The two sculptors were filled with equal parts reverence and anxiety.
Their master had entrusted them with a task bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun himself. This was no ordinary commission. This was a divine mandate.
Yet the material Tianzun had given them was unlike anything they had ever encountered. It felt hard when touched, harder than most wood they had carved, yet when struck with a chisel, it yielded easily. A single careful strike could remove a clean fragment, leaving behind a smooth surface.
This contradiction unsettled them.
They feared making a mistake.
Their hands, which had shaped countless statues before, now felt clumsy and unreliable.
Before them stood the enormous portrait Tianzun had provided.
They studied it in silence.
The man in the portrait possessed triangular eyes and a flat nose. His face lacked any trace of dignity or kindness. No matter how they looked at him, he appeared unpleasant.
The sculptors could not understand why Tianzun would want such a figure carved.
One of them lowered his voice.
"Do you recognize which celestial being this is?"
The other shook his head.
"I have never seen a deity dressed like this."
Silence lingered between them before the first sculptor spoke again, his voice cautious.
"If it is not a god, then perhaps it is a demon."
The second sculptor's eyes widened.
"A demon..."
The idea quickly took hold in their minds.
"Yes. That must be it. Dao Xuan Tianzun intends to carve the demon's likeness, attach a talisman to it, and burn it. As the statue burns, the demon's true body will suffer the same fate. Its soul will be destroyed."
The first sculptor nodded eagerly.
"I have heard storytellers speak of such methods. This must be divine demon-slaying magic."
Their earlier fear transformed into determination.
"If that is the case, we must carve it perfectly," one said.
"The sooner we finish, the sooner Tianzun can eliminate this demon and protect innocent lives."
They bowed their heads briefly toward the sky before beginning their work in earnest.
Every movement of the chisel was careful and precise.
They would carve a small section, then look back at the portrait, comparing every detail. Even the faintest wrinkle near the corner of the eye had to be replicated exactly. They refused to allow even the slightest discrepancy.
They worked without pause.
Morning passed into afternoon.
Afternoon faded into night.
They lit rapeseed oil lamps and continued carving beneath flickering light, their eyes growing red from strain. Fatigue pressed against their bodies, yet they refused to rest.
If their work was inaccurate, Tianzun might punish the wrong demon.
Such a mistake was unthinkable.
By the following evening, their task was complete.
—
At that same time, Li Daoxuan sat at his computer, eating fried chicken legs while absentmindedly browsing.
Suddenly, a familiar sound rang out from within the diorama.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
The bell.
The villagers were summoning him.
Li Daoxuan leaned forward and looked inside. Gao Yiye and the two sculptors were kneeling beside the bell, bowing deeply toward the sky.
As his face appeared within the clouds, Gao Yiye spoke respectfully.
"Reporting to Dao Xuan Tianzun, the sculptors have completed the task you assigned."
Li Daoxuan raised his eyebrows.
"Already?"
The two sculptors, their eyes dark with exhaustion yet shining with pride, raised their heads.
"If we can assist Tianzun in eliminating evil and upholding justice," one said, "we would accept death without regret."
Li Daoxuan blinked.
Eliminating evil?
Upholding justice?
He had no idea what they were talking about.
Still, he did not bother asking. Their thoughts belonged to another era. Trying to explain modern commissions to them would only create confusion.
Instead, he decided to reward them.
Each time they completed work for him, he gave them something in return. Previously, he had given rice, flour, and oil.
This time, he chose something different.
He walked into the kitchen and returned with his sugar jar.
Carefully, he pinched a small amount of white sugar between his fingers and placed it inside the diorama.
To the villagers, it appeared as a massive mound.
The sculptors gasped.
"Sugar..."
"So much sugar."
Their voices trembled with disbelief.
The sugar crystals gleamed brilliantly, pure white and translucent.
"It looks like ice."
"I have only seen brown sugar before. Never anything like this."
"This must be celestial sugar."
They were overwhelmed with joy.
Sugar was extremely valuable in their era. Even a small amount could be sold for a significant sum. This gift alone could support their families for a long time.
One sculptor spoke thoughtfully.
"We have accumulated many valuable items recently. If not for the chaos outside, I would have taken some to the county town already."
The other nodded.
"I must pay the artisan tax soon. I was thinking the same thing."
They exchanged a glance.
"Master Thirty-Two will be traveling to the county town soon," one said.
"We should go with him."
"Yes. Traveling in a group will be safer."
Their decision was made.
—
Meanwhile, Li Daoxuan picked up the plastic figurine and examined it closely.
The craftsmanship impressed him.
The face matched the photograph almost perfectly. The only difference was the expression. The sculpted version appeared slightly fiercer, as though filled with aggression.
He shrugged.
It was close enough.
He called a taxi and headed toward Cai Xinzhi's model shop.
During the ride, he made a call.
"I'm bringing the figurine," he said.
Cai Xinzhi sounded pleased.
"Perfect timing. I will notify the client."
Fifteen minutes later, Li Daoxuan arrived.
Inside the shop, Cai Xinzhi stood beside a young man.
Li Daoxuan immediately recognized him.
Triangular eyes. Flat nose.
It was the man from the photograph.
The client was examining a robot model displayed on the table. The craftsmanship was remarkable. Every armor plate was removable, every joint movable. Lights glowed within its eyes and body, giving it an imposing presence.
When Li Daoxuan entered, Cai Xinzhi greeted him.
"The pilot figurine has arrived," he said.
The client stepped forward eagerly.
Li Daoxuan handed him the figurine.
The man examined it closely, turning it in his hands.
His face lit up with excitement.
"This is incredible," he said.
He laughed.
"It looks just like me. Even better than I imagined. The fierce expression makes it perfect."
He carefully opened the robot's cockpit and placed the figurine inside. Through the transparent cover, the miniature pilot could be seen clearly.
The man laughed loudly.
"This is amazing. Now it feels like I am truly piloting it."
He raised the robot and spoke dramatically.
"Fire the mega particle cannon."
Li Daoxuan and Cai Xinzhi exchanged glances.
Neither of them said anything.
But they shared the same thought.
Some people never outgrew their childhood fantasies.