The sheet of paper was huge.
Everyone had assumed Guyi would paint something relatively small; they never expected it to be this large.
It was over eight feet long and four feet wide. This was the prelude to a masterpiece!
If that was the case, watching him would be even more gratifying!
The anticipation was overwhelming!
Soon, the crowd finished assembling the painting platform.
All that was left to do was wait.
About half an hour later, Ling Xiaoru and Xia Xiaoyue returned.
Besides the paper and a set of brushes, they had also brought liquid ink, an inkstone, paperweights, and all the other necessary tools.
After setting everything down, Ling Xiaoru said, "Elder Guyi, we’ve brought the tools. I’m just not sure if you’ll find them suitable."
All the tools were relatively cheap. Ling Xiaoru was actually a little embarrassed to be giving them to Guyi.
But Guyi just smiled slightly and said, "They’re all fine. Thank you for your trouble, Miss Xiaoru."
He then spread the paper, dipped his brush in the ink, and prepared to begin.
For Guyi, there was no need for preparation or contemplation before painting; he simply lifted his hand and began.
Everyone’s eyes were wide, fixed on him, unwilling to miss a single detail.
Of course, many people, after getting Guyi’s consent, took out their phones and started recording.
’With such a large sheet of paper, he’ll probably paint a landscape, right?’
’I wonder if he’ll paint Jiulong Gorge?’
Everyone knew that Guyi had gone to Jiulong Gorge the previous afternoon and had been full of praise for the scenery there.
If he were to paint Jiulong Gorge, it would undoubtedly be even more meaningful.
Everyone’s heart filled with anticipation.
Then, they saw Guyi’s brush touch the paper.
He began without the slightest pause, his brush moving back and forth as smoothly as flowing water and drifting clouds.
The strokes seemed casual, yet each was perfectly placed.
Soon, distant mountain ranges began to appear, looming in and out of a misty haze, as ethereal as a celestial realm.
Watching the whole process, everyone could only call it incredible.
That included Ling Xiaoru, Xia Xiaoyue, Yu Wei, and the other young women.
’This isn’t painting! This is clearly magic!’
’That’s not a brush in his hand; it’s a magic wand.’
’It’s too amazing!’
Everyone had seen other people paint. If not in person, then on TV or in various videos.
But now, all they could think was that Guyi’s painting existed on a completely different plane from what they’d seen before.
The works of other artists were often quite good, even beautiful.
But their process completely lacked Guyi’s stylish, unrestrained grace.
Everyone felt that watching him was an absolute pleasure.
This was truly an unparalleled visual feast.
Their eyes were glued to his every move, unwilling to miss even a second.
Guyi’s brushwork remained fluid and seemingly casual.
Or perhaps it truly was effortless.
More scenery continued to emerge.
A gorge cut across the entire canvas. Within it, shallows, deep pools, and forests took shape one by one.
There was no mistaking it. This was Jiulong Gorge.
Guyi had really chosen to paint Jiulong Gorge. The crowd was once again buzzing with excitement and thrill.
Under Guyi’s brush, Jiulong Gorge took on an even deeper artistic mood.
At the same time, it projected a majestic and powerful presence, an aura that could swallow mountains and rivers!
It was breathtakingly beautiful!
Then, in the lower-left portion of the painting, the appearance of a building sent another jolt of excitement and thrill through the crowd, especially through Li You.
It was the very place they were in—Li You’s restaurant.
Guyi had actually painted the restaurant into the scene.
Moreover, through the restaurant’s doors and windows, you could see people inside, drinking and chatting cheerfully.
Without a doubt, the people in the restaurant were them.
There was Guyi himself, the boss Li You, all the beautiful young women, and every single one of them.
It turned out Guyi hadn’t just painted Jiulong Gorge; he had also captured the scene of them all here today, eating and making merry.
’Doesn’t this mean we’re all in Guyi’s painting?’
’We’re all connected to this artwork?’
This was another colossal surprise!
Everyone was more thrilled and excited than ever before.
They weren’t just insignificant onlookers today; they had walked into the painting and become a crucial part of it.
