I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: The Snow-Covered Residence

The carriage traveled for about the time it takes to burn half an incense stick before it turned in through a side door in the white-walled compound.

Unlike the Xia Mansion, this carriage drove directly into the estate!

After another short distance, the carriage suddenly stopped at a moon gate. Duan Rong got out, and the servant Shi Liang led him through the moon gate. Duan Rong glanced back to see an old man taking charge of the carriage, leading the horse away.

Shi Liang led Duan Rong along the garden path, eventually arriving at a quiet courtyard. Above the gate, ”Snow Covered Abode” was written in flowing calligraphy, the brushwork displaying considerable skill.

Inside the gate, green grass spread out, and white stone slabs were arranged like steps. The surrounding vegetation was lush, with trees, shrubs, bamboo, and flowers artfully arranged.

Duan Rong’s eyes lit up. ”This is truly an elegant, serene residence!”

Shi Liang did not announce their presence but led Duan Rong directly inside the dwelling.

Upon entering, Duan Rong saw Jiang Qingyu and a round, stocky fellow playing Go on a large, tall chair.

Only after entering did Shi Liang say, ”Young Master! Young Master Jiang, Escort Master Duan is here!”

The stocky fellow, still holding a Go piece and scratching his head in frustration, rolled his eyes when he heard Shi Liang speak. Sweeping his hand over the board, he ruined the game, saying, ”This round doesn’t count! Let’s compete another day!”

”What do you mean it doesn’t count? How can you be so shameless?” Jiang Qingyu protested.

”Shameless? Didn’t you see that Escort Master Duan has arrived? Continuing the game would be impolite! Didn’t your teacher teach you proper etiquette? You have no sense of decorum!” Ximen Kankan criticized Jiang Qingyu.

Having said his piece, Ximen Kankan stood up and approached Duan Rong.

Jiang Qingyu knew Ximen Kankan was just spouting nonsense, but he couldn’t retort in front of Duan Rong, so he swallowed his words and also stood to greet Duan Rong.

”Brother Duan, it’s been a while!” Jiang Qingyu cupped his hands in salute.

Duan Rong returned the gesture with a smile. ”It’s been days, and Brother Qingyu is still so elegant and refined!”

Duan Rong’s praise made Jiang Qingyu blush slightly.

Ximen Kankan walked around Duan Rong twice, hands behind his back, and said with an air of pretension, ”I saw one of your paintings at Xia Shuangshuang’s place, called the Heaven and Earth Dance Gun Painting! Xia Shuangshuang was full of praise for you! I didn’t quite buy it! But then when I talked to Jiang Qingyu about it, he even more highly extolled you!”

”Now that I see you, aren’t you just an ordinary person? I thought you had three heads and six arms!”

Duan Rong noticed that Ximen Kankan was a head shorter than Jiang Qingyu, standing about one and a half meters tall, but was unusually plump, with broad shoulders and a thick waist—like a short winter melon!

But his manner of speaking somehow conveyed an air of conceit, reminding Duan Rong of oily old rogues from the workplace in his past life.

Duan Rong chuckled and said, ”Ximen, you’re joking. If I really had three heads, wouldn’t I be arguing with myself all the time? How would I live?”

As he spoke, he shook his head as if genuinely troubled by the thought.

Ximen Kankan found Duan Rong amusing and laughed, saying, ”You’re quite interesting, much better than the stuffy Jiang Qingyu!”

Jiang Qingyu glared angrily at Ximen Kankan for mocking him.

Duan Rong jokingly said, ”Young Master Jiang is refined; how could he be like a rogue such as me?”

Ximen Kankan said, ”I like rogues! Come, Escort Master Duan, let me introduce myself to you!”

”My name is Ximen Kankan, ’Kan’ as in obstacle! I’ll tell you, names are all opposite! My father named me this to wish me a smooth life.”

”Look at my father, Ximen Yong, isn’t he outstanding?”

”Ignorant people always like grand names, but they don’t realize if the name is too high, and you can’t live up to it, your life will be miserable!”

Jiang Qingyu cast a sidelong glance at Ximen Kankan and said, ”Nonsense!”

Duan Rong also rubbed his nose, showing little regard for such theories.

”You two don’t believe...”

Ximen Kankan still wanted to argue, but Jiang Qingyu interrupted, not wanting to hear more nonsense. ”Enough! Stop with the idle chatter. You invited Brother Duan here for a painting, didn’t you?”

Ximen Kankan felt a bit deflated, but the thought of a painting quickly brightened his eyes. ”Escort Master Duan, please paint one for me too! My only requirement is that it surpasses the ones Jiang Qingyu and Xia Shuangshuang have!”

Duan Rong’s expression remained unchanged, but internally he felt troubled.

The paintings for Jiang Qingyu and Xia Shuangshuang were among his best works, created under specific circumstances!

Now, Ximen Kankan wanted a painting to surpass those, and judging by his demeanor, he’d seen them both!

How could he accomplish this?

”I’ve seen both paintings, as bland as plain water, without flavor!” Ximen Kankan sneered, seemingly dissatisfied with the artworks.

Jiang Qingyu felt somewhat embarrassed when Ximen Kankan criticized the pieces in front of Duan Rong, saying, ”Don’t mind him, Brother Duan! This lad has been up to no good since he was young and knows nothing about art! Don’t listen to his nonsense!”

