Chapter 36: Rain After The Young Man’s Painting, Spring Breeze in His Sleeves
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The cold spring rain outside the house released a coldness that constantly surrounded and approached.
It was just like Luo Qingchen’s current state of mind.
His footsteps froze. His neck was slightly tilted, and the hair at his temples fell. He frowned, but his eyes were filled with disbelief and even… absurdity.
“Impossible!”
An Le?! Wasn’t this name… the young artist who had entered the Lin Residence?
The young man who braved the spring rain and still stood upright under his pressure!
How could a young man… be a master painter?!
His paintings could even be sent to the Literary Department, attracting the admiration and praise of the two teachers. Many scholars of the Literary Department praised and analyzed it, and they even addressed him as Mr. An.
Luo Qingchen was slightly dazed. The next moment, his eyes narrowed. “It’s just a painting.”
Indeed, it was just a painting. It didn’t mean anything.
He continued to walk and arrived at an empty seat. He, who should have sat down, thought for a moment and continued to walk forward to the main table.
“Second Headmaster, Third Headmaster.”
Luo Qingchen bowed respectfully.
The Second Headmaster stroked his beard and glanced at Luo Qingchen. His smile gradually faded. “Sword intent lingers on your Dao heart and is covered in dust again. Your future path is becoming more and more bumpy.”
Luo Qingchen bowed and said softly, “I believe in myself. I should be able to wear down the dust of this Dao heart.”
Second Headmaster shook his head. “Forget it. It’s fine as long as you know what you’re doing. After all, Hua Jiebing is not Li You’an. You do have a chance to wear down her sword intent. If you can successfully wear it down, you can also improve further.”
“Master, I have a request. I want to take a look at this Ink Bamboo Painting.” Luo Qingchen said.
“That’s right. You came late and haven’t seen the painting. Take a look.”
When Second Headmaster heard that, he did not refuse. With a wave of his hand, the scroll on the table immediately flew up. The framed painting scroll rolled down, and a biting cold sword intent seeped out from it!
Luo Qingchen’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the painting. The black bamboo stone appeared on the paper.
There seemed to be a gust of wind, and the bamboo leaves were noisy like a sword waterfall.
The painting was indeed extraordinary. The ink bamboo was like a gentleman’s proud backbone. Regardless of whether it was east, west, north, south, or north, it stood tall in the world!
This was the young man’s painting?!
Although such a sharp sword intent was not very powerful, it was perfectly integrated into the painting and was unique!
Luo Qingchen suddenly thought of how An Le had formed the Embryonic Breath three days after entering Meditation. Now, it seemed that An Le might have used this to refine his Spirit Refinement and quietly form the Embryonic Breath!
It was not as he had guessed. Madam Hua had not given the young man some Spirit Refinement Dharma treasure to exert external force to help him form the Embryonic Breath!
The young man… had the talent for poetry, painting, extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, and the will to not bow down.
Now that he was standing opposite him, the threat… could not be underestimated.
The Confucian-robed Third Headmaster, Wang Banshan, looked at Luo Qingchen’s sword intent that was covered in dust and sensed the sword intent in the painting. He suddenly smiled.
“Luo Qingchen, it’s been more than ten years since you entered the Academy. Back then, you were in high spirits and entered Lin’an with astonishing talent. Unfortunately, you lost to Li You’an and your Dao heart was covered in dust. Your talent is rare, but your Dao heart is indeed a little delicate.”
“This ink bamboo painting contains the tenacious will of a gentleman. It suits you quite well. If you have time, you should learn the bamboo painting technique from the painter, Mr. An Le. It will be very beneficial to your Dao heart.”
As soon as Third Headmaster finished speaking, Luo Qingchen’s hands froze in mid-air, and his expression turned rather ugly.
Asking him to learn painting from An Le?
Luo Qingchen had his own pride. To seek guidance from a young man whom he had once exerted pressure on and oppressed from above?
Was Third Headmaster deliberately destroying his Dao heart?!
Luo Qingchen took a deep breath and felt as if his face had been slapped. However, he was facing the Third Headmaster, a respected scholar of the Literary Department. He could only swallow his anger.
“Thank you for your teachings, Teacher.” Luo Qingchen said calmly.
Third Headmaster stroked his beard, looked at Luo Qingchen, and said calmly, “Your heart is not humble enough.”
“Since you know my teachings, I happen to have time today. Come paint this ink bamboo painting in front of everyone and give everyone a demonstration. Analyze the ink bamboo painting method.”
Luo Qingchen maintained his bowing posture and looked up at Third Headmaster.
Third Headmaster stroked his beard and chuckled.
After a long silence, Luo Qingchen said softly, “Yes.”
…
…
Heavenly Wave Water Pavilion.
The rain became heavier and heavier. Billions of spring raindrops poured down and landed on the black tile roof, making a crisp sound.
