Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“It really is like that! If you look at it from both sides, the horses and the soldiers are charging forward from the ledges, as if they were going to swallow the earth! But the scenery behind them remained completely tranquil, serene and placid even if the skies were to fall! How magical… It’s only a painting yet it stirs up fear in me… This is a masterpiece… An absolute masterpiece…”
Lu Changwei exhaled in awe.
Under normal circumstances, Lu Changwei would have never admitted that this painting was a work of art.
But right now, his mind was so violently shaken by the illustration that he broke down and revealed to them his deepest thoughts.
“My god… How is this possible… Even the Ethereal Cultivation Lu Changwei looks subdued… This painting is magical…”
“Did Lu Changwei just admit that this painting was a masterpiece? Doesn’t that mean that he too admits to the fact that he’s a foolish moneybag? Now that’s a refreshing change!”
The crowd gasped.
“This guy really is incredible.” Miao Yiyue too was stunned. “Not only were his medical skills amazing, he had also a master artist as his teacher… This is truly unbelievable… I better go ask Muyue how she managed to find this living gem.”
Qin Luo and Wei Ruilong could not believe their ears.
“It seems that we were wrong! Even Lu Changwei himself admits that this painting is magical! This guy will live after all!”
“Everyone! Master Tao!” shouted the materialistic bitch sitting next to Chen Xiaobei, “This young man is my friend! We came together!”
“Save it! The people are not dumb enough to believe you!”
Her noble boyfriend rolled his eyes at her, having decided to rid himself of her when they get home.
Meanwhile, on the stage.
Chen Xiaobei rolled the painting up and said, “I’ve already showed all of you the painting. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now!”
“Sir, please wait!” Fei Xuan ran up to him, looking anxious.
“What’s the hurry? Don’t you care about looking like a lady anymore?” chuckled Chen Xiaobei.
Fei Xuan shook her head and asked, “Mister, do you plan to auction this painting off? I guarantee that I can fetch you a very good price for it!”
“Auction?” Chen Xiaobei shrugged. “I’ll think about it. If I do want to sell it, I’ll consult Gu Congwen.”
“You know our manager?”
“I don’t.”
Chen Xiaobei shrugged again.
Gu Congwen, who had been listening in in a corner by the backstage nearly lost his footing. He was about to go greet Chen Xiaobei but Chen Xiaobei just denied knowing him.
This was unfortunate for him and he had no one else to blame but himself!
When everyone else doubted Chen Xiaobei and even threatened to kill him, Gu Congwen had quietly hidden behind the stage.
Now that Chen Xiaobei resolved the situation and had become the focus, he would not allow the old man to be a freeloader.
“No! I can’t let this happen again! The next time, no matter what happens, I will not pretend that I don’t know Mr. Chen! I must be firm, and not falter. I will stand by him inevitably!”
Gu Congwen made that promise to himself.
The last time Gu Congwen pretended not to be acquainted with Chen Xiaobei, he missed out on the chance to get up close and personal with Dong Zhuo and Wenren Jinghao. That included dining with them.
This time, however, he missed the chance to blow his own trumpet. Just thinking about it caused old Gu’s insides to churn in disgust for himself.
At the front of the stage, Fei Xuan earnestly said , “Anytime you decide that you want to sell this painting, you can come to Northern Wilderness Starfield. Manager and I will serve you the best we can!” Fei Xuan then cut her sentence and said, “Why don’t I give you my phone number? So, even if it is inconvenient for you to come do business, you can just give me a ring and I will come to you instead!”
“Since you have expressed yourself so sincerely, it would be rude of me to reject you.” Chen Xiaobei smiled as he exchanged numbers with her.
The materialistic woman who was watching from the audience smacked her forehead in regret.
“I’m such a brainless pig! Why didn’t I ask for his number earlier?”
“Oh, have you forgotten? Earlier on, you were looking down on him!”
Her noble soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend chuckled. He finally saw this woman for who she really was!
“I…” The woman’s face turned a red hot in shame.
“Aright, now that that’s done. I shall take my leave.” Chen Xiaobei turned away to walk down the stage.
“Hold on! What makes you think you can just walk away like that?”
Lu Changwei snapped out of his dazed state; his hatred and rage towards Chen Xiaobei came rushing back.
“What do you want? Do you want to be proven wrong again in front of all these people? Don’t you want your face anymore?” Chen Xiaobei asked with a raised brow.
“I… I want a reason!” Lu Changwei was pissed. “That painting of yours is a masterpiece! But it doesn’t grant you the right to slander Master Tao! He is an honored guest of mine! By humiliating him, you are humiliating me – and that means humiliating our entire South Town Lu Family!”
“I was just stating a fact. How was that demeaning to you?”
Chen Xiaobei was smiling now.
“Your painting is good but so is Master Tao’s! You called him an amateur! How is that not demeaning?”
Lu Changwei refused to let the topic go to rest.
“The flaws of Master Tao’s painting are painfully obvious. I didn’t want to talk about it because I wanted to save the old man some face! If you keep this up, you’re the one who is going to cause him to lose face. Is this how you treat an honored guest?”
“Stop straddling the fence and tell me the reason! If you can’t, it would mean that you are humiliating Master Tao and we the Lu’s will not let you get away with it!”
Chen Xiaobei did not know what to do, so he looked at Tao Qianli for an answer.
Unlike Lu Changwei, he was surprisingly optimistic and sincere, saying, “Little Mister, if there are flaws in my painting, I ask that you give me the appropriate advice! I’m not one to conceal my flaws for fear of criticism. Only by knowing what my mistakes are, could I further improve my skills!”
“Master Tao really is the paragon of a master! I will give you my feedback. If you change that on your painting, your skills will progress greatly!”
Chen Xiaobei stood next to the Sumukhwa and said, “First things first, your painting is, without a doubt, almost perfect. The general in this artwork looks very detailed and realistic! The problem however, lies on the soldiers and horses! The general is the hero of the painting. But he looks very small amongst the thousands of men! For the sake of offsetting the general’s power, you weakened the enemies, causing it to look less like a battle and more like a scene in the movies where the main character simply watches the wave of actors in front of him. There’s no sense of danger, or urgency! It doesn’t feel like a war at all! At first glance, the painting is decent but taking a closer look, there is not much emotion in it! The quintessence of this artwork should show that the general is powerful enough to stay calm in front of a horde of enemies! These two values are indispensable! Your painting can only be called General that was Facing Fake War! In the world of arts , the likes of you are considered amateur!”
