"You flatter me, old sir. I'm merely scribbling something casually."
Despite Fan Liren's praise, Wan Yunting felt no stirring in his heart, much like when Fang Guowen and Hu Tianchi had complimented him. He didn't feel any particular joy just because Fan Liren was a titan in the art world.
He had never cared about calligraphy, so naturally, he didn't care for such accolades.
"Haha, the young man is quite humble. Good, good."
Fan Liren hadn't expected Wan Yunting to be so calm and collected. If it were anyone else receiving his praise, they would have likely leaped for joy. Yet, this young man before him was so composed. It was clear his state of mind was far beyond that of ordinary youths his age.
Cao Hui, Wang Mianzhi, and the other prominent figures also admired Wan Yunting's Slender Gold script. Tang Boyun exclaimed, "I also study Slender Gold calligraphy and have been practicing for years, but I've never seen anyone write it so well. Young man, you are not ordinary."
"Indeed, it possesses a regal aura, especially the brushwork and spirit. It's as if I'm seeing Emperor Huizong of Song's authentic calligraphy. It's truly hard to imagine this coming from a young person. You are indeed exceptional," Wang Mianzhi also praised highly.
"No, no, I think this young man's Slender Gold calligraphy exudes a very special momentum and spirit, as if it has something more than Emperor Huizong!" However, Cao Hui's aged eyebrows twitched as he looked at Wan Yunting's calligraphy, but he couldn't quite articulate the feeling.
Hearing this, Huang Yaodong, Lin Yushu, and others nodded in agreement, for they too felt Wan Yunting's calligraphy possessed a very special spirit!
"Young man, you practice martial arts, don't you?" Fan Liren then asked Wan Yunting.
"Yes."
Wan Yunting smiled and nodded. Fan Liren looked at the calligraphy on the table and said with a smile, "And you practice swordplay!"
"Sword?"
This remark startled Tang Boyun, Cao Hui, Wang Mianzhi, Huang Yaodong, and the others. Looking again at Wan Yunting's Slender Gold script, each stroke, each flick, seemed to emanate a sharp, piercing sword qi.
"Exactly, it's sword qi!"
Fan Liren nodded, pointing at the calligraphy, and turned to Wan Yunting with a smile. "Unconsciously, you've integrated sword qi into your calligraphy. The strokes you've written are like the sword moves you unleash, thus exuding a sharp sword qi. This is truly marvelous."
"So that's how it is..."
Now Tang Boyun, Wang Mianzhi, and the others understood, nodding. "We were wondering why his calligraphy had such a special aura. It turns out it's sword qi."
"Not simple."
Tang Boyun also nodded in admiration. It was the first time he had seen someone integrate swordsmanship into calligraphy, producing such a wondrous spirit and momentum. In the entire art world, he was undoubtedly the first.
"Therefore, everyone's calligraphy carries their personal charm to some extent, and this young man's calligraphy is just like that," Fan Liren turned to look at Wan Yunting and smiled. "Do you use your calligraphy brush like a sword?"
Wan Yunting smiled and nodded, "Now that you mention it, old sir, I realize I have indeed been using my calligraphy brush like a sword recently. But I don't pay much attention, so I hadn't noticed."
Gu Luotang smiled, "I knew your recent writing was different. So that's what it is."
"Haha..."
Fan Liren laughed and said, "To be able to transform sword into brush, integrate it into calligraphy, and produce such a marvelous spirit and momentum, you, young man, are the first. Even we cannot achieve this, because we don't know martial arts."
"Indeed..."
Cao Hui, Wang Mianzhi, and everyone else present nodded in agreement, praising Wan Yunting's calligraphy as extraordinary.
"Are you by any chance that Wan Yunting from Hua Du City?" Tang Boyun found Wan Yunting's face familiar.
"Yes."
Wan Yunting nodded and smiled.
"Wow, no wonder you have such skills at such a young age. You're the anti-drug hero of Hua Du City!" Tang Boyun exclaimed, waving his hand.
However, Fan Liren, Cao Hui, and Wang Mianzhi looked puzzled. Tang Boyun then pointed at Wan Yunting and introduced him, "Old Fan, Old Cao, you might not know, but this young man is the anti-drug hero of Hua Du City. And during the earthquake in Ling Shan County some time ago, their medical team went to provide disaster relief and saved many people."
"But he was trapped in a cave in Ling Shan. Everyone thought they were dead, but after about a week, they miraculously escaped from the cave. And the girl who was with him, wasn't that you?"
Tang Boyun finally looked at Gu Luotang, who smiled and nodded slightly.
Most of the other young talents present recognized Wan Yunting by his identity. But Fan Liren, Cao Hui, and Wang Mianzhi, the elder dignitaries, were unaware. Hearing that he was an anti-drug hero from Hua Du City, their expressions were greatly surprised, and they asked, "Are you a police officer?"
"No, I'm not a police officer."
Wan Yunting shook his head and smiled, "I study traditional Chinese medicine and work as a doctor in the TCM department of Southern Hospital."
"Ah, you study traditional Chinese medicine?"
Upon hearing that he studied traditional Chinese medicine, Cao Hui and Wang Mianzhi were even more surprised.
"Haha, young man, your profession is truly unexpected," Fan Liren looked at him and laughed, saying, "To be able to write such good calligraphy, I thought you were involved in cultural work. I didn't expect you to be a TCM doctor. Unexpected, unexpected..."
