Chapter 77

A lush, verdant mountain was severed and transported from miles away by a great ghost from Fengdu City, and placed in the White Family’s residence to decorate the grand feast.

A winding, twisting path of blue stone steps led from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top. On either side of the wide steps, beautiful red lanterns danced, illuminating the night, and from a distance, they looked like two red dragons resting on the mountain.

In addition to the red lanterns, there were various small stalls. During the grand feast, Bai Wuchang specially allowed the ghosts from the outer district of Fengdu City to set up stalls, selling candied haws, masks, and clay figurines, creating a lively atmosphere, much like a temple fair or a midsummer festival in the human world.

"Brother Su, let's get a clay figurine," Tai An'er raised her little face and asked obediently.

"Ha."

Xing saw the image of Zhu Bajie on Tai An'er's head and then looked at her eating, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, let's get a clay figurine," Xing gently pinched Tai An'er's cute nose, which was puffed up, and said with a smile.

"Brother Su, don't pinch my nose anymore. Brother Ping said that if you pinch it too much, it will become flat, and then it won't look good," Tai An'er frowned and said angrily.

"I promise!" Xing said firmly, but those who knew him, whether human or ghost, knew that Xing's promises were worth only a few coins of hell money.

"Okay, I believe Brother Su!" Tai An'er believed him again and nodded seriously.

The clay figurine maker was an old man with white hair and a scruffy beard, wearing a grayish-blue robe, hunched over, and his withered fingers skillfully shaped a lump of soft clay.

In no time, a lifelike Sha Wujing appeared in his hands. After the old man painted it, Sha Wujing's fierce eyes glared, and he held his demon-subduing staff, looking mighty and imposing.

There were many stalls making clay figurines along the blue stone steps, but this one had the most ghosts. Even the proud descendants of the great ghosts usually queued up quietly, waiting for the old man to finish their figurines.

Don't be fooled by the old man's advanced age and failing eyesight; he was incredibly accurate in recognizing people. With just a glance, his withered fingers would shape a lifelike figurine, as if it were carved from the same mold as the real person, and the descendants of the great ghosts were all satisfied.

"Next," the old man picked up a lump of clay and said indifferently.

Xing and Tai An'er stepped forward together. Xing said, "Old man, make two figurines, one of me and one of her."

"Okay," the old man nodded, glanced at Tai An'er, and then looked at Xing, saying, "Take off the monkey mask, I need to see your face."

Xing heard this and pushed the Sun Wukong mask to the back of his head, revealing his face.

"What is this?"

The old man, who had been glancing casually, suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Xing again. After a long sigh, he said, "Young man, I've been making clay figurines for two lifetimes. Before I died, I thought my skills had reached the pinnacle, and I could make any character."

"After I died, I continued making clay figurines, encountering countless ghosts, humans, and immortals. As long as I saw them once, I could make their figurines."

At this point, the old man showed a hint of pride.

"But I never thought I would meet someone I couldn't make with just one glance."

The old man sighed deeply, his cloudy eyes flashing with a hint of reminiscence.

Xing's expression changed, and he asked, "Please, what kind of person can the old man, who has reached the pinnacle of making clay figurines, not make with just one glance?"

"You're quite curious," the old man glanced at Xing and slowly said, "I've met three people I couldn't make with just one glance. One is the original of the mask you're wearing, one is a middle-aged man in fine clothes, and another... looks like the person who taught me the art of making clay figurines. Now, there's one more, you."

"Sun Wukong!" Xing thought of the original of the mask he was wearing, which was naturally the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who caused chaos in Heaven, and he looked at the hunched old man in the gray robe with shock.

"Senior, you are...?" Xing asked.

"Hehe, I'm just a clay figurine maker. I've just lived a long time and seen many people, that's all," the old man said with a chuckle.

"I didn't expect to meet someone I couldn't make with just one glance today. It's a kind of fate. So, I'll make your clay figurines for free today."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Tai An'er said sweetly.

"Good, good!"

The old man looked at the cunning and calm Xing and the lively and innocent Tai An'er, said "good" twice, and then started making the figurines while muttering something about them being a perfect match.

In no time, a lifelike little Xing and a little Tai An'er were "born" in the old man's hands.

"Done?" Xing asked.

"Not yet, I need a strand of your hair," the old man said.

"Oh," Tai An'er responded, preparing to pull a strand of hair from her head.

"Wait!" the old man suddenly stopped Xing and Tai An'er.

"Come over here, don't pull it yourself. Only the hair pulled by me will work," the old man said.

"Oh?" Xing's eyes flashed with a hint of curiosity as he stepped forward.

"Ouch!"

Tai An'er cried out in pain, and even Xing winced.

