When the Sea Turned to Silver: Chapters 56–76

by Grace Lin
When the Emperor kidnaps her grandmother, Pinmei must undertake a daring and dangerous quest to save her.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–36, Chapters 37–55, Chapters 56–76

Here is a link to our lists for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. revulsion
    intense aversion
    Those eyes, which had been so unreadable before, were now illuminated with the light of the moon, and they were filled with horror and revulsion.
  2. shaft
    a column of light
    She stared at it, and shafts of light from the full moon below streamed in through carved openings behind her.
  3. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    Yishan said nothing and just looked at her sheepishly, holding the Paper away from her as she flew at him.
  4. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    Pinmei looked at Yishan, and his eyes gazed into hers with a rare earnestness.
  5. tuft
    a bunch or cluster of strands, as of grass, hair, etc.
    They were obviously royal guards or generals, for their heavy copper-colored armor almost completely encased them, with only tufts of fur peeking out.
  6. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    Yishan quickly clambered onto the dragon’s back and held out his hand to Pinmei.
  7. chisel
    an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
    “Ah, this is nothing,” the stonecutter said humbly, waving his hand. “If I only had my own tools or just a chisel of good quality...then perhaps I could make something worthy of you calling me that.”
  8. unscrupulous
    without principles
    This judge was not only new, but was also unscrupulous.
  9. wily
    marked by skill in deception
    "Do you think," the judge said, again in a wily tone, holding the brush just out of Liang's reach, "you could paint something for me, before you go?"
  10. ploy
    a maneuver in a game, conversation, or situation
    Liang knew this was all a ploy, yet he could only nod.
  11. renowned
    widely known and esteemed
    His horses' eyes were never dotted, his fish's scales were incomplete, and his figures were missing a shoe. However, even with these flaws, his artistry became renowned.
  12. commend
    express approval of
    "Painter Chen," the magistrate said, "I commend you on your work on my son’s project. The paintings in the Long Walkway are beautiful to behold."
  13. commission
    place an order for
    "I would like to commission you to create a painting for my own palace."
  14. forgo
    do without or cease to hold or adhere to
    The magistrate would forgo taxing Painter Chen's old hometown village for a year and Painter Chen would paint the magistrate a dragon.
  15. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    The dragon destroyed the magistrate's palace, causing chaos and calamity before disappearing.
  16. concede
    admit or acknowledge, often reluctantly
    “Destroyed the Vast Wall?” Pinmei gasped.
    “Well, only part of it,” the woman conceded.
  17. prod
    urge on; cause to act
    “So the emperor was angry and probably wanted to punish her, right?” Yishan said, prodding.
  18. ponderous
    labored and dull
    In the distance, a faint, ponderous beating of drums called.
  19. wharf
    a platform from the shore that provides access to ships
    The crowd moved in a wave, pushing Pinmei and Yishan to the edge of the wharf.
  20. pallbearer
    one of the mourners carrying the coffin at a funeral
    There was the low murmuring of a priest as the pallbearers began to lower the coffin from their shoulders.
  21. undiminished
    not lessened
    Even in funeral clothing, she looked as if she had been carved of ivory, the flower-petal fineness of all her features undiminished by the rough hemp robes.
  22. resound
    ring or echo with noise
    As those unable to see clamored with questions, agitated shouts and murmurs of wonder resounded.
  23. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    Even though scarcely a shadow, the silhouette was graceful and lithe, her hair streaming behind her like ripples in the water.
  24. vindication
    the act of defending against criticism or censure
    Vindication, vengeance, revenge. He no longer wished for those things.
  25. tranquil
    free from disturbance by heavy waves
    He wished for tranquil darkness patterned with gentle ripples and delicate lights.
  26. detachment
    lack of emotion or interest
    They had gotten a room as well as dinner, though the innkeeper had raised his eyebrows as the children had entered. However, his face settled back into businesslike detachment when Yishan reached into his bag and waved a gold coin.
  27. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    "You poor mortal," the voice said with contempt.
  28. scorn
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    "You are so poor you had to steal a bite of a long-life peach," the voice said in scorn.
  29. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    "You are a thief," the voice said in disdain.
  30. reel
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    The mountain seemed to swell and break, tossing the man so he reeled and rolled.
  31. arduous
    taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
    He was soon in his sedan chair, his servants carrying him again on the arduous road.
  32. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    “Because,” the emperor said with the beginning of an ominous roar, “I think you...”
  33. brandish
    exhibit aggressively
    Pinmei fell also, her fingers still clutching the needle, its point brandished toward the emperor like a sword.
  34. wisp
    a thin tuft, piece, or amount of something
    The unraveled black thread of the embroidered turtle stretched between them and melted away into the dark sky like a thin wisp of smoke.
  35. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
    Trees bowed in deep kowtows or broke their backs, a series of snaps like firecrackers popping, until one loud, sickening crack added to the cacophony in the sky.
  36. reverberate
    ring or echo with sound
    The awful sound echoed and reverberated so much that even the stars seemed to shiver.
  37. inconsolable
    sad beyond comforting
    She wept heartbroken tears, tears as inconsolable as Lady Meng’s and as despairing as Nuwa’s.
  38. unscathed
    not injured
    He was bareheaded and his face was dirty, but he was unscathed, standing before her with an object in his hands.
  39. tinge
    a pale or subdued color
    Little by little, Amah’s face began to color, the gray waxen tinge warming to rose gold.
  40. tapestry
    a wall hanging of heavy fabric with pictorial designs
    Finally understanding, Pinmei closed her eyes, the memories of all she had lost and gained weaving around her in a glorious, invisible tapestry.
Created on Sun Apr 14 13:53:51 EDT 2019 (updated Wed Apr 24 14:58:44 EDT 2019)

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