Chapter 101: Curse or Genius?

The principal was completely stunned. He rushed to the door and began frantically twisting the handle.

"What is going on here? Let me out, now!"

Just then, Wang Hui’s voice emerged: "Since you’ve found your way here, it means you’ve already made your decision. If that’s the case, why do you still need to leave?"

The principal turned back in terror. Wang Hui was wearing a long robe, his face partially obscured by a hat, looking at him with a sinister expression.

For some reason, goosebumps broke out all over the principal’s body. He trembled as he spoke: "I have a student who wants a painting like that..."

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing the principal’s words, Wang Hui laughed incessantly, as if he had heard a very funny joke. "Your student wants it? Are you sure it isn't you who wants what your student wants?"

Wang Hui’s words carried a heavy sense of oppression, leaving the principal gasping for air. He stared intently into Wang Hui’s eyes, waiting for the other's next move.

"Actually, you don't need to be so nervous. What does it matter to me whether your student is willing or not?"

With that, he produced a rolled-up scroll and handed it to the principal.

"This is the Portrait of the Ultimate Malice. The demon depicted upon it is incredibly savage. As long as you find someone to trace this painting, it is equivalent to making a pact with the Ultimate Malice. Their soul will be sold to the entity, transforming them into a genius. If used improperly, however, terrifying things will occur—and it won't just be the user who dies. You must be very careful."

"Terrifying things will occur?"

Although puzzled, the principal took the painting from Wang Hui’s hand and furrowed his brow.

"Then... will it have any effect on me?"

Wang Hui looked at the principal with an inscrutable expression. He glanced at the wooden door behind the principal and said slowly, "What if there is an effect? Do you have any way back now?"

These words instantly brought the principal to his senses.

That’s right. He already had the painting in his hands; was there any turning back? Compared to his reputation, nothing else mattered!

Thinking of this, he could not help but grip the scroll tighter. Without further hesitation, he turned to leave with the painting, but Wang Hui blocked his path.

"As a principal, have you ever heard a saying?"

"What saying?"

Wang Hui walked slowly to the principal’s side and whispered into his ear: "Everything in this world has a price. Before you act, you had better think about whether you can afford the cost!"

Having said that, he walked straight to the wooden door and opened it. "Since you could reach me, you must have been prepared to pay the price, right?"

The principal broke into a cold sweat. The price? But at this moment, he didn't want to worry about such things; he only wanted Locaz to win at the Art Festival! Ignoring Wang Hui, he hurried away.

Little did he know that shortly after he left, another person sought out Wang Hui—Swell, the founder of the Horror Art Exhibition.

Swell approached Wang Hui and pulled out a stack of paintings. "These are my latest works."

Wang Hui took them and nodded to himself. "You have done very well. Once our plan is complete, you will be the greatest hero among mankind."

Indeed, Xiao Zi and Wang Hui had long been in league with Swell. At the time, Swell had reached a dead end; his horror art was not recognized by the world, and his exhibition was on the verge of extinction. At the critical moment, it was Xiao Zi who extended a helping hand, promising to help him promote horror art to the masses. Naturally, Swell was thrilled.

What? Humans shouldn't collaborate with supernatural beings? Don't be ridiculous. In the face of art, humans and supernatural beings should be equal. Thus, Swell provided Wang Hui with a vast collection of horror paintings.

However, Swell alone could not paint images terrifying enough to scare a person into fainting. Therefore, these paintings had to be sent to Xiao Zi for special processing. Humans have an instinctive fear of the aura of supernatural beings, so Xiao Zi infused these auras into the paintings, then had the clown attach energy designed to capture the viewer's attention. In this way, a truly horrific work of art was born.

Swell knelt on one knee. "Then, what is the next step?"

Xiao Zi drifted out from Wang Hui’s body and appeared directly before Swell.

"You said before that as long as horror art could become the mainstream of this world, you were willing to pay any price, didn't you?"

Hearing this, Swell nodded excitedly. "That's right. Nothing else matters. Even if my horror exhibition is destroyed, it doesn't matter, as long as horror art is brought to glory!"

Xiao Zi nodded. "Then, hold the horror art exhibition as scheduled. This time, I will ensure that everyone who attends will remember it forever."

With that, he vanished.

Back at the school, the principal nervously summoned Locaz. Her first visit had been filled with confusion, but the second time, she was immensely excited.

"Principal, are you going to tell me about the competition?"

The principal nodded slightly. "Sit down first."

Once she was seated, the principal began: "I previously mentioned you entering the competition, but you know your own painting skills. If you participate, it’s very likely you will bring shame to our Saint Mildor Academy."

Hearing this, Locaz felt as if the sky had collapsed. How could she not understand the principal’s words? He was clearly regretting his decision!

"I... I understand."

Tears welled up in Locaz’s eyes, her voice trembling with a sob. It was understandable; the feeling of falling from such a great height in such a short time was unbearable.

Just then, the principal spoke again: "However, I have a way for your painting skills to improve in a short time so that you can participate."

These words instantly reignited Locaz’s hope. She looked up, full of expectation. "What method?"

"Hehehe." The principal chuckled and reached toward the table behind him. "I pulled some strings to have this painted. It is incredibly profound. If you study and trace it carefully, your skills will surely improve rapidly."

"Oh?"

Locaz was momentarily dazed. She knew that tracing could improve one's skills, but for painters at their level, the most important thing was having one’s own style. Tracing would surely affect her style; wasn't this like picking up a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon?

Seeming to perceive her concern, the principal patted her shoulder. "You certainly don't want to bring shame to Saint Mildor Academy, right? If so, why care about anything else? As long as you can place in the Art Festival, who will care what your actual painting technique is like?"

Locaz found his logic agreeable and immediately wanted to open the scroll to take a look, but the principal stopped her at once.

"Don't open it! Wait until you get home!"

"Oh? Why?"

"Uh... because... this painting is of great importance. You must wait until you are home and sure that no one else is around before opening it."

Locaz nodded in sudden realization. "Don't worry, I understand."

She took the painting and happily headed home.