Early summer in May, the sun set in the west.
The rays of the setting sun shone through the windows and doors of the bookshop hidden in a remote alley. The interior of the room was separated by a screen divider. Under the setting sun, the landscape drawing on the screen divider reflected a few different colors.
Ye Xiu stood in front of the desk behind the screen and lowered his head to look at the Xuan paper spread on the table. Between his fingers, he held an ordinary black writing brush. After pondering for a moment, he dipped the tip of the brush into the ink that had already been ground. He started to draw on the slightly yellowed paper.
The brush moved with his hand, and the ink danced on the Xuan paper. After he finished, the first stroke of the ink had already dried.
An ink wash painting appeared on the paper.
Mountains and rivers were vividly painted, with sharp rock edges and curvy waterflow. The surrounding of mountains and rivers were left with blank, and it emitted a strong artistic conception.
"Not bad, not bad. My painting skills have improved recently, and my level has risen."
Ye Xiu put the brush in his hand to the side and sized up the ink painting that he had learned not long ago. He could not help but nod his head in satisfaction.
Even he himself could hardly believe this was his painting. Fortunately, there were still two corners that could be called mountains.
However, the painting was meant to be appreciated. It was about the spirit and expression of the painted subject, not the appearance of it. The key was to let people feel the freehand brushwork in the painting.
Today, he had specially come to paint this landscape. Other than practicing his brush strokes, he also wanted to use this painting to commemorate the old customer who might have passed away due to a terminal illness.
After all, the old man who called himself Ban Shan was probably almost eighty years old, but he did not act like an elder at all. Instead, when he was in front of Ye Xiu, his words and actions were filled with respect. It was obvious that he was impressed by Ye Xiu's skill. That was why he respected Ye Xiu so much.
Ban Shan spoke with an ancient tone, and his speech was close to the ancient language. He was probably just starting to learn the ancient language, and his foundation was not very good. It sounded a little awkward, but he still insisted to talk in that way. It was obvious that he was a fan of ancient culture. It was not a surprise that he like ink wash painting, a work of art that had been passed down for a long time.
It was understandable that Ban Shan regarded Ye Xiu as a master calligrapher.
In fact, Ban Shan had even given Ye Xiu gifts, hinting that he wanted Ye Xiu to become his teacher.
Unfortunately, Ye Xiu could only refuse.
He had only learned painting for three years. The only reason he was able to reach his current level was because the brush he had accidentally bought was easy to use, allowing him to draw what he wanted.
As for his true skill, Ye Xiu knew very well that he was far from being a master artist. He could only be considered a regular expert.
Of course, there was another important reason why he hadn't accepted a disciple.
That was because the gift that Ban Shan had given him was too bad. He had only given him a paperweight. It was carved from the most common bluestone and lacked beauty. It wasn't even as good as the copper paperweight he was using now.
However, when the gift came to his door, he still accepted it. He also gave him a set of words with the word 'rise' written on it.
Even though it was a very simple word, at the time, Ban Shan had thanked him profusely with a face full of joy. It was clear that he really liked the calligraphy that he had given him.
Ye Xiu was also very satisfied with having such a fan.
Unfortunately, Ban Shan had suddenly told him with a solemn expression that he had encountered the greatest disaster of his life. He had even said that he might not be able to meet Ye Xiu in the future.
Ye Xiu didn't ask what the reason was, but he had some guesses.
Other than incurable diseases, what other difficulty would stop them meeting each other, especially with Ban Shan's age?
It was a little awkward and inappropriate to ask Ban Shan directly. It would just remind him his illness and make him more depressed. Ye Xiu consoled him and then wrote a 'miracle' calligraphy, hoping that a miracle would happen to tide him over.
But today, he found a letter in the mailbox at the entrance of the shop.
The words in the letter were filled with sadness and reluctance to leave. He lamented that he did not meet Ye Xiu earlier, and time was running out in the blink of an eye. Finally, he expressed that he might not see Ye Xiu again for a long time, hoping that he could see Ye Xiu again in the heaven.