”Who knows nothing? The paintings I collect are numerous, and all are treasures!” Ximen Kankan refuted.

For some reason, when Ximen Kankan mentioned his collection of treasures, Jiang Qingyu’s face turned red, and Duan Rong found it quite curious.

However, this exchange dispelled Duan Rong’s concerns, making him realize: So this short winter melon is just an uncultured brawler! Wouldn’t he be easy to deal with?

”No concern! I assure Ximen will be satisfied!” Duan Rong said with a smile.

Jiang Qingyu was momentarily stunned, feeling that Duan Rong was too confident. No one knew Ximen Kankan better than him.

But Ximen Kankan, upon hearing this, was very pleased and laughed, ”I knew it, we hit it off! Come! Let me personally grind the ink for you!”

Shi Liang had already set up the Four Treasures of the Study and paper on the desk.

Duan Rong mixed some paint. After a brief contemplation, as soon as Ximen Kankan finished grinding the ink, he took the brush, soaked it with ink, and began to flourish it on the paper!

In less than a quarter of an hour, a colorful painting was completed!

In the painting, Ximen Kankan was holding a Moon Blade Scimitar beside a peculiar pine tree and rock formation!

Duan Rong noticed Ximen Kankan’s weapon at his waist and depicted it accurately in the painting!

In the painting, Ximen Kankan was straddling a large tiger with bright yellow fur and black stripes!

On a nearby pine tree, a giant python as thick as a child’s waist was coiled around it, hissing a scarlet tongue at Ximen Kankan!

The tiger, carrying Ximen Kankan, was leaping into the air as Ximen Kankan swung the Moon Blade Scimitar down at the python!

”What a magnificent painting of a tiger battling a python!”

As Duan Rong finished the painting, Ximen Kankan held it up, his eyes glowing as he praised it endlessly!

Jiang Qingyu also came over to take a look, immediately shaking his head repeatedly. Although the painting was colorful and curious in content, it utterly lacked any mental realm, far from being a good painting!

Jiang Qingyu was about to speak, but seeing Ximen Kankan repeatedly praising it and looking at Duan Rong’s carefree demeanor, he finally understood that Duan Rong did it deliberately!

Jiang Qingyu’s heart skipped a beat, admiring Duan Rong even more.

He painted a Martial Artist for him, and a tiger battling a python for Ximen Kankan, and both of them praised it. It showed that Duan Rong not only had exceptional painting skills but also an insight into people’s hearts!

”Brother Duan, I really like this painting! It’s far better than the ones Jiang Qingyu and Xia Shuangshuang did! Later, I’ll show this painting to Xia Shuangshuang to undercut her arrogance!”

”As long as Young Master Ximen likes it!” Duan Rong said with a smile, though he hoped Ximen Kankan wouldn’t show this painting to Xia Shuangshuang.

Jiang Qingyu looked at Ximen Kankan’s expression but could only shake his head silently. After all, aesthetics can be hard to communicate sometimes.

”Brother Duan, it feels like we’ve known each other for ages! Come, let me show you some of my treasured collections!” Ximen Kankan placed the painting aside, smirking as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyu’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately clasped his hands, saying, ”Brother Duan, you guys chat! I, uh... have something to attend to, so I’ll take my leave!”

With that, he just left directly.

Duan Rong stared at Jiang Qingyu leaving, utterly perplexed.

But Ximen Kankan said, ”Don’t mind that sissy! If I fancied men, I’d have had my way with him already!”

Duan Rong was startled by Ximen Kankan’s words! Was this guy always this wild?

As Ximen Kankan spoke, he slipped behind a screen, and a few moments later, he emerged with a somewhat yellowed scroll in hand!

Ximen Kankan smiled at Duan Rong and then unfolded the scroll on the desk!

Duan Rong focused on it, only to see it filled with blobs of black scribbles, utterly formless!

”This...” Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan, baffled.

”Patience! Let me show you a trick first!” Ximen Kankan said meaningfully, glancing at Duan Rong.

Ximen Kankan took out a flint, lit it, and then removed the lampshade from the desk’s lamp, lighting the candle inside!

Duan Rong was puzzled, wondering why light a candle in such bright daylight?

Ximen Kankan approached, placing one end of the scroll in Duan Rong’s hand, and said, ”You hold this end!”

He held the other end himself, suspending the scroll in the air, and then he moved the candle flame slowly beneath the scroll...

Before long, the black scribbles vanished where the flame passed, revealing brush strokes and paintings!

It turned out to be an erotic painting!

Duan Rong instantly understood why Jiang Qingyu blushed when Ximen Kankan mentioned his treasured collections and why he left in such a hurry!

So this was the treasure Ximen Kankan was talking about, an erotic painting!

Duan Rong looked at the erotic painting before him, swallowing hard!

However, he was not tempted by the licentious scene; as a previous owner of a 200GB hard drive, he’d seen countless unblurred scenes, what hadn’t he seen?

Duan Rong’s real interest lay in the technique that made the scribbles vanish instantly!

As long as he grasped this method!

He could construct a hidden mandala!

Once he constructed the hidden mandala, he could immediately proceed to cultivate the Fetal Concealment Scripture!