I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

Li Bai stood in the alley, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, the pain sharp and clear. The light at the alley entrance was bright, dust motes dancing in the bands of light like countless tiny, struggling lives. He remembered Yang Xiaohuan standing between two burly men, the lowered eyelashes of Yang Yuhuan playing the pipa, and the delicate handwriting on the plain paper. Anger churned in his chest like magma, burning his throat dry. But he didn't move, just stood there, watching the light. After a long time, he loosened his fists, leaving four crescent-shaped bloodstains on his palms. He raised his hands, looked at the bloodstains, then turned and walked out of the alley. The sunlight shone on him, its warmth dispelling the chill of the alley. He walked back along the street, his steps steady and slow. Passing a knife stall, he stopped and glanced at the gleaming knives on display. The stall owner greeted him warmly, "Sir, want to buy a knife? It'll be good for self-defense!" Li Bai didn't answer, just glanced at them, then continued walking. The knife was useless. He didn't need a knife.

What he needs is power.

A force capable of defying imperial power, defying fate, and defying those scoundrels who block the alleyways saying "life is more important."

***

It was already afternoon when Li Bai returned to the inn. Sunlight streamed obliquely into the room, casting bright patches of light on the floor. Wu Zhinan was sitting at the table drinking tea. Seeing Li Bai enter, he immediately put down his teacup: "Brother Li, you're back? How was it? At the Yang residence…"

Before he could finish speaking, he saw the expression on Li Bai's face.

It was an expression Wu Zhinan had never seen before—calm, eerily calm. Not anger, not sadness, but a near-death calm. Only in those eyes were dark red blood vessels, like red-hot wires spreading across the whites of the eyes.

"Brother Li?" Wu Zhinan stood up.

Li Bai ignored him, walked straight to the table, and picked up a teacup. It was a rough porcelain bowl provided by the inn, with a thin crack on its surface. He stared at the bowl for a long time, running his fingers along its surface, feeling the rough glaze and the texture of the crack.

Then, he suddenly lifted the bowl and smashed it hard on the ground.

"boom--"

The sound of shattering porcelain was sharp and piercing, shards flying everywhere, tea mixed with tea leaves spilling all over the floor. A few shards of porcelain landed near Wu Zhinan's feet, and he instinctively took a step back.

"Brother Li!" Wu Zhinan exclaimed in surprise.

Li Bai stood rooted to the spot, his chest heaving violently. He stared at the shards of porcelain on the ground, the white pieces gleaming blindingly in the sunlight. He remembered his past life, the feeling when the knife plunged into his chest—cold, sharp, and then the pain.

"Useless..." he said in a low, hoarse voice, "A scholar is utterly useless."

Wu Zhinan was stunned, then realized: "The Yang family... refused?"

"He refused." Li Bai's voice was calm, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Not only did he refuse, he also warned me that if I got any closer to the Yang residence, he would make me disappear from Chengdu."

The room fell silent. Only the faint sounds of the city outside the window and the shopkeeper's calls to customers downstairs could be heard. Sunlight shifted an inch across the floor, illuminating more of the broken porcelain shards.

Wu Zhinan remained silent for a long time before speaking: "Brother Li, please sit down and have some water."

"I'm not thirsty," Li Bai said, but he sat down anyway. The chair was made of hardwood and felt cold to the touch. He stared at the shards on the floor, which resembled broken mirrors, each reflecting his distorted face.

Wu Zhinan poured him a glass of water and pushed it in front of him: "So... what's the deal with those two thugs?"

"They're monitoring me." Li Bai picked up his water cup; the water was cold, and it slid down his throat, slightly relieving the dryness. "They were probably sent from the Yang family, or... it was someone from the capital who arranged it beforehand. They warned me to stay away from Yang Yuhuan."

"They made their move?"

"No." Li Bai put down his water glass, the bottom of which made a crisp sound as it hit the table. "It was just a threat. But they said that if I don't know what's good for me, they'll make me know what's good for me."

He looked up at Wu Zhinan: "Brother Wu, do you know that feeling? The person you love is right there, you know she might like you too, but you just can't get close. Because someone tells you: you're not good enough. Because someone tells you: your life is worthless. Because someone tells you: you're just a scholar, utterly useless."

Wu Zhinan opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just sighed.

"I know," Li Bai continued, his voice growing softer. "I know the tides of history are irresistible. I know the imperial decree is hard to disobey. I know the powerful minister is hard to resist. I know Yang Xuanzhen has already made connections with Li Linfu in the capital, and Yang Yuhuan's entry into the palace is a foregone conclusion. I know Gao Lishi's nephew will arrive in Chengdu within ten days. I know all of this, I know it all."

