“Beautiful waitresses? Okay okay, let’s go to East Fenlai City.” The eyes of that mischievous scamp Reynolds began to shine.
“It’s only the afternoon. Those places are only fun in the evening. But of course, we can go now as well,” Yale said laughingly.
Linley felt some reservations about those types of places, and so he said, “Yale, forget it, what’s the point of us kids going to those places? Just now, you mentioned the Proulx Gallery? Since the Proulx Gallery names itself after the famous Grandmaster Proulx, it must be extraordinary. Let’s go check it out.”
Proulx was the number one sculptor in the history of the Yulan continent.
“Grandmaster Proulx? I’ve heard of him as well. In the past, one of his sculptures was sold for the price of several million gold coins. The name of that sculpture was ‘Hope’. Millions of gold coins, my god. So rich.” Reynolds sighed.
George laughed confidently. “In the history of sculpture, from the beginning ‘til now, there have been countless stone sculptures made. Of the top ten sculptures, any one of them would be worth a million gold coins. And of those top ten sculptures, three were made by Grandmaster Proulx. He can be considered the number one person in the history of stonesculpting!”
Linley sucked in a breath of cold air.
Millions of gold coins?
What an enormous sum that was. Even if his clan sold off their ancestral home, they most likely would only be able to scrape up a hundred thousand gold coins.
“Let’s go check it out,” Linley immediately said.
The Proulx Gallery.
The number one art gallery for sculptures; each of the largest cities in the Yulan continent had a Proulx Gallery branch. The Proulx Gallery took up an extremely large space, and a great majority of those entering the gallery were people of culture and breeding.
Within the Proulx Gallery, if you had too many ostentatious magic rings on your hands, the likely result would just be you being mocked and derided for having no class.
Art, sophistication!
This place valued these things the most.
The entry fee to the Proulx Gallery was one gold coin per person.
A ding-dong sound, as clear as the sound of a mountain spring, rang out from within the Proulx Gallery. The sound of it made listeners feel at peace. Countless people traversed the gateway, with many noblemen, noblewomen, and beautiful young girls, all dressed very tastefully.
And commoners, in front of the Proulx Gallery, would almost unconsciously comport themselves.
When Linley and his bros, along with Cass and the three guardsmen, arrived at the Proulx Gallery, anyone who was a decent judge of character could recognize the Ernst Institute clothing that they wore. Upon seeing the Blue-eyed Thunderhawk on Cass’ shoulders, they naturally would become very courteous and polite.
“Uncle Cass, come in along with us. The other three can wait for us outside,” Yale instructed.
Linley, his three bros, and Cass thus entered the gallery. In the main hall of the Proulx Gallery, there was a large, man-shaped sculpture. This sculpture was precisely that of the number one grandmaster sculptor, Proulx.
The entire Proulx Gallery was extremely quiet.
Virtually everyone, regardless of status, spoke in hushed tones, so as to avoid bothering anyone else.
Yale, Reynolds, George, and Linley viewed one stone sculpture after another, and in their hearts they felt as though these sculptures truly were incomparably beautiful.
“The Proulx Gallery’s exhibits are divided into three halls; the main hall, the experts’ hall, and the masters’ hall. This main hall is filled with sculptures that some sculptors arranged to be placed here, to be valued and bought by others as they see fit. Each work is exhibited for a month, and after a month, the highest bid wins the sculpture. These ordinary sculptures are mostly just worth a few gold coins, with particularly good ones worth a few dozen coins.”
Yale laughed as he explained. “But the experts’ hall is different. The experts’ exhibition is divided up into many individual rooms, with each sculpture in a room by itself. Generally speaking, an 'expert’ is someone whose sculpting ability has received general acclaim, and most expert sculptures are worth around a thousand gold coins or so.”
