In the quiet Scripture Depository, the only sound was the faint scratching of the brush against the paper.
The cloth used to wipe away the water stains became increasingly damp and soaked through.
Chen Mu was immersed in practicing his calligraphy, tireless and joyful.
He had never been so focused on a single task before.
In his previous life, he was not without the thought of practicing calligraphy.
But after buying the copybook and writing a couple of lines, he couldn't resist turning his attention to his phone. He kept at it for two days, then finally gave up.
It was the same in his daily life.
Sometimes he would wake up feeling that he was living a mediocre life and wanting to change, but by the next day, he would have sunk back into it again.
That feeling of being lucid one moment and drowsy the next was like "sleep paralysis," a nightmare from which one can't wake up.
But in this life, faced with the even more monotonous and difficult art of brush calligraphy, in a style that was completely foreign to him just a day ago,
Chen Mu burst forth with an unprecedented passion.
That feeling of knowing how to improve the next character after writing one compelled him to continue without pause, in a state of exhilarating fulfillment!
Around two in the afternoon, Chen Mu's stomach began to growl.
The sense of hunger pulled him out of his deep focus.
The characters written with water on the tabletop were slowly drying up.
The grey walls emerged once more before his eyes.
Calligraphy: 8056/10000/First Rank;
Chen Mu savored the feeling of wanting more.
No matter who brought him here, he was immensely grateful.
...
Lunch was brought to him by the young Daoist acolyte, Cheng Ming.
Three coarse grain vegetable cakes, a plate of boiled green vegetables, and a bowl of thin porridge.
Chen Mu devoured his food hungrily, leaving nothing behind under Cheng Ming's astonished gaze.
After Cheng Ming left, Chen Mu continued to practice his calligraphy.
The water in the brush-washing container was changed over and over again.
The cloth was wrung out and soaked anew.
It wasn't until the light dimmed and Chen Mu's vision blurred that he stopped practicing and started pounding his sore back with his hands.
Calligraphy: 8673/10000/First Rank;
On the grey walls, the skill in calligraphy had once again greatly improved.
"Pity it's still not as good as my predecessor."
After thinking about it, Chen Mu shook the water off the brush and carefully concealed it in the inner pocket of his wide sleeve.
There was a deadline for copying the Scripture. The observatory wouldn't allow him to linger here while freeloading.
Wanting to catch up to his predecessor's level as soon as possible and complete the Scripture copying task, he needed to work overtime in his guest room after rest.
He loathed this type of overtime during rest periods in his previous life, wishing he could curse the management of his company for generations.
Now, however, he felt somewhat eager to try.
...
In the west courtyard of Qingfeng Observatory, outside the Moon Gate, two figures stood in the shadows.
"Uncle He, has that scholar exhibited any abnormalities today?" a Daoist in his thirties asked solemnly.
He was Feng Ren, the head disciple of the Daoist Master Cheng Yi at Qingfeng Observatory.
Daoist He of the Fire Art glanced at the dark guest room not far away, frowning, "I deliberately tested him twice today and didn't find anything unusual."
"The Heartless Bell rang for no reason last night; surely some evil spirit has come to the observatory!" Daoist Cheng Yi said coldly. "Everyone here is trained in martial arts and robust in vigor and vitality, except for that scholar, who is frail and weak—it is most likely that he has been possessed!"
"But during the day, apart from dipping his brush and practicing calligraphy, he hasn't shown any other unusual behaviors, has he?" Daoist He was still undecided: "Could it be that the evil spirit was already frightened off by the Heartless Bell?"
"You say he's practicing calligraphy?!" Cheng Yi's eyes narrowed intently.
"I've seen him write, with a well-coordinated structure and an elegant script. If he writes so well, why continue to practice writing?" Cheng Yi snorted coldly.
"Really possessed by an evil spirit?" The complexion of Daoist He turned pale.
Don't think that Qingfeng Observatory is specialized in cleaning out evil spirits, but that's all for the observatory's head, Feng Ren.
Daoist He, who had worked with fire all his life, had never encountered such an inexplicable and strange thing.
