Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 174: Take a Step Back

After a few days, even Chen Xuan felt that he was "running out of energy". He incorporated everything he saw, thought of and could connect into the originally simple word "longevity", including flowers, birds, fish, insects, swimming fish and beasts, including mountains, rivers, sun and moon. He felt so powerless that he couldn't squeeze out even a drop of words.

In the words of scholars, this is reaching the limit of what one has learned. In the words of martial artists, this is reaching a bottleneck. Once you cross it, you will enter a whole new world.

But that one step away was like a chasm that was always visible and intangible.

During this period of time, he and Gao Jingming were visibly haggard. It was not physical fatigue, but mental exhaustion that made Xiaoye and Xiaocai cook all kinds of delicious food for them to nourish their bodies, but it had no effect.

That night, in the study, Gao Jingming sorted through the manuscript again and again, checking each word one by one, and counting them again and again. Finally, he weakly scratched his messy hair, looked at Chen Xuan, his eyes full of fatigue and bloodshot, and said in a tangled voice: "Ah Xuan, I counted ten times, checked ten times, a total of 998 longevity characters, only two short of a thousand."

At this point, he grabbed his hair in distress, looking a little crazy as he said, "But there are only two left. I really don't have a clue. Now when I think of the word longevity, my head hurts and my eyes are double. All the longevity words I wrote and summarized before are circling around me. I can't think of anything new anymore because every idea I have can be found in the previous ones. I really can't express this feeling in words. It's too uncomfortable."

Of course Chen Xuan understood this feeling, he understood it too well, ten or a hundred times more deeply than Gao Jingming himself. Hope was right in front of him, but it was just a little bit short. The feeling of being stuck in the middle was so uncomfortable that it made him want to vomit blood.

It would be fine if I could spit it out, but it's stuck there.

Fortunately, with the support of his powerful cultivation, he was able to maintain his composure. He simply exhaled and said, "Master, the more it is at this time, the more we should relax. Being too persistent will only lead to getting stuck in a dead end."

"A Xuan, I understand the truth, but when the time comes, how can I relax?" Gao Jingming said painfully.

After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old boy. At first, he just treated it as a birthday gift to complete the homework assigned by his teacher. At most, he wanted to show off among his classmates, but gradually, he and Chen Xuan got themselves trapped in it.

But now I can’t get out of it, just like those scientific researchers who have reached a critical step and driven themselves crazy.

Chen Xuan didn't know how to persuade Gao Jingming. He himself was so upset that he didn't know who to talk to.

So the two of them fell into a long silence.

Xiao Cai and the others outside the door found that the study had become quiet. They had been watching Gao Jingming and Chen Xuan's performance during this period, and they became more and more uneasy, but they could not help and could only worry.

After a long silence, Gao Jingming suddenly sighed, then slumped back in his chair and said with a smile, "Ah Xuan, I suddenly realized that we are purely suffering from our own faults. Why bother to fight with ourselves? In fact, we have done well enough. Those two words are not a big deal, right? The current 998 words can already form a picture of pine and crane longevity."

Chen Xuan was stunned when he heard this, then he laughed too, saying in a relaxed tone, "Yes, Young Master is right, we are simply being hard on ourselves. There is no such thing as perfection in the world. As the saying goes, only a tiny flaw in white jade is the best. Perhaps those two missing words are what make the painting we want to complete truly outstanding."

At this moment, Chen Xuan was really relieved. He exhaled lightly and felt extremely relaxed all over, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Suddenly, the saying "one step back, the sky is wide open" popped up in his mind.

Gao Jingming no longer hesitated, still looking relaxed. He let the stack of manuscripts in his hands fall away and said with a smile, "Ah Xuan, I've decided. I won't think about anything today. Starting tomorrow, I will start the first draft of the Wanshoutu. I will spend a few days to finalize the first draft, and then I will start to use 998 characters to assemble the complete product."

"Well, as long as the young master has made the decision, just let me know if you need anything," Chen Xuan nodded.

Gao Jingming, no longer entangled, felt relaxed and stood up, saying, "I'm going to go wash up. I've been making myself look like a ghost these past few days. Even my classmates and teachers noticed that something was wrong with me and asked me if I had something on my mind. I didn't know how to answer."

"Master, go ahead. I'll clean up here."

Chen Xuan smiled and waved his hand. Using some tricks, a breeze blew up in a small area of ​​the room, and the scattered papers flew up and gathered in his hands.

Gao Jingming turned around and looked at him with some envy and said, "Ah Xuan, your martial arts skills seem unfathomable to me now. Just looking at your precise control, I don't think I can catch up even if I practice for another ten years."

He really got over it and actually still had the mood to care about this.

Chen Xuan took the manuscript back, shook his head and said with a smile: "Young Master, please don't laugh at me. Martial arts are only a minor skill, and learning is the main skill. For example, two-thirds of our 998 longevity characters were compiled by you from various books. I really can't compare with you in this aspect. If I were to do it myself, I'm afraid I might not be able to complete so many even if I spend several months."