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "But I just can't accept it."

Silence fell in the room again. This silence lasted a long time, long enough for the sunlight to shift from the floor to the walls, casting warm patches of light.

Wu Zhinan finally spoke: "Brother Li, I understand how you feel. But... but you need to calm down. Impulsiveness won't solve anything. You need to think this through carefully."

"Take it a long way?" Li Bai laughed, a cold laugh. "How can we take it a long way? Wait until the eunuchs arrive in ten days and take Yang Yuhuan away? Wait until Yang Yuhuan enters the palace and becomes a concubine? Wait until the An Lushan Rebellion breaks out and she is strangled at Mawei Slope? Then I write a poem to mourn her, saying 'This sorrow will last forever'?"

Wu Zhinan was stunned: "The An Lushan Rebellion? Mawei Slope? Brother Li, what are you talking about?"

Li Bai did not answer. He realized he had let something slip. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his gaze had returned to calm.

"It's nothing," he said. "I just... considered the worst-case scenario."

Wu Zhinan looked at him, his eyes filled with worry: "Brother Li, you've been working too hard lately. You need to rest."

"I don't need to rest." Li Bai stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the Huanhua Stream shimmered in the sunlight. On the opposite bank, the rooftops of the Yang family mansion were faintly visible through the shadows of the trees. "I need strength."

"Power?" Wu Zhinan walked to his side. "What power? Brother Li, you are a scholar. Your power lies in your pen, in your poetry. You can move her with poetry, you can convey your feelings with poetry, you can..."

"Poetry can't save her," Li Bai interrupted him, his voice soft but firm. "Poetry can't save me either. Brother Wu, think about it. If the person standing outside the Yang residence right now were a general with a large army, would Yang Xuan Gui dare to speak to him like that? If it were a prime minister with immense power, would those local ruffians dare to threaten him like that? If it were... a sword immortal who could fly through the air and cut rivers in half with a single sword strike, what would imperial power and a powerful prime minister amount to?"

Wu Zhinan was stunned for a long time before saying, "Sword Immortal? Brother Li, that's a legend, a myth, a story made up by storytellers in the martial arts world."

"Really?" Li Bai turned his head to look at him, a strange light in his eyes. "Brother Wu, since you came to Shu, have you heard the legends of the Sword Immortals of Shu Mountain?"

"I've heard of it, of course I've heard of it," Wu Zhinan said. "There are legends that sword immortals live in seclusion in the depths of Qingcheng Mountain, Emei Mountain, and the Shu Mountains. But that's just a legend, Brother Li! Who has actually seen one? They're just Taoist priests pretending to be gods and ghosts to swindle money from incense offerings."

"Perhaps not," Li Bai said, his voice soft, but each word like a nail driven into the air. "Perhaps those legends are true. Perhaps deep within the Shu Mountains, there truly is a legacy left by ancient sword immortals. Perhaps... it's not a legend, but a forgotten history."

Wu Zhinan looked at him, his eyes shifting from doubt to worry: "Brother Li, are you... are you too tired and starting to overthink things?"

"I'm not overthinking," Li Bai said, turning to face Wu Zhinan, his eyes clear and resolute. "Brother Wu, listen to me. I've been thinking these past few days about why I'm here? Why did I come to this era from a thousand years in the future? Why did I meet Yang Yuhuan, and why does she look exactly like my wife from my past life?"

Wu Zhinan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Perhaps this is not a coincidence," Li Bai continued. "Perhaps there is a reason for all of this. Perhaps I came here to change something. But change requires power. And my current power is insufficient."

He walked to the table, picked up a pen, and drew a line on the paper: "Look, this is the general trend of history, imperial power, destiny. I am just a scholar standing here." He drew a dot at one end of the line, "I want to fight against this line, but I am too weak, I will shatter at the slightest touch."

He drew another line next to the first one, a taller and thicker one: "But what if I possess extraordinary power? What if I could become a sword immortal? Then this line of history would no longer be an insurmountable obstacle. I could cross it, I could change it."

Wu Zhinan stared at the paper for a long time. Then he looked up at Li Bai: "Brother Li, are you serious?"

"I'm serious," Li Bai said, his voice carrying a resolve Wu Zhinan had never heard before. "I'm going to Mount Shu."

The room fell silent again. This time, the silence lasted longer. Birdsong drifted in from outside the window, crisp and melodious. Sunlight moved across the wall, casting shifting patterns of light.

Wu Zhinan finally spoke: "When?"

"Tomorrow," Li Bai said, "No, let's leave today. The sooner the better."

