Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 166 An Unexpected Development

Gu Sheng's calligraphy and painting business has not been doing well lately because a new trend has suddenly emerged in the market: figure paintings that use bright and bold colors and create extremely dazzling overall images, including the colors of the figures themselves.

The most striking feature is that the figures in the paintings not only wear gorgeous clothes, but also often have unique hair colors, such as white, blue, red, and gold. Whether the people are good-looking or not is another matter, but they are definitely eye-catching when hung up.

Before these paintings appeared, there were already various rumors about gods descending to earth in some places. Because the gods in those rumors were described in colorful ways, people guessed that the paintings depicted these immortals.

In addition, some of the paintings were indeed stunning, and there were buyers who claimed to have seen the people in the paintings. With the help of many parties, these paintings became popular, and a lot of related storybooks were also published.

It's not so bad for already famous painters, but it's tough for people like Gu Sheng who are poor and make a living by taking on odd jobs.

The defining characteristic of this style of painting is its vibrant colors. Not only are they bright and vivid, but they are also dazzling. I was fortunate enough to see one such painting. The figures in the painting were not large, and only their backs were visible, but the colors on the painting were extremely eye-catching, clearly the work of a master.

However, the vibrant colors indicate that the painter used expensive pigments. Such paintings are fine for wealthy people to enjoy, but for someone like Gu Sheng to paint them, the cost of the pigments would be prohibitive.

There are indeed wealthy people willing to cover all the costs of painting, but the style is different, the clothing of the figures is different from that of the present, and the hair color is also so special. It is difficult to paint well without any reference.

Many people have tried to imitate it, but the results are generally unsatisfactory. This is because they have never seen someone who looks like this before. No matter how much they try to imitate, they will subconsciously revert to their old painting habits, resulting in a disjointed and incompatible final product.

It is said that painters in Jinling have spoken of these immortals and were able to create such perfect paintings. Many painters have already gone to Jinling to visit them.

Gu Sheng wasn't a full-time painter, and he didn't have the money to go to Jinling. He could only watch this inexplicable craze and grit his teeth to create a poor imitation.

Speaking of writing books, what used to be popular were supernatural tales about monsters repaying kindness, but now there are also stories of gods appearing in the works, and they are still characterized by being "colorful".

Originally, the story of someone being moved by a certain deed and then receiving divine assistance was an old trope. Now, the style has suddenly changed, with gods openly walking among mortals, even appearing alongside demons, and the whole "incarnation to test" routine is gone.

In short, all of them are vastly different from his previous styles. Gu Sheng himself made a quick buck by writing books and painting, and when the new style became popular, he was completely at a loss.

According to the original accounts of these paintings, the artists had seen the real people and painted based on what they saw and heard. Gu Sheng really wanted to shake the other person's shoulders and ask, "Where did you see these people with colorful hair and eyes?"

Anyway, even if you asked Gu Sheng to draw it, he couldn't. No matter how good his imagination was, he could hardly imagine that someone with hair colors more varied than Westerners could also be an absolute beauty. He couldn't imagine it, and he didn't know where to begin. Besides, he didn't have the money to prepare the paints.

Seeing that his only source of income was getting narrower and narrower, his mother even suggested that he marry the girl next door. The girl was so beautiful that Gu Sheng was of course willing, but he also knew that his family was poor and the chances of her agreeing were very small.

It was precisely because Gu Sheng was poor and his family consisted of a widow and her children that no one was willing to marry into the family, and he was still unmarried at the age of twenty-five.

“The family across the street isn’t well-off either. I’ll visit them tomorrow and hear what her mother wants.”

Faced with her son's concerns, Gu Sheng took them all on. Of course, she knew her family was poor, but she couldn't keep dragging it out like this. If she kept putting it off, she was afraid that her son wouldn't be able to get married by the time she was buried.

Regardless, Gu's mother had already decided to go across the street to sound out the situation. The next day, the mother and son set off separately. Gu's mother went to visit the neighbors, while Gu Sheng continued to go to the place where calligraphy and paintings were sold to see if he could take on some work and earn some money.

Gu Sheng was powerless to change the current popular painting styles, and the competition in the storybook writing field was too fierce. There were many poor scholars writing storybooks, but they all used pseudonyms, so no one knew who was who.

If his calligraphy and painting skills don't work, he can only set up a stall on the street and write for passersby to earn money, but he earns even less that way. It's a real headache no matter what he does.

I finally passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, but it seems that I don't get many advantages. Even though those rich kids are illiterate, they live a comfortable life. Sometimes, I even have to endure their bosses and dictates.

