The Inverted Dragon's Scale Chapter 237 – A wisp of spring breeze!

Chapter 237: A wisp of spring breeze!
This scene was too absurd and too frightening to hear!
Gu Huangwu, a genius since a young age and had been famous for a long time and named as ‘the double walls of calligraphy and painting’ was gulping down strong alcohol and yelling that his skills are not as good as him——What was he playing at?
Is Li Muyang really an illegitimate child of Gu Huangwu? Otherwise, how could he had been so willing to laud him?
It should be said that, if this matter was to spread out, Li Muyang might at once become famous in the divine continent. When that happens, even if he drew a painting of ‘chicken pecking rice’ with his eyes closed, countless people would still madly fight over it.
That must be it, they had heard that Gu Huangwu is good in calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine and is handsome, and this Li Muyang is also a handsome man, which means his mother is also a beauty. Maybe when Gu Huangwu came to a small town to sketch he met a woman and she became pregnant out of wedlock, then many years later that woman raised the son and sent him to meet his father. He would also want his illegitimate son to achieve fame——artists are all lecherous, right?
This is a set-up!
Everything had been arranged!
The provocation of the West Wind Princess was fake, Gu Huangwu’s proposal of a painting contest was fake, the fact that Chu Ning’s painting techniques are exceptional was also false and Li Muyang is superior is also false——Everything is fake, all to bring out Li Muyang’s greatness and for him to be worthy of admiration.
Chu Ning’s greatness was to accentuate Li Muyang’s brilliance; Chu Ning’s stunningly impressive piece of work was to accentuate Li Muyang’s miracle painting.
Look at that arrogant expression on Gu Huangwu, look at his pompous acting, oh, he still smiling——Although his smile is very subtle, but I still see the secret hidden in his heart.
Now he must have been very proud of his scheme?
“Teacher Gu——” The first reaction came from Chu Ning, her face had gone and the shock in her eyes had not completely dissipated. Looking at Gu Huangwu, she questioned: “Teacher Gu, what you said is true? That Li Muyang——his painting is really that amazing?”
“Huh?” There was a huge question in the eye of all the spectators. “Aren’t they working together? Why did Chu Ning suddenly asked Gu Huangwu? Yes, for the plot. With Chu Ning’s question, wouldn’t it make the story more realistic? It would even be better with some crying scene, the West Wind Princess bust out sobbing from being defeated by a poor commoner——no one would suspect that this was all an act. That must be it.”
Gu Huangwu poured another mouthful of alcohol into his mouth, bleary-eyed from the alcohol, looked at Chu Ning and shouted, “Do you think teacher would deceive you?”
“Student does not dare.” Chu Ning hastily apologised. “Just that, student really does not see what is so good about this painting.”
Chu Ning pointed to the students around. “I think we’re all puzzled.”
“Yes Teacher Gu, we all think Li Muyang’s painting is rough and clumsy, unsightly. Compared to Chu Ning’s painting, there is a great difference between the two. Why did Teacher Gu give such high complimentary remarks to him?”
“Student is stupid, Teacher Gu please guide us——”
Numerous students spoke out at the same time, asking Gu Huangwu to give them an explanation, a reason.
They did not care that Li Muyang was better than Chu Ning and had won the gamble. What they cared about was that even the world famous Teacher Gu was not as good as him. This was too shocking for them to accept.
Only Qiandu looked at Li Muyang with a glint in her eyes and a slight but evident smile curling her lips.
When they looked each other eye to eye, she simply nodded slightly and did not ask anything.
Lin Canghai caught them looking into each other’s eyes, which made him inwardly gloomy.
“There must be something between these two.” Lin Canghai thought.
Gu Huangwu gulped another mouthful of wine before strode over to the painting ‘Shower of Spring Sunshine’. “I just told you about the ten realms of painting, then do you know, which of the ten realms is Li Muyang’s ‘Shower of Spring Sunshine’?”
The crowd shook their heads.
There were many students who had not knew what the ten realms of painting that Gu Huangwu referred to were, how was it possible for them to determine which realm Li Muyang’s was?
“The realm of simplicity.” Gu Huangwu said, loud and clear. “We painters always like to use many complicated lines and rich colours of ink. We always think that, with more strokes, with more ink, the more we can express the mood and scene of what we want to show, and the person or scenery would also be particularly vivid——”
Gu Huangwu went over to Chu Ning’s painting, pointing to her ‘The boy racing in spring’. “Take this picture for example, Chu Ning used the complicated Iron Line Technique, repeatedly, impenetrable. Of course, the effect is an image of perfection, every detail is commendable.”
“The way of painting, is to do addition, and then subtraction. To be able to have the ability to recognise and master complex things, then it can be more clearly expressed. This is the reason why I asked Chu Ning to observe the boy and observe the person or scenery described. Because only when you enter into his heart, you would be able to show his spirit.”
