A Single Painting Astonished the Literature Academy; Bamboo Painted Again at Tianbo Water Pavilion

Madam Hua's cultivation was profound. Her Spirit Refining cultivation was considered exceptional throughout all of Great Zhao. She had studied under the wife of the First Mountain Lord of Sacred Mountain and possessed Ganye Temple's Spirit Refining inheritance. Her Primordial Spirit was so formidable that it could leave her body and roam three thousand li through the void, treating the blazing sun suspended overhead as nothing.

Yet despite such cultivation, she was now unable to sense An Le's realm of cultivation. It was an exceedingly inconceivable matter.

Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the Tattered Bamboo Sword tucked at the youth's waist was releasing a faint, nearly imperceptible sword intent. It roamed around the youth's body and blocked her Primordial Spirit's probing.

"Where did this bamboo sword... come from?"

Madam Hua drew a deep breath. Her willow brows furrowed slightly as she closed the Confucian classic in her hands, her expression becoming several degrees more solemn.

The bamboo sword appeared battered and ordinary, yet it contained Sword Qi that could pierce anything, like a mountain range pressing across heaven and earth.

The Tattered Bamboo Sword...

The first person Madam Hua thought of was that existence from Great Zhao.

A hundred years ago, Great Zhao's Old Imperial Uncle had carried a battered bamboo sword and dared to fight the Yuan Meng Emperor, the greatest expert under heaven, to the death!

But how could the sword of such a powerhouse be hanging at An Le's waist?

"It was a gift from an elder. This student's Ink Wash Bamboo and Stone Painting greatly pleased and delighted the elder, so the elder gifted me this bamboo sword. Its meaning is that this student's character should be like a gentleman's bamboo—proud and upright in this world, never bowing beneath hardship."

An Le rested a hand on the bamboo sword and smiled.

Madam Hua glanced at An Le. A gift from an elder—was this elder that Old Imperial Uncle?

However, Madam Hua did not ask further. In both seniority and cultivation, that Old Imperial Uncle far surpassed her.

Setting the book upon the couch, Madam Hua rose. Her crystalline white feet slipped into embroidered shoes as she looked at An Le. "Young Master An, may I hold the sword for an inspection?"

Hearing this, An Le did not refuse, nor did he worry that Madam Hua would seize the bamboo sword.

Since Madam Hua had given him the Sword Waterfall Diagram over a mere painting, she naturally would not snatch the bamboo sword without cause.

An Le removed the bamboo sword from his waist, supporting the blade with one hand and the Sword Hilt with the other before offering it to Madam Hua.

Madam Hua rose and received it solemnly.

Her powerful Primordial Spirit silently surged forth. A gale abruptly swept through the main hall of the water pavilion, lifting Madam Hua's robes and dark hair into the air.

Madam Hua carefully examined the Tattered Bamboo Sword. Only after a long while did she let out a sigh.

Without saying much, she returned the bamboo sword to An Le. "An elder gifting you this sword is your fortunate opportunity. Nurture it well with your mind and spirit. Though this is a bamboo sword, it is like a gentleman's backbone—the most resilient thing under heaven. None can bend it, none can destroy it."

"If the proud bones within a gentleman's heart do not bend and his backbone does not break, then the sword shall neither bend nor break."

"I hope you will soon become worthy of this sword."

Praise surfaced in Madam Hua's eyes.

An Le gripped the bamboo sword. He still lacked the profound cultivation to observe the sword's true essence, but since even Madam Hua praised it so highly, this sword surely was extraordinary.

"Madam Hua, I came today to ask for leave. The senior who gifted me this sword will take me somewhere in three days, so I fear I will be unable to come to Lin Manor and paint for the young masters."

An Le cupped his fists.

Hearing this, Madam Hua's eyelashes trembled, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Three days from now? I understand. Naturally, your leave is granted."

Was that not the day the Sixth Mountain opened?

It seemed that senior intended to nurture An Le. The senior was actually planning to personally take An Le to the Sixth Mountain and see whether the Sixth Mountain Lord might favor him enough to make him a Mountain Guardian.

This counted as An Le's fortunate opportunity, and Madam Hua naturally would not obstruct it.

An Le had not expected his leave request to be granted so easily. The people of Lin Manor truly were all kindhearted.

"Thank you for your understanding, Madam Hua."

An Le thanked her sincerely.

