Era of Mist

Chapter 147: Chapter 146: Calligraphy Competition Exhibition and Review

In the Cultivation Era, the efficiency of organizing and participating in events had greatly improved. Who knew about other places, but at least in a so-called ”tiny” city like Tumu Castle, many events really only required an advance notice and some good promotion before they could be held.

Those who wanted to come would naturally come, and those who didn’t probably weren’t truly interested anyway.

The Celestial Golden Light would only be bestowed under conditions of relative fairness and widespread recognition; this was a rule the Origin Saint had carved into the Great Dao. Conversely, if a competition concluded without any golden light, it was proof that the entire affair was bullshit, and the organizing committee would lose all face.

Therefore, to ensure a certain degree of fairness, the competitions of the new era didn’t leave much room for backroom deals. Just like in the provincial qualifying arenas, the competitions were held, scores given, and rankings announced on the spot, with the entire process jointly supervised by the organizers and the audience. This rhythm became a hallmark of the era.

The Tumu Castle City Hall had decided to make this year a ”Year of Culture,” and the calligraphy competition was its opening event, so it was naturally a much grander affair.

After the preliminary round, all shortlisted works were put on display in the cultural exhibition hall. Everyone—including contestants, judges, and even regular visitors—could critique and evaluate the exhibited pieces. Sometimes, it was obvious at a glance which calligraphy was good and which was bad.

The scores would be announced and the awards given out that very evening. This was the characteristic efficiency of the new era.

At three in the afternoon, Shi Tiexin and Situ Zhennan arrived at the exhibition hall entrance, lugging an old-fashioned camera.

”Whoa, quite a crowd!” Situ Zhennan looked left and right, then saw that they needed to buy tickets to get in. ”Fifty points a pop? The organizing committee might as well be robbers!”

Shi Tiexin looked over and saw it was true—an entry ticket cost fifty points. He was inwardly stunned. He’d lucked into a modeling gig thanks to Little Dog, and that had only earned him thirty points. And a simple little calligraphy exhibition cost a full fifty?

’This price is a total rip-off!’

What surprised Shi Tiexin, however, was the endless stream of people buying tickets to get in. In no time at all, the exhibition hall was already showing signs of a bustling crowd.

Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but sigh. ’Rich people. These guys with enough free time to look at a calligraphy exhibition are seriously loaded. I can’t even imagine what their daily lives are like.’

”Damn it, that’s crazy expensive!” Situ the Bald gritted his teeth. ”I’m paying for the tickets today!”

Shi Tiexin quickly shook his head. ”No need. I won’t go in. It’s all the same whether I go or not.”

”No way! You have to come in with me. Why else would I have lugged this camera all the way over here?” Situ the Bald’s old face twisted into a scowl. ”If you don’t win some kind of award, kid... Heh heh heh... I’ll...”

”Bash my head in?” Shi Tiexin finished for him out of habit.

Situ the Bald froze, then trailed off, sullenly closing his mouth for some unknown reason.

Might as well go in. They were already here, and it was pointless to just stand around waiting at the entrance. With a pained expression, Situ the Bald paid, and Shi Tiexin followed him through the exhibition hall doors.

As soon as they entered, a lively yet artistic atmosphere washed over them.

The exhibition hall was elegantly arranged, with the works scientifically distributed. The pieces weren’t rigidly displayed side-by-side like in an old-fashioned museum; instead, each had its own unique vertical display case.

These cases were made of some unknown transparent, malleable material, allowing each work of calligraphy to be displayed at the perfect height, comfortable for viewers of any stature. The lighting was also expertly arranged, making every splash of ink and every bit of white space perfectly clear.

There were many spectators in the hall, and it was clear most of them were connoisseurs. Shi Tiexin even saw those old-timers from the park, who had come in a group and were now standing before the artworks, critiquing and pontificating.

”There’s a good number of people here. Seems like this event has some real pull. If you win an award, we can definitely generate some hype,” Situ Zhennan urged impatiently, with zero appreciation for the art. ”Come on, come on, let’s go check out these scribbles and see if you have a chance of winning!”

Shi Tiexin ignored him and began examining the pieces one by one on his own.

In Tumu Castle, Huaxia People were the undisputed majority, so there was a high degree of cultural commonality. Brush calligraphy, pen calligraphy—piece after piece was displayed there. He wasn’t sure if it was his [+1 Perception] attribute, but as Shi Tiexin studied the works, he slowly fell into a state of deep focus.

Of course, any piece good enough for the competition was a masterpiece, and their content was often a cultural treasure. The low-voiced discussions of a few experts nearby gave Shi Tiexin a great deal of inspiration.

He was currently on the verge of the second level of Basic Rhetoric. As Shi Tiexin studied and studied, a few stars suddenly appeared with a POP, pushing the progress bar for the second level of Basic Rhetoric up by a good amount.

Shi Tiexin was surprised, then overjoyed.

’I can’t believe I’m getting a perk like this!’

Shi Tiexin wasn’t sure if this was a benefit for everyone or something exclusive to him and his Vision System. In any case, the ability to increase his Rhetoric cultivation alone suddenly made the fifty-point ticket price seem much more reasonable.

’For this much progress, a second-level supplementary cultivation manual would probably cost more than fifty points!’

At this thought, Shi Tiexin began to view the exhibition with even more focus. He looked, listened, and contemplated, and particularly liked to drift toward the groups of old-timers. These old men were highly skilled, and at their age, they were talkative and loved to show off. Shi Tiexin stood nearby, listening with great enjoyment to their critiques and debates.

”Hey, it’s been two hours! Have you figured anything out?” Situ Zhennan pushed his way over, looking anxious. ”I think they all look pretty good. So, can you win an award or not?”

Shi Tiexin was taken aback, only then realizing that two hours had passed without him noticing.

He considered for a moment, then shook his head. ”I don’t know. I’m not confident.”

When he first decided to enter, he was full of high spirits, aiming straight for the hundred-thousand-point prize. Later, after meeting the old-timers, his soaring confidence came back down to earth, and he stopped thinking about the hundred thousand points. Now, after a careful tour of the exhibition hall, Shi Tiexin realized the contestants were truly a case of crouching tigers and hidden dragons; there were all kinds of masters.

Any single piece here was a masterpiece. Although he had perfected the first level of Basic Rhetoric, it was still just the first level. Winning an award was something Shi Tiexin was no longer even considering.

”What do you mean, you’re not confident? That won’t work!” Situ Zhennan said, getting agitated. ”By the way, where’s your shabby little entry? We have to go take a picture, chance or no chance. A shortlisted piece is better than nothing at all!”

The two of them hurried to the spot where Shi Tiexin’s ”Thousand Character Classic” was displayed. The location wasn’t great—it was relatively remote, and not many people were passing by.

Situ Zhennan took one look and grew exasperated. ”This is no good! How can you win an award with so little traffic? We’ve got to use some tricks!”