Nangong Tianxiang noticed Ye Hao's surprised look and sweetly said, "These calligraphy artworks are by my ancestors, my grandpa, and my dad and uncles, but there are also some works by renowned calligraphers for people to observe and learn from."
"Some of the characters are very beautiful, but a few pieces have some imperfections," Ye Hao, who has always loved calligraphy both in the military and in real-life situations, nodded. Occasionally, he would even try his hand at it himself.
Running his eyes over the calligraphy at this manor, Ye Hao noticed some imperfections. Several pieces signed with Nangong Tianming's name lacked a certain firmness, though they contained bold and heroic words.
There's also a gentleman named Nangong Tianlang, whose calligraphy lacked sharpness. His characters were supposed to follow the path of Sword Points to the South Peak, but they appeared rather gentle and not very attractive.
"Oh? You understand calligraphy?" Nangong Tianxiang asked, surprised as she looked at Ye Hao. How could he know about everything? Is he truly only twenty-two years old? He seemed to know a little of everything.
"Haha, I know a little bit about it. But let's not talk about that now; where is your home?" Ye Hao asked with a smile.
"My home is at the center of the manor. I have to walk for more than ten minutes every time I go back," Nangong Tianxiang said with a hint of complaint.
"With me here, you won't have to walk for over ten minutes," Ye Hao replied with a grin.
"It's the same; this manor forbids driving, and no one is allowed to damage any calligraphy artworks here," Nangong Tianxiang said helplessly.
"Haha, do you mind if I wrap my arm around your waist?" Ye Hao inquired with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Nangong Tianxiang blushed and turned her head to ask, "Why?"
"To show you the mysterious body technique your ancestor Nangong Tianhou passed down to me," Ye Hao replied with a smile.
"Stop teasing! That's impossible!" Nangong Tianxiang said with a bit of disbelief. She had never believed that her ancestor Nangong Tianhou could leave any inheritance to Ye Hao a thousand years ago, so she didn't take it seriously.
"So, I'm going to wrap my arm around your waist!" Ye Hao said with a smile.
Despite being bashful, Ye Hao's playful words left Nangong Tianxiang little room to refuse. After all, she was curious to see how mysterious this body technique of Ye Hao could be.
With a muscular arm, Ye Hao hugged Nangong Tianxiang's slender waist. Nangong Tianxiang's waist was so slim that Ye Hao's arm easily encircled it.
"So slim," Ye Hao complimented her with a smile, making Nangong Tianxiang blush again. But the next moment, she was astounded...
"Whoosh!"
Ye Hao, holding Nangong Tianxiang, disappeared from their spot in an instant, reappearing hundreds of meters away. Even the speed continued; a car driving hundreds of miles per hour was nothing compared to Ye Hao's pace.
It seemed as though a breeze had passed by; the surveillance cameras around the manor caught just a blur before quickly returning to their normal state without capturing anything substantial.
The young people, middle-aged, and elderly within the manor who were observing the calligraphies only felt a strong gust of wind dart by, unseen by them.
Once Ye Hao brought Nangong Tianxiang to a sophisticated inner garden, he paused.
Nangong Tianxiang stared blankly at the scene in front of her, uncertain about the complex emotions she should use to express her thoughts, only aware that Ye Hao had brought her home in just over ten seconds.
Although gusts of wind whirled when Ye Hao held her, a faint, ethereal aura emanated from Ye Hao's body, sheltering her from the wind. She was eager to ask Ye Hao how he achieved such swift speeds.
"Haha, is this the place?" Ye Hao asked with a smile.
Nangong Tianxiang snapped out of her daze and, with slight excitement, asked, "Hao, how did you run so fast just now? Are there any secrets to this? Can you tell me?"
Ye Hao chuckled upon hearing that and replied, "Don't worry. This is originally your family's mysterious body technique. I'm merely the inheritor that my mentor passed down to me, and of course, I'll teach you, too. But if you can't learn it, don't blame me!"
"Are you saying I'm stupid? Humph! I'm determined to learn," Nangong Tianxiang responded with a delicate snort, trying to suppress her excitement.
"Haha, let's hope so!" Ye Hao replied with a smile.
Then, Nangong Tianxiang led Ye Hao inside the inner garden, called Nangong Manor, offering the public outside a place to appreciate calligraphy known as Nangong Garden.
As Ye Hao entered Nangong Manor, a distinct and pervasive scent of ink greeted him. He deeply sensed the profound cultural heritage of the Nangong Family, feeling as though he stepped into a room filled with treasured calligraphy.
Nangong Tianxiang also took a deep breath and exclaimed excitedly, "Grandpa is definitely writing right now! Grandpa Cheng must also be here. Let's quickly go check out Grandpa writing; it's beautiful."
Ye Hao was momentarily stunned upon hearing this and asked, "How do you know it's your grandpa writing?"
"Of course I know! Each member of the Nangong Family has their unique ink scent, crafted with special processes using sap from different flowers. I detect a subtle refined scent in the ink, precisely Grandpa's ink, let's hurry and watch! Additionally, Grandpa seldom writes anymore at his age, so you're quite lucky to witness it today!" Nangong Tianxiang excitedly pulled Ye Hao toward the manor's lawn.
"That would be my honor," Ye Hao said with a smile.
Nangong Tianxiang gestured for silence, then quietly led Ye Hao toward the lawn.
At that moment, eight men stood on the lawn, alongside two elderly women, one gray-haired old man, and another elder probably in his sixties, silently watching the gray-haired man writing.
Right then, the gray-haired old man held the brush firmly in his right hand, writing the characters "Heavenly Dao."
Everyone held their breath and concentrated intently, watching the gray-haired man write.
Quietly, Nangong Tianxiang approached Ye Hao's ear and introduced her family members to him, "The man in the white robe is my grandpa, Nangong Tianhe, the patriarch of the Nangong Family. Next to him is Cheng Zhengyang, Sir Cheng. The elderly woman on the left is my grandma, and the one on the right is Sir Cheng's wife. Those standing behind are my father along with my uncles, cousins, and brothers."
"How old is your grandpa?" Ye Hao asked Nangong Tianxiang, while observing the gray-haired Nangong Tianhe.
"Grandpa is over ninety now," Nangong Tianxiang said, feeling a bit sad about Nangong Tianhe's age, sniffing with slight sorrow.
"Still vigorous in old age!" Ye Hao praised, impressed by Nangong Tianhe's firm grasp on the brush.
Nangong Tianxiang remained silent, simply watching alongside Ye Hao as Nangong Tianhe wrote the following two characters.
Then, Nangong Tianhe cheerfully placed the brush on the inkstone, turning to the younger elder beside him and saying, "Zhengyang, my younger brother, why don't you write the last two characters?"
"That's improper, improper! You're trying to set me up to ruin a good piece of writing!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation votes, monthly votes, and your support is my greatest motivation. Smartphone users, please read at m.qidian.com.)