Chapter 444 – Origins of the Cursive Sword Calligraphy (1/2)

Ru Xin nodded. “I still have a lot of Water of Recollection.”

Chu Shidao shook his head. “I already have enough memories… Can you refine a medicine with the opposite effects?”

If it were opposite to the Water of Recollection, wasn’t that just Water of Oblivion? Li Qingshan asked, “Isn’t that just granny Meng’s Soup of Forgetfulness?”

“That’s right.” Chu Shidao nodded with a smile and stared at the painting in his hand absentmindedly.

Ru Xin suddenly understood something. “Senior, you want to make her…”

Chu Shidao’s eyes rippled like water. “I’ll be venturing down the path of yellow springs soon, and she can’t come with me to the Bridge of Helplessness. Surely I can’t drink granny Meng’s Soup of Forgetfulness alone, right?”

TL: All of this is a reference to the underworld in Chinese mythology. The path of yellow springs is one that leads to the next life, while the Bridge of Helplessness is a bridge that every soul must cross to reincarnate. The Soup of Forgetfulness is drunk on the bridge.

“Master, h- how can we do that?” Chu Danqing’s expression changed drastically.

“I have my plans.” Chu Shidao raised his hand and said to Ru Xin, “There’s not a lot I can give you. Here’s three taels of Evening Dew cinnabar. You can use it for refining medicines. You can treat that as remuneration.” He fished out a metal, circular box used for holding pigments from his hundred treasures pouch and passed it to Ru Xin.

Ru Xin opened the box of pigments, and a red colour, similar to a light or a haze, seeped out. Like the evening dew under the setting sun, it varied with countless different colours. Faint red, blood red, violet red, and so on dyed the entire room. It was as if the colours of the sunset had been sealed within the tiny box. Not only was it extremely beautiful, but the spiritual qi it contained was startling too.

Ru Xin returned it with gratitude. “This is just too precious. I can’t accept it. I will do my best to fulfill senior’s request, but I might not manage to. Sometimes, forgetting is even more difficult than remembering.”

“Whatever makes you happy, master.”

Li Qingshan said, “Don’t tell me you plan on asking me to return the Heavenly Maiden Scatters the Blossoms?”

“It’s a mere painting, so why would I do that?” Chu Shidao took out a picture book and laid it out in his hands. It was the Magic Brush Ma Liang Li Qingshan had used in the past to defeat Chu Danqing. “This is your masterpiece!”

Chu Danqing was perplexed. He had flipped through the picture book before. The workmanship was clumsy, nothing worth mentioning. Yet, Chu Shidao would flip through it again and again, like he was rather fond of it.

“You’re too kind, senior.” Li Qingshan was rather confused too.

“I had nothing to do when I was bed bound, so I painted a few things according to it. They’re not real works, just something to pass time.” As Chu Shidao said that, he passed a paperboard to Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan accepted it and took a look. The same title was written at the top, which gradually merged into a puddle of ink. It turned into various characters and scenes, running around and talking in there. The plot was unfolding.

With their abilities, the fish painted by painters could swim, while the birds could sing. All of this was the basics. Making the subject of the painting leave the restraints of the paper was truly grasping the art. To Chu Shidao, this was only something to pass time like a doodle, but the lively appeal it contained left even Li Qingshan stunned despite all his experience with movies and animations.

What was this supposed to be? Was he a master animator? How happy would young children be if they saw something like this? No, even adults would become attached to it!

“Painting and literature go hand in hand. The school of Novels and the school of Painting both count as lesser schools of thought within the academy. However, if we can work together, there is great room for development. It was exactly you who reminded me that the art of painting could be used like this.”

“You’re completely right, master Chu!” Li Qingshan already began thinking. Let alone animation, even movies would not prove to be a problem with what painters were capable of. Moreover, all of the scenes would be absolutely stunning, greater than any form of special effects from his past life. What would 3D be when compared to that? When they reached a climax, it could directly fly out of the screen. It would be startlingly effective, and it could remove the barrier of knowing how to read. The rate at which the power of belief accumulated would become much faster too.