Mundane Saint-Chapter 41 – Old Man Gu's Past

Your calligraphy lacks a certain depth.
As these words slipped out, Gu Heng saw Old Man Gu straighten his not-so-hunched back and turn his head to glare at him. "You say my calligraphy lacks depth?"
Gu Heng shook his head. "Your calligraphy is sharp, too eager, lacking stability. It seems this young man has disturbed your state of mind..."
Gu Heng couldn't say Old Man Gu's calligraphy was unattractive. In fact, it was quite good, but it couldn't compare to his own.
His calligraphy skills were honed by the System, step by step.
No mortal could produce a calligraphy scroll more powerful and meaningful than his.
"...Hahaha!"
Old Man Gu suddenly burst into laughter.
Despite all his calculations, he never expected that his "Dry Brush Demon Slayer" path to enlightenment through calligraphy would be criticized by a mere mortal boy in this small Cloud Spirit City!
He once subdued a powerful force with just a scroll of calligraphy. His brush strokes could leave countless people in awe, as the saying goes, "The brush writes the truth, and ink reveals the true meaning!"
Such was the prowess of the "Dry Brush Demon Slayer."
But for Old Man Gu, those days were over.
He was defeated by another who also pursued the path of calligraphy, losing utterly in both cultivation and artistic conception. Since then, the "Dry Brush Demon Slayer" vanished, leaving behind an old man carving plaques in Cloud Spirit City.
He devoted himself to studying calligraphy, hoping to erase his past bloodthirsty nature and immerse himself in the path, awaiting a breakthrough one day.
More than a decade had passed.
Old Man Gu immersed himself daily in the understanding of ink and brush, thoroughly analyzing the true meaning within his characters, yet everything remained unchanged. His path seemed to have reached a bottleneck.
However, he did manage to erase his impulsive, murderous nature.
No matter how he secluded himself, treating mortals kindly, he almost forgot he was a Tribulation Crossing stage cultivator.
But...
This young boy dared to evaluate his calligraphy like this!?
Old Man Gu felt insulted.
How could a mortal have the right to judge his calligraphy?
They couldn't even perceive the profound meaning contained within the characters!
"I know very well how my calligraphy is! You, a mere child, how dare you judge my work!"
Old Man Gu's words seemed to touch a taboo, instantly intensifying the atmosphere, making the entire shop's air suddenly cold and tense.
"You..." The young man was startled by Old Man Gu's outburst.
"You dare to insult Senior Gu! I think you're tired of living!" the young man shouted angrily.
Lu Yan was a cultivator at the first stage of the Elemental Infant. He was young and not very perceptive, but he could read expressions and feel the atmosphere.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became oppressive. Even a slight release of Old Man Gu's aura was almost too much for him to bear.
His name was bold and imposing, but in reality, as the second son of the Lu Family, the overlords west of Cloud Spirit City, he didn't practice the family's inherited techniques or join the Nianling Sect. Instead, he was obsessed with calligraphy, intending to pursue the path through it!
Lu Yan stumbled upon this small alley by chance.
After seeing a piece of calligraphy casually written by Old Man Gu, he was deeply moved. The sharp true meaning within it helped him break through a barrier and enter the Elemental Infant stage!
Since then, Lu Yan was deeply grateful to Old Man Gu, insisting on becoming his disciple, even if it meant just being a handyman.
But Old Man Gu never had such intentions.
He only saw that the second son of the Lu Family genuinely loved calligraphy, so he casually offered some guidance, but that was all.
However, Lu Yan's stubbornness was indeed beyond his imagination.
In the past, Old Man Gu would have easily dealt with such a naive youth, but now he had long since smoothed out his murderous tendencies and didn't want to engage in unnecessary violence.
He was troubled, but he never expected that today a business would come knocking, and it turned out to be an extremely arrogant young man!
Lu Yan naturally couldn't stand seeing Old Man Gu's profound calligraphy being insulted by a mortal, saying it "lacked depth." Moreover, looking at Gu Heng, there wasn't a trace of true energy on him; he was just an ordinary mortal.
Lu Yan was even worried that this guy's arrogance would get him killed by Old Man Gu.
Gu Heng raised an eyebrow. "Young man, it seems you're also practicing calligraphy, but I think your talent is somewhat lacking. You can't understand Old Man Gu's calligraphy, but I can."
The young man was infuriated. "You, how can you be so arrogant!"
Old Man Gu squinted at Gu Heng and gestured for Lu Yan to step back. "Enough! Sit down!"
"Senior..." The young man was still dissatisfied.
"Let him continue," Old Man Gu said in a deep voice.
