Chapter 73

Behind her, Su Yueyun had already been frightened to the point of losing her composure. Seeing that the person who had been painting was no longer pursuing the matter, she was about to step forward to apologize, but was pulled back by Ye Yu's outstretched hand. Confused, Su Yueyun asked, "Brother Yu, you..."

Ye Yu's expression was calm and composed as he gently said, "You did nothing wrong, why should you apologize?"

"Brother Yu, although Yueyun's mistake was unintentional, the painting was indeed stained because of her. Since this master is magnanimous and does not hold Yueyun accountable for staining the painting, it is only natural to..."

"This mediocre work is only fit for decorating a toilet, how could it be placed in a Buddhist hall! Yueyun, your action can also be considered a good deed for the Buddha!" Before Su Yueyun could finish her sentence, Ye Yu interrupted her with a mocking tone.

"Ah!" Su Yueyun was startled by Ye Yu's words.

Though his voice was low, it was firm and resolute. Everyone in the Great Hall was taken aback and turned their gaze to Ye Yu.

Among them, Shi Wansong was the most furious. Just now, out of respect for Master Huizhong, he had to let the matter of the ruined painting go.

However, he never expected that the person who had destroyed his painting would not only refuse to apologize but also belittle his work so much, which made his anger hard to suppress.

Pointing at Ye Yu, he accused, "You ignorant child, you ruined my painting and now you dare to speak ill of it. If you don't give a reason today, I will pursue this matter to the end!"

"Pursue it to the end? I already said that this painting is no different from toilet paper!" Ye Yu patted Su Yueyun's hand to comfort her and then faced the furious Shi Wansong without fear.

"Rubbish, you..." Shi Wansong was so angry that he was about to explode, but he restrained himself because of his senior status.

"Brother Shi, don't be angry. Ye Yu is young and impulsive, don't take it to heart..." Yang Wanli tried to mediate in this tense situation, which indeed had a calming effect.

Seeing that Shi Wansong's anger had somewhat subsided, he turned to Ye Yu and scolded, "Ye Yu, you were too out of line today! Master Shi is a professor at the Huai River Academy in Chuzhou, and his painting skills are already well-known. How can you, a young man, make such rash comments? You should apologize to Master Shi right now!"

Apart from the reasons of Yue Lin and Liu Quan, Yang Wanli also greatly appreciated Ye Yu's other outstanding qualities. Although they had not interacted much, he had always held Ye Yu, this outstanding young man, in high regard.

Otherwise, he would not have resolutely replaced the Longtuan Shengxue tea with Maofeng tea when presenting the tribute tea. Meeting Ye Yu here today was also a pleasant surprise for Yang Wanli.

However, he was somewhat displeased with Ye Yu's arrogant words just now.

"Does Lord Yang think I am talking nonsense?" Seeing the displeasure on Yang Wanli's face, Ye Yu asked in a serious tone.

"Nonsense!" Yang Wanli rebuked without hesitation.

Seeing Ye Mingzhi fanning the flames and causing others to sneer, Ye Yu knew he had to explain himself to get out of this situation smoothly. He calmly said, "Words alone are not enough. Perhaps you all think I am talking nonsense. Let me explain the flaws in this painting today!"

Ye Yu gestured for Qiulan to push him over. At this moment, everyone made way for him, each with a different expression, their eyes following Ye Yu. Shi Wansong glared at him, his face full of anger, and his eyes filled with disdain.

He thought to himself, how could a young boy compare to him, a learned scholar and a painter with decades of experience? He believed that in Chuzhou, no one could surpass him except for Yang Wanli.

Now, seeing Ye Yu speak so arrogantly, he was eager to see what this young upstart could say!

As for the anger in his heart, Ye Yu was also trying hard to suppress it. Su Yueyun's mistake in ruining the painting was wrong, but Shi Wansong's attitude was too arrogant.

Not only did he humiliate her in public, but he also exaggerated the matter, saying it was a desecration of the divine, which Ye Yu found hard to tolerate. Ye Yu always followed a principle:

Treat others as you wish to be treated. Those who respect you will be respected by you; those who do not respect you will be treated the same way.

When he reached the hanging scroll, he pointed to it and said, "This painting depicts 'Damo Crossing the River on a Reed.' Although the brushwork is skillful and the lines are smooth, it is too cliché and lacks sophistication.

The Buddha has no form, yet can take on the form of all beings. If so, our faces, which have spots and moles, would the Buddha's face be flawless?"

"The Buddha has no form, yet can take on the form of all beings..." Yang Wanli's expression changed, and he muttered to himself.

"You! You are just making excuses..."

