She touched her cheeks, then her waist.
She let out a fierce sigh of relief. Thank goodness—at least she had not been turned into a painting. Though with her peerless beauty, she would have been a famous painting even if she had, having flesh and blood was truly better.
She looked down, then flicked her dragon tail. It seemed to have been outlined...
She shrugged.
"Do I just keep walking forward? It's so quiet. I'm a little unaccustomed to it."
Upon entering the painting's secret realm, she was naturally rendered with a touch of painted color. From any angle, she looked like an exquisite portrait of a beauty, its colors soft and warm. She blended further into the secret realm, becoming almost alive.
The mountain scenery on both sides slowly changed, faded away, and was painted anew, as though someone were endlessly creating. The Stone Slab Path stretched beneath her feet.
She only had to keep walking. She would eventually find the exit.
A winding, slanting stone path threaded through the woods.
Everything here had been painted—the bluestone, bamboo groves, plum blossoms, lovely roses. Sometimes the paper had the yellowed look of age; other times, it seemed freshly purchased. Above were a red sun and drifting clouds. Birds slowly spread their wings and crossed the mountain forests, while faint mist rose. What was first stored in the heart took shape beneath the hand; once contemplation reached its depths, a fine painting naturally came into being.
She crossed a stone bridge, passed through a village, and entered the deep mountains.
When she reached the depths of what could be called a classic landscape painting, she finally saw a flash of gold...
It was an ancient tree with gnarled roots, rendered in bold, vigorous strokes of deep ink.
"Hiss, it looks like