Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 255 The Royal Family's Legacy

When they saw the invitation written by Lü Ci himself, all the existing older generation of cultivators were stunned for a moment, and then some looked as dejected and haggard as Lu Jin, while others let it go as easily as the Old Celestial Master.

Most of the older generation of practitioners, when they look back at their younger selves, feel as if they are seeing a somewhat unfamiliar "old friend".

Faced with this old friend, they hesitated to approach and acknowledge him, a sense of sorrow welling up within them.

If you want to buy sweet-scented osmanthus with wine, it doesn't seem like you are a teenager.

Time waits for no one, and it can change one's appearance, turning a child into an old man; it can also transform one's very being, turning a hero into a coward.

That young man, living in the past and in his heart, experienced setbacks but ultimately failed to grow up smoothly, and his passionate Haoyang eventually turned into a cool, waning moon.

Old friends are no longer the same as we are; a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye. How many people can maintain their original intentions? Most just change their faces and appearances.

These old people feared that the burning passion of those innocent children would ignite their own rotten wood; they also feared that their own coldness and filth would taint the fervent purity of those children.

Most people can only glimpse yesterday's sunrise through the illusion of a mirage, yearning for it but hesitant to approach.

They dared not recognize themselves, so they could only call them "old friends".

"Things have changed, but that's all there is to it. I never expected you, old hedgehog, to have this skill. This artistic conception is almost on par with my family's divine painting."

At the Wang family residence, Wang Ai glanced at the invitation in her hand and commented on the artistic conception of Lü Ci's invitation in a natural tone, "Although the handwriting is not very beautiful, it is full of spirit and energy."

Unlike the other elderly people, Wang Ai remained calm and composed, without any signs of being distracted or absent-minded. After reading the invitation, she handed it to Wang Bing, who was standing nearby and looking curious.

"My dear, take a look. This thing is truly beautiful. It's a pity that your patriarch, Mr. Lü, is not proficient in calligraphy and painting, otherwise this would also be a rare treasure."

Wang Ai shook her head, casually picked up the teacup, lifted the lid to reveal the calm tea soup, and saw her own reflection in it.

It was the face of a kind and approachable old man. Beneath his thin eyebrows, his eyes were narrowed, their sharp glint hidden, making them difficult to see clearly.

"What a pity, my Wang family was raised in luxury, and the Divine Paint can't be faked."

With another sigh of regret, Wang Ai reached out and wiped the tea soup with the lid. As he touched the cup, the originally calm tea soup rippled, breaking the image of the kind old man and revealing the face of another chubby boy.

This chubby boy looks to be no more than a teenager, with a round face, small eyes, and delicate skin, making him look very festive and precious.

"Hmm, I am quite handsome, but why doesn't Shihua like me?"

Looking at his reflection, Wang Ai spoke with a hint of self-amusement, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then looked at Wang Bing with a smile.

"So, can you tell anything, my darling?"

"Grandpa, this is just a simple invitation."

Sitting next to Wang Ai, Wang Bing showed no restraint in front of his elders. He was casual and nonchalant, taking the invitation and looking at it from left to right. He even held the invitation up to the corridor of the main hall and examined it carefully in the sunlight.

Wang Ai looked at him kindly and patiently, as if playing with a child, and said, "Do you remember what Grandpa said when he taught you [Divine Painting]?"

"I remember... no, I don't think this handwriting is something that someone of Master Lü's age could write."

Wang Bing suddenly seemed to have discovered something, and carefully examined the ordinary handwriting. "Although an old man can write with this kind of sharpness, the spirit and temperament in it are the spirit of a young man."

"clever!"

Wang Ai slapped her thigh excitedly, as if teasing a younger person, and then asked, "What else can my darling see from this?"

"That's all."

Wang Bing shook his head, somewhat discouraged. "Grandpa, am I not suited to learn [Divine Painting]?"

"No way, my darling's talent is already much stronger than Grandpa's back then."

Wang Ai quickly stood up and walked to Wang Bing's side, took back the invitation, and comforted him, "Besides, you're still young. It's enough that you understand. It's not the time for you to go and meet people."

"Our [Divine Paint] technique is easy to learn but difficult to master. Just be patient and you'll understand it someday."

Wang Ai patted Wang Bing on the back, "It's time. You should go practice your calligraphy and painting techniques. Since you're going to learn [Divine Painting], you can't be completely clueless."

"Yes, I'll go find my dad right away."

Wang Ai watched with a smile as Wang Bingdi's figure disappeared down the corridor, then hummed a little tune as she walked back to her room. Her demeanor was that of a wealthy, idle person who doted on his juniors, completely unlike the ruthless and cunning "Wang the Skinflint" that was widely rumored to be outsiders.

The Wang family has been known for its powerful merchants for generations. Wang Ai, the head of the family, is seen by outsiders as a cunning and greedy person. The Wang family is also seen by many as short-sighted. In recent years, Wang Ai has been regarded as unworthy of his position as one of the Ten Elders.

But if the world were truly divided into only black and white, and good and evil, then that would truly be chaos.

Each of the four families has its own unique characteristics: the Lu family has its own integrity, the Lü family has its own iron will, and the Wang family has its own tradition.

In the world of supernatural beings, it is well known that the Wang family among the four families has two great inheritances: one is the family technique of "divine coating," and the other is the family custom of spoiling the younger generation.

Both Shen Tu and Mi Hua are branches of the same school of painting, but unlike the meticulous and detailed Mi Hua, Shen Tu places more emphasis on spirit and charm.

But whether it's divine painting, secret painting, or the art of painting as its source, they all have one characteristic: [using the false to cultivate the true].

Similar to how sorcerers impersonate deities by using human lives to steal the power of faith, the art of painting also possesses its own mysteries of confusing truth and falsehood and stealing the mysterious from chaos.

Similarly, the art of painting also carries the risk of being caught between truth and falsehood, and losing oneself.

This kind of risk is extremely uncontrollable. Take Xia Liuqing, for example, an old actor who played gods all his life, he lost his life because of it.

If that's the case, then is the Wang family, who have used the [Divine Paint] technique as a family heirloom for thousands of years, really lacking in virtue?

No, ironically, the Wang family members, who are considered morally deficient by the world, actually possess a keen and discerning mind, capable of distinguishing truth from falsehood.

After all, the world is full of wonders and people have countless faces. If one cannot clearly understand oneself, how can one use a brush to depict all kinds of charm?

As for another custom of the Wang family—doting on the younger generation—it is actually related to the art of painting.

When a person is born, their innate nature evolves into their acquired nature. In childhood, the innate nature is not completely lost.

This remaining trace of innate nature is precisely the pure and innocent heart of a child, and this innocent heart is especially precious for the art of painting.

Or rather, this pure and innocent heart makes any cultivation twice as effective.

The elders of the Wang family, who have already grown up, are doing their best to protect the innocent hearts of the younger generation. This is not only their way of caring for the younger generation, but also their way of continuing the Wang family tradition.

A hundred years ago, Wang Ai's father personally sheltered his "precious child" from the wind and rain. Now, a hundred years later, Wang Ai is also sheltering his "precious child" from the wind and rain.

This continuity, passed down through generations, is the legacy of the royal family.

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Chapter One!

I know many people will criticize the author for writing this chapter, but the world is not so simple.