Seeking the Tao in the Mortal World

Chapter 134: Painting Soul

Qin Yi was indeed a painting student. However, he didn’t have much passion for his profession. After traveling for so long, he sketched a distant view of Immortal Track Mountain in the first month and hung it on the wall for decoration, then he never picked up the paintbrush again. All his professional skills were used to draw talismans. If his teacher knew it, he would be infuriated…

But there was noting to be angry about. Just like those people took jobs that were out of their profession. They didn’t know how to apply what they learned in 4 years of college. At least, he used it in crafting talismans…

So at this moment, he still had some sort of affinity to this Mr. Jing. He was a “peer” after all.

And he also sensed some aura in Mr. Jing.

Not the really the cultivation aura, but the one who was about to find the way but couldn’t get it. What he needed was an expert’s advice. Qin Yi wanted to give him a few pieces of advice if they could get along well. It would be considered a pretentious legend of “immortal caressing my head”, right?

As a result, Qin Yi’s enthusiastic invitation was rejected.

Mr. Jing ignored him and finished the steamed buns by himself. Soon, he left slowly amid the laughter of everyone.

The waiter brought the dishes over and said with a smile, “Sir has good intentions, but Mr. Jing is proud. He won’t accept favors easily.”

“Treating a meal is a favor?”

“Well…” Qin Yi asked, “What’s going on with this mister? Judging from his good temperament, he can’t sell his paintings?”

“This Mr. Jing is called Jing Ze. His family is famous in this place. Both his parents are famous calligraphers and painters. They have constant visitors and are very famous.” The waiter said, “Jing Ze became famous at a young age. He was good at calligraphy and painting and was known as a child prodigy. But when he came back from a study tour a few years ago, maybe he had been sleeping with hookers the last few years, his paintings showed no improvement at all. If his skills are still the same as when he was a child, who will buy his paintings?”

Qin Yi was startled for a moment, “This is the standard plot for a genius to become a loser…”

“What did you say, Sir?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You can continue.”

“When his parents passed away, his paintings could not be sold, and there was no other way to make a living, so the family situation naturally declined. He still refused to sell even a single thing in the house, so he had to make a living by selling his paintings. This is why he could only eat steamed buns. ”

Qin Yi nodded, “He is a man of integrity. Not bad.”

No wonder Mr. Jing gives me a feeling like he is wandering on the tao. If he can maintain his mentality during this experience, it can be regarded as a tao to a certain extent.

The waiter looked a little strange and hesitated to speak. He actually thought that this was stupid. How was this integrity? It was because the city lord had a relationship with the Jing Family and still took care of him, so the others didn’t dare to mess around. Otherwise, if the famous paintings and antiques would be snatched even if he didn’t sell them.

Qin Yi just asked casually. He didn’t really want to meddle in Mr. Jing’s affairs, let alone argue with the waiter about fundamental values.

After eating, he stayed at the inn for a short rest that night.

He had traveled thousands of miles in the past few days, passing through several South Li Kingdom’s areas. Even though he had decent cultivation, he was still very tired. He planned to visit Temple Hongfa tomorrow to see if he could find a true cultivator and exchange some elixirs and spiritual stones for an enchanted weapon…

In the silent night, thousands of lights were on.

Qin Yi stood in front of the window of the inn, looking at the Buddha’s light at Temple Hongfa in the distance.

He felt a little disappointed.

The so-called “Buddha’s light”, according to the waiter, was the sarira (relic) of an eminent monk, which contained infinite Buddhist dharma, so there was Buddha’s light shining at night. But under Qin Yi’s observation, it was just a sarira with the radiance spell. It had no spiritual power at all. It could only fool people with light.

From here, the “eminent monks” inside were either scammers or had only a little bit of low-level cultivation. They were probably even worse than Dong Huazi.

