Chapter 55: Chapter 52 Merit List
Li Hao invoked his divine soul, and the resplendent soul silhouette flew out from the top of his head, roaming the sky.
Soon, Li Hao found two wandering children at the corner of the village’s edge.
Without moving his body, his divine soul swooped down. With a casual sweep, the sand and dust on the ground stirred, and pebbles shot out, piercing the two remaining fish that had slipped through the net.
Completion of Mo River: 90%.
His divine soul returning, Li Hao stepped forward, spanning fifteen miles, and in the next moment, his figure appeared directly on the hill behind the village, next to the black-robed scholar.
Feeling the sudden appearance of Li Hao, the black-robed scholar was slightly startled.
Li Hao had already noticed that this black-robed scholar was different from the villagers outside, his expression not numb but possessing independent thought.
The woman’s soul silhouette lying on the black-robed scholar’s back suddenly looked up, her gaze coldly fixed on Li Hao.
“A person of your realm should not appear here,” the black-robed scholar said softly.
Li Hao replied, “I didn’t want to either, but I accidentally wandered in.”
The black-robed scholar fell silent for a moment, then said, “Before we fight, could you let me finish my work?”
Li Hao saw that he was holding a palette in one hand and a brush in the other, the brush tainted with blood, while in front of him on the easel was a portrait of a woman.
The woman in the painting bore a striking resemblance to the one on his back.
“You also have an appreciation for the Art of Painting?” Li Hao was quite surprised, not expecting a deceased soul to still indulge in such a pastime.
The black-robed scholar did not reply but started to add strokes to the paper with his brush.
Seeing this, Li Hao leaned in with interest to observe.
The painting skill of the black-robed scholar was not bad, considered top-notch among those Li Hao had come across before.
“You seem different from the villagers outside,” Li Hao remarked.
The black-robed scholar frowned; he did not like to be disturbed while painting, but Li Hao’s strength left him no choice but to tolerate the interruption.
“They are merely my slaves,” the black-robed scholar said indifferently.
“So, you are the obsession that has bred this Menghe River,” Li Hao said, “If I settle things with you, this Menghe River should be considered destroyed, I presume.”
“You cannot kill me.”
The black-robed scholar spoke indifferently, “Even if you destroy this place, I will come back again.”
“Having already died, why do you refuse to move on?” Li Hao sighed.
The hand of the black-robed scholar that held the brush paused slightly, and the corner of his mouth curled up in a mocking cold smile. He seemed on the verge of saying something but suddenly stopped, as if recalling something he feared, the words never leaving his lips.
He laughed coldly a few times, ignoring Li Hao and concentrated on his painting.
Li Hao paced about next to him, examining the surroundings. Seeing that the black-robed scholar no longer paid him any attention, his gaze also moved to the artwork.
The brush was dipped not in ink but in blood, thus the painting appeared rather fierce and formidable.
However, Li Hao was looking at the inner painting skill.
“Your brushwork here is too soft,”
Noticing an area that lacked detail, he couldn’t help but point it out:
“There is too little blood here; you need more, let it saturate with one stroke, allowing it to diffuse naturally—that would be more lifelike.”
The hand of the black-robed scholar clutching the brush froze somewhat, and he turned to look at Li Hao with a deep gaze: “You understand painting?”
“A little bit,” Li Hao modestly replied.
The black-robed scholar sized up Li Hao, who, although only possessed the strength of the Soul Succession Realm, existed thanks to the special power of the Menghe River and had been trapped in this place called Tan Palace Academy for hundreds of years.
Over the hundreds of years, many martial artists had entered this place, some strong, some weak. The stronger ones were more formidable than this youth, capable of destroying the entire Menghe River Village with a mere gesture.
The weak ones were just like the villagers outside—many have lost their lives over the centuries, accumulating in the village. Some more outstanding managed to reach him, only to be directly killed without mercy.
He had seen all kinds of people, but someone like this youth was very rare.
Despite his young age, his mastery of the martial arts was terrifying, and he even understood some peripheral paths.
“The Art of Painting is profound and unfathomable. No matter how clever you are, it’s not something you can master with just a little effort,” the black-robed scholar said, then went back to his painting without paying Li Hao any more attention.
I’m just being modest, and you really take me for it? Li Hao squinted slightly, wondering if this boy really thought his painting skills were impressive.
To say you’re impressive in Martial Arts, I would have let it go, but in painting?
“Indeed, the Art of Painting is profound, but unfortunately, you are just an outsider,” Li Hao no longer held back and spoke frankly.
“What?”
The black-robed scholar raised an eyebrow and turned his cold gaze toward Li Hao.
“This painting of yours has at least sixteen flaws. It’s so rigid, it truly lacks spirit!” Li Hao said unequivocally, no longer sparing the feelings of this fellow practitioner.
“What are you blabbering about!” The black-robed scholar lost his composure, his pallid face turning a shade of angry red, as he glared at Li Hao.
