Linjiang Immortal

Ink and Brush Studio

Jia Heng cupped his hands toward the old man and said, "My respects, sir."

The old man wore a silk robe. His hair was gray, but he looked hale and vigorous. He nodded slightly to Jia Heng, a measure of scrutiny in his aged eyes, and asked, "Young master, are you here to sell a manuscript?"

Jia Heng smiled. "I merely came to inquire. If it is not to your liking, sir, consider it a passing jest on my part."

Stroking the beard beneath his chin, the old man smiled and said, "What sort of manuscript is it? Might you bring it out for me to have a look?"

His mistress was particularly fond of illustrated historical romances and had repeatedly instructed him to bring any new illustrated stories to her.

Jia Heng's expression briefly stiffened. Looking a little embarrassed, he said, "Well, I have not written it yet."

The old man's expression turned rather peculiar, then displeased. His face darkened as he asked, "Young master, are you making sport of this old man?"

"Please forgive me, sir," Jia Heng said. "The manuscript is indeed unwritten, but the story is already complete in my mind, like fully formed bamboo before the brush touches paper. Do you have paper and a brush here? Give me a little time, and I shall write a chapter for you to inspect."

The old man was taken aback by Jia Heng's earnest manner. He could not help chuckling. "You truly are an amusing fellow, young master."

He instructed the shop assistant beside him, "Go fetch paper and a brush."

The assistant answered and hurried off to carry out his instructions.

The old man smiled. "I have heard that Cao Zijian composed a poem within seven steps. Are you emulating that elegant feat of the ancients?"

The proprietor behind the Ink and Brush Studio had originally opened it to make collecting old books more convenient. The old man merely spent his time reading here, and it had been a long while since he had encountered such an interesting young fellow.

Jia Heng smiled. "I would never dare compare my modest speed of composition with the talents of the ancients. But I truly was not deceiving you earlier, sir. This manuscript is already fully formed in my mind."

Thinking of the webnovel authors in his previous life, who could write several thousand characters an hour, he felt they truly produced prose the moment their pens touched paper, letting it pour forth in an endless stream.

Before long, the assistant returned with paper and a brush.

By then, a few young scholars had entered the Ink and Brush Studio in twos and threes to buy books. Hearing the commotion, some gathered around to watch.

One young gentleman wore a straight-cut green robe and appeared to be in his early twenties. His face was refined, his gaze gentle. Holding a folding fan, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist, he watched curiously and whispered to the broad-faced, burly young man in blue beside him, "Brother Wendu, might this gentleman be about to compose a poem? Who would have thought we would encounter such an elegant affair here at the Ink and Brush Studio?"

Both were students at the Imperial College in the Divine Capital. With no classes that day, they had come to browse the Ink and Brush Studio and buy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Meanwhile, Jia Heng thanked the assistant, accepted the paper and brush, dipped the brush into the inkstone, spread out the snow-white paper, and began to write.

He had originally intended to write The Legend of the Condor Heroes, but its language was the plain vernacular of a later age. He feared it would not be deemed fit for refined company here and would invite criticism. Seeing scholars gradually gathering around him, he therefore switched to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, whose blend of classical and vernacular language captured much of the spirit of the classics and historical records.

"Onward the mighty Yangtze rolled, its waters flowing east; its waves washed all the heroes away..."

The history of this world differed somewhat from that of China in his previous life. Yang Shen had indeed existed in the Ming dynasty, and the Great Rites Controversy had likewise occurred during the Jiajing reign of the Former Ming.

But Yang Shen's fate had followed a different course from that of his previous life. He had not been exiled to Yunnan, and this Linjiang Immortal had never appeared. Of course, even if it had, there would have been nothing objectionable about quoting someone else's verse in a book.

Yet as soon as Linjiang Immortal appeared on the page, everyone watching was astonished.

"This Linjiang Immortal is truly stirring and tragic, enough to set the heart surging. Is it a new lyric? And this calligraphy is spacious and open, its strokes sharp as swords and axes, its lines iron-wrought and its hooks silver-forged... Such skill is no small accomplishment." The young man whose courtesy name was Wendu looked intently at the gentleman in green beside him and asked in a low voice, "Brother Han, you have a wide circle of acquaintances. Do you know who this gentleman is?"

The gentleman in green shook his head, surprise on his face as well. "He looks quite unfamiliar to me. We can ask him in a moment."

Jia Heng wrote Linjiang Immortal in flowing regular script, his brush strokes smooth. Once he had finished the lyric, he began, "The great course of the realm is this: long divided, it must unite; long united, it must divide..."

