Clack

! A brush fell to the floor.

The painter's mouth gaped open in shock. The expressions of the others varied, but they were all equally stunned.

Everyone had witnessed the servant laying out the drawing paper, seen the painter pick up the brush, and watched every stroke under their scrutiny. The final portrait was astonishingly vivid, almost lifelike, yet no one could have anticipated that the figure in the painting seemed to come to life and turned its head to stare directly at them just moments later.

Could the legends of the past centuries about Master Dou's ability to bring portraits to life be true? Had a descendant inherited such divine artistic skills after all these years?

Everyone turned their gaze to Sir Dou. However, Sir Dou looked even more shocked than they did.

In his astonishment, there was also a hint of fear.

No one knew better than he did that he did not possess the divine skill of his ancestors to bring portraits to life. This phenomenon was not due to his own painting skills.

As for the cause...

It reminded him of the teachings from his ancestors—one should not casually paint people or gods. To paint people casually was to risk imbuing the painting with too much realism, which could lead to unforeseen consequences, good or bad.

To paint gods casually was even more dangerous, as gods with high cultivation could detect their likeness in a painting. If the painting was too lifelike, the god might become aware and even manifest in the painting to question why they were depicted. Even powerful demons of great skill could sometimes behave this way.

Could this person’s cultivation be comparable to that of a god?

“Sir Dou!” the elder sitting in the chair spoke up. “What is happening here?”

“I don’t know either...”

Before they could figure it out, the figure in the painting began to move, taking a few steps forward. The flat image rapidly gained dimension, and the figure stepped out of the painting, now fully real.

It was a young Daoist, appearing almost identical to the painting.

The young Daoist surveyed the room, taking in Steward Liu, the officials of the Grand Commander residence, the elder, the middle-aged Daoist, and the painter. His gaze lingered briefly on the painting of two tigers fighting over a mountain on the back wall before he spoke, “May I ask what you all need from me?”

Everyone's eyes widened in shock once again.

“This...”

Mu Shou looked at the painter, who could only shake his head repeatedly.

The old Grand Commander was calmer. He coughed twice and asked, “Is this person truly real?”

“Although it is a painting, it is also a real person,” the Daoist replied.

“Why did you come out of the painting?” the Grand Commander asked.

“Since you had someone paint me, I used the painting to reveal my true self,” the Daoist said, glancing at them with a faint smile. “It seems that you did not intend to invite me, but rather to use the painting to harm me?”

“Are you the Daoist spiritual master who performed the spell in my residence this morning?”

“I cannot be called a Daoist spiritual master,” the Daoist replied.

“What should I call you then?”

“My surname is Song, given name You.”

“So it’s Master Song,” the Grand Commander said. He lowered his head, covering his mouth as he coughed a few more times, then looked up and said, “I have failed in my teachings. My son is foolish and reckless, having offended you. It is only right that you punish him. However, the punishment of becoming deaf is a bit severe.

“Moreover, he is my only son. Please, Master, have mercy and lift the curse. I am willing to offer a great reward and will ensure he does not cause trouble in the future.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

“If it’s not possible, what will you do?”

“I will not easily give up on this matter,” the Grand Commander insisted.

“Are you the Grand Commander?” the Daoist asked.

“That’s right,” the Grand Commander confirmed.

“No wonder the residence is filled with an aura of death,” the Daoist said, shaking his head. “Do you know which master extended your life?”

“What aura of death?”

“Recently, at night or even just when closing your eyes, have you felt disoriented, or sometimes as if you can see yourself?”

“How do you know?”

“Have you asked the person who extended your life what the cause is?” The Daoist remained still, only looking at the elderly Grand Commander. “Or do you just think it’s due to your own failing eyesight or weakness?”

“It’s the side effects of the medicine. Dizziness and blurred vision are nothing to worry about,” the Grand Commander replied.

“Ah, so it’s a side effect of the medicine,” the Daoist nodded. “Then I suppose the coldness of your body is also a side effect of the medicine?”

“How do you know this?” the Grand Commander asked.

“Is the master who extended your life still around?”

“He went out to collect medicine yesterday.”

“I see.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

“This is not a method of extending life. It only temporarily confines your soul within your body and uses secret methods to prevent your corpse from decaying,” the Daoist said, shaking his head. “People call this an evil Dao. The master who went out to collect medicine probably won’t return.”

“Preposterous!” The old man yelled angrily, but amidst his anger, he also felt a pang of panic. “Even if your cultivation skills are supreme, don’t spout nonsense!”