The thought of possibly facing an evil spirit head-on made him shiver uncontrollably.
"So... shall we tie him up right now?"
"No, tonight the moonlight is too bright, and the evil spirit is even more cunning. We'll wait for tomorrow, first thing in the morning we'll lure him into the Ancestral Master Hall and suppress him directly with the Heartless Bell!" Cheng Yi said with resentment.
Indeed, this evil spirit was audacious enough to run riot in Qingfeng Observatory.
Moreover, ordinary evil spirits lack intelligence, but this one knew how to practice calligraphy, trying to bluff its way through, it was no ordinary evil spirit!
"Will it work?" Daoist He was uneasy.
"Evil spirits in possession, with spirit and flesh not aligned, are best controlled by the Heartless Bell, which excels at capturing souls—it's the bane of evil spirits!" Cheng Yi comforted.
"Uncle He, this is the Evil-warding Talisman left by the master. Carry it close to your body tonight. With it, you can sleep soundly. Everything else tomorrow as usual, and don't let any flaws show," Cheng Yi said, taking out a Yellow Paper Talisman from his sleeve, with patterns as red as blood on it. Illuminated by the moonlight, it seemed to glisten translucently.
"And Cheng Ming, he's young and easily influenced by evil spirits. After breakfast tomorrow, you should take him to the back mountain to farm. I will personally guide this scholar!" Cheng Yi exhorted carefully.
"Alright, I'll listen to you!" Daoist He's heart relaxed.
He certainly didn't want to face the evil spirit.
...
The next morning, Scripture Depository.
Chen Mu, with dark circles under his eyes, spread out a sheet of white paper about the size of two palms.
This was a specially cut paper for copying scriptures.
"The gate of origin, wondrous upon wondrous..."
He finished a page of scripture in one go.
Placing the brush on Pen Rack Mountain, Chen Mu compared the scripture he had just copied with the previous ones.
"Phew... finally, it's done."
With a thought, a grey wall appeared before him.
Writing: 103/10000/Second Rank;
All that grinding all night wasn't in vain.
Fearing discovery by others in the observatory, Chen Mu dared not light an oil lamp.
Fortunately, the full moon hung high last night, providing enough light for him to practice calligraphy under the moon.
"Young Master Chen, you're up early today," a voice suddenly sounded at the doorway.
Chen Mu jumped, looking up to meet a face with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
He knew this man, Qingfeng Observatory's chief disciple Cheng Yi, who had recruited his predecessor to copy scriptures.
Reviewing the memories of his predecessor last night, he found that there were seven sets of scriptures to copy in total, and the payment was generous— a hundred copper coins. With frugal living, that was enough to last him over a month.
"Good morning, Daoist Cheng Yi."
"I shouldn't disturb Young Master Chen while copying scripture, but I really need a favor, and I must be so bold as to come and ask," said Cheng Yi with a leisurely posture and a warm smile, while his heart tightened—anxiety bubbling up, careful not to rush, not to alarm, not to startle.
"Please speak?" Chen Mu looked at Cheng Yi curiously.
"A benefactor is coming to visit today, promising to request a copy of the Precious Scripture of a thousand characters to worship at home. This morning I discovered that the pre-copied Precious Scripture is down to the last copy, and it has an extra ink spot," Cheng Yi said with a troubled expression.
"That benefactor is a good friend of the master, and I really can't afford to neglect him. So I thought of Young Master Chen. Your calligraphy is elegant and beautiful, could you help to copy a set urgently?" Cheng Yi looked at Chen Mu earnestly and reached into his wide sleeve to pull out a small grey cloth bag, "A small token of appreciation, unworthy though it may be."
"No problem, where's the scripture?" Chen Mu took the cloth bag and agreed readily.
"This scripture is a bit special; it's engraved inside the Ancestral Master Hall of the observatory. You'll have to trouble Young Master Chen to bring your writing materials to the hall," Cheng Yi apologized.
"No problem, time is of the essence. Let's head there now," Chen Mu said without hesitation, turning to gather his writing materials.
Cheng Yi clenched his fist fiercely under his wide sleeve!
Success!