Chapter 146: Zhao Qinghe
“It can indeed be a bit cheaper.” The Treasury Elder nodded, “These few materials have been in the Treasury for some years too.”
Wu Xian was satisfied and paid happily with a grin.
“Are there quite a few similar stocks in other places as well?” Wu Xian inquired smoothly.
“It depends,” the Treasury Elder analyzed, “For example, in places where appliances and mechanical items are prosperous, this kind of material still sells pretty well.”
Wu Xian understood and said no more.
If that’s the case, it feels like he could go check out the associations in other cities later.
After all, the special pass is universal across all associations.
He walked out of the Treasury together with Xu Lu.
“Tattoo Brother, are you getting used to life in the association these days?” Wu Xian asked with concern in his small talk.
“Very good, everyone has been great to me,” Tattoo Brother scratched his head shyly, “It’s just that my recent research has hit a small snag, and I can’t find any leads for the moment.”
“Oh~ Tell me about it?”
Tattoo Brother said with a troubled face: “The President and Sister Xu Lu gave me some normal scroll painting concepts and diagrams, but I still can’t achieve tattooing on the human body. As soon as it’s applied to the human body, the spiritual structure of the pigments collapses immediately.”
“Didn’t they mix the pigments according to your kind of concept?” Wu Xian asked puzzled.
“They did,” Tattoo Brother said helplessly, “I feel like there’s still a lot of room for improvement in my tattoo pigments.”
Wu Xian understood, “Speaking of which, I actually know an expert in pigments who might be able to help you find the problem.”
“Pigment expert?” Xu Lu nearby also cast a curious glance.
“Third Master Xue of the Xue Family—Sister Xu Lu, you should know him, right?”
“Third Master Xue?” Xu Lu’s expression was odd, “I’ve heard that Third Master Xue has been researching spiritual pigments, but I really don’t know his exact level.”
“Trust me, Third Master Xue’s level in pigments is absolutely top-notch.” Wu Xian said.
“Really?” Xu Lu was half-believing.
Moments later, they returned to the North Street District together with Tattoo Brother and introduced him to Third Master Xue.
Third Master Xue, who was immersed in his research, clearly wasn’t too pleased. Back then, the reason he was willing to teach Wu Xian was entirely because he took a liking to Wu Xian’s Divine Diagram Law Network, plus Xue Lingling being his disciple.
Moreover, Tattoo Brother didn’t look like a “decent person” from his appearance.
It wasn’t until Wu Xian mentioned Tattoo Brother’s “human scroll painting art” that Third Master Xue finally took it seriously.
“What? He’s the tattoo artist that Lingling mentioned?”
“That’s right,” Wu Xian nodded with a smile: “Tattoo Brother’s tattoo pigments are already quite different from normal pigments, so they might provide some inspiration for your research too.”
Third Master Xue was clearly interested, “Show old me your tattoo pigments.”
“Yes, Senior.” Tattoo Brother respectfully handed over a few bottles of tattoo pigments.
After some examination, Third Master Xue’s eyes flashed slightly, “Not bad~, these pigments are quite interesting. They seem even closer to the human spiritual structure than normal pigments, but they’re still in the early exploration stage.
Come~, take me as your master first. Old me doesn’t understand your tattoo art, but I can still help you solve your pigment issues.”
Tattoo Brother hesitated and looked toward Wu Xian.
“It can really be solved?” Seeing Third Master Xue’s confident demeanor, Wu Xian couldn’t help but be curious.
“Small issue,” Third Master Xue laughed confidently: “This kid just lacks some understanding of the human spiritual structure. He can easily solve it after learning with me for a few days, but to go further, he’ll definitely need to thoroughly research the human spiritual structure.”
“Human spiritual structure?” Wu Xian nodded with a tsk.
Tattoo Brother wasn’t foolish either and knelt down on the spot to take him as master.
