An Ke was so anxious that she even started cursing. She was truly infuriated by Su Jue.

"I don't care, you're going for a walk with me later!"

An Ke insisted without leaving room for argument.

"No problem."

Search "pawread.com" for the original.

Su Jue nodded in agreement without hesitation.

"...You agreed so quickly. Didn't you say you were tired?"

Mentioning this made An Ke angry again. Over the past two days, she had been using sword flight, exhausting her spiritual and mental energy.

Su Jue had been sleeping the whole time. If anyone was tired, it was her and Yun Zhonghe, definitely not him.

"Just kidding. Being able to walk with Senior Sister is an honor for Junior Brother."

Su Jue smiled slightly, enjoying seeing An Ke like this, adding a bit of fun to the otherwise dull life.

"I'm not falling for your words. You're unreliable."

An Ke had learned her lesson and didn't give Su Jue the chance, huffing in response.

"Haha, no more jokes, Senior Sister. Look below, a painting has already been presented."

Su Jue pointed to a painting brought up by a disciple below.

The painting depicted a carp leaping over the dragon gate. The differentiation between the water and the carp was not clear, and the lines were not well-drawn.

The colors used were too bright, giving an initial impression of brilliance, but upon closer inspection, it was full of flaws and lacked depth.

Li Changle shook her head under the disciple's expectant gaze. The painting was indeed mediocre, even Su Jue, who didn't understand painting, could see that.

The disciple left disappointed.

The next painting depicted a mountain stream. Compared to the previous one's bright colors, this one was much more subdued.

However, the essence of a mountain stream lies in its layers, requiring the depiction of the mountain's tranquility and vegetation, as well as the dynamic flow of the stream.

The difficulty was higher than the previous painting.

However, the more detailed and difficult the painting, the more it tested the artist's skill.

This mountain stream painting lacked clear layers, with only a few hastily drawn trees to depict the mountains, and the river didn't convey a sense of clarity.

In two words, a failure.

Li Changle shook her head again.

Then came the third, fourth, fifth, sixth painting, and so on, over ten paintings, none of which piqued Li Changle's interest.

"This batch of art students is mediocre."

Su Jue shook his head, giving an honest evaluation.

"Art students? Junior Brother knows about painting?" An Ke asked curiously.

"Not much, just a little."

Su Jue initially wanted to say he didn't know, but seeing the level of painting in this world, he dared to say a little.

He figured even a failed art student from his world would outshine these people and take the top spot here.

Su Jue looked at An Ke and asked, "Senior Sister, don't you know how to paint? Aren't you going to give it a try?"

"The royal treasures are quite tempting."

By now, An Ke had sobered up quite a bit. After all, as a cultivator, she could filter out alcohol quickly.

An Ke quickly shook her head, "No, Junior Brother, I can't."

"Senior Sister, you can't paint?"

"I can, but I'm too embarrassed."

"Then that's it. What's there to be embarrassed about? Are you socially anxious, Senior Sister?"

Su Jue chuckled.

"Socially anxious? What's that?" An Ke didn't understand this advanced term from the 21st century.

Su Jue explained briefly, "It's social anxiety disorder, where one is afraid to show themselves in front of others."

"Something like that."

An Ke thought for a moment and realized she might be socially anxious around Su Jue.

"Then let Junior Brother have a look first. I'm curious about Senior Sister's painting skills."

Su Jue looked at An Ke with a smile.

"I do have some works, but they were from a few years ago."

An Ke hesitated for a moment.

"If you don't mind, Senior Sister, show them to me. Junior Brother is not an outsider."

Su Jue was quite curious about the level of his Senior Sister's childhood dream.

"Just so you know, if you find it embarrassing, it's not my fault."

An Ke warned before taking the painting out of her storage ring.

After receiving the painting, Su Jue carefully examined it.

Mountains and flowing water, a picturesque landscape, with a magnificent waterfall cascading down.

Mist rose, peaks layered, shrouded in a mysterious haze atop the mountains.

Whether it was the lines or the use of color, it was far superior to the other paintings.

