The white-haired old man stared at the painting with intense excitement, his eyes looking like they might pop out at any moment.
"What a painting! Bending the Bow to Shoot the Eagles!"
The old man's voice trembled. "This painting contains an aura of desolation and heroism. If one meditates on it with a calm heart, one might touch a Great Dao that no predecessor has ever tread upon!"
"The person who drew this is absolutely an unimaginable Expert."
"An existence who has likely comprehended the Great Dao and understood everything in this world!"
"I never thought... I never thought such a figure existed in this world. I truly wish to see this Expert's true face!"
As he spoke, the white-haired old man beat his chest and stomped his feet in agitation.
Sia Xiao and Uncle Jiu were dumbfounded.
Is the painting really that amazing?
Didn't Quinn just draw it casually?
It's a good drawing, sure, but containing the Great Dao? Isn't that an exaggeration?
"Master... isn't this... just an ordinary painting?"
Sia asked cautiously.
The white-haired old man immediately glared at her.
"This is absolutely not an ordinary painting!"
"The one who drew this is definitely an unimaginable Hidden Expert!"
"This single painting is worth hundreds of years of my bitter cultivation!"
What?
One painting is worth hundreds of years of cultivation?
Sia and Uncle Jiu were truly shocked.
They looked at each other.
Could it be...
That mortal-looking Quinn Ye is actually an unfathomable Peerless Expert?
"Where did this painting come from?"
The white-haired old man stared tightly at Sia, impatient to know the origin of the painting.
Sia naturally dared not hide anything.
"Master, this painting was drawn by a young man named Quinn Ye."
The old man looked thoughtful.
"A young man? That probably isn't the Expert's true appearance. Such an Expert must have cultivation reaching the heavens; changing his appearance would be effortless for him."
Sia felt awkward. "Master, that Quinn Ye is actually a mortal. The kind with zero cultivation."
The white-haired old man froze.
Mortal?
"Impossible!"
He didn't believe it at all.
A mortal could draw a painting containing the Great Dao?
Absolutely impossible.
The one who could create this was definitely an Expert that even he, the white-haired old man, had to look up to.
Look up to way high.
"Perhaps your vision is too low to see through the Expert's true appearance. You mistook a god for a mortal," the old man said.
Hearing this, Sia and Uncle Jiu began to doubt their entire lives.
"Is that kid really a Hidden Expert?" Sia frowned.
Uncle Jiu suddenly shivered.
"Young Miss! We encountered two Demon Beasts on the way. I wasn't their match originally, but they seemed to be suppressed by some force, allowing me to beat them away easily."
Sia reacted instantly.
She widened her eyes in disbelief.
"You mean... Quinn Ye was secretly helping us back then?"
Uncle Jiu nodded repeatedly.
Hiss!!!
Sia gasped.
It all makes sense now.
Whether it was the painting or the incident on the road, everything proved that Quinn Ye was definitely not the ordinary person he seemed to be.
He... was actually a Hidden Expert?
"What are you two whispering about?"
The white-haired old man looked at them with confusion.
"Master, it's like this..."
Sia then recounted how they met Quinn Ye and everything that happened along the way.
After listening, the white-haired old man looked at them as if he wanted to slap them to death.
Sia and Uncle Jiu felt incredibly embarrassed.
A Hidden Expert traveled with them all the way, yet not only did they fail to recognize him, but they also treated him like that (kidnapping him).
Thinking back now, they both felt a wave of lingering fear.
"You two!"
The old man shook his head repeatedly.
"Fortunately, that Expert has a big heart and didn't hold it against you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing here alive."
The two could only nod in agreement.
"Such an Expert... if I don't visit him personally, I won't be able to rest easy."
The white-haired old man carefully rolled up the scroll and placed it into his Storage Bag.
"Take me to find this Expert immediately. I want to personally ask for his guidance."
Sia was stunned.
I came here to become your disciple. Why are you rushing to visit someone else as if you want to become his disciple?
"Master, what about the apprenticeship gifts..."
"What gifts? This painting is the best gift! Take everything else back."
"Alright." Sia looked helpless.
The white-haired old man was anxious and urged them to set off immediately.
Learning that Quinn appeared at the market near Cloud-Drifting Mountain, the old man grabbed Sia with one hand and Uncle Jiu with the other.
Whoosh!
The white-haired old man flew directly into the sky, carrying the two of them toward Cloud-Drifting Mountain.
Quinn Ye returned to Cloud-Drifting Mountain.
Looking at his old home, he felt a wave of peace in his heart.
"Home is the best."
After this trip, Quinn deeply felt the warmth of home.
Gurgle!
He was starving, so he quickly ate something to fill his stomach.
After eating his fill, Quinn had a good sleep.
He slept until noon the next day.
Quinn woke up comfortably.
He pushed the door open.
But he saw someone in the courtyard.
"What are you doing?"
Seeing the person sneaking around trying to pick pears from the tree, Quinn shouted.
The person was startled and fell from the pear tree, landing on their butt.
Thud.
It was a hard fall.
"Ouch!" The person cried out, unable to get up.
Quinn quickly walked over.
He discovered it was a child.
Looking about seven or eight years old.
Dirty, tattered clothes, disheveled hair, and a grimy face. A living, breathing Little Beggar.
The child was shivering, face twisted in pain from the fall.
"You have a lot of nerve, daring to steal my pears?"
Quinn sneered.
The Little Beggar rubbed his leg and staggered to his feet.
"I didn't steal."
"caught red-handed, and you still say you didn't steal?"
Quinn laughed out of anger.
The Little Beggar huffed.
"So what if I stole it? Are you going to beat me to death?"
Quinn was speechless.
Good lord.
So young, yet already a Little Rascal.
Quinn didn't really intend to punish him. After all, being a beggar at such a young age was pitiful.
"What is your name?"
Quinn asked.
"I have no name."
"No name? Then what do people call you?"
The Little Beggar tilted his nose. "They all call me Little Bastard."
Quinn shook his head helplessly.
"Then what is your surname?"
The Little Beggar paused.
"My dad's surname was Guo."
"Where are your parents?"
"Dead."
Quinn felt a surge of sympathy.
He walked to the pear tree and picked a dozen pears.
Then he went inside and brought out a bag of rice.
"Take this and eat. If you finish it, you can come back here."
Quinn handed the items to the Little Beggar.
The Little Beggar looked suspicious.
He didn't dare reach out to take them.
"In the future, don't steal anymore."