Chapter 29 - 29: Beating the junior apprentice? Isn't this beating me instead!
Looking at the poem in his hand, Shu Han's eyes couldn't suppress his astonishment, and his heart surged like a turbulent wave.
"The Fish Dragon Dance of my teacher... has a successor?"
Gazing at the familiar calligraphy, which resembled a soaring dragon, Shu Han murmured in his heart.
The teacher once said he would only take on four disciples in his lifetime, aiming to pass down the Four Arts of Immortals.
The arts of music, chess, and painting are still manageable; though profound and hard to grasp, there are prodigies who can slowly learn them.
But the calligraphy of the Fish Dragon Dance is highly restricted, requiring one who has never touched any other calligraphy in life.
As scholars, before achieving something in the Confucian Dao, they might not have learned music, chess, or painting, but they definitely have learned calligraphy!
This is a must, a hurdle that can't be bypassed, and this alone eliminates 90% of people.
Of the remaining 10%, they must reach the level of 'Intention' before learning any calligraphy, which is the threshold for learning the Fish Dragon Dance.
But how is that possible?
If one doesn't know calligraphy, how can they reach the level of 'Intention' before learning the Fish Dragon Dance?
Everyone thought it was just a dream, even the scholar of Immortals waited over three hundred years and never found the last successor.
But now! Someone has learned it!
"Junior brother..."
Shu Han looked up at Su Changqing, somewhat incredulous, and asked, "Have you never learned any calligraphy before?"
Su Changqing shook his head, "No, I am a mountain dweller, where would I learn calligraphy?"
"Then when did you reach the 'Intention' level?"
"The day the teacher taught me, one stroke formed 'Shape', two strokes filled 'Skill', and by the third stroke I entered the 'Intention' level."
Hearing that plain explanation, Shu Han felt a buzzing in his head, almost unable to stand firm.
Three strokes to achieve 'Intention'!
He had seen countless prodigies at the Sacred Academy, but never had he seen anyone reach such a frightening level!
"A monster! This is undoubtedly a talent that appears once in a millennium in the literary world!"
Shu Han looked at Su Changqing with eyes filled with fervor.
Literary contests, Ling Si, all of that had been completely forgotten in his mind.
Not to mention anything else, just this Fish Dragon Dance calligraphy, perfected to 'Intention', crushed 90% of scholars!
"Senior brother, is there something wrong with this calligraphy? Please advise!"
Seeing Shu Han's odd expression, Su Changqing spoke cautiously.
"Advise..."
Shu Han chuckled bitterly, how was he qualified to advise Su Changqing?
The Immortal Seal: Fish Dragon Dance, under heaven, only the scholar of Immortals had the skill to guide it.
Although his calligraphy had already entered the Dao, the calligraphy he learned was far inferior to the Fish Dragon Dance.
Just like secret techniques cultivated by other cultivators, one was a Celestial Tier, the other an Earth Tier.
Though the Earth Tier person condensed a Lifebound Dao Seal, in terms of level and power, it was far inferior to the perfected secret technique of the Celestial Tier.
"Senior brother, if there's a problem, just say it, I can take it!"
Seeing Shu Han silent for a long time without saying a word, Su Changqing couldn't hold on anymore and spoke with a bitter smile.
"What... do you..."
Shu Han, seeing Su Changqing misunderstood, quickly wanted to explain, but suddenly thought of the words the teacher said before leaving.
"Make sure to knock some sense into your junior brother..."
Shu Han raised an eyebrow, he seemed to understand what the teacher meant.
Looking at Su Changqing's apprehensive expression, he mentally apologized, then assumed a solemn expression,
"Junior brother, your calligraphy has huge problems, all this time and you're still... not entered the Dao?"
"Among our fellow disciples, that's the worst, not even comparable to me, an unpromising disciple."
Saying that, Shu Han rolled up his sleeves, picked up the brush, and a line of extremely precise, upright and unyielding characters leaped onto the paper.
"You've actually achieved 'Dao' perfection? Senior brother, you're brilliant!"
Su Changqing exclaimed in awe.
He had heard from the teacher that senior brother only followed the teacher for half a year, to achieve 'Dao' perfection in half a year, that was much faster than him.
Originally, he was full of confidence, wanting to spar with senior brother.
