Chapter 854: The Kite-Chasing Girl
“Don’t try to change the topic. What has this got to do with my aunt?”
Murong Mingyue’s countenance turned increasingly cold.
Thankfully, the people from the Nine Provinces didn’t know the meaning behind this phrase. Otherwise, Murong Mingyue would definitely fight it out with Sun Mo as this would be considered very disrespectful and taking liberties with someone.
“I’ll make one thing clear. Famous paintings aren’t something that can be easily drawn just because one wishes to. It’s a product of great inspiration by someone with exceptional skill.”
Sun Mo said righteously.
What did that mean?
It meant that a painter suddenly received inspiration while observing people or things or had their feelings invoked by a certain scene. Only then could they create a famous painting. Any famous painting had its own charm and wasn’t produced from the accumulation of skills.
To put it simply, it was similar to the creation of poetry. Famous ancient poems had been sung by talented poets. The rhetorics might not be extravagant and beautiful, but they held deep meanings that would make others linger on their charm for very long.
Murong Mingyue didn’t deny this. Although she was a barbarian, she excelled in the Central Plains’ culture. She knew a little of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and singing.
“Hmph!”
Murong Mingyue stopped pursuing this, feeling a little reproachful and troubled.
(Sigh! I’m in a bad mood, but why am I venting on someone else?)
Murong Mingyue didn’t wish to pay Sun Mo any more heed, and she turned to leave.
Seeing that his target was leaving, how could Sun Mo let this happen?
(I haven’t even acted cool yet, but you’re already thinking of leaving? There’s no way I’d allow that!)
“But I can create a painting that is of above-average quality,” Sun Mo spoke up.
“It doesn’t matter anymore!”
Murong Mingyue didn’t care.
“F*ck, why are you always reacting differently from my plans?”
Sun Mo felt a little upset and anxious. He immediately thought hard. “Are you in a bad mood?”
Murong Mingyue continued to ignore him.
“Shouldn’t you apologize for venting your anger on me?”
Sun Mo continued to ask.
“Would you cut it out?”
Murong Mingyue stopped and then turned to glare at Sun Mo. “Alright, let’s go to a classroom. I shall see what you can draw!”
“No need for the trouble!”
When Sun Mo was talking to Murong Mingyue, he was already coming up with a plan. Right now, he walked over to a peach tree that was the right size for a person to hug. He drew out his wooden blade and with two swooshes, sliced off the dried bark, revealing the trunk inside.
Murong Mingyue’s pupils contracted. What was this guy trying to do?
From the looks of it, he was going to draw on the peach tree?
Wasn’t this a joke?
To create a famous painting, even if one didn’t use high-quality paper and ink, at the very least, the brush, ink, and paper shouldn’t be too bad. Otherwise, midway through the drawing, the paper might tear because its quality was too bad, or the brush might have hair falling off it. That’d be too infuriating.
“Arrogance!”
Murong Mingyue’s beautiful lips revealed a sneer, but at the next instant, her countenance sank and she questioned, “Are you making a fool out of me?”
This guy wasn’t even using a brush and had slashed his wooden blade at the tree trunk. He didn’t look like an artist but a carpenter.
“Great Teacher Murong, don’t you even have this little bit of patience?”
Sun Mo asked.
“Alright, I shall see what you can create!”
Murong Mingyue was already thinking about what she would say. She wasn’t usually one to scold others, but when she did, she’d be like a wild dog that was off its leash, unable to be held back.
(Hmph, I’ll let you know how fierce women from the grassy plains are.)
Sun Mo was fully focused as he channeled spirit qi into the tip of his blade, brushing onto the peach tree.
He didn’t wish to do this either. However, given how tree trunks tended to be bumpy, there’d definitely be small flaws if he were to draw with a brush. This was something that Sun Mo couldn’t stand.
Therefore, he started carving, leaving behind marks. He’d then use a brush to fill them up with ink.
Normally, Sun Mo wouldn’t dare to try something so free. After all, carving was a skill. But now, he felt very confident.
It was because his puppetry was already at the grandmaster level.
This subject emphasized the most on technique. Outstanding puppeteers were all excellent craftsmen who could create amazing puppets.
Carving all sorts of material into the shape one wanted was the basics of the basics.
Drawing some diagrams on a tree trunk was much easier than making a puppet. Moreover, Sun Mo had grasped several saint-tier cultivation arts. The Heavenly Sword Art and Prairie Blazing Fire Spear Technique, especially, allowed him to use his wooden blade like it was his own arm.
Murong Mingyue, who had been angry and was ready to lash out at Sun Mo, started to frown.
After all, she was a talented grandmaster-level puppeteer. She could tell that although Sun Mo’s carving technique wasn’t amazing enough, it was extremely accurate and she couldn’t help but be surprised.
“Could this guy be a puppeteer as well?”
Murong Mingyue was perplexed.
When students first learned puppetry, they’d start off from practicing. They weren’t required to make intriguing puppets, but their work must definitely be accurate, being able to completely duplicate their teacher’s work.
Every component must be accurate. This was the first rule for puppeteers.
Very soon, Sun Mo completed the frame. He then picked up his brush, dipped it in flower spirit rune ink, and then started splashing the ink.
This ink could increase the effect of spirit runes by 10%.
Gradually, many strange flowers appeared on the tree trunk.
“This is a flower field?”
Murong Mingyue asked subconsciously. For some reason, when she looked at these blooming flowers, her mood became better.
Sun Mo didn’t reply. It was because he was completely immersed in his work.
Sunflowers that faced the sun appeared one after another, all of them wearing smiling faces.
