Under an open space, surrounded by steep peaks in every direction, a young man wearing a black robe sat upon a blue mat.
In his hands, he held a blank sheet of paper.
The young man, who also had a brush resting on the mat, carried a calm aura.
The atmosphere around him was tranquil, attracting small butterflies.
They hovered around him, shimmering with a colorful and radiant halo.
Watching this, the young man set the paper on his lap and extended his hands toward the tiny creatures.
The butterflies stopped fluttering and elegantly landed on his arms.
The scene made him smile faintly at the corners of his lips.
Two figures in the distance, who had seen this, fixed their attentive gazes on him.
One of them was a young woman with a cold expression and a matching appearance.
Her hair was silver like snow, and her pupils were a pale blue, like an ice crystal.
Her eyes, staring at the young man, remained expressionless, yet deep inside there was interest in someone so harmonious with the environment.
"Do you know him?" She shifted her gaze to the young woman beside her.
That woman was her complete opposite, almost like a natural nemesis.
Hearing the question, Ruelan shook her head.
"I don't. But judging by his robes, he's a new disciple."
Ruelan gave her opinion, her expression turning strange.
Ever since she met Lingxue, she had never seen her curious about anyone.
Not even she, that cold snow, cared for such things; the only reason they stuck together was because she insisted on it.
Looking at the young man, she could understand it a little.
He truly was unique—someone with that level of tranquility was rare.
Especially in someone who looked no older than sixteen.
'This boy is either really good, or he's faking it well.' Ruelan had her doubts.
Doubts that could hardly be answered without speaking to him personally.
"Lingxue, let's go over the—" She stopped when she saw the cold girl already walking toward him.
"...."
Ruelan fell silent and placed a hand on her chin, pondering something.
As she pondered, her eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Hehehe."
Lingxue, who was walking ahead, stopped abruptly upon hearing that quiet, villainous giggle.
Her pupils contracted, and her lips parted slightly.
She felt displeased knowing Ruelan was planning something.
The displeasure lasted only a few seconds before her cold expression returned.
It wasn't worth bothering with a nuisance. If Ruelan overstepped, she would kill her later.
And coldly, without any resentment.
Behind her, Ruelan shivered at the invisible threat.
'This iceberg hasn't melted even after a year?' She pouted.
'That boy could spare me a bit of his tranquillity. Is the secret painting?' She would definitely try it later.
Resolved, she followed Lingxue toward the seated youth.
Luo Che, noticing the approach of the two women, looked at the one in front.
After examining her from head to toe, he picked up his brush.
"Senior sister, would you like a portrait? I can paint you for fifty spirit stones."
"Fine."
Lingxue agreed with a flick of her hand. She genuinely wanted to see what the young man would do.
Luo Che, pleased by her acceptance, immediately began painting.
The brush, its dark tip soaked in ink, started gliding across the sheet.
The butterflies on his arms flew up to his shoulder, watching his movements.
Luo Che painted with strokes neither too slow nor too fast.
With great control in his fingers, he maintained the ideal rhythm of the brush on the paper.
The ink did not smudge at all; the illustration came to life.
On the paper, the image of a young woman in black and white grew clear.
Lingxue, who only saw the back of the sheet, displayed even greater interest in her expression.
Ruelan, ignored by both, felt hurt for being treated like air.
With a frustrated sigh, she looked at the young man.
'He's pretending.' She discovered this by observing his eyebrows.
They didn't align with his eyes—they were slightly raised, unlike someone truly calm.
'A truly calm person would have deep eyes, carrying countless experiences.'
'But he has none of that; his dark eyes show childishness mixed with joy. And his aura doesn't make sense either.'
Holding onto that evaluation, Ruelan stepped closer and sniffed subtly.
The scent was fresh—the kind found only in untouched nature.
It didn't match this region's terrain.
'Just as I thought.' Ruelan concluded everything and smiled discreetly, watching the young man finish the painting.
Finishing, Luo Che rolled up the sheet and set the brush down on the mat.
"Fifty spirit stones," he said in an emotionless voice.
"Take them."
Lingxue, unconcerned with the price, took from her storage ring a shower of blue stones.
They floated down onto the blue fabric, forming a small hill.
Luo Che, seeing them gathered, showed happiness.
Extending his hand, he handed the painting to Lingxue.
Retracting his arm, he grabbed a fur pouch and opened it.
Inside was a dark space, ten times the size of the pouch.
It was a storage bag—the cheapest type.
Luo Che, who owned it, piled the stones inside.
While he was doing that, Lingxue unrolled the painting, revealing the image.
In the black-and-white painting, a young woman sat in a lotus position.
Below her were icy waters, and around the painting stood freezing peaks.
The young woman, amid this scenery, contemplated the snowfall descending from the heavens.
There were also characters written in the sky, forming a poem:
"Behind immortal coldness, a pure maiden remains, willing to glimpse the beauties of the vast Dao."
Lingxue, observing it, was surprised—the painting was beautiful for someone who used only black.
Reading the poem, a smile appeared on her lips.
"What is your name?" she asked the young painter.
"Luo Che. And yours, senior sister?"
Finishing storing the stones, he looked at her.
"Su Lingxue."
She answered with a voice still cold, yet softer than when she spoke to Ruelan.
A rock in place—ignored by both sides.
Ruelan wore the face of someone who had eaten spoiled food.
'This brat is good; he hooked a fish cleanly into his net.' She huffed silently.
Luo Che, sensing a resistant gaze on him, looked back, finally noticing the dull woman.
Even though she had her charm, she couldn't compare when standing beside a beautiful statue.
Looking away, he lost interest; she was not interesting at all.
"Senior Sister Su, your smile is lovely and pure; smile more often," he said sincerely.
"And also, elder sister, don't focus too much on the details. Just enjoy the beauties the world has to offer."
Even though he had been painting earlier, Luo Che kept his eyes fixed on the two and noticed that the second woman frowned slightly.
She had figured it all out.
He didn't care; after all, he had deceived no one.
He had only used a few countermeasures to sell a painting in the shortest time possible.
'Thank goodness I found someone before the effect of the Arts Talisman wore off.'