Madam Hua's red lips curved slightly. "There is no need to thank me. The young masters would have had no time for you to paint for them three days from now anyway, so this leave simply follows the natural course."

"Last night, the Sixth Mountain of Sacred Mountain issued the Sword Qi Mountain Opening Order. Three days from now, it will open its gates and recruit a Mountain Guardian. You should know as well of Sacred Mountain's mystery and transcendence. Cultivators of the Central Lands take pride in entering Sacred Mountain. Even becoming a Mountain Guardian there is an excellent choice, one people flock toward like ducks."

"That senior surely intends for you to give it a try as well."

Madam Hua laughed softly.

An Le suddenly understood. "So the young masters will also be trying three days from now?"

Madam Hua merely smiled and nodded.

An Le understood. He cupped his fists and was about to take his leave, but Madam Hua called after him.

"Young Master An, do not go paint for the young masters today. Why not stay here at Tianbo Water Pavilion and paint some of your ink bamboo?"

Madam Hua asked softly. She had grown increasingly curious about the ink bamboo that had won the Old Imperial Uncle's admiration to the point of earning An Le a bamboo sword.

Hearing this, An Le could not help but pause. His departing figure stopped as he cupped his fists. "That is naturally possible, but I must trouble Miss Xi Xiang to inform the young masters at the Training Hall, as well as Miss Zhuifeng and Miss Lin Qingyin."

Madam Hua looked toward Xi Xiang. Hearing this, Xi Xiang gave a slight bow to An Le and Madam Hua, raised an oil-paper umbrella, and her graceful figure disappeared into the hazy spring rain.

Madam Hua instructed the servants to prepare a table for painting, along with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Outside the water pavilion, the spring rain was misty and boundless, while a cool spring breeze blew in.

Madam Hua and An Le drank tea and conversed. She asked about his Spirit Refining progress, and whenever An Le raised a question concerning the Sword Waterfall Diagram, Madam Hua could provide an accurate answer.

Combined with the enhancement of An Le's Innate Swordsman Dao Fruit, he quickly grasped the insights, gaining greatly for a time.

After considering it, An Le decided that since he likely would not see the young masters today, he would directly draw Time Qi from Madam Hua.

With a movement of his mind, the Time Qi entry on the light screen began to flicker.

At once, a strand of Time Qi on Madam Hua's body swayed and wobbled before finally breaking free, winding around An Le's fingertips.

Unfortunately, it was a strand of grey Time Qi.

An Le was not discouraged. Flowing Gold Time Qi had never been easy to obtain. He continued drawing with difficulty, and after two more attempts, he plucked two more strands of Time Qi.

An Le was suddenly delighted to discover that one of those two strands was actually Flowing Gold Time Qi.

From Madam Hua, he had plucked three strands of Time Qi and obtained one strand of Flowing Gold Time Qi. This fortune was already exceedingly good. As expected, the stronger one's cultivation, the greater the chance of obtaining Flowing Gold Time Qi.

Although An Le's Spirit Refining Realm had entered Embryonic Breathing and his mind had strengthened greatly, after drawing three strands of Time Qi from Madam Hua in succession, he could no longer continue.

An Le was already quite satisfied. He did not impatiently inspect the strand of Flowing Gold Time Qi he had plucked from Madam Hua at once.

For everything at Tianbo Water Pavilion had been prepared. Raw xuan paper lay spread across the table, fragrant ink lingered in the air, and all that remained was for An Le to take up the brush.

Outside the water pavilion, two or three Oil-Paper Umbrellas moved gracefully like flowers blooming amid mist and rain.

Upon learning that An Le would paint in the water pavilion, Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin came together with Xi Xiang.

Everyone entered the water pavilion in silent stillness.

There, An Le had a bamboo sword at his waist, his plain white wide sleeves rolled up. Holding a wolf-hair brush laden with dark ink, he was already splashing ink across the raw xuan paper.

Madam Hua sat upright upon the couch, stretching out her slender, jade-white neck as she watched the ink wash spread across the raw xuan paper.

There was a trace of curiosity between her brows.

Fresh rain along the spring river reached the western window; dark clouds veiled the mountain light, and distant trees blurred from sight.

Lin'an after the rain emerged from its haze.

A luxurious carriage slowly arrived beneath the white jade stone archway of the Literature Academy and stopped.

The burly driver, wearing a bamboo hat and straw rain cape, took an oil-paper umbrella and handed it to the young man who lifted the carriage curtain.

