Ning Zhuo said, "Three Daoist fellows, I, Ning Zhuo, am here to join the Myriad Images Sect and cultivate properly."
"If I rashly sell the Ideograph Brush to someone else, what would Mr. Chu Xuangu think? How would the other Confucian Cultivators of Myriad Images Sect see me? Would they not think that I, an outsider, disregard the treasures of Confucian Cultivators?"
"I want to form good connections, not offend the Confucian Cultivators of the Myriad Images Sect before even joining."
Kong Ran could hardly conceal his disappointment.
But Ning Zhuo changed his tune: "Although I can’t sell it to Daoist Fellow Kong Ran, I can lend it."
"Lending the brush to you can also help you with your cultivation, right?"
Before Kong Ran could respond, Liu Fushu interjected, "That won’t work."
"The Ideograph Brush is different from ordinary Magic Treasures; it must be refined personally to effectively imitate and understand its meaning."
Ning Zhuo smiled, "That’s not really a problem."
"At worst, every time I lend this brush, I’ll voluntarily step back and help Daoist Fellow Kong Ran refine this treasure thoroughly. Wouldn’t that work?"
Liu Fushu was slightly taken aback.
Kong Ran stared at Ning Zhuo and bluntly asked, "Aren’t you afraid I might refine this treasure and not return it to you?"
Ning Zhuo replied, "For an ordinary cultivator, I would be afraid, but Daoist Fellow Kong Ran is no ordinary person."
"First, you are a Divine Child known far and wide and are about to join the Confucian Sect, so naturally, you are a gentleman."
"Second, you are the Prime Minister’s son. If you were to default, I wouldn’t need to question your father; I merely need to spread the story far and wide."
"Third, we could sign a contract. An additional layer of security is always good."
Kong Ran was slightly surprised.
According to Ning Zhuo’s reasoning, it made logical sense.
"But having to refine it every time it’s borrowed is a bit troublesome..." The thought arose in Kong Ran’s mind but immediately dissipated.
Because he thought, "If I could borrow the Ideograph Brush, even if the trouble was ten times greater, I could accept it."
Bai Jiyun spoke up from the side: "There’s something I must remind both of you."
"Although the Ideograph Brush is a Magic Treasure, it is not durable."
"The four treasures of a scholar: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, are essentially consumable goods. Only brushes and inkstones are more durable than paper and ink."
"Both of you using this brush will surely accelerate its consumption and it won’t last long in this world."
Kong Ran immediately shot Bai Jiyun a glance.
Of course, he was aware of this, but he hadn’t mentioned it, fearing Ning Zhuo might change his mind.
Kong Ran felt a bit disgruntled towards Bai Jiyun, feeling his friend was considering the outsider’s perspective.
Ning Zhuo was unexpectedly pleased when he heard this: "Consuming the treasure brush to gain its essence is a price worth paying."
"From another perspective, this very point makes the Ideograph Brush more precious, making Daoist Fellow Kong Ran even more eager to make the transaction."
Ning Zhuo looked at Kong Ran: "I lend you this brush, and you teach me the method of harnessing innate talent, how about it?"
Kong Ran was tempted and just about to agree when Bai Jiyun spoke again, "In this way, Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo, lending out the Ideograph Brush, wouldn’t you be letting down Mr. Chu Xuangu?"
"In the future, if you don’t meet the standard because of this and Mr. Chu Xuangu can’t recommend you to attempt the Ancient Seal Stone, what will you do?"
At this moment, Bai Jiyun showed an unusual sharpness.
Ning Zhuo laughed freely: "Thank you for your concern, Daoist Fellow Bai. It’s quite simple; I just need to meet the standard, right?"
"To reach Mr. Chu Xuangu’s standard, although I have few threads right now, I don’t believe using the Ideograph Brush less will make me fail."
"There are myriad paths, a thousand families, a hundred arts, ten roads, and one person in cultivation!"
"Just relying on my intuition and talent, I can meet Mr. Chu Xuangu’s standard."
"While the Ideograph Brush is important, it has never been crucial."
Bai Jiyun, Liu Fushu, and Kong Ran were all taken aback.
Their gaze fixed on Ning Zhuo, they couldn’t help but reassess him. Initially, when they met Ning Zhuo, their biggest impression was the word "outsider," somewhat disdainful of his lack of understanding, thinking he was trying to take advantage of the Confucian Sect’s trials.
