Chapter 4, Painting a Tiger with Deception
Liu Qin realized she had lost her composure, took a moment to calm herself, and said: "I will take this painting to Manager Hu; it possesses a certain charm and should be appreciated by her."
Li Mo's daily routine consists of the continuous repetition of the process of painting wooden figures
His temples throbbed slightly as he tidied up his belongings and returned to the compartment
Li Mo lifted the quilt and got up, stretching his bare feet indoors, his heart racing as if a cold-blooded creature was regaining its body temperature
The painting techniques taught at the Calligraphy and Painting Hall are also the most fundamental, occasionally interspersed with some common knowledge of the meridians, but not in depth
There is seldom communication among the apprentices of the artist, and Li Mo attempted to extract clues from the mouths of others, but the information obtained was quite limited
Li Mo relied on indirect hints and the occasional revelations from the Book of Fate to muster some confidence in his cultivation
The other apprentices cannot see it at all, likely due to the differences in Li Mo's brain
He felt an indelible memory, which subtly transformed his body over time
At that moment, Liu Qin noticed that Li Mo suddenly picked up the brush
He also considered branding the dirty organs, but it is said that after becoming a painter, he was personally taught the methods by the manager, which led him to abandon the idea and the books.
She occasionally selects a few paintings, not because they are particularly good, but because the artworks reveal a certain strange and inexplicable quality
Items such as inkstones and brushes are readily available, and if damaged, one can request replacements from the painter
Li Mo chose a spot near the corner, picked up a weight stone to press down on the rice paper, poured some clear water into the inkstone, and took out an ink stick from his pocket
In the following days, he remained busy between the study and the painting hall
During this month of seclusion, he has been focused on honing his control over his arms
With an exceptional memory, Li Mo possesses a skilled ability in composition. Coupled with the masterpieces he has seen in his past life, it is not difficult for him to shed the identity of a painter's apprentice, as long as his hands can coordinate accordingly
He had long been accustomed to the schedule of the calligraphy and painting hall, and naturally awakened from his bed after the faint sounds of beast roars each night came to an end
Li Mo spent more than half an hour grinding the ink, and then picked up the brush to begin sketching. Moments later, the image of a wooden figure appeared on the rice paper
Thank you, Lord Liu
The ink stick is merely the size of a finger, yet it weighs three jin. Li Mo is unaware of what exactly is mixed within it, resulting in an ink that has a peculiar smell reminiscent of rust and * illustrations * books, pungent and unpleasant.
It is just a pity
She merely fulfills her routine duties, changing to other artists every month.
Liu Qin unconsciously approached Li Mo, her gaze drawn to the patterns on the rice paper.
However, Li Mo never saw Liu Qin again
The pawnshop does not resemble the selection of suitable seeds for cultivation at all; they seem intent on keeping the vast majority of people outside the door
Li Mo glanced at Zeng Xiaoyi as he walked ahead
The surrounding apprentices of the painter fell into silence, their gazes towards Li Mo filled with various emotions: jealousy, envy, and resentment
Only formally recognized artists are permitted to access the paths of cultivation, resulting in the vast majority of apprentices being relegated to menial tasks
Zeng Xiaoyi collapsed onto the chair, his bloodied and mangled hands staining the Xuan paper a deep red
The appearance of the mountain lord became increasingly unfamiliar, ultimately resembling a naked man crawling on the ground, with a tail replaced by exposed vertebrae.
The ink stick seems to bestow life upon the tiger beast, causing the artwork to become increasingly unfamiliar; the emaciated mountain lord in the painting exudes an indescribable ferocity
The mountain cat descending the mountain to hunt in the image has its gray-black fur gradually disappearing
Li Mo realized that the methods of the pawnshop and the bookstore might be intricately linked to painting
Li Mo, seeing the achievement of his goal, could not help but let out a long sigh of relief
This time, Li Mo chose a pen with a shaft as slender as a long chopstick, no longer repeatedly copying the wooden figure, but instead began to outline the contours of a tiger.
