Fairy, Don't Be Afraid, I Am Blind

Chapter 300 - 178: Teacher Sister

Lotus Peak itself is not particularly towering, but since it is situated on the halfway mark of Henggao Divine Mountain, its actual altitude is much higher than it appears from the base of the peak.

The mountain top is always colder than the foothill, and the autumn chill is more intense. Looking up from the foot of the Divine Mountain, the sight truly is one of fiery mountains, with layers of forests dyed in red.

Under the rustling yellow leaves, the white-robed Wangshu Fairy obediently leaned on the stone table, preparing to start today’s lessons. Xiaohua nestled in her hair, gathering her dark blue tresses into an elegant cloud bun.

Meanwhile, You Su, clad in a black robe, stood beside her, hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a stern mentor.

"Senior Sister, holding a pen doesn’t necessarily require the three-finger grip. Just like with a sword, do what feels comfortable, as long as you keep the palm hollow and hold it nimbly."

He didn’t even need to see them to guess that the characters on the rice paper before his senior sister were crookedly written, embodying a sense of trying hard but failing to achieve ’beauty’.

Wangshu Fairy looked up at him, her gaze pitiful, murmuring:

"But when I was little, the Tenth Elder taught me this way... He said this is the most standard pen-holding posture, and every time I made a mistake, he would punish me by making me copy the ’Mingxin Chronicles’ twenty times."

The Tenth Elder was, of course, the Peak Master of Book Immortal Peak, one of the most representative figures in contemporary literary circles.

Upon hearing this, You Su shook his head helplessly and explained, "That was because long ago, life was impoverished, not like now with chairs and tables, and people often had to kneel and lie down to write. So their hands were suspended while writing. And those scholarly figures among the immortal families gradually got used to it, which is why it has endured today. But people long ago abandoned this outdated pen-holding posture. Whether it’s the single hook, pinching the tube, or gripping the tube, it’s all fine, as long as you’re comfortable."

"Really?"

For a seasoned literati like the Tenth Elder, mastering an exquisite three-finger pen-holding technique was a testament to scholarly finesse. Teaching a sect’s Divine Maiden, he naturally hoped Wangshu Fairy would excel. Unfortunately, Wangshu Fairy was truly not adept at this, and his strict punishments had left a shadow, deterring her from easily changing the pen-holding posture she was not accustomed to.

"Holding a pen is like gripping a sword. Senior Sister, your sword skillfully trims branches with such precision, so your control over a pen can’t possibly be that poor. It must be the posture you’re not used to; try changing the posture, and it will surely improve." You Su encouraged earnestly.

Wangshu Fairy was moved by his words. Even with her poor handwriting, her junior brother did not give up on her; she should overcome her fear and trust him.

"Okay, then I won’t use the three-finger grip, but which posture should I use?"

You Su pondered for a moment and suggested, "Senior Sister excels in swordsmanship, why not hold the pen as you would a sword?"

"Grip a sword?"

Wangshu Fairy hesitated for a while, then clenched her delicate fist, placing the brush bristle-down crudely between her fist gaps.

Such a pen-holding posture would certainly warrant harsh criticism from the Tenth Elder in her mind, thinking it impossible to produce beautiful calligraphy.

Using his Divine Sense, You Su observed for a while, affirming,

"Not bad, this is what I referred to as the Holding Tube Skill; Senior Sister grasped the concept quickly. Although it looks unrefined, it actually has its intricacies."

Receiving her junior brother’s praise, Wangshu Fairy’s eyes curved into smiles; though, in truth, even three-year-olds in town begin with this Holding Tube Skill for writing.

"Junior Brother, teach me."

"First, the fingers should be firm, applying enough strength to hold the pen tube securely. The outer four fingers should close to each other, with knuckles facing outward, tight but not loose, with appropriate tension."

As You Su spoke, he realized there was still an issue with how Senior Sister held it. Seeing she couldn’t grasp his point, he took the step to gently hold her fine and cool jade-like hand, assisting her in adjusting the delicate joints of her fingers.

Being suddenly held by You Su, Wangshu Fairy stiffened, her blue eyes blinking as if frozen, yet soon melting like water, her gaze emitting joy.

"Secondly, keep the palm hollow; the ring and little fingers shouldn’t press against the palm, as if holding an egg inside the palm. This balance makes strokes steady and flexible."

Leaning on his Divine Sense, You Su continued correcting her mistakes: aligning the palm, flattening the wrist, straightening the tube—demonstrating the five cardinal pen-holding rules on Wangshu Fairy’s hand, almost touching every part of her perfect hand.

"All right, Senior Sister, try writing a few more characters." You Su withdrew his hand abruptly.

Wangshu Fairy resembled a little girl daydreaming in class when called upon to answer; she was enwrapped in feeling the texture of You Su’s hand, having forgotten that her junior brother was there to teach her calligraphy.

However, now she was on the spot and could only brace herself to begin writing.

To her surprise, the characters she wrote indeed showed improvement, at least displaying some fluency in stroke, clearly marking her enhanced control over the pen.

"Junior Brother is truly amazing, thank you." Wangshu Fairy looked at You Su in admiration.

You Su momentarily stored his senior sister’s calligraphy in the Qiankun Bag for a check, then returned it to her, praising,

"Senior Sister indeed has a talent for calligraphy."

Wangshu Fairy’s eyes appeared as if they could smile, and she added, "I think I can write even better, but this brush is too thin and not comfortable to hold. I’d like to grip a thicker tube."

You Su tugged at the corner of his mouth, always feeling Senior Sister’s words carried a hint of danger... He observed her fingers; due to their slender length, she couldn’t tightly grasp the pen tube.