Later, Ning Zhuo’s excellent performance surprised all three of them. When Ning Zhuo eventually won, their emotions were complex, including shock, dislike, confusion, admiration, and approval, among others.
Just a moment ago, the three accepted Ning Zhuo’s invitation and engaged in conversation with him, finding more goodwill and assuming Ning Zhuo came from a notable family. When Ning Zhuo produced a Ghost Dao Golden Core, their hearts were shaken, speculating that his actions must have been heavily supported by his family!
At this moment, Ning Zhuo showed extraordinary confidence.
If they had met Ning Zhuo for the first time, all three would have sneered—Who are you? Not even a Confucian Cultivator and yet confident to meet the standard and seek opportunities at the Ancient Seal Stone?
But now, the three mostly felt admiration and speculation: Ning Zhuo’s extraordinary confidence must come from intimate nurturing since childhood, a genius figure from a great family. He hasn’t faced many setbacks, and everything seems possible to him.
"Even if my father is the Prime Minister, the support I receive at home absolutely doesn’t reach the Golden Core Level." At this moment, even Kong Ran felt inferior to Ning Zhuo.
p>Let alone Bai Jiyun and Liu Fushu.
Liu Fushu, born in poverty, didn’t appreciate Ning Zhuo’s overflowing confidence. His pupils slightly contracted, harboring an expectation of watching Ning Zhuo fail, but he still offered a few complements.
Bai Jiyun couldn’t utter such words, merely taking a few sips of wine.
"This young man exudes great confidence, certainly due to both his talent and family support, providing him boundless assurance."
"To easily produce a Golden Core as collateral, his family’s scale unquestionably isn’t small."
"Moreover, his initiative to lend the Ideograph Brush to Kong Ran is significant—he aims to form connections with Kong Ran and thus with the current Prime Minister."
Bai Jiyun perceived Ning Zhuo’s intentions clearly.
If Ning Zhuo’s confidence irked Liu Fushu, then his ulterior motives did not endear him to Bai Jiyun.
Bai Jiyun, also known as a genius, and possessing confidence, preferred a more carefree life enjoying the beauty in nature.
After realizing that Ning Zhuo was not like him, Bai Jiyun’s interest in deeper connections with him faded.
During the rest of the banquet, Kong Ran frequently discussed terms with Ning Zhuo.
He was indeed quite interested in the deal of borrowing the Ideograph Brush.
Liu Fushu and Bai Jiyun mostly conversed with each other, occasionally chiming in to exchange words with Ning Zhuo and Kong Ran.
Ning Zhuo keenly observed the change in attitude of Liu Fushu and Bai Jiyun.
He remained composed.
"I cannot become friends with everyone every day."
"There must be compromises."
"At the moment, conversing with Kong Ran is in my best interest."
The life-and-death experiences on the battlefield profoundly changed Ning Zhuo, making him direct and decisive in interpersonal interactions.
Of course, he didn’t forget to explore trade opportunities with Bai Jiyun and Liu Fushu.
"Thank you Daoist fellows for your introduction, which helps me understand that to use the Ideograph Brush well, there are more requirements on the model scripts."
"I’m wondering if any of you have rare and valuable authentic works?"
"If so, could you rent them to me for imitation? The price is negotiable."
As Ning Zhuo spoke, he brought out a second Ghost Dao Golden Core, placing it on the table, causing the three to marvel once more.
Bai Jiyun smiled slightly, indicating that he indeed had a set of ink from a renowned Confucian scholar available for trade.
Liu Fushu inwardly felt envious but conceded to what he lacked, focusing on drinking and eating.
Kong Ran sat up proudly, expressing that while he had none, his father’s study had plenty. All these could be discussed!
Ning Zhuo then reached a simple agreement with Bai and Kong.
The banquet concluded with hosts and guests all pleased.
As they were about to leave, Kong Ran suddenly paused, turned to face Ning Zhuo, and said, "I almost forgot, let me lend you this first."
He spoke as he retrieved a pen case from his bosom.
"This is my Yunhan Hair-Stopper Box."
"You can borrow it first to nurture the Ideograph Brush with it and take good care of it."
Even though the actual deal for borrowing the brush hadn’t been finalized, Kong Ran was already more concerned about the Ideograph Brush than Ning Zhuo himself.