Chapter 64: Shame of the True Brush, Wandering Scroll
This was a clever design, and the core of the paper puppet.
Using spirit stones connected to paper talismans, refined together, it ensured the paper puppet could exist for a long time.
However, the usual method to increase a paper puppet’s strength was to approach it from the talisman aspect. Using a higher-grade spirit stone directly like this was truly extravagant.
A single middle-grade spirit stone could theoretically replace one hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Market price ranged between one hundred and thirty to one hundred and sixty.
The three people present were all poor.
Song Yan smiled and said, “Being able to defeat the paper puppet so smoothly was all thanks to Fellow Daoist Rong’s spiritual insects scouting. This one, you two can take.”
His heart was bleeding.
But he spoke the truth, without any polite pretense.
Mainly because Wu Huaguo was present, he didn’t dare say anything insincere.
“Good.”
The couple didn’t stand on ceremony. “Fellow Daoist Song, there shouldn’t be just one paper puppet here…”
“In the future, if we encounter more middle-grade spirit stones, you and my wife and I will split them evenly.”
Song Yan nodded.
He didn’t completely trust the couple, but up to now, these two gave him a feeling that wasn’t false.
…
Within the painting world, in the Ink Pool Forest.
“Che Ning” stood before a large black stone. This stone had been carved and polished into what appeared to be an unusually shaped desk.
On the desk were brush, ink, and an inkstone, but paper and scrolls were conspicuously absent…
Not paying attention to this, Che Ning’s trembling hand channeled spiritual energy, causing the ancient-looking brush to float before him.
His hands spread open, and the brush hovered in his grasp.
Looking at this brush, he actually sighed with excitement.
“Hah…”
One foot three inches long, the brush handle was made of Cloud Abyss purple bamboo, with fine, long needle-like fur from the spine of a Moon-Inviting Rabbit demon forming the bristles.
On the pale purple handle, two characters were engraved: “Kui Zhen.”
“Shame of the True Brush…”
“Finally obtained…”
Che Ning seemed to have all his strength drained, and he collapsed to the ground, completely losing his previous expert demeanor.
“Shame of the True Brush…”
“Wandering Scroll…”
“Haha…”
He suddenly laughed wildly.
“Hahahaha…”
Recalling these twelve years, every step had been terrifying, like walking on thin ice.
Now, he had finally obtained this thing he had dreamed of in his previous life!
These two treasures, the brush and scroll, were a set of low-grade spiritual artifacts.
Although they had many limitations, they were one of the treasures he had heard of in his previous life that he had the best chance of obtaining in this one.
Thinking of his previous life, he suddenly felt oppressed by grief and bitterness, unable to breathe…
His gaze flickered, and he gripped the brush in his hand tighter.
“Bzzz–“
At that moment, a blade energy slashed through the air! It cut Che Ning’s figure in half…
However…
The figure shattered, turning into a splash of ink.
“Clang!”
The long blade was resheathed, and the scar-faced cultivator slowly stepped forward.
He didn’t seem surprised by Che Ning’s disappearance.
“I was wondering…”
Che Ning’s voice drifted up from the shadows beside the black stone. He slowly emerged: “Where exactly did you get the courage to attack me?”
The scar-faced cultivator was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, but he chuckled without fear. “In such a vast painting world, you want nothing but this ink treasure.”
“What thing could be more precious? Old Wu here can’t possibly not understand?”
Che Ning’s voice turned ice-cold. “Some things you have the life to take, but I’m afraid you won’t have the life to use them…”
“Old brother, this literati’s elegant item…”
“Can you even appreciate it?”
The scar-faced cultivator’s hand slowly rested on the hilt behind him, and the spiritual energy aura around his body actually began to rise.
“Whether I can appreciate it or not, don’t trouble yourself to worry about it, brother.”
“Oh?”
Che Ning wore a bronze mask, so his expression was unreadable, but he made a soft sound of surprise.
“A secret technique to conceal one’s realm?”
“No… that’s not it.”
“Blade intent…”
“…”
Che Ning took no action, just quietly watched the blade master before him.
“Both.”
