Chapter 358 - Keep Testing (1/2)

Princess Nami was nonplussed. “Grandpa, I’m confused. Since he could not say what he had grasped, then why did you say he is teachable? You were not lying, right?”

Iza Kawatani chuckled, “It’s inappropriate to talk to your grandfather like that.”

“You really scared me. You must have summoned us to your practice room for a reason.”

Iza Kawatani stroked Princess Nami’s head and said, “Let’s go inside. What’s that thing in your hand?”

It was the authentic art piece by Tang Bohu. Xiao Bing gave it to Nami since he was asked to enter first. Princess Nami was so nervous that she nearly forgot about it. After Iza Kawatani mentioned it, Princess Nami smiled instantly, “It’s a gift for you. Tangbohu’s authentic work.”

“Really?” Iza Kawatani took it with interest. “Come on, have a seat in my room. Tang Bohu is a famous Chinese calligrapher. I heard his works are hard to find…”

“Of course. So now do you know how capable your granddaughter is? So you might consider criticizing your granddaughter less?”

Iza Kawatani’s mind went blank for a moment, then he smiled.

Then the three of them walked out of the practice room. Xiao Bing was silently smiling all the time. Though Iza Kawatani was almost 100 hundred years old, he was shrewder than anyone. He was not only testing Xiao Bing’s true strength, he was also trying to find out if Xiao Bing was hiding something. If it were not for Xiao Bing’s strong willpower, this old man would have sensed something wrong and killed him.

Iza Kawatani was walking in the front, while Princess Nami was half a step behind him. Xiao Bing was half a step behind her. The ground beneath Iza Kawatani echoed like a drum, bringing a magical rhythm to his pace, which Princess Nami could not help following. Though Xiao Bing could get himself free from it, he followed this old man’s pace, lest he sensed that something was amiss.

They walked through the passage, down the hall and arrived at the passage on the left. It was not long, but was less creepy than the other one. There were several rooms scattered on both sides.

Iza Kawatani stopped when they reached the room at the end of the passage. He gently pushed the door open and walked in, Xiao Bing and Nami following him. The room was big and well-lighted. There were a big bed, some wooden furniture and several writings hanging on the wall and nothing else. It was simple, but very neat.

Iza Kawatani asked Xiao Bing and Nami to sit down. Then he unrolled the calligraphy piece that Nami bought for him, and hung it on the wall.

He looked at it, his eyes sparkling. Suddenly he gazed at the sigil. Then he looked at his granddaughter and asked, “You bought this?”

Nami did not know what he meant by that. “Is it really a fake? Aoki Ichiro made a mistake?”

Nami answered with diffidence, “Of… Of course.”

“Someone suggested this to you, right?” There was a hint of laughter in his eyes.

Nami felt relieved upon hearing it. “You’re right, grandpa. It’s Aoki Ichiro. He told me that it is authentic. So I bought it at a low price. I heard that Tang Bohu was quite famous in the Cathaysian State.”

“He is.” Iza Kawatani sighed, “And this work is real. But few people can tell it’s real. Aoki Ichiro, I was not aware that you know so much about calligraphy. It’s a rare thing nowadays.”

Xiao Bing spoke hurriedly, “Sire, you honor me. But it’s just luck.”

Iza Kawatani sat opposite him and looked at Xiao Bing with his deep eyes. “Luck is not that capable. Son, you have studied calligraphy?”

“Only for a short time.”

“I see.” Iza Kawatani nodded and said, “If you have not been studying for a long time, then you must be far smarter than the others.”

Xiao Bing put on a wry smile, “Perhaps it’s true.”

“You did well for a young man. I don’t like someone who is too modest or too proud.” Then Iza Kawatani fixed his eyes on Xiao Bing’s saber. One must be unarmed when he enters the Kokyo, but it was not necessary when it came to the Hall of Martial Gods. Maybe it was because Iza Kawatani was so confident that he did not care about it.

Iza Kawatani asked, “Your weapon is a saber?”