https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-29-The-Li-Family-All-Wall-Hangers/13449823/
Chapter 30: The Two Saints and the Little Rat
Chapter 30: The Two Saints and the Little Rat
Think and act.
Li Hao asked Old Zhao to prepare the painting materials, including the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone. After finishing his daily fishing sessions with the old man, Li Hao would request to return to his Mountain and River Courtyard to rest.
Li Muxiu didn’t say much about it. His principle in raising Li Hao was to let him grow freely.
Although Li Hao displayed an extremely high talent for Body Cultivation, Li Muxiu didn’t force him to practice rigorously every day. If Li Hao came to seek his guidance, he would teach him earnestly. If not, he would take the young boy to explore the mountains and rivers, enjoying the wild fishing.
...
In the vast courtyard of the Mountain and River Courtyard.
Li Hao had two small stools brought over, one high and one low, and began to paint on a raised paper board, mimicking the posture of an art student.
Old Zhao tried to advise him earnestly, but Li Hao turned a deaf ear. Old Zhao was completely at a loss with this young master who was fond of indulging in trivial pursuits, and could only hand him over to Li Fu.
Li Hao had a strategy to deal with Li Fu. He demonstrated the second level of the Dragon Body technique in front of him.
Li Fu was dumbfounded, suspecting his eyes were deceiving him. He asked Li Hao to perform it again. After seeing it clearly the second time, the man became so excited that his eyes turned red with moisture.
He assumed that Second Uncle’s cultivation and guidance had enabled Li Hao to master the second level of this Body Cultivation technique in less than a month. Grateful to Second Uncle, he was also thrilled by Li Hao’s Body Cultivation talent.
Such talent was far more impressive than achieving the Great Success level of Mighty Ox Strength in three months. It was absolutely top-notch in Body Cultivation.
Seeing his enthusiastic reaction, Li Hao secretly rejoiced that he hadn’t demonstrated the third level of the Hundred Jiaolong Body in front of him. After all, not everyone had the old man’s broad-mindedness and composure.
In exchange, Li Hao promised Li Fu that he would practice diligently with Second Uncle, but on the condition that Li Fu wouldn’t interfere when he was doing other things.
This made Li Fu both surprised and somewhat worried. Li Hao’s Body Cultivation talent was so high that he now wished Li Hao would spend every moment of the day, except for eating and sleeping, in cultivation. This was the only way to catch up with the Ninth-Rank War Body prodigies. However, Li Hao’s nature was quite laid-back, which left him feeling helpless.
After much persuasion, Li Fu finally gave in to Li Hao and agreed.
Thus, Li Hao began painting in the courtyard without any hesitation.
As he lifted his brush and began to paint, characters soon appeared before his eyes.
【Art Dao: 0 Rank (1/100)】
It worked, indeed.
Li Hao smiled and began to paint with gusto.
With the experience from Chess Dao and Fishing Art, Li Hao guessed that the better he painted, the more experience he would gain.
Therefore, he didn’t paint carelessly but took it more seriously.
However, in his previous life, he was a businessman who had been immersed in the commercial world for decades. How could he know anything about painting?
He did know a bit about girls who could paint, though...
For his first attempt, Li Hao chose a portrait and picked the prettiest maid in the courtyard to stand in front of the drawing board.
He confidently lifted his brush and began. First, a circle, then a vertical line, followed by a stroke and a slant, and another stroke and a slant.
Hmm, still missing hair.
Completed!
【Art Dao Experience +1】
Hiss... Indeed, painting is hard.
Li Hao sighed inwardly.
Beside him, Old Zhao sneaked a peek at the drawing board and asked curiously, “Young Master, what are you painting?”
“Can’t you see? It’s a person!” Li Hao said, feeling embarrassed and angry.
“This doesn’t look like...” Old Zhao was puzzled.
Li Hao huffed, “You think it doesn’t look like a person? That’s because you don’t understand the depth of my painting. See this circle? You think it’s a head? No, it represents smoothness. See this vertical line? You think it’s the body? No, it expresses the idea that to stand up, one must be smooth. Old Zhao, you need to learn to be less straightforward!”
“Uh, isn’t the blob on top hair?”
“No, it’s also hair, but it’s also an ideal!”
“An ideal?”
Li Hao said calmly, “Ideals grow in the head, which is quite reasonable, right? This lush hair is the ideal of many people, which is also quite reasonable, isn’t it?”
“??” Old Zhao was bewildered.
After finishing his ramble, Li Hao continued painting.
Old Zhao and Li Fu exchanged puzzled glances as they watched him paint dozens of portraits, all of which looked similar. They wondered what the point was of having a pretty maid stand there as a background.
Clearly, this young master had no talent for Art Dao, unlike his skill in chess.
However, since these were all pastimes that distracted from Martial Dao, they didn’t bother to delve into it further.
