บท 50: Peer
บรรณาธิการ: GaiaNova, Thaddpole&Tortex
“That’s simple!” Oblivious to the shock and the thoughts going through the minds of others, Zhang Xuan smiled. “Even though the Chi Xiong is known for its invincible defense, its body is streamlined like a sharp sword. It specializes in quick assaults and overcomes its opponents through speed rather than strength! From this, it can be inferred that its disposition should be that of a sharp sword rather than a heavy mountain. Given how the painter got the disposition of the savage beast wrong, it is clear to see that it is an interpretation.”
Master Lu Chen’s body swayed.
It wasn’t that the other party was inaccurate in his appraisal, but he was too accurate in it!
All along, he had thought that since the Chi Xiong was known for its invincible defense, its disposition should be heavy like a mountain. The reminder from the youngster made him recall an introduction on the savage beast from a book. It mentioned that it was extremely fast, killing its opponent without even revealing itself. This was precisely the reason why very few people have seen its true form!
One of the greatest taboos of a painter was to mistake the disposition their painting should carry. If even the disposition was unfitting for the subject, then even the most valuable of paintings would be reduced to trash. Zhang Xuan was already sparing his pride by saying that the painting wasn’t bad, instead of saying something more extreme.
“Excellent! Incredible!” With his face flushed red with excitement, Master Lu Chen expressed his high appraisal of Zhang Xuan.
If it was just a single painting, it was possible that it might just be luck or coincidence. However, to see the crux behind two different paintings in an instant, he could confidently say that the youngster before him might look young, but he was a true master painter!
His skills could only be superior to his own!
It was easy to make friends, but it was hard to find a soulmate. Throughout his career as a painter, he was unable to find an equal in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Usually, when he deciphered a painting to others, they would only respond to it perfunctorily and instead, focus their efforts on praising him. No one was able to truly understand the essence of those paintings, needless to say, point out the flaws in them.
This was precisely the reason why he felt desolate, and often opened up his residence to encourage diligent juniors in the hope that there would be someone to succeed him.
At this moment, upon meeting someone who was able to point out the flaws and weaknesses of a painting, he felt as though he had met a soulmate. How could he not be delighted over it?
If not for his strong will and self-control, he might have leapt in joy on the spot.
Seeing the master so exuberant, Huang Yu and Bai Xun no longer bickered and stared at one another. Their eyes widened into complete circles, almost popping out from their heads.
They have been acquainted with this master since young. He was always calm, and no matter what came in his way, he never allowed it to interfere with his mind. The last time the emperor sent some servants to deliver the 【Harsh Lands Night Illumination Pearl】 to him, a gift that was worth a king’s ransom, he didn’t even take a look at it before ordering a servant to keep it in the warehouse.
Yet, a casual answer from the young man left him in such a state… Could it be that his words were true?
At this point, the two of them shot their gazes towards the young man. However, no matter how they stared at him, he looked nothing but ordinary to them.
“Xiao Yu, aren’t you going to introduce this gongzi to me?”
While she was still struck with bewilderment, Master Lu Chen’s words echoed in the room.
“Introduce? He…” Upon being questioned, Huang Yu was taken aback. Only now did she realize that she had not asked for the other party’s name. Her face turned red and she scratched her head awkwardly as she turned towards Zhang Xuan and asked, “Ah, right, what is your name…”
Hearing these words, Bai Xun, who was sitting beside her, looked constipated.
Just a moment ago, he was still overwhelmed by jealousy, thinking that someone had beaten him to his goddess, causing the urge to beat up this youngster to well up in him. Only now did he realize that… Huang Yu didn’t even know his name!
If only he knew earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten so angry over nothing.
However, his dilemma didn’t end here. Immediately after, he heard Master Lu Chen’s angry voice, “What do you mean by he! No decorum at all! This little brother here is a peer of mine, you will have to address him as a master in the future!”
“Peer?”
This time, not only Huang Yu and Bai Xun felt lightheaded, even the butler Uncle Cheng froze in shock. The three of them stared at Zhang Xuan as though they were looking at a monster.
[What kind of standing does Master Lu Chen possess?
Emperor Shen Zhui’s teacher, a true emperor’s tutor!
There isn’t a single person in the entire kingdom who dares to claim to be his peer. If one were to do it, it would mean that one is claiming to be the senior of the country’s emperor!
