A "Song of Joining the Army" was completed first by Huo Rou, who then put down her brush and waited.
Wang Rong was writing with great caution, his brushstrokes heavy, still in Old Wang's style.
Huo Rou had waited for him for a long time after finishing. It was only after Wang Rong completed his work that he finished.
He smiled with great pride. After raising his wrist, he examined each character, appearing satisfied. He nodded before finally putting down his brush.
Seeing Huo Rou waiting beside him, bored, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Calligraphy wasn't about speed. Huo Rou's quick writing was undoubtedly too immature.
He waved his hand proudly, signaling the staff to bring their works forward for everyone to see. He didn't even glance at Huo Rou's calligraphy throughout the process.
His seemingly assured victory caused those below to shake their heads.
"This young girl is too young. Writing so quickly, apart from someone as accomplished as Old Wang who can do that, who else writes so fast?"
"Yes, even at my age, I have to ponder carefully before putting brush to paper, for fear of any oversight."
"But Wang Rong's is too slow. It truly gives me the feeling that he's just starting and imitating."
When the surrounding people heard someone say this, they pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Indeed, now that you mention it, it really feels like imitating!"
"Here they come, here they come, they're being displayed," someone reminded them.
After the reminder, he focused his gaze and exclaimed, "These characters!"
"Why so surprised? Didn't Wang Rong just finish one?" someone thought the reaction was overly dramatic.
When he turned his head to look, he was also stunned.
"These characters... these characters!"
"It's as if only a general on the battlefield could write like this!"
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say. It's miraculous! How can such a young girl, who looks so delicate and frail, write such swift running script with such power that it penetrates the paper?"
"In comparison, Wang Rong's calligraphy falls far short! Different content should have different expressions."
"I think so too. Although his calligraphy is very stable in quality, it still has that steady and gentle feeling of Old Wang. It hasn't broken free to form its own style. Beautiful, it is, but beautiful."
"Compared to that, it's not even beautiful! Look at what the little girl wrote, that is beauty! The form is beautiful, the artistic conception is beautiful, and the spirit is even more beautiful!"
"She's beautiful too..."
What strange comments are creeping in? Aren't we talking about calligraphy?
Some of the older individuals tried to steer the conversation back to the main topic. "This feeling of decisiveness and unwavering will is truly admirable. I couldn't write such killing intent either. I give this vote to this young girl."
"I, on the other hand, feel that besides the word 'war,' I also see a hint of desolation in the lines. I wonder if you all feel this way? Looking at these characters, a scene of desolation on the battlefield amidst rolling smoke of gunpowder appears in my mind."
"I do too, I do too. It truly is like seeing a painting through the characters. I'm voting for her too."
Everyone cast their paper slips towards Huo Rou. Only a few individuals, who had entered the association thanks to Wang Rong, remained steadfastly by his side and cast their slips for him.
Seeing that the majority of people had chosen Huo Rou without hesitation, Wang Rong finally started to panic.
What was going on? Was Wang Ximo's reputation that influential?
Even when he was Wang Ximo's disciple before, he had never enjoyed such kind smiles from these people.
Wang Rong still hadn't realized what was happening.
It wasn't until all the paper slips were cast and Huo Rou had won by an absolute majority that he looked at Huo Rou's work in disbelief.
"How, how can this be..."
He took two steps back, his eyes wide open.
It was completely different from what he had imagined. Huo Rou's calligraphy was entirely different from Wang Ximo's; one was steady and restrained, the other was filled with fighting spirit.
Didn't people like Wang Ximo's calligraphy?
He had only gained recognition by imitating it so closely. How could Huo Rou's calligraphy, without any trace of Wang Ximo's style, still gain everyone's approval?
He wanted to say something, but looking at Huo Rou's calligraphy, even he couldn't find any fault.
Except for the excessive killing intent, it was truly an excellent piece of work.
Why hadn't he discovered such a person earlier and nipped her in the bud while she was young? Then this wouldn't have happened today.
"Now, you may step down." An old friend of Old Wang's stepped out of the crowd and calmly asked Wang Rong to relinquish his position.
He had long looked down upon Wang Rong. When Wang Rong had just obtained the position of president, he had considered working hard to reclaim it next year. He hadn't expected someone to do it on the spot now.
Many people in the audience who had been ostracized by Wang Rong enthusiastically agreed. Wang Rong was now in a precarious situation, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.
The members of the Calligraphy Association were such opportunistic and treacherous people. When Wang Ximo had criticized him back then, these people had also echoed him. Later, when Wang Ximo semi-retired, he had seized power. Now, with a new talent, they had reverted to their sycophantic ways!
He had only been president for an hour!
They were doing this on purpose. Wang Ximo hated that he hadn't obeyed, so he had cultivated another favored disciple to replace him.
Huo Rou, able to write such excellent calligraphy at such a young age, why didn't Wang Ximo cultivate her in the same way?
This way, he wouldn't have to be Wang Ximo's substitute, and not everyone would mention Wang Ximo when talking about his calligraphy.
He would always live in Wang Ximo's shadow. This was all because Wang Ximo was secretive and unwilling to teach him!
"From now on, you are no longer my disciple," Old Wang said. Although his body trembled, his voice was still steady and powerful. His resonant voice spread throughout the entire venue.
"I told you long ago, if you continue to be stubborn, I will not keep you."
When Old Wang said this, his heart actually ached. After all, he was a disciple he had once placed great hope in. "In these past few years, you haven't improved at all. Your calligraphy is only superficial, lacking bone and spirit. The calligraphy world cannot have someone like you."
Wang Rong's eyes blazed with anger. He disdained even the title of disciple! Wang Ximo, having a new disciple, no longer needed his old one.
Wang Ximo, you are heartless, so I will be unrighteous.
He would destroy this favored work of Wang Ximo's.
Huo Rou!
Wang Rong felt extremely aggrieved and hateful. He looked at Huo Rou, standing slightly in front of him, within reach.
Everyone in the audience was immersed in Huo Rou's calligraphy. Old Wang, after saying these words, didn't want to look at him anymore and turned around.
Madam Ren and Ren Zhen were also gazing intently at the calligraphy. Ren Zhen even marveled that Huo Rou's hands, which could write code, could also produce such excellent calligraphy.
No one noticed Wang Rong on the stage at this moment.
He grabbed a small knife used for cutting paper from the table beside him and lunged towards Huo Rou's right hand.
Those who wield a brush care most about their hands.
Since Huo Rou had ruined everything he had meticulously built over the years, he would destroy her future calligraphy path.
Wang Wanrou, who had been stamping her feet in anger nearby, was the first to witness this scene. She held her breath and even shifted her body to block the view of the staff.
She saw clearly that Wang Rong was aiming for Huo Rou's hand.
Those hands were said to have created miracles in domestic fashion design. Those hands had now produced such a magnificent piece of calligraphy.
If those hands were destroyed, Huo Rou would have nothing left.
She would have no value to Qin Ningyi!
The corners of Wang Wanrou's mouth turned up, the arc widening.
As Wang Rong approached Huo Rou, seeing the knife, a crazy voice rang in her mind—
Kill her!
The voice was too wild, too loud. She involuntarily followed him with her steps.
Just as Huo Rou had already dodged in advance, Wang Wanrou collided with Wang Rong. Wang Rong's knife veered off course and headed straight for Huo Rou's heart!