Do you know where Mount Shu is?

"I know," Li Bai said. In his previous life, he was a geological engineer and knew the terrain of Sichuan like the back of his hand. "The Shu Mountains are not a single mountain, but a mountain range. Qingcheng Mountain and Emei Mountain are its outer range. The true depths of the Shu Mountains are in places rarely visited by people. But I can find them."

"How are you going to find it?"

"Based on this," Li Bai pointed to his head, "Brother Wu, there are some things I can't explain to you right now. But you just need to know that I have a way."

Wu Zhinan looked at him for a long time. Then he sighed, walked to the bedside, and began to pack his things.

"What are you doing?" Li Bai asked.

"I'll go with you," Wu Zhinan said, without turning around, continuing to pack his clothes. "Brother Li, I know I can't dissuade you. I also know that the decision you're making is crazy, absurd. But you're my friend. I can't let you go to your death alone in the deep mountains."

Li Bai was stunned: "Brother Wu, you don't need to..."

"I must." Wu Zhinan turned around, looked at him, her eyes serious. "Brother Li, we haven't known each other for long, but I can tell you're a man of great loyalty and affection. I admire you for going to such lengths for a woman. But I can't let you go alone. Neither of us knows how dangerous the depths of Mount Shu are. The more people there are, the more we can protect each other."

Li Bai looked at Wu Zhinan, his throat tightening slightly. He wanted to say something, but in the end he only nodded: "Okay."

***

The two quickly packed their luggage. There wasn't much to pack—a few changes of clothes, some dry food, a little money, and Li Bai's writing implements. Wu Zhinan even went to a pharmacy to buy some commonly used herbs and bandages.

"Just in case," he said.

Looking at the herbs, Li Bai felt a surge of warmth in his heart. In this unfamiliar era, Wu Zhinan was his only friend, and the only one willing to believe in him and support him.

It was evening when they left the inn. The sun was setting, and a magnificent sunset painted the sky. The surface of the Huanhua Creek was bathed in gold, shimmering in the light. The Yang Mansion on the opposite bank was shrouded in twilight, as quiet as a tomb.

Li Bai stood at the entrance of the inn, gazing at the opposite bank for a long time.

"Should we go say goodbye?" Wu Zhinan asked softly.

Li Bai shook his head: "No need. Saying goodbye will only make me more sad."

He turned and walked west along the street. Wu Zhinan followed behind him. Their shadows stretched long, very long on the bluestone pavement.

As they reached the city gate, the soldiers were preparing to close it. Seeing their luggage, one of them asked, "So late, are you leaving the city?"

"I'm going to visit a friend," Wu Zhinan said.

The soldier glanced at them, asked no further questions, and waved them through.

Stepping out of the city gate, one finds a main road leading west. Farmland stretches on both sides, the rice already heading, swaying gently in the evening breeze. In the distance, a range of mountains rises, their deep blue outlines in the twilight resembling the spine of a giant beast.

Li Bai stopped and looked back at Chengdu. The city walls glowed a dark red in the setting sun, and the flags on the towers fluttered in the wind. This was the city where he met Yang Guifei, and where he experienced his deepest sense of powerlessness.

Now, he is leaving to seek power.

"Brother Li," Wu Zhinan walked up to him, "where would you like to go first?"

"Mount Qingcheng," Li Bai said, "is a famous Taoist mountain; we should be able to find some clues there."

"Okay." Wu Zhinan nodded. "Then let's find a place to rest tonight. There's a small town ahead; we should be able to find an inn there."

The two continued walking. The sky grew darker, and the stars began to twinkle one by one. A night breeze carried the scent of rice blossoms and the dampness of earth. In the distance, they heard the barking of dogs and the faint glow of lights.

Li Bai walked ahead, his steps steady. His heart was at peace, a peace he had never known before.

The anger had subsided, replaced by a clear resolve. He knew what he had to do, and he knew how difficult the path would be. But he was not afraid.

Because he knew that if he didn't go, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

In his past life, he watched helplessly as Yang Xiaohuan was taken away and then died by his blade.

In this life, he could no longer stand by and watch Yang Yuhuan be sent to the deep palace and then die at Mawei Slope.

He wants to change all of this.

Even if it means traversing the entire Shu Mountains, even if it means facing legendary demons and monsters, even if it means challenging imperial authority and divine power.

He's going to do it all.

Because he is Li Bai.

He is a poetic genius, and he will also be a swordsman.

As night deepened, the two figures disappeared around the bend in the official road. Behind them, the lights of Chengdu grew farther and farther away, eventually merging into the boundless darkness.

Only the stars in the sky shone brightly.