"Ugh……"

"What are these portraits?"

"This is a recent trend, depicting legendary immortals. Guests are welcome to take a look."

Gu Sheng heard a very young voice speaking next to him, but he didn't pay attention, assuming it was just a young person who had come to buy the painting on a whim.

"This painting looks familiar."

"This is a copy of the original painting. Many people draw it, so it's naturally familiar."

"Do not."

That's what the voice said.

"I mean, the person in the picture looks familiar. Do you know who this is?"

Do the people in the painting look familiar?

Upon hearing this, Gu Sheng couldn't help but turn around and look at the person's back. The person had dark hair, wore white clothes, and the patterns on the edges of the clothes were quite ornate.

Her appearance was neither particularly glamorous nor outstanding, but it was definitely not ordinary either. In particular, her hairstyle was a half-up ponytail, and the headdress was very exquisite. Even from behind, Gu Sheng could see that there were beads and jade hairpins on her headdress.

A rich young master? Doesn't seem like it. Gu Sheng rarely wears this hairstyle. Half-up hair has been out of fashion for a long time.

Most importantly, this person said he knew the person in the painting, and he really wasn't joking.

"...Is it the 'Wan Shou Tian'? The copyist's brushwork lacks spirit and contains too many mistakes."

After recognizing who was in the painting, Meng Danqing sighed. He wanted to come out and see the local paintings, and then buy some paint from this world. Since the blond hair was too eye-catching, he temporarily used his former appearance as Danxiazi.

Although it's not true black hair, it's at least dark, and you can't tell that his hair is bluish unless you look closely.

I was just browsing around when I unexpectedly saw a portrait of Juan Shoutian, so I went into the shop. But the painting was... If it weren't for the sunrise in the background and the gold hues on the figure, Meng Danqing wouldn't have recognized it as Juan Shoutian. The person who painted this couldn't even imitate it properly.

Where is the original painting?

Meng Danqing asked the guy next to him, "The copy is so bad that I'm starting to wonder what the original painting looked like."

"This... the original painting is in Jinling. Our shop only has a copy. Although this painting isn't very good, the original is amazing!"

This painting sells well in the store, but the clerk didn't expect that this young customer would criticize it instead of praising it.

Before this, those who came to buy the paintings praised these copies highly, saying they were colorful and even depicted immortals, which was very popular with the wealthy.

"Jinling..."

Speaking of Jinling, Meng Danqing recalled the mural she had unexpectedly encountered and the painter surnamed Bai. After she entered the mural, Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang also passed by. The original painting might have been painted by that painter Bai.

"You must be from out of town. If you really want to see something better, you'll have to go to Jinling. That's where the most painters are now."

The waiter assumed the man was a wealthy young master from somewhere else. He noticed the jade and jewels adorning the man's head, and concluded that he was obviously rich.

"This young master...?"

Gu Sheng got the gist of the conversation and took the initiative to strike up a conversation. However, when he went around to the front and saw the face clearly, Gu Sheng suddenly stammered.

Judging by appearance alone, he suddenly couldn't tell whether the other person was a boy with feminine features or a girl dressed as a boy.

"Does this young master have something to discuss?"

Meng Danqing looked at the newcomer with some confusion. He was certain that he did not know the other person, so why did he suddenly come up to talk to him?

"Excuse me, my surname is Gu."

Never worry about that for now, let's find out what just happened first.

"Does the young master recognize the person in the painting?"

He had seen the painting in the other person's hand before. From the sunrise to the figures, everything was a golden red. It was hard to say how good the painting was, but it was definitely dazzling and very popular.

The person in the painting is only shown from behind, gazing at the sunrise. Many parts of the image are blurred, but you can still recognize who it is just by looking at these details. It can only be said that they are indeed an acquaintance.

But these paintings all depict so-called immortals. Does this young man know immortals?

……

"That beast can really run fast..."

Feng San Niang was a little annoyed. She followed the white fox's trail to the town, but she didn't expect that the guy had already made his presence known in the city. It made her, the real person, feel uncomfortable.

The other party was trying to ruin Feng San Niang's reputation, so their usual conduct couldn't possibly be that of a respectable woman. After Bai Hu finished doing all this, she went into hiding, and as soon as Feng San Niang arrived, she was mistaken for someone else.

The more she chased him, the angrier Feng San Niang became. Why hadn't she cut him down with a single sword strike back then?

This time, we absolutely cannot let him get away again.

