Chapter 249 - 203: Calligraphy, Painting, Literature, the Three Perfections

Second District.

Jinshi Villa, a wealthy residential area.

Carrying a basket of fruit, Chu Bamboo knocked on the gate of a courtyard home.

He had just said his goodbyes to Lu Muxue and Hai Mingyue... It had to be said, while Lu Muxue was a bit dense, she was just too honest, not actually stupid...

Once things reached this point, all it took was a little thought on her part to see right through Hai Mingyue’s true "intentions."

Faced with her sworn sister who had deceived her, Lu Muxue was consumed by the fire of betrayal. Her confrontation with Hai Mingyue was like a clash of titans, sparks flying! The smell of gunpowder hung in the air...

Naturally, Chu Bamboo had made a run for it. ’Those two women have nothing to do with me! Yet when they argue, they keep dragging me into it, asking me to judge who’s right... Why would I stick around? Was I supposed to stay for dinner?’

Besides... he had something extremely important he needed to test!

"Coming, coming!" A woman in an apron came jogging over. She froze for a moment when she saw Chu Bamboo, then recognition dawned, and her face lit up with joy. "It’s, it’s Little Bamboo! Quick, quick, come in... Mr. Xu was just talking about you yesterday."

"Oh my, why did you bring a gift! Didn’t Mr. Xu say you should just treat this place as your own home...?"

Although she took the fruit, the woman’s expression was a mix of gentle scolding and affection.

Chu Bamboo listened gently to the woman’s words. She chattered on, leading the way while recounting recent events, talking about herself, then about Mr. Xu... Only when she finally stopped did he ask, "Is Teacher awake yet?"

"Yes, of course! You know how it is. Mr. Xu is getting on in years... he’s always an early riser! He’s in the backyard practicing his calligraphy and painting."

The backyard.

There was a large pond, but its water had been stained black with ink. Sparse weeds grew from the ground, with no rare or expensive flowers in sight, making the whole scene seem rather ordinary.

An old man with white hair and a white beard, dressed in a white training uniform, was brandishing his brush with a solemn expression. Chu Bamboo stopped the woman from going any further, gave her a slight nod, and silently walked up behind the old man to watch quietly.

The youth, the old man, the ink-black pond, the weeds, the splash-ink painting... together, they formed a magnificent tableau.

The woman watched for a long while, captivated by the poetic scene. Finally, she nodded with gratified joy and silently withdrew.

Time passed, drop by drop.

Finally.

The old man laid down his final stroke.

"...Ugh, I can’t go on! These old bones of mine." The old man finally snapped out of his trance, subconsciously rubbing his lower back and wincing at the sharp, persistent pain. A wry smile appeared on his face. He braced himself on the table, about to sit down, when...

A warm hand pressed against his lower back. "Teacher, recently... I’ve learned some acupuncture techniques!"

Memory Technique: Rewrite, activate!

The effect was immediate.

The old man’s pupils contracted. He realized his back no longer hurt, feeling as if he had just woken up that morning.

After a moment of stunned silence, the old man turned his head. He looked Chu Bamboo up and down, his gaze finally settling on the beads of sweat forming on the young man’s forehead and the fleeting exhaustion in his eyes. After another brief pause, the surprise in his eyes faded, replaced by a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Little Bamboo, it’s been a while!"

This old man was none other than Chu Bamboo’s national painting teacher, and also the current Daqian’s great master of painting, calligraphy, and literature... In his youth, he had even been hired by the former Emperor of Daqian as a royal painting tutor. The only thing separating him from the titles of Painting Saint and Calligraphy Saint was death itself... Xu Zihong!

In the backyard pavilion.

"That technique of yours is incredible!" Xu Zihong rubbed his lower back, full of praise. He casually poured Chu Bamboo a cup of tea. "Little Bamboo, what made you suddenly think of visiting these old bones of mine? Did you run into some trouble again...?"

Xu Zihong paused for a moment before adding, as if casually, "I heard you’ve recently joined the Official Family’s system... Hmm, but with your rank! I’m afraid you’re being suppressed. That Old Lu, honestly! I happen to be meeting Governor Su this afternoon. Are you interested in coming along?"

Chu Bamboo couldn’t help but be moved. There was no way Xu Zihong actually had an appointment with Governor Su that afternoon; he knew all too well how unyielding his national painting teacher was...

If he truly enjoyed hobnobbing with officials, he probably never would have left the Imperial Capital. So, this could only mean one thing: he was willing to use his own reputation to pressure Governor Su for Chu Bamboo’s sake.

"There’s no need! Taking some time to settle in now will be beneficial for a faster promotion in the future..." Chu Bamboo said softly. The reality, however, was that he didn’t want to get too deeply involved in the official system anyway.

It was best to maintain the "one city, two systems" model and preserve a degree of autonomy! As for his rank, it was as he’d said—it wasn’t important to him at all.

"Then what did you come looking for me for? Just to treat these old bones of mine?" Xu Zihong was curious, rubbing his back again. "But I really have to say, that technique of yours... it’s really something! I was wondering why you didn’t continue with your painting back then... so you went off to study medicine instead?"

"But, I’ve been curious about something since it happened..." Xu Zihong hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "You said it was an acupuncture technique, so... where are the needles?"

"..." Chu Bamboo’s expression remained calm, but inwardly he was thinking, ’Should I go buy some needles later?’

"So," Xu Zihong said, wiggling his eyebrows like an old rascal, "the truth is, you’re actually a Kung Fu master! You used your Inner Strength to soothe these old bones, didn’t you? HAHAHAHA... And you tried to hide it from me!"

’Ah... is, is he right? Well, I guess he is!’ Chu Bamboo nodded silently, complaining to himself, ’No wonder everyone uses Kung Fu as a cover story... It really is the perfect excuse for everything!’

"Teacher, actually... there is another reason I came today. I have a request!" Chu Bamboo sat up straight, looked directly into Xu Zihong’s eyes, and stated his true purpose. "My Kung Fu has reached a special stage in its cultivation! I need... your help. Only then can my national painting skills ascend to the highest level in the world..."

"...Wait a minute. Kung Fu, national painting? My help?!" Xu Zihong was dumbfounded. ’How do all those words even fit together in one sentence?’

’What kind of Kung Fu helps improve one’s painting skills!’

"So, your opinion is...?" Chu Bamboo lowered his gaze. He couldn’t explain any further. If he went into any more detail, not even the excuse of Kung Fu would be enough to cover it up.

Xu Zihong gave Chu Bamboo a deep look and contemplated for a long time before saying, "Little Bamboo, you are the one I chose to be my final disciple! Even though you left so resolutely back then... in my heart, I still believe that to this day!"

"If these old bones can help you improve, then even if I don’t understand the logic behind it... I am willing!"