Chapter 169: This Fiend

"What, don't you want it anymore?" Zhang Xuan looked over, seeing the silence around him.

"No..." Huang Yu quickly waved his hand.

"Good that you do. I'll paint it now..." Zhang Xuan wasted no time. He took out a piece of white paper, held the brush with both hands, and painted with broad strokes. Before long, another scene appeared.

This time, it wasn't a courtyard but a grassy field with a wild deer standing, cautiously grazing, surrounded by wildflowers. As soon as the painting was complete, countless bees swarmed around it. Then, the wild deer seemed to come alive, leaping out of the painting and gradually vanishing into the air.

"Another Fifth Realm painting!"

"This..." Master Yuan Yu and the others were dumbfounded.

When others, even grandmasters, painted Fifth Realm works, they struggled desperately, pouring their heart and soul into it, with each painting taking half their life. This fellow, however, painted one as if nothing had happened, and then immediately painted another...

Did he have to be so monstrously talented? Did he have to be so showy? Had the world changed, or was he simply too powerful? Were Fifth Realm paintings as easy as eating and drinking to him?

"Do you two want one? Two million for each as well..." While they were still dazed, Grandmaster Zhang looked at them with an expectant expression, his eyes gleaming.

For him, Fifth Realm and Fourth Realm paintings just took a bit more effort. He happened to be short on money, and painting could earn him money, which was much easier than showing off. If showing off went wrong, he could get himself beaten to death...

"We... can have one too?" Yuan Yu and Lu Chen swallowed hard.

"As long as you pay, it doesn't matter..." Zhang Xuan said.

The two men stumbled. These were Fifth Realm artworks, impossible to find even in the royal capital, yet he was casually painting and selling them for a bit of money...

Who said calligraphy and painting grandmasters were all noble-minded, untainted by the mundane world, and viewed money as dirt? Come out, and I'll beat you senseless!

Before long, Zhang Xuan painted two more works, both Fifth Realm masterpieces. The two masters were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes. Such precious paintings, and they actually managed to buy them, with one for each person... In the past, this would have been unimaginable, even in their wildest dreams.

Since Huang Yu and the other person no longer needed the Mo Xuan Painting, the assessment became meaningless. Besides, Zhang Xuan had caused such a stir that the two masters lost interest in continuing the assessment.

"Master Zhang, I'll prepare the two million gold coins and send them to you as soon as possible!"

"I'll send it to the academy tomorrow!" Yuan Yu and Lu Chen, being wealthy, easily paid the two million. Huang Yu and Bai Xun didn't have that much cash, but given their status, two million was a small sum, and they wouldn't default on the payment.

Looking at the four million gold notes he had received, Zhang Xuan's face broke into a radiant smile. He had initially thought he was coming here to repay a favor, but he never dreamed he would still earn a handsome profit. If Huang Yu and Bai Xun's payments were included, this trip would have earned him a grand total of eight million gold coins!

Curing Ling Tianyu's wife earned him one million. Du Miaoxuan, Wang Chong, Alchemist Chen Xiao, Luo Chong... on average, each paid around three million. In total, his wealth had already reached over twenty million. He wasn't far from gathering the twenty-three million he needed.

"Excellent!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists, his eyes shining. He had thought that earning over twenty million would be impossible without ten or eight years of effort, but now it seemed it wasn't that difficult...

If anyone else heard these words, they would surely spit out a mouthful of blood in his face. "Such arrogance! Why doesn't he just drop dead..."

"Little friend Zhang Xuan, if I may be so bold as to call you 'brother'," Lu Chen said, carefully putting away the paintings. "Emperor Shen Zhui will be back tonight. I've already sent word, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I can take you to the Royal Library tomorrow to browse!"

"Tomorrow? Great!" Zhang Xuan quickly nodded. His primary reason for coming to Lu Mansion was to find books to read. If he could access the Royal Library, he would definitely be able to complete the Sixth Stage Heavenly Dao cultivation technique, and perhaps even form the Seventh Stage technique!

In the Martial Artist Seventh Layer, Tongxuan Realm, all acupoints are connected, true qi flows throughout the body, and one's aura reaches profundity. Battle prowess increases several-fold. With such strength, even if he left the academy, he could be like a dragon entering the sea or a hawk soaring across the sky, free to roam.

With Huang Yu and Bai Xun no longer needing assessment, and Yuan Yu and Lu Chen each having obtained a Fifth Realm painting, excited beyond control, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to stay. He waved goodbye to everyone.

By the time he left Lu Mansion, it was already completely dark. He had arrived at noon, and the whole affair had taken up the entire afternoon. However, it was worth it. Forming the Heavenly Dao Calligraphy and Painting secret art transformed him, who was originally clueless about calligraphy and painting, into a calligraphy and painting grandmaster no less skilled than Lu Chen. Although this profession was only ranked among the middle nine classes and not considered highly profound, it still carried a high status.

Especially in a place like Tianxuan Kingdom, which valued scholarly pursuits, being able to create impressive paintings easily commanded respect. Of course, for Zhang Xuan, making money was the most important thing. He had originally waited in the courtyard with no one coming to visit, but this single outing earned him eight million, which was a huge gain.

Upon returning to the mansion, Sun Qiang greeted him.

"Did anyone visit today?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Reporting, Master, no one came to visit after you left!"

