204 A masterpiece! (Part 1)
Updated: 2013-07-25 14:14:45 Word Count: 3462
Seeing the King's anger, Luo Zhiheng immediately leaned on the easel, her expression sorrowful and sad, and said, "The spoils of war, I may be destined to be out of your reach. I have no achievements to show for you, so you will all go to someone else. What gold and silver jewelry, what rare treasures, King, I am so sorry."
The King's leg, already halfway up, froze in mid-air. His forward-leaning body reflexively slumped back into place. He glared at Luo Zhiheng, whose expression had changed, through gritted teeth. That brat dared to openly threaten him! Just because he wouldn't use her as a real-life benchmark, she wouldn't try to win the competition? You ruthless brat!
He was furious, but the King had no choice but to lie back down. After all, he had to get the Hundred-Year Golden Toad Pearl. And he had let Luo Zhiheng exploit his weakness!
Shi Luo helped her to her feet. Luo Zhiheng smiled smugly and immediately began painting with renewed vigor.
The king's brothers and male favorites were all shocked and horrified. Was this still the same ruthless and unpredictable king? Was this still the king who would kill in a rage simply because a servant accidentally broke a cup? He was being ordered around by a mere maid, and not only did he not get angry, he actually managed to suppress his rage! Most terrifyingly, the king actually stood still, becoming a living reference point for the maid?!
In an instant, all the handsome men's eyes fell on Luo Zhiheng, scrutinizing and scheming.
Why was the Prince so indulgent and tolerant of Luo Zhiheng? The Prince would never fall in love with Luo Zhiheng, because he would never love a woman in his life, nor would he and his brothers, who all believed they would never love a woman—except for their own daughter, of course. But setting aside emotions, what did Luo Zhiheng possess that could make the Prince so submissive and compromise?
The princes couldn't understand it, and neither could anyone else. Even the old guard of the Mu Dynasty twitched at the sight.
Luo Zhiheng is too audacious! She dares to order anyone around?
"Your little grandson's wife is quite something. Although she's obviously an amateur painter, she's incredibly bold. She even dares to give orders to the King of Silver Moon Kingdom. Can your little grandson handle that?" Zhuge Huahun mocked again, glancing at Zhuge Hualuan sitting behind her with a mix of pride and admiration. "My back is so much better; it's worry-free and makes people love me." 15.
"Hmph, if she's so good, why isn't she married yet?" Old Master Tong retorted sarcastically without any restraint.
Zhuge Hualuan's face darkened instantly, but she knew that the person in front of her was someone she couldn't afford to offend, and was also quite old, so she couldn't argue with him. In the blink of an eye, she regained her gentle smile.
Zhuge Huahun immediately looked at Qin Sheng: "Isn't this just waiting for my brother-in-law to introduce his favorite disciple to Hua Luan? Brother-in-law, what do you think of that person? If he's really good, then we should keep him in the family."
Murong Qianxue laughed rudely and couldn't help but interject, "Ancestor Zhuge, the person that the Qin Saint has taken a liking to is both talented and handsome, unparalleled in the world, and also dashing and romantic. Most importantly, this person is currently in the royal family, and after death he will be buried in the royal mausoleum, so his status is naturally not ordinary."
What she said was mostly true, but she refused to reveal Luo Zhiheng's gender, instead fueling Zhuge Huahun's burning desire to marry his granddaughter to Luo Zhiheng. She was just waiting to see how dumbfounded Zhuge Huahun and Zhuge Hualuan would be when the truth was revealed. It was hilarious to think about.
Zhuge Huahun was thinking that the person he wanted to marry his granddaughter to was actually Luo Zhiheng, whom he looked down on, and who was also a woman. He wanted to let the Zhuge family taste the wonderful feeling of slapping themselves in the face.
"Oh? Is it really that good?" Zhuge Huahun was quite tempted. He was proud that his junior, Murong Qianxue, would not dare to deceive him. He thought that if there really was such a person, he would truly be a dragon among men. Hua Luan would not suffer any loss by marrying him, and the two of them would be a perfect match. Thus, Huasheng was even more tempted.
