Martial Saint through Reading

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Senior Brother, Where’s the Poem You Added?

”I asked.”

”What did he say?” Liang Yuan asked curiously.

”...” Ning Hao’s hand paused as he held his brush, then he sighed and said, ”Mr. Shen doesn’t want to teach me.”

”Why not?”

”Mr. Shen said that if he taught me, I wouldn’t pass the monthly exam, the academy promotion exam, or even the county exam.”

”Huh?” The more Liang Yuan listened, the more confused he became.

”You’re not the only one confused, I am too.” Ning Hao turned to glance at Chu Ming’s room. ”Mr. Shen said Junior Brother Chu is clever.”

”Junior Brother Chu is clever?” Liang Yuan recalled how clumsy Chu Ming looked when practicing painting, and shook his head with a smile: ”I barely see it at all.”

...

Inside the room.

Chu Ming sat at his desk, quickly flipping through ”Poetry, Politics, and Military.”

After reading for two hours, he closed his eyes to infer cultivation techniques. The progress of [Tiger and Python Blood Refining Technique·Blood Activation (Great Success)] slowly increased.

23...24...25...

After running through it a few times, he started to practice the martial art [Blood Wind Palm].

[Blood Wind Palm] had lagged the most in progress ever since it was fused together.

There was nothing he could do: after helping Housekeeper Fang solve the Blood Evil Sect issue, he rushed to Baiyuan County and hadn’t rested for half a day—there simply wasn’t enough time.

After practicing a dozen times, the progress of this Palm Technique stalled at ’15’.

Chu Ming wiped sweat from his forehead, picked up the teapot, and took a few sips.

He looked outside, eyes glinting.

On his second day at Baiyuan Academy, he already missed the little courtyard on West Street in Liuu Town.

Practicing martial arts could be done in the courtyard, no need to sweat buckets indoors like now. Little Shan would also bring tea and snacks from time to time...

”Looks like I have to resolve the Chu Family matters soon, earn some silver taels, buy a house in Baiyuan County, and bring Housekeeper Fang and Little Shan over.”

Both Senior Brother Ning Hao and Liang Yuan treated him well, but living together in the same courtyard was inconvenient in many ways—having his own little courtyard would be much more comfortable.

He rested for a quarter hour; there was still time. Chu Ming sat back at his desk, spread out a sheet of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began grinding at [Calligraphy and Painting].

”Progress on Calligraphy and Painting is already at 87. If I finish two more pieces, let’s see if I can max it out...”

87...88...90...

[Calligraphy and Painting] progressed the fastest and took the least time.

Since he started practicing yesterday, counting everything up, he’d spent less than half a day on it.

Chu Ming had also thought about why he could improve so quickly.

The ’photographic memory’, ’integration’, and ’inference’ effects from the [Reading] skill covered a broad range, including painting.

Liang Yuan needed to continuously study and consider each stroke when copying a painting, but Chu Ming only had to see it a few times to remember every detail.

Then, with Liang Yuan’s guidance on individual details, he could immediately apply what he learned to other details.

That’s why he shifted some time to [Calligraphy and Painting]—using little time to grind out a skill was undeniably cost-effective.

If, like other skills, it required heaps of time, its priority would be much lower.

Time passed; it was dusk.

Chu Ming finished the last touches of his landscape, and the panel showed a change.

[Calligraphy and Painting: Entering the Hall and Room]

[Progress: 1/100]

”Just peeking at the path... Entering the Hall and Room...”

Joy flickered between his brows; he grabbed a blank sheet, dipped his brush again, and the landscape Liang Yuan had copied came to mind.

With brush and ink, the grandeur of the mountains, delicacy of the water, and the tranquil silence between them...

In half a cup of tea’s time, a complete landscape painting appeared on the paper.

”Whew... Done.”

Chu Ming glanced at his panel.

[Progress: 11/100]

”Completing one whole painting boosts progress by ten points.”

