Peony Behind Leaves Painting (Third Update)

At the very end of the equipment section, there is naturally the Gold Equipment, namely the "Mountain-Pattern Armor" worn by the Ming Army generals.

From the helmet, shoulder armor, breastplate, and belt to the boots and gold- Arm Ring Bracers guards, a complete set of Mountain-Pattern Armor costs 5,000 Merit Points per piece. In terms of quality, these Gold Equipment Gold Equipment are similar to those in the Kane Plane, all featuring additional attributes.

In the special items section, one item caught Bai Xiaowen's attention.

[Freehand Notes: This is a collection of essays by the talented scholar Xu Wei. Reading it grants the buff: Thoughts Flow Like a Spring, restores 1 point of Divine Might per second for 30 seconds. Uses: 3/3.]

There is only one copy of this special item, [Freehand Notes], and it requires a whopping 2000 Merit Points to exchange for it.

Bai Xiaowen roughly calculated the number of Merit Points he had, and then decisively exchanged them for a copy of [Freehand Notes], an A+ grade item [Killing Intent Talisman], and an S-Tier item [Marching Stratagems], spending a total of 10,500 merit points.

With the remaining 400-plus merit points, Bai Xiaowen exchanged them for some food from the Jiajing Plane World —zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), which had a similar restorative effect to the "baozi" (steamed buns) from the Three Kingdoms Plane World.

Having spent almost all his Merit Points, Bai Xiaowen breathed a sigh of relief and closed the exchange list.

"Since you two eminent disciples of the Daoist Gate have come to see me, why don't we have a few drinks together?" Xu Wei was unaware that he had just acted as a human vending machine; it was merely a momentary daze.

Bai Xiaowen agreed, "Then I'll gladly accept your offer."

In the quartermaster's exchange list, Bai Xiaowen saw several psionic items produced by Xu Wei, all of which were top-quality items. In Bai Xiaowen's eyes, Xu Wei now a nouveau riche who was practically radiating wealth.

When invited by a wealthy man, Bai Xiaowen naturally agreed to accompany him.

Xu Wei, being a free spirit, gestured for Bai Xiaowen to pour the wine himself, and said slowly, "This cup is a farewell toast. Many thanks to both of you for your help in the Daye Era of resisting the Japanese pirates. The people of Jiangnan will surely remember your kindness."

Li Shuyi was slightly surprised. Where did the phrase "farewell banquet" come from? Did Xu Wei see through Bai Xiaowen's next plan?

Although surprised, Li Shuyi's face remained completely expressionless. Xu Wei was known as one of the three great talents of the Ming Dynasty. If he were in the Three Kingdoms period, even if he wasn't Zhuge Liang, he would be a strategist of the same caliber as Cheng Yu or Xi Zhicai. Even the slightest Transformation in her expression could arouse suspicion and thus affect Bai Xiaowen's plans.

Of course, the comparison here is not a comparison of the abilities of actual historical figures, but a comparison of the abilities of figures from the Spirit Realm, which has the added bonus of Legendary Points from another dimension.

Bai Xiaowen smiled and said, "Mr. Xu, did you realize we were leaving?"

Xu Wei nodded, tapping his head with his finger. "It wasn't something I saw, it was something I figured out."

"Mr. Xu is indeed a man of great talent," Bai Xiaowen said, pondering Xu Wei's character. "However, now that we know we are leaving, shouldn't we give our friend something as a farewell gift?"

This time it was Xu Wei's turn to be taken aback. He paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, "That's right! That's right! It's just a pity that I, Xu, have nothing of value."

"I've long heard that Mr. Xu's poetry, calligraphy, and painting are unparalleled in our time. On this occasion of parting, why not give me a piece of his calligraphy so I can earn some travel expenses on my journey?" Bai Xiaowen said.

Li Shuyi closed her eyes. "Is this how you ask for calligraphy and paintings? Xu Wei would be furious!"

