Lin Zhao looked at the remaining aura of Liu Liying between the fragments of the mural, then glanced at Gu Lingyu and said, "Then... shall we begin? Liying's soul power probably won't last much longer."
"Some tools are still missing."
Gu Lingyu said, "To restore a perfect fan-wielding goddess, one needs the finest carving knife in the world."
"Carving knife?"
Lin Zhao's heart brightened and he said, "I do have one."
As he spoke, he took out a carving knife from his bag, surrounded by a dense aura of literary fortune. The knife's radiance was profound and brilliant, unlike ordinary objects. It was the original carving knife gifted to him by the Great Sage Master, destined to be refined into his fourth Natal Flying Sword. It was a pity, however, that Lin Zhao's fourth Sword Cultivation Lake showed no signs of activity yet.
"Let's use this one."
Lin Zhao held the carving knife with both hands and said, "A gift from the Great Sage Master. It was originally used by him in his youth to make bamboo slips and record characters. Later, he gifted it to me as the embryo for my flying sword. I have already named it. After ten years at the foot of Mount Wuwang, I've come to understand many things. This tip of the sword shall be called 'Life and Death'."
"A good name."
Gu Lingyu smiled and said, "Unknown is life, how can one know death? This is a magnificent phrase. To restore the fan-wielding goddess with the Life and Death carving knife, causing her to cycle between life and death, is truly superb!"
As he spoke, he knelt on both knees and respectfully received the carving knife from Lin Zhao's hands. This humility was largely directed towards the original owner of the carving knife.
...
Afterward, Gu Lingyu began his work as a painter. Holding the carving knife in one hand, he started carving from the bottom of the rock face. Yu Wanling and Lin Zhujie cut some green bamboo and made a simple scaffolding to make it easier for Gu Lingyu to move up and down.
As for the painting, the rock face was too large, making it a colossal undertaking. Gu Lingyu was extremely meticulous in his work, considering every detail in the mural, so the engraving progress was very slow. In the blink of an eye, night fell.
Lin Zhao instructed Yu Wanling and Lin Zhujie to build a simple temporary wooden shed nearby, while he himself started a bonfire in front of the shed and set up a pot to make a pot of soup to warm everyone's bodies. This time, he specifically fished out white fish and gobies from the fish enclosure, making a very delicious mixed fish soup.
In the middle of the night, everyone sat down, drank a bowl of hot soup, and ate some thoroughly roasted dried cakes. Gu Lingyu continued to engrave the mural, while Zhuo Zhi sat in the wooden shed refining the Demon Soul Sword. Dong Zang and Shi Hanyin tidied up the dishes and then went to prepare the next meal.
By dawn, a mural reappeared before their eyes.
Lin Zhao awoke from his meditation and sword practice. He looked up and was instantly amazed. This mural of the fan-wielding goddess was identical to the one in the Hundred Flowers Realm. Gu Lingyu was truly a divine craftsman! Moreover, his restored mural seamlessly connected with the fragment hidden by Lin Zhujie, which was the most brilliant stroke. Only in this way could Liu Liying's primordial spirit be perfectly restored.
"Little Martial Uncle, how is it?" Gu Lingyu clapped his hands and respectfully returned the carving knife with both hands.
"Not bad, not bad!"
Lin Zhao accepted the Life and Death carving knife and smiled, "Our sect is truly multi-talented. Even if we fall on hard times in the future, with you responsible for painting and me for selling paintings outside, we won't starve."
Gu Lingyu couldn't help but smile. The words were coarse, but the logic was sound.
At this moment, streaks of brilliant light surged from the mural. As the spiritual energy flowed completely along the lines of the painting, the fan-wielding goddess Liu Liying in the painting became increasingly lifelike. Dressed in a red skirt, holding a fan, and leading a white horse, she seemed ready to step out of the mural at any moment.
"Wonderful!"
Lin Zhao took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gently stroked the cold stone wall, saying, "Liying, it's time to come back."
