“Junior, please don’t overthink it!”
Upon hearing Li Mo say he wanted to learn to paint, Ouyang leaned back slightly, his expression changing dramatically.
“What’s the problem?”
Li Mo was baffled by his sudden shift in mood.
“Encouraging someone to learn painting? It’s a one-way ticket to becoming a big fool!”
Ouyang’s face was serious as he began to list the downsides of learning to paint, like a bamboo tube pouring out beans:
“First of all, the art of painting requires talent. In this regard, it’s harder than having a great foundation in martial arts!”
“No need to worry about talent,” Li Mo thought to himself. There’s no way he was less talented than Ouyang in swordsmanship. He could muddle through with some insights. Besides, he didn’t plan to become some grand master painter. Just being able to sketch out some rough shapes would be enough. Everything else could be left to the miracle stamp!
Ouyang smirked slightly and couldn’t resist advising again: “Learning to paint also burns a hole in your pocket.”
“When I first started learning, my family thought I was involved in something illegal.”
“LOL, yeah, because nothing’s more expensive than high-quality brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones!”
In response, Little Li smiled shyly. “I got a few sets of the Four Treasures of the Study, practicing should be enough… right?”
He displayed his investment return in brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.
“You’re going to practice with these…?” Ouyang’s mouth dropped open.
Li Mo waved his hand dismissively: “I mean, they’re just sitting here, might as well use them!”
Ouyang: “….”
Do you even hear yourself, bro?
Qingmai Jade Slips… Dustless Brush… Pine Pattern Purple Smoke Beast Ink… Qilin Fragrance Inkstone…
Even the greatest scholars today wouldn’t have such a luxurious set.
Let’s take that beast ink for example. His teacher had waited over a decade at an auction just to get his hands on a piece, spending half his fortune on it.
His fists clenched; at that moment, he really wanted to hit something, but alas, couldn’t.
When he bid farewell to Li Mo, he wore a complicated expression.
“Oh, junior.”
“Hmm?”
“Next time you come find me, just walk in. Please don’t shout ‘Elder Shang Wu is here!’ or I won’t dare to paint anymore!”
“Got it.”
Little Li politely handed over a thousand taels in silver bills, soothing Ouyang’s wounded spirit.
“Your lordship, take it slow! If you don’t understand anything about the path of painting, be sure to come ask me!”
Ouyang’s face beamed as he saw Li Mo off the mountain.
…..
At Qiushui Pavilion.
On a stone table lay a broken statue and a blurred image of Guan Shen.
After returning, Li Mo tried observing Guan Shen once more.
And then…
The Night Ghost statue and the Flesh-and-bl**d Buddha visualization were both wrecked.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled out the Golden Crow Transforms the Sun diagram.
The diagram was fine.
However, he also didn’t gain any insights into his consciousness soul, not to mention condensing shapes or breaking through the Xuanji Realm.
“Where did I go wrong?”
“Is it my lack of experience in the Xuanji Realm?”
“Or is it… my celestial body?”
Li Mo couldn’t help but let his thoughts drift.
The first possibility was slim.
So it had to be the latter.
Even the elders couldn’t see the celestial body, just had to feel their way through.
“Looks like I’ll have to try things out slowly myself.”
“Creating the Guan Shen image isn’t easy; I’ll have to figure it out hands-on.”
Li Mo pulled out the “Miraculous Ink Wash Record” and focused intently on reading it.
Who would’ve thought, painting isn’t that simple!
Composition, form, and artistic mood need to blend together perfectly.
To paint the Guan Shen image, one even needs to condense their own consciousness soul at the pen tip, flowing with the ink to create outlines.
No doubt, this raised the difficulty level of painting geometrically.
A little mistake, and the whole painting would be ruined.
“I suspect my painting talent is just as limited as my swordsmanship…”
Li Mo shook his head.
After barely making it through the entire ink wash record, he attempted to use his martial arts insights.
【Thirty years of martial arts insights injected.】
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Martial arts insights could actually work here.
This is probably because this ink wash record is all about painting the Guan Shen image, so it’s classified within martial arts.
Bad news…
【Thirty years of martial arts insights depleted.】
【Your “Miraculous Ink Wash Record” has reached initial mastery.】
Li Mo: “…..”
He recalled Ouyang’s pained expression, trying to warn him not to learn painting.
“Encouraging someone to learn painting, it’ll be a one-way ticket to becoming a fool.”
He was right!
Clearly, initial mastery only allowed for regular ink wash painting; to create the Guan Shen image, at least complete mastery was required.
【Thirty years of martial arts insights successfully injected.】
【In your first year, you recall every scene you’ve encountered, practicing with all your might.】
…..
【In the thirtieth year, you feel that you’ve done everything you can, yet you still struggle to paint the Guan Shen image. You realize this is the peak of what you can achieve within the path of painting.】
【When it comes to art, if you can’t do it, you just can’t.】
【You haven’t even figured out what you want to paint—how can you pour your spirit into it?】
【Thirty years of martial arts insights depleted.】
Endless insights flooded his mind.
“I’m trying out a painting technique, why does it have to be so sarcastic?!”
Little Li slammed his fist on the stone table, causing the Four Treasures of the Study to float in the air.
Another thirty years wasted; not even a small city’s worth was gained!
Is there even any justice?
Is there any law?
“What’s wrong with you?”
A confused voice from an ice chunk entered his ears.
Looking up, he saw the sunset where a girl stood with her sword, as if glowing.
The evening breeze was a bit loud, making the leaves dance and the girl’s skirt flutter with three thousand strands of black hair waving.
Li Mo was stunned.
Just learned to paint, and now he suddenly wanted to grab his brush.
“Ying Bing.”
“Hmm?”
“Can you help me with something?”
“Anything but soaking in the hot springs.”
“Hmm…”
…..
Dinner time.
Delicious dishes were laid out on the table.
Shang Wu looked curiously at Li Mo in the distance, who was sitting at the drawing board, attentively splattering ink and moving the brush with grace, like a dragon and snake.
“What’s he doing?”
“He said he wanted my help to practice painting.”
Ying Bing withdrew her gaze, feeling slightly puzzled.
At that moment, Li Mo was deeply focused.
There was something inexplicable about the feeling of being painted as someone else.
“Painting?”
“Did you get into that stuff at Ruyi Peak?”
Shang Wu’s eyes widened as she rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush to Ruyi Peak.
Her beautiful master was вvery angry.
This was leading her precious disciple down the wrong path!
“Master, it was my own choice.”
Li Mo spoke helplessly.
“That’s an even bigger issue!”
Shang Wu walked over to him.
Casually glancing at the drawings on the Qingmai Jade Slips, her expression froze.
Instantly, she stopped being so loud.
“Hmm?”
Ying Bing was slightly surprised and moved closer.
All of a sudden, the girl’s figure came to life on the paper.
No facial features were drawn, but…
You could surprisingly tell it was her.
……
P.S.: Sorry for the delay, I wrote a chapter that didn’t feel right and deleted it. I feel that I can’t present anything that’s not up to par to the viewers, my bad!
There’s another chapter coming tonight, but it may be late, so you can check it out tomorrow.
