Chарtеr 213: Тhе Wages of Sin
“Sо Мr. Renji is loоking for me?” Аt this mоmеnt, Zhеn Niаng stеppеd forward. The entranсе to thе Ink Mаnоr wаs аlreаdу surrоundеd bу a сrowd, and evеrуonе understood thаt todaу, the Jaраnеsе hаd оnсe agаin sеt their sights оn thе Li fаmily.
“Yоu arе Мiss Zhen? Thе Мiss Zhen whо makes ink?” Renji Еishō quickly askеd, fеаring he might bе deceivеd, аnd аdded thе quаlifiеr “whо mаkеs ink” for сlаrity.
“Тhat’s right, thе one whо will cоmреte with уоu in thе Ink Сompetitiоn in a few days,” Zhen Niаng replied, undеrstanding his meаning. She sроke frаnkly, but her expression was like a cat waiting for a fish to bite.
“I have some understanding of Ink Craft and would like to seek your guidance,” Renji Eishō said.
“Guidance is possible, but not just anyone can seek my guidance,” Li Zhenniang said calmly, her head slightly raised, her expression brimming with confidence and even a hint of arrogance.
“What do you mean by that? Are you afraid to accept my challenge?” Renji Eishō frowned slightly, his tone deliberately provocative.
“Such tactics won’t work on me, Mr. Renji. I won’t fall for them. And Li Mo never shies away from any challenge. However, since Mr. Renji wishes to seek guidance from Li Mo, you should first demonstrate some skill to see if you are even qualified to do so,” Zhen Niang said indifferently.
“What do you mean by ‘demonstrate some skill’?” Renji Eishō asked, his brow furrowed.
Zhen Niang pursed her lips, glanced at Renji Eishō, and then surveyed the interior of the Ink Manor. Inside, Zheng Fuli was tapping away on an abacus, while Old Man Li, Li Jingfu, was scraping his fingernails with a kitchen knife. Ink Master Qin was examining a piece of ink, and even Sun Wenjie was squatting to one side, inspecting some ink-making materials that had just been delivered.
Only in a corner of the room was Chou Po, holding a broom, sweeping back and forth.
Seeing this, Zhen Niang said, “Very well. You may choose anyone inside the Ink Manor. If you can defeat them in ink recognition, then you will have the qualification to seek my guidance.” She raised the corner of her mouth, appearing somewhat conceited in Renji Eishō’s eyes.
Renji Eishō pondered this. This Miss Li was truly playing her cards well. With this arrangement, the situation was no longer under his control. He had to take it seriously. As the saying goes, “One move reveals the master.” Miss Li’s move had completely disrupted his plans. At the same time, he grew wary. Was the Li family setting some kind of trap for him?
As he thought this, Renji Eishō carefully observed the people of the Li Family Ink Workshop.
Shopkeeper Zheng Fuli was said to be an Ink Master himself. And then there was Master Qin, a leading figure among Nanjing’s Ink Masters. During this period, masters from other ink workshops had already made their moves, but Master Qin remained as steady as an angler waiting for a bite, leaving Renji Eishō somewhat uncertain.
Even Sun Wenjie, who was inspecting the materials, caught Renji Eishō’s attention for a long time. Judging by Sun Wenjie’s handling of the materials, he clearly had considerable experience with ink-making ingredients.
Normally, someone like Sun Wenjie would be an easy target for Renji Eishō to trample on. But now, even when trying to pick the softest persimmon, Renji Eishō felt unsure.
He feared falling into Li Zhenniang’s trap.At this moment, Renji Eishō's gaze involuntarily fell upon Chou Po, who was sweeping the floor in the corner of the room.
Chou Po's figure was already somewhat hunched, and her sweeping movements were slow and sluggish, occasionally pausing to rub her waist. Seeing this, Renji Eishō's eyes suddenly lit up with a gleam, and his expression grew noticeably more excited. However, he pursed his lips tightly, as if trying to contain his excitement.
After a brief pause, he turned to Miss Zhen and asked, "Does it include everyone currently present at the Ink Manor?"
"Naturally, but those outside watching do not count," Miss Zhen replied with a faint smile.
"Good, then I choose to compete with her," Renji Eishō said, pointing at Chou Po, who was still sweeping the floor.
Chou Po, suddenly pointed at by Renji Eishō, looked utterly bewildered and at a loss.
Watching from the side, Miss Zhen couldn't help but marvel inwardly at Chou Po's acting skills. In later generations, she would undoubtedly have been a contender for Best Supporting Actress.
