Chapter 188: Xue Luo’er

Niu Youdao brought no one else with him. As before, he took only Yuan Gang. When they reached the jade halls and towers, they went to the same place where they had met Han Bing the day before. Han Bing had not appeared yet. Chu Anlou summoned Xiaorong instead.

Xiaorong had people carry over an easel and the other equipment, then asked Niu Youdao, “Mister, please take a look. Will these things work?”

She had never dealt with anything like this before, and it was obvious she lacked confidence. In fact, she had been the one to contact Chu Anlou and ask him to bring Niu Youdao over early. She feared that if Han Bing arrived first and discovered the preparations had not been handled properly, Xiaorong would appear incompetent. Niu Youdao tried the equipment briefly. It felt awkward. He asked them to make adjustments.

Everything was simple enough, so changing it was not difficult. Xiaorong did not dare treat the matter lightly, however, and hurriedly ordered people to correct the problems on the spot. Niu Youdao also had Yuan Gang refine the charcoal pencils and a few other tools.

An assistant had to be given something to do, after all. Otherwise, Yuan Gang would not look much like an assistant.

Only after everything had been adjusted in front of Niu Youdao and he confirmed there were no problems did Xiaorong finally breathe a sigh of relief. The weather cooperated as well. The sky was an endless clear blue. After the sun rose, Han Bing arrived.

“How are the preparations?”

She approached with several maids following behind. Xiaorong bowed slightly.

“Chief Steward, everything is ready.”

Han Bing nodded, then asked Niu Youdao, “Can we begin?”

“Yes.”

Niu Youdao nodded.

“Have you settled on the backgrounds?” Han Bing asked. “If so, go wait at the first location you selected.”

Niu Youdao examined the direction and quality of the sunlight. He had Yuan Gang bring over their notes, then quietly discussed with him how the shadows cast by the light would affect each background. The others listened from the side. Han Bing gave small nods from time to time. It sounded very professional. The more she listened, the more reassured she became. Chu Anlou had already found the strange painting tools peculiar. Now, hearing this discussion, his entire understanding of painting seemed to be overturned.

He had never imagined there could be so many considerations involved in painting a picture. Han Bing had previously said this man’s work was unique beneath Heaven. Now Chu Anlou found himself genuinely looking forward to seeing it. Yuan Gang had an even better grasp of timing than Niu Youdao.

Taking into account the direction of the light at the ten selected backgrounds and estimating how long each portrait would take, he drew out a route linking the ten locations.

“First here. Then here. After that, this one... If we proceed in this order, the results should be best.”

Han Bing and the others seemed to understand now why Niu Youdao had brought Yuan Gang. An assistant like this really was useful.

“Good. We’ll do it this way.”

Niu Youdao nodded and handed the notes back to Yuan Gang. Then he cupped his hands toward Han Bing.

“Chief Steward, the sun has only just risen. Let us begin by the river and lake.”

Han Bing immediately instructed the others, “Do as he says. Clear unrelated people away from that area. Do not let anyone disturb them.”

“Yes.”

A maid immediately accepted the order and hurried away, while others carried the easel and equipment after her. Han Bing personally went to invite Xue Luo’er. Chu Anlou stayed close beside Niu Youdao.

“Is there anything you need me to do?”

Niu Youdao glanced back at him. From the expectation in Chu Anlou’s eyes, he understood immediately. The man wanted some opportunity to perform in front of the Pavilion Master and Chief Steward. Niu Youdao could not think of anything particularly suitable for him to do.

But since Chu Anlou clearly wanted something, he had to invent a task for him. They might still need the man’s help later.

So Niu Youdao tried, “When the light is harsh, it interferes with painting. Would holding a parasol be too demeaning for Innkeeper Chu?”

“Not at all, not at all! Leave it to me.”

Chu Anlou waved both hands repeatedly, then looked around. Where was he supposed to find a parasol? He hurried away.

“I’ll go get one!”

