My Master Knows It All

196: Chapter 128 A Well-Intentioned Plan_1 196: Chapter 128 A Well-Intentioned Plan_1 The Golden Core Club of the Vermilion Bird Peak was supposed to focus on Li Ke, who had accomplished the Great Perfection of ten fantastical Golden Cores, and yet people found that, unknowingly, Cao Zhen had become the center of attention instead.

“You want to see my calligraphy?” In the gaze of the crowd, Cao Zhen shook his head slightly and said, “My writing is very expensive.

Without money, I won’t write.”

They expect him to write without paying?

They must be dreaming.

Laughter immediately erupted from the crowd.

“Asking for money?”

“Although I am not proficient in the Dao of Calligraphy, I know that calligraphy is art.

How can it be measured by money, such a vulgar object?

True masters of calligraphy would never measure their writing in terms of money; that would be an insult to them.”

“Probably Cao Zhen knows his writing is not up to par and he’s just making excuses not to write.”

Hearing the voices that kept rising around him, Shi Xiaolou still looked at Cao Zhen with a humble face and said, “In ancient times, one would offer a thousand catties of silver for a single word, today I, Shi Xiaolou, am also willing to follow the ancient practice and seek this one word.

I don’t carry much in the way of Spiritual Stone Tickets, only ten thousand taels, but I am willing to offer all my monthly stipend for the next hundred years for a word from Peak Master Cao.”

It’s not that he looked down upon the Hundred Peaks Sect.

Indeed, there were some geniuses within the Hundred Peaks Sect, and it was a sect that shared fame with their Four Extremes Sect, but when it came to the Calligraphy Dao, he really didn’t think much of it.

He knew about the Hundred Peaks Sect having the Immortal Pen Peak and Ultimate Pen Peak, but could the heritage of these academically miscellaneous peaks compare with their revered Four Extremes Peaks?

That they dared to say his writing was not good!

Today, he wanted to make sure that this so-called Peak Master Cao wrote in front of everyone, letting all know that among the younger generation, no one’s writing could compare with his!

Only through comparison would it become more apparent how precious his writing was!

It would highlight just how brilliant Shi Xiaolou was!

The crowd around him gasped in surprise at his words.

“Monthly stipends for a hundred years!”

“Young Master Shi is a genius disciple of the Four Extremes Sect, and his monthly stipend is by no means small.”

Several people eager to please Azure Pheasant Peak chimed in with praise: “Young Master Shi is not just asking with a thousand catties of silver, he’s asking with ten thousand gold, a hundred thousand gold!”

“Young Master Shi, a hundred years’ monthly stipends amount to at least a hundred thousand taels, perhaps even two hundred thousand.”

“Young Master Shi, what you are saying is fine, but there should be a condition.

If it were someone else whose writing is not good, they wouldn’t have the face to ask for the money.

But this Cao Zhen, he’s one of the latest Hundred Peaks Six Evils; even if his writing is no good, he’d still ask you for money.”

Qu Qingqing, hearing the crowd’s words, also came to her senses and quickly looked at Cao Zhen and called out, “My husband is seeking fine writing; everyone here can witness that if Peak Master Cao’s writing is not better than my husband’s, we will not give any Spirit Stones.”

Cao Zhen did not even glance at Qu Qingqing; instead, he looked up and down at Shi Xiaolou, who wore a cloud-pattern brocade robe with eight treasures, a white jade belt, and boots embroidered with patterns.

Dressed like that, one could tell at a glance he was a man of means.

Moreover, he had just heard from others that this was a genius disciple of the Four Extremes Sect, so he should have some money, right?

Otherwise, Chen Qingluan wouldn’t have let her direct disciple marry over there.

For such a person, a hundred years’ monthly stipends were at least a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones, which was enough.

“Alright, since you all want to see, today I shall show you what real fine writing is.” Cao Zhen looked around and asked, “Is there any ink and brush?”

“Peak Master Cao, we have it.”

“Peak Master Cao, I’ll grind the ink for you.”

Chang Tiance and Xu Ruyi hurriedly took out the Four Treasures of the Study, cleared the objects from the stone table of Purple Dawn Peak, and began to grind the ink.

As people from Ultimate Pen Peak and Immortal Pen Peak, they naturally carried the Four Treasures of the Study with them.

The ink was ready.

Cao Zhen rolled up the sleeve with his left hand and lifted the writing brush with his right hand.

Many people around could not contain their snickering at the sight.

“Is he really going to write?”

“Isn’t he afraid of making a fool of himself?”

“He’s not just making a fool of himself; he’s making a fool of us, the people of the Hundred Peaks Sect.

Thankfully, Young Master Shi is one of our own.

If this happened outside, the embarrassment would be much greater.”

“Peak Master Cao, with Young Master Shi’s outstanding pearls incoming, you should refrain from embarrassing yourself.”

As the crowd watched, Cao Zhen raised the brush and began to write on the rice paper held before him.

Given the situation, he felt that cursive script would be most fitting.

Zhao Ji was not only skilled in the thin gold style—his cursive was also peerless.

Off to the side, Liu Zhixing watched Cao Zhen make two strokes and couldn’t help but snicker.

This writing couldn’t possibly compare to his own, and yet Cao Zhen dared to display it shamelessly.

“Pfft, what is this… is this even writing?

He was asked to write, not to paint; this writing… this…”

Liu Zhixing’s eyes suddenly widened as he stared blankly at the first character Cao Zhen wrote, unable to utter a sound.

This character… this…

He may not have understood calligraphy, but upon seeing this one character, he realized for the first time just how attractive writing could be.

Cao Zhen wrote rapidly; in just a moment, several characters were complete.

[Without Cao Zhen, calligraphy would be in eternal night]

Looking at the words in front of them, everyone had only one thought: it was good.

They couldn’t articulate why the writing was good, but they felt that it was truly good!

Chen Qingluan stared at the characters dancing like dragons and phoenixes before her, her mind filled with nothing but shock.

Though she had not entered the path through calligraphy, she was extremely fond of it; otherwise, she would not have sought the dual excellence in painting and calligraphy of Shi Xiaolou as a match for her direct disciple.