Lu Gaosheng looked at the painting for a good while, very much liking it. But problems also came along. From the brushwork and ink details, this painting was also done by Zhang San's hand.
"Shopkeeper, this painting has profound meaning. Does it have a name?" asked Lu Gaosheng.
Zhang San, standing behind Lu Gaosheng, answered, "Someone has named it 'Serenity'."
Lu Gaosheng pondered briefly and smiled, "That is quite a good name. A painting with such heroic aura must depict someone. I wonder who it depicts, someone from the classics or the jianghu?"
Zhang San thought this was not good. From the conversation details, this Lu Gaosheng was clearly much more discerning than Ming Qing. But having accidentally told Ming Qing the origins of this painting, and not knowing the relationship between Lu Gaosheng and Ming Qing, he could not lie. He had no choice but to brace himself and tell the truth.
But Zhang San also understood he absolutely could not mention Xiu Wangchou right now. After all, he knew nothing about Xiu Wangchou's experiences over the past 20 years.
Zhang San smiled and said, "You have keen eyes, sir. This painting depicts a friend of mine."
"What is his surname and name, and what does he do?" asked Lu Gaosheng.
Knowing he absolutely could not hesitate now and make Lu Gaosheng think he was lying, Zhang San said, "His name is Fang Jian. He was a wandering knight of jianghu, but he has passed away now."
"How did he die?"
"There were many bandits in my hometown. This knight tried to save my hometown and befriended me, but he was killed by the bandits."
Lu Gaosheng bombarded him with questions. "How did you paint this scroll with such aura and valor?"
"After I moved to Tian Ruo City, one night as I was painting, I suddenly thought of my late friend's bearing, and my heart was moved, so I painted this."
"I see. To die fighting bandits and saving the people, he was indeed worthy of the heroic aura in this painting! But I wonder which place in Nan Commandery was your hometown?"
Zhang San replied, "Fengli County in Nan Commandery."
None of Zhang San's words contradicted what he had told Ming Qing that day. Having lived in the south for years, Zhang San was very knowledgeable about the various jianghu forces there. Thinking on his feet, none of his words were groundless.
With Fengli County and surrounding counties connecting several prefectural cities in two commanderies, they were contested territories for many jianghu forces in the south. So Zhang San's mention of rampant bandits made sense.
And there were indeed historical cases of righteous jianghu people eliminating villains in Nan Commandery, which fit with the friend named 'Fang Jian' he spoke of.
Zhang San understood clearly that lies needed to be logical and well-founded to withstand close questioning. Only then could they stand.
And Zhang San was waiting for Lu Gaosheng to keep asking...
But Lu Gaosheng did not, because as a fellow southerner, he knew continuing to nitpick over these questions would be meaningless.
Lu Gaosheng then asked, "What plans do you have now?"
Zhang San said, "What do you mean, sir?"
Lu Gaosheng said, "You were bullied by several villains yesterday. Aren't you afraid they will come again?"
Zhang San's brows furrowed slightly, still not understanding. He asked, "You mean..."
Lu Gaosheng smiled and said, "Your paintings are excellent, I like them very much. And as the prefect, I cannot let those scoundrels go. So in the near future I will add more patrols and yamen runners in the surrounding streets, which can also put the shopkeepers' hearts at ease and allow you to run your business here. This will let you feel at ease doing business here."
A ruthless prefect showing such concern for whether a shabby painting shop could stay in business? Just because he liked the paintings?
Zhang San thought this was simply absurd.
This Lu Gaosheng had asked so many questions for so long—it was all to probe me!
Could it be I really revealed something to make him so relentless?
In his heart, Zhang San silently developed the intent to kill.
He didn't care whether this Lu Gaosheng was a good or bad person, or that he was the prefect. Anyone who threatened his livelihood had to die!
They were only three steps apart. A scholar without martial arts skills or strength to truss a chicken, Zhang San was confident he could snap his neck in an instant.
Why not...
Just kill him now!
As for the yamen runners next to them, killing them all would not be difficult either.
However, at this moment, Zhang San caught some sights in his peripheral vision—a porter carrying rice bags walking by, a peddler hawking along the street...
Killing the prefect in broad daylight, massacring the yamen runners, then fighting the Twin Wolves and killing them too before fleeing with his apprentice...
Although he could do it, the risks were astronomically high.
Immediately, he restrained his killing intent.
All thought processes were merely the affair of an instant.
Zhang San immediately said happily, "Then I must thank the Lord Prefect! You truly love the people!"
Lu Gaosheng smiled slightly, then continued looking at the paintings in Zhang San's shop.
Half of Zhang San's paintings were new, and half were old.
After looking closely for a while, to confirm, Lu Gaosheng asked again, "These were all painted by you?"
Zhang San thought it strange. This Lu Gaosheng did not seem ignorant about painting. People knowledgeable about painting could discern whether dozens of paintings were by the same person just by looking at the technical details, of course assuming the painter had not deliberately changed their style.