The Qin Saint was already annoyed by this person who always mocked his beloved disciple, but now that he saw him ask such a question, a wicked sense of amusement arose in him. The Qin Saint said smugly and proudly, "You're overthinking it. My disciple is already married. Even if your granddaughter really marries her, she'll have to be a concubine."
"What? That's right. The outstanding people you've set your sights on must have already been targeted by others. No problem. With my status as the King of the Otherworld and my reputation as the Chess Saint, I don't believe that person won't be tempted. I'll make him divorce his wife and marry Hua Luan as his legal wife." Zhuge Huahun said domineeringly, believing it to be true.
A collective silence fell over everyone, a silent lament for Zhuge Hualuan. If his ancestor's words reached Luo Zhiheng's ears, he would be in deep trouble. Offending Luo Zhiheng wasn't so bad, but offending Mu Yunhe, who was associated with her, was. Luo Zhiheng dared to bully even noble ladies of the previous dynasty, treating people's heads like balls; a mere prince of the Southern Dynasty couldn't possibly inspire fear in her. With Luo Zhiheng's fierce nature, once she set her sights on you, you'd be in for a worldly scare.
Mu Yunhe coldly stared at Zhuge Huahun's back. His gaze was like a knife; Zhuge Huahun would probably be riddled with holes and bleeding to death by now.
They actually dared to covet his Aheng, treating him like a dead man. Mu Yunhe narrowed his eyes, already having an idea in his mind—an idea to severely punish this arrogant grandfather and grandson! But he had to wait for Aheng to return before he could do it.
Time passed by, and because the wet nurse was late and they were checking, Luo Zhiheng wasted nearly two-fifths of the time. But fortunately, she painted very quickly, sketched the outline, and made the character's features and expression more vivid before starting to color!
Luo Zhiheng's painting style was entirely learned from her Western teachers. During the Republic of China era, foreigners were rampant, and various legendary Western things entered people's lives. Luo Zhiheng's painting technique today is actually an old Western painting method, but because she chooses to use color, it's not a simple sketch, so it takes a little more time, but the finished product is bound to be more exquisite and beautiful.
At this moment, the figures in Luo Zhiheng's painting already possessed a very strong three-dimensional quality, a realism never before seen in this era. Although the figures in the painting were still in black and white, their expressions, gazes, and exquisite appearances were simply breathtaking!
Such a lifelike painting was actually drawn by Luo Zhiheng with seemingly effortless ease, which is truly astonishing! So when Luo Zhiheng turned around to adjust the colors, what she saw were two supervisors who were completely petrified.
She smiled slightly, neither waking them nor deliberately hiding any skills. Quietly, she prepared the colors and began to apply them with a poorly made small brush that her wet nurse had found. The poorly made kitten brush had stiffer and uneven bristles than the brush itself. Such a brush would not be used by wealthy people, but Luo Zhiheng needed it. If she controlled it well, this kind of brush could play a significant role in the painting.
Actually, coloring the painting of King Shah was quite simple, as only two important colors were needed: purple and black. The colors of the king's clothes and hair were the most important. 16022443
She applied all colors sparingly to ensure they dried quickly, but some areas required heavier application. To make the King's features appear more masculine and three-dimensional in the painting, Luo Zhiheng had to use shading on his face, such as on his eyelashes and the sides of his nose.
But with just two or three strokes, the people in the painting immediately look different.
Time flew by, and Luo Zhiheng was the first to put down her brush, with time still remaining. The crowd's reaction shifted from surprise to laughter. She truly was someone who couldn't paint; she lacked all the steps a painter should take—conceptualization, brush picking, imagination, composition—she had none of them. She simply picked up the brush and started painting, her behavior strange, starting last but finishing first.
In everyone's minds, there was no doubt that the last place would be Luo Zhiheng, who couldn't paint. In their eyes, Luo Zhiheng not only couldn't paint, but she was also insincere. She showed absolutely no respect for the national competition.
