A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 191: Pine Wind in the Valleys

After having a satisfying meal and a good drink, Duan Rong prepared to return to Yuanshun Escort Agency, take a short rest, and then start practicing standing meditation.

But just as he reached the entrance of the escort agency, he was stopped by Ma Wentao, who said with a smile, "Master Duan, here is a visiting card for you."

"Visiting card? Which visiting card?" Duan Rong asked.

"Gu Yue Zhai."

Duan Rong was moved, took the invitation and opened it. It turned out to be from Tang Wanhong, the owner of Guyuezhai, who invited him to come over and appreciate an ancient painting.

It's called appreciation, but in fact it just means asking him to help take a look.

Thirty taels at a time was a lot of money for Duan Rong a few months ago. But now Duan Rong looked down on this little bit of money.

However, Duan Rong decided to make the trip anyway. Firstly, it was an original agreement and he didn't want to break his promise. Secondly, Gu Yue Zhai seemed to have some relationship with Shen Yanliu and it would be difficult to offend them.

Duan Fusion posted the message and asked, "When was this visiting card delivered?"

"Not long? About a quarter of an hour." Ma Wentao replied.

Duan Rong took the visiting card, turned around and walked towards the antique street.

Duan Rong hadn't been here for several months, but the stall owners still recognized him at a glance, calling him by his nickname "Touch" and greeting him affectionately.

Duan Rong just smiled shamelessly as a response and walked over quickly.

Duan Rong flashed into Guyuezhai, where the waiter Guan Kui was dusting the counter with a feather duster.

When Duan Rong went in, Guan Kui was stunned when he saw Duan Rong and was a little hesitant to recognize him for a moment.

Duan Rong's appearance has not changed, but his figure is much more muscular and taller than a few months ago. He has also changed into a bodyguard's uniform, and his aura has also changed greatly!
"What? Don't you recognize me?" Duan Rong said with a smile.

Guan Kui turned around and said with an awkward smile: "Mr. Duan has become much more majestic and his bearing has changed. I'm sorry that I almost didn't recognize him."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "It's not your fault. I should have come here more often. Where's Shopkeeper Tang?"

Duan Rong asked, his eyes moving.

Guan Kui said, "Manager Tang is in the back hall. He has told us that when Mr. Duan comes, he can just go in."

Duan Rong nodded, strode across the front hall, lifted the thick curtain and slipped in.

This back hall was originally a place for negotiating antique transactions. As soon as Duan Rong stepped in, he saw Tang Wanhong standing in front of the desk, looking at him with a smile.

On the table, a large painting of eight feet in size had been spread out.

When Tang Wanhong saw Duan Rong, he said, "Mr. Duan, you have really transformed yourself! I almost couldn't recognize you."

Duan Rong sighed inwardly. After all, he was the shopkeeper. Even if he said the same thing, he sounded more cultured than the waiter.

Duan Rong laughed and said, "I just grew taller for nothing. How can I be called a leopard? Manager Tang, you are too kind!"

"Mr. Duan, please take a seat!" Tang Wanhong stepped aside and said.

Duan Rong sat down in front of the table. Tang Wanhong held a cup of tea and placed it next to him. Duan Rong took a sip and went straight to the point, saying, "Manager Tang, is the ancient painting on the table the one you mentioned in your post?"

Tang Wanhong said solemnly, "That's right. Mr. Duan, this painting is "Pine Wind in Myriad Valleys."

"It's the work of Master Ju Ran. Master Ju Ran was a wandering monk. He left only two paintings, and this is one of them." Tang Wanhong said, looking at the eight-foot-long painting on the table, with a flash of obsession in his eyes, and said, "I think this painting should be an authentic one, but it's expensive. To prevent any accidents, I'd like to trouble Mr. Duan to take a look at it, so that I can rest assured."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Tang's vision is certainly not bad. I look at it again, isn't it just a dog's tail adding to a tiger's tail?"

Tang Wanhong said: "Mr. Duan, don't joke like that. If you are a dog's tail, then I am dog's shit."

When Tang Wanhong said this, both of them laughed.

Duan Rong stood up and stood in front of the desk, looking at the painting. He himself had also been painting for two months and had some preliminary understanding of the artistic conception and techniques of painting.

Therefore, when Duan Rong saw this painting, he immediately felt his soul fly away.

As soon as Tang Wanhong saw Duan Rong's expression, he knew that he was as shocked by the artistic conception of the painting as he was, so he said, "The brushwork of this painting is vigorous and the atmosphere is profound. Even if a copyist can imitate it in form, how can he imitate it in spirit? That's why I conclude that this is the original."

Duan Rong suppressed the throbbing in his heart, gently pressed his hand on the edge of the painting, and said to himself: "Read the instrument spirit."

Object: Pine Wind in Myriad Valleys
Spirit Level: Level 8

Devouring requirements: Host's mental strength level 8 (not met)
Devouring effect: seventh level of wonderful brushwork, fourth level of power through paper, and elementary level of communication between heaven and man.

Duan Rong looked at the data that appeared in front of him and was almost certain that this painting must be an authentic one. However, among the devouring effects, the primary level of communication between heaven and man was definitely not something that could be imitated by an imitator.

Duan Rong raised his head, looked at Tang Wanhong with shining eyes, and said, "Manager Tang, you can rest assured. This painting is undoubtedly an authentic one."

Seeing Duan Rong's bright eyes and confident tone, Tang Wanhong finally put aside the last bit of doubt in her heart and said with a smile: "Mr. Duan, this reassures me."

The two chatted for a while, and Tang Wanhong took out a silver note worth fifty taels as Duan Rong's travel expenses.

Duan Rong took the banknote and suddenly noticed two teacups on the other side of the table, with the lids tilted on the cups, obviously someone had drunk from them.

Duan Rong's heart suddenly moved, and he thought to himself: In this back hall, besides Tang Wanhong, there may be another person.

Duan Rong's spiritual sense suddenly spread outward, and he immediately found a person sitting behind a screen not far away, silently holding a copper object in his hand.

When Duan Rong's spiritual sense swept over that person, his breathing stagnated slightly. The person standing behind the screen was none other than the Xiangu County Magistrate Shen Yanliu.

Duan Rong was shocked in his heart but his expression remained calm. He smiled and said goodbye to Tang Wanhong before leaving the back hall.

As soon as Duan Rong left the back hall, Shen Yanliu walked out slowly, looked at Tang Wanhong, and said, "This person looks young. Is he also an expert in antiques?"

Tang Wanhong looked at Shen Yanliu with respectful eyes and said, "Master! Although this young Mr. Duan is not very old, he should have a family background in antiques. His attainments in antiques are far higher than mine."

"Really?" Shen Yanliu was a little surprised. He was sitting behind the screen just now, and he had recognized Duan Rong through the gap between the screens.

At the very beginning, when Ma Chunmin invited Duan Rong to a banquet, he had doubts in his heart. Duan Rong, a bodyguard, was actually quite accomplished in painting skills, and his paintings on the streets were so popular that they were sold out.

However, now it seems that this Duan Rong should be the son of a noble family that has fallen on hard times. His painting skills and antique collections are all learned from his family.

Duan Rong walked out of Guyuezhai, his face suddenly darkened. He took a few quick steps and squatted on a stall next to the entrance of Guyuezhai, pretending to look through the antiques on the stall, but the moment Duan Rong squatted, his spiritual sense was released again.

With Duan Rong as the center, everything within a hundred meters was covered.

Duan Rong focused his consciousness on the back hall of Guyuezhai. He clearly "saw" Shen Yanliu and Tang Wanhong sitting there and talking.

(End of this chapter)