The rain fell into the large pool in front of the Water Pavilion, causing ripples. The ripples mixed together, and it was unknown if it was spring rain or the water in the pool.
In the hall, An Le was painting with all his concentration. The spring breeze and rain could not affect him.
It was still the same thing, using ink to draw bamboo. The layers of dark ink and light ink overlapped. The thin bamboo main stem was drawn in one breath. When he lifted his brush, it was a bamboo joint. It was simple and clear. Then, it was the bamboo leaves. With a pause and a flick, An Le fused with the mental power of the Embryonic Breath Realm’s Sword Waterfall Intent. The bamboo leaves were like sword qi that was unsheathed.
Painting bamboo and stone was as smooth as flowing water.
It was raining cats and dogs outside the house. It was just like Lin Qingyin and Lin Zhuifeng’s state of mind. An Le was painting bamboo, and the bamboo in the painting seemed to be facing a storm and was still arrogant!
Madam Hua had already left the bed. She walked to the table in embroidered shoes and stared at the painting intently.
A good painting had a soul. Madam Hua, who was well aware of An Le’s encounter, had a special feeling for the bamboo in the painting. The young bamboo, who stood stubbornly on the rock, was just like a young man who had stood upright under Luo Qingchen’s pressure in the spring rain.
Madam Hua observed carefully. The painting contained An Le’s mental power, which was not considered powerful. However, at this moment, this mental power actually resonated with her majestic mind.
Her mental power spread out uncontrollably. In an instant, the bamboo forest in the Heavenly Wave Water Pavilion swayed gracefully, and the sound of the bamboo waves was just like silk and bamboo.
An Le finished the last stroke in one go and looked up at this strange scene.
He turned around and saw Madam Hua’s beautiful face approaching. Her eyes seemed to contain stars as if they wanted to suck his mental power into them and make him fall into an endless illusion.
The [Innate Swordsman] Dao Fruit shook, and a sword light seemed to slash An Le’s line of sight. He retracted his gaze and exhaled, feeling a lingering fear.
Madam Hua’s cultivation was unfathomable.
Madam Hua, who was creating the bamboo forest, also sensed it. She retracted her mental power and the surrounding bamboo sea instantly disappeared.
“Not bad.”
Looking at An Le, who could actually cut through her Heart Sword, she could not help but praise him.
This moment of enlightenment actually strengthened Madam Hua’s mental power. Although she did not take an important step, she had clearly improved.
An Le was praised by Madam Hua, but he smiled and picked up his brush.
He then wrote on the drawing paper with light strokes.
Although the stone did not say anything, it loved this new bamboo. The bamboo could not say anything, but it loved this foot of the mountain. The young man’s sleeves were full of spring breeze, and he was willing to fight for you. – An Le to Madam Hua.
When the signature was completed, the wolf hairs were instantly raised, and in an instant, a spring breeze blew through the Water Pavilion.
When Madam Hua saw this, her red lips curved into a smile.
After receiving the painting from the young man, she was naturally happy. Today, she finally saw the ink bamboo that the young man used to conquer that senior. She also vaguely understood why the old man was willing to give the sword to the young man.
It was because the young man drew bamboo as if he was dancing with a sword.
There was sword qi in his heart, sword qi under his brush, and sword qi in his painting!
Madam Hua’s eyes sparkled.
She suddenly had an idea. The Sixth Mountain Lord had a sword case with 3,000 swords hidden in it. It was said to contain all the swords in the world.
Could it be that he chose to open the mountain and choose the Mountain Guardian after viewing the painting?
Or could it be that the Sixth Mountain Lord only opened the mountain for this young man in front of him?
Madam Hua fell into deep thought.
The sudden spring rain suddenly calmed down.
It was like a gentle beauty with a soft spring breeze, making people feel very comfortable.
Lin Qingyin and Lin Zhuifeng also observed An Le’s painting. They felt an indescribable feeling. The young man seemed to have undergone an evolution and had extraordinary confidence.
Lin Zhuifeng moved closer to the table and looked at the black bamboo painting. She, who did not have much literary talent, could not help but exclaim, “The painting is awesome!”
There was also admiration in Lin Qingyin’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but feel a little conflicted. She really wanted to learn this black bamboo drawing technique… but she hadn’t learned how to sketch yet. It made her feel melancholic.
Madam Hua returned to her mental power from her thoughts and was in a good mood. Her eyes landed on the painting and then swept across An Le.
After the young man finished painting, he was dressed in white with a bamboo sword at his waist. He stood in the main hall with a warm spring breeze on his face, neither arrogant nor rash.
“You gave me the Ink Bamboo Diagram. As an elder, I naturally can’t accept this painting for nothing. I should have given you a treasure sword, but you already have an elder who gave you a bamboo sword. The other swords are all dim in front of the bamboo sword. They don’t show any sincerity…”
Madam Hua smiled mysteriously at the young man.
“After thinking about it, I decided to give you a special gift in return.”
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