia Yu had long felt something strange, as more and more people gathered around, but he couldn't be distracted while finishing the final strokes; he finally finished and felt quite satisfied in his heart.】

【These were the two best tigers he had painted in these past few days.】

【After examining his painting to see if there were any omissions, he turned to Xie Guan's paper.】

【He couldn't help but be stunned!】

【There were many Primordial Spirit cultivators among the people around, but none of them had detected the slightest fluctuation of Primordial Spirit power.】

【Without the blessing of Primordial Spirit power, yet able to create such a mysterious painting.】

【Their gazes couldn't help but focus on this young man with a gentle temperament.】

【With this "Cloud and Rain Dragon Probing Picture" as a pearl before them, Jia Yu's tiger painting naturally attracted no one's interest.】

【Zhang Yuanlai sighed, "Young Master Guan not only has deep attainments in calligraphy, but his painting skills are also so extraordinary."】

【You just smiled modestly: "It's just some minor skills!"】

【Your eyes looked at Jia Yu and his tiger painting.】

【Zhou Yuner chuckled and said to Jia Yu: "Young Master Jia Yu, what do you think of this painting?"】

【Jia Yu's face was ashen, he wanted to speak but stopped, and looking at this painting, he was momentarily speechless and unable to say a word.】

【Zhang Yuanlai said pointedly: "Young Master Jia Yu once said he was willing to accept the bet; could it be that he thinks he is the winner right now?"】

【"Gamblers all abide by the rules; Young Master Jia of the Chongshan Academy wouldn't want to go back on his word, would he?"】

【After hearing this, Jia Yu's face instantly turned red, and his hands were tightly clenched in his sleeves.】

【At this moment!】

【A scholar beside Jia Yu stared at the painting and suddenly smiled: "Who wins and who loses is not yet known."】

【"Xie Guan's painting is not yet finished; it hasn't been dotted with eyes."】

【"Painting tigers, horses, and dragons—the most critical part is the dotting of the eyes, which is also the most testing part of painting skills."】

【"Brother Jia's two tigers have both been finished, their eyes bright and spirited, naturally superior."】

【As soon as these words were spoken!】

【Zhang Yuanlai frowned tightly, cursing these people in his heart for being shameless; it was already obvious from the painting, they were clearly trying to be rogues.】

【But it also made sense!】

【Jia Yu also seemed to have found a reason, his eyes raised slightly, "Xie Guan, do you dare to dot the eyes of the dragon?"】

【You just shook your head, "I dare not!"】

【The scholar on the side laughed after hearing this: "Xie Guan, you are afraid that if the dotting of the eyes fails, the painting will fall short of success, then this round will be..."】

【He wanted to say Jia Yu won, but looking at what Xie Guan had painted, he felt he couldn't say those words no matter what.】

【Therefore, he had to awkwardly change his words: "... let's call it a draw."】

【You smiled, "I dare not dot the eyes, I'm just worried..."】

【"If I dot the eyes, this dragon will fly out!"】

(End of Chapter)