Chapter 1325 Exceptional Showcase Black Doggy Sun!
The status of famous artists in the Nine Provinces was very awkward. Their greatest achievement was to become a court artist and then a Saint Artist.
If there were no wealthy and influential aristocrats to fawn over the paintings of famous artists, they would be worthless. After all, famous paintings were too distant from ordinary people.
However, great teachers were different. Even if they were just a teacher in a village, they’d receive the respect from all the villagers.
From ancient times until now, amongst those that had their names written in history, none was illiterate.
Famous artists had mediocre statuses. However, if they were to have a great teacher t.i.tle, then it’d be amazing. Just like how it was now. Not only did Sun Mo draw a famous painting, but he also permanently attached a great teacher halo onto it.
That was amazing!
When great teachers admired this painting, they’d be able to experience the mental state of ‘silkworms spin till the end of their living days, burning candles turn wicks to ashes till they can cry no more tears of wax.’ They’d want to dedicate their lives for students.
“Not bad!”
Xu Chunbo applauded. This painting depicted a great teacher willingly withstanding poverty and loneliness to teach at a small village in the mountains that was secluded from the world, spreading the seeds of knowledge.
This was an ideology that matched the beauty of great teachers!
“I can boast about this for very long!” “How I wish I could collect a Great Teacher Famous Painting!”
“Don’t even dream about it. Even saints would fight to get these things!”
The great teachers looked at that famous painting, having a strong urge to keep it for themselves. “Secondary Saint Sun, what’s the t.i.tle of this famous painting?”
Wei Ziyou asked.
“(Village Great Teacher Painting). What does everyone think about it?”
Sun Mo’s current mental state had some resemblance to that of a saint.
“Kindness!”
Xu Chunbo nodded. He then made a request, “Secondary Saint Sun, I have a presumptuous request. I hope to keep this Great Teacher Famous Painting in the Saint Hall to let everyone look at it in reverence, reminding the juniors not to be superficial in their learning!”
When everyone heard this, they felt extremely jealous.
An item that could be placed in this hall, other than precious and rare holy items, they’d be literary items that were well-known in the great teacher world and had a glorious achievement.
Placing Sun Mo’s famous painting here was enough to show that he was on equal standings with those saints.
However, even Secondary Saint Zhou didn’t dare to raise any objections. It was because Sun Mo’s famous painting was really very outstanding
“It’s my honor!”
Sun Mo didn’t really care where his famous paintings would go. Placing it here would even help to raise his reputation!
Talking about that, the system hadn’t appeared for very long and hadn’t issued him a lot of rewards!
Xu Chunbo nodded and then looked toward Fang Hong and Secondary Saint Zhou. “The two of you…”
Saint Xu didn’t continue with his sentence, but his meaning was clear. (Do you guys still want to continue?)
(Sun Mo’s performance across the multiple rounds were indisputably outstanding. If you guys persist, you’ll just be seeking humiliation onto yourselves.)
“Hmph!”
Secondary Saint Zhou’s countenance sank. He walked straight up to the saint statue and sat down cross-legged. He wasn’t going to admit defeat!
“What about you?”
Xu Chunbo looked toward Fang Hong.
“Sigh!”
Fang Hong shook her head and sighed. “I won’t be continuing anymore! I won’t be able to win!”
“Thank you Secondary Saint Fang for going easy on me.”
Sun Mo was good at social networking and quickly expressed his thanks to gain some favorable impression points.
“Forget it, I didn’t go easy on you. It’s your capabilities that stopped me in my tracks!”
Fang Hong waved her hand and sneaked a glance toward An Xinhui. “Sun Mo, you have to consider the matter I was telling you about earlier. My great-granddaughter is beautiful, gentle, and virtuous. She’s definitely a good partner!”
What?
Hearing Fang Hong openly expressing her wish to have Sun Mo as her great-grandson-in-law, everyone was stunned. (Doesn’t the Fang Clan want any face?)
(It’s not as if your great-granddaughter can’t be married out.)
However, thinking of Sun Mo’s background, everyone didn’t find it surprising anymore. To be honest, Fang Hong’s position couldn’t match up to Sun Mo’s.
“Haha!”
Sun Mo smiled awkwardly.
“Alright, we’ll talk about this matter in the future. But I have a request!”
Fang Hong sighed. “I’m already so old and I don’t know how many more years I have left to live. Therefore, I’d like to ask for a piece of work from you.”
“A portrait?”
Sun Mo asked. Seeing Fang Hong nodding, he walked up to the table. After that, he picked up the brush and started drawing.
To be able to get someone indebted to him just by drawing a portrait… Of course, Sun Mo would do it. Anyway, he was a grandmaster artist and could easily make a painting.
However, after drawing out the silhouette, he suddenly crumpled the paper in a ball.
(This won’t do!)
(I mustn’t be so perfunctory!)
(Since Secondary Saint Zhou isn’t giving up yet, I’ll make use of this opportunity to crush him completely! I’ll let everyone know that I, Sun Mo, am the world’s number one and indisputably the Saint Gate’s sect lord.)
(Since the responsibility of great teachers is to teach and educate people, giving them guidance, then I should let Fang Hong gain enlightenment to a great teacher halo.)
Sun Mo started to think back on his conversations with Fang Hong when they were climbing the heavenly stairs.
Although she didn’t say it openly, her words were filled with pride in her career. However, she felt sad about her personal life.
The Fang Hong in the past had also wanted to be a good wife and a good mother. However, the unhappiness in her married life caused her to devote her energy to her work.
Everyone slowed down their breathing for fear of disturbing Sun Mo’s thoughts
15 minutes later, Sun Mo started again.
