The brush has been prepared, but the washed and processed tip is still wet. The sunlight outside is too weak on this cold day, so it is not easy to dry.
Fan Dazhi scratched his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly his face became solemn, he turned his right palm, the vitality above his hand fluctuated violently, and a ball of blue flame appeared out of thin air in his palm.
He held the brush in his left hand and placed it above the flame. In just a moment, the bristles were dry.
"When did you master this...this skill?"
He An couldn't help but be moved and exclaimed.
"Hehe... There is a passage at the beginning of "The Transformation of Yuan Qi" that is dedicated to introducing Yuan Qi. I didn't understand it at first. I made slow progress in practicing it, but I finally figured out what it meant!"
Fan Dazhi smiled sheepishly, picked up the tea cup and took a sip.
"According to the records, the vitality also has the attributes of the five elements. It is composed of the five attributes of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The two of them are mutually reinforcing and restraining each other, and they are endless. What is interesting is that the overall vitality does not show attributes."
Seeing that He An listened very seriously and looked like he was willing to accept the instruction, Fan Dazhi winked and took another sip of water leisurely.
"Later, I wondered if I could use my spiritual consciousness to control the vitality, stripping away the other four attributes of vitality, so that there is only a single attribute of vitality in a small area. Unexpectedly... I actually succeeded!"
As Fan Dazhi spoke, he opened his palms, and the vitality above them fluctuated violently again. His palms were filled with mist, and a pool of clear water appeared for a moment, and then wisps of white mist curled up, and in an instant, it turned into a piece of solid ice.
The ice cubes were thrown into the tea cup and made a crisp "ding-dong" sound.
The shopkeeper who stood at the door and saw this scene was stunned.
"Just now it was fire-attribute energy, now it's water-attribute energy!"
When He An saw this, he suddenly understood and couldn't help but praise: "I usually practice while you are lying on the bed, so you are thinking about these things, but you are too scary for a guy with such extraordinary talent!"
"Hehe...Actually, I just think it's fun!"
Fan Dazhi scratched his head with a smile, holding the finished writing brush in his hand, and walked out of the side room with He An. When they saw the dumbfounded shopkeeper at the door, they both raised their hands and thanked him.
"Uh...congratulations, gentlemen, for finishing it so quickly?"
The shopkeeper came back to his senses, looked at the brush in Fan Dazhi's hand with burning eyes, and asked: "This young master, can you... let me have a look!"
Fan Dazhi handed over the pen as he was told. The shopkeeper looked up and down with the brush, his eyes lit up and his goatee kept trembling.
"Not bad! Not bad! I like this pen very much... Please forgive me for being presumptuous, but I wonder if the two gentlemen are willing to give up their love? I am willing to pay a high price for it!"
The shopkeeper looked at the two of them with an expectant look on his face.
"Oh...how much are you willing to pay?"
Fan Dazhi's heart moved and he asked with a smile.
The shopkeeper thought for a moment and stretched out three fingers.
"Thirty...three hundred...taels of silver?"
Fan Dazhi was a little unsure, he frowned and couldn't help but say.
"Three thousand taels!"
The shopkeeper's voice was trembling: "As long as the two gentlemen part ways, I am willing to pay 3,000 taels of silver to purchase this deal!"
Three thousand taels of silver, the price was quite fair. The shopkeeper knew the identities of the two young Zhixingyuan disciples, and had seen the miraculous fire control skills of the little fat man in front of him, so he didn't dare to deceive them.
But if he could get this priceless treasure, it would cost more than ten thousand yuan if it were sold at auction. As a businessman, he would still make a lot of money.
"Three...three thousand taels...?"
Fan Dazhi swallowed in disbelief, and He An secretly took a breath next to him. The two of them were shocked beyond measure.
How big a pile of three thousand taels of silver would it be if converted into copper coins? I'm afraid the tables here can't fit together, right? Going out to restaurants every day and eating big fish and meat, you can’t possibly spend it all in this life, right?
Luoyang, the imperial capital, has so many stupid people and so much money!
Fan Dazhi was thinking wildly in his mind when a calm voice turned all his beautiful fantasies into naught.
"I'm sorry, we gave this pen to an elder... We won't sell it!"
He An woke up from his momentary trance and spoke decisively.
"Okay... Since it is given to the elders, I will give you a gift box to contain it, which makes it even more sincere and solemn!"
There was a look of regret on the shopkeeper's face, and he also expected that the young man might not be willing to sell such a precious thing. He took out an exquisite long wooden box from the cabinet, opened it, and it was padded with spices and covered with red silk. He put the pen into the box. He handed it back to He An.
"Old Jiang Boya, I have the good fortune to meet two young masters today and form a good relationship. I hope you two will patronize me more in the future, and the shop will flourish. It's a great honor!"
The shopkeeper resolutely refused to let the two of them pay, and said politely.
After sending the two young men out of the door, the shopkeeper Jiang Boya had just turned around. The paper-cutting man came over and whispered: "Uncle, I like the things of those two boys. How dare they not know how to appreciate them? Why don't I bring some brothers and give them to me?" Uncle, grab it back!"
Jiang Boya looked at his nephew with an idiot's eyes, his face was livid, and he said sternly: "We are serious businessmen, not bandits who rob families! Not to mention that the law is strict under the emperor's feet. It is rare for someone like you to be sued, even if you If you really go, do you think... the disciple of Zhixingyuan, that young man who is obviously a practitioner is easy to mess with?"