Although finding it odd, Zhang San still answered, "Of course."
Lu Gaosheng kept looking at the paintings.
He looked at one, then another.
Gradually, the corners of his mouth turned up.
Although half were new and half were old, the paper quality was different. This kind of paper material...
And the details of the yellowing blank spaces...
How interesting.
Lu Gaosheng thought this as he looked at Zhang San with a smile.
The two looked at each other.
After a while, Lu Gaosheng said, "I have bothered you for a long time, shopkeeper. I will take my leave now. Right, your painting 'Serenity' is an exquisite work. I will buy it for 1,000 taels of silver. I wonder if you are willing."
Zhang San was stunned in place.
Lu Gaosheng smiled slightly. He took a 1,000 tael silver note out of his sleeve and placed it on the table.
Then Lu Gaosheng turned and left.
Watching his departing back, Zhang San asked doubtfully, "Aren't you taking the painting, Prefect?"
Lu Gaosheng said, "Let the painting stay with you for now. I will...come again another day."
...
...
On the street, Xue Lang, disguising himself as a traveling merchant, did not feel relief until Lu Gaosheng walked out of the shop.
The reason he was wary was simple. Just now, he had sensed a flash of killing intent.
Killing intent.
This special term was usually only present in jianghu. And jianghu people had differing views about this concept—some believed it, some did not.
This kind of special perception was also often used in wuxia novels by scholars, to demonstrate a jianghu veteran's experience traveling the realm. But in reality:
You could say killing intent existed.
Not all jianghu people could sense this perception. Sometimes even masters at the Heaven rank could not detect it. So it seemed killing intent was unrelated to martial arts cultivation.
But you could also say killing intent did not exist.
Yet occasionally some people in this world could sense this very mystical thing.
As if some danger was giving you an alert in the dark.
Xue Lang unconsciously touched his scalp. The fleeting feeling just now was something he had never encountered before.
Usually when killing intent emerged, it meant someone's intent to kill had come out. So killing intent would not disappear so quickly. But just now, that killing intent had vanished at a speed that even made Xue Lang wonder if it was just his illusion.
But if it was an illusion...
This sensation that made his scalp tingle with such intensity, he had only felt that strongly once before in his life—when he and his brothers had just made a name for themselves in the jianghu, and encountered Hei Shanhu, ranked first on the jianghu power list.
The situation at that time was truly a "narrow escape from the tiger's mouth"!
...
...
At the same time, a customer also arrived at the tofu shop entrance.
The customer was a middle-aged man in gray clothes, dressed very simply. He wore a jade belt, seemingly indicating some wealth and status. It was none other than the man who had come to Zhang San's painting shop several times before, and named one of Zhang San's paintings 'Serenity'—Ming Qing.
Bai Fang was strenuously moving boxes and shelves to use for opening the shop.
Ming Qing hurriedly ran over to help her...
"No need, sir," Bai Fang calmly replied, looking up.
Ming Qing revealed a smile, wanting to give Bai Fang a good impression.
Bai Fang's expression remained as cool and tranquil as before.
"You..." Bai Fang began to speak.
But Ming Qing quickly explained, as if afraid that Bai Fang would get angry. He interrupted and said, "Don't get me wrong, it's just that last night my family's servant told me about what happened to you, so I came over early this morning to see if you needed any help. I know you..."
Looking at Bai Fang, Ming Qing smiled awkwardly, "I know you don't like me coming to find you, but the south of the city is so chaotic. If you have any difficulties, don't hesitate to ask me for help."
Bai Fang looked at this sincere man and said lightly, "I don't hate you, I just don't like you coming to find me, you should know the reason."
Ming Qing scratched the back of his head. Seeing that Bai Fang did not shut him out, he was very happy, so he smiled foolishly.
A middle-aged man, revealing childlike gestures like scratching the back of his head and silly smiles, looked quite lovely at first glance.
Ming Qing looked around again. Before Bai Fang could stop him, he had already started moving the shelves and said joyfully, "As long as you don't dislike me, let me help you."
Bai Fang frowned and said, "How can you still be like when you were young?"
Ming Qing grinned, "Really? I must be a bit dumb to not have grown up."
"You're not dumb."
But Ming Qing said with a laugh, "I'm not dumb? I've studied for so many years but couldn't even pass the imperial examinations. My father is embarrassed to mention me, his useless son, in front of other people."
After chatting with Bai Fang for a while, Ming Qing became happier and happier, with an increasing smile on his face.
Seeing Ming Qing like this, Bai Fang sighed inwardly.
Bai Fang said, "I don't have much trouble here. It's just that the scholar from the painting and calligraphy shop next door was seriously injured yesterday trying to help my mother and I. If you are willing, please go and ask him if he needs any help."
Ming Qing readily agreed with continuous nods. He had never said 'no' to Bai Fang's requests, just like that young man from the Ming Mansion in the imperial capital many years ago.