“As for the masters’ hall, that’s even more amazing. In the innermost sanctum of the gallery, there are a very small number of masters’ sculptures. The prices for these sculptures are frighteningly high. Any of them are easily worth tens of thousands of gold, and some of the masterpieces which first brought fame to their master sculptors are easily worth hundreds of thousands of gold pieces.” Yale explained the gallery to his three bros in detail.
Linley’s breath stopped.
Any masterpiece by a master sculptor was worth tens of thousands of gold coins. To a master sculptor, money really meant nothing at all.
“But it is quite difficult for a master sculptor to produce a masterpiece, since they naturally don’t want to make any mistakes at all.” Yale sighed as he spoke. “A masterpiece that is worthy of being venerated throughout the ages requires talent, ability, and sometimes a sudden spark of genius.”
“The works in this main hall are just a bit pleasing to the eye, that’s all. Let’s go inside.” Yale led them deeper within.
Walking within the quiet Proulx Gallery, and listening to that peaceful music, Linley felt as though he were swimming in a sea of culture. And just at this time, Doehring Cowart flew out from within the Coiling Dragon Ring and began to appraise the art nearby.
“Terrible, terrible. How can people have the face to bring out artwork of this quality to show others?” Doehring Cowart said unhappily.
“Grandpa Doehring,” Linley turned to look at Doehring Cowart. “This is just the main hall of the Proulx Gallery. There is an experts’ hall up front, as well as a masters’ hall.”
“Proulx Gallery?” Doehring Cowart started, and then actually stopped talking.
“Grandpa Doehring? Grandpa Doehring?” Linley mentally called out a few times. But seeing that Doehring Cowart was still lost in his thoughts, Linley no longer tried to call to him. He followed Yale, Reynolds, and George to the experts’ hall. This hall really was different, as within the center of the main hall, each and every artist had their information and the locations of their displays recorded.
Yale, Linley, and the others began to enter the individual display rooms.
Although he didn’t know much about sculpture, Linley could still clearly feel that the sculptures of the experts were clearly different than those in the main hall. They seemed to carry within them some sort of ineffable grace and culture.
Just as Linley was falling into a reverie while enjoying the sculptures, Doehring Cowart’s voice sounded out in his mind once again.
“Not bad. These at least can be considered accomplished.” Doehring Cowart sighed with praise. “But compared to the works of Proulx, there’s still quite a ways to go.”
Linley was speechless.
“Doehring Cowart, how can these people possibly compare to Grandmaster Proulx?” Linley shook his head and laughed helplessly. Proulx was the number one sculptor in the entire history of the Yulan continent.
Doehring Cowart frowned. Stroking his beard unhappily, he said, “What is it? Do you think that Proulx was a grandmaster from birth? He, too, started as an ordinary sculptor and worked his way up, only becoming a true grandmaster sculptor in the end.”
Linley was stunned.
There was some logic to Grandpa Doehring’s words.
After finishing inspecting the experts’ hall, Linley and the other three headed for the innermost masters’ hall.
“Everyone, remember, while within the masters’ hall, don’t touch anything. If you break anything, it would be disastrous,” Yale reminded them.
Entering the masters’ hall. Silence.
The masters’ hall was extremely large, but there were very few sculptures inside. After all, only so many masters had ever
existed, and each master had only four or five works of art on display. In the entire hall, there were only twenty or thirty works on display.
But although there were very few sculptures, when Linley and the others saw these sculptures, they felt a spirit emanating from them, as though these sculptures had life.
“Oh, not bad, not bad. I didn’t expect that in five thousand years, the art of stone-sculpting would reach such a height,” Doehring Cowart said in amazement. “If these can improve a bit more, they will be able to approximate Proulx’s level.”
Silently mesmerized within the art gallery, Linley and the others felt their spirits being uplifted.
Night. The Ernst Institute’s main gate. Linley and other three dismounted the carriage.
“Second bro, third bro, the two of you, ugh. I planned for us to have a good time tonight in Fenlai City, but you… ugh, you guys are so thin-skinned. I started having fun in those places when I was six years old.” Yale was still unhappily grumbling nonstop.
