Chapter 1021: Chapter 1020: Killing the Body, Destroying the Heart
A piece of "General’s Order", accompanied by a sword dance. Although Lin Wan wasn’t as professionally skilled as Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan, the effect she achieved was even more remarkable, directly igniting the whole scene.
It must be said that the dream of martial arts deeply rooted in the souls of the people of Hua Country runs from ancient times to the present.
Lu Zheng recited Du Fu’s "Viewing the Sword Dance of the Disciples of Lady Gongsun" once, perfectly matching the end of the music. Lin Wan withdrew her sword, perfectly returning to Lu Zheng’s side as he played the final note, sheathing her short sword.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
"That was beautiful!"
"Sis is so fierce! Awesome!"
Applause and cheers erupted madly, and onlookers and Hanfu enthusiasts couldn’t help but clap and cheer, expressing their shock and admiration.
Some people in the kimono circle also couldn’t help but clap, but in the gaze of their own kind, they slowly retreated, yet their eyes were filled with infinite amazement, already having thoughts of switching sides.
As for the rest... their faces twisted, eyes fierce, gritting their teeth, breathing heavily... of course, this is hyperbole, but each person’s face looked difficult, their eyes shifting, not knowing what to do for a moment.
Although it’s hard to distinguish who’s superior or inferior when art is not far off, it all depends on whose voice is louder. But when there’s a qualitative gap, people aren’t fools.
If they dared to blatantly drive away the Hanfu enthusiasts now, these figures wouldn’t mind performing another piece or a light dance, at which point they’d end up embarrassing themselves.
What to do? Is there a smart person to resolve this? Waiting online, quite urgently...
The leading men and women in the kimono circle looked at each other, each hoping the other could come up with a solution.
But before they could think of anything, Lu Zheng made a new move. Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan took two wooden frames from their packs, placed a wooden board on top, and then laid a piece of Xuan paper, one meter wide and three meters long, securing it to the board. Meanwhile, Lin Wan had already prepared several brushes and ink on the table beside them. Lu Zheng, on the other hand, positioned himself with one hand behind his back, holding a brush in the other, standing in front of the canvas.
"That long?"
"No way?"
"Wasn’t this young guy just playing the zither? He played so well, and now he’s going to paint?"
"Can this young guy handle it? He plays the zither so well; does he have time to study painting? The previous performance was already shocking, so don’t capsize trying to show off now!"
"Let him paint! Let him paint!"
In the next moment, Lin Wan stepped back. Lu Zheng dipped his brush in the inkstone and made a stroke on the Xuan paper.
Since he’d already been exposed, Lu Zheng didn’t mind indulging while in high spirits, as long as there were no official repercussions. He didn’t care about any unofficial doxxing organized by netizens; who could surpass his skills?
"Swish, swish, swish!"
He painted rapidly. Though he wasn’t yet as fast as Tang Bohu, the long and short, thick and thin brushes in his hand, combined with the perfectly balanced ink, presented a vivid, varied scene on the Xuan paper.
More importantly, he didn’t need to finish; just a corner was enough for the onlookers to feel a strong, imposing aura.
"Huashan!"
"It’s definitely Huashan. I can feel the perilousness of this mountain. Amazing, truly amazing!"
With a few strokes, Lu Zheng expressed the steepness of Huashan, then gently continued with clouds and mist extending, forests and rivers spreading, rightward from the foot of Huashan.
"Mount Heng, South Yue Heng Mountain!"
"Mount Song!"
"North Mount Heng!"
"Finally, Mount Tai! Impressive, majestic!"
On a three-meter-long scroll, Lu Zheng painted the renowned Five Mountains in an S shape, depicting Huashan’s danger, Mount Heng’s elegance, Mount Song’s ruggedness, North Mount Heng’s tranquility, and Mount Tai’s grandeur, with vivid colors that allowed the audience to instantly feel each mountain’s distinct features.
Si Lingxi wouldn’t condescend to perform as if showing skills before mortals, and Lu Zheng wouldn’t always have such high spirits. This kind of opportunity is rare. If a great painter were present, perhaps there could be some insights, but unfortunately, none of the live audience had that level of skill, only able to shout "awesome," which is a bit of a pity.
At least the audience present could only sense how good Lu Zheng’s painting was, oblivious to how rare this experience was, or they might never realize it at all.
Hmm, I wonder if any real artists are watching the livestream?
Lu Zheng didn’t know and didn’t care. He casually wielded the brush, without much focus, presenting only a shallow layer of mental realm, without integrating spell or understanding, avoiding a too shocking effect.
Approximately, presumably, seemingly, possibly, maybe it’s just a level or two higher than Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong?
Planning grandly and refining the details, yet it still took only about twenty minutes for Lu Zheng to complete the painting, then inscribe three large characters above the drawing: Five Mountains Painting.
Simple and straightforward, straight to the core.
Then with a stretch of his hand, he took a fist-sized seal from Lin Wan, breathed on it, made a heavy imprint, and the small seal刻 of "Baiyun Yuanzheng" appeared in the corner of the title.
Done! Finished!
"Clap, clap, clap!" Applause rang out again.
"Wow!!!"
"It seems impressive?"
"I don’t understand, but it’s definitely better than the ukiyo-e paintings."
"The young guy is sharp!"
"I didn’t expect the young guy not only to play the zither well but also paint well. I wonder if his martial arts are good? I’d like to try..."
"Silly girl, get out, this is a serious livestream."
"Host, ask for the young guy’s contact information, DM me, I’ll send you a rocket!"
"Ahem, actually, this isn’t impossible. Please also ask for the contact details of the other three girls, thank you!"
The recent dance by Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan, accompanied by Lin Wan’s sword dance, had already attracted many tourists and cleared space. Lu Zheng’s initial depiction of Huashan showed his skills, and everyone silently watched for twenty minutes. As the painting ended, they finally exhaled, breaking the silence with applause.
Lu Zheng put down the seal and brush, then came to, standing tall, gently smiling, before bowing slightly to the Four Directions. A scholarly aura enveloped him, as if a refined gentleman from ancient times had descended on the scene.
The next moment, Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan stepped to his left, bowing slightly. Lin Wan came to his right, cupping her fist. With the newly completed Five Mountains Painting hanging behind them...
At this moment, the audience before the livestream was dazed and amazed. About 80% of the on-site tourists felt inspired to delve deeper into national style, while it was uncertain how many in the kimono circle were ready to defect.
The remaining pure Japanese and the irredeemable Japanese-spirited individuals... either their faces twisted in hatred as they looked at the four, or they covered their faces and left, preparing to clean up and leave. In any case, today’s event was a complete failure.
As for the Hanfu enthusiasts watching? They were already die-hard fans of Lu Zheng and the three ladies...
Boosting morale, completed!
Crushing hearts, done!