The first two sentences were very easy to understand, but the last two sentences looked like he was waiting for Ye Xiu to die and meet him in the heaven. It sounded a little vicious, and it was not what Ban Shan would say, so he should be lamenting that he did not have much time left.
"I don't know what kind of terminal illness it is. I think the surgery didn't succeed."
Ye Xiu sighed slightly. He felt a bit regretful.
Where could he find such a good customer again?
The other customers hadn't come for a long time. Ban Shan was the only customer in the shop who had returned. He had unfortunately passed away. Ye Xiu's days in the future would be difficult.
Fortunately, even though the old man had only bought two calligraphy pieces, he was very willing to spend money. As a result, Ye Xiu still had some savings. If he used them sparingly, he could last for a few months.
Unfortunately, Ye Xiu was transmigrated to this magical continent. He didn't have any family by his side, nor did he have any talent. He was destined to be an ordinary person.
Moreover, the magic in this world was very powerful. Knowledge from his original world didn't have any values in here.
He could only open a bookstore and learn how to draw while cultivating his hobbies.
He couldn't become a mage. At least he had seen it before.
"If there's another fan who can pay me, it'll be much easier for me."
Ye Xiu muttered and put away the Xuan paper on the table.
At this moment, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Under the setting sun, a long shadow fell from outside the door onto the floor of the house.
Ye Xiu's hand paused slightly. A guest had arrived?
Outside the alley that he couldn't see, the elongated shadow on the ground slowly twisted.
Suddenly, one of the shadows became denser. It stood up straight and turned into a slightly thin and slender figure that walked out from the shadow.
With the setting sun at the back, one could see the face of a 16 or 17-year-old young girl. Her skin was fair and smooth, and her eyes were as deep as ocean.
The young girl raised her head and looked at the bookstore called 'Ancient Road Bookstore' not far away. She frowned slightly.
"It's here?"
Ban Feimeng stood under the setting sun and looked at it for quite a while. Then, she took out a crystal ball. The starlight inside the crystal ball rotated once and pointed forward, just in the direction of the bookstore.
"The magic letter left behind by the ancestor before entering the deity world landed here?"
Ban Feimeng flipped his hand and put away the crystal ball, walking into the shop.
After entering the shop, she could immediately smell the faint scent of ink in the air, which calmed her down slightly.
"Hello."
A calm greeting came from her right side.
Ban Feimeng turned her head and couldn't help but be slightly startled, her eyes couldn't focus for a short while.
Ye Xiu sat on a chair leisurely. He didn't have the slightest intention of getting up. He was secretly sizing Ban Feimeng up.
"She looks like a student, but her temperament isn't bad and has a cold expression. She is probably more mature."
"But I don't seem to have any learning materials here. They're all ancient books."
Ban Feimeng felt a bit strange. Before she entered the room, she hadn't noticed Ye Xiu's existence. Had the detection magic on her body lost its effect?
However, with her magic array-enhanced eyes, she could see that the young man in front of her didn't have any magic aura on him. There weren't any traces of magic on his body either. He was just an ordinary person.
"Could it be that I've just mastered the detection spell and neglected him?"
Ban Feimeng warned herself that it was time to work hard, but she didn't show it on her face. She asked, "You're the keeper of this place?"
"Why does her style of speaking sound a bit like Ban Shan? Could it be that she's another person who likes ancient cultures? Someone in the ancient culture circle recommended this place to me?"
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Ye Xiu's mind. He smiled and said, "Congratulations on finding the right place. I think the place you're looking for is here."
Since the other party was a fan of ancient culture, he couldn't use the usual 'welcome' and 'hello' greetings. He sold ancient books and would occasionally sell some calligraphy and paintings. The customers he faced usually liked ancient culture too. He would imitate the words and actions of the ancients.
For such guests, it was necessary to respond in the tone of the ancients, which was more evocative.