Chapter 327: The Monarch of Malice
“What’s your intention in having me drawn?”
I looked at the White-Robed Scholar.
“Hey, White-Robed Emperor.”
“......”
“You can’t go around suspecting malice in every word someone says. Listen carefully. It’s not like I need your portrait. The entire Martial Alliance has already seen you—I could draw it with my eyes closed.”
“That’s true.”
“He’s an exceptional painter. The piece won’t have a background. Just a scholar in clean white robes holding a folding fan. The title will be White-Robed Emperor. And in the blank space, I’ll include the poem I recited. So then—what kind of painting would that be?”
Only then did the White-Robed Scholar understand my meaning.
“A commemorative piece for defeating Seomun’s Martial Emperor.”
“Exactly. The negative space won’t be completely empty. There’ll be clouds drifting through. So what does that signify?”
“Jeunjong.”
“Right. Just two well-placed lines atop the clouds would do. ‘Though the Martial Emperor of Seomun gives chase, the White-Robed Emperor remains unbound.’ It becomes both a lasting record and a painting that captures the moment for eternity. That, perhaps, is the essence of art. People all ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) have limited lifespans. Eventually, we disappear. But art like this is immortal. Just like how you cling to books.”