Ink Burns

Chapter 87 The Note
Fire is the only thing that Shan Yue can write about.

She came from the fire, and could clearly sense the heat and ruthlessness, the abruptness and strength of the fire.

On the four-foot-long rice paper, the ink is thick and light, and there are no two colors, only black and white. The ink is black and the paper is white. The vigorous brush strokes express tension.

This tension is the 'fire'.

A ball of dancing flame born on the soft white paper, relying only on the weight of the brush and the lightness of the ink, naturally shows a ball of raging anger imprisoned in the small space of the fireplace!

Yes, anger!

There is a surge of rage hidden in this painting!

Although Mr. Mi had difficulty walking, he still turned around with his crutches and insisted on looking straight ahead.

"The daughter of a juren" Wen leaned forward to look at it, lowered her voice and sneered: "It's just a random painting, not a sketch or a freehand painting, what's so popular about it?"

"Idiot." Mi Da's silver beard curled up and he cursed mercilessly: "The painters on the street can paint your hair so finely! But, how much silver can it sell for!? Fifteen coppers? Or ten coppers? Not even enough for a bowl of big pickled mustard greens noodles! - For this painting, I am willing to pay twenty taels for it."

Wen still refused to accept the criticism: "There is no first in literature, no second in martial arts, how can we easily rank paintings? This painting is just a trick, it just depicts the flames in the fireplace that no one noticed! In terms of technique, painting skills, color, and composition, her Four Beauties painting must be the most neat and standard!
Mi Dajia sneered and turned Shanyue's painting sideways: "Look again, what is this!"

Wen took a closer look.

The flames that were originally shooting up into the sky turned into a snow scene spreading across the window!
One painting, two scenes!

Looking vertically, it is warm and intense; looking horizontally, it is vast and broad!
People say that water and fire are incompatible, but she melted two of them, one is fireworks and the other is ice and snow, into one painting!
Wen didn't dare to speak again: This skill is truly superb!

Gu's expression was gentle and her voice was clear as she exclaimed in admiration: "This, this is the snow scene stretching on the cliffs outside the window! Sister Liu's painting skills are really outstanding!"

Lan looked at the painting, then raised his head to look at the mountain moon. His eyes were dim and he lowered his head slightly to hide his thoughtful gaze.

"All right, all right! I originally thought they were a bunch of swindlers, but now it seems they have one or two good points!"

Mi Da waved his hand and took out a small cylindrical personal seal carved from Hetian jade from his arms.

He Wuma was very tactful and presented the ink with both hands.

Mr. Mi printed his private seal on Shan Yue's "Fire and Snow Fusion Picture", and a "Mi" character appeared in the blank space.

Mr. Mi tore the painting and handed it to the servant behind him: "When we return to the capital, frame it well and pass it off as a painting I collected during my time in Zhenjiang Prefecture!"

Just, just steal someone else's painting so brazenly? !

Qiu Tao, who was accompanying Shan Yue, couldn't close her mouth for a long time.

The "juren's daughter" Wen was also shocked and surprised. After a moment, her expression returned to normal. After thinking it through, she understood: this painting was only sold for twenty taels in Liu Shanyue's hands, but if it was in the hands of Master Mi, it would be priceless and might even be passed down through the ages. To be honest, Liu should thank Master Mi! - This is also common. It is not uncommon for senior masters to steal the works of their juniors to establish themselves, whether it is painting or poetry.

He Wuma watched Shanyue's expression and actions vigilantly.

After the painting was snatched away, Shanyue first looked up in surprise, then tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She looked at Mi Dajia blankly, then looked around helplessly, as if looking for someone to make the decision for her. Seeing that no one spoke, the girl slowly lowered her head as if she accepted her fate, without saying anything more.

He Wuma nodded secretly.

The painting test was over. Although the first, second and third place were not determined, everyone knew whose painting skills were more favored by the boss.

On the way back to the wing room from the main hall, "the daughter of a juren" Wen was a little unhappy because she lost the painting; Lan walked at the end in silence with her eyes lowered; only Gu, with a gentle and humble smile, chatted with Shanyue in a random manner.

The little girl was very tactful, only talking about romance and never talking about important matters: "I have been to Songjiang Prefecture a few times, the gluten stuffed meat is delicious, and the plum wine tastes sweet, but has a strong aftertaste, it is a bit intoxicating."

The main room is quite far from the wing rooms, and there is a secluded courtyard to pass through.

Although the entire castle is a bit lonely, this courtyard is the quietest.

It was so quiet that it seemed deathly quiet.

Wen was walking in the front, her eyes seemed to be attracted by something, she tilted her head and looked through the slightly opened door, and after a while she let out a short scream: "Ah——"

She was so frightened that she stepped back repeatedly. Lan quickened her pace and followed her, looking inside with one eye open and the other closed. She glanced at it briefly and said, "It's two coffins."

Gu grabbed Shanyue's hand tightly, and a nervous look appeared on her face: "Coffin? What coffin!?"

Lan shook her head: "I don't know. The coffin hasn't been closed yet, so it should be empty."

When Gu heard that the coffin was empty, she straightened her pale face, as if to comfort others, but more like to comfort herself: "That's normal, the fortress ahead is built to resist bandits, most likely prepared for a general or some big shot. Don't scare yourself, go, go!"

Shanyue's eyes fell on the partition door with a copper lock.

Between the cracks in the door, in the dim twilight, two brand new beech coffins were placed upright in the hall.

strange.

Four people, prepare two coffins.

So, who will definitely not die?

Shan Yue lowered his eyes.

Dinner and the next day's breakfast were all eaten in their own rooms. Qiu Tou seemed to be frightened by the strangeness of the day. She picked up the food with chopsticks and said in a crying voice: "Aren't you gesticulating? Aren't you selecting disciples for the four great families? Why does it look wrong now?"

Shanyue looked up at Qiutao, chewing the stir-fried yam slices in his mouth with a tasteless mouthfeel. After swallowing, he whispered, "Don't just focus on the salary when you look for a job in the future. None of these powerful and wealthy people are stupid. How could they be willing to spend so much money to let people like us do easy things?"

All gifts are secretly priced.

Qiu Tao seemed to understand what he said, and it took a long time before she remembered to refute Shan Yue: "I am a lowly person, and you are a lady from an official family. How can we be compared?"

Shan Yue put down his bowl and left the table.

The competition continued on the second and third days. On the second day, they competed in painting, and on the third day, they competed in tea making and calligraphy.

They all received much praise for Shan Yue.

On the third night, the ringing of bells and drums meant that it was time to turn off the lights in the rooms and go to bed.

Shan Yue did not change his clothes, but lay on the bed with them still on.

Soon, the sound of swords clashing could be heard in the courtyard!
"Chase! Chase!"

"She ran east!"

"Come on!"

Qiutou rubbed her eyes and looked at the bright lights outside the window. After a while, a group of dark shadows leaned over and ran quickly, leaving fast silhouettes on the paper on the window frame.

"What, what's going on?"

Shan Yue glanced out the window and asked, "Did Lan run away?"

As soon as Shanyue finished speaking, he saw a small tube being stuffed into the door from a small gap.

Then the sound of "thump thump thump" of running feet was heard outside the door.

Qiu Tao covered her mouth in horror: "What is that?"

Shanyue bent down to pick it up, pulled the note out of the small tube, picked up a "Fengqisi" oil lamp with a glass lampshade, and looked down at it carefully.

There was a line of words written on the note:

"Come to the east corridor. I know your secret."

　In order to meet the 12 o'clock DDL, I posted it before it was finished. If you have finished reading it before the update, you can refresh it. I added a short section.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)