When the time finally came, and Madam Song shouted for you to put down your brush, you had to put down your brush even if you hadn't finished drawing.
The World Grand Competition naturally had new judges. The previous judge from the Mu Dynasty, Luo Zhiheng, had been ignored, but the King had already dismissed the head judge. The head judge of the World Grand Competition was naturally more publicly recognized. She personally led a group of judges to examine the paintings, and starting with the first person, the twenty-odd judges praised Bai Mingzhu's works highly.
The four contestants had already stood together and left the competition booth. The screen was removed, and the four of them left their tables, exchanging glances. Bai Mingzhu looked at Luo Zhiheng with disdain, then at Princess Aman with a provocative gaze. Their eyes said it all: Bai Mingzhu was convinced that the nude photo contest lost, that she herself won, and that she and Princess Aman would have a showdown.
Luo Zhiheng chuckled softly without saying a word. People shouldn't be too arrogant, or they'll have nowhere to cry when they embarrass themselves.
Princess Baihua's painting didn't receive high praise from the judges, which was understandable given it wasn't her area of expertise. She felt truly helpless at this disadvantage. But Princess Baihua thought that even if she didn't get first place, she wouldn't be last. After all, she still had Luo Zhiheng at the bottom, right?
As the judges approached Luo Zhiheng's painting, they all glanced at the Prince first. After all, the Prince's previous unusual treatment of Luo Zhiheng forced them to be extra cautious. They were impartial, but they also had to consider the Prince's feelings. However, if Luo Zhiheng's performance was too poor, the Prince shouldn't blame them for being rude.
The group approached Luo Zhiheng's strange easel. Initially, everyone's expression was one of displeasure and indifference, as they feared Luo Zhiheng might create some bizarre and grotesque works that would taint their eyes. However, the moment the still-wet painting entered their pupils without any pause, everyone's gaze was instantly captivated by it, and the expressions on each face were of utter shock and amazement!
Second update! Guaranteed 10,000 words, and there will be an extra update today! My darlings are awesome, and Hua Sha is doing a great job! For you both, I will strive to update harder. This story is wonderful because of you! Please vote, leave comments, and give monthly tickets!
205 A masterpiece! (Part 2) Bonus chapter for 11,500 comments
Updated: 2013-07-25 16:51:33 Word Count: 3584
The judges stood frozen in place for several minutes, as if they had been mesmerized. The crowd, who had been filled with anticipation and curiosity, could no longer contain themselves and began to chatter, craning their necks to look and laughing as they discussed whether Luo Zhiheng had drawn some kind of monster.
However, the important figures who had already guessed that Luo Zhiheng was the painter of the World King dared not laugh. Although they desperately wanted to mock the World King for being painted as some unknown ugly monster, seeing the World King's clearly tense and concerned gaze, they dared not laugh. What a joke! Would they be courting death?!
The king's heart was in his throat, but he pretended to be nonchalant and asked, "How is the painting? Why don't you give me your opinion?"
The group of people seemed to snap out of a daze, but their first reaction wasn't to answer. Instead, they collectively took a few steps back, their expressions filled with astonishment and uncertainty, as if they had seen something terrifying. Their gazes shifted uncertainly between the King and the painting, then back to the King, repeating this several times. Finally, cracks appeared on the judges' faces, each one revealing an uncontrollable and utter horror! And then they did something perplexing and shocking: they rushed towards the painting!
Charge! Everyone rushed forward, scrambling to be the first to cross!
Originally, none of the judges intended to approach the painting; their inertia had already pinned them to it. But at this moment, they rushed over with such eagerness, simply because the painting was absolutely stunning. It wasn't just a painting; in the eyes of these highly talented and learned judges, it was an unprecedented display of talent and innovation! 15.
Because the feeling this painting evoked in them was just too strong!
The painting, a meter long and half a meter wide, stood open horizontally. At first glance, it evoked a sense of fear and awe! The fear stemmed from the majesty and coldness emanating from the painting itself, while the awe came from the fact that it depicted a human figure, a lifelike being that seemed to be alive!