For a person of such standing to view a youngster who isn’t even twenty as a fellow peer of his? Surely I am hearing things?]
“Didn’t you all hear my words?”
Seeing the two of them in a daze, Lu Chen chastised them again.
“Yes!” Bai Xun and Huang Yu hurriedly bowed. “Paying respect to the master!”
“There is no need to be so formal!” Zhang Xuan didn’t expect Lu Chen to be so polite. He nodded his head helplessly and said, “I am Zhang Xuan. I just happen to understand master’s paintings out of coincidence. I am not fitting of the title of a master!”
“So it is little brother Zhang Xuan. You can’t put it like that, manners are manners! You are able to see through the flaws in my work with just a glance, this means that you are well-versed in paintings, and you possess an exceptional eye for them. If you aren’t worthy of the title of master with your standards, wouldn’t that mean that I am unable to live up to my title as a master as well?” Lu Chen said.
Zhang Xuan laughed dryly.
It was true that he was able to point the flaws in the paintings, but that wasn’t because of his abilities in that aspect. He only made use of the cheat called “Library of Heaven’s Path”.
Without this, needless to say appraising it, he might be scratching his head with a confused expression, unable to even identify what was being drawn.
“Alright, stop being so polite. Feel free to reprimand these juniors when you meet them in the future!”
Unsure about what Zhang Xuan was thinking about, Lu Chen casually said.
“Juniors? Feel free to reprimand?”
Bai Xun and Huang Yu were on the verge of crying.
[The heck, we are around the same age and yet you became a senior of our grandfather’s generation in an instant… Dude, you are way too formidable!]
Ignoring the despondent duo, Master Lu Chen looked over in puzzlement, “Little brother, to follow Xiao Yu here, you probably aren’t here for leisure. May I ask what is it that you require my help on?”
“I have heard that master has a wide collection of books. The reason why I am here today is to find some Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique manuals to browse through…”
Hearing Master Lu Chen questioned his purpose, Zhang Xuan hurriedly replied.
The main aim of his journey here was this, so he mustn’t let this opportunity slip by.
“My collection of books is quite vast, but they are mainly on painting. I do not possess many books on cultivation techniques here. As for those on Fighter 6-dan, I only have a couple of them. They are in my study. Come, I will bring you over to take a look!”
Hearing his purpose, Master Lu Chen stroked his beard with a smile and stood up.
“Laoye, your study…” The butler Uncle Cheng quickly walked forward and asked questioningly.
Laoye‘s study did possess quite a lot of one-of-a-kind limited edition books, and each of them were extremely valuable. He had never allowed any outsiders to enter his study, and even Emperor Shen Zhui was blocked at the door when he came the previous time!
There was a maid who wasn’t aware of the rules and ran in to clean the room. In the end, she was beaten to death!
This was precisely the reason why the study of the Lu residence was the forbidden zone within forbidden zones, and no one dared to enter it…
Yet, laoye intended to bring in a young man whom he had just met, leaving him at a loss.
“The reason why I don’t allow others to enter my study is for fear that they would afflict it with their vulgarity. Little brother Zhang Xuan is a fellow peer of mine and a master painter. It is an honor of mine to have him enter to offer me some pointers. There is no reason for me to stop him from entering at all.”
Master Lu Chen’s face darkened.
“Yes!” Uncle Cheng retreated in a fluster.
He might be ignorant about painting, but even he was able to tell at this point that there wasn’t a single error in the appraisal of the young man!
Otherwise, it was impossible for laoye‘s attitude to do a 180 degree turn and act so amiably.
“Let’s go!”
Master Lu Chen led the way while Zhang Xuan followed behind him. After a moment, they reached a wide room.
As expected of a master whom Huang Yu was full of praises for, the collection of books in his study was massive. All kinds of manuals filled the shelves, and there were at least hundreds of thousands of books here. Zhang Xuan felt as though he had walked into a library.
Walking between the shelves while taking a casual look, it was exactly as the other party said. The books were all about painting, and there were barely any on cultivation techniques and martial arts.
“Those about cultivation techniques are over here. There are only a handful of them. They were left behind from back when I was still cultivating!”
Master Lu Chen introduced with a smile as he brought Zhang Xuan towards the corner of the study.
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