Zhuo Zhi walked forward and said, "Back then, in the Hundred Flowers Realm, Lord summoned the fan-wielding goddess Liu Liying with a single Qing Fu coin. Now, who knows how many spirit coins it will take to summon her out."
"Mmm."
Lin Zhao took out his money bag and the first coin he took out was a Golden Mullet Coin.
"Oh?"
Yu Wanling chuckled, "Becoming so generous all of a sudden?"
"She is our Liu Liying of the Summit Villa!"
Lin Zhao said in a deep voice, "In the Hundred Flowers Realm, she was merely one of the Hundred Beauties. It's different now."
"Indeed."
Yu Wanling nodded with a smile.
Lin Zhao began to spend money. With a "swish," the first Golden Mullet Coin sank into the stone wall, emitting a golden ripple. However, Liu Liying in the mural merely rippled slightly with the waves and showed no sign of coming out. Lin Zhao was not hesitant, throwing Golden Mullet Coins into the mural one after another, not sparing a single one.
There was no alternative. He owed her. When Liu Liying activated the spiritual energy at the Summit Villa, she nurtured the spiritual energy for it. Including the "cash-out" Golden Mullet Coins, it would be at least 5000 Golden Mullet Coins to start. Paying a little now was nothing.
However, even as Lin Zhao threw Golden Mullet Coins into the wall one by one, he had already thrown in 500 Golden Mullet Coins in the blink of an eye, and Liu Liying still showed no sign of coming out.
"What a sin..."
He sighed, which made Zhuo Zhi, Yu Wanling, and Dong Zang laugh.
"Liying must be angry with me."
He muttered to himself while frantically throwing money into the mural.
In the blink of an eye, 1000 Golden Mullet Coins had been spent.
Lin Zhao's face was turning green. As he threw money, he said, "Liying, even if you're angry with me, I should have forcefully sent you down the mountain then. But you can't do this. Our Summit Villa is in ruins and needs money now. You've swallowed so many Golden Mullet Coins in one go, you'll have to work hard to earn them back later!"
Zhuo Zhi smiled and said, "Lord, why not throw the entire money bag in? It shows sincere intent, and Liying might come out at once."
"No..."
Lin Zhao was heartbroken. "Every little bit counts."
"That's true."
Zhuo Zhi nodded with a smile.
But Lin Zhao's money bag, which contained over 1200 Golden Mullet Coins, was almost empty. Yet, Liu Liying still showed no sign of coming out of the mural. Lin Zhao became anxious and, along with the bag, threw in the last few Golden Mullet Coins.
"Swish!"
The moment he threw the bag, a jade-like hand, tender as a lotus root, suddenly emerged from the golden mural. With a "pat," it grabbed the money bag. Then, a fair and slender jade leg was the first to step out of the stone wall. Next, a face of unparalleled beauty, capable of captivating both the fish and the geese, emerged from the ripples. The fan-wielding goddess Liu Liying walked out of the mural, holding the money bag and her fan in her left hand, and leading the white horse with her right.
She smiled and said, "Young Master, you don't even want the money bag? Will we still be able to save money in the future?"
"Liying..."
Lin Zhao stood frozen in place. The moment Liu Liying walked out of the mural, he suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.
"Young Master..."
The next moment, Liu Liying let go of the money bag, fan, and white horse with both hands and threw herself into Lin Zhao's arms. In an instant, she burst into tears and couldn't be consoled. After Liu Liying had cried for a long time, Lin Zhao gently patted her fragrant shoulder, "Alright, alright. There are so many people here. How can you only recognize me after coming out of the mural? You must see everyone else too!"
"Yes, Young Master, Liying knows she was wrong!"
Liu Liying turned and bowed to everyone, "Liu Liying thanks Head of the Academy Gu! Thanks to Sword Immortal Lin Zhujie! Zhuo Zhi, Yu Wanling, and this beautiful lady, Liu Liying greets you all."
She was already very courteous.
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded, "This extremely beautiful lady is Shi Hanyin, a student of Head of the Academy Gu. She is currently in her true form as a peach blossom demon, but she is destined to become a peach blossom fairy in the future."
"Mmm."