Throughout history, painting people has been the most difficult genre. This is because people are inherently unpredictable and their personalities are fickle. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to capture the most captivating and expressive moments of a person's emotions and demeanor. Therefore, people are the most challenging subjects to paint. Established painters generally do not attempt to paint people lightly, because if they fail to capture the true essence and expression of the subject, the painting is doomed.
But Luo Zhiheng's painting completely overturned and shattered the perceptions and psychology of all the judges!
The painting depicts a man reclining languidly on a soft couch, one hand casually resting on a golden handrail, supporting his cheek. The man's delicate skin is exquisitely outlined, and his sharp eyebrows have lost some of their femininity, yet they are imbued with a ruthless and domineering aura due to his sharp, slightly narrowed eyes.
Her long hair, as black as ink, cascaded down and hung vertically outside the soft couch. The strands of hair seemed to have a silky smoothness that one could touch and run through them, making it extremely realistic!
The man's long purple robe was clearly made of the finest brocade and gauze, the slightly open collar revealing his sexy and alluring collarbone. He lay there looking at you, his gaze sharp and authoritative, yet his seemingly languid posture hinting at an untamed arrogance. Even the simple, understated couch beneath him seemed luxurious and exquisite! 16022443
Most importantly, this painting makes people think at first glance that the real King is looking at you, giving you a feeling of sweating all over and having to immediately show respect. It truly captivates people's hearts and eyes, making people dare not have any disrespect towards the King even when facing this painting!
That's too ruthless!
To be able to paint such a picture, with such a unique and efficient technique, in the shortest time, with the fastest movements, the most exquisite composition and innovation, and the most pleasing colors—vibrant and vivid, yet not gaudy. The overall structure is grand and complete, the lines are smooth without a single flaw, and the figures are lifelike, as if they were another King! The King's expression has been completely captured.
This kind of painting, this technique, this powerful visual impact—it's simply unprecedented! Even the greatest painters of our time probably couldn't have achieved this!
A masterpiece!
This painting is absolutely a masterpiece!
The judges were deeply moved. They gazed at the painting with admiration and reverence. At that moment, the painting had no creator in their eyes, only originality, a completely new concept, and a brand new chapter in the field of painting!
The judges discussed, debated, and marveled at the painting, but none of them dared to touch it, for fear of damaging or soiling it.
"What on earth is going on? Have these guys gone mad?" General Murong had no patience and couldn't help but stand up and angrily say, "I'm going to take a look."
The Chess Master and the Calligraphy Master remained motionless, genuinely worried about what kind of monster Luo Zhiheng had drawn. How could she have provoked those guys to this state? They all looked like they were about to kneel down and weep. Was it really that terrifying?
"I'm going too!" Murong Qianxue couldn't hold back any longer. Although she was quite angry that Luo Zhiheng had failed, Luo Zhiheng was her friend. If those old geezers dared to bully or mock Luo Zhiheng, they shouldn't blame her for being impolite.
Mu Yunhe also wanted to go, but he knew his own physical condition and couldn't cause trouble for Aheng at this time. He could only suppress his anxiety and look around anxiously.
"Hmph, overestimating yourself. Your country's army is overestimating itself, and so are the women of your country." Princess Aman, unable to bear the sight any longer, mocked Luo Zhiheng. She had initially been a little worried, since painting wasn't her forte, but now it seemed Luo Zhiheng had already lost. Her arrogant nature made her despise Luo Zhiheng.
"Don't be sad. After all, winning and losing are common. It's just that you're not good at it. You can practice more in the future." Princess Baihua pretended to be a good person, but she was actually quite happy. The one who was most embarrassed was Luo Zhiheng, so she could get away unscathed.
"What a pity. I was looking forward to meeting you and having a match with you. It seems there's no chance now. But you can stay in the Southern Dynasty for a few more days with your husband." Bai Mingzhu's eyes were filled with undisguised smugness. She specifically mentioned Mu Yunhe, her meaning ambiguous.