A painter named Liu Qin was walking around the hall, appearing to be over forty years old, with a slender and frail physique, except for his right leg, which was swollen and had a bluish tint
His movements were exceptionally skillful, and his breathing steady. It is hard to imagine that he had not drawn a tiger or beast for an entire month, yet he showed not a trace of hesitation as he put pen to paper
Only the ink stick must be stored separately
He was the first to step out of the chamber, striding quickly towards the hall, facing the dim candlelight.
Li Mo recognized only Zeng Xiaoyi among them, who was already nearing nineteen years of age, and the onset of illness had begun to erode his body.
Li Mo was momentarily distracted, and Liu Qin disappeared from sight as she entered the fork in the corridor
Liu Qin busied herself with her tasks and closed her eyes to rest, no longer paying attention to Li Mo
Li Mo understood that it was about time for him to engage in cultivation, as the imminent threat of death was drawing near. Continuing to conceal his abilities would undoubtedly be unwise
Liu Qin, a practitioner of the cultivation method, unexpectedly felt fear towards the apprentices under her, even if only for a moment, yet it was still captured by Li M.hetushu.com.com.
Life in the calligraphy and painting hall has been exceedingly monotonous, and it has unknowingly continued for a month
The ink marks on the surface of the Tiger Roar painting spread out.
It is not so much a stunning display of extraordinary talent, but rather a sense of apprehension or even fear.
Li Mo's work is modeled after the "Tiger Howling" by the renowned tiger painter Zhang Shanma from a previous life. However, possibly due to the ink stick used, it is entirely different from the original, exuding an indescribable sense of terror
The apprentices in the studio are mostly selected from the children of the residents of Rong Town, so they are more or less aware of the matters concerning the cultivation methods
The apprentice painters in the same room gradually awaken
If it were not for the oppressive atmosphere, Li Mo would have felt as if he were in the school of Niujia Village
Li Mo, you ... ...
He then began to grind the ink again, but this time he switched from his right hand to his left hand
He understands that concealing one's talents is futile; although he cannot display anything extraordinary, he must demonstrate his value, otherwise he will have no place to stand
When he arrived at the hall, there were already quite a few apprentice painters grinding ink inside
The sky is faintly brightening, and the chill of late autumn envelops every corner of the calligraphy and painting hall
As the painting took shape, Li Mo became aware of the peculiarities of the ink stick
Li Mo's speed of grinding ink is neither fast nor slow
What a magnificent golden-eyed white-browed big insect
Li Mo was unclear about what it meant, but he would rather die on the path of cultivation than endure the pain and despair of immortality
Liu Qin has seen the wooden figure painting by Li Mo, and the acupoint and meridian placements are precise and accurate, demonstrating the exceptional talent he possesses in painting
Liu Qin waited until Li Mo put down his pen before speaking, unable to hide a hint of complexity in his expression
The room is certainly better than the accommodations at the pawnshop when I first arrived, but the furnishings are extremely simple, and it is still shared by four people.
Li Mo was unsure if he had misread the situation; he noticed that Liu Qin's arm, which was holding the painting, was emanating a faint black aura
He only knows
Liu Qin picked up the Tiger Roar painting and left
Li Mo still does not understand how cultivation could be related to painting, and even more perplexing is the fact that painting skills are openly regarded as a form of assessment
As an apprentice painter, Li Mo could only move between the main hall and the side rooms.
Liu Qin noticed Li Mo's actions and couldn't help but shake her head, after all, the assessment of a painter primarily relies on the imitation of tigers and beasts, while the wooden man is merely used for memorizing acupoint meridians
Li Mo painted a tiger standing on rugged rocks, its body slightly inclined, with its eyes fixed on the distance. The patterns on its body flowed like water, reflecting the beast's restless desire.