Soon, a small city filled with rows and rows of small houses and the liveliness of the marketplace appeared on the paper. There was smoke rising into the sky and lifelike vendors dragging wheelbarrows through the streets. It was as if even the sounds of people peddling seemed to come out of the paper and into everyone’s ears.
A group of married ladies were was.h.i.+ng clothes by the river, and the elders were talking non-stop at home. There was also a rich man holding onto a cane and was chasing after his unfilial son to beat him up.
On the next street, there was a drunk man who was bitten by a wild dog. He cursed as he limped away.
Everyone didn’t understand.
The painting was definitely a good one. Sun Mo had drawn each and every one of those characters the size of yellow beans very exquisitely with clear features. Even the creases on their clothes and soil on their shoes brought about a tremendous sense of realistic feeling.
This was a painting of a marketplace, similar to the [Along the River During the Qingming Festival)[1]. Although it was very good, it didn’t seem to match Secondary Saint Fang’s request for a portrait, right?
After Sun Mo was done with the painting, it was still in black and white, without any colors. This meant that it was an ordinary painting and wasn’t a famous painting.
“What should we do? Should we boast about it?”
Qin Yaoguang reached out her hand and poked Li Ziqi’s arm, asking her softly.
“Why not?”
Li Ziqi rolled her eyes. How could famous paintings be created so easily? Moreover, their teacher had created one today.
“That’s right, it’s not as if famous paintings are like Chinese cabbages. Many famous artists may only have one famous painting in their lifetime!”
Gu Xiuxun was deliberating over her words, on how she could brag so that no one would refute her. However, someone had taken a step ahead of her.
“This painting reminds me of the small city I lived in the past. Although it’s backward, it’s filled with warm memories.”
“Look at those people. Their every move seems to be alive!”
“That’s not all. When that stream flows, I seem to be able to hear the sound of people was.h.i.+ng their clothes there!”
The more everyone talked, the more enthusiastic they became. However, they were suddenly interrupted by a rough voice.
“Come on, don’t you guys find it disgusting to be bragging like that? Given Secondary Saint Sun’s achievements, no one will question his skills even if he comes up with a work that isn’t a famous painting. However, it’s too disgusting for you guys to blindly flatter him like this.”
Secondary Saint Zhou’s close supporters started las.h.i.+ng out.
“That’s right! It’s extremely disgusting!”
A high star-level great teacher had just said this and was about to continue when Fang Hong, who had been silent all this while, suddenly emitted a tremendous amount of spirit qi fluctuations.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The intense spirit pressure swept out, causing everyone to almost be unable to remain standing
“This…”
The few saints who were present were stunned.
They had experienced the process of attempting to break through to the saint tier before and thus knew it well. Fang Hong’s current state was an attempt to strive for the saint realm!
“Go out! Everyone, get out!”
After Wei Ziyou urged a few times, he decided to send out holy words and forcibly drive people out. He was worried that these people might disturb Fang Hong by staying here.
Secondary Saint Zhou’s gaze was in a daze. He then looked toward Sun Mo’s painting. There was no doubt that this must be the effect of this painting
Everyone thought of this as well. They wanted to look at the painting, but it was already put away by Wei Ziyou. Otherwise, it’d be torn up by the turbulent spirit qi.
“Everyone, get out!”
Xu Chunbo shouted and looked toward Secondary Saint Zhou. “Sorry, your Saint Statue Inquiry will have to be postponed for a little while.”
Everyone left the hall, leaving it for Fang Hong
After waiting for half an hour, the spirit qi fluctuations gradually stopped. Then, all sorts of auspicious beasts that were condensed from spirit qi flew toward the sky and circled in the air.
“This is… a success?”
Ji Xiangdong felt envious.
Creak!
The hall’s doors opened and Fang Hong walked out.
A sacred, impregnable sense of beauty was emitting from her. With her very gaze, saint might was emitted, making people not dare to look at her in the eye.
“Congratulations, Teacher Fang for becoming a saint, making another progress in life!”
Everyone bowed respectfully.
Right now, Secondary Saint Zhou’s heart was filled with bitterness and his bow was filled with complicated emotions.
Fang Hong paid them no need. Instead, she walked straight up to Sun Mo and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Teacher Sun for the painting. You allow me to resolve the burden in my heart and advance to become a saint!”
“Saint Fang is too kind!”
Sun Mo didn’t expect this to happen either.
“Ha, I wasn’t wrong, right? This isn’t a famous painting, but it’s comparable to one!”
“That’s right, can a famous painting help a secondary saint ascend to become a saint?”
“That’s why I say that you guys have bad judgment!”
The people who had been put in an awkward position by Secondary Saint Zhou’s close supporters earlier finally found a reason to retaliate. (What? You’re not convinced?)
(Then you can call a famous artist here and let him draw a famous painting that can help a secondary saint become a saint!)
The faces of Secondary Saint Zhou’s close supporters were flushed and they had a strong impulse to leave immediately.
Secondary Saint Zhou’s expression seemed determined. He didn’t say a single word and entered the hall once again. (If I can’t win this round, I might as well die!)
“Saint Fang, what happened?”
Xu Chunbo was curious.
“That painting might be ordinary to you guys, but to me, it’s the most beautiful memory in my life!”
Fang Hong explained, “Take a closer look. That young couple who are flying a kite on the gra.s.s plains in the suburbs, the young couple who are catching fish and prawns by the river, as well as the young couple who are on the bed in the study. Don’t they all look the same?”
Everyone admired the art once again.
Only then did they notice that this wasn’t all. This couple’s traces could be found everywhere. They were having so much fun that people looking at the painting couldn’t help but smile.
“I told Teacher Sun about my past on the heavenly stairs previously!”
Fang Hong sighed.
[1] Along the River During the Qingming Festival, is a handscroll painting by the Song dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan. It captures the daily life of people and the landscape of the capital, Bianjing during the Northern Song.