Liu Liying turned to Lin Zhao, her eyes reddening, "Young Master, Liying didn't not want to come out of the mural. It's just that the constraints of heaven and earth were too heavy. In fact, Liying wanted to come out when Young Master threw the first Golden Mullet Coin, but I was trapped and could not control myself. You wasted over a thousand Golden Mullet Coins for nothing. Liying is truly guilty!"
"Not at all."
Lin Zhao waved his hand, "As long as I can save you, let alone a thousand, I wouldn't hesitate to spend ten thousand Golden Mullet Coins!"
Yu Wanling tilted her head and looked at the Master's face, "Your lips aren't twitching. It seems this statement comes from the heart. You are certainly not stingy with Liying."
Liu Liying covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Alright!"
Lin Zhao turned to everyone and said, "Since that's the case, I will announce a few matters."
Everyone listened intently.
Lin Zhao said in a deep voice, "First Class Supporter Lin Zhujie has made an unparalleled contribution, saving Yu Wanling, Dong Zang, and Liu Liying, and killing the 13th-realm demon Chen Rusong. He is hereby promoted to Chief Supporter of Summit Villa. This is the first matter!"
Lin Zhujie's face was filled with ecstasy, as if he had been enfeoffed as a First Class Duke of Loyalty and Courage, Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy, and Minister of Military Affairs. He exclaimed, "Hahahaha, thank you, Mountain Master, thank you, Mountain Master! Long live the Mountain Master, forever and ever!"
Zhuo Zhi and Yu Wanling rolled their eyes together, almost unable to watch this fellow.
Lin Zhao continued, "In addition, three more positions are established, equivalent to elders. Among them, Liu Liying is enfeoffed as the Silver Coin Envoy, Dong Zang as the Hearth Envoy, and Shi Hanyin as the Dust Sweeping Envoy. From now on, the management of money, cooking, and sweeping at Summit Villa will be entrusted to you three."
"Yes!"
The three spirit deities nodded and chuckled in unison.
"Oh dear..."
Lin Zhujie showed a look of relief, as if he were an elder. "This feels very good, like a prosperous and developing situation. Our Summit Villa will surely prosper and flourish in the future! It's just a pity that Tang Guangjun sought a moment of pleasure and died in battle. Otherwise, he might have also received a title like Gatekeeper Envoy or Guardian Envoy, how magnificent that would be!"
Lin Zhao nodded, "Indeed..."
...
Upper Realm, Ancestral Court of the Military School.
Inside an ancient, simple cauldron, a disheveled man's body was constantly twisting and deforming. His silhouette was quite blurry. His primordial spirit was being continuously drawn from his battle robe and injected into his physical body. This physical body belonged to an ancient spirit beast, possessing immense power. He was currently in the crucial stage of reshaping his body.
"Alas..."
He suddenly sighed, regretting that he was not at Summit Villa at this moment. Otherwise, he would have surely secured the position of "Guardian Envoy."
"You damn it!"
Suddenly, someone slapped him on the back of the head. It was the scholar in green. He pointed at Tang Guangjun's forehead and cursed, "Concentrate on reshaping your primordial spirit! Your life is hard enough with me and the Sword Immortal protecting you, and you're still thinking about the insignificant position of Guardian Envoy at Summit Villa? You, Tang Guangjun, are about to become one of the seventy-two generals of the Military Temple! Is this all you amount to?!"
The disheveled man looked wronged. "Who told our Summit Villa to have good feng shui? Anyway, I'm going back. Whether I get the seventy-two general enfeoffment depends on you big shots. Whether I return to Summit Villa depends on me, Tang Guangjun. True might cannot be forced, poverty cannot sway me, a gentleman does not accept charity. If only the flying general of Longcheng were here, he would not allow the Hu horses to cross the Yin Mountains!"
The scholar in green raised his hand to his shoulder, "Where is my Fusu Sword!?"
"Calm down, calm down!"
Han Xin held him down. "Why bother with this shrimp? Your Fusu Sword is still with your true body in the Upper Realm. Don't get angry!"