Painting Realm

As a scholar with ambition to achieve great things, Xi Muyuan always strives to be the best. This time, after the Literary Pavilion Appraisal incident, he has listed Qiu Yan as his number one rival!

"I was so angry because of Qiu Yan that I vomited blood. If word gets out, I'll definitely become a laughing stock!"

To be so angered that one vomits blood or faints is something that only appears in ancient folk tales, but without exception, such acts end up becoming a laughing stock. How could Xi Muyuan, with his pride and arrogance, possibly tolerate such a thing?

If he didn't suppress Qiu Yan, he would have to bear the stigma and humiliation for the rest of his life, and his former reputation would become a stepping stone for Qiu Yan.

This matter had become a source of deep anxiety for Xi Muyuan, causing him sleepless nights and loss of appetite. A single thought in his mind grew ever stronger—

"I must rise up and achieve what few can accomplish, defeating Qiu Yan with an indisputable advantage! These past few days, he has been using the excuse of sending paintings to gain fame and reputation, trying to bolster his name. Let him be smug in the open while I work diligently in secret, one day to reclaim my honor! To this end, I must endure hardship and bide my time. This trip to the Stone Forest is fraught with danger, but it is also an opportunity to temper my will once again, which I cannot let slip!"

With this idea in mind, Xi Muyuan fearlessly volunteered and persuaded others to join him.

When this decision was presented to Zhou Dongyi, the old man first pondered, analyzed the pros and cons, and then nodded in agreement.

He had already noticed that Xi Muyuan's State of Mind had been unstable ever since that day when he was appreciating the essay. Zhou Dongyi also knew something about the matter of vomiting blood, and he understood that Xi Muyuan was determined to compete with Qiu Yan. It wasn't a bad thing to compete with others, but having such thoughts would make entering Scholar Forest even more dangerous.

But Zhou Dongyi also knew that things in the world are full of twists and turns. He could give guidance and advice to his disciples in the academy, but once they left the school, they would eventually have to face the storms alone.

Rather than letting Xi Muyuan suffer later, it's better to give him this opportunity to recognize his true self.

While the Scholar Forest is indeed perilous, it can also allow one to gain in a short period of time what one could not achieve in the Mortal Realm a decade or even decades.

The moment the decision was made, a strange aura permeated the room through the doors and windows. Zhou Dongyi stopped speaking, got up, hurriedly walked to the window, and stared wide-eyed out the window.

A profound and mysterious feeling rose from the depths of my heart. A thought struck me, and I suddenly understood, a sense of connection forming within me.

"Teacher..." Xi Muyuan walked over at this moment. He organized his thoughts, guessed what his teacher was thinking, and was about to express his opinion. He was about to explain his plans and intentions after entering the forest.

Before he could speak, Zhou Dongyi waved his hand and said, "Since you've all decided, head to the Sage Worthies Hall as soon as possible. Time waits for no one. I have an urgent matter to attend to and need to go to the Literary Pavilion." Without waiting for anyone's reaction, he strode away and left the room.

"What could be more important than the safety of the academy's students? Sir..." The academy's headmaster, though not Zhou Dongyi's disciple, shared the same lineage. Upon seeing this, he looked puzzled.

An Jin, however, seemed thoughtful and shook his head, saying, "The seeds of the academy are certainly important. But there's not much use for the teacher staying here. He's here to stabilize people's hearts, and he himself is not easily Scholar Forest into the scholarly community. In comparison, the exploration of worldly principles is actually more on his mind, after all..."

An Jin didn't finish her sentence, glancing cautiously at Xi Muyuan with a worried expression.

"This is bad. Mu Yuan's State of Mind is already unstable. The teacher wanted to use this opportunity to help him gain some insights in the Scholar Forest. Now it seems that things have backfired."

An Jin didn't voice this thought, but others had considered it as well.

At the far end of everyone's line of sight stood Xi Muyuan, his face grim.

"Literary Pavilion again..." he muttered to himself, feeling a slight metallic taste in his mouth. He lost his footing and swayed.

At the same time, similar scenes were unfolding at academies such as Heavenly Principle Academy and Ritual Reverence Academy.

The elders and heads of these academies, who were no longer eligible to Scholar Forest, rushed back after receiving the news in order to oversee the academies and stabilize morale.

That's how things are in this world. No matter how capable a person is, without enough prestige, it's difficult to command respect when facing unexpected events. But if there's a leader to guide and support them, things will be completely different.

However, as the scent emanating from the humble cottage in the Lin Zhong reached them, the Grand Confucian and teachers who had just returned all put down their work and hurriedly left, heading back towards the Literary Pavilion.

"You're back so quickly this time?"

Inside the Literary Pavilion, Pang Chu looked at the people in front of him and asked a question.

These people were sent to retrieve the painting, but their sudden return, coupled with the lingering panic in their eyes, suggested they were still shaken.

One of them suppressed his shock and cupped his hands, saying, "I hope you gentlemen will know that it wasn't because we came so quickly, but because the Qiu Family servants were too domineering. As soon as we finished speaking, the two servants, without saying a word, drove us away at breakneck speed, which made us panic and that's why we arrived so quickly."

