From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor-Chapter 389 - 364: The Fish-Eating Manuscript

Huang Wanglin laughed and said, "You better keep this heirloom yourself." It’s not that he didn’t like it, but he had a principle of not accepting things of unclear origin.

While the two of them were appraising the jade cup, Xu Chunliang was attracted by the dragon bones inside. He realized that Huang Wanglin had collected quite a few dragon bones, but then he thought it was pretty normal. After all, Huang Wanglin came from a background in traditional Chinese medicine and had a passion for collecting. Unlike his grandfather, who lacked knowledge of cultural relics and saw dragon bones simply as a medicine, to Master Huang San, they were artifacts.

As Pu Jian was pondering how to speak to Huang Wanglin, he noticed that Xu Chunliang was nowhere in sight. He thought to himself, where did he go at this critical moment? He’s not even helping me to talk.

Huang Wanglin smiled and said, "Feel free to continue exploring. I have other guests to attend to."

Originally, Pu Jian intended to transfer the jade cup to Huang Wanglin at a discounted price, essentially giving him a generous gift. That way, he could make his request. But since Huang Wanglin wasn’t interested in his jade cup, it was difficult to proceed. If he just asked outright, there was a high chance he would be rejected.

With no other options, Pu Jian could only brace himself and say, "Master San, please hold on, I have something else..."

At this moment, Xu Chunliang returned and said, "Master San, there are many errors in your oracle bone script translations!"

His words immediately piqued Huang Wanglin’s interest. "Young man, the translations labeled here have all been verified by experts and scholars."

Xu Chunliang said, "Experts who are splitting hairs?"

Pu Jian silently complained to himself. This guy is too outspoken; we’re here to seek help, not to pick faults. In terms of artifact appraisal, Master Huang San is also an expert.

Huang Wanglin laughed heartily, "Come on, show me what you mean."

Xu Chunliang accompanied him to the Oracle Bone Script Hall and stood before the first exhibit. Here, the layout was such that rubbings and translations were displayed alongside the originals for easy comparison by viewers. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Just on this single exhibit, Xu Chunliang pointed out five translation errors.

After listening to him, the more Huang Wanglin thought about it, the more credible Xu Chunliang’s translations seemed. He found it curious: how could someone so young have such an understanding of oracle bone script? Could this young man be majoring in ancient philology?

Xu Chunliang said, "I do know one expert in oracle bone script in the country, Bai Mushan from Nanjiang Normal University."

Huang Wanglin replied, "I know Professor Bai too. He opened a dragon bone museum in Nanjiang, and I was invited to the inauguration."

"Master Huang San, many of these oracle bones were collected during your practice, right?"

Huang Wanglin said, "That’s right. My main profession used to be medicine, so I’ve come across quite a few dragon bones. In fact, my interest in collecting started with dragon bones."

Xu Chunliang said, "What a coincidence! My family also runs a medical clinic."

Huang Wanglin chatted with him. Huichun Hall’s fame was limited to the Dongzhou Region, so Huang Wanglin had no impression of it. However, he admired Xu Chunliang’s research on oracle bone script, naturally viewing the young man more highly.

Huang Wanglin intentionally selected some obscure oracle bone scripts to consult Xu Chunliang, who helped him solve them promptly. As a result, Huang Wanglin was now completely convinced of Xu Chunliang’s expertise.

Pu Jian didn’t have much knowledge of oracle bone script, so he couldn’t join the conversation, but seeing how well Huang Wanglin and Xu Chunliang were getting along, he sighed inwardly. This young man is too amazing, both scholarly and martial, with an extraordinary background. I’ve truly met a noble person today; this is someone worth befriending.

Earlier, when Huang Wanglin mentioned having other guests, it was just an excuse. Now, he had completely forgotten about that and proactively suggested inviting them to the guest room for tea.

As the three of them walked to the guest room, they passed the calligraphy and painting hall, where Xu Chunliang saw a "Letter on Eating Fish."

The inscription read: The old monk ate fish in Changsha, and upon arriving in Chang’an City, he ate a lot of meat, which became a source of ridicule among the common folk, causing much inconvenience, so he was ill for a long time and couldn’t write much. He honestly reported back to everyone, wishing to organize a charitable event, hoping to get some relief by helping the infirm. Written by Haisu Cangzhen Bai on the ninth day.

The characters "疏" and "九" were incomplete. The "Letter on Eating Fish," also known as the "Letter on Eating Fish and Meat," was written by the renowned cursive script master, Monk Huaisu. It bears the collection seals of "Xi Words Half Seal," "Military Commander’s Seal," "Son of Zhao Ziang," and "Xiang Yuanban’s Seal." At the front of the letter, labeled with "Han Zhen" authored by Mi Hanwen, presides over it. A small inscription "Huaisu’s Grass Script Letter on Eating Fish from the Tang Dynasty" handwritten by Xiang Yuanban appears on the separating page.

The calligraphy is elegantly smooth yet unrestrained, with a vivid and lively brushwork recognized for possessing the dynamic momentum of "startling snakes and swiftly moving snakes, fierce winds and torrential rain" typical of Huaisu’s cursive script.

Huaisu’s old friend, the tea master Lu Yu, also praised him, saying, "Cursive script had many ancient forms."

Huang Wanglin noticed Xu Chunliang had stopped and realized it was this "Letter on Eating Fish" that had caught his attention. This "Letter on Eating Fish" could be considered one of the treasures of his collection.

Huang Wanglin deliberately asked, "What do you think of my ’Letter on Eating Fish’?"

Xu Chunliang said, "Forgive my bluntness, it is not the original work, it should be a copy from the Song Dynasty."