He shot into the distance. Niu Youdao watched him go with a cold sidelong glance. If offending the man had not been inconvenient, Niu Youdao would absolutely have seized this chance to make him lose face. The group reached the waterside and waited for a while. Before long, Han Bing arrived with Xue Luo’er, who wore a long white dress. Seen up close, Xue Luo’er was even more coldly beautiful. It was not merely that her face showed no expression.

Even the gaze in her clear eyes remained perfectly still and undisturbed.

“Greetings, Pavilion Master.”

Niu Youdao cupped his hands respectfully.

“You are the one who painted Sha Huanli?”

Xue Luo’er’s voice was clear and elegant, but the tone was cool.

“Yes.”

Niu Youdao answered politely. Xue Luo’er noticed Yuan Gang standing motionless behind him, showing no awareness that he ought to salute. Her clear eyes narrowed faintly, and she gave him an extra glance without quite meaning to.

Perhaps neither Niu Youdao nor Yuan Gang himself had noticed it, but Yuan Gang’s current appearance created a powerful visual impact on women. To most women, Yuan Gang embodied two words with brutal directness: A man.

Whenever the two stood together, under normal circumstances Niu Youdao was liable to be ignored by women entirely while their attention drifted toward Yuan Gang. Niu Youdao himself was not unattractive.

But when the two were placed side by side and compared in appearance, bearing, and physique, Yuan Gang immediately overshadowed him.

To women, Yuan Gang represented the word “male” far more forcefully.

Xue Luo’er withdrew her gaze from him. Han Bing looked around but could not see any especially beautiful scenery.

She asked in some surprise, “You’re painting here?”

“By the river.”

Niu Youdao pointed to a spot.

“Near us, the river surges past. Ahead are green lotus leaves on the lake. In the distance are the mountains.”

Han Bing followed his gesture. Looking at it that way, there really was something to the scene. She waved a hand.

“Chair.”

Someone quickly carried a chair over. Niu Youdao stared.

“What are you doing?”

Han Bing said, “Didn’t you say she should sit by the river?”

“What I want is a natural scene. What am I supposed to do with a chair full of artificial craftsmanship sitting there?”

Niu Youdao pointed.

“I already chose the seat. See that large rock by the water?”

Han Bing’s face darkened.

“You want the Pavilion Master to sit on a rock on the ground?”

“...”

Niu Youdao was speechless. In the end, he compromised.

“Fine. If she must sit in a chair, then she can sit in a chair.”

Unexpectedly, Xue Luo’er herself spoke.

“Remove the chair. Do as the painter says.”

With that, she walked toward the rock. The chair was taken away. Still, someone ultimately placed a cushion on the stone. Standing behind the drawing board, Niu Youdao began directing her.

“Pavilion Master, don’t face this way directly. Turn your body to the right.”

“Yes. A little farther.”

“Look ahead.”

“Don’t sit too straight. You’ll frighten people.”

“Let one hand rest naturally on your leg.”

“Yes, yes. Exactly like that...”

Standing nearby, Han Bing did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Then Niu Youdao said, “Chief Steward, could you straighten the Pavilion Master’s skirt a little?”

Han Bing walked over and crouched beside Xue Luo’er.

As she adjusted the dress, she asked, “Like this?”

“Pull it in a little. Don’t make it too neat...”

In the end, Niu Youdao walked over himself. He could hardly put his own hands on Xue Luo’er’s skirt, so he stood nearby and gave close instructions instead.

“Like this. Move that part a little this way.”

“Yes, yes. We want a natural kind of beauty.”

“Right. Good. That’s it.”

The two stepped back to the drawing board together. Han Bing looked again from this angle and smiled faintly. She had to admit, the fellow had a good eye. Now that she looked at the Pavilion Master from here, the whole image truly was pleasing. It seemed the one million gold coins had not been wasted after all. The man simply possessed that kind of eye.

“Pavilion Master, stay exactly like that. Don’t move.”