“Have you felt your own heartbeat, Grand Commander?” the Daoist asked.

“This...” The old man immediately placed his hand over his heart. His eyes widened gradually.

“Grand Commander...” The Daoist shook his head at him. “Do you realize? You have been dead for two days!”

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

“You...” The Grand Commander’s eyes widened suddenly, but before he could finish his sentence, it was as if he had choked. His face turned pale in an instant.

He struggled to breathe and collapsed immediately.

“Grand Commander!”

“Father!”

The scene descended into chaos.

The young man couldn’t hear what others were saying. He saw his father conversing with the Daoist who had stepped out of the painting, and then suddenly, his father’s eyes widened, and he collapsed unconscious. Not knowing the reason, he hurriedly shouted and rushed over to hold his father’s body.

But as soon as he touched him, he pulled his hand back in shock. It was icy cold!

In his panic, he didn’t have time to think clearly. He continued gripping his father’s hand, calling out several times with no response. He then turned to the Daoist, his eyes bloodshot and his teeth clenched.

“You demonic Daoist! You have harmed my family!”

“You jest,” the Daoist said. “The Grand Commander died two days ago. How can you blame me for this? Moreover, this sort of situation is contrary to the natural order. For the past two days, the Grand Commander might have felt his body was still vigorous. But he would soon begin to feel his body slowly rotting while remaining conscious, thinking he was ill.

“He might even have waited until his body was completely dead, with his soul still trapped inside, enduring torment. Only on the day of his burial, hearing your mourning, would he realize he had died and finally be freed.” The Daoist spoke to him, and miraculously, his voice was once again audible to the young man. “In a way, I have actually helped the Grand Commander.”

“Utter nonsense!”

“You should calm down.”

“...” The young man looked around in confusion, then ran over to the wall and took down the painting of the two tigers fighting over a mountain to shake it.

“Hah! Reveal yourself!” He shouted angrily.

As the painting was shaken, a cloud of dust emerged, as if the ink had turned to dust and was being shaken out.

In an instant, a loud roar was heard, and two enormous striped tigers sprang out from the dust cloud and landed on the ground. Their size was much larger than ordinary tigers, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

“Kill him!” The young man pointed at Song You. “Avenge my father!”

“

Roar

...” The two tigers immediately turned their attention to the Daoist.

Just as they were about to pounce, they locked eyes with the Daoist, who casually asked, “Do you two mountain beasts know that you are just a painting?”

At these words, both tigers were momentarily stunned. They stood there, unable to move.

The Daoist waved his hand and said, “Go back.”

“

Poof

!”

The two tigers instantly turned back into dust.

Strangely, these tigers from the painting were afraid of being exposed like those hanging onto life. Those clinging to life were already dead, sustained only by magic and their own beliefs. Once broken, their beliefs would collapse, and they would be dead, thus they would truly die.

The fierce tiger in the painting is but a manifestation of illusion, making it hard to discern truth from falsehood. If you knew it was fake and were completely confident in that knowledge, you could view the tiger before you as nothing but a gentle breeze. If you exposed them, the tiger would naturally be unable to harm you.

However, if you were unsure of its reality, or if you understood it was false but still felt anxious and fearful, thinking there might be a chance of danger, then you wouldn't be able to remain calm and confident when the tiger approached, and you might indeed be harmed by it.

Thus, with a single sentence from the Daoist, they were frozen in place. With another wave of his hand, they returned to the painting.

The Daoist’s ease in dismissing such massive tigers naturally astonished everyone present. Especially the young man, who was nearly paralyzed with fear.

“The fact that you rely on your high status and act recklessly in the city is already a fault. I only administered a minor punishment, yet you do not repent but instead release tigers to attack me,” the Daoist shook his head at the young man. “However, considering your anger due to your father’s death and your misunderstanding that I harmed him, it is understandable. I will not take your life.”

He paused. “However, you can avoid death, you cannot escape punishment. After careful consideration, I will grant you lifelong muteness. May you reflect deeply in silence, and if you act benevolently from now on, there may be a day when this curse is lifted.”

The young man continued to open his mouth, but no sound came out. He was already deaf, unable to hear his own voice or know if he could speak. He could only repeatedly open and close his mouth.

From his expression and lip movements, it was clear he was angrily cursing. With a wave of Song You’s hand, he collapsed unconscious.

At this point, only three people remained in the room. The Daoist looked at each of them in turn.

“

Thud

!” The steward knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and waving his hands, unable to speak.

The Daoist waved his hand at him.