Li Hao’s painting speed was astonishingly fast. Soon, a pile of discarded paper had accumulated on the ground. Before long, his experience points had reached one hundred.
It was all accumulated bit by bit.
Li Hao felt quite drained.
[Art Dao upgraded to 1st Rank]
[Art Skill Points +1]
As the text notification appeared, a surge of Art Dao insight flooded his mind. Li Hao closed his eyes for a moment, and gradually digested it all. In an instant, he realized how much of an outsider he had been before.
He picked up his brush again and began to paint. The strokes seemed to come alive, and soon, a graceful and beautifully detailed figure appeared on the paper.
Li Fu and Old Zhao, who had been idly looking around, happened to glance over and were instantly stunned, their eyes widening in shock.
Before long, Li Hao used his brush to delicately outline the lips and add color. In no time, a vivid and lifelike figure stood tall on the canvas.
[Art Dao Experience +13]
Li Hao couldn't help but feel surprised and delighted. Indeed, the more detailed and beautiful the painting, the more Art Dao experience he gained.
And now, he could finally say he knew how to paint.
"Little Master, this..." Old Zhao stared at the board in a daze. He had been drawing crude stick figures just a moment ago, and now, he had reached this level?
Could it be that Little Master was a prodigy, having learned in just a short while?
Or had he been pretending before?
Or perhaps... those stick figures really did have the "inner meaning" that Little Master had claimed?
His previous understanding was being severely challenged.
"Just the basics, don't be surprised", Li Hao said calmly.
Old Zhao didn't understand the words, but that didn't stop him from being deeply shaken.
Li Hao painted a few more, and as he grew more proficient, he asked Li Fu and Old Zhao to stand in front of him. He painted a portrait of each of them. One had a weathered and kind expression, while the other was stern with a hint of unease, looking away. Both were vivid and lifelike.
Holding the completed paintings in their hands, the two men had different expressions, their emotions complex.
Little Master’s talent was rare and extraordinary. If he had been born into a family of scholars, he would have been treasured.
Unfortunately, this was the Divine General Manor, a place where one was born to defend Dayu.
Once the ink and colors dried, both men instinctively rolled up the paintings and carefully stored them, showing great respect.
They would remember that at the age of seven, Little Master had painted a portrait for each of them.
This was the first time they had ever received their own portraits.
...
...
Time flew by, and half a year later.
On the calm shore of Blackwater Monster Lake, three figures were seated at intervals of over ten meters, fishing. Two old men and one young boy.
The young one was naturally Li Hao. The older ones, besides Li Muxiu, included another person, Li Muxiu’s fishing companion. Li Hao had been introduced to him by the old man; his name was Thief Saint, and he was called Feng Boping.
According to the Thief Saint, he had chosen his name himself. It didn’t mean that he only acted when the winds were calm, but rather that after he acted, everything remained as calm as ever.
While fishing, Li Muxiu also introduced the Thief Saint’s background to Li Hao, finding it truly fitting for his name.
Many of the forces from which the Thief Saint had stolen only discovered the loss of their treasures months, or even years, later. Initially, they couldn’t detect anything amiss, so they had no way of knowing who had stolen from them, when, or even if it was an inside job.
He kept his accomplishments and name hidden, seeking treasures in the world—this was the Thief Saint Feng Boping.
On the shore, Li Hao skillfully set up a large pot, cleaning and dissecting the Fish Demon he had just caught while occasionally glancing at his float.
The other end of the fishing rod was secured to the shore, with a rope tied through a hole in a large stone. If there was any movement, he would have time to react.
At the moment, Li Hao was using a sword to clean the Fish Demon’s internal organs, his movements fluid and practiced.
Li Muxiu and the Thief Saint were no longer surprised by this. Although he was just preparing fish, they had long recognized Li Hao’s exceptional talent in Sword Dao. When Li Muxiu first saw Li Hao wield a sword, he had mocked Jian Wudao for being blind and losing a true treasure.
The Thief Saint Feng Boping also had a fondness for this lively young boy who loved fishing and showed no surprise at his sensitive identity. He had earnestly said that he would search for the treasure medicine to unblock Li Hao’s meridians.
Soon, the white fish meat was in the pot. Li Hao added some cilantro and chili peppers, and the spicy and fragrant aroma immediately filled the air, drawing frequent glances from the two old men.
Their lines were cast deep into the lake, using their own bodies as the rods, the lines invisible and without floats. They could sense any movement through the lines.
"Two of you, it will be ready in three minutes", Li Hao said with a smile.
After spending more time together, Li Hao had started calling Li Muxiu "Second Uncle" and Feng Boping "Old Feng." In return, the two old men had given Li Hao a nickname they thought was vivid and fitting:
Little Rat.
(End of Chapter)
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