Pu Jian sighed inwardly, this guy really knows how to say the wrong thing, someone else’s prized exhibit, and you say it’s a copy? It’s just that Master Huang San is good-natured, otherwise, someone else might have already had the security throw them out.

Huang Wanglin was not angry and continued, "How can you tell?"

Xu Chunliang said, "Huai Su’s cursive script is characterized by thin and vigorous strokes, natural and lively like a sudden rainstorm or whirlwind, changing with spontaneity. His calligraphy is unrestrained and erratic, ever-changing with complete rules. However, in his later years, his style underwent a significant change, gradually becoming stable and elegant, with the strokes and structure showing more depth. This piece is supposed to be from his later years, but the style and momentum of the strokes are more like his younger days. I think the real author of this piece should be no more than twenty years old."

Huang Wanglin asked, "Just from this aspect, you can conclude it’s a copy?"

Xu Chunliang replied, "If you look closely, you can find the strokes are a bit sluggish, and there are traces of slow retouching in the dry brush, which indicates it’s a semi-copy, but the copying technique is extremely advanced, and the structure and strokes maintain the appearance of Huai Su’s calligraphy."

Huang Wanglin was secretly startled by the young man’s extraordinary insight. This work is indeed a copy from the Tang Dynasty, and as far as ancient pieces go, early copies have the same scholarly value as the original.

Even as a copy, if it were to be auctioned now, its market price should not be less than fifty million.

Huang Wanglin said, "I never expected someone so young to have such deep knowledge of calligraphy collection."

Xu Chunliang laughed inwardly. He couldn’t comment on other things, but regarding this piece of "Letter on Eating Fish" in the Linzheng Hall’s collection, it was what he copied when he was seventeen. He might make mistakes when viewing others’ works, but how could he not recognize his own writing? Unexpectedly, after traveling to the present era, he encountered his old practice piece, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Upon entering the reception room, Huang Wanglin personally poured them tea. The walls of the reception room were filled with photos and inscriptions of visiting guests.

Xu Chunliang found many famous faces on the photo wall, including the founder of the Renhe Hall, Zhou Renhe. Staring at this old fraud, Xu Chunliang felt extremely displeased. Once returned from the Capital City, he decided he would thoroughly sort out the matters of Renhe Hall.

There was a large writing desk in the reception room, used for visiting guests to inscribe letters or paintings.

Huang Wanglin said, "Mr. Xu, from what I heard earlier, you have a profound understanding of calligraphy. Would you be willing to inscribe something for us?"

Pu Jian listened to Huang Wanglin addressing Xu Chunliang as Mr. Xu, which showed his level of respect. He himself would never receive such a treatment.

Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "Master, you’re too kind. You can call me by my name or Xiaoxu." He didn’t decline, going directly to the writing desk and choosing a piece of xuan paper.

All the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone were of top quality at Huang Wanglin’s place. Xu Chunliang ground the ink himself, as the process also helped him get into the right mindset.

Huang Wanglin observed Xu Chunliang’s relaxed movements, seemingly entering a world of his own, and was even more astonished. How could someone so young achieve such a detached state of mind?

Xu Chunliang picked up a wool brush, adjusted his breathing, and after soaking it in thick ink, began writing energetically.

Upon seeing the old character at the start, Huang Wanglin knew Xu Chunliang was writing "Letter on Eating Fish." All eight lines and fifty-six characters were completed in one go. The two spectators’ breaths and heartbeats seemed to sync with Xu Chunliang’s strokes, speeding up and slowing down. When Xu Chunliang completed the final stroke with the character "white," they felt a flush of relief, experiencing a sense of refreshment and comfort.

Pu Jian shivered slightly, like a shiver from the cold, realizing that as a layman, even he was deeply moved by Xu Chunliang’s calligraphy. While he couldn’t articulate it, the feeling from deep within was unmistakable.

Huang Wanglin finally understood why Xu Chunliang could tell at a glance that his collection’s "Letter on Eating Fish" was a copy. He truly had the skills. Huang Wanglin had been writing with a brush his whole life, but upon seeing Xu Chunliang’s handwriting, he couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed.

Xu Chunliang paused briefly and signed his name and the date.

Huang Wanglin gazed at it for a long time, full of admiration. Xu Chunliang’s imitation reached a level where form and spirit were perfectly combined, which was exceptionally difficult. Beyond the paper’s quality and texture, purely in terms of calligraphy skill, Huang Wanglin couldn’t discern whether Xu Chunliang’s copy was superior or inferior to his own Song Dynasty copy, which he considered a prized exhibit.

Huang Wanglin invited them to sit down and enjoy some tea.

Only then did Xu Chunliang reveal the purpose of their visit. Pu Jian noticed that Xu Chunliang was very considerate. Although it was his idea to come, he admitted Xu Chunliang was far more effective, not to mention that Huang Wanglin had a high regard for him. Besides, Xu Chunliang had given Huang Wanglin a piece of "Letter on Eating Fish" as a gift. Pu Jian might not understand the market, but he could tell that this piece of calligraphy was worth a considerable sum.

Upon hearing Xu Chunliang’s explanation, Huang Wanglin immediately agreed. He had long heard about the notorious conduct of Liu Kui and his group, but Huang Wanglin rarely intervened in such Jianghu matters. The field of collections was full of mixed characters from various backgrounds. Being a major collector himself, it was inevitable for him to encounter such people.

When encountering someone flaunting fake goods, Huang Wanglin wouldn’t call the police, as they were all working in the same field, often seeing each other. Given Huang Wanglin’s sharp eye and reputation, generally, no one dared to show off their inferior skills in front of him. After all, no one wanted to provoke someone with such an illustrious standing in the industry.

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