"This doesn't make sense. Pulling a strand of hair shouldn't hurt this much," Xing muttered, the leaves in his Heavenly Soul trembled, and a few points of light emerged. He entered his inner vision and searched his ghostly body and soul, but found nothing unusual.

Xing scratched the back of his head and looked at the old man.

The old man held a strand of Xing's and Tai An'er's hair, wrapping one around Xing's figurine and the other around Tai An'er's figurine, and then blew a gentle breath on the figurines.

"Whoosh~"

The hair slowly turned transparent and disappeared into the figurines, as if it had been absorbed into their bodies.

Xing's pupils suddenly constricted. In the moment the old man blew, he thought he saw the figurine's eyes move!

"This is too strange," Xing shook his head, unable to understand, but he knew the old man in the gray robe was not an ordinary person.

"Take them, consider them a gift from me," the old man said faintly, as if the breath he blew had drained his energy.

"Thank you, Grandpa~" Tai An'er happily took her figurine, and Xing, after a moment of hesitation, also took his.

"Go on," the old man urged.

"Senior, are you... okay?" Xing hesitated and asked.

"I'm fine!" the old man waved his hand.

"Then we'll go," Xing nodded and led the excited Tai An'er away.

"He's a strange person," Xing said, holding the figurine and unable to find anything unusual about it.

"The old man who makes clay figurines is nice," Tai An'er looked up at Xing and said.

"Yes, but he's hard to understand," Xing casually looked back and found that the old man and the clay figurine stall had disappeared, sighing, "Maybe he's a hermit, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail."

After making the clay figurines, Xing and Tai An'er climbed up the steps. The path was lined with all sorts of fun and delicious things, and they basically tried everything, so their progress was slow.

Fishing for goldfish, ring toss, cotton candy, candied haws, dolls... there were so many, too many to count, mostly things that appeared at ancient Chinese temple fairs, and the descendants of the great ghosts were all having a great time.

Usually, they ate all kinds of delicacies and used all kinds of high-end items and treasures, but sometimes eating snacks and playing with small toys was also nice.

"Heave-ho."

Tai An'er climbed to the top of the mountain, sweat beading on her forehead, her hair damp and sticking to one side.

The mountain wasn't very high, but there were many steps, and they had been playing and eating all the way up, so even Xing was a bit tired.

Xing handed her a handkerchief to wipe the sweat and said, "I told you to eat less. What if you become a fat person and can't even climb the steps?"

"Hmph!" Tai An'er frowned and puffed out her cheeks.

"Also, being a cute foodie has no future," Xing said with a smile.

"Hey, Tai An'er is not a cute foodie!" Tai An'er made a face at Xing and ran off, and Xing shook his head and followed.

The top of the mountain had been flattened by the great ghost, and the ground was paved with smooth blue stones. At the end of the steps stood a bright red archway, and directly opposite, at the end of the mountain, was a closed shrine.

Xing and Tai An'er stood on the mountain top and looked down, seeing most of the White Family's residence.

The mountain slopes were covered with dense, lush forests, and a blue stone path wound through them, lined with beautiful red lanterns. The road was lined with stalls, and the mountain was bustling with ghosts.

In the distance, pavilions and terraces were filled with ghostly figures, the lights were bright, a stream flowed, and lanterns floated on the river, creating a scene of peace and beauty, with the central emerald lake of the White Family being the most lively and beautiful.

From a distance, it looked like a beautiful emerald jade with a luxurious and beautiful boat floating on it, surrounded by celestial music and flying immortals, like a divine realm.

Xing and Tai An'er were stunned, it was truly enchanting, and just looking at it brought peace to their hearts.

"Brother Su, let's exchange our clay figurines," Tai An'er suddenly said.

"Why?" Xing was taken aback and asked.

"Tai An'er can look at it when she misses Brother Su, and if Brother Su misses Tai An'er, he can also look at it," Tai An'er raised her cute face and said innocently, her bright, clear eyes sparkling like the green lake below.

"Okay," Xing nodded, exchanged the figurines with Tai An'er, and put the "little Tai An'er" figurine in his pocket.

"I'll keep it well!" Xing said with great care.

"Okay!" Tai An'er nodded vigorously, also treasuring the figurine of Xing as if it were a priceless treasure.

At that moment, a new round of fireworks rose, bright and colorful, illuminating the mountain top, making it look like a world of dazzling colors.

"Boom," "Boom," "Boom"...

In a chaotic passage, the old man who had been making clay figurines was now pushing the figurine stall with great effort, moving slowly forward.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and a large claw emerged from the void, striking the chaotic passage with great force, causing the chaotic energy to erupt and the entire passage to tremble!