The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#305 - Pie in the sky

Although Ma Liang had not practiced martial arts, as a painter, his observation skills were better than ordinary people. He had already seen that the man and woman in front of him knew each other.

However, due to some unspoken understanding, neither of them spoke, only exchanged glances. In other words, they were likely both here for him.

Ma Liang's heart sank, but he didn't show any panic on the surface. Instead, he continued to pretend that he didn't know anything and cupped his hands at Lu Jing, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?"

"Oh, I'm looking for someone," Lu Jing said.

"Who are you looking for?"

"You."

Ma Liang suppressed his violently beating heart and勉力said, "But I don't know you, sir."

"Aren't you the painter, Mr. Ma?"

"Y-yes," Ma Liang's forehead was covered with sweat.

"I'm here to ask you for a painting," Lu Jing said with a smile.

"Ask for a painting?" Ma Liang was stunned.

"May I ask how much your calligraphy and paintings cost, Mr. Ma?" Lu Jing asked.

"Ten... ten taels?" Ma Liang just wanted to get rid of these two uninvited guests as soon as possible, so he deliberately quoted a price that sounded outrageous.

He thought that there shouldn't be any fools in the world who would spend so much money to buy a painting from an unknown village painter.

However, after he finished speaking, he saw Lu Jing reach into his arms, take out a stack of silver notes, and then take out a two-hundred-tael note and place it in front of him.

"This... I don't have change," Ma Liang was taken aback.

"It's okay, keep the change. I want twenty paintings," Lu Jing said.

Ma Liang was completely stunned. He had never seen anyone buy paintings like this before. Anyone who didn't know would think it was a servant from a wealthy family going to the market to buy meat, cutting twenty catties at a time and carrying it back.

Ma Liang really wanted the two hundred taels, but he also knew that the man and woman in front of him were not to be trifled with, so he ultimately made an excuse and politely declined, "Twenty paintings, I'm afraid it will take two or three months."

"It doesn't take that long. I only want you to paint one thing."

"What thing?"

"Cakes," Lu Jing said.

Ma Liang suspected that he had misheard, "What do you want me to paint?"

"Paint cakes, just ordinary sesame cakes will do."

"Just paint sesame cakes, twenty of them?" Ma Liang gasped, feeling like his whole body was stupid. This was the most bizarre request he had ever heard in his life.

"Yes," Lu Jing nodded, "Two hundred taels will be yours after you finish painting."

Ma Liang's hanging heart was also half relieved. He was originally worried that Lu Jing would nitpick and insist that his painting was not good, and refuse to pay the money.

But now it seemed that Lu Jing didn't seem to have any intention of doing that. He accepted the first painting very satisfied, and his actions were so straightforward that all the party B's could be moved to tears.

So Ma Liang also spread out the second piece of rice paper.

In order to be as worthy as possible of the money he received, Ma Liang specifically asked before picking up his brush to paint, "Do you want to change the size and position of the second sesame cake? Or should I add some walnuts to it?"

Lu Jing's answer was also very simple, "Whatever you want."

Ma Liang pondered for a moment, feeling that it was better not to take risks. Since Lu Jing felt that there was nothing wrong with the first painting, then he could steadily get the money for the subsequent paintings by following the first one.

However, he had just picked up his brush when he heard Lu Jing suddenly say, "Change the brush."

"Change the brush?" Ma Liang frowned, looked at the Wu Xin Chang Feng brush in his hand, and didn't know what was wrong with it, but since the gold master had spoken, he changed to a San Zhuo brush. Then, with a few strokes, another sesame cake appeared on the paper.

Lu Jing nodded, still accepting the second painting very readily, and then said to Ma Liang, "Change the brush."

After that, Ma Liang changed the brush every time Lu Jing asked him to change the brush for thirteen paintings, until Ma Liang had no more brushes to change after the thirteenth painting.

Lu Jing looked into Ma Liang's eyes and said, "Painter Ma, do you really have no more brushes?"

"Yes, I've taken out all my brushes, not a single one left," Ma Liang smiled bitterly, "If you must have me paint with a different brush for each painting, I can go to the capital to buy a few more brushes."

Lu Jing thought for a while, feeling that he couldn't be completely framed by the story of his previous life. After all, this Ma Liang might not be like the one in the story, using a paintbrush to bring the things in the painting to life.

The strange object might be some other tool, so Lu Jing didn't ask Ma Liang to change the brush anymore, but instead asked him to change the inkstone, and then change the paper for painting.

But after twenty paintings were finished, nothing happened.

Lu Jing looked at Ma Liang again, didn't say anything, and stuffed the two-hundred-tael note into the latter's hand.

Ma Liang took the silver note, couldn't help pinching his thigh, and after confirming that he wasn't dreaming, he радостноput the silver note into his sleeve.

Then Lu Jing turned and left, but didn't go too far.

He stopped under a jujube tree after walking to a place where he couldn't see Ma Liang's courtyard.

After a while, Yan Jun's figure appeared in front of him again.

Although the two were competitors on this last question, they had a tacit understanding and cooperated once in front of Ma Liang just now. Lu Jing used painting cakes to attract Ma Liang's attention, while Yan Jun took the opportunity to search Ma Liang's residence.

But after seeing Lu Jing, Yan Jun shook her head.

"I didn't find two identical things in his room," Yan Jun paused and added, "There are no extra pens and inkstones either."

Lu Jing nodded. He knew what Yan Jun meant. If Ma Liang really had the means to turn the things in the painting into reality, he would most likely try to copy the things around him first, so Yan Jun initially focused on whether there were any identical things in the house.

As for the pens and inkstones, she helped Lu Jing to see them, because the latter seemed to care about these things, especially the pens. Lu Jing asked Ma Liang to change thirteen pens in a row.

But Yan Jun didn't understand why Lu Jing was so sure that the strange object to be found this time was a pen, which made her feel a little frustrated, because although the two had found Ma Liang at about the same time, Lu Jing seemed to have some clues in his hands that she didn't know.