Chapter 300: Chapter 199 Bai Gu Monk
Zhou Xuan noticed the painter imrsed in thought over the knife scars and gave a knowing smile: “Looks like he’s been thoroughly tornted by it.”
He didn’t have the ti to accompany the painter in studying this masterpiece of a past life. Tapping lightly on the tea table, he said, “Return the book to first.”
The painter was entirely imrsed in the painting, his thoughts preoccupied, his actions appearing like simple instinctive responses—vaguely hearing Zhou Xuan asking for the book, he chanically opened a drawer. His hand paused for a mont before groping around, finally retrieving the book and handing it to Zhou Xuan.
“Rember, three interventions.”
Zhou Xuan reminded him.
The painter gave a distracted “Mm,” unclear whether he even understood.
“We’re leaving now.” Zhou Xuan took the book and urged Lingzi, who was leisurely drinking tea.
Lingzi placed down the tea cup and bid farewell to the painter, “Hua Sichen, we’re heading out.”
The painter’s thoughts were entirely steeped in the painting this ti, as if possessed, not even registering Lingzi’s words.
“Lingzi, don’t bother. I know these old painters all too well—once they see a painting that stumps them, it’s like they’re bewitched. Distract him, and he’ll ignore you; really interrupt him, and he might get up and bite you.”
Zhou Xuan persuaded Lingzi to leave,
and with no other choice, Lingzi could only follow Zhou Xuan to head out the door,
but just as the two were about to go downstairs, the painter snapped back to his senses and called out to Zhou Xuan, “Young man, wait! Don’t leave just yet.”
“What, changed your mind?”
“No, no, no. I, Old Hua, may lack in other skills, but I’m soone who keeps my word. I would never do the lowly act of reneging on a deal.”
The painter set the “One-blade painting” aside and asked Zhou Xuan, “It’s just… there’s one thing I truly cannot figure out. I feel like I’m standing on a dangerous peak, unable to see the other mountains. I need soone sharp like you to give so pointers.”
“What’s your predicant? Tell .”
Zhou Xuan, adopting the mindset of a “gold-standard after-sales service,” was ready to help the painter unravel the puzzle… of course, while his intent to help was earnest, whether he’d actually succeed was another matter,
but at least, he was giving it a try.
“Young man, see here, a canvas can be regarded as an independent space, and the gap within the knife scars can also be seen as another layer of space. I call it the knife-gap space.
Now, assuming I move from the canvas space to the knife-gap space via the knife scars, how can I, without retracing my steps, touch the canvas space again?”
The painter asked earnestly, but his explanation was sowhat convoluted,
Zhou Xuan picked up the canvas, first trying hard to grasp the painter’s concept. He held the “One-blade painting” and asked, “Let give an example. Tell if I got it right.”
He passed the painting to Lingzi, instructing her to hold it flat with both hands, parallel to the ground.
Then, Zhou Xuan extended his right hand into the knife gap and asked the painter, “Old Hua, I’ve already stuck my right hand in. Are you asking how, without retracing my steps, I can use my right hand to touch the front of the canvas? Is that correct?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s easy.”
Zhou Xuan withdrew his right hand and summoned the Bone Teeth blade, cutting a second knife scar about a foot long next to the first one on the canvas.
Then, inserting his entire arm into the first knife scar, Zhou Xuan bent his elbow, curled his palm toward himself, passed it through the second knife scar, rotated his wrist, and let his palm touch the front of the canvas.
“Huh…?”
“You spend all day painting, but your mind lacks agility.”
Zhou Xuan withdrew his arm, placed the “Two-blade painting” back on the table, and pulled Lingzi out the door.
“Young man, do visit the tea house often when you’re free. You’re quite the exceptional one.”
“We’ll see,” Zhou Xuan waved casually,
“Oh, I almost forgot sothing.”
The painter rummaged in his pocket and retrieved a Bone Token, tossing it in Zhou Xuan’s direction. The token hovered before Zhou Xuan.
On its front was an engraved scroll, proclaiming the identity of its owner.
“If you ever need my assistance, crush the Bone Token. I will certainly co.”
“Much obliged.”
As a Bone Token collector, Zhou Xuan grabbed the token, pocketed it, and gave the painter a slight bow before leaving with Lingzi in large strides.
…
“What a remarkable person, truly remarkable.”
After Zhou Xuan and Lingzi had left, the tea house returned to its stillness.
The painter once again focused on the painting. With a flick of his fingers, the canvas floated into the air and unfurled. Mimicking Zhou Xuan’s thod, he inserted his right hand into the first knife scar, bending his arm, his palm curling toward himself.
“Perceive reality as a sheet of paper. Tear one slit, and you can enter another space; tear a second slit, and you can return.”
The painter intoned the Dao Yan Divine Spell, igniting two flas, one in each hand.
One fla shot toward the exterior of the building, speeding rapidly to appear before the Bone Elder Temple,
while the other fla remained within the tea house.
With the two flas fixed in position, the painter adjusted his senses, perceiving reality as if it were a flat plane.
“Tear.”
The painter’s hands curled into claws, and under his command, the two flas rapidly extended, ripping a one-zhang-long fissure in the surrounding space.
With the fissure complete, the painter stepped directly into it,
and within seconds, he erged from the fissure in front of the Bone Elder Temple.
“At last, I’ve grasped the basics of the Space Law.”
The Bone Elder Temple and Baiyu Tea House were separated by dozens of kiloters. Yet, after stepping into another space, the painter found the front space collapsing rapidly, shortening the distance between the two slits.
A journey of dozens of kiloters had taken re seconds to complete.
If the distance between him and an opponent were not dozens of kiloters but just a few hundred ters, he could instantly appear behind, in front of, or even above them…
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