”Single paintings now raise progress slower, but my painting speed has skyrocketed.”

He looked at the painting: ”It looks no different from Senior Brother Liang’s version—wonder what the original that Liang made his copy from is like.”

Chu Ming felt that if he could see the original, the effect of his copy would be even better.

”Liang Yuan’s copy can be sold at the painting workshop, so mine... I’ll ask later.”

With that thought, he set aside the copy, and opened ”Poetry, Politics, and Military.”

He hadn’t read long before Liang Yuan’s voice came from outside: ”Junior Brother Chu, it’s mealtime.”

”Alright, coming.”

Chu Ming closed his book, rolled up the copy painting, and walked out.

”Hey, Junior Brother Chu, what’s that in your hand? A painting?”

”Yeah.” Chu Ming looked at Liang Yuan, about to ask about selling the painting.

Before he could speak, Liang Yuan smiled and said, ”Eating is most important—ask me later after dinner if you have questions.”

Ning Hao next to him frowned, his expression stern: ”Junior Brother Chu, you didn’t spend all afternoon painting, did you?”

”Painting demands talent and is very time-consuming. Even though Junior Brother Liang is talented, it took him years to copy the classics.”

”You’ve just joined the academy—the most urgent thing now is to focus on studying ’Poetry, Politics, and Military.’”

”Painting can’t be rushed; it must proceed step by step.”

”...”

”Senior Brother Ning, don’t be so strict. Junior Brother Chu knows his limits.”

To ease the awkwardness, Liang Yuan took the painting from Chu Ming, walked to the stone table, and winked at him: ”Right, Junior Brother Chu?”

With that, he casually set the painting on the table. ”But Senior Brother Ning is right—as much as you admire calligraphy and painting and look up to me, you shouldn’t spend too much time on it. Study comes first.”

”Let me see what problem you’re having.”

The painting roll slowly unfurled...

”Hmm, not bad. The mountain peaks here are very sharp—captures my essence.”

The painting roll continued to unfurl...

”This section’s very detailed. These trees are vivid and lifelike.”

”...”

”Eh?”

Halfway through unfolding, Liang Yuan suddenly let out a surprised cry.

He glanced at Chu Ming with a strange look, then lowered his head to peer at the painting, hands spreading the scroll more quickly...

When the whole painting lay flat, Liang Yuan froze for a moment, then snapped his head up, sounding a bit excited: ”Impossible!”

”Impossible? What’s impossible? Hurry up and explain it to Junior Brother Chu—we’ve got to eat!” Ning Hao said impatiently.

Liang Yuan ignored him, staring strangely at Chu Ming: ”Junior Brother Chu, when did you take my painting?”

The landscape on the scroll was identical to the one he painted.

First reaction: how can there be an identical painting?

Second reaction: Oh, this must be my painting.

”Your painting?” Ning Hao raised his brows, walked to the table, and looked down. ”It really is yours... hmm?”

”No, wait, Liang Yuan—that’s not your painting!”

”How could it not be mine? Look, those strokes, only I do them like that; the ink there, thick and balanced; and the poem added by Senior Brother... ”

”Eh, Senior Brother, where’s your poem?”

Liang Yuan looked at the end of the scroll; just this afternoon, Ning Hao had inscribed a poem there, but now that spot was blank...?

For a moment, both Liang Yuan and Ning Hao realized something, and their gazes shot toward Chu Ming; they spoke in unison:

Ning Hao: ”You painted this?”

Liang Yuan: ”Where’s the poem Senior Brother added?”

”Huh? Senior Brother, what do you mean? This is my painting...!” Liang Yuan suddenly stared at Ning Hao.

”...”

Chu Ming looked at both senior brothers, feeling a little helpless. He turned back into his room, grabbed brush and ink, walked to the table, and after thinking a moment, began to write.

As his brush fell, a poem slowly appeared on the painting right before Ning Hao and Liang Yuan’s eyes.

”Here you go, Senior Brothers—the poem is added.”