This was not Chen Xuan complimenting him, but telling the truth.

Gao Jingming turned and walked towards the door, reaching out to open it and said, "Ah Xuan, you still treat me like a child. I finally understand you. From childhood to adulthood, I seem to be just a child in your eyes, but you are obviously a few years younger than me. What I compiled is just copying others. I really admire the writing methods you have figured out in the past few days..."

"Master, wait a minute," Chen Xuan suddenly called him. Gao Jingming turned around and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Looking at the stack of manuscripts in his hand, recalling the process of receiving them just now, a variety of strange longevity characters flashed through his mind. Suddenly, Chen Xuan said with a sudden inspiration: "Master, I think we have completed the Pine Crane Longevity Painting."

"What do you mean? Ah Xuan, have you got another inspiration?" Gao Jingming said with his eyes shining. He no longer dwelled on the same thing, so he was no longer so excited even though Chen Xuan seemed to have gained something.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Young Master, His Majesty is the Supreme Son of Heaven, and the number ninety-nine is what demonstrates his status. So, now that I have completed the character for longevity, it will add up to nine hundred and ninety-nine characters. Isn't that just right?"

"A Xuan is right. Why didn't I think of it? It's just right. So can you let me see the 999th longevity character you completed? I get a headache every time I think of this character," Gao Jingming said with sudden enlightenment.

Chen Xuan pointed to the stack of manuscripts in his hand and said with a smile: "Master, isn't this it?"

After a moment of shock, Gao Jingming stared, his eyes glowing, and asked, "A Xuan, what do you mean?"

"That's right, it's just as you thought, young master. Let these 998 longevity characters form the last one. This is the best we can do," Chen Xuan nodded.

"Haha, haha, great, I can sleep well tonight," Gao Jingming clapped his hands and turned around to leave. His whole spirit was refreshed, as if he had reached a whole new state.

Chen Xuan smiled as he looked at his back. It was obvious that Gao Jingming had completely broken through himself. He only needed to rest for a night. Starting tomorrow, he would make rapid progress in his studies and the road ahead would be smooth.

This situation cannot be explained in words, it is similar to an epiphany.

But Chen Xuan didn't feel too happy in his heart. Even though he thought he had achieved the best, he always felt that something was missing. It would be perfect just a little bit, but it was always that little bit short. He couldn't see or touch it, so he moved on.

Maybe it was because I didn’t have enough understanding, I wasn’t able to see through it all at once like Gao Jingming did after feeling relieved.

"I was still trying to counsel him, but actually I'm the one who's stuck in a dead end," Chen Xuan laughed at himself. Now that things have come to this, since he can't do any better, his previous casual mentality has returned. He simply doesn't dwell on the matter anymore. Let it be whatever it is, let nature take its course. Perhaps one day he will make up for the shortfall, but who knows how long it will take.

Next was Gao Jingming's job. Chen Xuan couldn't help him with how well he could complete the drawing. After all, everyone's handwriting was different, and he needed to complete it from beginning to end in one go.

After tidying up the study, Xiao Cai and the others pointed upstairs and whispered to Chen Xuan excitedly as they left: "Xuan'er, you've finally finished. The young master is so relaxed that he washed up and fell asleep on the bed with a relaxed smile on his face."

"Well, it's done. The next thing will be easy," Chen Xuan nodded affirmatively.

"very nice……"

The next morning, while having breakfast, Chen Xuan saw that Gao Jingming was in high spirits. It was a refreshed look after breaking through himself, and he was happy for him.

Since he had nothing to do next, he calculated the time and said, "Master, the renovation of the house in Mocheng will be completed in the next two days, so I plan to go over to inspect it, clean it up, and add some furniture and decorations. In two days, you can move in directly."

"Well, Xuan, you go. It's just so happens that I'll finish the first draft in the next two days, and then I'll take a few days off, and then go over there to completely complete this drawing. To be honest, I'm looking forward to the final product very much." Gao Jingming said in a relaxed tone. There was no pressure or burden on him anymore, only fighting spirit and expectation.

"Okay, I'll be there soon. Take care of yourselves here, young master."

"We're all grown up, Xuan, and you're still worried about us. You should take better care of yourself after all the busy work..."

After finishing the discussion and eating and drinking their fill, they went their separate ways. Chen Xuan also left the academy and set out again on the road back to Mo City.

Gao Jingming's matter has come to an end. Chen Xuan has been exhausted during this period of time. He doesn't care about it and gives himself some relaxation.

Although he was busy studying different ways of writing the word "longevity" during this period, he was not oblivious to what was happening outside. He still paid attention to various aspects. For example, the incident of the large number of blacksmiths disappearing in Mocheng seemed to have passed, and Zhuo Erniu had left the small market outside the academy and returned to Mocheng.

For example, Chen Xuan had already learned the identities of the three people who targeted Gao Jingming that day from the daily conversations among the students in the academy...

(End of this chapter)