Seeing Shi Wansong's wide-eyed stare, Ye Yu thought, "This is your own doing," and continued, "If so, what is wrong with Miss Su adding a stroke to the painting? Moreover, Master Huizhong collected paintings to spread Buddhism, but your 'Damo Crossing the River on a Reed' is only superficial. How can it convey the essence of Buddhism? Isn't this contrary to Master Huizhong's intention?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Master Huizhong. Seeing him remain silent, everyone had their own thoughts.

At this moment, Ye Yu pointed to Yang Wanli's painting and said, "Even Lord Yang's 'Eighteen Arhats' lacks the essence of Buddhism, but in terms of the theme, your work, Master Shi, cannot compare to it!

Each of the eighteen arhats is vividly portrayed, and their images are close to the lives of ordinary people. Although the arhats are depicted in dull clothing, this conveys a sense of simplicity and authenticity. How can the bodhisattvas and the Buddha save all beings without understanding the suffering of the people?"

After saying this, Ye Yu glared at Shi Wansong and shouted, "You old man, you falsely accuse others of desecrating the divine. Who else but you could be the one who disrespects Buddhism? If you have no good intentions, what use is it to burn incense and worship the Buddha!?"

His sharp words, like daggers, made Shi Wansong, who was already furious, gasp in shock.

Not only that, but the people in the hall were also in an uproar, whispering and pointing, their words filled with ridicule and amusement.

The only one who smiled kindly was the abbot of Langya Temple, Master Huizhong. At this moment, Master Huizhong's expression changed, and his eyes showed a glimmer of hope.

Yang Wanli, coming out of his contemplation, pondered for a moment before asking solemnly, "But what kind of painting has the essence of Buddhism?"

"Master, this person is just making excuses and has no talent to discuss the essence of Buddhism! He is truly ignorant! Since he talks so much about the essence of Buddhism, why not let him paint a picture in public!"

At this moment, Ye Mingzhi fanned the flames, knowing that his cousin was a poor painter. In this situation, it was a good opportunity to humiliate him. Shi Wansong, in a difficult position, naturally agreed with Ye Mingzhi's suggestion.

Ye Mingzhi's provocation only earned a cold smile from Ye Yu. Seeing that Ye Yu did not respond, Shi Wansong thought Ye Yu was conceding and sneered, "What, are you ignorant? Weren't you just talking so confidently?"

"Since Lord Yang is interested, how can I not answer? However, the essence of Buddhism can only be understood, not explained. Why don't I paint a few strokes, and let everyone judge the quality!" Ye Yu ignored Shi Wansong and Ye Mingzhi and spoke solemnly to Yang Wanli.

Although they were angry at Ye Yu's disregard, they had to swallow their resentment. As they spoke, a young monk brought the necessary painting materials.

Once everything was prepared, Ye Yu went to the table, picked up a fine brush, and casually twirled it in his hand before dipping it in ink and starting to paint on the rice paper.

The crowd gathered around the table, eager to see what this extraordinary young man would paint. They all wanted to know if he had real talent or was just a talkative fraud.

Master Huizhong still had his eyes half-closed, muttering Buddhist scriptures. Ye Mingzhi, however, stared at the table, a smile on his face, expecting to see Ye Yu humiliated in public.

But as time passed, Ye Mingzhi's expression gradually turned to astonishment.

He saw that Ye Yu's painting technique was quite different. He held the brush at an angle, almost like smearing, which did not seem like a scholar's painting.

At first, the onlookers thought Ye Yu did not know how to paint, which explained his strange brush posture. But as the figures in the painting took shape, they were surprised.

For Ye Yu, this was a difficult situation. He had already criticized Shi Wansong, and if he did not produce a decent painting, he would be in trouble.

But he knew his painting skills were limited. He could hardly finish a simple flower, bird, or fish, let alone a painting better than Shi Wansong's. However, he had no choice but to use some modern techniques.

He used splashed ink to create an abstract style and sketched numerous small figures with his rudimentary drawing skills. Fortunately, although Ye Yu's painting skills were not great, he had some foundation. He hoped this mixed style would meet the audience's expectations.

As time passed, more and more figures emerged from Ye Yu's brush, each with a unique posture and expression, even though they were sketched with just a few strokes.

The men, women, and children in the painting were all busy, and upon closer inspection, they all had smiles on their faces.

After everyone saw the painting, they looked at each other in surprise. In terms of technique and brushwork, this painting was not a masterpiece.

However, Master Huizhong, who had been silent, became excited as Ye Yu's painting neared completion. He exclaimed, "What a wonderful depiction of the benevolence of all beings! The donor has great merit! Well done, well done!"