Unexpectedly, Bai Xiaowen's words struck a chord with Xu Wei, who burst into laughter, even causing his wine cup to roll to the ground. After laughing, he picked up the cup, placed it back on the table, and said, "Alright, I'll give you a piece of calligraphy!"

Xu Wei stood up, drank straight from the wine pot, the wine flowing down his lips. After finishing a large gulp, he wiped his lips with his finger, then extended his finger and swiftly wrote the six large characters "Qing Teng Dao Ren Xi Mo" (青藤道人戏墨) on the table with flowing strokes. He then smiled and said, "The calligraphy is here; please accept it with pleasure."

Looking at the six large characters dripping with juice, Bai Xiaowen simply smiled, then swiftly pulled a foot-wide piece of cloth from the table beside him, patted it on the table, carefully soaked it with wine, and then peeled it off. The cloth already bore the wet marks of the six large characters.

"Farewell, farewell. While the ink is still wet, I'll roll it in some lime, and Mr. Xu's calligraphy will be mine. Just for the four characters 'Qing Teng Dao Ren,' this piece of cloth is worth at least fifty taels!"

Bai Xiaowen put away the cloth.

Xu Wei was taken aback for a moment. "That works too? You're quite a clever person. Never mind, wouldn't the pond ash stain my calligraphy? I'll just give you a genuine piece of calligraphy instead."

Bai Xiaowen received a notification from the Spirit Realm Rules:

"The Anti-Wokou Ming Army, the talented scholar Xu Wei, has increased your Affection Level towards you. Your current Affection Level level is: Friend."

Xu Wei rummaged through his belongings for a while, then took out a long scroll and handed it to Bai Xiaowen: "This is a playful piece I made before joining the Imperial Censor's staff. Please accept it, young friend Bai. If you ever find yourself short of money and food while traveling the world, sell this painting. Although I am not by your side, I am still pleased that I can help you avoid the hardships of hunger and cold."

Prompt message:

"You have received a gift from Xu Wei: Peony Behind Leaves Painting."

[Peony Behind Leaves Painting: This is a painting and calligraphy work by the talented scholar Xu Wei. After appreciating the painting and reciting the accompanying poem, your charm will temporarily increase by up to 30%, lasting for 120 minutes. This effect can only be applied once every three natural days. Special item.]

Bai Xiaowen unrolled the scroll, and saw a branch of ink peony extending from the side of several ink bamboo stalks. The entire painting was made entirely of ink, with different shades of ink creating a distinct peony picture. It was like a peerless beauty, veiled in black gauze and dressed in white, exuding a breathtakingly beautiful charm in its simple elegance.

Xu Wei's skill is truly admirable; no wonder Qi Baishi said, "I am willing to be a lackey of Master Qingteng."

There is also a poem inscribed on the scroll:

For you, I write a short poem about spring in Luoyang, where leaves subtly veil your brows, a delicate frown. Ultimately, you are a peerless beauty, captivating even with just half your face.

Bai Xiaowen rolled up the painting, bowed to Xu Wei, and said, "Thank you very much for the painting, Mr. Xu. I will not be able to say goodbye to the Governor-General on this trip. I hope you will take care of yourself."

After leaving Xu Wei's cabin, Bai Xiaowen breathed a sigh of relief.

"This works too?" Li Shuyi was dumbfounded.

"I didn't originally intend to discuss calligraphy and painting; I just wanted to change the subject. Xu Wei has a keen Insight for detail, and I was worried he might see through my plan," Bai Xiaowen said with a smile. "However, I truly admire his talent. This peony painting, although I don't know much about art appreciation, is captivating the more I look at it. It's undoubtedly excellent."

"I read the description, it's for increasing the hidden attribute Charm..." Li Shuyi muttered, "You're not going to use it to pick up girls in the Spirit Realm, are you?"

"That won't do, time in the Spirit Realm is so precious..." Bai Xiaowen coughed, then changed the subject, "Alright, things can get complicated if we wait too long, let's get moving."