like the quiet of death.
Ink poured down like a torrential rain.
The ground beneath his feet also melted away.
The previously illuminating light, coming from nowhere, suddenly disappeared, like a room whose lights had been turned off.
Zhao Rong fell, face down, into an endless abyss below.
Zhao Rong fell silently into the water.
No, not water, but ink.
It was the ink from the entire world melting down.
Warm and thick, it filled his mouth and nose.
Suffocation, suffocation.
On the bed in the north room, with his face down on the bedding, Zhao Rong suddenly bounced up.
Zhao Rong widened his eyes, turned, and sat up on the bed, breath heavily with the stale air in his lungs.
He looked around him.
The room was silent and dim, lit only by a small orange-yellow glow from a lamp on the desk not far away, illuminating a small area around the desk.
The rest of the room remained cloaked in a gray haze.
The window was still enveloped by night.
Zhao Rong came back to his senses, his breathing gradually steadied.
He propped himself up with one hand on the bed and rubbed his face with the other, gazing at the solitary light in the room, muttering softly.
"Ink painting... dream... Yu Huaijin... ink..."
At Mochi Academy, Zhao Rong was taking a calligraphy class at Justice Hall.
During the break, he sought out Gu Yiwu.
"Brother Gu, I need to ask you something," Zhao Rong said.
Looking at the serious expression on Zhao Rong’s face, Gu Yiwu patted his shoulder.
"What urgent matter do you have, Brother Zhao?" he asked. "Is it about those rumors going around the academy recently? Brother Zhao, you should pay no attention to those. We students of Justice Hall do not take those rumors seriously, nor do we spread them..."
"Wait, wait," Zhao Rong interrupted.
He frowned slightly, looking at Gu Yiwu, "People are talking behind my back in the academy?" he chucked, "Let them say what they want, how irrelevant, I’m not asking about this."
Gu Yiwu scratched the back of his head, "Then what does Brother Zhao need?"
Zhao Rong pondered for a while, "A few days ago, yes, the day I first met Brother Gu at Teacher Zhu’s Guest Pavilion in Yilan Pavilion. The other senior students from the academy were also present, do you remember?"
Gu Yiwu gave him a serious look.
"Of course, I remember. Before you even entered, I felt a premonition, looked towards the gate, and felt as if something or someone remarkable was about to appear through that door," Gu Yiwen said earnestly, patting Zhao Rong on the shoulder while looking him in the eye.
"In fact, at that moment, it seemed as if the air around grew darker, all in anticipation of the person about to make a grand entrance. Then, the rhythmic knocking at the door made it clear to me that the visitor was someone with refined manners and genteel demeanor. And when I saw you, it was just as I predicted! I was instantly struck by... "
Zhao Rong, who had initially intended to ask another question, was unable to get a word in.
His mouth had opened slightly, but it slowly closed as he watched the earnest expression of the man in front of him, listening to his endless chatter.
Zhao Rong remained expressionless.
As Gu Yiwu spoke, he seemed to notice Zhao Rong’s demeanor, and his voice gradually lowered.
The two men stared at each other, the atmosphere increasingly awkward.
Gu Yiwu coughed softly, covering his mouth.
Zhao Rong watched him with a calm expression, waiting for him to speak.
If you’re going to talk, say something useful.
Feeling a bit over the line, Gu Yiwu turned away, whispering, "So, Brother Zhao, what I mean is, I remember the events of that day vividly."
Zhao Rong was silent for a moment and then nodded lightly, suddenly saying,
"That day, in the Cultivation Hall, Senior Han took out the Ink Heart Vermilion Fruit. Yes, I think it was called that, do you remember, Brother Gu?"
Gu Yiwu was slightly startled, evidently not expecting this question.
"Of course I remember, the Ink Heart Vermilion Fruit, very interesting indeed," he said. "As Senior Li from Guangye Hall said, it allows one to enter a dream as if stepping into a landscape ink painting at night."
He looked at Zhao Rong, whose expression had grown serious, raised his eyebrows, but still smiled,
"Recently, when I had some free time, I deliberately went to sleep over several nights to play in this ink-like dream. It was indeed fascinating. I even discovered that I could practice calligraphy and painting in this ink dream, which was quite convenient and quite rewarding."
Zhao Rong listened quietly, thoughtfully.
Gu Yiwu shook his head.
"However, it eventually got a bit lonely playing by myself. I’ve been busy lately and haven’t entered the dream for a while. I’m not sure if the effects of that Fruit have faded by now, but Brother Li said it should last quite some time. It’s truly a fascinating object."
Zhao Rong nodded lightly, pondered for a moment, and began from the start.
"This Ink Heart Vermilion Fruit, it allows one to enter a dream that resembles a landscape painting?"
Gu Yiwu looked at him, vaguely nodding, "Brother Zhao didn’t know? Oh, that’s right, Brother Li from Guangye Hall introduced it before you arrived."
Zhao Rong’s mouth twitched slightly as he nodded lightly.
How would I know? You mountain folk are so playful, even eating a fruit involves so many twists and turns...
He was merely feeling overheated from cultivation and wanted to eat some refreshing fruit. At the time, he had thought they were simply sharing this type of ’spirit fruit’ that could enhance spiritual energy cultivation.
Thus, Zhao Rong didn’t pay much mind to Han Wenfu’s expression. They all have it? I want it too.