This was a scene on an autumn day with the sun shining brightly in the clear cloudless sky, washing away all gloominess.
Sun Mo had found it strange seeing Murong Mingyue’s bad temper. So, he had activated Divine Sight. He then saw that her will was extremely low, reaching a single digit.
This gave Sun Mo a fright because this was a sign of someone who was going to commit suicide!
He wanted to encourage Murong Mingyue and himself as well.
Even though things were smooth-sailing for Sun Mo now, he had withstood tremendous pressure as well. The current Central Province Academy didn’t have any influence, and they could only rely on him and An Xinhui.
Therefore, Sun Mo must achieve three stars within a year, becoming a three-time champion. With that, his reputation would grow and then they’d be able to attract more students. It’d be a lot more convenient for them in the future when recruiting students and teachers.
Of course, the most important thing was that Sun Mo wanted to prove himself.
His personality was also one in which he didn’t like to admit defeat.
In this school that was filled with people who discriminated against someone from the Central Plains, Sun Mo was going to strive to become the most outstanding one of them all, getting all the barbarians to look at him in a different light.
Murong Mingyue pursed her lips. Even if this painting didn’t turn out to be a famous painting, she had decided not to speak harshly to Sun Mo anymore. At the very least, his seriousness and level of engrossment when creating the painting shouldn’t be doubted.
(He might really be a famous artist!)
Murong Mingyue thought to herself as she smiled in self-mockery. (But what has that got to do with me?)
After an hour, Sun Mo finished his last stroke and then stepped back.
The painting was completed. However, there was only black ink and no other colors to it. This meant that it wasn’t a famous painting.
Pa pa pa!
Murong Mingyue applauded.
“It’s not a bad piece of work. I apologize.”
Murong Mingyue spoke up.
She really felt that this painting wasn’t bad.
Although she didn’t know the name of those flowers, they looked like they were filled with the aura of sunlight, filled with vitality.
There was also a young lady in the field who was running into the distance. Her pursuit toward freedom and her dreams was like a ball of fire or a bright moon, looking dazzling.
“I’m really envious of her!”
Murong Mingyue exclaimed.
Sun Mo didn’t hear what she said at all. He stared at the painting, frowned, and went into deep thought for very long. He then suddenly went up and moved his brush again.
“Don’t!”
Murong Mingyue subconsciously dashed over to pull Sun Mo’s arm. In her opinion, this painting was already very well done, and there wasn’t a need to add unnecessary details to it.
But it was too late.
Sun Mo swung the brush with a heavy and unrestrained movement, and a few more strokes landed on the painting.
“Ahh!”
Murong Mingyue gasped in surprise. She couldn’t bear to look at it anymore, feeling that Sun Mo was going to ruin this top-notch painting. But at the next moment, she couldn’t avert her gaze anymore.
A paper kite was added to the sky, and the entire painting suddenly lit up with a luminous glow. Then, the spirit qi in the surroundings started to seethe. They were drawn in by the painting and gathered onto it.
Hua! Hua! Hua!
The black sunflowers turned a golden-yellow color, dyed with the unbridled feeling of harvest. A slight breeze blew in the fields, causing the hems of the young lady’s dress to flutter.
The sunlight was warm, and the paper kite flew high in the sky.
The young lady was chasing after the kite. She had been running for a very long time, and her face had both sweat and signs of exhaustion. However, Murong Mingyue’s gaze uncontrollably landed on the young lady’s lips. She was drawn in by her smile.
For some reason, as Murong Mingyue looked at this sunflower field as well as the young lady who was chasing after the kite, her mood suddenly cheered up.
The wind that blew past the flower field seemed to have brushed past her heart, taking away her fatigue and annoyance, leaving behind tranquility.
“What is it called?”
Murong Mingyue asked, putting out her hand and wanting to touch that flower field. However, just as she was getting close, she stopped.
She didn’t dare to taint it.
“What do you want it to be called?”
Sun Mo asked.
“This is your famous painting!”
Murong Mingyue’s voice had a tremble to it. That was right. She hadn’t said it wrongly. It was a famous painting.
She hadn’t expected Sun Mo to be able to do it. Moreover, it was done on the trunk of a peach tree.
His skill was really miraculous.
“I’ll give it to you.”
Sun Mo smiled, looking at this painting with satisfaction.
He hadn’t expected that the kite at the very end would add on a perfect touch, instantly elevating the painting’s artistic intent and class. It also turned it from a good drawing into a classic famous painting.
That was right. A classic. One that could be passed down through time.
“You’re giving it to me?”
Murong Mingyue was stunned.
“That’s right. It’s drawn because of you!”
Sun Mo had drawn out his creativity. Therefore, he started to build up a favorable impression with her, planning to hoodwink Murong Mingyue back with him.
“She won’t feel so touched that she’d offer to marry herself to me, would she?”
Sun Mo felt a bit of anticipation.
After a moment of silence, Murong Mingyue shook her head and mumbled, “I’m not fit for it.” She then asked again, “What is it called?”
“The Kite-Chasing Girl!”
Sun Mo didn’t stand on ceremony and named it.
Murong Mingyue stood there quietly, looking at this famous painting. She was lost in her thoughts for very long and after half an hour, she spurted out these words.
“So nice!”
Ding!
Favorable impression points from Murong Mingyue +1,000. Respect (1,208/10,000).
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Sun Mo said modestly. He then noticed that Murong Mingyue’s eyes had turned red, with tears sliding off her face.
(Haha, was it so touching? With this, the fish won’t be able to get away, right? Wonderful!)