“Right on, right on,” Reynolds said from the side.
George and Linley glanced at each other, and couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.
“Quick, open the gate!” A furious, urgent shout rang out.
Linley and the others couldn’t help but swivel to take a look. They saw a curly-haired youth carrying another bloody youth, with a pretty girl by his side. The bloody youth’s face was ashen white. His left arm was broken, with white bones sticking out, and his chest was covered with claw marks.
“Looks like some of the trainees who went to the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts were wounded. What group is this? We haven’t even been at the Ernst Institute for a year, but we’ve seen so many high-level students who were injured outside,” Yale said casually.
The Mountain Range of Magical Beasts was east of the Holy Union.
As a matter of fact, it was quite close to the Ernst Institute, perhaps just a hundred kilometers away. Generally speaking, those in good shape would be able to jog from the mountain range to the Ernst Institute in about half a day.
“Here at the Ernst Institute, I’ve seen so many magical beasts. Wow, man, there are flying beasts, running beasts, and all sorts of beasts. But most of the people who have magical beast companions at the Ernst Institute are magus instructors, and a few high-level students.” George sighed in admiration.
Just as the four bros arrived at the main gate, suddenly –
“Linley.”
A familiar voice sounded out. Turning his head to look, surprised joy appeared on Linley’s face. “Uncle Hillman.”
27
A Wonderful Surprise
Hillman was standing in a corner near the gate. Smiling, he walked over. “The Ernst Institute has extremely strict management. They actually denied me entrance and just had a guard go looking for you. I didn’t expect you would actually be outside.”
Linley turned his head and said, “Yale, you guys go on ahead, I’ll join you later.”
Yale, George, and Reynolds all smiled at Hillman, then entered the Ernst Institute.
“Uncle Hillman, why are you here? I thought you would only come here to pick me up after the semester ends?” Linley said questioningly.
“Let’s talk over here.” Hillman pulled Linley off to a side, a look of irrepressible excitement appearing on his face. “Linley, I have wonderful news for you, extremely wonderful news.”
Linley’s eyes shone.
“What news?” Linley urged him.
Hillman smiled. “Linley, do you remember little Wharton’s date of birth?”
“Of course. January 3rd. What, does this have something to do with his birthday?” Linley questioned.
Hillman laughed. “It is December right now, so little Wharton is almost six years old. Just last night, your father tested little Wharton for the density of dragonblood in his veins in the ancestral hall. And the test result was… haha…” Hillman once again began to laugh.
Linley’s heart rate sped up dramatically.
The dragonblood density test result was…
Could it be…?
Linley asked, “Did the dragonblood density in little Wharton’s veins reach the cutoff?”
Hillman laughed loudly and nodded. “Right. Your father was absolutely ecstatic. He excitedly drank wine with me until midnight. Your father said that his two sons are the absolute pride of his life. One is a mighty magus, and the other is a Dragonblood Warrior. Haha…”
“Wonderful.”
Linley’s heart was full of excitement.
The five-millennium-old legendary Dragonblood Warrior clan’s prospects, prior to Wharton being tested for the dragonblood density, had previously been carried on Linley’s shoulders alone. The greater their former glory was, the heavier the burden Linley had been carrying.
But now…
His own little brother’s dragonblood density was sufficiently high that with just a few decades of hard work, he could become a world-renowned Dragonblood Warrior.
“I came here today to tell you this wonderful news. Your father said to me that right now, the strongest people in the town of Wushan are myself and him. We are both warriors of the sixth rank! Our level of expertise isn’t enough to provide good tutelage for your little brother, and the training methods of your clan are written down but unclear.” Hillman’s face grew solemn. “Thus your father has decided to send your little brother to the O’Brien Empire’s 'O’Brien Academy' to study. In that mighty military Empire, in the finest military academy, your little brother will receive the best tutelage available.”
Linley agreed as well.
