Chapter 126: The Masked Woman Goes First

Iron-Calculus Immortal stared at it for a long time, yet he could not decipher what character it was. Though he had studied for a few years in his youth—before abandoning his books entirely for divination—he had truly never seen such an obscure character before.

However, Ghost One’s reaction was profound. While he had treated the others with a flat, indifferent "Pass," he seemed to hold Fang Mu in great esteem. The title "Sir" was not used lightly; it was enough to reveal Ghost One’s true attitude.

It was not just the Iron-Calculus Immortal who was curious; the others craned their necks to look, stunned to see someone who could command such respect from the entity.

Ghost One cupped his hands in a formal salute. "Sir, might you enlighten me as to how this character is read?"

"Death," Fang Mu said, setting down his brush. "Though it is not a character you would recognize; I created it myself."

Upon hearing the word "Death," a flicker of brilliance ignited in the eyes of the masked woman. She, too, had written the word "Death" earlier, but Ghost One’s reaction had been vastly different. She fell into deep contemplation, though no one could guess her thoughts.

Ghost One stared intently at the character Fang Mu had written. After a moment, he bowed. "The rules acknowledge it. Sir has not only passed the test but has taken the lead."

Fang Mu smiled, his gaze fixed on Ghost One with growing excitement. Having passed one round, he only needed to clear three more to utilize his Corpse-Touching Art. Such a rule-based phantom was rare, and Fang Mu was eager to see what he could obtain from it.

The truth was, the character for "Death" was not from this world. Fang Mu lacked the talent to invent a new script on the spot, so he had simply drawn upon the memories of his past life. With a culture as rich and diverse as the one he had left behind, writing a single character—or even a poem or an essay—was a trivial matter. Besides, possessing the Void-Reality Mirror Technique meant he effectively had an extra life; he had decided to take a gamble, and to his surprise, it had worked.

After Ghost One spoke, his body became increasingly translucent.

"The first round is cleared," Ghost One said, regaining his composure. "Though I respect you, Sir, the game must continue. Let the second round be about this painting."

Fang Mu chuckled. "You don't seem afraid at all that once we break all four rounds, you will cease to exist."

Ghost One shook his head. "I have already died once. If I can exhaust my efforts for the City Lord, even if my death brings a smile to his face, it is a life well spent."

Fang Mu withdrew his gaze, contemplating in silence. Ghost One’s stance was clear; he was a die-hard loyalist to the City Lord. It seemed the situation in Cangyun City was far more complex than he had imagined. The depth of this loyalty was evident, and according to the City Lord, Ghost One had been chosen at random, implying there were many more such devoted followers. In Fang Mu’s eyes, Cangyun City was an iron-clad fortress.

Ghost One looked at the seven people present and waved his hand toward an object that resembled a scroll. The scroll unfurled to reveal its contents: a landscape painting. Even an amateur could tell there was substance to it.

Fang Mu studied the landscape. The Iron-Calculus Immortal leaned in and whispered, "Brother Fang, have you managed to grasp its meaning?" He was truly impressed; anyone capable of inventing their own script must be a literary master. Now, he only wanted to stay close to this powerful figure.

Fang Mu stared at the painting for a long time before nodding. "It’s quite good."

The Iron-Calculus Immortal nearly tripped. He had expected some profound critique, not such a mundane remark. Fang Mu looked at him calmly; he was a layman, and for him, this was as good as it got. If a master painter were here, they would have offered endless praise, but for a brute like Fang Mu, refraining from calling it "awesome" was already quite refined.

Ghost One nodded. "Before you, Sir, my work is but a trivial craft. To receive even a single word of praise from you is an honor."

"So that’s how it is?" the Iron-Calculus Immortal muttered, half-understanding. "So, Brother Fang, you find it lacking?"

Fang Mu: "..."

Forget it. No point in explaining. If they wanted to overanalyze everything, there was nothing he could do.

Ghost One pointed to the painting. "For the painting round, we must change the method. Painting requires time and inspiration; doing it on the spot would be unfair, so we shall not paint. We will critique."

The group exchanged glances, confused by the rules.

Ghost One pointed at the landscape. "I painted this in my early years, but it has always had its flaws. If you can point out a reasonable defect, you pass." He opened his hand, and the floating scroll shifted angle so everyone could see it clearly. "The flaws are limited. Those who speak first have an easier time; the later it gets, the harder it will be to find them."

"I’ll go first."

As the words left Ghost One's mouth, a woman's voice cut through the air. Fang Mu turned to see the masked woman stepping forward.

Ghost One nodded in approval. "Though you are a woman, your decisive nature rivals any man. Very well. You have half an incense stick of time to think. Give me your answer when the time is up."

When the masked woman stepped forward, the three other Xuan-practitioners looked on with regret. They had hesitated for just a moment, and now the opportunity was gone.

The masked woman lowered her head in thought for a moment before pointing at the painting. "There are mountains and water, vibrant with life, but in my eyes, the painting lacks a certain spirit. It has life but no death, making it monotonous. If you were to add bones beneath the flowing water, the theme would be more profound. It could be called 'The Landscape of Desolate Mountains and Vile Waters'."

The others exchanged looks. This was effectively rewriting the man's work. The three Xuan-practitioners secretly gloated, expecting the woman to suffer for it.

Ghost One fell into thought, then slowly said, "Pass."

The three practitioners were stunned.

Ghost One continued, "My painting only depicted mountains and water, and it was done on a whim without a theme. You have bestowed upon it the theme of 'Desolate Mountains and Vile Waters.' Very good."

The masked woman nodded, her expression remaining calm from start to finish.

"My turn!" one of the Xuan-practitioners, unable to contain himself, stood up.

Ghost One nodded. "Speak."

The practitioner pointed to the painting. "I, too, feel it lacks something. If you were to add some birds, it would be 'The Landscape of Flying Birds'."

He looked smug, having essentially plagiarized the concept.

Ghost One waved his hand, and the practitioner instantly disintegrated into a cloud of smoke. "The rules do not acknowledge this. Opportunism will not be tolerated."

The remaining two practitioners, who had been eager to jump in, immediately shrank back. The scene fell into an eerie silence. No one dared to step forward.

Finally, Ghost One pointed at one of the practitioners. "Since no one else is willing to come forward, you shall be next."

The named practitioner froze.