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Chapter 82: Talking about calligraphy!
Demonic Translations
[Translator/Proofreader: Samael]
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“Why does it matter to you whether I give my birthday gift or not?” Xiao Yifeng glanced at Wang Haoran with displeasure.
“We’re still students, so there’s no need for us to participate in these formalities. Qin Yunhan and I both came empty-handed, yet you offered a gift. Wouldn’t that make us lose face?” Wang Haoran said.
“That’s right, it’s normal for Zhaozhao to bring him gifts since she’s his granddaughter. You’re not Elder Mu’s grandson, so there’s no need.” Qin Yunhan agreed.
Students typically have no financial capabilities of their own. Even if they were to prepare a gift, they’d buy it using their parents’ money, rendering it completely meaningless and insincere.
Hearing the eldest lady speak, Xiao Yifeng was trapped in a dilemma for a while.
If it was just Wang Haoran’s opinion, Xiao Yifeng could completely ignore it. But now that the eldest lady had also stepped in, Xiao Yifeng was put in a tight spot.
If he insists on giving Mu Zong a gift, wouldn’t he practically be slapping the eldest lady in the face?
“Little friend, I appreciate your kindness. You look at me like you would at your own old man. This alone makes me happy enough, so you can take your gift back.” Mu Zong went about refusing the gift in a rather roundabout way.
“Then
 that’s fine.” Xiao Yifeng felt aggrieved, but he ultimately had to take back the gift.
The reason why he wanted to give Mu Zong a birthday gift was mainly to gain the goodwill of the eldest lady and Mu Zhaozhao.
But if he insists on giving a gift, he would only anger the eldest lady even further.
[Ding! The host stops the protagonist, Xiao Yifeng, from showing off! Receiving 200 Villain Points.
Xiao Yifeng’s Protagonist Halo -10!
Host’s Villain Halo +10!]
Wang Haoran reaped a wave of rewards, just like he’d hoped.
Then

With a smile on his face, Qin Kai approached and congratulated Mu Zong with a gift of his own.
Mu Zong hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, as they chatted for a while.
Due to the relationship between Qin Yunhan and Mu Zhaozhao, the two have grown quite close. It can be said that the relationship between Qin Kai and Mu Zong was quite harmonious.
After chatting with Mu Zong, Qin Kai walked toward his daughter.
“Is the dormitory easy to live in?” Qin Kai asked with a chuckle.
“Easy, yes. Comfortable even! I plan to live there until graduation.” Qin Yunhan snorted.
Qin Kai merely laughed in response.
In his mind, Qin Yunhan was merely throwing a tantrum.
He knew his daughter too well. She was pampered ever since she was a child, so it would be impossible for her to live in the school’s collective dormitory.
‘It’s only a matter of time before you go back to living in the villa.’
As for whether she could truly survive until graduation? Qin Kai never even considered it.
“Master Mu’s calligraphy is truly getting better and better.”
“Such wonderful calligraphy, each of them is easily worth a thousand pieces of gold!”
“A thousand pieces of gold is nothing compared to the legacy left behind that will be remembered for ages in the future
”
— — —
Some of Mu Zong’s recent calligraphy works were hung in the banquet hall. Some of the guests who were interested in calligraphy started to speak, as they thoroughly admired the pieces.
Mu Zong is a well-known contemporary calligrapher. His calligraphy works vary in style, including running script, cursive script, and regular script.
One of the most talked about and respected is his running script.
“Sister Yunhan, let’s go take a look too.” Mu Zhaozhao suggested.
She was influenced by her grandfather’s calligraphy since she was a child, so she had a strong interest in calligraphy. Unfortunately, she was a bit lazy and didn’t learn much.
However, that didn’t affect her interest in calligraphy at all.
“Okay.”
Qin Yunhan nodded and walked towards the hanging calligraphy in the banquet hall with Mu Zhaozhao.
Personally, she wasn’t very interested in calligraphy. However, the calligraphy looked elegant and dynamic even from a distance. Thus, even she wanted to take a look.
Seeing this, Xiao Yifeng followed without hesitation.
He has no interest in calligraphy, but he is very interested in Qin Yunhan and Mu Zhaozhao.
Qin Yunhan and Mu Zhaozhao admired the calligraphy, and would occasionally whisper some words of admiration.