A person who only had tremendous brute strength but lacked technique and experience could only be considered a big, dumb ape.
“Wait.” Linley frowned as he looked at Hillman. “Uncle Hillman, that O’Brien Academy’s tuition must be extremely high. Although they will allow their own students to study free of charge, no doubt they are extremely merciless in charging out-of-empire students.” Linley clearly remembered how much Reynolds had paid to be admitted to the Ernst Institute.
Hillman nodded. “The O’Brien Academy’s yearly tuition is approximately five thousand gold coins. Your father intends to have Housekeeper Hiri escort Wharton there and take care of him. The tuition fee really is high. In ten years, it’ll be fifty thousand gold coins.”
Fifty thousand gold coins would approximately equate to the entire value of all of the Baruch clan’s possessions, if sold off.
“Right! Uncle Hillman.”
Hillman looked questioningly at Linley as he watched Linley withdraw a magicrystal card from his pocket. Hillman was shocked. “A magicrystal card?” Previously, when he had been a soldier, he had seen magicrystal cards before.
“Linley, how do you have a magicrystal card? Not even your father has one.” Hillman looked at Linley with surprise.
Linley tugged Hillman and said, “I won this magicrystal card from a rich kid who lost a magic duel with me. Let’s go to the Golden Bank of the Four Empires.” Right now, the guards at the Ernst Institute’s entrance no longer attempted to bar Hillman’s passage, because they recognized Linley, who had left earlier this morning.
To Linley, this extra money didn’t have too much usage. If he could use it to help his family, that would be enough.
The town of Wushan, within the Baruch clan manor’s main hall.
Hogg was pondering.
Since his clan had produced a descendant with the requisite density of dragonblood, he must be given the best upbringing. Even if they had to beggar themselves, it would be worth it. This was without question!
“Who should I sell the stone carving screen in the bedroom to? Philip is too stingy, he won’t give me a good price.” Hogg was pondering nonstop.
The tuition needed to send little Wharton to the O’Brien Academy was astonishingly high. The question in Hogg’s mind right now was how to sell his clan’s possessions for a sufficiently high price.
Suddenly, footsteps sound
out.
Turning his head, Hogg said, “Hillman, you’re back. Uh, what’s that on your shoulders?”
Hillman tossed the bag across his shoulders onto the floor. The bag collided with the floor with a heavy ‘thud’ sound. Clearly, it was very heavy.
“Lord Hogg, Linley asked me to bring this to you.” Hillman opened the bag and then poured everything out. One small, gold-colored sack after another formed a small mound on the floor, and the sound of gold coins clinking within the gold-colored sacks was very clear and crisp.
These gold-colored sacks were used solely by the Golden Bank of the Four Empires. Each bag generally contained a hundred gold coins.
“Gold coins? So much gold. There must be at least ten thousand gold coins here.” Hogg stared at Hillman, astonished. “Hillman, you say that Linley asked you to bring this here?”
Hillman said solemnly, “In total, nine thousand, nine hundred gold coins. Linley asked me to bring this to you. At the Ernst Institute, a rich young fellow engaged in a magical duel with Linley, and in losing, also lost ten thousand gold coins. Linley stored them in a magicrystal card, and now, has withdrawn the entire balance.”
Hillman still remembered the words that Linley had said to the attendant at the Golden Bank of the Four Empires. “Withdraw everything!”
“9900 gold coins? Linley’s?”
Staring at the mound of gold-colored sacks, Hogg immediately grew silent.
28
The Straight Chisel School
Many days later, at the Ernst Institute.
It was morning. Linley had eaten breakfast, and was now headed to the back mountains, preparing to begin training.
While walking on the road out of the Institute, the little Shadowmouse was on Linley’s shoulders, scanning about in all directions. There were quite a few people at the Ernst Institute who had magical beast companions, and thus no one cared at all that Linley had a little Shadowmouse as a companion. But just at that moment…
Coiling Dragon_Book 1 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 25