Chapter 968: 祭神

Chen Ling was conflicted.

With his absolute control over physical forms through Reshape and his precise insight into details through the Secret Eye, theoretically, he could make the mask look exactly as he wished. He could even replicate his own face, Chen Ling's, perfectly, down to every single pore.

But Shen Nan stopped him. A Nuo mask isn't better the more realistic it is; just like an opera mask, it requires exaggerated techniques to amplify features, presenting the character's personality in the most direct way. In other words, it needs artistic treatment.

Director Chen had studied directing, and he wasn't skilled in the art and aesthetics of drawings, especially masks.

"Do you need to be so conflicted?" Yao's voice echoed from within him.

"If it were my own face, I wouldn't hesitate, of course... but..."

Chen Ling sighed deeply.

"Perhaps you're overthinking it," Yao said patiently. "You could try making a mask first; what if it's not as strict as you imagine?"

Chen Ling considered this and found it made sense.

A long time had passed since he entered the Era Archive. It wouldn't do to keep wasting time like this. In any case, it was best to try first.

Having made up his mind, Chen Ling no longer hesitated. Yao's appearance materialized in his mind, and relying on his vague impression of Yao's personality, he began to meticulously carve the mask.

Thick clouds gradually covered the sky.

Shen Nan somehow produced a small table, placing it in the open space by the house's entrance. Yang Xiao and the others sat on small stools around the table, intently focused on the playing cards in their hands.

"A six."

"A queen."

"The little joker."

As Lu Xun threw a gray joker onto the table, the other three players fell silent. Everyone knew there was still a red joker in play, but no one wanted to play it right at the start. The most powerful card had to be played at the most crucial moment; it was a simple logic.

After a few rounds, Yang Xiao threw his remaining cards into the discard pile, looking helplessly at Shen Nan beside him:

"Couldn't you have started with smaller cards? I'm stuck with a bunch of threes and fours."

"No choice, my smallest card was a six. If I didn't play it, how would I trick out the little and big jokers? I finally got the first move; I couldn't just waste it."

Shen Nan shrugged, and as the representative of the losing side, began to shuffle the cards.

"Playing cards also involves strategy. If you know your hand is bad, you have to find a way for your teammates to go out first," Lu Xun casually handed his unplayed cards to Shen Nan. "You lost because you weren't united enough."

"It's not just about teamwork," Shen Nan said, looking at the winner, Su Zhiwei, and sighing deeply.

"Your cards were too good. You had both jokers and two sets of bombs... How could we play against that?"

"You also had quite a few bombs," Su Zhiwei replied with a faint smile. "One could only say that luck is also part of skill."

While Shen Nan shuffled the cards, Yang Xiao looked back towards the barren field.

"Huh... Is Director Chen almost done carving?"

Everyone turned to look and saw that Chen Ling was no longer using Reshape to restore the wood. Instead, after carving the basic outline, he was meticulously sculpting the mask's details.

Due to the distance, they couldn't clearly see what the mask in Chen Ling's hands looked like, but it appeared to be nearing completion.

"That was quite fast," Shen Nan said, checking the time. "I thought he'd drag it out for a few more hours."

As they spoke, Chen Ling, in the dim field, slowly stood up and walked directly towards the open area.

"What are you doing here?"

Chen Ling had been too engrossed moments ago to notice Yang Xiao and the others arrive. Now, seeing three familiar faces, surprise registered on his face.

"We came from Bureau 749. We saw your message and followed the network signal here," Yang Xiao said, a smile appearing on his face as Chen Ling approached.

Chen Ling seemed to realize something and eyed Yang Xiao in surprise for a few moments.

It was astonishing that only a few days ago, Yang Xiao had just learned to control magnetic fields, and now he could already locate his phone via network signals. This guy's progress was incredibly fast.

"You've even started playing cards," Chen Ling said, glancing at the poker cards on the table. "Looks like you've been waiting for a while."

"We saw you were busy, so we didn't want to disturb you."

Shen Nan finished shuffling the cards and handed them to Chen Ling, raising an eyebrow.

"Tired? Want to play a round?"

"No time," Chen Ling casually put the poker cards into his pocket. With his other hand, he handed the mask to Shen Nan. "See if this one works first."

Shen Nan took the mask, his gaze falling upon it. It was a black and white mask. Unlike Shen Nan's own fierce and ugly black mask, the mask in Chen Ling's hand was peaceful and serene. It didn't seem to have any special features, except for a touch of purple near the corners of the eyes, which gave it a subtle air of mystery.

Shen Nan stared at it for a moment, his expression a bit strange.

"What's wrong? Is it not good enough?"

"Do you know how many years I spent learning to make Nuo masks?" Shen Nan sighed. "Although yours still has some flaws, for a first attempt, reaching this level is already quite perfect... Even with your special ability, I find it unbelievably good."

"It works?"

"From a craftsmanship perspective, there are no issues. But whether it can solve your problem, we'll need to test it."

"How do we test it?"

Shen Nan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the sky, thought for a moment, then turned and walked into the house.

When he emerged again, everyone was slightly stunned.

Now, Shen Nan was wearing the black and red theatrical robe again. Bells hung from his waist, a black flag rested on his shoulder, and the grotesque Nuo mask was held in his palm. The hem of his robe swayed gently with each step.

"You're..."

"Whether it works or not, we'll know by trying it the Nuo way."

Shen Nan walked into the open space where chilly winds swirled, holding the mask and slowly closing his eyes, as if listening for something. Theatre and shamanism intertwined in his hands. Faint whispers of prayer mingled with the cold wind, circling around his ears.

Lu Xun, Yang Xiao, and Su Zhiwei had never witnessed such a spectacle before. They all watched the silent, closed-eyed Shen Nan, unsure of what he was about to do.

But Chen Ling, after all, had personally witnessed Shen Nan in action before. The last time Shen Nan had come to save him, he had also worn this theatrical robe. And from Shen Nan's current posture, it seemed he was completing a "prayer."

However, this time, he wasn't praying for himself; he was listening to the wishes of others nearby.

After a long wait, Shen Nan's voice slowly broke the silence:

"Chen Ling, you must remember my next dance steps well..."

Shen Nan looked solemnly at Chen Ling. "This dance is one that communicates with 'Gods'. Once you put on the Nuo mask, it becomes the medium to invoke their descent..."

"Its name is 'The Divine Invocation'."