Martial Saint through Reading

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: New Skill, Calligraphy and Painting

”Haha, Senior Brother Ning, did you hear that? Everyone, everyone, Junior Brother Chu just called me an expert!” Although Liang Yuan was dressed in scholarly robes and had the looks of a Confucian scholar, when he laughed like that... he looked a little wild.

Senior Brother Ning fixed his gaze on Chu Ming, his lips moving a few times: ”Junior Brother Chu, you didn’t overhear us talking this afternoon, did you?”

”...” Chu Ming’s expression didn’t change. ”This afternoon? I don’t know which time Senior Brother Ning is referring to.”

”What do you mean by that, Senior Brother? Can’t Junior Brother Chu compliment me? Isn’t this painting good?” Liang Yuan shot Ning Hao a dissatisfied look, then turned to Chu Ming with a grin: ”Junior Brother Chu, want to learn? I’ll teach you.”

”Sure.” Chu Ming agreed right away, then walked into the room to fetch brush and ink. Both Ning Hao and Liang Yuan were stunned for a moment.

He’s actually learning?

Right now?

”Hey... Junior Brother Chu, you see, it’s late, the light isn’t great... Eh, Junior Brother Chu, what are you doing with those two oil lamps?”

”Senior Brother Liang, how’s the lighting now?”

If he had the time and resources, Chu Ming even considered inventing an electric lamp.

”You really want to learn, Junior Brother Chu?” Seeing Chu Ming’s serious look, Liang Yuan grew serious too.

”Mhm.”

”Alright.” A smile broke out on Liang Yuan’s face. ”But let me tell you first, Junior Brother Chu—calligraphy and painting require a lot of talent. Look at Senior Brother Ning—amazing talent with poetry and songs, but with calligraphy and painting, he’s studied for ages and still can’t even draw a shrimp.”

”I’m not the same. It took me only a year to get started with calligraphy and painting, and just half a year after that, I could copy Master Tang Bai’s landscape paintings—with work good enough to sell at the Calligraphy and Painting Workshop!”

Liang Yuan puffed out his chest: ”So be mentally prepared, Junior Brother Chu.”

With that, he picked up brush, ink, and paper, then glanced at Ning Hao, instructing a bit: ”Senior Brother Ning, roll up this landscape painting. I’ll show Junior Brother Chu something.”

”...” Liang Yuan tooting his own horn was nothing, but dragging Ning Hao down with him—Ning Hao felt a little embarrassed: ”Roll it yourself.”

Liang Yuan raised both hands: ”I’ve got my hands full... This painting’s worth several silver taels, are you sure you won’t pack it up, Senior Brother Ning?”

Ning Hao turned away, suddenly shooting a sharp look at Chu Ming: ”Brother Chu, are you interested in poetry and songs? I can teach you.”

”...” Chu Ming nodded.

The two senior brothers were definitely getting competitive now.

”What’s the use of poetry and songs? If it weren’t for the exams, I wouldn’t even bother learning them. Unlike calligraphy and painting—those can actually earn money.”

”Calligraphy and painting may earn money, but poetry and songs refine your character, and may even be passed down generations.”

”What you’re saying, calligraphy and painting can do too.”

”Poetry and songs are a required subject for the county exam.”

”Calligraphy and painting can be sold.”

”Poetry and songs can enhance your talent and knowledge.”

”Calligraphy and painting can be sold.”

”...Money, money, money! Liang Yuan, do you know anything besides money? Are you at the Academy just for money?”

”That’s right! My dad says, if I become a high official, I can earn even more silver.”

”...”

”Um, Senior Brothers, actually, I can study both.” Chu Ming quietly rolled up the paintings, speaking a little helplessly.

”You want to study both?” Liang Yuan’s tone shifted: ”Do you know why the Academy has us pick three books from ’Poetry, Politics, and Military’ as our main subjects?”

”Because of time.” Ning Hao chimed in, ”We only have so much time every day. If we study too much, we won’t master anything. If you don’t master anything, you end up average. The Great Qin Dynasty doesn’t need average people.”

”...Senior Brother has a point.”

...