After giving the instruction, Niu Youdao used his charcoal pencil to gauge the proportions and distances. Then his hand began moving rapidly across the paper with a soft, continuous rasp. Standing to one side, Yuan Gang watched what appeared on the board and felt his teeth ache slightly. They had crossed into another world, and Master Dao was standing here drawing sketches. This was not something Yuan Gang could do. But there was no helping it. Master Dao knew all sorts of obscure crafts and clever little techniques.

In his previous life, he had possessed broad interests and liked learning practical handiwork. Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting went without saying. He even knew carpentry and stonework. He could weave things like straw sandals and sleeping mats. Yuan Gang remembered that Master Dao had once reconstructed an ancient waterwheel entirely by himself. Following descriptions in old texts, he had personally fired high-quality replica porcelain in a kiln, nearly indistinguishable from genuine antiques. Using ancient formulas, he had fired Qin bricks and Han tiles.

He had even copied old calligraphy and paintings well enough to produce convincing replicas. Master Dao simply knew too many things. Yuan Gang had long since realized that a man like him genuinely could not starve anywhere he went. As Master Dao used to say: You can never have too many skills. Han Bing repeatedly looked from Xue Luo’er, sitting motionless by the river, to the drawing board. The outlines of the person and scenery gradually emerged. It was wondrous.

This truly was a painting method she had never seen before. Only then did Chu Anlou finally come running back. In his hands was a wooden frame with a piece of cloth stretched across it. He hurried over and held it up to block the slanting sunlight from Niu Youdao. There was no helping it. Cultivators were everywhere in this place, and no one used umbrellas.

Chu Anlou had searched and failed to find even a single rain parasol, so he had improvised something on the spot. Han Bing turned her head toward him. The Pavilion Master herself was sitting there in the sunlight. What was he doing shading someone over here?

She asked heavily, “What are you doing?”

Chu Anlou hurriedly replied, “I was afraid the sunlight might interfere with Mister’s painting.”

Niu Youdao spoke up for him.

“The sunlight is rather harsh. It was making it difficult to see clearly. This is much better.”

Only then did Han Bing let the matter go without saying anything further. Chu Anlou gave Niu Youdao a grateful look. He now somewhat regretted the way he had humiliated the man earlier.

And so he continued holding the makeshift “parasol” to provide shade while watching the image slowly appear on the drawing board.

So this was the kind of painting it was. Even he could not help marveling inwardly. At last Niu Youdao lowered the charcoal pencil. The first portrait was finished. Han Bing quickly went over to help Xue Luo’er rise, then invited her forward to see it.

Standing before the drawing board, Xue Luo’er looked at herself sitting by the river and gazing into the distance, framed by the mood and depth of foreground, middle distance, and far scenery. Her bright eyes immediately lit up. She looked up and compared the painting with the landscape before her. Everything seemed so vivid, so lifelike. Only then did she realize that she herself could be this beautiful.

Han Bing asked, “Young Mistress, what do you think of the painting?”

Xue Luo’er answered in her usual cool, clear voice.

“Good.”

Her gaze remained fixed on the image of herself and would not move away. She seemed drawn into the world of the painting, into the mood of a solitary figure alone beneath Heaven and Earth. Han Bing smiled. With the Young Mistress’s temperament, getting even one word of praise out of her was no easy thing. She pointed to the drawing.

“Quickly, put it away and take it to Young Mistress’s room. Be careful. Don’t damage it.”

“Yes.”

Two maids stepped forward and carefully removed the portrait.

Han Bing turned back toward Xue Luo’er and asked tentatively, “Holding yourself still like that is tiring. Young Mistress, would you like to rest for a while?”

“No need. Continue.”

Xue Luo’er gave the answer without hesitation. Han Bing immediately turned and asked where the next portrait would be painted. Once the location was confirmed, everyone quickly gathered the equipment and moved on. The group soon arrived before a flower-covered wall, thick with green vines and dotted with blossoms. This time, the scene would show Xue Luo’er in profile as she walked past the flowering wall.

[End of Chapter 188]