It made Su Jue's eyes light up. This craftsmanship, he couldn't say for sure, but it definitely surpassed those others.

"Very nice, Senior Sister. You should give it a try; you have a good chance."

Su Jue's eyes brightened, and he sincerely praised.

An Ke quickly waved her hand, "No, no! It's embarrassing if it's not good."

Su Jue blinked, "Those paintings below are uglier. Don't worry, if anyone criticizes you, I'll sew their mouth shut."

"No, I lack confidence."

An Ke lightly bit her lip, feeling anxious.

Though tempted, she feared the Eldest Princess wouldn't approve, which would be embarrassing.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll make sure you get the treasure Li Changle promised."

Su Jue thought for a moment and said confidently.

"Really?"

An Ke hesitated. She had seen the level of those paintings, and they were indeed average. But her personality made her hesitant.

"Definitely, just watch, Senior Sister."

Su Jue smiled and took out a brush from his storage ring, starting to write on the back of the painting.

"Alright then, Junior Brother. If Princess Changle really likes this painting, the treasure will be yours."

Seeing Su Jue's actions, An Ke was puzzled but trusted that Su Jue wouldn't deceive her, so she nodded and went along with it.

Su Jue raised an eyebrow, "Let's talk about the treasure later. Just watch, Senior Sister."

...

Sitting on the high platform, Li Changle was somewhat disappointed.

After viewing over ten paintings, none satisfied her, not even one she found pleasing.

She had a great fondness for literature and art, so she had studied them extensively. The level of those paintings wasn't even close to hers, so how could they catch her eye?

"If no one else has a painting for Changle to view, then Changle will move on to the next item, poetry."

After waiting for a while with no further action below, a hint of disappointment flashed in Li Changle's phoenix eyes, and she smiled.

It seemed this year was another wasted effort.

"Wait a moment."

At this time, Su Jue walked out of the private room with a painting.

"Oh?"

Li Changle saw Su Jue's action and glanced at the painting in his hand, becoming interested.

"Does Young Master Su also paint?"

Su Jue replied, "Not really. This painting was given to me by a friend. I hope Princess Changle will appreciate it."

"No problem. Since Young Master Su has such an interest, Changle is willing to enjoy it with you."

Li Changle smiled charmingly, her beauty captivating.

Standing behind Li Changle, Xiao Qing saw Su Jue's actions and lightly pursed her lips, letting out a soft humph.

She secretly thought to herself, this big pig's trotter, she quite liked him, but he seemed just like other men!

Su Jue handed the painting over, and Li Changle took it. At first glance, her beautiful eyes lit up.

Although the painting wasn't extremely exquisite, compared to the other flowing water paintings below, it was much better, making the effort worthwhile.

"Young Master Su, Changle will be honest. The painting is excellent, very impressive, with strong foundational skills."

"But if you want to obtain the treasure Changle promised, it's still a bit lacking."

Li Changle admired it for a moment and spoke truthfully.

After all, the treasure wasn't given for free; it was a precious item she had begged her mother for.

Unless she saw a painting more perfect than hers, one that amazed her, she wouldn't easily promise it.

Hearing this, An Ke's heart tightened. Whether the painting was good or not didn't matter; she felt guilty for making her Junior Brother lose face.

"Princess, don't rush. I heard you also enjoy poetry, so please take a look at the back."

Su Jue remained calm and said with a smile.

"Hmm?"

Li Changle curiously flipped over the drawing paper. Could there be a mystery?

Then, when Li Changle saw the short lines of poetry, her beautiful eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, looking at Su Jue in disbelief.

"Did you write this poem?"

Even Xiao Qing behind her curiously leaned over, and when she saw the poem, she was also stunned.

"Yes, can this earn the treasure from Princess Changle?"

Su Jue smiled slightly.

On the back of the drawing paper stood a few lines of bold, flowing script:

The sun shines on the incense burner, purple smoke rises,

From afar, the waterfall hangs before the river.

A torrent falls three thousand feet,

As if the Milky Way descends from the heavens.