It was hardly rare for people of the Martial World to ply a trade outside it. Some went into business, and some became officials. Few took up painting as well, though, and fewer still made a name for themselves at it.
Liu Shuixin, the "Illustrated Book Master," was one of those rare crossover painters whose achievements in art had even outstripped his fame in the Martial World.
He had studied the sketching style that had appeared briefly in the early years of Great Xia, then taken it further. Compared with Bi Lingkong, the Master of sketching, his paintings were less true to life, with certain distortions of human anatomy. Yet they spoke more directly to humanity's most primal urges. His series called "Bai Jie" was especially sought after: often a single picture showed no intimate parts at all, yet still set viewers' blood surging.
Many morally upright people regularly condemned this affront to decency.
...But that did nothing to stop them from privately collecting Liu Shuixin's work, or even exchanging pieces with one another.
Likewise, their criticism of the skinny man was only talk. When it came down to it, they would not take his life. They would work to protect him.
After all, the world was full of bastards who deserved a reckoning, but artists who could produce fine paintings could be counted on one hand. If Liu Shuixin died, it might not be a loss to the entire world, but it would certainly be a loss to men everywhere.
Liu Shuixin asked Pan Long to go to the Ludong Commandery Office and deliver a letter to a friend of his.
As long as the letter arrived, he should be able to get out of trouble.
In return, he was willing to help get Bian Deming out too.
He