Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 567: Chapter 564: Strange Painting

Hong Si placed a tray on the stage, within which were two scrolls of paintings. He slowly unrolled the ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” scroll and lifted it up so that everyone present could clearly see it.

Wang Ximeng was a master painter, and although he died young, leaving behind few works, the ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” is indeed a rare authentic piece.

The painting method Wang Ximeng used combined the ”pima” (hemp-fiber) texture strokes with the ”fupi” (axe-cut) wrinkling technique to delicately express the underlying structure and light-and-shadow variations of rocks, just like this ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” before our eyes. With its richly detailed scenery and myriad atmospheric effects, the composition seeks change within density, achieving a coherent momentum that truly reflects painstaking craftsmanship.

Whether in terms of layout, artistic conception, or the precision of the brushwork, the ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” on stage captures the essence of Wang Ximeng’s work remarkably well. However, anyone with even a slight understanding of ancient court paintings could tell that this piece is a forgery.

Not to mention whether Hong Si could obtain the original, the painting silk used in this scroll is problematic in itself.

The true ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” was painted on a scroll made from a kind of Mi Family Silk produced by the Mi family in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, which is a fabric of uniform and dense quality, exclusively used by Imperial Court painters.

But the silk used in this painting in front of us is clearly of inferior quality.

Moreover, genuine ancient silk, after mounting, is incredibly durable. This painting’s age differs greatly from the original, likely only spanning several decades.

The silk is not the only significant oversight; there’s another detail that any discerning person could spot to tell the authenticity of the painting.

The genuine ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” features inscriptions by the powerful minister Cai Jing from back in the day, but this painting lacks them. So at first glance, although this painting’s artistic conception is majestic and expansive, it inevitably makes one feel as if something is missing.

As the painting was put on display, many showed signs of disappointment, saying that to the keen-eyed, such a painting could not deceive them. Let alone thirty thousand, not even three thousand would buy it.

Hong Si of course knew that the painting he held was a fake, but at a black market auction, generally, they would not directly inform buyers about the authenticity of the items—it’s entirely up to the buyers to judge for themselves.

Seeing that no one came forward to inspect it, he was not annoyed. After putting down the imitation ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains,” he unfolded another painting.

”This painting was acquired along with the ’Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains’ just now. Since its origin is unknown, this painting is being treated as an addendum to that ’Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains.’ Interested friends, feel free to come up and take a closer look. Perhaps you might find an unexpected treasure.”

Such a statement from Hong Si naturally made everyone sneer. To find an underpriced treasure at a black market auction was pure wishful thinking. With the abilities of these people, would they allow a buyer such a great bargain? Virtually anyone with a brain wouldn’t believe Hong Si’s nonsense.

Hong Si slowly opened the painting in his hands, and almost everyone watched with the mindset of enjoying a joke, gazing at the odd ink wash painting.

This painting, like the previous ”Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains,” was also a landscape painting, approximately two meters in length and a bit over sixty centimeters in width. However, the subjects depicted on it caused Huo Sining to freeze instantly, unable to regain her composure for a long while.

She stared blankly at the scroll, her eyes filled with confusion, shock, and an indescribable emotion.

In the center of the painting’s silk was the cursive script of the characters ”Buzhou Mountain,” indicating that the name of this painting was ”Buzhou Mountain.”

The mountains depicted on the left side of the scroll towered majestically, with heavy snow flying over the great snowy mountain. On the other side of the silk paper, nestled among the overlapping peaks and ridges, a sheer cliff and gorge strangely appeared, shrouded in swirling mists, with a waterfall cascading down thousands of feet. Below the gorge was a long, winding valley, its course unknown.

What puzzled and shocked Huo Sining was not the scenery, but at the bottom of the cliff by the waterfall’s edge, stood a Taoist boy, bending over as if he were whispering to the pool’s waters.

In the water, a young girl hid most of her body within the clear spring, leaving only her head resting on a black stone at the water’s edge.

However, what was surprising was that the half of the girl submerged in the spring waters faintly revealed a fish tail with grey-black scales shimmering in the light!

Although this ancient painting was a splash ink painting, using techniques common in landscape painting, it depicted a fantastical scene.

In fact, in ancient China, some master painters had special preferences besides capturing landscapes, animals, and human figures.

For example, they would use the Hidden Mist technique to blur reality with fiction, or they would integrate paintings into other objects. Some painters favored mythical themes, relying on their imagination to create such artworks.

Familiar scenes like Zhong Kui capturing ghosts, processions of specters, tales of Liao Zhai, Nezha causing havoc in the sea, and many others were depicted numerous times by ancient artists.

Ancients would typically draw upon ancient myths or legendary tales when portraying fantastical beings. Buzhou Mountain is a mountain mentioned in ancient Han Chinese mythology, and this painting before us was likely based on the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Because on the left side of the painting, a passage is clearly visible: ”Beyond the Northwestern Sea, at the edge of the Great Wilderness, stands a mountain unjoined, named Buzhou.” This line is obviously taken from ”Classic of Mountains and Seas: The West Side of the Great Wilderness.”

What was strange, though, was that the painting had neither a signature nor a personal seal. Apart from the three characters for Buzhou Mountain in the center, no other traces could be found, no wonder Hong Si said the painting’s origins were unknown.

After seeing this ”Buzhou Mountain Painting,” Huo Sining felt a strong resonance deep within, especially when she saw the loathsome, enshrouded pool and waterfall within the sheer cliff gorge, which instantly reminded her of a strange dream she had long ago. That intense sense of familiarity made her freeze in place.

Although the origin of the ”Buzhou Mountain Painting” was unknown, its craftsmanship was extremely delicate; both the landscape and the expressions of the figures were vividly brought to life, and the faintly visible mermaid added a touch of mystery to the painting.

Perhaps because they had never seen such a subtle depiction of mythical creatures, only a sparse few people went up to inspect the painting.

However, after having looked at it, these people still could not figure out the artist behind the painting and shook their heads before stepping down from the stage.

”Miss Huo, are you alright?” Noticing Huo Sining’s odd expression, Qin Lianshan next to her couldn’t help but voice his concern.

Huo Sining snapped out of her daze, the blank look in her eyes gradually dissipating, to be replaced by curiosity about the painting and a determination to acquire it.

”I’m fine, aren’t you going to take a look, Elder Qin?” No one was looking at the painting anymore, so Huo Sining couldn’t help but ask.