Chapter 636 - 636: Lively Friends' Circle

Wang Lin thought his teacher was only joking.

He never imagined that what Yan Heyun had said was actually heartfelt and completely serious.

In Yan Heyun's eyes, Zhao Yuan's performance today had already surpassed the realm of mortals, reaching a Divine Level!

Under Zhao Yuan's brush, every style of calligraphy displayed the highest level of mastery, inspiring awe and reverence. And the final 'Dao' character he wrote allowed them to glimpse the profound mysteries and divine essence of the Dao of calligraphy itself!

With such skill, such a person—if he wasn't the God of Calligraphy, then what was he?

Yan Heyun was certainly disappointed that he couldn't obtain a piece of calligraphy. However, being able to watch Zhao Yuan write up close, especially seeing the world-shaking 'Dao' character, left him feeling very satisfied. He even felt a little proud and honored.

Just then, Yan Heyun saw a message pop up in their WeChat group: "Wang Quan, why did you post Master Zhao's calligraphy on your Moments?"

The calligrapher, Wang Quan, first sent a shy, embarrassed-looking emoji before replying, "Master Zhao's calligraphy is just too good. I feel that something this amazing shouldn't be enjoyed by just a few of us. It has to be shared to benefit the entire world of calligraphy so everyone can learn from it."

He said this with such noble conviction. Unfortunately, the people in the group had been friends for years and knew each other all too well.

Someone immediately replied with a scornful emoji and retorted, "Alright, Old Wang, we're all thousand-year-old foxes here, so cut the holier-than-thou act. You think we don't know you? You make it sound so noble, but in reality, don't you just want to show off on your Moments that you got to see some incredible calligraphy?"

Having been exposed, Wang Quan felt a little sheepish and sent several awkward and shy emojis in a row.

But soon after, he sent another message: "Damn it, Old Liu, weren't you just giving me a hard time? How come you posted it on your Moments too?"

The other person replied with a chuckling voice message: "What, you're allowed to show off, but I can't? And let me tell you, Master Zhao's calligraphy is as incredible as they say. I just posted it a few seconds ago and it's already pulled in a ton of likes and replies. A lot of friends in the circle are messaging me, asking where I saw this calligraphy…"

At that point in the voice message, a phone suddenly started ringing, and then it cut off. Clearly, not only had the man received messages and comments from friends asking about it, but he had also gotten a phone call.

As for Wang Quan, he didn't pop up in the group again either. He was most likely tied up with phone calls from people asking questions, just like the other guy.

'Damn it, those guys actually posted Master Zhao's calligraphy on their Moments.'

Yan Heyun was both annoyed and amused. But then, he did the exact same thing, posting the photos he had taken of the calligraphy to his own Moments. He even added a caption: "I was very fortunate today to meet Master Zhao and see his work. Through his calligraphy, I have come to understand my own shortcomings and deficiencies, but I have also seen hope and a new direction for my efforts. If possible, I would truly love to study under Master Zhao and learn calligraphy from him!"

Just like the others, Yan Heyun also posted the 'Dao' character. He specifically placed it in the center square of the nine-photo grid so that it would be the first thing people saw.

The moment he posted it, just as Wang Quan and Old Liu had said, a flood of likes and comments came pouring in. Most were from friends in the world of calligraphy. The rest were from the world of art collectors.

A famous Cursive Script master from Shan Province named Xu Hong posted several shocked emojis and left a comment: "Brother Yan, who wrote that piece in Cursive Script? If the paper weren't new and the ink didn't look so fresh, I'd honestly suspect you'd gotten your hands on an original work by the Sage of Cursive Script, Zhang Xu."

Someone replied to Xu Hong below: "Old Xu, the Cursive Script isn't the main event here! Take a closer look at the 'Dao' character in the center! My God, I feel like I'm seeing the profound mysteries and divine essence of calligraphy in that single character! I can't help but wonder if I'm hallucinating!"

There were many similar comments below that one.

The collectors were just as enthusiastic as the calligraphers, if not more so. They flooded the comments section, asking who the artist was, who owned the pieces, if they were for sale, and what the asking price was.

Someone even made a direct offer in the comments, but the price he considered quite generous was met with unanimous ridicule.

'Calligraphy this incredible? A masterpiece like this? And you think you can just snap it up for a few hundred thousand? Are you kidding me?'

In between their jeers, these same people started leaving their own bids. For a time, the comments section under Yan Heyun's post turned into an auction house floor. The price shot up from several hundred thousand to several million, and it showed no signs of stopping.

Yan Heyun felt helpless and had to post another comment: "These pieces aren't mine, and I have no idea if they'll be sold. Please stop bidding here, it's pointless!"

The moment he posted the reply, Yan Heyun's phone rang. It was He Junwu, one of the foremost masters in the world of calligraphy today.

Although Yan Heyun was well-known, he was nowhere near the same league as He Junwu, so he quickly answered the call.

After a few brief pleasantries, He Junwu got to the point. "Little Brother Yan, who wrote those pieces you posted on your Moments?"

"They are the works of Master Zhao!" Even though Zhao Yuan wasn't there, Yan Heyun still used the respectful title. In fact, he wasn't the only one; all the others did the same. As a result, those not in the know mistakenly thought the artist's name was actually 'Master Zhao'.

He Junwu was one of them.

He repeated the name 'Master Zhao' silently to himself, but it was completely unfamiliar. 'I've never heard of him before.'

He said with a wry smile, "I must be truly out of touch. To have never heard of this master's name... Forgive my ignorance."

He Junwu was being serious.

In his opinion, every piece Yan Heyun had posted was a masterpiece worthy of being passed down through the ages. That 'Dao' character, in particular, was simply magical, utterly profound! For him to have never heard of such an expert before was, quite frankly, a failing on his part.

Yan Heyun consoled him, "Brother He, please don't worry about it. Master Zhao was indeed not well-known before this."

'Not well-known was an understatement. Before this, other than the 'Hale and Hearty in Old Age' piece he gave to Lin Liangzhe, Zhao Yuan had never publicly displayed his calligraphy skills at all!'

After a moment of reflection, He Junwu said, "Little Brother Yan, I was wondering if you could do me a small favor?"