"Here, the brush should be lighter. Monk Huai's calligraphy favors spirit over form—too heavy a stroke, and you lose the charm. Especially at the turns, remember not to use thick ink; keep the brush light, as if to outline the bones with its trace."
Gathering his sleeves, Qi Xiu stood by, correcting Qian Yuzhe's writing errors. These past days, he had been tutoring Qian Yuzhe day and night with barely a break. Nearly half of each day was spent practicing calligraphy.
Seeing Qian Yuzhe's joints swollen from holding the brush too long, yet utterly indifferent, Qi Xiu couldn't help but be taken aback. The intense rivalries within a wealthy family.
"Zi Yuan, could you take a look and see how well this piece turned out?" Qian Yuzhe put down his brush and held up his newly written calligraphy, his face revealing a trace of expectation. These recent days, he felt he had made a lot of progress. Although not as good as Qi Xiu, he had at least captured some of the essence.
As his gaze swept over the characters on the paper, Qi Xiu nodded slightly. "The style is seventy percent similar, but the ink's charm and the force of the strokes need more work—barely a rudiment. However, considering you've managed this in just ten days, it's quite evident that the Third Young Master has a natural talent for calligraphy."
"Don't flatter me." Shaking his head, Qian Yuzhe wiped his face with a hot towel handed to him by a servant and chastised with a laugh, "Talent? Compared to you, my talent is as dull as an ox."
Without a teacher, he figured out sixty percent of Monk Huai's calligraphic style just from this rubbing. Only after he started practicing Monk Huai's calligraphy did Qian Yuzhe truly realize the horrifyingly extraordinary talent Qi Xiu possessed in the Dao of calligraphy. Simply inhuman!
I possess no such talent; my only advantage is a cheat. Mentally adding that clarification, Qi Xiu then said, "Let's leave it at that for today; Third Young Master should rest early. The intensity of your practice lately has indeed been quite extreme. The Dao of calligraphy is not something you can rush—if your mind is in disarray, your brush will waver, and you'll achieve half the result with twice the effort."
Massaging his swollen fingers, Qian Yuzhe nodded as well. "What you said makes sense, so let's call it a day. Rest for a while. I'll have Guan send you back later."
Ever since that day when he learned about the ghostly disturbances and numerous deaths at the Qian Residence, Qi Xiu had suggested not staying overnight at the Qian Residence. He would teach during the day and then return home in the evening. Qian Yuzhe didn't quite understand this request at first. After all, compared to the living conditions in Qi Xiu's home, the Qian Residence made his place seem no better than a pigsty or a dog's kennel. But with Qi Xiu's insistence, Qian Yuzhe agreed. Guan would take care of the morning and evening transport. Since the Qian Residence had seven or eight carriages, using one wasn't an issue.
After resting for a while in the courtyard, Qi Xiu headed to a side gate in the southeast corner of the Qian Residence. Guan was already waiting for him at the gate with a carriage.
"Mr. Qi, you've finished early today." Guan and Qi Xiu had grown familiar with each other from their daily travels, often chatting and laughing on the way to relieve fatigue.
"Yes, indeed. By the way, Uncle Guan, here's the couplet you asked me to write for you last time. I forgot to give it to you this morning." As he climbed into the carriage, Qi Xiu took out a rolled-up couplet from his cloth bag.
"Oh, I was just speaking offhand, but you really remembered, Mr. Qi." Delighted, Guan carefully wiped his hands and took the couplet.
"Just an ordinary couplet. If you like it, I can send you another one another day." Seeing Guan treat it like a treasure, Qi Xiu couldn't help but smile.
"Heh, Mr. Qi, you are fit to be the Third Young Master's teacher, and your writing is far from ordinary." After storing the couplets carefully in his bag, Guan spoke with sincere seriousness.
"Uh..." At those words, Qi Xiu was momentarily taken aback.
Indeed, capable of imitating Monk Huai's calligraphy, I am no longer just any ordinary scribe. With proficiency in my grasp, surpassing a master calligrapher like Monk Huai is only a matter of time.
With this thought, a spark of ambition lit up in Qi Xiu's eyes. Perhaps my ambitions should not be confined to calligraphy alone. I should explore other fields as well. Perhaps... martial arts?
The terror of that night was still fresh in his memory. If I had some power, should any misfortune arise, I could manage on my own.
"Uncle Guan, it's still early; let's not go home just yet. Could you please take me to East Market?"
"Sure thing, please make yourself comfortable. We'll go right away, GIDDY UP."
「A quarter of an hour later.」
「East Market in Baoho County.」
「Shangtai Bookstore.」
As the largest bookstore in Baoho County, Shangtai Bookstore not only bought and sold books but also dealt in the Four Treasures of the Study—brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The place had once been out of Qi Xiu's reach, as even the cheapest roll of paper there cost thirty coins, and a pot of ink fifty coins. The ancient books and rubbings sold there cost prices beyond his wildest dreams.
Touching the twenty taels of silver in his book bag, Qi Xiu steeled his nerves. Now I too am wealthy.
Counting the rewards and brush fees from Qian Yuzhe, his assets had already reached an impressive sum of one hundred and fifty taels. Such a fortune was something he had never even dared to dream of before.
Bolstered by confidence, Qi Xiu stepped into the bookstore he had passed hundreds of times but never once entered.
"This gentleman looks unfamiliar. Is this your first visit?" Upon entering Shangtai Bookstore, an attendant immediately came to greet him with a smile.
"Mhm." Surveying the vast shop that spanned nearly five to six hundred square meters, Qi Xiu gathered his sleeves and pursed his lips. "Do you have any books here... the kind that are about practicing martial arts?"
"Books on martial arts practice?" The smile on the attendant's face stiffened. "Are you referring to… novels and storybooklets?"
