### Chapter 35: Master of Art
The next day.
Night Lan finally got to participate in the new recruits’ training with Night Feather as planned.
Only when they arrived at the venue did they split up.
It seemed like different types of stars were grouped separately.
For example, Bright Moon, New Star, and Sunlight had their own groups.
Currently, some stars possess Sunlight’s traits. If they don’t go off course, they are very likely to become pillars.
But Night Lan was placed in New Star’s group, and her training regimen was completely different from the others.
Night Lan still remembers that star ranks and Night Watcher ranks can be confusing.
A Night Watcher with a New Star rank isn’t necessarily a New Star Night Watcher, similarly, a Night Watcher with a Sunlight rank might not be a Sunlight Night Watcher.
Bright Moon is the same.
Star rank is just a measure of intensity, whereas Night Watcher rank is based on job type within the organization, the difference being huge.
New Star stars usually have little combat value, mostly doing logistical or simple support work, rarely seeing battle. Even if they do see combat, they won’t be in the frontlines.
Starting from Bright Moon onwards, the stars gain stronger combat capabilities.
With a bit of training, they’re fit for battle.
Sunlight stars require having the potential to control everything. Both New Stars and Bright Moons could potentially become Sunlights.
After all, who knows which star will end up playing a significant role?
This can only be seen after the star holder grows enough; early assessment is unreliable.
Night Lan didn’t mind. She focused all her energy on observing Night Star, feeling content just to sit back and see what happens.
Under the Leader’s arrangement, Night Lan managed to get extra attention from trainers alerted by the news.
So Night Lan started hanging out in an inconspicuous spot, watching young recruits receive guidance from seasoned Night Watchers, slowly losing focus.
Qi Yuan City.
The night before, Night Star had spent all day in Mo Qianmeng’s studio, diligently learning art with no intention of slacking off.
At the end of the day, they would go to sleep, then come back the next morning.
Mo Qianmeng’s studio was inside a gallery in the art district, not at the Night Watcher base, so Night Star didn’t have to “willingly fall into the net.”
While studying, Night Star was fully dedicated and listened to Mo Qianmeng, learning from scratch.
But Mo Qianmeng hadn’t expected Night Star to grasp the basics of painting so quickly.
The progress was unimaginable.
“Are you some kind of genius? How on earth did you learn this so fast?”
“…Not sure, it felt pretty easy, and drawing came naturally. No complicated stuff, got it right away.”
Mo Qianmeng fell into deep thought, unable to comprehend it.
What kind of hack is this?
Even if her own talent is exceptional, it doesn’t compare to how Night Star improved rapidly—like cheating! This speed is unbelievable.
“Nah, you learn fast, I dunno how it happened. Anyway, I’ll teach you more things moving forward. You should be able to pick them up soon enough.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Night Lan gripped the brush steadily, determined.
Weeks passed without any strange occurrences.
Night Lan spent her time goofing off in the main training ground, watching new recruits being harshly disciplined by Night Watchers.
Meanwhile, Night Star kept practicing in Mo Qianmeng’s studio.
Except for the one weekend where she had to perform with other performers under the role of an Audience Performer, the rest of the time she remained engrossed in her work.
All Night Star cared about now was constantly practicing painting until she achieved something.
One day.
In the studio.
Mo Qianmeng contemplated Night Star’s artwork, scrutinizing it closely.
Night Star watched anxiously, eager for Mo Qianmeng’s opinion.
As her teacher, Mo Qianmeng’s approval signified that Night Star’s skills were pretty good.
Her current canvas depicted Mo Qianmeng herself.
It seemed like a test of her painting skills; Mo Qianmeng volunteered as the model, excited to see how Night Star captured her.
Completing the piece without pause, Night Star painted gracefully and fluidly.
Mo Qianmeng observed the artwork thoroughly.
“Not bad, I didn’t expect you to master this skill so quickly. Realism may be your strong suit, but it’s impressive nonetheless.”
“Really?”
Mo Qianmeng nodded slightly.
“Yes, in realism, I can’t teach you anything else. The rest is up to you. Drawing from memory isn’t too tough, right?”
“Yep, already got some ideas.”
“Then keep it up!”
Mo Qianmeng encouraged, marveling inwardly.
Who knew her “student” was a prodigal painter? Terrifying indeed.
At least Night Star’s painting skills were now quite formidable.
Reaching mastery would involve infusing emotion and creating her style, which wasn’t easy.
It took Mo Qianmeng a long time to reach that level herself.
She stared at the canvas, saying, “Can I have this? I’d like it as a keepsake.”
“Sure, you taught me how to paint. Not sure how to repay you otherwise.”
Hearing this, Mo Qianmeng initially wanted to bring up Mo Tu’s complete black history.
However, thinking it over, she realized his past was less valuable than Night Star’s portrait.
“It’s fine, this one’s enough. You’ve finished your studies. Draw whatever you like now. My studio’s open for you. Keep it up.”
After saying that, Mo Qianmeng bid farewell and left with the artwork.
Looking at her retreating figure, Night Star breathed a sigh of relief.
“At least she didn’t ask for Mo Tu’s black history. No idea what I would have done if she had…”
This perplexed her slightly.
“Did she forget about it, or is my portrait more important? Meh, such a weird person.”
Then, Night Star set aside her thoughts about oddities and prepared a new piece.
She intended to paint the first generation theater group members from her memory to honor them.
Since the tragic past couldn’t be changed, all she could do was acknowledge it, accept it, and remember it.
And portraying the first generation’s portraits was Night Star’s way of remembering it.
“Ugh… There are ten members besides the Group Leader, so I’ll need to paint ten portraits. Not sure how long that will take…”
Yet Night Star found no trouble in it; dedicating more time to bring them to life suited her just fine.
