Chapter 468: Chapter 467: Bootlicking and Bragging Know No Bounds

The elder was facing away from the few people, so his features were unclear, but there were indeed a few people beside him concentrating on his calligraphy, presumably that was Li Xinghan and Director Deng’s group.

“Has Master Yuan started practicing his calligraphy again?” Li Chuang, accompanied by Wang Hao, made their way to a corner of the room, found a sofa to sit on, and asked someone nearby, “How’s it going?”

“No good,” responded the man, likely one of the assistants brought by Li Xinghan or Director Deng, shaking his head, “Master Yuan doesn’t even bring up the matter of coming down the mountain. Director Deng came with sincerity today, but alas, there was no opportunity to even start the conversation.”

Wang Hao sat on the side, nodding, seemingly grasping that this person must have been brought by Director Deng.

“Do your best,” Li Chuang also felt helpless. He glanced at Wang Hao, “Let’s wait and see how things go for a bit, if it truly doesn’t work out, then we’ll just have to head back. However, Little Wang, you’ve seen it too, it’s not that I haven’t been trying, it’s that he genuinely doesn’t want to come down the mountain to help. You’ll need to vouch for me in front of Director Yang.”

“Understood!” Wang Hao nodded, “I’ll make sure to tell it like it is.”

And so the two of them began to wait.

Master Yuan truly was a calligraphy enthusiast. He didn’t bother giving Li Chuang or Wang Hao any attention when they entered, didn’t even lift his head, just continued with his writing.

He wrote for a full half hour, and only after he finished did he speak, “Recently I’ve had some insights into my writing, and I’m currently not in the mood to go out.”

“There’s no rush about going out,” said a half-bald man on Master Yuan’s left, stroking his chin in admiration, “Your calligraphy is indeed remarkable, it has grown stronger since the last time I came. Look at this sentence, it’s like flowing clouds and water, the strokes seem to spread like clouds and smoke. The shapes of the characters overlap and vary in size, opening and closing, with prominent variation in the thickness of the lines, full of rhythm. The last line is slightly slanted, almost to the point of toppling over, but the way it tilts isn’t awkward, actually it adds a sense of freedom, showcasing Master Yuan’s unrestrained character, creating his own style. The arrangement is bold and the formation of the characters–leaning or straight, heavy or light–are executed with swift, powerful strokes, with a weighty application of ink. Excellent writing, excellent!”

With him leading the way, the others began to heap on the flattery!

“The grinding of the ancient ink lightly fills the room with fragrance; the new water in the inkstone shines with brilliance. Some are bold and forceful, some are sensual and graceful like a beautiful and slender woman, some are like the fresh spring breeze blowing over blossoming flowers, others are like the deep and somber chill of the north wind sweeping through the passes. Truly exquisite writing!”

“Yes, indeed, the strokes contain a majestic aura, and the poses come to life effortlessly, exemplifying the pinnacle of unconcerned expression, that which emerges from utter oblivion to both hand and heart, possessed with the most vibrant infusion of life.”

“In its color, its form, its varying shades of density and dryness, in the connected and flowing strokes, the fine and the bold reveals and conceals an infinite variety of nuances, an aura that fills one with awe!”

“Integrated into the calligraphy is the firmness, decisiveness, and progressiveness of Confucianism as well as the ethereal serenity and relaxed, idle disposition of Daoism, often conveying a sense of rejecting ostentatious complexity in favor of a pure and distant authenticity while executing strokes!”

“Dragons and serpents race against each other, wearing out iron inkstones. Master Yuan’s characters, like the petals of flowers, send their fragrance far and wide, becoming ever more crisp and fresh.”

“In each stroke, it’s as if a wild horse has broken free, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the distance; or as a mystical dragon flying through the heavens, spiraling and moving with agility, born from nothingness and returning to the void, capturing the primal impulse of life force that contains the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.”

“These few strokes, they even contain a hint of Zhang Yang’s arrogance and unbending spirit, not subject to any restraints, even the entire line written in one go, has an almost celestial ease, leaving no trace!”

“Master Yuan’s characters represent accumulation over the years, each stroke ringing with determination.”

This was nothing but blatant flattery and brown-nosing, with insincere praise flying left and right!

Wang Hao listened from the side, his eyes nearly dropping to the floor, and Li Chuang even slapped his thigh hard, “Oh dear, how could I have forgotten this…”

“All of you have really gone to great pains,” Master Yuan said with a wry smile, reluctantly turning around. From behind, his hair was speckled with gray, but from the front, he looked like a genial and refined gentleman, about 55 or 56 years old. Every move he made exuded an air of scholarly poise that only comes from the well-educated.

It was hard to imagine him as a martial arts director; he seemed more like a scholarly champion, which people would find easier to accept.

Had Wang Hao not seen his robust arms, he almost would have thought the man was definitely a sinologist.

Well, since everyone else is laying it on thick, let’s lay low and fade into the background–we’ll just watch the fun and keep our mouths shut!

“Master Yuan, how can you call it great pains,” said Director Deng, cool as a cucumber, smiling, “Today, the people accompanying me are also talents from the world of calligraphy, and what they’re saying is definitely not mere flattery!”

“Ah, speaking of which, I really don’t feel like doing much recently,” Master Yuan walked over to the tea station, poured himself a cup of tea and drank it, then continued, “It’s rare for me to gain some insights in my calligraphy these past few days, you must know how elusive such a state is.”

“Master Yuan, we understand this, of course,” Director Deng settled next to him and said, “But, as you know, the movie we’re shooting is a martial arts film. If you don’t come out of retirement, I’m afraid that hiring those unreliable martial arts directors might ruin it. Master Yuan, I wouldn’t dare assert anything else, but as long as you come out, we can negotiate everything regarding the compensation!”

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