The young man stepped down beneath the umbrella, his splendid robes displaying nobility in every thread.

"I am going to see the Second Master and will return shortly. Wait for me beneath the stone archway."

Luo Qingchen held his umbrella as he spoke, spring rain hanging from its edge like a beaded curtain.

"Yes." The driver nodded respectfully.

Luo Qingchen then held his umbrella, clasped his hands behind his back, and strolled through the spring rain. He climbed the long bluestone steps toward the many pavilions of the Literature Academy, half-hidden in the smoky spring scenery.

Last night, the Sixth Mountain had suddenly issued its mountain-opening order. The Sixth Mountain Lord would accept a second Mountain Guardian, and all of Lin'an Prefecture had been shaken.

Naturally, Luo Qingchen knew of it.

Luo Qingchen understood clearly that ever since his battle with Li You'an, where he had been defeated in a single move and his Dao Heart had been clouded with dust, he had lost both the qualifications and courage to ascend Sacred Mountain and speak with the Sacred Teacher.

But cultivators of the Central Lands all took pride in entering Sacred Mountain. Luo Qingchen was no exception. With the Sixth Mountain Lord opening the mountain to recruit a Mountain Guardian, he too was somewhat tempted.

This was also his opportunity. If he could enter Sacred Mountain, his identity and status, which were now being increasingly slighted, might bloom again like a withered tree meeting spring.

After climbing eight hundred steps and following the mountain path, Luo Qingchen arrived before a Jiangnan-style building with white walls, black tiles, and upturned eaves. Spring rain splashed fine, layered droplets across the muddy ground. He closed his umbrella, pushed open the door, and entered.

Inside the main hall, people crowded together, and the atmosphere of mutual discussion and conversation was fervent.

It formed a peculiar contrast with the chill of early spring brought by the cold rain outside.

Water heated over a charcoal brazier, while book attendants waited nearby. Once it boiled, they would brew tea and refill water for the cultivators in the Literature Academy's pavilion.

At the main table sat two elderly men in Confucian robes. They sipped hot tea while facing a painting scroll, chatting and laughing as they praised it without end.

Luo Qingchen entered and froze slightly when he saw the two elders in the hall.

He had not expected two Masters to be present in the lecture hall today.

The Second Master and Third Master gathered together—it was truly a rare sight.

Without saying anything, he slowly walked through the room, intending to find an empty seat.

The heated discussions of the Literature Academy's teachers around him entered his ears.

"This painting is an Ink Wash Bamboo and Stone Painting. It uses ink wash to paint bamboo, with pale ink and dark ink alternating to form the image. Fine stalks reveal the bamboo's body, fully displaying bamboo's proud and upright qualities as a gentleman. How truly wondrous!"

"The Third Master brought this painting for us to admire, intending for us to learn the method of painting ink-wash bamboo. When I saw it, I was astonished as though meeting an immortal. Never have I seen bamboo painted in ink wash. This painting should found an entire school."

"It is not merely the painting. The verse upon it—'Though ground and struck ten thousand times, it remains tough; let winds from east, west, south, and north blow as they please'—perfectly complements bamboo's character. It is truly extraordinary!"

The Literature Academy teachers praised and discussed it. They had clearly all already viewed the painting.

"Excuse me."

Luo Qingchen said to the teachers standing before him.

Several teachers hurriedly moved aside to let Luo Qingchen pass, taking the chance to bow in salute.

Luo Qingchen returned the salute. As he listened to their discussion of the painting, a trace of curiosity could not help but rise in his heart.

After Luo Qingchen passed through, the Literature Academy teachers continued their conversation.

"Though the artistic conception contained within this painting is rather weak, more like a painter's casual sketch, the sword intent hidden among the bamboo leaves is incomparably harmonious. Painting, poem, calligraphy, and meaning blend as one—an absolute marvel!"

"I truly wonder who painted such a peerless work. Could it possibly be the Third Master's own brushwork?"

"The Third Master is renowned for painting bamboo in Gongbi style. Freehand bamboo does not suit the Third Master's habits. Besides, do you not see that the painting bears a signature? The painter is named An Le..."

"For the painting to reach the Third Master's hands, the painter must surely be a senior with deep ties to the Third Master."

"I wonder which great master of bamboo painting this Mister An Le might be?"

Outside, spring rain fell like pearls onto a jade plate, yet it could not drown out the fervent discussion within.

Luo Qingchen's measured steps suddenly stiffened.