After Xiao Yifeng approached the two, he interjected, “These words are so well-written, worthy of being called the work of a master.”
“You hillbilly, you haven’t even any books in the past few years, so what would you know about calligraphy?” Qin Yunhan contemptuously replied.
“I haven’t read any books, but I can still write, and I think I can write well.” Xiao Yifeng boasted.
“The devil believes you.” Qin Yunhan pouted.
“Little friend, do you know how to write calligraphy?” Mu Zong was nearby, and after hearing Xiao Yifeng’s words, he couldn’t help but come over and ask.
“Yes.” Xiao Yifeng nodded, “But my calligraphy is not written with a pen, but with a sword.”
With Mu Cong’s exquisite calligraphy standing here, Xiao Yifeng certainly did not dare to use a pen, so he wanted to show his talent in another way.
He has practised martial arts for many years, wielding his sword like an arm, and writing with a sword is no different from writing with a pen.
That said, this could also be considered a skill for ordinary people.
When combined with his swordsmanship, he will be sure to amaze the audience.
“Oh?!” Mu Zong was surprised.
He also knew some colleagues who were engaged in calligraphy, some of whom were unique and did not need to use a brush to write calligraphy.
However, none of them has ever used swords to write calligraphy. After hearing Xiao Yifeng’s words, he couldn’t help but get excited. He really wanted to see it.
“Mr. Mu, can you get a sword over here? It should be no less than 30 pounds, the heavier the better.” Xiao Yifeng made a special request.
In truth, for him, whether he wrote with a pen or a sword made no difference.
The only difference is that the sword’s weight requires him to use more force, which is what makes this look so impressive.
When Mu Zong heard this, he was even more surprised.
With such a heavy sword, it would most likely be very difficult to hold, which would make it increasingly more difficult to write.
Mu Zong was looking forward to Xiao Yifeng’s performance more and more.
“Okay, I
”
“Today is Grandpa Mu’s birthday. It’s a good day, but dancing with a sword seems like a bit of an ill omen, no?” Wang Haoran deliberately interrupted Mu Zong.
“This
” Mu Zong hesitated.
The fear of superstitions: the older you get, the more critical it is.
It is indeed not a good omen to have swords and knives at a birthday banquet.
“It’s just a sword dance to write calligraphy, it’s not a fight. What’s so unlucky about that?” Xiao Yifeng looked at Wang Haoran and was very dissatisfied.
“He’s not your grandfather, so of course, you don’t think much of it.” When Qin Yunhan saw Xiao Yifeng get upset, she couldn’t help but scold him alongside Wang Haoran.
“Grandpa, I don’t think it’s appropriate to dance with a sword, so let’s forget it. If you really want to demonstrate calligraphy, then you could do just the same with a pen.” Mu Zhaozhao cared deeply for her grandpa, so she tried to reason with him.
“That’s true.” Seeing that his precious granddaughter had spoken, Mu Zong immediately dismissed the idea of letting Xiao Yifeng demonstrate calligraphy.
He looked at Xiao Yifeng and said, “Little friend, how about using a pen instead of a sword?”
“I’m used to writing calligraphy with a sword, and I can’t find the feeling with a pen, so let’s just forget it.” Xiao Yifeng found an excuse, but while he was talking, he unhappily stared at Wang Haoran.
[Ding! The host stops the protagonist, Xiao Yifeng, from showing off! Receiving 200 Villain Points.
Xiao Yifeng’s Protagonist Halo -10! Host’s Villain Halo +10!]
Wang Haoran received a wave of rewards and felt very relieved.
Immediately, he took a few steps forward, glanced at the surrounding calligraphy works, and suddenly gave a few words of praise:
“Grandpa Mu’s calligraphy has the strengths of ancient and modern calligraphy. It’s a style of its own, how admirable.”
“Haoran, you also know calligraphy?” Mu Zong couldn’t help asking.
“In front of the master, I dare not say I ‘know’ it.” Wang Haoran spoke modestly, before changing the topic:
“That said, I do also dabble in some calligraphy. I’ve copied works such as those from the Four Masters of Regular Script, the Four Masters of the Song Dynasty, and other calligraphers who are masters of the cursive and running script. I’ve done so no less than a thousand times until I had finally learned their essence.”