Stone Carving Grandmaster

Inside a private room at the Hualie Hotel.

Four cups of clear tea were placed before the four men. Curator Maia laughed, "Austoni, this kid, saw Lin Feng's work and even told me it was comparable to the 'Ten Great Sculptures'. Haha, doesn't that mean we have a seventeen-year-old grandmaster of sculpture?"

A grandmaster represents a status, signifying that one has reached the pinnacle of that art form.

In normal parlance, people are usually addressed as masters. For example, Master Proulx.

"A grandmaster of sculpture?" Yale asked, somewhat surprised. "I don't know if Lin Feng's sculpture is truly that incredible. After all, my own eye for art isn't refined enough. But I can say for certain that Lin Feng's sculpture is at least on par with the works in your gallery's 'Master Exhibition Hall'."

"Oh." Curator Maia smiled. "Well, having said so much, it's better to see it for myself. I wonder where that sculpture is? Might you let me take a look?"

"Of course," Yale said with a smile.

"Little Yale, even if this sculpture doesn't reach the level of the 'Ten Great Sculptures', I imagine it can't be far off. How are your security measures? Don't let it get stolen," Curator Maia reminded him.

Yale said confidently, "Uncle Maia, rest assured. I have the sculpture stored in a secure room inside the Hualie Hotel, and it is under the special protection of experts from my Dawson Chamber of Commerce. Besides, very few people even know of its existence right now."

"You moved it to the hotel?" Austoni asked in surprise. The last time he saw it, it was still in the dormitory.

Yale curled his lip. "I trust my brothers, but I don't trust you."

Austoni couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

"Uncle Maia, let's go. I'll take you there," Yale said enthusiastically.

The Hualie Hotel was actually a property under the Dawson Chamber of Commerce, which was why the hotel's senior staff were aware of Yale's identity.

In an independent room within the Hualie Hotel—a spacious room that even contained beds—three experts had been guarding the place for the past few days.

"Young Master Yale," the three seventh-rank warriors stood up and said respectfully.

Yale nodded with a smile. "Uncle Maia, feel free to take a look." As he spoke, Yale suddenly whipped the thick cloth off the sculpture, revealing the large piece. The five beautiful female figures were vivid and lifelike, each displaying different expressions: one pitiful and endearing, one innocent and pure, one reserved and shy, one passionate and moving, and one sorrowful at the prospect of parting.

Everything seemed as if it were real.

Looking at these five human sculptures, Curator Maia's mouth hung wide open, and he stared in shock for a long time.

After a long while.

"Brilliant, brilliant," Curator Maia finally regained his senses. "This work is at least at the master level. To carve five figures that look so lifelike in succession—how much heart and blood must this have cost? The carving time alone must have taken half a year or more."

Curator Maia knew very well that sculpting was an incredibly taxing endeavor.

In particular, carving a masterpiece could lead to masters vomiting blood or fainting, and history even recorded those who died halfway through their work. This piece was truly a labor of heart and blood.

"For a youth of only seventeen to reach this level, it is truly..." Curator Maia didn't know what else to say. He excitedly walked up to the sculpture to examine it closely. "Whether this sculpture can compare to the 'Ten Great Sculptures' requires careful observation from every angle."

As he spoke, Curator Maia leaned in as if he were pressed against the sculpture, carefully observing every stroke and texture.

Curator Maia remained silent, meticulously examining every detail of the sculpture Dream Awakening, as if he had become obsessed.

"Boss Yale, it's been a full two hours," Reynolds said, taking a pocket watch from his chest to check the time.

Yale shook his head and said softly, "Don't be impatient. Let Uncle Maia take a good look. Since Uncle Maia is the head curator of the Proulx Gallery, he must be a descendant of Master Proulx. I believe his standard of appraisal is extremely high. I wonder what level Third Brother's work has actually reached."

Reynolds nodded slightly as well.

After nearly three hours, Curator Maia finally straightened his back and let out a long sigh of relief.

"I heard this sculpture is called Love?" Curator Maia asked.

Yale nodded. "Yes, Third Brother named it himself."

Curator Maia nodded gently, then took one more good look at the sculpture Love, exclaiming, "I must say, your brother Lin Feng is absolutely a genius in the world of sculpture—a genius comparable to Master Proulx."

"Although his work has slight differences in brushwork and carving compared to Master Proulx, in terms of the soul of the work, it is absolutely on par," Curator Maia marveled.

