Chapter 74

When Zhao Shenluo and his daughter Zhao Danfeng were reunited, they naturally had much to talk about. The others did not disturb them and, after a hearty meal, they returned to the rooms arranged by Zhao Liangde to rest.

By now, it was already late, and returning to the hotel would not be safe. There had been several car accidents on the road from the outskirts to Nandu, and few people were willing to drive through there at night, even on the highway.

Moreover, everyone had had a few drinks and was feeling drowsy. Even She Lin, who usually didn't drink much, had a few more cups because the wine Zhao Shenluo brought out was simply too good. If he missed this opportunity, he wouldn't have another chance, so he might as well drink it.

In the quiet of the night, Zhang Tianyuan was alone in his room, lost in thought. He was probably the only one who wasn't drunk. With the Earth Qi in his body, he couldn't get drunk even if he wanted to. In the future, he might not be able to rely on alcohol to drown his sorrows, which was a trade-off.

He wasn't idle, either. Because the Earth Qi had upgraded today, he wanted to test the "Imitate" technique among the Six True Techniques.

Previously, the Six True Techniques he knew were only the "Seek," "Identify," "Nurture," and "Supplement" techniques. This time, with the Earth Qi reaching the Golden Dragon level, he could finally use the "Imitate" technique. Although it wasn't as powerful as the "Create" technique, the "Imitate" technique had its unique uses.

In the market, there were many people who couldn't afford genuine items but still liked to collect things. For them, forgeries were the best choice. Even though the price of a good forgery might not match the genuine item, it was still a huge market.

A copy of a Wang Xizhi calligraphy piece could sell for nearly 400 million RMB. Even if his imitations didn't sell for that much, they were worth at least a few thousand RMB.

With this in mind, he looked around and his eyes landed on a landscape painting hanging in the room.

The painting was still a work by Mi Fu. It seemed that Zhao Shenluo was a big fan of Mi Fu, both in calligraphy and painting.

Mi Fu's landscape paintings were actually more valuable than his calligraphy. At a recent auction, a Mi Fu ink painting called "Farewell to Dongpo" sold for 350 million RMB. The painting was actually quite simple, just a spontaneous creation by Mi Fu after meeting Su Shi to express his feelings.

According to the Song Dynasty's Zhao Lingchou in "Hou Qing Lu" (Volume 7): "Dongpo was in Huaiyang, hosting a banquet for over ten guests, all of whom were famous scholars, including Mi Yuanzhang. Halfway through the banquet, Yuanzhang suddenly stood up and said, 'I have a small matter to discuss with you, sir. People all think I am crazy, what do you think?' Dongpo replied, 'I agree with the majority.' All the guests laughed."

The Mi Yuanzhang mentioned here was Mi Fu.

Mi Fu, whose courtesy name was Yuanzhang, was from Wu.

Zhang Tianyuan had heard before that this painting was auctioned off by Zhao Shenluo. He had always wondered what kind of person Zhao Shenluo was, but he never imagined that he would not only meet Zhao Shenluo today but also save his life and see the original painting.

Using the "Identify" technique, he confirmed that the painting on the wall was indeed the genuine article from the auction.

He couldn't help but feel a bit moved. Zhao Shenluo must have trusted him a lot to hang such a valuable item in the room. Wasn't he afraid that I might be tempted by the wealth?

But upon further thought, if he really took it, his relationship with Zhao Shenluo would surely become strained. Even if Zhao Shenluo didn't pursue it, their relationship would be irreparably damaged. In the choice between 350 million RMB and Zhao Shenluo, the decision was easy.

Zhang Tianyuan was not a petty thief or a short-sighted person. A painting worth over 350 million RMB wasn't enough to make him forget his ideals; that would be too cheap.

He laid out a piece of paper. The room had all the necessary tools for painting, and since Mi Fu's painting was a simple ink painting with no other colors, it was relatively easy to imitate.

To be safe, he closed the door before starting to paint.

Zhang Tianyuan had never learned to paint before, and his skill was about the same as a primary school student's.

But after using the "Imitate" technique, he suddenly painted with great speed, as if Mi Fu from ancient times had possessed him. His brush strokes were fluid and graceful.

At that moment, Zhang Tianyuan seemed to transform into someone else, completely out of his own control.

Zhang Tianyuan himself felt very strange. He could sense that the one moving the brush was indeed him, but he didn't need to do anything; he just let the Earth Qi control his hand, and the painting quickly took shape.

The painting was completed in less than half an hour. He looked at the original on the wall and then at the one on the table, and he couldn't help but admire the power of the "Imitate" technique.

It was almost identical, with no discernible differences.

If there was any difference, it was that the ink on his painting was still wet. Even if it dried, a skilled appraiser could still tell the difference in the ink.

This might be because Zhang Tianyuan's "Imitate" technique hadn't reached its peak. If it had, the forgery would be indistinguishable from the original.

But he didn't care. He didn't plan to pass off forgeries as genuine items; that would be a betrayal of his principles. In the antiques business, once you went down that path, there was no turning back. If you were caught, you might not be able to work in the industry anymore.

He signed his name at the bottom of the painting, but he used the "Imitate" technique to mimic Mi Fu's calligraphy style.

At a glance, except for Zhang Tianyuan's name, the painting and calligraphy were a perfect match. If an expert saw it, they might think Mi Fu had been reborn.

In the past, Mi Fu painted landscapes and figures, and his forgeries were so good that they were indistinguishable from the originals.

Now, Zhang Tianyuan was imitating Mi Fu's painting and calligraphy. If the eccentric and talented artist knew, he might marvel at the new generation surpassing the old.

Of course, Mi Fu's forgeries were based on genuine skill, while Zhang Tianyuan was a bit of a cheat.

But he didn't know if, over time, he might gradually become a master of painting and calligraphy himself.

To imitate Mi Fu's painting, Zhang Tianyuan consumed a lot of Earth Qi. The "Imitate" technique was indeed quite draining, even more so than the "Supplement" technique. No wonder it could only be used at the Golden Dragon level; if he had tried it before, it would have drained all his Earth Qi.

Fortunately, his Earth Qi was now at a high level. After consumption, he just needed to sit or lie quietly, and the Earth Qi would slowly recover, faster than before.

This was the benefit of the Origin Earth Qi. The golden dragon was a manifestation of Zhang Tianyuan's Origin Earth Qi. If the dragon were gone, he would have to be more careful with his Earth Qi, as it would be a finite resource.

Lying in bed, he thought about the events of the day and fantasized about his future success with the Six True Techniques, eventually drifting off to sleep.

PS: Since everyone is so supportive, I'll add another small chapter to satisfy you all, hehe.