Chapter 178: Chapter 167: Characters Manifesting a Painting, Calligraphy Dao Perfection

With Mr. Sun the Elder by his side, Xiao Wuge couldn’t possibly ask him for help for real.

But the aggrieved look in the eyes on his small face all but spelled out one word: "pitiable."

Chen Yi saw his expression and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, but he also gave him a meaningful look.

He then gave a slight bow, greeted Elder Sun, and sat down at the stone table.

Sun Fu naturally noticed the two of them exchanging glances.

How could he not know what Xiao Wuge was thinking at that moment? He had no choice but to temporarily stop his "lecture" and say with a smile:

"Qingzhou, I have come today to bid you farewell."

Chen Yi wasn’t surprised.

A long time ago, Sun Fu had revealed to him his intention of traveling to Jinling.

He had thought Sun Fu would set out shortly after Duke Qian, Zhang Xuan, had left. He never imagined nearly a month would pass before Sun Fu was finally ready to depart.

"You’ve made your final decision?"

Sun Fu glanced at the oblivious Xiao Wuge, sighed, and nodded.

"A few days ago, I sent a letter to my wife and son explaining the situation. They will pack their bags tomorrow."

"After I return home, I will travel with them to Jinling."

"Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t try to dissuade you. But the road to Jinling is long; please take good care of yourself."

Chen Yi knew Sun Fu’s move to Jinling was something of a gamble.

After all, Xiao Wuge’s ability to attract the phenomenon of the thrashing Golden Carp had a touch of the metaphysical about it.

But on second thought, Sun Fu going to Jinling would only be beneficial for Xiao Wuge, with no downsides.

With this elder, who was on good terms with the Xiao Family, in Jinling, Xiao Wuge’s future days as a hostage there would be a little easier.

At the very least, they had a rapport.

Sun Fu nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Just saying these pleasantries won’t be enough."

"Don’t forget the two calligraphy scrolls you promised me."

Chen Yi chuckled, told Xiaodie to prepare dinner, and then led Sun Fu straight back to the study.

Watching the two of them walk away, Xiao Wuge couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. ’My brother-in-law really knows what he’s doing.’

Xiaodie saw his pensive expression and asked in a low voice, "Young Master, are you that afraid of Mr. Sun the Elder?"

"It’s not fear... it’s just... a little strange."

Xiao Wuge wasn’t really bothered by Sun Fu’s earlier lecture; he just found the look in his eyes very odd.

Although it looked like the caring gaze of an elder, there was a fiery intensity within it that made him uncomfortable.

’Good thing he’s leaving tomorrow. Going to Jinling... Jinling?’

Xiao Wuge’s little face went blank as unpleasant images surfaced in his mind.

’Why is *he* going to Jinling?’

’Don’t tell me he’s planning to go to Jinling early to wait for me to arrive as a hostage?’

’Nooo.’

「Inside the study.」

Sun Fu had no idea that Xiao Wuge had figured out his little scheme. He was currently acting like an attendant, grinding ink for Chen Yi.

It had to be said.

As a Confucian Scholar who had studied for decades and served as an official for decades, even the simple act of grinding ink was performed with more poise and propriety than an ordinary person.

So as not to be impolite, Chen Yi also stood before the table.

He spread out a few slightly larger sheets of Yunsong Paper while making small talk with Sun Fu.

Most of it was asking about his plans after arriving in Jinling.

"I have two distant relatives there. I’ve already asked them to find a place to live. It’s a small, private courtyard right by the Qinhuai River."

"I have a few old friends in Jinling I can visit from time to time."

"I’m not worried about finances, either. There are several private schools I can teach at. I could even get a position at the Jinling Academy."

"My son is strong and hardworking, and my daughter-in-law is skilled at needlework. We’ll be able to make a living."

Listening to Elder Sun ramble on about these details, Chen Yi’s initial thought that this was a gamble began to fade.

For a man over sixty to find a worthy goal to strive for in the final stage of his life was truly a blessing.

"To learn the Dao in the morning and die by evening is perfectly fine."

It was much like that.

When the ink was smooth and its glossy black surface reflected the dim yellow light of dusk from beyond the window, where the evening clouds had finally scattered.

Chen Yi calmed his mind slightly. Then, under Sun Fu’s watchful gaze, he brandished his brush and wrote down the title:

"Farewell to Duke Changming in Shu State."

He paused for a moment.

The image of Sun Fu’s heroic, all-or-nothing gamble involuntarily surfaced in Chen Yi’s mind, and he switched the poem he had originally intended to write for a new one.

Then, his hand moved with his heart. With a slight pressure from the brush’s shaft, the two words "Thousand Li" leaped onto the paper.

Instantly, a heroic aura with the power to uproot mountains emerged.

This was followed by the two words "Yellow Clouds," the brushwork light and deft, linking the new characters to the old and creating a seamless flow.

When the four words were complete.

Wisps of golden fluorescence appeared, as if outlining the characters, dyeing the black ink with a layer of gold.

Faintly, on that narrow sheet of paper, a scene of "a thousand li of yellow clouds" actually materialized.

It appeared with lifelike vividness, like a weather phenomenon of yellow sand swirling into the sky to form clouds.

It also reflected an expression of utter shock onto Sun Fu’s previously calm face.

"The words... the words... The words are revealing a painted scroll! The Calligraphy Dao at Perfection..."

But Chen Yi was completely unaware of this, still writing with single-minded focus.

Even as the glow washed over him in a golden sheen, he did not pause for an instant.

At this moment, Sun Fu’s slightly clouded eyes were wide with astonishment.

He swallowed subconsciously, glanced at the serene-faced Chen Yi, and then looked back at the Yunsong Paper on the table.

He softly recited the poem that was unfolding like a painted scroll.

"A thousand li of yellow clouds... the white sun dims."

"The north wind blows the wild geese through swirling snow."

"Don’t worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in all the world does not know of you?"

Without a single pause, Chen Yi brandished his brush and splashed ink, completing the poem "Farewell to Duke Changming in Shu State."

Only after he had written his signature, "Chen Yi, Chen Qingzhou," affixed his seal, and set down the Wolf Hair Brush did he finally return to his senses.