He continued until he had completed an entire chapter, several thousand characters flowing from his brush. It took more than two hours and filled over a dozen sheets. Each finished sheet was passed out through the old man at the Ink and Brush Studio, and before long, three or five onlookers were circulating the pages among themselves. Their wait was anything but dull.

Admiring clicks of the tongue and exclamations of praise rang out without cease.

Some praised the sharp power laid bare in his calligraphy, others the expansive, evocative lyric, and still others marveled at the grandeur of the story's opening.

"What a brotherhood sworn in the Peach Garden! Heroes meeting amid gathering winds and clouds, a lord and his servants finding those who truly understood them-it makes one yearn to be there." The young man in blue, whose courtesy name was Wendu, beat time as he voiced his praise.

Jia Heng set down the brush and rubbed his aching wrist. Copying things out this way really is exhausting beyond the ordinary.

The old man smiled. "You truly have exceeded all expectations, young master. I have yet to ask your name."

Jia Heng cupped his hands. "I am Jia Heng."

"Jia?" Han Hui, the gentleman in green, looked at the young man whose courtesy name was Wendu and whispered, "Brother Yu, his surname is Jia. Could he be...?"

Yu Zhen nodded. "As far as I know, apart from those on that street, there are hardly any other Jias in the capital."

Such was the standing of the Dukes of Ningguo and Rongguo in the Great Han Divine Capital. With two Prefectures and eight branches, seven or eight out of every ten people surnamed Jia in the capital belonged to collateral branches of the Jia Family.

An unusual gleam flashed through the old man's eyes as a guess formed in his mind. He had the assistant bring Jia Heng a cup of fragrant tea, then asked thoughtfully, "Young Master Jia, how many more chapters will this manuscript have?"

Jia Heng took a sip of tea. Knowing the old man was already interested, he smiled. "One hundred and twenty chapters in all."

The old man fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "Would you kindly step aside with me for a word, young master?"

With that, he had someone tidy up, then took the stack of manuscript pages and headed upstairs.

Jia Heng nodded, set down his teacup, and followed the old man to the second floor.

Meanwhile, Han Hui and Yu Zhen exchanged a glance. Han Hui smiled. "Once Brother Jia has finished his business, we can go over."

Yu Zhen frowned. "The Jia Family has an exalted pedigree, and its sons have always had their eyes perched atop their heads. I fear he may not be easy to befriend."

Han Hui smiled. "Brother Wendu, look at Brother Jia's attire. Does he look as though he comes from the Rongguo or Ningguo Prefecture?"

Understanding dawned on Yu Zhen's face. "Ah, so that is it."

"The Dukes of Rongguo and Ningguo established eight branches in the capital. After several generations, many have become distant relations, scarcely different from ordinary neighbors to the two Prefectures. If Brother Jia Heng truly came from either Prefecture, he would hardly be so strapped for money that he needed to sell his writing here."

Yu Zhen smiled. "You make a sound point, Brother Han."

Leaving aside their speculation about his identity, Jia Heng followed the old man upstairs. Rows of bookcases stood on the second floor as well, but beside the window was an elegant private room. The old man entered first and smiled. "Please, Young Master Jia."

Host and guest took their seats.

Jia Heng cupped his hands. "You are most courteous, sir."

The old man smiled. "My name is Liu Tong. You may simply call me Manager Liu, Young Master Jia."

Jia Heng politely said he would not presume, addressing him instead as Elder Liu.

Liu Tong said, "Forgive my presumption, Young Master Jia, but do you come from Ningrong Street?"

Jia Heng nodded. "You have a discerning eye, Elder Liu. I am a descendant of the Duke of Ningguo."

The old man exclaimed in surprise, "So you are a descendant of the Duke of Ningguo! No wonder you can write such stirring prose, filled with golden spears and armored steeds, its sweep so grand. I failed to show you proper respect earlier."

Jia Heng chuckled softly. "My branch is not the direct line of the Ningguo senior branch. Otherwise, I would not have come here."

Liu Tong smiled. "But does the Duke of Ningguo's blood not still flow in your veins?"

Jia Heng's expression briefly stiffened, and he sighed inwardly. This was precisely what left him speechless.

Whatever he did in the future, whether taking the imperial examinations, joining the army, serving as an official, or becoming a minister, the world would naturally associate him with the Jia Family.

Liu Tong smiled. "Young Master Jia, this illustrated story is good, but there is no shortage of illustrated tales, operas, storytelling performances, and drum ballads about the Three Kingdoms. I fear it may not offer anything fresh to the eyes and ears."

What followed was the formal process of business negotiations. Manager Liu Tong had begun by claiming the manuscript lacked novelty, paving the way to drive down the price.