Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 1 Ink Painting
In the southern dynasty, there is a fine mist and drizzle, and wine flags are fluttering in the mountain city and waterside towns.

During the hazy spring rain, Zhao Yifu (fú) was standing halfway up Moshan Mountain, gazing southward at the Moyang City built next to the Immortal Lake. He felt that it was quite poetic, with its ink and wash painting style.

"Ah~~"

He sighed.

Zhao Yifu was a tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted man. He had barely turned twenty, but he already had the aura of a tiger. His simple, harmless face, coupled with his scholarly robes, gave him a somewhat refined air.

At this time, someone next to him said, "Why, Brother Junxin, are you worried that you won't pass this year's exam?"

"Don't worry. Even if you don't pass this year's exam, you can take it again next year. There's always a chance you can pass it."

"Fu" means "trust", so it is appropriate for Zhao Yifu to be called Junxin.

He looked at the little old man beside him, who was only as tall as his chest, and asked, "Brother Zichang, I remember you are forty years old this year, right?"

The skinny old man with white hair and beard was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: "I am forty-one this year!"

"Ugh!"

Zhao Yi Fu sighed heavily again. It was rare for an old scholar in his forties to maintain such a good attitude.

He said, "It's alright, brother. This is actually my third annual exam in five years, and I'm used to it."

After passing the annual examination, they can become students and be considered to have truly achieved academic success.

The old man's name was Fan Jin, and his courtesy name was Zichang. Zhao Yifu didn't know if Fan Jin would eventually pass the imperial examination, but at this moment he could only offer his blessing: "Brother Zichang, let's meet again tomorrow when the results are announced. Teacher Liang is looking for me in the academy today because he has something else to tell me."

Fan Jin smiled and bowed to Zhao Yifu, saying, "Okay, brother and I will meet again tomorrow."

As he said this, he staggered down the mountain.

Zhao Yifu was a little worried about the old man's legs and feet, but then he thought that most ancient people were resistant to grass, so he should be fine, right?

He accompanied Fan Jin halfway with some concern before returning to Molu Academy at the foot of Moshan Mountain.

He is a student studying here, while Fan Jin is studying at home. Today he came to Moshan to relax because he couldn't bear the wait for the results to be announced.

Zhao Yifu was also relaxing, but what he was worried about was completely different.

In Molu Academy, many classmates greeted Zhao Yifu and expressed their friendship.

His behavior and actions were just like his name, he was very trustworthy and thus very popular in the school. However, this school was mostly filled with talented people like painters, calligraphers, and novelists, full of humanistic and artistic atmosphere, and his strong build was a bit out of place among them.

He walked through the school and came to the back, where the students lived. Further inside was the residence of the faculty and staff.

He came to a brick house, and before he even entered, he heard a voice from inside: "Wait a moment."

Zhao Yifu stopped in front of the door and subconsciously looked inside. He saw a handsome middle-aged man in a light green Confucian robe writing quickly at a desk.

Just listening to the "swish" sound made by the soft brush tip as it moved across the paper was a pleasure for Zhao Yifu.

This person was Zhao Yifu's teacher in the school, and also Liang Zhongzhi, a famous calligrapher and painter in the Southern Dynasty's Daxu State.

In just three to five minutes, a page of rice paper was filled with writing.

Then Liang Zhongzhi said, "Come in."

Zhao Yifu immediately entered the study, folded his hands in front of him, stretched them out, and bowed, saying, "Disciple Zhao Yifu, greetings to Master Liang."

The moment he lowered his head, he saw the brush on the pen holder. Zhao Yifu's mind raced: the brush was not in the brush washer but was still in the pen holder, which meant that Liang Zhongzhi didn't plan to talk to him too much, at least the conversation had to end before the ink on the brush dried.

Liang Zhongzhi nodded and said, "Get up. I called you here to tell you that your results in the annual exam were quite good, ranking seventh in the second class. Go back and study hard. Maybe you can pass the annual exam next August and get admitted."

If one can pass the imperial examination, he will be qualified to participate in the higher-level provincial examination, so it is called recorded examination.

Zhao Yifu looked surprised. At this time, the results had not yet been announced in Moyang City. How did Liang Zhongzhi know that he had passed the annual examination?
Seeing this, Liang Zhongzhi smiled and said, "Last night, my Yin spirit went out to discuss ancient history with Brother Zhou, the academician of Moyang, and I happened to see your paper... Don't worry, this matter is settled."

Zhao Yifu smiled bitterly and said, "Master Liang... Thank you very much, Master Liang."

Liang Zhongzhi said: "Why thank me? You have the basic skills, so it's only natural that you can pass the exam."

"It's a pity that you have limited talent in calligraphy and painting. I'm afraid you can't enter the inner sect of my Danqing Sect to practice."

Zhao Yifu's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly said, "Here it comes," but he didn't dare to say anything more.

The Molu Academy actually has a secret identity unknown to outsiders, that is, it is the outer sect of the Danqing Sect, a spiritual practice sect in Moshan.

The mission of Molu Academy is to train qualified disciples for Danqing Sect and send them to the inner sect for further training.

Zhao Yifu was also sent to Molu Academy by his family at the age of twelve. He studied for three years and passed the examination for a student before he knew about this matter.

The Danqing Sect is actually a worldly sect that practices both Confucianism and Taoism. Of course, there are not only two choices of Confucianism and Taoism here, but the two have been mixed together from the very beginning.

The four friends of literati, namely music, chess, calligraphy and painting, are used as carriers and also represent the four directions of further study in the school of painting.

Liang Zhongzhi watched Zhao Yifu lower his head in silence, then sighed and said, "I know you're unwilling, but you don't know music, you're not good at chess, and your calligraphy is only passable. Your only slightly better painting is clumsy and soulless, unworthy of high esteem."

"If I really had to comment on you, I'd say you have limited potential."

Zhao Yifu's heart was gloomy, but he said firmly, "Master Liang, I know my talent is limited, but practicing Taoism is my lifelong ambition, and I will not give up easily."

Having witnessed the beauty of spiritual practice, even though his progress has been slow, he is no longer willing to return to the life of an ordinary person.

Since God allowed him to retain the memories of his previous life in this life and let him see the scenery inside when he stood at the door of cultivation, how could he possibly resist?

Liang Zhongzhi nodded and said, "Okay, maintain this perseverance. If you can complete all the training of refining essence into qi within the next twenty years, you can be accepted into the inner sect of our Danqing Sect."

"If twenty years still don't work..."

Zhao Yifu seemed to know what he was going to say, so he said, "Master Liang, I am not the eldest son in the family, so devoting myself to cultivation is actually a better choice for the family."

Liang Zhongzhi nodded and smiled, "Okay, if you haven't achieved anything in twenty years, the door here will always be open to you."

"Now, take this badge to the Stone Pavilion, choose two spells, and then go to school."

"I practice Danqing Sect, but sometimes it's hard to gain anything simply by practicing in silence. However, I might get unexpected surprises in the secular officialdom."

"Go ahead, and don't forget to stamp your calligraphy and paintings with the 'Spiritual Calming Seal', perhaps it will help you in your spiritual practice."

Zhao Yifu bowed again and said, "I understand. Thank you, Master Liang, for your guidance."

He was truly grateful to Liang Zhongzhi. In fact, the teachers, lecturers, and seniors in Danqing School that he met at the Molu Academy all had the demeanor of great scholars and elders.

It makes people feel that they sincerely hope that any outer disciple, including Zhao Yifu, can achieve success in their cultivation.

(End of this chapter)