The scar-faced cultivator’s spiritual energy realm had now reached the eighth level of Qi Refining…
Bzzz– At the moment the blade was drawn, the clouds and wind above the Ink Pool Forest changed dramatically. The scar-faced cultivator’s aura…
Actually approached the ninth level of Qi Refining!
“Breaking Tide!”
Three zhang away, a blade slashed over.
His body twisted strangely, appearing before Che Ning within arm’s reach together with the torrential blade energy!
Che Ning gave a soft hum, but instead of retreating, he advanced. Holding the ancient brush, he met the scar-faced cultivator.
Boom!
Che Ning, pouncing toward him, along with the ancient brush, once again turned into a splash of ink.
Like a snowman trying to embrace him, but melting in the instant of scorching sun.
“Splash…”
The ink wet the scar-faced cultivator’s clothes.
“…”
On his forehead was an oblique ink stain, a mark left when “Che Ning” had dotted the brush on his brow center in the instant his blade intent dissipated.
Water droplets ran down his cheeks and chin, dripping into his collar.
He frowned, warily staring at his surroundings.
“Hmm…”
Che Ning emerged from behind, casually took out a sheet of painting paper from his cosmic bag, and actually began to paint.
Occasionally, he would also gesture with the brush toward the scar-faced cultivator, measuring up and down.
“Fly-like pest!”
The scar-faced cultivator gripped his hilt again. “I’d like to see how long your rotten flesh can hide!”
“Hmm…”
Che Ning suddenly nodded with satisfaction.
He put down the brush and signed.
In that instant, the scar-faced cultivator suddenly looked dazed, staring at the blade in his hand.
He had been with blades since childhood. Even in the mortal world, he had roamed the jianghu with a blade, carving out a fearsome reputation.
Through serendipity he had entered the cultivation world, where he had even more fortuitous encounters, comprehending a sliver of blade intent.
But now, touching this blade, for some reason it felt so unfamiliar.
Che Ning looked at the brush in his hand with intoxicated admiration.
“This brush is called ‘Shame of the True Brush.'”
“Let aside those romantic stories and legends. Simply speaking of its function…”
Che Ning walked forward slowly.
“Recording.”
The scar-faced cultivator’s eyes widened.
“It can record the appearance of painted things at a certain moment…”
“Spiritual energy…”
Che Ning’s voice carried a hint of wild hoarseness.
“Or… aura.”
The scar-faced cultivator’s heart sank to the bottom, but he certainly wouldn’t sit and wait for death.
His blade intent was sealed by this bizarre brush, but his blade techniques remained.
“Restrict!”
Spiritual energy turned into ink, surging and billowing, condensing into chains that pierced the scar-faced cultivator’s protective spiritual garment and bound his hands and feet.
“Hah!”
The scar-faced cultivator’s spiritual energy surged, shaking off the ink. He swung his blade toward Che Ning.
But Che Ning still didn’t dodge, just fully circulated his spiritual qi, his internal spiritual energy rapidly depleting.
Thud.
At a certain moment, there was a sound of an ink droplet falling by his ear…
The scar-faced cultivator realized that at some unknown time, the blade had returned to its sheath, and he was facing the black stone, his protective spiritual garment dispersed, his back to Che Ning.
He had returned to the motion of just sheathing his blade.
“Old brother, why don’t you understand yet…”
“You are currently inside the painting…”
Actually, Che Ning had many ways to kill the scar-faced cultivator.
But like a child who had just obtained a brand new toy, at this moment he simply had to show off its most fun aspect.
Though he relied on the spiritual energy left in the brush by a Foundation Establishment senior, at this moment Che Ning was still fully satisfied.
Before the scar-faced cultivator had noticed, countless ink marks had remained around his body, and now they all erupted at once.
“Bang.”
Blood mixed with ink, slowly flowing on the ground…
The scar-faced cultivator stared unwillingly, his eyes wide, and ceased to breathe.
Che Ning slowly walked past him, taking his cosmic bag.
“In this world, everyone has their own opportunities and fortuitous encounters.”
“But some people are arrogant and conceited… then they don’t deserve such chances.”
“With opportunities, one must also grasp them well.”
“Not rely on talent and look down on others.”