The Art of the Brush
“Isn’t it just a matter of tracing it?”
After passing over a couple of peaks using the Cloud-Riding Technique, the clouds that had gathered around my feet scattered gently and settled back down. As the tips of my shoes touched the stone steps, I smoothed out my robes and cast my gaze around. The scenery was quite different from Alchemy Peak. Instead of the scent of medicinal herbs, the peak was filled with the faint, dry smell of ink. Every pavilion along the road had stiff, colorful talisman paper hung up, and small talismans dangled from the eaves, swaying gently.
Jin Wi skillfully took the lead, a step ahead of me. “This is the sect’s Talisman Peak. Once you go inside the peak, you’ll find that each school has its own building where they craft their talismans.”
There was a subtle hint of pride in his tone. It was a different cadence from the excitement he’d shown while boasting about multi-spell casting on the ridges of Alchemy Peak. Jin Wi stepped forward and pointed toward the interior of the peak. “As it happens, today is the day Cloud-Brush Hall is hosting a talisman experience.”
“An experience?”
“It’s a session where anyone who is holding a brush for the first time can try their hand at it. It’s an event our sect puts quite a bit of effort into.”
I nodded slightly and followed Jin Wi toward where the crowd was gathering. After walking deep into the peak, a pavilion with long, sweeping eaves came into view. Small Cloud-Brush-shaped ornaments were neatly placed along the roof. In the courtyard, external cultivators and Biun Sect disciples were mingling in a large group.
“Cloud-Brush Hall is the most frequented place on Talisman Peak. Even those who visit from other peaks make sure to stop by here at least once.”
Jin Wi added another boastful remark from beside me. I just nodded dryly and walked into the crowd. Once inside the courtyard, the first thing that caught my eye was a large white sheet of paper hanging on one side of the wall. It was as big as a door, and a brush the size of a small pillar was placed next to it. Inside the pavilion, a Qi Refining disciple was handing out small bundles to the cultivators entering the courtyard one by one. Inside the bundles were a light brush easy for a beginner to hold, a few sheets of yellow talisman paper, and a small inkstone containing cinnabar.
“Are we supposed to just trace it with this?”
“That’s right. First, the Talisman Master will demonstrate from the platform, and then you simply follow along and draw it right there. It’s also a way for us to show off our sect’s talisman-making skills to our guests.”
Jin Wi curled the corners of his mouth. The pride he felt for his sect was leaking out everywhere. I took the small bundle from the Qi Refining disciple and naturally walked over to a spot on the side. Jin Wi also took a bundle and sat down neatly next to me. However, I didn’t even bother to open the bundle I’d been given and just set it aside. Instead, I reached into my Storage Pouch and pulled out a familiar bundle with practiced ease. Inside the slightly worn silk cloth were a brush made of lustrous jade-rabbit fur and neatly organized talisman paper. Beside them, a small inkstone filled with fresh red cinnabar was paired perfectly. It was the writing set my third older brother had packed for me before he left.
‘If I’m going to draw, I might as well use good tools so my hands get used to it.’
I felt satisfied as I held the brush in my hand. The softness of the jade-rabbit fur was transmitted directly to my fingertips. My hand moved naturally as I smoothed the brush once. However, that natural movement seemed to catch the eyes of the cultivators sitting nearby. Two cultivators who had been unfolding their talisman paper nearby glanced at me and let out sneers.
“That kid is only in the Qi Refining stage, but she doesn’t know her place.”
“The writing set provided by Biun Sect should be enough, yet she insists on pulling out her own. I suppose she wants to play at being a Talisman Master.”
The envy and mockery from beside me reached my ears. Jin Wi’s eyes turned sharp as he heard the ridicule. The cheerful, excited air he’d had vanished instantly. As Jin Wi made a move to stand up, I gave a small signal and tugged on his sleeve.
“Senior Jin Wi, it’s fine.”
“…Young Miss Baek.”
“I’ll just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
Jin Wi managed to sit back down, though he didn’t take his eyes off the mocking cultivators. He didn’t say a word, but his status as a True Inherited Disciple was on full display. He was wearing the Biun Sect cloud robes, embroidered with patterns only a True Inherited Disciple could wear. The cultivators must have realized his status then, as they cleared their throats and quietly put down their talisman paper. Jin Wi remained silent, keeping his gaze fixed on them. Though he didn’t speak, a silent warning was being transmitted to the cultivators.
‘There’s no need to make such a fuss.’
I just kept smoothing my brush. I wasn’t bothered at all, but Jin Wi’s reaction was almost burdensome. ‘Should I have only asked him for help during the martial contest?’
Soon, everyone’s attention in the pavilion shifted to the platform. A cultivator appeared on the stage. He was dressed in a dark, ink-colored coat over his Biun Sect cloud robes. A small, talisman-shaped embroidery was neatly stitched onto his chest. His presence wasn’t overwhelming, but there was a certain weight to it.
‘Is he at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage?’
I assessed his level while observing the platform. Since he was at the end of the Foundation Establishment stage and peering into the path of the Golden Core, the energy he exuded was just as profound. Jin Wi whispered to me in a low voice.
“That is Talisman Master Yeon. He is one of the masters who holds a position here at Cloud-Brush Hall. He can craft not only 2nd-tier high-grade talismans but even 3rd-tier talismans himself.”
“Talisman Master Yeon?”
“He’s from the outer sect, but his talisman skills are so renowned that his name is frequently mentioned even among the disciples of the inner sect.”
I nodded and shifted my gaze back to the platform. Talisman Master Yeon stood neatly on the stage and lightly pressed his hands together.
“I welcome all the cultivators who have visited today. This event was prepared so that you might hold one of our sect’s talismans in your hands at least once, so please feel free to follow along and draw.”