Meanwhile, Zheng Fuli grew anxious on the side. "Renji, have you no shame? Chou Po is just a cleaning woman who happened to be here sweeping the floor. How can you challenge her to an Ink Competition? This doesn't count. Choose someone else," Zheng Fuli said, his tone flustered and exasperated.
"That's right, that's right! You Japanese devil, don't get cocky. If you have the guts, compete with me!" Sun Wenjie, who had also rolled up his sleeves, stood up and shouted at Renji Eishō.
"What? Miss Zhen, does the Li family go back on its word? I just confirmed with you that anyone inside the Ink Manor qualifies. Isn't this old woman currently inside the Ink Manor? Why doesn't she count?" Renji Eishō retorted, a smug smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Miss Zhen furrowed her brows, wearing an expression of great difficulty. Meanwhile, the crowd gathered outside the Ink Manor, upon hearing Renji Eishō's shameless declaration of challenging Chou Po to an Ink Competition, erupted in uproar. "We've seen shameless people before, but never one as shameless as this!"
However, Renji Eishō remained completely unmoved by the others' words. He had made up his mind not to be led around by Li Zhenniang and was determined to stick with his choice of Chou Po.
"Are you really sure? It's not too late to change your mind," Miss Zhen said to Renji Eishō with utmost sincerity.
"I'm sure, and I don't plan to change. I only hope Miss Zhen keeps her word," Renji Eishō pressed, fearing she might go back on her promise.
On the side, Luo Wenqian was speechless. His great-aunt's Ink Craft was so profound that even Miss Zhen might not necessarily surpass her. Renji Eishō's cleverness had backfired—this was a perfect example of digging one's own grave. Luo Wenqian simply watched the spectacle unfold, even giving Miss Zhen a discreet thumbs-up.
Miss Zhen remained perfectly composed. Hearing Renji Eishō's insistence, she saw no need to hold back any longer.
"Chou Po, I'll have to trouble you," Miss Zhen then said to Chou Po.
"Trouble, indeed. Just don't blame me if we lose," Chou Po grumbled irritably.
"How could I?" Miss Zhen replied with a light laugh.
At this moment, Renji Eishō inexplicably felt a sense of foreboding, though he couldn't quite pinpoint where it came from.
And so, the ink recognition contest between Chou Po and Renji Eishō began.In the first round, Chou Po merely warmed up a bit, not yet employing her skill of discerning ink by feeling the pouch. With just a glance at the ink brought out by Renji Eishō, she identified its origins and even described its composition with remarkable accuracy.
Renji Eishō’s face paled. He felt as though he had kicked an iron plate this time. In his heart, he cursed himself for being so foolish as to choose an ink recognition contest against such a person. Now, he feared he was about to capsize in a hidden ditch.
Of course, though he thought this way, Renji Eishō was not one to admit defeat.
The Ink Competition had to continue. Renji Eishō decided to make it more challenging. Knowing that for Huizhou Ink Masters, scent was a crucial aspect of ink recognition, he placed three different ink sticks into a single sachet, allowing their aromas to mingle. He believed this would make it far more difficult for Chou Po to identify them.
But Renji Eishō had clearly underestimated his opponent.
What kind of person was Chou Po? She had weathered countless hardships, her mind as steady as rock, and possessed a wisdom that saw through worldly affairs. She immediately understood Renji Eishō’s intention and, not wanting to bother with further complications, simply took the sachet. Without even opening it to inspect the ink inside, she weighed it in her hand and declared, “One stick is the ‘Dragon Fragrance Agent’ by Zhang Yu of the Song dynasty, another is the ‘Nine Sons Ink’ by Pan Yungu, and the last one should be an ink you crafted yourself three years ago.”
Chou Po spoke coldly and matter-of-factly.
“Discerning ink by feeling the pouch.” Renji Eishō had not expected this ancient, nearly lost skill to resurface in the Ming dynasty.
At this moment, his expression turned extremely grim and solemn.
Now, he had no mind left to cause trouble for the Li family. Instead, he grew concerned about the upcoming Ink Competition in a few days. With such a formidable expert in the Li family’s ranks, the outcome of the competition was now uncertain.
Thus, though his face was ashen, Renji Eishō still clasped his hands in a gesture of respect. “To compete with the Li family in ink recognition was like showing off one’s meager skill before a master. I take my leave.” With that, Renji Eishō turned and departed without looking back.
Immediately, the surrounding crowd burst into laughter. Renji Eishō’s exit this time was rather ignominious.
“Chou Po… what remarkable skill!” The onlookers couldn’t help but give Chou Po a thumbs-up.
Chou Po, however, remained utterly composed, as if the entire ink recognition contest had nothing to do with her. She tossed aside her broom and then headed to the backyard to tend to her vegetables.
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