“Here, here, here…”
Li Hao pointed to various parts of the paper, “All defects. You can’t see them because your skills are too low!”
“You!”
The black-robed scholar trembled, the woman behind him brimming with black mist, ready to clash with Li Hao in a ferocious battle.
Li Hao naturally wasn’t afraid; even an angry Soul Succession Realm was still just that—a Soul Succession Realm. Did you think you could turn into a golden-haired spirit?
“Give me the brush.”
Without saying a second word, Li Hao snatched the brush from his hand, then tore off the piece of drawing paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it aside.
Seeing his painstaking artwork treated so disdainfully, the black-robed scholar could no longer hold back his fury and let out a piercing shriek.
His originally serene and handsome face suddenly became twisted and fierce, as terrifying blood seeped from his seven apertures, bubbling forth.
His entire black robe also flew up, revealing the blood-stained garment beneath.
This was actually a robe that had been soaked in blood for who knows how many years, and only because the bloodstains had dried and settled did it appear black.
Li Hao didn’t even glance at him, his divine soul flew out, easily pressed down on the scholar’s and his soul’s head, pinning both firmly to the ground, rendering them immobile.
With such a wretched drawing, still having the face to get angry, Li Hao couldn’t understand.
The one who should truly be angry was himself!
His gaze became focused, for towards the Art of Painting, his heart was sincere.
With brush in hand, Li Hao’s movements were swift, the blood on the brush tip flinging about, the lines naturally forming, with layers overlapping in light and heavy strokes, giving a clear sense of depth.
Soon, as the blood at the tip of the brush was about to run out, Li Hao picked up the scholar, dabbed the brush onto his face to get more blood, and then resumed his painting.
In just a short while, a lifelike beauty, as if standing sideways within the painting, looking down demurely, emerged on the paper.
It was still the portrait of that woman from before, but this time, it was truly alive.
The best way to punish the stubborn is to beat them with their proudest technique.
Li Hao let go of the black-robed scholar and said indifferently, “Take a look for yourself, and if you still can’t see the difference, then you better not touch a brush again. Go cultivate some crops in the village instead.”
The black-robed scholar almost spat blood with anger. Have him cultivate crops?
Just as he was about to furiously rush forward, he stiffened all of a sudden, his peripheral vision caught the piece of drawing paper, and then he couldn’t look away.
Yue…
The black-robed scholar was as if struck by a sudden realization, standing there dumbfounded.
His eyes fixed on the woman in the painting, his body that was poised to pounce began to tremble slightly.
Suddenly, two lines of bloody tears streamed from his eyes.
Yue, is that you…?
Is it really you…?
The black-robed scholar approached the painting hurriedly and eagerly, stumbling as he went. He reached out, wanting to touch the woman on the paper, but as his fingers were about to make contact, he panicked and withdrew, fearing he would tarnish the woman’s face.
His shoulders began to shake lightly, and the blood tears flowed unstoppably.
The female soul on his back was also staring dumbly at the painting, her black and fierce eyes slowly revealing a hint of thought.
“How is it compared to yours?”
A mismatched voice from the side broke through the black-robed scholar’s immersion.
He paused, coming back to his senses and turned to look at Li Hao.
Seeing the young man’s slightly proud demeanor, this time he didn’t get angry, but suddenly, with a thud, he knelt down on both knees in front of Li Hao.
“Thank you…”
The black-robed scholar bowed his head, his eyes filled with gratitude, “Thank you for allowing me to see Yue again.”
So the woman in the painting is called Yue? Li Hao raised an eyebrow, but didn’t care much. Seeing the other party had conceded, he immediately helped him up, “This Art of Painting, it’s profound and unpredictable. Not only must you take it to heart, but you must also have spirit…”
As Li Hao was explaining, the black-robed scholar turned his head, gazing besottedly at the woman on the drawing paper.
The noise at his ear was automatically blocked out by him.
A long time passed, a long time.
Li Hao, parched from talking, became indignant when he saw the person in front of him daydreaming, “Are you listening to me?”
The black-robed scholar came back to himself, smiled at Li Hao, and his black robe began to change in color, gradually fading from black to blood-red, then to light red, and finally transformed into a white scholar’s robe.
Looking at that outfit, he seemed to have been a scholar in life.
“My wish has been fulfilled, thank you, benefactor…” The scholar, no longer in black, wore a smile of relief and release on his face.
Behind him, the female soul that had been on his back also dispelled the black mist to reveal a form similar to that of the woman in the painting. In the void, she bowed gracefully to Li Hao, her eyes showing gratitude.
Then, the figures of both began to fade gradually.
“Yue…” The scholar’s figure grew fainter, murmuring to himself with a smile on his lips.
Li Hao was stunned. What’s going on?
Just then, his palm grew warm, and the Gold Paper emerged.
Lettering on the Gold Paper seemed to chisel through the surface:
[Progress 100%, Fengshan Menghe River pass completed, reward, 100 merit points.]
[You have entered the Merit List.]
[Menghe River will soon vanish, please leave quickly.]