Chen Fan's words left everyone stunned.
To ask for credit on such an occasion was almost laughable.
"I apologize, Mr. Chen, but the rules of the Fish Dragon Gathering do not allow for credit, and we cannot make an exception for you!" Ping Yihong said slowly, his tone as calm as ever.
Chen Fan was not overly surprised. He nodded and said, "Then I would trouble you for some paper, ink, brush, and inkstone. I will write a stroke and see if it can be worth the value of this jade pot."
As he spoke, the other guests looked at Chen Fan in unison, their faces full of disbelief.
Ping Yihong was also quite surprised. He listened towards the screen behind him, then looked at Chen Fan with surprise on his face.
"Mr. Chen is truly unexpected!" Ping Yihong exclaimed and said with a smile, "My master has agreed."
With that, he gestured to the maids to prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Sun Ming'en, standing behind the long table, gave Chen Fan a thumbs-up.
Tao Xiaoyan sized up Chen Fan, feeling extremely curious. She couldn't understand why the master of the Fish Dragon Gathering would agree to such a bizarre request.
Gu Zi'an, however, sneered.
The reactions of the others varied. Some were surprised, some were confused, and some made sarcastic remarks.
After all, among the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the hall walls, the value of the calligraphy was astonishing, with hundreds of millions of yuan being commonplace.
Chen Fan's intention to write on the spot inevitably made people think he was putting on a show to attract the attention of the host.
There was no shortage of master calligraphers in this era, but could they compare to the masters of legacy like Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Wen Zhengming?
Even if they could, without the baptism of time, the value of even the most astounding calligraphy would remain low.
What kind of astonishing calligraphy had the mysterious master of the Fish Dragon Gathering not seen?
To them, Chen Fan's action was more like a peacock displaying its feathers, merely showing off.
Of course, most of those invited to the Fish Dragon Gathering were people of extraordinary status and position. Although they disdained Chen Fan's action, no one deliberately stepped forward to mock him.
Even Gu Zi'an, who harbored resentment towards Chen Fan, merely sneered at this moment, waiting to see Chen Fan make a fool of himself.
The paper and brushes were likely always prepared. Soon, two maids carried a sandalwood table and placed it in front of Chen Fan.
Chen Fan stepped forward, sat on the ground, and picked up the prepared brushes, examining them.
There were a total of seven brushes, varying in size and made from different materials, including wolf-hair brushes, goat-hair brushes, and rabbit-hair brushes.
Chen Fan thought for a moment and chose the wolf-hair brush.
It was the stiffest brush tip.
Beside him, a maid began to grind ink for Chen Fan.
The ink scent spread, very pleasant.
As for the paper, there was no need to mention it; it was the finest raw Xuan paper from Xiling Tonghetang.
After dipping the brush in ink, Chen Fan did not start writing immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes, recalling something.
Images of clashing armies and endless battles in the desert flashed in his mind.
When he opened his eyes again, a strong murderous intent and boundless melancholy flashed in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and then began to write.
His brushstrokes were like flying, without pause.
The might of the army surged through the desert, and murderous intent pierced the heavens.
Generals died or lived on the battlefield, while beauties still sang and danced beneath their tents.
Four lines of ancient poetry were completed in one go.
After finishing, he threw the brush to the ground.
The maid grinding the ink trembled, her body frozen beside Chen Fan.
The cursive script on the paper seemed to transform into countless swords, spears, and guns, with shells exploding, making her face turn pale with fear, and she couldn't help but tremble.
Zhong Yishan, who had come closer to watch, suddenly retreated, his face filled with shock.
The dramatic reactions of the two made everyone bewildered.
Sun Ming'en couldn't help but lean in first.
With just one glance from afar, he felt his legs tremble, and he instinctively stopped.
Chen Fan closed his eyes, calming his emotions.
With his background, calligraphy was a subject he had practiced since childhood. With his talent, his calligraphy skills were not much inferior to those of the renowned calligraphers of the present era.
However, this was still not enough to impress the mysterious master, so he poured out his heart, condensing his spirit and intent into the brush tip.
These two lines of poetry, though seemingly ordinary, were not something ordinary people could look at directly.
Ping Yihong realized something and stepped forward to pull the maid away. The latter shivered and let out a scream.
Ping Yihong, however, did not seem too surprised by this. He blocked her line of sight and signaled other maids to escort her away.
Tao Xiaoyan couldn't help but want to stand up, but the middle-aged woman beside her pulled her back down.
Glancing at Chen Fan's writing, Ping Yihong's expression was also moved. After taking a deep breath to steady himself, he took another sheet of Xuan paper and covered the writing.
Then, he lifted this piece of calligraphy in front of Chen Fan and walked towards the screen.
Gu Zi'an's expression turned grim.
After turning behind the screen, Ping Yihong did not emerge for a long time.
The crowd began to discuss.
Chen Fan calmed his mind and looked at the screen.
"Mr. Chen is truly a divine being. I, Zhong, cannot even look directly at this calligraphy. It is as if I am facing thousands of troops and horses, with endless murderous intent. It is terrifying and dreadful, yet it also evokes anger and sorrow!"
Zhong Yishan praised in a low voice.
Chen Fan did not reply.
This piece of calligraphy expressed all the grievances in his heart.
Fighting on the frontier, murderous intent piercing the sky, nine battles in the desert, how many soldiers left their blood and bones there?
Yet, in this world, this beautiful land, how much injustice still existed, how many greedy individuals, relying on their power, lorded over the common people?
The murmurs of the crowd grew louder.
Some began to understand the sentiment and felt that Chen Fan's calligraphy might truly gain favor and that the transaction might be successful.
Suddenly, many people's expressions became somber.
They had come for the secret treasures of the master of the Fish Dragon Gathering, but for them, there were not many valuable items they could offer, most only having one or two.
This had led them to be cautious and even conflicted before.
This was also the reason why Sun Ming'en had easily secured the first transaction item.
However, now that the Fish Dragon Gathering was nearing its end, many people still had nothing to show for it.
Finally, Ping Yihong emerged from behind the screen and announced, "Mr. Chen, my master is willing to trade with you."
Chen Fan was not too surprised by this and did not show much joy.
On the other hand, Zhong Yishan and Sun Ming'en were genuinely happy for Chen Fan.
"Congratulations, Mr. Chen!"
Sun Ming'en said jovially.
The maid brought the jade pot over and placed it in front of Chen Fan.
But at this moment, Gu Zi'an could no longer hold back and said, "Mr. Ping, could you explain the reason?"
"I apologize," Ping Yihong replied. "The transaction depends entirely on my master's wishes and needs not to be explained to anyone. If you have been inconvenienced, I apologize on behalf of my master! But this is how the rules of the Fish Dragon Gathering transactions are."
No one else said anything further.
However, some people looked towards Chen Fan, their eyes flickering, contemplating their next move.
Ping Yihong clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Next, we have the final item for auction!"
The attention and interest of everyone were instantly captivated.