“Please spare me, Immortal Master!”

The steward immediately found his voice and, upon hearing himself, was momentarily stunned. He then hurriedly begged, “Immortal Master, spare me. This matter has nothing to do with me!”

The Daoist then turned his attention to the remaining two.

“

Thud

!” The painter also fell to his knees.

“Immortal Master, spare me! I am merely a painter. Recently, I was hunted by people from the

jianghu

and took refuge in the Grand Commander's residence to escape. If I had gone outside, being caught would be worse than death. The Grand Commander forced me to paint your portrait, and I initially refused, but he threatened my life. I had no other choice. I beg you for mercy!”

The Daoist remained silent, only looking at the steward.

“This is indeed the truth...” the steward said tremblingly.

“Immortal Master, spare me!”

"There's no need to panic, master. I am not a bloodthirsty person," Song You said calmly. "Your skills are exceptional. If you are being coerced and have no intention of harming me, how could I dare to hurt you?"

“Thank you, Immortal Master.”

“Please, rise quickly.”

“Thank you, thank you...”

Song You then turned his attention to the middle-aged Daoist. His intent was clear: to settle accounts.

The middle-aged Daoist’s eyes flickered, but he still bowed and asked, “My name is Mu Shou, with the Daoist title Ping Qiuzi. I studied Dao at the Zhenyan Temple on Mount Luming. May I ask where you cultivate, fellow Daoist?”

“At Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain.”

“...”

The middle-aged Daoist’s expression immediately darkened. He quickly bowed deeply, “So you’re the Immortal Master of Hidden Dragon Temple. I’ve failed to recognize your true status and offended you. Please punish me.”

“Why are you here?”

“To be honest with you, the Grand Commander saved my life. Today, when the people here were punished by you, he summoned me, intending to use the painting to cast a spell on you,” the middle-aged Daoist said, bracing himself. “He wanted you to know that the Grand Commander’s residence is not to be trifled with and hoped I could come and lift the spell.”

“What were you planning to do to me?”

“The Grand Commander told me not to harm your life, only to make you aware. I intended to cast a minor spell to make you aware.”

“You are lying.”

“...”

The middle-aged Daoist lowered his head and, after a moment of silence, admitted, “I originally planned to cast a rotting curse to make you suffer, with your body decaying until you had to return to the Grand Commander’s residence to lift the curse in exchange for lifting it.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“The Grand Commander saved my life, so I must repay him regardless. Since I have offended you, I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate without complaint.”

“Since you are a Daoist from the Zhenyan Temple on Mount Luming, why not cultivate on the mountain instead of causing trouble down here?”

“The mountain is too dull and austere; I cannot stay there.”

“Does the Zhenyan Temple teach these kinds of spells?”

“I learned from

jianghu

sorcerers after I came down the mountain.”

“I see.”

“Please, Immortal Master, punish me.”

“An eye for an eye.” Song You paused. “But fighting should not be settled with one act of retribution for another. Therefore, be mute for the rest of your life. You won’t be able to speak or cast spells. Return to Mount Luming for proper cultivation. If you achieve great progress in your cultivation, the curse will naturally be lifted. How does that sound?”

“...” The middle-aged Daoist was silent for a moment before cupping his hands and saying, “I will follow your instructions!”

Song You waved his hand and turned to step back into the painting.

The others lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer. The room fell into silence.

When they looked up again, they saw the young Daoist in the painting, exactly as he had been depicted. Then, with a

whoosh

, the painting suddenly burst into flames, burning to ashes in moments.

Except for the painter, everyone else was rendered speechless.

“...”

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The middle-aged Daoist began to feel an itch on his body. At first, it was just an uncomfortable sensation on the surface, as if ants were crawling on him. But within moments, it felt like coarse grass scraping against his skin. He frowned and pressed his lips tightly, glancing at the painter beside him. His eyes flickered with a glint, but after a moment, he gave up and shook his head.

He then took a brush and wrote on the table, “You possess an unparalleled treasure, and being involved in this matter makes it difficult for you to extricate yourself. Please leave quickly.”

The painter was taken aback upon seeing this.

He quickly bowed and said, “Thank you, sir!”

The middle-aged Daoist said nothing more and waved his hand. The painter did not dare to say anything further and hurriedly left the place.

At this moment, the Daoist felt as though his body was being bitten by insects.

He was all too familiar with this sensation. Since coming down the mountain and mingling in the

jianghu

of Changjing, he had used such curses on countless people. Experiencing it himself now, he considered it retribution.