The next morning, Chu Ming got up very early and condensed seven strands of Qi Blood, not only strengthening himself but also greatly increasing his spiritual power. Now, sleeping five hours a night was enough to wake up completely refreshed.

First he browsed ’Poetry, Politics, and Military’, then practiced Body Refining Technique a bit, then took out his brush, ink, and paper and started drawing and sketching lines.

On the panel.

[Calligraphy and Painting: Peeking Through the Doorway]

[Progress: 13/100]

Yesterday, after the little contest between Senior Brothers Ning Hao and Liang Yuan, he’d managed to learn some painting and so-called poetry and song.

Painting showed up on his panel as the [Calligraphy and Painting] skill—after trying out three paintings, he had ground his way up to ’13’.

This is the difference between having guidance and fumbling in the dark.

Liang Yuan taught him painting techniques, and by the second painting, the [Calligraphy and Painting] skill appeared.

If he’d just blundered around alone, who knows how long getting started would have taken.

As for Ning Hao’s poetry and song, no skill showed up on the panel at all.

The main reason is, poetry and songs don’t really count as a skill; as Chu Ming listened to Ning Hao, he realized he already knew how to compose poems and essays.

As long as you have enough knowledge stored up and remember enough poems, you can compose poetry on the spot—it’s just about flexible application, which for him wasn’t difficult at all.

Taking advantage of the time before class, Chu Ming quickly finished two more paintings, bringing his progress up to ’21’.

Just then, a voice called from outside: ”Junior Brother Chu, want to have breakfast porridge together? We need to go to the Hall Garden for lessons after.”

”Sure.”

Chu Ming walked out, joined Ning Hao and Liang Yuan to get breakfast porridge at the refectory, and then headed to the Hall Garden for poetry class.

This ”class” wasn’t like the graded school system of his past life.

Poetry was a required subject. Every morning, there’d be a teacher in the Hall Garden giving in-depth lessons using poems from ’Poetry, Politics, and Military’.

Other subjects like Military Skill, History, Politics, and Rituals followed more or less the same teaching method.

So the Academy was divided by courtyards, not by grade or class; those who understood could skip, those unfamiliar or confused had to attend.

The Academy’s Hall Garden was rather like the outer hall of the Liuu Town private school, or—in modern terms—a classroom, with desks, chairs, and benches; only, the atmosphere was richer with ink and scholarly fragrance.

The Middle Courtyard housed thirty students, but at the Hall Garden now, only about twenty were present. Chu Ming glanced around, spotting Luu Xian with his head buried in a book in the back row.

Ning Hao and Liang Yuan pointed to seats a bit closer to the front in the middle row: ”Seat order represents our ranking,” Ning Hao whispered. ”Your Senior Brother Liang Yuan and I are ranked eleven and twelve in the Middle Courtyard, so we sit there.”

”Junior Brother Chu, since you haven’t taken a monthly exam yet, you’ll have to sit toward the back.”

Chu Ming nodded slightly, unconcerned, and prepared to find a seat at the back.

Ning Hao paused, then lowered his voice again: ”Junior Brother Chu, a word of advice—you arrived several days late and missed quite a bit. The monthly exam is coming soon. You should focus your time on ’Poetry, Politics, and Military’. It’s best not to spend too much effort on calligraphy and painting.”

”...” Liang Yuan hesitated, his expression equally earnest: ”Junior Brother Chu, the monthly exam is very important. It not only affects our rank in the Academy, but also our future careers.”

”Affects our careers?” Chu Ming asked, puzzled.

”Yes. All the teachers at our Baiyuan Academy are Grade-Entry Civil Servants or Ritual Officers from Baiyuan County. The better you do in the monthly exam, the better impression you’ll make, and those teachers are our future network for official careers.”

So that’s how it is.

Chu Ming cupped his hands in thanks: ”Thank you for the advice, Senior Brothers.”

”Yes, go on. When there’s time, I’ll help you with poetry and song—you’ll definitely keep up with poetry,” Ning Hao said.

”Thank you, Senior Brother Ning.”

”Also, only bring the book for the subject we’re having class in. No need to lug the whole ’Poetry, Politics, and Military’ set around,” Ning Hao added.

”Alright, thank you, Senior Brother.”