Another bright, sunny day had arrived.
The sun shone brilliantly overhead, illuminating a clear blue sky dotted with soft clouds.
High above the continent of Terra, its generous rays spread warmth and life across the land.
Dusk pushed open her bedroom door and walked toward the window.
She drew back the tightly closed curtains.
At first, only a few scattered rays of sunlight slipped into the room, bringing small patches of brightness to the dim interior.
Then came a magnificent golden wave of light, flooding every corner of the little space.
Dusk set down the bag she was carrying.
Several flowers peeked out from its opening.
With the practiced movements of an experienced artist, she picked up the vase beside her bed, replaced the water, and arranged the flowers inside.
The entire process was completed in one smooth sequence.
She glanced around the room.
It was quiet and peaceful, with the faint fragrance of fresh flowers drifting through the air.
‘Perfect for painting.’
With that thought, Dusk sat down and resumed working on her unfinished painting.
Everything was perfectly peaceful.
Except…
“Are you painting me?”
“Eeeek!”
The brush slipped from Dusk’s fingers.
Startled, she hurriedly hid the painting she’d been working on, as though putting it away would somehow erase what Hongyu had already seen.
Then she turned around and glared indignantly at the man standing behind her.
“Looks like…
I’ve come at a bad time?”
Hongyu gave an awkward smile and prepared to leave.
“Don’t go yet.”
Dusk immediately grabbed his sleeve.
She continued staring directly at him.
“Have you forgotten something?”
“I swear I didn’t see anything just now.”
Hongyu raised both hands in surrender, giving Dusk what could only be described as a French military salute.
Dusk’s pretty face reddened.
After briefly averting her gaze, she released his sleeve and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Didn’t you say…
you wanted me to teach you how to paint?”
Compared with Hongyu, Dusk was rather petite.
Even though she wore a long robe similar to his, along with an additional outer garment, her delicate appearance made her seem particularly small beside him.
Her black hair fell softly around her face.
And now, this usually reserved young woman stood before him, avoiding his gaze while clearly hoping for something.
Her moist red eyes occasionally flickered toward his face.
She reminded him of a timid little cat.
“You promised yesterday…”
“But you didn’t come to see me all day.”
‘Dusk is upset.
Dusk wants to cry.
Dusk wants a hug.’
Seeing her disappointed expression, Hongyu felt a little embarrassed.
“Well, we only just decided to settle down near Mount Huiqi, didn’t we?”
“I thought I’d spend some time getting familiar with nearby Gouwu City first…”
Gouwu City.
Mount Huiqi.
That’s right.
Hongyu had moved away with Dusk.
He had deliberately begun separating the two remaining Sui fragments who had continued living together: Dusk and Ling.
His explanation to Dusk was that Ling had decided to travel across Terra on her own.
He had given Ling the very same explanation about Dusk.
In any case, neither of them was particularly concerned about the other’s safety.
Unless Great Yan suddenly decided to exterminate all the Sui fragments, there were very few beings on Terra capable of defeating one of them in single combat.
At present, none of the Sui siblings had noticed that Hongyu would occasionally disappear without explanation at seemingly random times.
His reason for arranging things this way was simple.
He needed to suppress Sui’s awakening consciousness.
And Sui’s attempts to resist his suppression were particularly intense within Ling and Dusk.
Ling’s attention could be diverted with alcohol.
That way, whenever Hongyu exhausted himself suppressing Sui, Ling would be less likely to notice his condition.
But Dusk was different.
She was timid and exceptionally sensitive.
The only way Hongyu could think of to distract her was through her greatest passion.
Painting.
That was why he had brought Dusk along and planned to begin traveling through the mountains and rivers of Great Yan.
As for why Dusk had chosen Mount Huiqi near Gouwu City as their first temporary residence…
Well, he’d have to ask her himself.
Perhaps she liked the beautiful scenery and the fact that few people visited the area.
Or perhaps it was because the nearby city was known for its relatively mild cuisine.
“I prepared for so long…”
Dusk continued speaking in a quiet, aggrieved voice.
“But you never came to see me.”
“I’m sorry.”
Hongyu sounded genuinely apologetic.
“I didn’t realize you’d take a casual request from me so seriously.”
“I’m sorry, Dusk.”
To make it easier to suppress Sui’s consciousness while Dusk was occupied with painting, Hongyu had taken the initiative and asked her to teach him the art.
Dusk had accepted with an expression that combined astonishment and delight.
She was astonished because she’d never imagined there would come a day when Hongyu would actually ask her for help.
As for the reason behind her delight…
Well, that hardly needed explaining.
She had taken the matter extremely seriously.
Despite having little experience teaching others, Dusk had even spent an entire day reading books about how to properly instruct someone in painting.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t expected Hongyu to spend nearly the entire following day busy in Gouwu City.
He had barely come to see her at all.
And even worse…
SHE HAD TO SLEEP ALONE THAT NIGHT!!!
‘Dusk is furious!’
Fortunately, Hongyu’s daily suppression of Sui seemed to be working.
Recently, Dusk had stopped experiencing nightmares about Sui.
In fact, she’d become rather fond of it.
“A-Anyway!”
Dusk suddenly spoke with renewed determination.
“You have to learn painting with me today!”
Then her confidence faltered.
“You…
do have time, right?”
“Mm.
Of course.”
Hongyu smiled and adjusted the dark glasses resting on his nose.
He honestly hadn’t expected to find this type of eyewear for sale in Gouwu City.
Sometimes, the technological development of Terra really was impossible for him to understand.
“I’m free today.”
“Right now?!”
Dusk’s voice immediately brightened with excitement.
‘She’s getting a little too excited about this…’
Hongyu thought helplessly.
Nevertheless, he nodded.
“Mm.
Teacher Dusk, let’s begin.”
The moment Hongyu addressed her as “Teacher,” Dusk practically began steaming with embarrassment.
‘W-What did Yu just call me?!’
‘Teacher!’
‘He called me Teacher!’
[For painters throughout Terra, few treasures are more coveted than an original painting by Dusk, the legendary artist of Great Yan.]
[Unfortunately, not a single work by this master has entered circulation for several decades, much to the regret of artists and collectors alike.]
[Many have attempted to seek out the immortal painter’s whereabouts in hopes of becoming her disciples, but nearly all have returned empty-handed.]
[It is said that only individuals such as the current Grand Warden of the Sui Regulator and the General of Yumen, along with a handful of other immortal beings closely associated with the painter, possess any of her personal works.]
[Among these treasured pieces is a portrait of the first Grand Warden, passed down through the ages and believed to have been painted by Dusk herself.]
[The current Grand Warden once described his predecessor as “the man closest to divinity, yet ultimately still human, and therefore unable to become a god.”]
[According to the current Grand Warden, the first Grand Warden once studied painting under Master Dusk and even received her praise.]
[However, none of his own works have ever appeared publicly.]
[Rumors suggest that Master Dusk may have kept them all in her personal collection.]
[Source — Great Yan Daily: A Few Stories About the First Grand Warden]
Dusk expressionlessly folded the newspaper.
She looked toward Nian, who was sitting opposite her with a mischievous grin.
Her voice was distinctly unfriendly.
“So?
Nian, what exactly are you trying to say by showing me this pointless newspaper?”
“Ah, nothing much!”
Nian rubbed her hands together, grinning.
“I’m just curious whether that old geezer really left some paintings with you.”
“I’d like to get my hands on a couple of them too…”
“Get lost.”