In no time, the subordinates had already unrolled the painting for the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince personally picked up a dagger and made a long cut down the middle of the painting.
The scene was deathly silent, you could hear a pin drop, and everyone’s breath seemed to freeze.
If there was a mistake, the Crown Prince’s slash would destroy a genuine painting worth fifty thousand taels of silver!
“Is this painting real or fake?”
Everyone’s mind was swirling with the same question, eager to know the answer.
Second Master Mu, who was closest, immediately leaned in to examine the painting after the Crown Prince made the cut. After a careful look, he took a sharp breath and remained silent.
“Well, Second Brother, is the painting real or fake?” Mu San Niang asked anxiously from the side. She desperately hoped the painting was genuine because if it was, Terra Su would be in serious trouble.
However, judging from Second Master Mu’s expression, Mu San Niang had a bad feeling.
Eighth Master Mu couldn’t wait any longer. He strode over and leaned in to observe just like Second Master Mu.
Then, Eighth Master Mu exclaimed in surprise, “This… the brushwork hasn’t penetrated the paper, and the paint is merely floating on the surface. This is a forgery.”
As soon as he said this, everyone present was taken aback.
“Impossible, right?”
“No way, is this painting really a fake?”
The Crown Prince’s expression also turned grim. The moment he cut the paper, he realized that the painting was indeed a fake, just as Terra Su had said.
What the Crown Prince found hard to accept was that the painting he had spent a fortune on was actually a fake.
Seeing the Crown Prince’s displeasure, Eighth Master Mu smiled and said, “Crown Prince, this is actually a good thing. Think about it, if you hadn’t discovered this painting was a fake and presented it as a birthday gift to the Princess, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”
The Crown Prince’s expression softened, realizing that Eighth Master Mu had a point. If he had presented this fake painting at Marquis Anyang’s birthday banquet, he would have certainly lost her favor, and any hope of vying for the throne would be dashed.
So, from this perspective, discovering the painting was a fake now was actually a blessing in disguise for the Crown Prince.
However, the Crown Prince still found it hard to accept that his money had gone to waste.
“Hmph, who would’ve thought the painting was really a fake,” Mu San Niang muttered discontentedly. In her view, Terra Su’s claim that the painting was fake was just a lucky guess.
“How is this possible?” The genius surnamed Zhang was completely stunned. He never imagined that the painting would actually be a forgery.
He had just boasted in front of everyone that if the painting was fake, he would eat the table leg. Now, the painting was indeed fake.
“Crown Prince, I, I…” The genius surnamed Zhang was at a loss and could only look to the Crown Prince for help.
But before he could finish, the Crown Prince coldly said, “Eat the table leg.”
With the Crown Prince’s command, the genius’s face turned even more miserable than crying. He had no choice but to walk to a table, break off a leg, and start chewing on it, making crunching sounds.
Being a genius at the seventh level of the Condensing Origin Realm, his teeth and strength were naturally formidable, so chewing up the table leg was no problem. But swallowing it made his face contort in all sorts of expressions.
Many members of the Mu family present couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.
At the same time, many of them cast different looks at Terra Su. Previously, they didn’t understand why the old man kept Terra Su in the house, but after this incident, they seemed to understand the old man’s reasoning.
To be able to discern the authenticity of Grandmaster Mu Lan’s painting at such a young age, Terra Su was definitely not an ordinary person.
“What’s your name?” the Crown Prince suddenly asked Terra Su.
“Reporting to the Crown Prince, he is Terra Su, a guest of the old man. Oh, and he’s also a new student at Anyang Academy,” Eighth Master Mu quickly answered for Terra Su.
The Crown Prince nodded, scrutinizing Terra Su, but his expression revealed neither approval nor disapproval.
Terra Su remained calm under the Crown Prince’s gaze, showing no sign of nervousness.
“Bold Terra Su!” the Crown Prince suddenly shouted angrily, “Do you know your crime?”
With the Crown Prince’s outburst, the entire banquet hall fell silent!
Everyone was bewildered. Terra Su had just helped the Crown Prince by pointing out the fake painting. Wasn’t that a great merit?
Why was he being punished instead?
Only a few, like Second Master Mu, seemed to understand.
Given the Crown Prince’s pride, if you had told him privately that the painting was fake, it would indeed have been a great merit, and he might have rewarded you handsomely.
But to publicly declare that the Crown Prince had bought a fake painting was akin to telling everyone that the Crown Prince had no discernment.
In this context, the Crown Prince’s anger was understandable.
“Your Highness,” Sun Yaozu’s voice rang out at this moment, “allow me to punish Terra Su on your behalf.”
With that, Sun Yaozu’s aura surged as he walked towards Terra Su.
Eighth Master Mu quickly shouted, “Sun Yaozu, stop! Terra Su is a distinguished guest of the old man.”
Sun Yaozu snorted, ignoring Eighth Master Mu, and continued forward. So what if you’re the old man’s guest? The person you offended is the Crown Prince.
“Kid, I hope you understand in the afterlife that some people in this world are not to be trifled with,” Sun Yaozu said coldly, releasing a suffocating pressure of the Transforming Realm.
Terra Su stared at Sun Yaozu for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, “You talk too much. If you want to die, come on.”
Hiss!
Everyone present couldn’t help but gasp. Terra Su’s words were incredibly arrogant.
How could a Martial Practitioner at the seventh level of the Condensing Origin Realm say such a thing to a genius of the Transforming Realm?
Even those who had started to see Terra Su in a different light couldn’t help but worry for him, thinking his behavior was excessively arrogant.
“Tsk!” Sun Yaozu sneered disdainfully and struck out at Terra Su with a palm.
Whoosh!
The palm wind was heavy, like a mountain.
Terra Su met it with his fist.
Boom! The two clashed, evenly matched.
Where their fist and palm met, energy rippled out, causing the surrounding tables and chairs to crack, and many bowls and chopsticks on the tables shattered under the pressure.
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