Pang Chu raised an eyebrow. "Qiu Yan's servants? Judging from what you've said, these two are quite powerful, and they've already gone back?"

"No, I'm waiting outside."

"Oh? After we've looked at the paintings, we should go and get to know them." Pang Chu said, his gaze falling on someone's hand, where Qiu Yan's new painting was being held.

The man, being sensible, stepped forward two paces, handed over the painting, and then, like the others, stepped back and stood aside—these days, those who had taken the paintings would stand to the side and watch together as the Grand Confucian appraised them.

While Qiu Yan's paintings may be somewhat lacking for the great Grand Confucian, they can be of great help to ordinary scholars, who can glean some wisdom from them.

When Pang Chu received the painting, his expression changed slightly, revealing a solemn look. He then placed the painting on the table and exchanged glances with Han Yi and Zheng Qiu.

"Indeed, the aura I sensed earlier truly originated from this painting! I just wonder why Qiu Yan was in such a hurry to have it delivered immediately, as if he didn't want to waste a single moment."

Han Yi said something, and the expressions of the three men became even more serious.

Zheng Qiu squinted at the unopened scroll. "Zhou and his group have missed out this time. In history books, they'll likely be seen as an example of someone who didn't recognize a great man."

Pang Chu fell silent and reached out to remove the painting.

The people who had taken the painting, who were standing to the side, listened to a few words of conversation and looked at each other in bewilderment. Over the past few days, they had known that the scholars valued Qiu Yan highly, but these few words implied that Qiu Yan was being placed above them.

What exactly is depicted in that painting?

My curiosity grew. Although they said they were taking the painting, they had already put it away when they got it, so there was no chance to peek at it.

At this moment, the scroll scroll rolls, gradually revealing the contents of the painting.

Call!

A breeze stirred inside, and as the scroll was unfurled, a warm breath emanated from it, causing Pang Chu, Han Yi, and Zheng Qiu to immediately change color.

At the same time, a series of chaotic footsteps came from outside. Before the people who came to retrieve the painting could react, the door was pushed open, and several erudite Grand Confucian, who were usually well-dressed and imposing, squeezed in without any regard for their image.

Whoosh!

Just then, the scroll was fully unfurled, revealing a verdant Ancient Scene before them.

Boom!

Then, drawn by the seal marks in the corner of the painting, the various spirits condensed within it suddenly erupted!

The air surged, the scroll unfurled, and the entire room's atmosphere changed, as if a violent storm was raging on the roof!

Immediately afterward, lightning flashed, vibrating and rattling, bringing with it a burnt smell, as if something had been ignited.

This was not the end. The scent of grass and trees wafted out, giving one the illusion of being in a dense forest, with the entire room seemingly filled with brown branches and emerald green leaves, and people scattered throughout the room.

The dense forest brings loneliness, making people feel isolated. The few people who took the painting were momentarily stunned, feeling a sense of loneliness as if they were trapped in the dense forest and no one cared about them. They quickly became immersed in it, and had the illusion that they had lived in the dense forest for hundreds or thousands of years.

Their body temperature dropped rapidly as their mood soared; their hands and feet were icy cold, and their very souls, unable to withstand the chill, curled up and shivered.

Yin Qi is predominant, while Yang Qi is declining.

"Wake up!"

Suddenly, an old, deep voice, like the resounding tones of a great bell, shook the hearts of the people and cleansed their will. The people who had taken the painting were jolted awake.

They looked around in confusion, only to notice that everything in the room was normal, exactly the same as before, with no trace of the dense forest.

The group exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise and shock. Then, a chill ran through them, and they realized that what they had just witnessed was not an illusion.

Puzzled, the group blinked slightly. The moment their eyelids concealed their eyes, a strange phenomenon occurred: a dense, stormy forest overlapped with the room, flashing by like lightning.

This is the impression that was projected onto the minds of the people just now.

Amidst their surprise and uncertainty, the group tried to recall the reason and were about to look at the painting again, but before their gaze could fall upon it, a figure appeared in front of them.

"You guys go out first, don't look at this picture anymore, go and calm down."

It turned out to be Xu Shi from the Ritual Reverence Academy. He stepped forward, blocking their view.

"Mr. Xu..."

"Master..."

The expressions of the people who wanted the painting changed slightly. They sensed an unquestionable and unyielding tone in Xu Shi's words and subconsciously took a step back.

These people were not disciples of a single academy, but rather selected from several academies. They addressed Xu Shi in slightly different ways, but upon noticing Xu Shi's expression and the solemn looks of Zhou Dongyi and the others, they finally realized the seriousness of the situation and came to their senses.

When Zhou Dongyi and the Grand Confucian rushed back, they pushed open the door without regard for their image. Before they could even catch their breath, a series of strange events occurred. The people who retrieved the painting then recalled the events and vaguely grasped a connection.

"Get out of here now!"

Zhou Dongyi's whisper startled the group, who dared not ask any further questions. After bowing, they hurriedly withdrew.

Squeak.

As soon as they left, the door to the room was closed.

Inside the room, many Grand Confucian and gentlemen wore solemn expressions, their gazes all fixed on the table.

ps:

Thank you "Mi Heran" for the monthly vote!

Thanks to "Wan Xia Xia La" for the monthly vote!