The young man gritted his teeth, glaring at Gu Heng, but obediently sat down.
"Young man, say what you want. I want to see why you think my calligraphy lacks depth!"
Gu Heng's lips curled into a smile, his eyes filled with a radiant confidence. He spoke loudly, "Alright, if I'm wrong, I'll accept any punishment!"
He calmly walked to the table, pointing at the "Dao" character in the "Seeking the Dao, Finding Peace" piece, and spoke eloquently, "Old Man Gu's 'Dao' has intricate strokes and intentional brushwork, but it's mixed with too many distractions, far from perfect. Though it's a level ordinary people can't reach, still..."
He deliberately left his sentence unfinished, but Old Man Gu's mouth twitched.
Indeed, he had been called out. He had tried his best to eliminate distractions while writing, but no matter what, the true meaning in his strokes was far from perfect.
But... this young man saw through it?
How could a mortal understand this? Was he just guessing?
Old Man Gu squinted his eyes.
"In short, it's not perfect."
Old Man Gu scolded, "Boy, stop showing off in front of me! My knowledge far surpasses yours. You might have coincidentally guessed some issues, but I think you're just bluffing!"
Gu Heng shook his head and sighed. "It seems you don't believe me."
Indeed, this old man must have spent his life studying calligraphy. How could he accept a challenge from someone so young?
But unfortunately, Gu Heng could challenge him.
Because his "calligraphy" had reached a level of "divine mastery," no mortal could surpass him!
He pointed to the scroll in Old Man Gu's hand.
"Open it and see. I believe Old Man Gu is a master of calligraphy, and you should understand the difference."
Old Man Gu's face twitched. He didn't understand where this young man's confidence came from, but he still opened the scroll, and his pupils immediately contracted!
A powerful character leaped off the page—
"Gu Family Medicine Hall"!
Old Man Gu was stunned, standing frozen.
Lu Yan's eyes widened in shock! He only glanced at it before closing his eyes immediately because as soon as the scroll was opened, a vast and boundless Dao charm surged out, and Lu Yan felt a threat of death!
He couldn't look at this calligraphy!
His cultivation wasn't enough. Peering into this profound meaning would only lead to death!
Although Lu Yan knew that if he could see the scroll, his cultivation would surely improve, it was like a poisonous delicacy. For the sake of his life, he couldn't risk it!
"This is... this is..."
Old Man Gu's not-so-cloudy eyes seemed to be filled with golden light!
These simple four characters contained a vast Dao charm that almost trapped Old Man Gu, making it hard for him to extricate himself!
Unlike his own extremely sharp true meaning, this calligraphy made him feel as if it could encompass the power of the universe, truly and vividly displayed in the form of these characters!
The deeper he explored, the more mysteries he discovered within, as if supreme sword intent and earth-shattering blade intent clashed, as well as the military might of thousands of troops, and even the profound techniques of forging sacred artifacts...
Old Man Gu was speechless.
But he had his answer.
This was "calligraphy he could never write."
After a long while, Old Man Gu raised his head with difficulty, his voice bitter. "...Who are you?"
If this calligraphy was written by this young man... no, he couldn't possibly be young!
What young person could possess such vast true meaning? Impossible.
"My surname is Gu, given name Heng. Old Man Gu can call me Young Master Gu, no need for any other titles. I've heard enough today, and it's quite bothersome."
"But I'm no different from you, just someone living casually in this city."
Gu Heng spoke frankly, without hiding anything.
He knew Old Man Gu was undoubtedly impressed by his calligraphy. The old man might have been quite spirited in the past, and perhaps still was, but being defeated by a "youngster" must have been hard to swallow.
But who else could he be? Just a mere mortal trying to make a living in Cloud Spirit City.
Old Man Gu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".
He couldn't help but frown.
Was this old man crazy? Laughing like this?
Old Man Gu's laughter continued for a long time before it stopped.
"No different from me... indeed, but you have already achieved something, while I have spent decades studying calligraphy and still haven't reached your level."
Old Man Gu looked at Gu Heng, not expecting that there was another hidden master living in Cloud Spirit City.
Just like him... Heh, Old Man Gu even felt a bit ashamed.
He was forced into seclusion due to difficulties in breaking through, seeking the Dao.
But Gu Heng seemed completely different. He had already reached a certain pinnacle, perhaps having completed his path of seeking the Dao long ago, with nothing left to do, thus choosing to live in seclusion.
Their realms were entirely different.
Old Man Gu felt his realm was far inferior to his.
Accepting his fate, he rolled up the scroll and set it aside, his thoughts still immersed in that vast and boundless meaning. He knew the "insight" he had sought for years was about to appear!