Xiao Yi said discontentedly, "Master Lin, I respect you, but please don’t insult my character."
Lin Hechun smiled faintly and shook his head. "Young man, your eyes have already told whether or not you possess a scholarly air."
"Old Xiao, what are you trying to pull? Couldn’t you have just asked the master to co directly?"
"Exactly! Why bring so kid here? This is so awkward!"
Nurous mbers of the association crowded around, their comnts making Xiao Yi flush red with embarrassnt.
Chen Zheng frowned slightly. If they don’t believe , won’t writing sothing prove it? Is this what scholars are like? To be honest, I find it pathetic.
Suddenly, a voice bood, "Enough!"
The crowd instantly fell silent, parting to both sides as if drawn by an invisible force. They cleared a path for the newcors. Down this path walked two striking figures. One was a silver-haired elder with deep, steady eyes and a firm, powerful stride. Despite his age, his imposing presence commanded respect.
At his side stood a beautiful woman. Her eyes were as bright as stars, and her figure was graceful and elegant. She was so lovely she could have been a moonlit sprite.
Xiao Yi bowed to them respectfully.
The Chairman smiled slightly, then turned his head to Chen Zheng. "Young man, did you write that ’Sword’ character?"
Chen Zheng nodded.
"Stop the act, young man," Lin Hechun said. "Calligraphy of that caliber is impossible for soone your age. Even I couldn’t produce it."
Chen Zheng glanced at him. "How about I write another one?"
Lin Hechun raised an eyebrow. "Still pretending? Fine, write another one. I want to see what you’re up to!"
Chen Zheng couldn’t be bothered with him. He was only here for the system reward. The sooner he finished the task, the sooner he could leave. He didn’t want to spend another mont with these old scholars. He walked straight to the writing desk, where the ink and brush were already prepared. He raised his hand and picked up the brush.
"Huh! It seems he knows a thing or two!"
"Looks like he’s no amateur!"
The crowd imdiately saw that he was different, and the old Chairman standing nearby nodded as well.
In the quiet that followed, Chen Zheng gently closed his eyes, as if entering a dialogue with the world. The surrounding crowd held their breath in anticipation, their gazes fixed on him. A few seconds later, his brush began to move, dancing like a butterfly in flight. Four large characters materialized on the paper, as artistic as a painting.
The crowd stared, their faces filled with surprise.
The paper read "Frog in a Well," a mockery of those with a narrow worldview.
Lin Hechun’s face turned livid, for he knew the satire was aid at him.
The old Chairman, however, exclaid in admiration, "Magnificent characters!"
The crowd shifted their gazes back to Chen Zheng’s calligraphy. They had previously only admired its overall beauty, but now, upon closer inspection of the individual characters, they were left dumbfounded. The old Chairman didn’t hesitate to step forward, gently lifting the paper to savor it.
After a long while, he said with deep emotion, "As ethereal as a floating cloud, as graceful as a roaming dragon. Like a great roc spreading its wings, entirely unrestrained. The strokes themselves are profoundly mysterious, as if crafted by an immortal! Truly magnificent characters!"
The Chairman’s praise deeply moved everyone present. In the entire Imperial Capital, no one had ever received such high acclaim from him.
The old Chairman, Guo Xiancheng, had held the position for twenty years. Years ago, his calligraphy had already reached the pinnacle of the Imperial Capital, unmatched by any other. By now, his mastery had likely reached an unimaginable realm. Lin Hechun’s reputation in the world of calligraphy was formidable, yet in Guo Xiancheng’s eyes, his work was rely diocre.
Chen Zheng offered a simple word of thanks. His heart remained undisturbed. He knew he was far from displaying the full extent of his top-tier calligraphy talent; he had only used fifty percent of his skill just now.
Xiao Yi’s voice was filled with triumphant pleasure. "Hehe, Master Lin, do you believe it now?"
Lin Hechun’s face darkened, and for a ti, he was at a loss for words.
"Hmph! The calligraphy is good, I’ll grant that, but he has no respect for his seniors. What use is a person like that?"
Just then, a sharp rebuke rang out, sending a chill through everyone present.
[DING! Congratulations to the Host for completing the task. Choose the following reward: Lifeti ability upgrade.]
[You may choose to upgrade Water Coagulating into Ice.]
"Upgrade!"
[DING! Water Coagulating into Ice has successfully evolved. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining Seal Ice.]
In an instant, all the details about Seal Ice flooded Chen Zheng’s mind like a cascade of stars. I don’t have ti to test it, he thought, frowning as he looked toward the speaker.
The person who had spoken was the woman who had arrived with Guo Xiancheng.
Chen Zheng asked, "Are you saying that you would endure it, even if others mocked you?"
The woman was Guo Xiancheng’s granddaughter, Guo Fu. Though young, her calligraphy skills were exceptional, and she had already made a na for herself in the world of calligraphy.
Hearing Chen Zheng’s question, she just glanced at him indifferently. "Shouldn’t one maintain basic respect for one’s seniors?"
Chen Zheng spoke slowly. "The ancients said that skill determines seniority. So, may I ask, who is the senior here?"
He believed that only those with superior skill deserved to be called a senior.
However, Guo Fu shook her head and said coolly, "I disagree. The more ti one invests in a craft, the more they earn the right to be called a senior."
"Your writing is good, but you must know..." Guo Fu didn’t finish her sentence before walking toward the writing table.
Guo Xiancheng’s reaction was unique. Instead of praise, he offered a rebuke. "My girl, you are too impatient." Others might not have seen it, but to him, it was as clear as a mirror.
The others looked on with anticipation. The worlds of calligraphy and martial arts were similar in one respect: only the strong had the right to speak. Guo Fu’s intention was clear. Since their views clashed, they would settle it with a contest of skill.
By now, Guo Fu had reached the writing table and casually picked up a brush. She slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them two seconds later, they shone with a brilliant light. Then, she began to write. Her movents were as graceful as a dancer’s, and her brush flowed across the paper like moving clouds and flowing water. In an instant, her brush touched the paper and lifted away.
Guo Fu gently picked up the paper, revealing the characters she had just written. "You must rember," she said, her voice carrying a ssage, "the universe is vast, and there is always sothing beyond your knowledge."
The paper displayed three simple yet profound characters: "Man Beyond Man."
"Brilliant!" a group of old masters, who had been imrsed in the art of calligraphy for many years, couldn’t help but applaud. As they looked at the three characters in Guo Fu’s hands, they saw the grace of a fleeting swan combined with the sharp power of letters carved into bone. These three characters seed to contain an elusive majesty. A closer look was enough to take one’s breath away.
"Those three characters, ’Man Beyond Man,’ were not so simple," Guo Xiancheng thought.
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