Chapter 398 - Success and Failure

Chapter 398: Success and Failure
Translator: 
Nyoi-Bo Studio 
 Editor: 
Nyoi-Bo Studio

Eh? Class leader, haven’t you already succeeded?
Someone suddenly expressed her confusion.
It was Yin Shuang. It turned out that she had picked up a paper that Jiang Chen had balled up and thrown onto the ground. When she opened it, she saw a complete sword drawn on the paper.
It was the same as the real sword, only lacking color.
But why had he thrown it away?
Yin Shuang picked up the other papers on the ground and opened them one by one. She found that beside the swords, there was something else.
After seeing one or two papers, she still couldn’t figure out what it was. Not until she opened the seventh paper did she realize it was a knife beside the sword!
He had drawn a sword and also a knife?
Due to what Yin Shuang had exclaimed, others also noticed. They couldn’t help crying out.
Jiang Chen didn’t answer, still working hard on his drawing.
Many people came to him and looked at his paper. They found the sword had been drawn, and he was working on the knife, but halfway through, his hand froze up and he couldn’t go on.
Another paper was wasted, but when he was about to ball it up, he found the others watching him.

Can I have a look?

The old man, who had seemed quite casual and not very serious about his job, was looking at Jiang Chen intently.
Jiang Chen nodded and gave him the paper.
The old man gazed at the paper. When he looked up, he was frowning. He said,
You’re spoiling your swordsmanship.

It was the first time he had spoken in such a stern tone. Han Siming and the others all walked over in curiosity.

This is why I came to the martial arts workshop,
said Jiang Chen.
Showing martial arts techniques on paper was the method Jiang Chen had been after, so he felt his visit to the workshop was already worthwhile.

A sword is a sword. A knife is a knife,
said the old man.

Swords and knives are like brothers who have inherited their father’s talent. What I’m trying to do is to find the father,
said Jiang Chen.
No one had heard such a theory. The old man’s expression also suggested he had never heard of it.

You’re barking at the moon and talking idiotic nonsense,
Yuchi Hong scorned ruthlessly after he realized what was going on.
Others also showed weird expressions.
People were afraid of strange things. They stayed away from such things and even condemned them before they were accepted by the public.
What Jiang Chen had said was against the consensus on martial arts techniques that had existed for thousands of years.
If he was a respected master, his opinion would be discussed carefully. Even though it wasn’t accepted, it showed a spirited thirst for knowledge.
But Jiang Chen was too young to convince people.

Alas.

The old man put the paper back onto Jiang Chen’s table and went back to where he had been waiting. Once again, he looked aloof, but the other members of the heaven-grade class looked at Jiang Chen strangely.
Jiang Chen ignored them. He crumpled up the paper and stopped for a break.

Jiang Chen, were you enlightened in there?
Yin Shuang asked him in a beautiful voice.
This was the first time they had spoken to each other.

Yeah. My left hand is sensitive to swords, while my right hand is sensitive to knives. I once achieved a status in which sword and knife were inseparable in a fight. That’s how I was enlightened,
said Jiang Chen.
Yin Shuang nodded. She didn’t rush to refute Jiang Chen, but while flying a kite, asked,
Maybe you used a left-handed sword first and then a right-handed knife, so you got the wrong idea that you were using them at the same time?

She wasn’t optimistic about Jiang Chen’s theory, either, yet she tried to help Jiang Chen figure out by himself that it was wrong.
This was the kindest woman Jiang Chen had encountered, by far.
It seemed reasonable to him when he thought about her profession.
Jiang Chen shook his head and said,
It’s possible, but I’m sure it’s not the case with me.


Okay. Good luck then,
said Yin Shuang.
Jiang Chen was surprised. He looked towards her and found there was no irony in her clear eyes.

Do you think I’ll succeed?

Yin Shuang smiled sweetly and said,
In auctions, if a client isn’t sure whether he should buy something or not, I just tell him that maybe he’ll regret it if he buys it, but if he doesn’t buy it, for his whole life, he’ll never be able to escape the regret from his incapability to make a decision.


I see.

She was trying to tell him to try his best and that even if he failed, at least he had tried.
This was much nicer than the others, who had tried to stop him under the pretense that it was for his own good.
About ten minutes later, everyone went back to their positions and focused on their own business.
Jiang Chen held his pen again and focused his mind. After drawing the sword, he laid his eyes on the knife again.
Recalling the status in which the sword and knife were inseparable, he started to draw again.
When the sword and the knife appeared on the paper at the same time, he immediately felt his brush pen meet a strong obstruction.

Alas.

The old man shook his head and sighed from not too far away. It was normal for youngsters to be stubborn, but he felt it was a waste of Jiang Chen’s talent.
He only hoped Jiang Chen could face reality in time.
Time passed by. On the third day, everyone had made significant progress. They had all managed to draw a complete weapon.

Now, use the martial arts of creation you’ve comprehended as color and finish your work the same way,
the old man said.
He glanced at Jiang Chen, who had almost drawn a sword and a knife. It didn’t seem right to him that Jiang Chen was lagging behind.

What a fool.
Yuchi Hong had been observing Jiang Chen, gloating over the unnecessary pain the latter was suffering.
When Jiang Chen had finally finished drawing, the others had finished coloring. There were all kinds of weapons on the paper.

I feel like I’ve greatly improved!


So do I!

Members of the heaven-grade class took their sticks out and found the level on them had changed to with ease!
Since coloring required the merging of martial arts of creation, it was quite smooth for Jiang Chen.
He finished his picture, which was different from the others in that there were two weapons.

You made it. You managed to connect two martial arts techniques with the aid of the creation of nature and martial arts techniques. But look at your stick,
said the old man with pity.
Jiang Chen took the stick out and saw the level on it had become beginner, the lowest level.
When others noticed it, they had strange expressions. If they hadn’t received Jiang Chen’s help earlier, they might have burst out in laughter.
Who regressed in the course of the martial arts workshop?!
However, Jiang Chen didn’t care. Instead, he felt happy, because he had finally made it!
His level had only become beginner because he needed more time to digest.
It was like numerous streams were flowing slowly, but when they finally merged into one wave, it would be invincible.
Jiang Chen didn’t care about the level on the stick.

Let’s go to the next room,
said the old man.

Wait.
Yuchi Hong came forward immediately and said,
Shouldn’t we elect a new class leader first?

He had been waiting for such a moment for a long time. When the others looked towards him, he said,
What if he wants us to do the same thing he did?

He made sense. Many people hesitated, looking at those beside them.
Jiang Chen’s extreme behavior was disturbing.