"Brushwork and carving?" Yale asked, puzzled.

Curator Maia nodded. "Yes, but while this work has minor flaws, it also possesses breathtaking merits."

"The flaw is that the handling of some concave-convex surfaces and soft curves is slightly lacking. However, looking at your brother Lin Feng's work as a whole, it is very coherent. The visual effect is absolutely comparable to several of Master Proulx's works. Most importantly, this work is massive in scale."

Curator Maia sighed with emotion. "For a work to be passed down through the ages, every single part must consume an astonishing amount of effort; one mistake could lead to the failure of the entire piece. It is difficult enough to carve one human figure. Lin Feng carved five. What is most admirable is that there are five figures with five distinct souls, yet the underlying meaning is perfectly coherent. If I'm not mistaken, your brother Lin Feng must have experienced a passionate and earth-shattering love."

With Curator Maia's discerning eye, he naturally understood the meaning behind these five sculptures.

"Love... to be able to carve such a work is truly astonishing," Curator Maia couldn't help but praise it again.

"Curator Maia, what level would you say my brother Lin Feng's work is? Does it compare to the works of Master Proulx?" Reynolds asked.

Curator Maia frowned. "Actually, I'm a bit uncertain myself. Let me put it this way: the carving technique of this work can only be considered at the expert level, and it is only in its coherence that it rivals Master Proulx. But there is one thing that is most unique."

"The carving strokes of this work are very crisp and clean. From beginning to end, the five sculptures can be said to be a perfect whole. That style of carving is maverick and independent; I have never heard of or seen anything like it before," Curator Maia praised.

Yale also asked urgently, "Uncle Maia, what level is this work, then?"

Curator Maia said helplessly, "I can't be sure. By traditional appraisal methods, this work should be considered a master-level piece. At the very least, its unique charm and soul are beyond doubt; his carving technique has already successfully expressed that spirit."

"Traditional appraisal methods?" Yale and Reynolds looked at Curator Maia in confusion.

Curator Maia nodded. "Traditional appraisal methods are the standards recognized by everyone for countless years. But I feel that when viewing Lin Feng's work, the entire piece is so perfect that I cannot find a single flaw."

"The existence of a sculpture is meant for people to appreciate. The visual effect determines everything. I can say this: Lin Feng might not be called a grandmaster of sculpture, but the price of this work will likely be very high—enough to rival the 'Ten Great Sculptures'," Curator Maia laughed.

Not a grandmaster of sculpture, yet the work could enter the ranks of the "Ten Great Sculptures"—this was indeed an unprecedented and strange occurrence.

However, Curator Maia had to admit that this was very likely to happen.

"Oh." Yale and Reynolds nodded.

In truth, this was a drawback of the Flat Blade School of sculpting. After all, relying solely on a flat blade to carve smooth curves and concave-convex surfaces was not as effective as using specialized tools. Perhaps the results Lin Feng achieved using a "flat blade" could rival those of an average master stone carver.

But compared to a grandmaster of stone carving, his handling of the strokes was somewhat lacking.

Yet, the Flat Blade School had its own advantages. For instance, in terms of "continuity," while others had to constantly switch tools, the Flat Blade School required an "Earth-style mage" to harmonize their mind with the world while carving. This type of carving could actually enhance one's spiritual energy.

"Where is Lin Feng himself?" Curator Maia inquired.

Yale shook his head and said, "After all, Third Brother is a mage, and he spends the vast majority of his time on cultivation. He should still be undergoing rigorous training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range right now. I have no idea when he will return."

"Then, Yale, could you agree on Lin Feng's behalf to let my Proulx Gallery sell this piece?" Curator Maia proposed.

"No." Yale said flatly, "Without Third Brother's consent, I cannot make that decision."

"Furthermore, this piece perfectly expresses the unwavering Love between him and Delia; it can be said to be the symbol of their Love, and I suspect Third Brother would absolutely never sell it."

Curator Maia frowned and continued, "What about an exhibition, then? Letting our Proulx Gallery exhibit it shouldn't be much of a problem, right? After all, Lin Feng's past stone carvings were all exhibited and sold at our Proulx Gallery."

Yale was very clear about what this piece meant to Lin Feng.

It was hard to say whether Lin Feng would agree to let it be exhibited, and he did not want to put Lin Feng in a difficult position.

"No, I am only responsible for keeping it safe. As for exhibitions, selling it, and so on, we will wait until Third Brother returns to discuss it," Yale said firmly.