Because the white fox had a clear target this time, Feng San Niang no longer needed to search everywhere; she only needed to know where the scholar surnamed Gu lived.

The white fox will definitely use her appearance to cause trouble, which is convenient for Feng San Niang. As long as she stands in front of the other party and sees this face, she can determine whether the scholar has had contact with the white fox.

However, Feng San Niang found the family at an inopportune time. No one was home at the Gu family's house, Gu Sheng was at the market, and Gu's mother was at the neighbor's house across the street.

Feng San Niang stood at the entrance of the Gu family's house, frowning. She sensed the white fox's demonic aura, but the source was not in the Gu family's house; it seemed to be coming from across the street.

Sensing something was wrong, Feng San Niang turned around and walked to the opposite door. Sure enough, she saw several scratch marks on the door panel, left by the white fox.

This is a mark, indicating that this family has become enemies with the white fox. But how could this family have formed a grudge with the fox in just one day? Weren't they targeting the scholar surnamed Gu? How come the Gu family is fine, but the neighbor across the street has been marked?

Because of her doubts, Feng San Niang transformed into a wisp of green smoke and drifted into the house. At this time, Gu's mother, who had come to visit, had already proposed that the two families arrange a marriage.

The old lady in front of him seemed very willing, because according to traditional views, her daughter was considered quite old if she hadn't married by that age.

The old lady turned to discuss it with her daughter beside her, but the daughter seemed reluctant, remaining silent with a cold expression. If this mother and daughter were once a wealthy family, even in their decline they wouldn't be considered poor, so their reluctance to care for the mother wouldn't be surprising.

She was simply curious why such a beautiful girl always had a stern, icy expression. From the way she cared for her elderly mother alone, she knew this was a filial and compassionate girl; why didn't she smile?

Because the woman seemed unwilling, Gu's mother had no choice but to go home first and discuss it with her son when he returned. The mother and daughter escorted her to the door, and the woman paused as they closed it.

"what happened?"

The old lady asked.

"It's nothing, I just saw the stray cat that caused trouble last night."

After Gu's mother left, the woman sent her mother back to the house, closed the door tightly, and stood in the courtyard, reaching into her sleeve with one hand.

Feng San Niang knew she had been discovered. While surprised by the other party's keen perception, she generously offered herself. The moment she appeared, a cold light approached her. Feng San Niang raised her hand and caught it; it was a dagger that had been thrown at her.

He's a trained fighter.

"Not bad. It seems you've already seen that beast with the broken tail."

The dagger twirled in Feng San Niang's hand, the blade still stained with blood from the severed-tailed white fox. This girl had already dealt with the white fox and had very likely injured it.

"A broken tail...you're not that fox?"

After being turned away, the white fox came to settle accounts that very night. The woman was prepared. Although she did not know magic, she had learned a lot of strange arts and knew how to deal with fox demons. As soon as the white fox arrived, she underestimated her opponent and was stabbed by the woman with a dagger.

He hadn't expected to suffer a setback at the start, and what he didn't expect even more was that the other party knew how to deal with fairies. He was injured and couldn't linger in the fight. After probing a few times and realizing he couldn't defeat the other party, the white fox decisively ran away.

As he transformed into his original form and scaled the wall to escape, the woman saw the fox's tattered tail in the moonlight. The moment Feng San Niang mentioned it, she immediately thought of these things.

Upon closer inspection, the beautiful girl in front of her did seem somewhat different from the one she had seen yesterday, although their faces were indeed identical, leading her to believe that the vixen from last night had come to take revenge.

"If you weren't the fox from last night, then who are you?"

"Feng San Niang, that beast stole my beauty and ruined my reputation. I'm here to take his life."

Looking at the composed woman in front of her, Feng San Niang's eyes flashed with surprise. Such good skills, and so calm. It made her realize that there was a heroine hidden in this poor corner of the world.

“That tailless beast is a fox spirit, and I, Feng San Niang, am a fox fairy. This young lady should be careful not to make a mistake.”

Feng San Niang threw the dagger back, and the woman caught it steadily. When she looked at it, she saw that the bloodstains that hadn't been cleaned up were gone, and the dagger had become even sharper.

"...A fox spirit?"

She knew the difference between a fox spirit and a fox demon, but today was the first time she had ever seen a real fox spirit.

If it's a fox spirit...

"good."

"boom."

After Feng San Niang revealed her identity, the woman in front of her suddenly knelt down, seemingly about to do something.

"Please, Fox Fairy, accept me as your disciple!"