Liu Su laughed, “It’s not surprising. The Buddhism in the mortal is full of deceit. How many true cultivators are there in the mortal world? You went to a town, there was a problem with the taoist temple. Then you come to the city, you expect something wrong with the Buddhist temple too? This is not called immortals are everywhere, but a jinx?”

Qin Yi couldn’t help shaking his head and laughing after thinking about it.

“What a pity. I really hope there is something wrong with the Buddhist temple. I want an enchanted weapon now.”

“We’ll visit it tomorrow. Even if there is no true cultivator, there’s always a chance that they plunder some useful treasures in such a magnificent place. Just grab them and refine them for your own use.”

“Shut up.” Qin Yi sat back on the bed in annoyance, “You will make me corrupt in the demon way sooner or later.”

Liu Su sneered, “I hope you remember your words.”

…………

Qin Yi meditated cross-legged all night and recovered. He went to Temple Hongfa the next day.

The temple was open to the public. There was a large square in front of the temple, full of tourists. The peach blossoms were in full bloom. Many young ladies shuttled among the sea of ​​flowers, adding more charm to the scene.

Qin Yi was amazed as he admired the beautiful scenery, “It’s not even March yet. The peach blossoms here bloom so early.”

Liu Su didn’t answer. It just looked at the sea of ​​colorful flowers quietly.

Maybe it reminisced something.

Qin Yi was attracted by the stalls on the edge of the square.

There were stalls selling incense, fruit, etc. There were also painting stalls for outing tourists, just like the photo spots in modern scenic spots.

Mr. Jingze whom he met yesterday was sitting on the side painting.

He was not the only painter. Most of them were crowded with people, but his stall was the only one with a few customers.

Is the painting particularly bad? Qin Yi moved forward to take a look curiously.

He was quite amazed. His painting is very good…

Qin Yi didn’t know the state of the development of painting in this world, but it was obviously better than his own world because this was a world with strong aura. People’s ‘spirit’ was affected by this. Whether it was painting, form, or expression, the means would be different.

Jing Ze’s paintings had given Qin Yi a bit of <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_Kaizhi>Gu Kaizhi‘s vibe. The brushwork was dense, like a silkworm spinning silk and flowing water. The clothes and folds of the people in the painting were all very detail. The only flaw was… their eyes were dull.

If he was already at this level when he was a child, he was really gifted.

Looking at other people’s painting stalls, Qin Yi frowned.

Most of them were not necessarily better at painting than Jing Ze. Some were even much worse, but others were more willing to let them paint. The reason is actually very simple. Most people were not professional. They just heard that Jing Ze didn’t improve since he was child, so who would be willing to let him paint?

After Jing Ze finished painting the male customer in front of him, the stall was soon empty.

He sighed, but he didn’t stop painting. He pulled up the new scroll and began to draw a portrait while staring at the woman passing by.

The woman seemed to be aware of it and glared angrily.

Jing Ze apologized and said, “It’s free.”

The woman pursed her lips and left with the servant maid. Their whispers could vaguely be heard, “Why did this Mr. Jing become so wretched? He is painting without my permission…”

Jing Ze looked indifferent and slowly completed the painting.

The light in front of him suddenly dimmed.

Jing Ze raised his head and saw the man in green shirt who wanted to treat him a meal yesterday looking at him with a smile, “How about painting me?”

“Okay.” Jing Ze put away the paint of a woman he had secretly drawn before and pulled out a new piece of paper, “Three copper coins for one painting.”

“Three copper coins?” Qin Yi shook his head, “It is true that your paintings of men are only worth three coins. But when you paint women, there is a soul in the painting. Even thirty thousand copper coins can’t buy that painting, but you do it for free? “

Jing Ze suddenly narrowed his eyes.

Qin Yi stared at him closely for a while, then suddenly said, “I want you to draw a painting with soul. I will pay you three hundred taels of silver.”

Jing Ze lowered his head as if choosing a paintbrush, and then said slowly, “Okay, please dress in women’s clothing.”

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