Chapter 158 – Rouge Immortal Mountain, the Human-Head Lantern, and the Serpentine Brush of Fate - Part 2
After the brief meeting, Gemhill seemed calm and back to normal.
Inside the main hall of the Hundred Lotus Manor, Pang Yuanhua observed a young girl with a warm smile. She was quite fond of this girl, especially the way she became so absorbed in her work that it was as though her entire world narrowed to the task in her hands. Strangely, the scene brought to mind a terrifying woman surnamed Long.
Meanwhile, atop the high roof of Silver Creek, a blackbird crouched in silence.
Li Yuan wanted to avoid alarming any hidden threats, so he decided to watch for signs of trouble on his own. It was a bit more work, but sealing off potential dangers now was far better than racing to contain them after they erupted.
Seated in his study, he lifted his brush and began writing out lines of poetry he remembered from a time before he crossed into this world. Creating a visualization aid, he had realized, required a certain mood—one conjured from poetry, then expressed through art.
He penned several verses attributed to the poet Li Bai, believing he could capture their spirit and weave it into the life chronicle he needed to visualize—
“Have you not seen the youth of Huainan, roving heroes by day,
who feast on the hunt by night, then cast dice to the wind?
They gamble vast sums without a second thought,
and cross a thousand miles to repay a debt of blood as though it were mere steps.
Ten strides, one kill, then vanish leagues away;
once the deed is done, they brush off their sleeves and conceal both fame and name.