"No, I mean those martial arts manuals that can be used to learn martial arts."
"Sorry, this is a bookstore. If you want to learn martial arts, please go out, turn left, and inquire at the martial arts school." Looking at Qi Xiu with a peculiar gaze, the shop assistant patiently pointed towards the direction outside the door.
Walking out of Shangtai Bookstore with an embarrassed expression, Qi Xiu scratched his head. He had taken things for granted. He had assumed that in this world set in ancient times, martial arts manuals would be readily available. But how could real martial arts manuals be placed in a bookstore where anyone could buy them?
Following the direction pointed out by the bookstore assistant, Qi Xiu arrived at a street lined with martial arts schools. Standing at the entrance of the street, he tiptoed and looked inside. Seven or eight martial arts schools stood side by side. In front of each martial arts school, there were invariably a few men dressed in training attire with robust physiques. Despite the cold winter, the ground frozen solid, these apprentices seemed not to feel the cold at all. With grunts and shouts, they lifted stone locks and pounded wooden stakes, training until steam rose from their heads.
This is also a form of advertising, albeit in a roundabout way. Gathering his sleeves as he watched those muscular men, Qi Xiu clicked his tongue. With so many martial arts schools, it was hard to know which one was more reliable.
Just as Qi Xiu hesitated about which school to approach for information, a pair of large hands suddenly patted his shoulder from behind. He turned pale from the familiar strength in the grip.
"Mr. Qi, what brings you here?" With a smile on his face, Qian Yuchuan stood in front of Qi Xiu, accompanied by a man and a woman.
"Second Young Master, what a coincidence." Qi Xiu reluctantly rubbed his shoulder. The Second Young Master wasn't a bad person, but his grip was just too strong.
Looking at the street of martial arts schools, Qian Yuzhe's interest was piqued. "Mr. Qi, are you thinking of… training in martial arts?"
"Not exactly. I've been overexerting myself with my studies recently, so I thought of learning some techniques to strengthen my body and fortify my muscles." Waving his hand, Qi Xiu naturally wouldn't reveal his true intentions to Qian Yuchuan. He made up a reason on the spot to cover up.
"Hahaha, I see. But for such a minor matter, Mr. Qi, you could have just asked me. There's no need to bother with these martial arts schools; all they teach are flashy moves with little substance. How about this: I'll come to Yu Ze's courtyard tomorrow at noon to find you and teach you a couple of good moves! Remember to wait for me." With a boisterous laugh, without even waiting for Qi Xiu's agreement, Qian Yuchuan turned and left with the man and woman.
"Uh..." Qi Xiu opened his mouth, wanting to decline politely, but thinking of Qian Yuchuan's personality, he shook his head with a smile. A gracious offer was hard to decline, indeed.
With Qian Yuchuan's unsolicited intervention, Qi Xiu didn't head further into the street of martial arts schools. Instead, he turned around, went to Chunlai Restaurant in the East Market, packed up three dishes and a soup, and carried them home.
「The snow had been falling for several days, finally clearing up.」
With the melting snow, the temperature dropped at night. The road was covered with a thick layer of ice, very slippery. Walking cautiously, careful not to slip, Qi Xiu eventually reached the entrance of his courtyard and wiped the sweat from his nose with his sleeve. He feared that the meal he had spent three qian of silver to pack would end up spilled. His journey was undertaken with the utmost caution. It took him nearly half an hour to cover the little more than two li.
It's time to prioritize training in martial arts. My body is truly too frail.
Back in the main room, Qi Xiu put down the food and sat on a chair, catching his breath. While muttering to himself, he glanced at the "Suppress" Character stuck to the door. The handwriting on the paper hadn't changed. Seeing that the "Suppress" Character hadn't faded, Qi Xiu's eyes softened. The two corpses he had seen at the Qian Residence ten days ago were etched in his memory.
Upon returning home, he would seal the doors and windows with the "Suppress" Character every night. In doing so, he also discovered that writing the "Suppress" Character wasn't without cost; it subtly drained his energy. Five "Suppress" Characters were his current limit. Reaching that limit, he would feel extremely anxious and weak all over, as if suffering a hypoglycemic attack. It would take at least two hours of rest to recover significantly. And the "Suppress" Characters written on white paper wouldn't remain effective indefinitely; the Divine Marvel contained within could only last one day. After a day passed, the golden light from the Character would dissipate. The "Suppress" Character would then revert to an ordinary piece of paper again.
Once assured that nothing unclean had entered his home, Qi Xiu got up to wash his hands and then heartily enjoyed the takeout meal: Boiled Beef Slices, Stone-Milled Tofu Pudding, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Hot and Sour Soup. Although none of them were exquisite delicacies, for Qi Xiu, who had lived frugally for more than two years, they were indeed a great feast.
Having cleared the table, Qi Xiu loosened his belt and patted his slightly bulging stomach, very satisfied as he let out a contented belch. This was the way to live.
After eating his fill, Qi Xiu got up to tidy up the tableware. Just as he approached the door, the "Suppress" Character stuck to it suddenly lit up with a faint golden light, as if it had sensed something.
Qi Xiu's face changed abruptly. He immediately crouched down and carefully peered through the door's lattice, looking outside. It's been ten days, how could they have found me?! And it's still broad daylight!
The courtyard gate was not closed. The dazzling Taiyang shone on the icy patches on the ground, with the reflected light stinging the eyes. A stiff, lifeless figure passed directly by Qi Xiu's house, heading deeper into the alley.
It's not looking for me… Leaning against the door, Qi Xiu, with sweat beading on his forehead, finally breathed a sigh of relief after a while. But soon, his expression became grave again. Had something from the Qian Residence already escaped?