When news of this painting spread, and as countless people talked about it with relish, they too would be part of the story.
This was simply too exhilarating!
Of course, the biggest winner here was Li You.
Because this restaurant was his. And Guyi had completed this masterpiece right here, inside it.
Furthermore, what was the reason Guyi had painted this piece in the first place? It was all because of his restaurant.
In short, everything started with and was inextricably linked to Li You’s restaurant.
’This is a massive win!’
Both Li You and all the customers in the restaurant thought the same thing.
What they didn’t know yet was that what Li You was about to gain would shock them far, far more.
After finishing all the elements related to the restaurant, the entire painting neared its end.
Guyi began applying the finishing touches.
A short while later, he set down his brush.
With that, the painting that had sent waves of excitement and thrill through the crowd multiple times was complete.
No one could find the words to express their current elation; they all felt their vocabulary was simply too poor.
It was times like these you wished you’d read more books!
All they knew was that watching the process had been utterly stunning.
And it wasn’t just the process. Even now, looking at the finished product was just as stunning.
It was incredibly beautiful, grand and majestic, powerful enough to swallow mountains and rivers, and possessed an extremely profound artistic conception.
’Is this the true power of the number one figure in the Art World, the contemporary Painting Saint?’
It was truly a sight to behold!
Everyone stared at the painting. They couldn’t get enough of it.
As for Ling Xiaoru, Xia Xiaoyue, Yu Wei, and the other young women, while they too couldn’t look away, they were also trying hard to recall Guyi’s process and state of mind as he painted.
They felt as if they’d had a revelation, and yet they hadn’t.
The gap in their skill level was simply too vast; it was difficult for them to gain any real insight just by watching him.
But it wasn’t a total loss. They were able to grasp a few things, even if they couldn’t fully comprehend them yet.
Regardless, watching Guyi paint in person was an exceptionally precious treasure for them.
Perhaps one day in the future, this treasure would bring them infinite benefits.
Ling Xiaoru, Xia Xiaoyue, Yu Wei, and all the other young women knew this well.
Everyone was watching, admiring.
At that moment, a casual remark from Guyi struck them like a bolt from the blue.
Guyi’s voice was heard saying, "Boss, this painting is for you."
Li You could hardly believe his ears.
’Guyi is giving this painting... to me?’
This was beyond shocking!
It was a known fact that Guyi’s paintings were practically priceless treasures.
No matter how rich you were, it was incredibly difficult to buy one of his paintings.
No matter how rich you were, it was even harder to commission him to paint one.
Rumor had it that someone had once offered hundreds of millions of yuan to commission a painting from Guyi and had been refused.
That might be an exaggeration, but it absolutely proved that no matter how high the price, commissioning Guyi was nearly impossible.
Therefore, if a new work of his were to appear on the market, it would be worth at least several million, or even tens of millions.
If it went to auction, fetching a hundred million wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.
This was because Guyi hadn’t released a new work in nearly ten years.
If a new piece were to emerge now, it would absolutely cause a massive sensation.
’Did Guyi just hand me a fortune worth a hundred million?’
Li You was completely and utterly floored.
This surprise was bigger than the heavens!
All the other customers, including Ling Xiaoru, Xia Xiaoyue, Mu Qingye, Yu Wei, and all the other young women, were also utterly stunned.
Because they, too, knew the value of Guyi’s work.
Many wealthy people would pay a fortune for one of his paintings and still come up empty-handed. And now the boss just... has one?
Moreover, Guyi had painted it specifically for him. The entire piece was deeply connected to him.
Everyone now realized that when Guyi had decided to paint this picture, he must have already decided to give it to the boss.
This undoubtedly added another layer of special meaning to the painting, one that could not be measured by monetary value.
Calling it a priceless treasure was no exaggeration!
If it were to be auctioned, although it wouldn’t hold the same special meaning for others, countless wealthy collectors would still flock to bid on it.
It would start at ten million at the very least, and tens of millions would be normal. Even a hundred million was not impossible.
The boss had just hit the jackpot!
Everyone was just stunned, and then stunned again!
...