(Professional electives were all held in the evenings...)
"That lame scholar truly fulfilled his promise that night and truly painted 'something that had never existed in this world.'"
"Unfortunately, the old scholar who saw the painting died before he could say anything—or perhaps he could not explain why at all. Thus, the only account passed around was how the lame scholar went from triumphant delight to utter desolation. As for the truth, I fear no one knew."
Having finished that part of the tale, the storyteller put away his folding fan.
Earlier, Bai Ye and the others had stood at the back of the crowd and listened as he recounted the story of a scholar who vowed to paint "something that had never existed in this world," then agonized over it for ten days before finally attaining enlightenment on his deathbed.
But they had only caught half the story. The storyteller had already begun by the time Bai Ye and the others arrived, so they had missed part of it.
Yet even this half-heard story left them unable to let go, with much to ponder.
After savoring it for a moment, Melantha could not help asking:
"Master, what do you think this 'something that had never existed in this world' was?"
"I don't know either..." Bai Ye shook his head.
Just then, the storyteller walked over to them and said slowly:
"The usual rule: my words aren't worth much. But as for the tea money, pay what you see fit."
Then he turned his gaze toward Bai Ye and the others.
"There seem to be a few new faces here today. I wonder, are you guests satisfied with my strange tales and wild stories?"
"Was that a true story?" Wuyou could not help asking.
"If you mean that some scholar