Talisman Master Yeon’s tone was bold yet gentle. It felt warm, as if he were encouraging those who were holding a brush for the first time. “First, I will demonstrate the most basic Cleansing Talisman.”
As Talisman Master Yeon lightly spread his hands, the brush the size of a small pillar that had been resting beside him floated up. The brush moved slowly toward the wall, following his hand gestures. Soon, the tip of the brush stopped in front of the large white paper hanging on the wall.
“The foundation of talisman-making is to let your energy flow in a single, unobstructed line. Now, watch closely.”
As Talisman Master Yeon lightly raised his hands, Spirit Qi gathered quietly at the tip of the thick brush. The brush began to draw the first stroke on the paper slowly. Without a break in the energy, a geometric pattern crossed the paper in one go. As the Spirit Qi flowing from the tip of the brush permeated the paper and he dotted the final point, the surface of the paper shimmered with a faint light. A subtle Cleansing energy spread gently throughout the pavilion.
“It’s done like this. Take the talisman paper and brush from your bundles and follow along.”
A small stir went through the pavilion. The cultivators gathered in their seats were busy unfolding their paper and picking up their brushes. The sight of Spirit Qi gathering here and there unfolded in a chaotic mess. I took out a sheet of talisman paper and pulled it toward me. I dipped the jade-rabbit fur brush into the inkstone and coated it generously with cinnabar.
‘It’s no different from when I used to draw following my third older brother.’
The brush in my hand settled onto the paper without hesitation. Swish. In one go, the pattern of the Cleansing Talisman was drawn on the paper without a single deviation. The moment I dotted the final point and lifted the brush, a Cleansing energy spread gently over the talisman. A shade much deeper than the light shown in Talisman Master Yeon’s demonstration settled onto the paper.
‘I’ve drawn Cleansing Talismans plenty of times before.’
I lightly set the talisman aside. Beside me, Jin Wi also put his brush down after staring at the talisman paper for a long time. As a Heavenly Spiritual Root holder, he gathered Spirit Qi at his fingertips freely. For a Cleansing Talisman, it was a level of talent where he could follow along without difficulty after seeing it once. His brush slowly crossed the paper, completing the pattern of the Cleansing Talisman with almost no mistakes. As he dotted the final point, a Cleansing energy rose quietly above the talisman. Compared to the master’s demonstration, the color was faint and the thickness of the lines was uneven, but it was an impeccable piece of work for a first attempt.
“Hmm, how was it, Young Miss Baek?” Jin Wi asked from beside me in a proud tone. He was overflowing with confidence for a talisman he’d drawn for the first time.
“You drew it well.”
“It’s nothing special.” Even as he said it was nothing special, he puffed out his chest beside me.
‘He really is a Heavenly Spiritual Root holder.’
I almost felt a pang of jealousy toward his natural talent. However, the sound of sighs flowing from all over the courtyard was quite significant. Many of the cultivators who were holding a brush for the first time couldn’t complete the Cleansing Talisman because their hands stiffened from the first stroke or their Spirit Qi became scattered. Talisman Master Yeon calmly looked over the cultivators gathered in their seats from the platform.
“Nearly half of you have completed the Cleansing Talisman even though it’s your first time. Let’s move on to the next talisman.”
Half of the cultivators who had held a talisman for the first time stood up from their seats with flushed faces.
“Next is a 2nd-tier mid-grade talisman. It is the well-known Speed Talisman. The flow of Spirit Qi is much trickier than the Cleansing Talisman, so follow along calmly.”
Talisman Master Yeon lightly swapped the large paper on the platform with a single wave of his white hand. The thick brush floated slowly over the newly hung paper. The sight of Spirit Qi gathering at the tip of the brush flowed all the way to the back of the pavilion. Soon, the large brush drew a pattern of intertwined curves and straight lines on the paper as if water were flowing. It was a much more complex Talisman Script than the Cleansing Talisman. It was a talisman where the Script would only come to life if the Spirit Qi was released at a constant thickness along the path of the brush. As the Script was finished, a blue light shimmered over the paper. A light energy, as if holding a single talisman, floated in front of the platform.
“…Now, follow along and draw.”
The remaining cultivators moved busily, unfolding their talisman paper and gathering Spirit Qi at the tips of their brushes again. However, the atmosphere was quite different from when they drew the Cleansing Talisman. Many cultivators couldn’t even get past the first stroke, their hands stiffening because they couldn’t release the Spirit Qi at a constant thickness. The two cultivators who had sneered at me had their hands stiffen, and their first strokes went awry. As the energy broke, the Script became distorted halfway through, and a fire-attribute energy flared up slightly on the talisman paper. The talisman failed to form a Script on the paper and scattered in the end. The two cultivators flushed red and couldn’t stay in their seats any longer, leaving the area.
Beside me, Jin Wi carefully smoothed his brush for a long time before cautiously placing his first stroke on the paper. The aptitude of a Heavenly Spiritual Root holder shone even in this difficult talisman. He managed to maintain his balance at the points where the Spirit Qi was about to break, and he somehow drew all the way to the final Script. The moment he dotted the final point, sweat beaded slightly on Jin Wi’s forehead. A blue light shimmered quietly over the talisman. Compared to the master’s demonstration, the color was blurry and the thickness of the Script was inconsistent, but it was a completed talisman nonetheless.
“Phew…” Jin Wi let out a small sigh and looked at me. I had already finished drawing the talisman and had set it aside neatly. A deep blue light was shimmering over the talisman, and the Script was much clearer than the master’s demonstration.
“…How did you draw it so quickly?”
“Isn’t it just a matter of tracing it?”
Jin Wi stared at the paper with a blank face for a long time before clearing his throat to regain his composure. Before long, half of the remaining cultivators in the courtyard were weeded out once again.