I Became an All-round Artist

"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have completed the task of surpassing 1000 reputation points in painting. You have been rewarded with a Bronze Chest and a Silver Chest."

Five days later, Lin Yuan finally completed the painting task issued by the system just before the deadline. Hearing the pleasant notification sound, he felt that skipping classes to grind reputation in the art club for five days had been worth it.

He got the treasure chests! Not just one Bronze Chest, but also a Silver Chest.

The last time he opened a Silver Chest, it gave him a piano composition. What could he get this time?

System: "Would you like to open it?"

Lin Yuan: "Store it in the inventory for now."

He decided to hold off on opening the chests. Opening treasure chests was a game of luck—what if he opened something less useful? The system didn’t allow returns, after all.

With the task completed, Lin Yuan felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Now, he could focus on finishing the first volume of Zhu Xian.

The system had divided the novel into eight volumes, each with around 200,000 words. Lin Yuan had already completed 150,000 words. At his writing speed, the remaining words could be finished in two or three days, even if he only wrote during his free time. If he skipped class and dedicated a day to it, he could easily finish the first volume.

As he continued writing, Zhu Xian's plot unfolded clearly in his mind. The first volume follows the perspective of the protagonist, Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan, along with his friend Lin Jingyu, becomes a disciple of the Qingyun Sect. While Lin Jingyu is a prodigy with great potential, Zhang Xiaofan lacks talent and is ignored by the elders. It’s the classic underdog setup.

However, as the story progresses, Zhang Xiaofan grows stronger through a series of fortuitous events and his trusty "fire poker" weapon. He also falls in love with his master’s daughter, Tian Ling'er, though she only sees him as a younger brother.

As these events unfold, the world of Zhu Xian gradually comes to life. Lin Yuan, as the writer, felt most connected to the story as it built toward the climax of the first volume—the Seven Peak Martial Arts Tournament.

Zhang Xiaofan participates in the tournament, though no one expects much from him. His master only sends him to gain experience. But Lin Yuan knew that readers would see things differently.

Readers, from their omniscient perspective, know that Zhang Xiaofan isn't as weak as he seems. He has had his lucky encounters and possesses his own magical artifact. The tournament would be Zhang Xiaofan’s chance to prove himself, and Lin Yuan was certain that readers would eagerly anticipate Zhang Xiaofan's breakout moment.

The buildup was perfect. Zhang Xiaofan had faced hardships—the destruction of his village, his lack of natural talent, and being overlooked by his peers. Readers would be eager to see him finally shine.

...

A few days later, as Lin Yuan planned to finish the first volume of Zhu Xian the next day, he received a call from Xia Fan:

"I'm competing tomorrow!"

"I'll go with Jian Yi to support you," Lin Yuan replied, deciding to put his writing on hold for the day.

Qinzhou’s annual Blossom competition was about to begin, and Xia Fan had to participate in the auditions. Although Lin Yuan knew she would breeze through, he and Jian Yi still accompanied her to the venue.

The auditions were held at Su City’s largest stadium. As the biggest talent show in Qinzhou, the first day of auditions attracted a massive crowd, and the atmosphere was electric.

"I'm a little nervous," Xia Fan admitted with a tense expression.

Jian Yi laughed, "What are you nervous about? You've been through so much already! And look who’s standing by your side."

Xia Fan glanced at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan reassured her, "No matter what happens, you’ve already signed with Starry Sky Entertainment. Just enjoy the competition. You’ll debut next year for sure."

Taking a deep breath, Xia Fan said, "Alright, I'm heading backstage."

Lin Yuan and Jian Yi nodded. Contestants had to wait backstage for their turn, or they would lose their chance to compete.

After Xia Fan left, the auditions began. Lin Yuan listened with interest from the audience. He knew he would need many different singers for the songs he would write in the future. If any contestants impressed him, he might make a mental note for future reference.

However, since it was only the auditions, the quality of the performers varied widely. After listening to eight contestants, none had particularly caught his ear. In fact, five of them were cut off halfway through by the judges.

Xia Fan was contestant number nine, one of the earlier performers. When it was her turn, Lin Yuan and Jian Yi waved enthusiastically from the audience, though Xia Fan didn’t see them amid the crowd.

Still, Jian Yi’s teasing wasn’t wrong—Xia Fan was a seasoned performer. For her audition, she chose an old song. After she finished, the judges exchanged a few whispers before unanimously giving her the green light to proceed.

"Thank you, judges!" Xia Fan bowed deeply and hurried off stage, eager to share her joy with Lin Yuan and Jian Yi.

"This is just the beginning," Jian Yi said with a grin. "Later on, if necessary, you can always whip out The First Dream to blow the judges away!"

Xia Fan smiled but said nothing. She didn’t plan to use The First Dream in the competition. It felt like a waste to use such a powerful song just to get through a round. She wanted to save it for her official debut.

As the evening wore on, Jian Yi suggested, "Let’s head home."

Xia Fan nodded. "I’ll have more rounds of competition coming up, but you two don’t need to keep coming with me."

She had only been nervous on the first day and didn’t want to trouble them for every round.

They agreed with a laugh, and Lin Yuan returned home. Since there was still some time left in the evening, he opened Zhu Xian and resumed writing.

His speed increased as he wrote, making quick progress. By 9 p.m., Lin Yuan had finished the first volume of Zhu Xian.

Thinking for a moment, he sent a message to his editor, Yang Feng: "The new book is done."

After sending it, Lin Yuan stretched and yawned. It was time for bed.

Meanwhile, Yang Feng, seeing a message notification, quickly checked his phone. When he saw that it was news about Chu Kuang’s new book, he was thrilled and immediately typed back:

"You finished already?"

"Can you send it to me now?"

A minute passed with no reply.

Yang Feng: "Are you there?"

Five minutes later: "Still there?"

Half an hour passed: "Chu Kuang?"

An hour later: "Teacher Chu Kuang?"

Staring at the one-sided conversation, Yang Feng tugged at his thinning hair in frustration.

Where’s the new book?

You said it was done, so where is it?

Are you seriously going to bed at 9 p.m.? I don’t believe it!

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