Chapter 64 - The Master of Seclusion, the True Face of Jiangshan

The sun was scattered in every corner of the exhibition hall. Zhao Ti walked towards Xia Zhuozhuo in a hurry, following the light and shadow, with a gleam of curiosity in his eyes. "Little girl, what you said just now is very true. Recently, I do feel that something seems to be missing in my paintings, but it is hard to describe. Can you please give me some advice and tell me how to avoid going astray?" Xia Zhuozhuo smiled gently, and her clear eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. "Mr. Zhao, your problem is not the depiction of mountains, rocks, flowing water or clouds, but the fact that you have too many distracting thoughts in your heart, which covers up the most precious quality of your paintings - aura." "Aura?" Zhao Ti frowned and fell into deep thought when he heard this. He had been praised by his master countless times for the aura contained in his paintings, which was the soul of his paintings. However, now this aura seems to be disappearing quietly, making his paintings lose their former vividness and charm. Xia Zhuozhuo continued, "Yes, aura. It is the life source of the painting and the direct expression of the painter's emotions. When your heart is full of desires and distractions, this aura will be covered up and the painting will lose its soul." Zhao Ti suddenly realized, and he looked at Xia Zhuozhuo gratefully, as if he saw a lighthouse guiding him out of the fog. However, Xu Linxi on the side was anxious. She had just laughed at Xia Zhuozhuo for being a country girl who didn't understand art, but now she saw that she easily pointed out the problems in Zhao Ti's paintings, which made her lose face. "Master Zhao, don't listen to her nonsense!" Xu Linxi shouted anxiously, trying to interrupt Zhao Ti's gratitude to Xia Zhuozhuo. She couldn't let Zhao Ti be moved by Xia Zhuozhuo's words, otherwise she would become a laughing stock in the eyes of everyone. Zhao Ti ignored Xu Linxi's call. He thanked Xia Zhuozhuo solemnly: "Little girl, your advice has opened my eyes. Please let me express my sincerest gratitude to you!" Xu Linxi's face turned pale when she saw this. She turned her spearhead to Xia Zhuozhuo: "You said you know painting, but you don't even like Master Zhao's paintings. Then why has the Chinese painting world never heard of your name?" Xia Zhuozhuo smiled slightly, with a bit of mystery and confidence in that smile. "Who said there is no name for me in the Chinese painting world?" Zhao Ti's heart trembled when he heard this. He looked at Xia Zhuozhuo carefully, and his eyes, which had been turbid, now flashed with a strange light. Could it be... "You...you are..." Zhao Ti's voice trembled, as if he was about to reveal an amazing secret. Xu Linxi sneered, thinking that Xia Zhuozhuo was deliberately mysterious. "Hmph, don't tell me you are a master of Chinese painting. Even if the leader of Chinese painting comes, I can't have never heard of you!" Xia Zhuozhuo shook her head gently, her tone calm and firm. "You are normal, because I use another name in the Chinese painting world." "Oh? Then tell me, what is your other name?" Xu Linxi asked provocatively. "Jiangshan." Xia Zhuozhuo uttered two words lightly, but it was like a thunderbolt, instantly causing an uproar in the crowd. "Jiangshan? The master who is praised as the treasure of Chinese painting? Jiangshan, who is respected as the treasure of the times by the painting world?" The exclamations in the crowd came one after another, and everyone widened their eyes and looked at Xia Zhuozhuo in disbelief. "She...she is Jiangshan?" Zhao Ti's voice was also trembling, and his eyes were full of shock and awe. He finally understood why Xia Zhuozhuo could point out the problems in his paintings so accurately. It turned out that she was the legendary master of Chinese painting! Xu Linxi's face turned very ugly. She never expected that this seemingly inconspicuous country girl was actually Jiangshan, the Chinese painting master she had admired for a long time! She was unwilling and could not accept this fact! "Impossible! You must be lying!" Xu Linxi screamed loudly, trying to cover up the panic in her heart with her voice. She clenched her hands into fists, her nails deeply embedded in her palms, and the pain kept her awake for a while. The discussion in the crowd came one after another. Some people questioned Xia Zhuozhuo's identity, while others firmly believed that she was Jiangshan. After all, in this era, no one who could surpass Jiangshan's paintings has appeared. And Jiangshan's paintings are even more praised as priceless treasures, each of which contains a deep cultural heritage and unique artistic charm. "You say you are Jiangshan, then what evidence can you produce?" Someone asked loudly. "Yes, Master Jiangshan is a man, and I heard that he is not young. You are so young and still a girl..." Another person echoed. Xia Zhuozhuo smiled slightly, with a bit of calmness and indifference in her smile. "Evidence? My paintings are the best evidence. As for gender and age, are they really that important to artists?" The crowd fell into silence, and they began to re-examine Xia Zhuozhuo, trying to find the shadow of Jiangshan in her. Xia Zhuozhuo stood there quietly, letting people's eyes wander over her. She knew that true art could not be measured by words. It exists in every detail and flows between every stroke. Suddenly, a voice rang out in the crowd: "I remember that Master Jiangshan has a representative work "Between Mountains and Rivers". The mountains and rivers in that painting seem to be alive, which is refreshing. If you are really Master Jiangshan, can you paint such mountains and rivers?" Xia Zhuozhuo smiled slightly and nodded. She walked to the easel, picked up the brush, and painted freely on the rice paper. After a while, a lifelike landscape painting appeared in front of everyone. The landscape in the painting seemed to have life, quietly telling an ancient and mysterious story. The crowd was excited again, and they were all amazed at Xia Zhuozhuo's talent and skills. Xu Linxi stood aside with a pale face. She finally understood that the gap between herself and Xia Zhuozhuo was not only the gap in artistic attainments, but also the gap in mentality and realm. Xia Zhuozhuo put away his brush and glanced at Xu Linxi indifferently. "Remember, art is priceless, and it should not be bound by money, status or fame. A true artist creates with his heart and expresses with emotion. And you may need more time to understand this truth." After speaking, Xia Zhuozhuo turned and left, leaving a group of stunned audiences and Xu Linxi who was lost in thought. She knew that she still had a long way to go, but she believed that as long as she persisted, one day she would become a person who wrote legends with a brush like Master Jiangshan. "Master Jiangshan, a word is worth a million gold, how dare she cheat under this name?" Amid the roar, everyone was ready to bring her to justice. One person quickly took out his cell phone and wanted to call the police. Everyone pressed Xia Zhuozhuo, fearing that she would escape. At this time, Si Shenxing led the crowd to come. It turned out that Huo Gang came to visit after hearing the news. Unexpectedly, the person who was cursed and surrounded by everyone was Xia Zhuozhuo!