"Mm." Zhang Xuan nodded. It seemed the three million gold coin visiting fee had deterred quite a few people. That was fine; it saved him a lot of trouble, and he had almost accumulated enough money anyway, so he wasn't as anxious as before.

Back in his room, Zhang Xuan didn't continue cultivating. Although he had the Heavenly Dao Calligraphy and Painting secret art as a foundation, continuously painting four Fifth Realm works still left him utterly exhausted. He fell asleep shortly after lying down.

***

At Lu Mansion.

After Zhang Xuan departed, Master Yuan Yu, Huang Yu, and the others were still there; they hadn't left.

"It's definitely too late to visit Master Teacher Yang Xuan today..." Lu Chen said, looking at the sky outside.

Visiting after dark would give the impression of disrespect. While it might be acceptable for others, the person was a Master Teacher, and even with their own respectable statuses, they wouldn't dare to act rashly.

"It's not too late to go tomorrow!" Master Yuan Yu nodded.

Lu Chen assented, looking at the paintings Zhang Xuan had left not far away, still somewhat in disbelief: "I originally thought this Brother Zhang was just a young man who enjoyed calligraphy and painting, and had some talent. I even considered testing him and taking him as a disciple. I never dreamed he was a calligraphy and painting grandmaster..." Saying this, he shook his head with a bitter smile. The idea of taking a calligraphy and painting grandmaster as a disciple—if that news got out, he would surely be laughed out of his wits.

"Such a young painting grandmaster... what exactly is this Brother Zhang's background?" Master Yuan Yu couldn't help but ask.

Progress in calligraphy and painting was even harder than progress in cultivation. If Zhang Xuan were seventy or eighty years old and could produce Fifth Realm works, Yuan Yu would be surprised but not entirely unexpected. But for him to do it before even turning twenty—that certainly gave one pause.

There were only two possibilities for such a situation: First, his talent was exceptionally high, to the point of being awe-inspiring. Second, he had a Master Teacher guiding him from behind the scenes. Between these two possibilities, Master Yuan Yu leaned more towards the second.

"I don't know the specifics either. Huang Yu, Bai Xun, you two have been to Hongtian Academy before. Do you know more about this Brother Zhang? Why don't you tell us?" Lu Chen looked at the two in front of him.

"I do know some things... but I'm afraid you won't believe it if I say it, and... you might even get angry..." Huang Yu looked awkward.

"Angry? What could I possibly be angry about? Just say it!" Master Lu Chen was full of questions. Even if Zhang Xuan was a teacher at Hongtian Academy, there was nothing to disbelieve or be angry about. A young genius, so proficient in calligraphy and painting, would surely be popular and highly sought after.

"Then I'll say it. This Teacher Zhang Xuan... is a notoriously useless teacher at Hongtian Academy, ridiculed by many..." Huang Yu recounted Zhang Xuan's past situation.

"Scored zero on the teacher assessment? Taught a student who went berserk during cultivation? This... how is this possible?" Yuan Yu and Lu Chen's eyes widened, looking stunned and utterly disbelieving.

"Are you joking? A calligraphy and painting grandmaster capable of Fifth Realm works... is useless? How does that sound so fantastical?"

"It's probably because the Disciplinary Office deliberately targeted him..." Huang Yu then recounted what she had witnessed during the Heart-Learning Interrogation.

"Despicable! I once met Shang Chen and thought he was an upright and impartial person. I never expected him to be so vile."

"Xiao Yu, aren't you a Master Teacher apprentice? And your father is the President of the Teacher Guild. You must properly teach such a black sheep a lesson." Hearing about Elder Shang Chen's "unfair" treatment and "actions," Masters Yuan Yu and Lu Chen were almost incensed. As for Zhang Xuan, they had personally witnessed his "ability." How could such a capable person be useless? This implied that Elder Shang Chen and his associates must have deliberately caused trouble. How could Hongtian Academy have such teachers?

"This matter truly makes me angry..." Master Lu Chen waved his hand and snorted. "It seems I'll have to speak with Principal Hong when I have time and tell him to properly manage the academy's atmosphere."

"Uh... actually... when I said you'd get angry, I didn't mean this." Hearing his words, Huang Yu scratched her head.

"Not this? Did Brother Zhang receive some other unfair punishment?" Lu Chen looked at her again. Although he lived deep within his mansion and didn't concern himself with outside affairs, with his status as an Imperial Teacher and his reputation as a calligraphy and painting grandmaster, if he truly wanted to discipline certain individuals, even the principal of Hongtian Academy wouldn't dare to obstruct him.

"That's not it... Rather, someone at the academy is challenging him for a teacher evaluation in the next few days..." Huang Yu hesitated for a moment before saying.

"A challenge? A teacher evaluation?" Lu Chen was startled.

"I know about teacher evaluations. While they involve duels between students, they directly concern a teacher's status and dignity," Master Yuan Yu said with a laugh. "Who is this challenger? If he knew Brother Zhang's true abilities, he probably wouldn't do this!"

"That might not be the case. The challenging teacher... is very famous at Hongtian Academy, a true star teacher," Huang Yu's voice grew softer and softer. "Furthermore, he has a great number of students. Among the top three hundred in the entrance examination, at least two hundred are under his tutelage!"

"What's this teacher's name?" Lu Chen's breathing became a little hurried.

"Ahem, it's none other than Master Lu's son... Teacher Lu Xun!" After a moment's hesitation, Huang Yu said.

"That wretched beast... despicable!" Master Lu Chen swayed, then roared loudly.