“Get up~ Get up, you won’t lose out by taking old me as your master,” Third Master Xue teased, “If nothing unexpected happens, when your tattoo art develops to a later stage, you’ll run into another even bigger problem, and only old me’s craft might be able to help you solve it.”
Hearing this, Wu Xian and Tattoo Brother couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Third Master Xue said unhurriedly with narrowed eyes: “High-end scroll paintings inevitably require divine power factors in the end, but the divine power factors produced by scroll painting instances may not be suitable for the human body.”
Tattoo Brother was completely baffled, but Wu Xian instantly understood.
Yeah, Tattoo Brother’s human scroll painting art is essentially still “scroll painting.” If he wants to elevate “tattoo scroll painting” to higher levels later, he’ll inevitably need to incorporate various divine power factors.
The divine power factors from scroll painting instances may not suit the human body, but Third Master Xue’s synthetic divine power factors have the possibility of “adjustment.”
Thinking of this, these two could be called a match made in heaven!
Afterward, Tattoo Brother stayed next door to learn pigment mixing knowledge from Third Master Xue.
Meanwhile, Wu Xian returned to his small villa and began making the four little gods of wealth.
…
Shantytown.
Ever since the shack next door was rented out at a high price by Wu Xian, Grandpa Wang had been secretly observing and paying attention to this young tenant next door.
Looking at his fair and tender appearance, he was clearly a rich young master.
But Grandpa Wang couldn’t figure out why this child insisted on coming to the shantytown to suffer like this.
Meanwhile, over the past few days, Bai Shiqi had gotten familiar with the grandpas around him.
“Grandpa,” Bai Shiqi pointed at the Guardian Chicken King diagram on the door and inquired: “This is the inspiration sketch that Wu Master【Guardian Chicken King】left behind from his research back then, right?”
“Probably, I don’t really understand the details.” Grandpa Wang responded awkwardly.
Bai Shiqi smiled knowingly and continued asking: “Speaking of which, what kind of life was Wu Master living before he became a scroll painter?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“Nothing, I just want to experience Wu Master’s former life and feel his thought process.”
“You sure?” Grandpa Wang’s expression was odd.
“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have rented this place.”
Grandpa Wang smiled knowingly, “Perfect timing then. Us old pals are just about to head out—you can come along.”
Bai Shiqi was excited, “May I ask what we’re going to do?”
“Scavenging, what else?”
“Ah?”
…
In the evening, he returned to the shack chatting and laughing with the grandpas, but Bai Shiqi’s whole body was stiff.
With his level five spiritual power cultivation, he wasn’t tired physically, but mentally and psychologically, he was exhausted.
Looking at his dirty self in the mirror, he instinctively wanted to take a bath, only to find that this rundown shack didn’t have the facilities.
After asking Grandpa Wang next door, he learned that the simple little shed in the yard was the bathing area.
At this moment, Bai Shiqi’s mentality completely collapsed.
Fortunately, this trip wasn’t without gains. The grandpas seemed to be collecting scrap materials that others didn’t want, saying that Wu Xian would buy them for money.
Bai Shiqi realized something right then and decisively bought up the scrap materials from the grandpas.
“Could it be that Wu Xian started out using these scrap materials to step onto the path of scroll painting?”
This discovery surprised and delighted him.
He immediately began trying to mix pigments with these scrap materials.
“Hiss~ Are the impurities this heavy?”
In the past, let alone this kind of scrap material—even materials with slightly more impurities wouldn’t catch his mystic eye.
But now, to follow in Wu Xian’s “footsteps,” he could only grit his teeth and persist.
Moments later, a phone call interrupted his attempt.
“Hey~ Brother Bai, where are you? I’m almost in Yaoyang City.” It was Zhao Qinghe’s voice on the other end.
Bai Shiqi responded in a daze: “You really came?”
“Why not?” Zhao Qinghe teased: “Don’t worry, I won’t steal your merit. Mainly to check on my junior sister. Speaking of which, how have things been for you lately, Brother Bai?”