When he said this, he remembered that this nephew was idle every day, instigating his son to drink and gamble with him, neglecting his studies, and was not admitted to Zhixingyuan after three years of examination. He was furious, grabbed a pen holder at hand, and threw it at the man angrily. Go, the man was so frightened that he ran away with his head in his hands.
"Xiao An, why don't we sell the pen?"
Fan Dazhi hugged the kitten and followed He An, muttering quietly.
"Selling it for three thousand taels of silver, wouldn't it be nice to buy two more expensive gifts to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion? That way... we will have endless money to spend in the future!"
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the street, stretching the figures of the two people very long. The cold wind blew, and a piece of curled dead leaf was stepped on by He An. It made a soft "click" and turned into pieces. Blow into the crevices of the rocks.
"Actually, I was a little tempted just now, but at our age, if we suddenly get such a huge windfall, it will inevitably mess up our minds. In the future, our life will be too comfortable, and we will lose motivation in whatever we do..."
He An saw Fan Dazhi shrinking his head, saying nothing, and smiled slightly.
"Perhaps when I say this, you will think that the reason is a bit far-fetched, but there is a saying that "If morality is not matched, you will suffer." This amount of money is too big, so big that neither you nor I can bear it. I will definitely give it to you. We bring trouble, and besides...we have been busy all day, and the things we made with our own hands are going to be given to Teacher Ding, how can we resell them easily?"
He An finished speaking unhurriedly and looked at Fan Dazhi who said nothing quietly. He was holding the kitten in his arms and walking slowly.
The flags of the street taverns rustled in the wind, an ox cart creaked and rolled through the bluestone streets, and vendors hurried past with their burdens on their shoulders.
"Actually... you don't have to explain to me at all. No matter what you do, I will support you and I will listen to you in everything!"
Fan Dazhi grinned. His simple and honest look made it difficult for people to connect him with the guy who was talented in manipulating vitality just now.
He An's breath was suffocated, and his eyes were a little sore from the wind. Looking at this good brother who grew up together, he didn't know what to say for a moment...
Fan Dazhi shrank his neck, opened his chest and shirt, and put the still sleeping kitten in. He was already fat, and his chest and shirt were only slightly bulging, but nothing could be seen.
The two of them walked briskly. There was a roar of people in the distance, a steady stream of cars and horses, and the outline of the majestic palace could be seen in the distance.
Dingding Street in Luoyang City is as noisy and prosperous as ever.
In the secluded alley, several tall pines and cypresses stood majestically, as if blocking the hustle and bustle outside. He An and Fan Dazhi of Dingding Prime Minister's Mansion had been here before. They knocked on the door knocker a few times, and half of the red lacquered door slowly opened. The old housekeeper looked over. When they saw the two of them, they complained and hurriedly went back to report.
Not long after, the old housekeeper welcomed them in and said with a smile: "It's a coincidence that you two gentlemen have come. I just came back from a trip. Please come with me!"
The courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion is deep and deep. The two of them followed the old housekeeper through the corridor of the front hall and followed the cobblestone path between the vegetable gardens to the back house.
Although it is winter now, the leaves of the cabbage and radish in the vegetable garden are green and full of vitality in the land that is full of desolation and decay.
Faintly, there was the sound of a piano. The melodious and low sound of the piano was ethereal and echoed in the sky. It was silent when heard from a distance, but still lingering in the ears when heard up close.
At first it was like the sound of a mountain stream and the jingling of rings, and gradually it was like the gurgling water under a bridge. It became more and more urgent, and the sound was cheerful and clear, like a hundred birds singing and playing on the branches. It continued and became high-pitched, like a broken silver vase and an iron cavalry standing out... In an instant, there was smoke everywhere, and a force of gold and iron, with the energy of a tiger swallowing thousands of miles, went straight into the sky with the sonorous and powerful sound of the piano...
In the study room, sandalwood was lingering, and in the faint smoke, Ding Wenruo was sitting at the table playing the piano. He was wearing a moon-white light shirt with snow-feather shoulders, and a milky-white satin skirt embroidered with water-patterned snowcat down. Her slim waist was not enough to hold a hand. Showing an exquisite figure.
Her hair was gently pulled back, and a silver jade moon hairpin was inserted sideways, making her look as if she were in a beautiful city, floating like a fairy.
Ding Feiyong was sitting on the Grand Master's chair nearby, holding a tea cup in his hand, his eyes slightly closed, and he was listening leisurely and absorbedly.
"Master, bring the two young masters!"
As the sound of the piano turned to a low tone, the butler's voice came from outside the door.
Ding Feiyong stood up and walked slowly over to open the door. He An and Fan Dazhi bowed respectfully. The two young men had not seen each other for a long time. They had grown taller and their faces had lost their youthfulness and looked more mature and stable.
The sound of the piano was leisurely in the room. Ding Wenruo just finished playing a piece of music. He gently pressed his delicate hands on the strings and nodded slightly to He An and Fan Dazhi.
The lingering sound of the piano lingered around the beams, and He An secretly cheered.
"You two must have listened to the song "Po Zhenzi·Sha Bian Yue" just now. How did Wen Ruo play it?"
Ding Feiyong stroked his beard and smiled leisurely: "I won't test your homework today, just chat. Among the six arts of a gentleman, you also dabbled in the music of "Yue" in Zhixingyuan, so you might as well talk about it!"