Now, seeing the true skill of senior brother, his small arrogance immediately vanished.
"The teacher really didn't lie to me, one year of meticulous guidance is not as swift as senior brother's half-year with the teacher."
Su Changqing couldn't help but sigh, revealing a bleak expression.
"Ahem, let's forget about the calligraphy guidance, I had another opportunity when I was young, we practiced different kinds of calligraphy."
"Just see for yourself, continue working hard and strive to get your calligraphy into the Dao soon."
Shu Han awkwardly rubbed his nose, his face almost turning red.
Their level was even higher than his, yet he was there giving guidance.
If in the future the junior brother found out, wouldn't that be utterly embarrassing?
"The teacher misled me!"
Shu Han shouted in his heart, prepared to quickly move past this segment and proceed to the next item.
Calligraphy, junior brother inherited the teacher's Fish Dragon Dance, it's incomparable.
Then perhaps with painting?
He was the rightful first inheritor of the teacher's Ink Rhythm - the Immortal in the Painting.
In this area, he definitely had the authority to speak!
"Junior brother..."
Shu Han opened with confidence, but before he could finish his words, he saw Su Changqing tightly focusing on the words he wrote, his face showing an expression of enlightenment.
In just a moment, Su Changqing's eyes flashed brightly, he picked up the pen and, with a dragon-flying-and-phoenix-dancing style, wrote a few lines on the plain paper.
Shu Han lowered his head to look, and his eyes suddenly widened enormously, spurting out a mouthful of water.
The line of words on the plain paper merged into the sheet, visible to none.
But in his eyes, fish and dragons danced, entwined, with each character filled with an indescribable Dao rhythm,
If he were to infuse a wisp of mighty righteousness, that line of words would instantly transform into dragons soaring to the sky.
"In... entered the Dao?"
Shu Han, looking at it, was dumbfounded; he stared blankly at the words with a whimsical though vivid Dao rhythm.
He hadn't taught anything, just simply wrote a piece of entered-the-Dao characters, how did junior brother attain sudden enlightenment?
This understanding... was excessively terrifying?
Unbeknownst to him, Su Changqing actually achieved calligraphy into the Dao long ago, but Li Qingchen had always been suppressing it.
Now, Shu Han's writing was just a trigger, allowing Su Changqing to build up and then make that smooth breakthrough.
"Thank you for the guidance, senior brother!"
"Without you, senior brother, I might need some more time to break through."
Su Changqing bowed earnestly, sincerely expressing his gratitude.
Shu Han repeatedly waved his hands, not knowing what to do, it was a ceremony awkward to either accept or reject.
Hastily changing the subject, he said:
"I've seen your calligraphy, um... sufficient... adequate."
"Next, let's learn painting, the four arts of Confucian Dao, the teacher taught you, right?"
Speaking of painting, Shu Han calmed down a bit, as it was his forte.
"Yes, but the teacher said it was just mediocre."
Su Changqing replied awkwardly.
"It's alright, I have some insights into painting; feel free to draw, I'll guide you."
Shu Han waved his hand lavishly, confidently smiling as he spoke.
Joking aside, his painting was perfected at the 'Intention' level, especially in the exceptionally challenging Immortal in the Painting; it was much stronger than general into-the-Dao painting skills.
To guide the junior brother with that, it should be more than enough.
Thinking of this, Shu Han breathed a sigh of relief, picking up a cup of tea beside him, taking a large gulp.
And Su Changqing, without doubting him, earnestly picked up the paintbrush, slightly hunched, with a straight back, and started painting on a blank paper.
His hand moved dexterously, wrist fluidly turning, bringing to life a vivid figure emerging from the painting onto the paper.
Shu Han proceeded confidently to look, prepared to provide guidance, to assert his seniority.
As soon as he looked down, he immediately couldn't hold back from spitting out a mouthful of water.
"Junior brother..."
Su Changqing wiped his face helplessly, "Please, feel free to speak."
Shu Han stiffly turned his head to look outside the door, his expression full of resentment,
Speak?
What on earth could he say!
Entering the Dao with Fish Dragon Dance was one thing, but this so-called Immortal in the Painting too? What the hell!
He's clearly surpassed him, and he was here trying to give advice.
What will happen if the junior brother finds out in the future? It would be mortifying!