As his laughter echoed, the phantoms before Huai Shi began their endless transformations.
From a youth, they morphed into a sinister and bizarre old man, a devil-like messenger of temptation, a seductive Oiran, a mature and elegant middle-aged adult, a teenage girl in white clothes, a dying woman, and a crying infant in swaddling.
Their postures and appearances varied, yet all had black hair, black eyes, pale skin, and smiles that were eternally distant.
Finally, the phantoms condensed, countless images merging into one.
Transforming into a youth with a face beautiful enough to resemble a girl, dressed in a black vest and breeches, a white shirt, holding a delicate riding crop, standing atop the remnants of ruin, looking up at Huai Shi with a smile.
"Let me introduce myself, Huai Shi."
He bent, placed a hand on his chest in a courteous bow: "According to the records left by my previous self, you may call me William Robert Woodman..."