A flicker of emotion finally appeared on Luo Zhiheng's usually composed face. She looked at Bai Mingzhu with disdain and said, "The judges haven't even announced the results yet, isn't it a bit premature for you to be making such pronouncements?" She glanced at Princess Aman and said arrogantly, "The Mu Dynasty's army is the strongest in the world. Who dares to challenge it? I don't know about the women of the Mu Dynasty, but I, Luo Zhiheng, am also formidable. What I say I want, even the emperor of some barbarian country couldn't take away, let alone some princess?"
"You! Luo Zhiheng, how dare you!" Princess Aman roared, pointing angrily at Luo Zhiheng, and was about to raise her whip.
Luo Zhiheng grabbed Princess Aman's whip and yanked it hard, whispering menacingly close to Aman's ear, "It's your insolence. You should know that our statuses are equal. You are indeed a princess of the Western Barbarian Kingdom, but I am also a queen consort of the Mu Dynasty. Don't be so presumptuous in front of me. I hold grudges. If anyone repeatedly humiliates my country and family, I will find a way to kill that person, no matter who they are. If they make me unhappy, I'll make their whole family unhappy! In any case, we are destined to be enemies!"
Princess Aman was terrified by Luo Zhiheng's words, but she didn't take them to heart at all. She was a noble princess, and she utterly despised this infatuated Luo Zhiheng! Pushing Luo Zhiheng aside, Princess Aman arrogantly declared, "We'll see! Luo Zhiheng, I'll give you a chance to fight me. Although you lost to me today, I didn't feel any joy in defeating you. Judging from your arrow today, you must know some martial arts. Do you dare to have a duel with me?"
Luo Zhiheng sneered: "Just between the two of us? A revenge match?"
"Yes! A revenge match! I, the princess, will give you, the loser, a chance to challenge me. Do you dare?" Aman said arrogantly.
"Are you challenging me to a duel? If so, then fine, I accept your challenge!" Luo Zhiheng's eyes seemed to radiate a strong fighting spirit, but she suddenly crossed her arms and said leisurely, "But I, Luo Zhiheng, will not be the one to lose, not today either! So the avenger in this revenge match will be you!"
"How arrogant you are! Even now, you still dare to be so arrogant. I admire your overestimation of your abilities," Princess Aman sneered.
"Who's overestimating themselves? Look over there!" Luo Zhiheng smiled confidently, pointing with her jade-like hand to the growing crowd ahead, finally drawing the attention of several people.
Just then, General Murong roared, "Damn it, is this some kind of ghost?!"
The King happened to walk over, his cold gaze sweeping over the obviously erratic judges. Why were they behaving so fanatically? He snorted, and the judges, still absorbed in the painting, quickly quieted down, but their eyes held a pleading look as they looked at the King. They were worried that if the King got angry at so many people crowding around his portrait, he might destroy it in a fit of rage.
For every step the king took forward, the group retreated a step, seemingly protecting the painting. Were they afraid the painting was too ugly and would anger him if he saw it? The king's mood worsened, and he roared, "Get out of my way!"
The judges, startled, had to step aside. The King, filled with rage, finally saw the painting. But the moment he saw it, he froze. He thought he was looking in a mirror, but the reflection in a bronze mirror was always blurry and colorless. This painting, however, was bursting with vibrant colors. Even he himself had never seen himself like this before, a reflection of himself when facing someone else. And this painting definitely didn't depict his posture and actions from just moments before; it was a portrait of him when he first met Luo Zhiheng!
That damned Luo Zhiheng! She just tricked me! But it was precisely because of this thought that the King was even more shocked, because Luo Zhiheng had actually drawn himself from so long ago so vividly. Was Luo Zhiheng a monster? How could she remember so many details in such a tense moment?
However, it must be admitted that this painting is absolutely a classic! A proud and satisfied smile appeared in the King's eyes. His anger dissipated, and he said casually, "Let the Sage of Painting come and see it for himself, give his evaluation, and then determine the winner of this round."
Bonus chapter complete! I'll keep working hard tomorrow. Love you all, my darlings! Please vote, leave comments, and give me your monthly tickets! Throw them all your way at me! Let's get this party started!