“However, when your level reaches a certain extent, you should try omit as much as possible, pare down to the fewest possible brushstrokes or lines needed to paint the image, resist the urge to fill the paper with ink, or even limit the content, because many meaning are beyond words, the outside reality is not shown in the picture.”
“This ‘Shower of Spring Sunshine’ has not a single peach tree in sight, but a profusion of flower petals above the stream. We cannot help but produce such an association: since there are so many falling flowers in the stream, the riverbank of peach blossom had flourished to what extent? Don’t draw it out. Can’t draw it out. If it was drawn out, the painting has a tail, has many flaws. Because all things in the world are flawed, but human imagination is flawless. It is close to infinite perfection.”
“Adding to this, the old roots of the ancient peach trees, imply that this is a huge peach tree. It survived thousands of years, but in the end, what hardship and changes of the world had it experienced? However, until now it is still standing strong, it makes one cannot help but express amazement at the strength of life——”
“The dog was also painted very well, ugly and real. When he ate and drank enough, he lies there in a daze, and even the butterfly landed on its nose is also looks aloof——the dog is the same, then what does its owner look like? Is it human or immortal?”
“——”
The crowd was speechless.
Having listened to Gu Huangwu’s explanation, it was as if it really was so.
But is this painting really that mysterious?
They put away their prejudice, carefully studied the style, and surprisingly the more they looked the more fascinated they were and the more captivated they were by the piece of work. Many people could even imagine themselves in the painting, becoming the master of the orchard of peach trees.
Li Muyang, with much effort, tried to maintain a calm exterior, looking indifferent like he knew they would worship and adore me, his mind raced.
“The painting I painted——is so impressive?” Li Muyang could hardly believe his eyes and ears. “It seems I’m a genius.”
He had forgotten about the old dragon, taking all the credit for himself.
“The most impressive is the overall composition, that is, the beauty of simplicity, but also the spirit of the Zen. Such a beautiful painting, was created by the hands of a young man who only painted for the first time in his life. Such a talent, how can one not envy and admire? Ancestor Gu Sanjue was deeply valued by Xie An, thought that there had never been such a person among the common people. Today I will send this phrase to Li Muyang: there has never been such a person among the common people.”
“——”
The whole audience was utterly silent, not a single sound being produced.
Everyone was stunned by Gu Huangwu’s words.
He had just casually drawn a painting, but the world famous Gu Huangwu said ‘there had never been such a person among the common people’. In other words, before the birth of Li Muyang, the whole world never had such an outstanding person like Li Muyang appearing before.
Those gifted painters, those famous heroes who left their glorious name in the history, what would they have thought when they heard this?
Li Muyang was greatly moved and thought that Gu Huangwu deserved to be a master of this generation and be admired by the entire divine continent. With his broad-mindedness, his discerning eyes and taste, his morals of not easily corrupted by riches and immune to bribery, he deserved to occupy such a lofty position.
Li Muyang felt a little guilt; he assumed high-minded people would behave same as him because of his own narrow heart.
How could he suspect that Teacher Gu has been bribed by the Royal family of West Wind? This was a stain and insult to Teacher Gu.
Li Muyang went over and deeply bowed to Gu Huangwu. “Thank you Teacher Gu for thinking highly of me, Teacher Gu’s kindness——”
Li Muyang had not finished his words, when Gu Huangwu pulled him up. “No need to bow to me. You are the reincarnation of the master of painting, it would cut short my lifespan.”
“——”
Gu Huangwu strongly grabbed Li Muyang’s arm, pulling him over to the painting table and pointing to the ‘Shower of Spring Sunshine’. “Seeing this masterpiece, ease the mind, like floating in an endless white expanse.”
He raised the gourd of wine, pouring big mouthfuls into his mouth, and then exclaimed: “Today seeing Muyang has made me too happy, I’ll give you a present.”
His gaze scanned the audience of students. “I know you all still have doubts about this painting. Now I will show you how this ‘Shower of Spring Sunshine’ is truly leaking a pool of spring sunshine——”
Grasping a paintbrush he said, “Li Muyang is very gifted, but his attention to detail is slightly weak. Everything is in order, except a wisp of spring breeze——now, I will give Li Muyang a wisp of spring breeze.”
With a few mighty sweep of his brush up and down the painting, there was a blow of cool breeze.
In the painting, only petals of peach blossom whirling in the wind could be seen, the stream carpeted with the fallen petals.
The hair of the huge dog blowing in the wind and the butterfly waving its wings against the breeze.
In the Walls of Peach Blossom, it was currently late autumn.
Affected by the spring breeze, buds were forming on the bare peach branches, the green leaves grew longer, densely coating the branches at a speed visible to the naked eye. On the branches small buds began to open, until they were in full bloom.
Crimson red everywhere and fragrance of flowers filling the institution.