"Actually, it is also cultural work. The three of us are all TCM teachers at the same school, teaching TCM to elementary school students," Qi Miaomiao added.
"Wow, this profession is not simple," Tang Boyun, Cao Hui, and the others laughed. But Wang Mianzhi couldn't help but ask curiously, "Did you start learning calligraphy from childhood?"
Wan Yunting shook his head and smiled, "No, I only started writing with a brush after I began studying medicine, about five or six years ago."
"What? Only five or six years?"
Hearing this, Tang Boyun, Cao Hui, Wang Mianzhi, Huang Yaodong, Zhao Yushi, Lin Yushu, and many other young talents present, even Fan Liren, upon hearing that Wan Yunting had only been practicing calligraphy for five or six years and could write the Slender Gold script with such a regal demeanor and extraordinary spirit, couldn't help but praise him, "You are truly a calligraphy genius."
"I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed. I've been practicing calligraphy and studying the Slender Gold script for over a decade since childhood, yet I'm not as good as someone who's only been learning for five or six years..."
A middle-aged man sighed, shaking his head. It truly was enough to make one angry to compare oneself to others.
Tang Boyun, Cao Hui, and Wang Mianzhi all shook their heads and smiled wryly. Someone who had only been practicing calligraphy for five or six years could reach such a superb and extraordinary level in the Slender Gold script. If he wasn't a genius, he was certainly Emperor Huizong of Song reincarnated.
Huang Yaodong, Lin Yushu, Hou Xuesong, and the other talents present also sighed, feeling that their years of practicing calligraphy since childhood didn't compare to someone who had only studied for five or six years. All those years had been wasted.
But they also felt Wan Yunting was a bit ostentatious, writing such good characters with a nonchalant attitude, which was infuriating.
"Young man, we are going up to the fifth floor for tea. Would you like to join us?" Fan Liren then invited Wan Yunting.
"Okay..."
Before Wan Yunting could speak, Qi Miaomiao's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands happily, as they had never been to the fifth floor of Jubao Pavilion before.
Wan Yunting glanced at Gu Luotang, whose gaze seemed to indicate that she wanted the man to make the decision.
"Alright, we'll accompany the old sir for some tea and a chat," Wan Yunting said, seeing the expectant looks from Gu Luotang, Huang Yaodong, and Lin Yushu. He knew they admired Fan Liren and wanted an opportunity for close contact, so he agreed.
"Haha, let's go..."
Fan Liren was pleased and prepared to lead Wan Yunting and the others upstairs. Then, he seemed to recall something and said to Tang Boyun with a smile, "Xiao Tang, may I bring people up?"
Tang Boyun immediately smiled, "Old Fan, what are you saying? Of course, you can. Moreover, I also greatly admire Mr. Wan's talent and calligraphy, and I'd like to take him up to the fifth floor to ask for a piece of his work to collect in Jubao Pavilion."
"Fine, then let's all go up and sit for a while," Fan Liren nodded with a smile. After all, this was Tang Boyun's establishment, and it was their first time meeting. Naturally, he had to ask.
Thus, Tang Boyun personally led Fan Liren, Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao, Huang Yaodong, Zhao Yushi, Lin Yushu, and Hou Xuesong, who excitedly followed behind Cao Hui and Wang Mianzhi, out of the area and towards the third floor.
Meanwhile, on the third floor, Huangfu Hongfang was with Ning Yuqing and others, also writing and painting in the study.
At the same time, other young talents on the third floor were also showering Huangfu Hongfang and Ning Yuqing with praise. After all, one was the closed-door disciple of the renowned Elder Yuan in the Beijing art scene and the grandson of the master painter Huangfu Xueyi of the Lingnan School.
Ning Yuqing was the granddaughter of Ning Guohui, the most famous national painting master locally. Therefore, people naturally wanted to curry favor with these descendants of prominent families.
"Why is it so noisy on the second floor?"
It was quieter on the third floor, as very few people could ascend to it. Ning Yuqing heard the commotion from the second floor and said with displeasure, "This is a place for literati, yet it's so noisy. How can one paint? Have the manager go down and tell them to quiet down."
However, at this moment, Gao Jiaxu walked in and said, "It's that brat Wan Yunting's calligraphy below that has caused the commotion."
"Oh."
Ning Yuqing turned to look at Huangfu Hongfang, who was standing nearby, and smiled faintly. "Hongfang, is this the young man you mentioned who writes pretty good Slender Gold calligraphy? The one Gu Luotang is close with?"
Huangfu Hongfang smiled at the corners of his mouth, but inwardly, he was extremely gloomy and annoyed. "That brat's Slender Gold calligraphy is indeed good. I admit I'm not as skilled."
He was still able to recognize the difference between himself and Wan Yunting!
"Heh heh."
Ning Yuqing chuckled lightly, put down the brush in her hand, picked up Xuan paper, and looked at her own writing. "He's not from our circle, so why bother caring. Besides, you are Mr. Yuan's closed-door disciple. Are you still worried that the first prize in the Lanting Award calligraphy competition will slip away!"
These words made the corners of Huangfu Hongfang's upward-curving mouth smile slightly. He remained silent, turned around, and gently put his large arm around Ning Yuqing's slender waist. Looking at the calligraphy in her hand, he said with a smile, "Good writing..."