An industrial statue is made in a day, but it lacks the meticulous craftsmanship and the artisan's soul that comes from hand-carving. Naturally, it feels lifeless.
However, given the time constraints, there was no chance to go back and find another one.
I circled around the stone statue, and fortunately, although it was machine-carved, the artist had managed to capture the essence of Fangxiangshi's demeanor in a very lifelike way.
What was more important, however, was that this statue had a name inscribed on it.
In addition to absorbing human energy, giving something a name is also crucial. As the old saying goes, don't give a name to an inanimate object lightly, because once it has a name, it knows what it is and will begin to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, along with human vitality.
However, most stone sculptures we see are placed in homes or special institutions like banks, so naming them doesn't have much of an effect. But if you come across a statue in an abandoned temple or an old house in the wilderness, whether it's an animal or a human, it's best not to speak its name out loud.
If you absolutely must, always add the word "stone" before it. That way, even if it gains some intelligence, it will think of itself as a stone and won't go around causing trouble.
Tomb guardians are different; if you want them to work, they need to know their name and purpose.
I touched the statue; the engraving was done by hand, so it seemed that Chen Kai hadn't been wrong. The sculptor who made it was indeed skilled.
Chen Kai was nervous and kept asking me if it would work.
"It's fine, but you need to get those two young ladies out of here first!"
At that moment, Zhang Ying and Wang Yingying's occasional giggles could be heard in the distance.
I had no idea what kind of charm Huang Jiu had put on them, but they seemed happier than hens laying eggs.
Chen Kai glanced at the sky and walked toward the two girls.
Before long, Zhang Ying and Wang Yingying reluctantly followed him back.
Zhang Ying's face was flushed as she asked with a smile, "Li Yang, can you leave me your number? Your pet is so much fun! Yingying and I want to come back and play with it another day."
I shot a cold glance at Huang Jiu, who was still eagerly waving its paw from afar, and replied with a stern face, "I don't have a number."
Wang Yingying, seeing my rude attitude, pouted and said, "What's so impressive? I'll pay a high price and buy Huang Jiu next time."
Good grief, after just an hour, Huang Jiu had already sold us both out.
But when Wang Yingying mentioned buying Huang Jiu, my eyes lit up.
As my Taoist energy strengthened, Huang Jiu's usefulness to me had diminished. It could be discarded and repurposed later. I called the two girls over and said, "You can find me at Li's Fortune-Telling Shop on Qingning Street."
Zhang Ying immediately wrote it down in her little notebook. After Chen Kai urged them, they reluctantly left the construction site.
My second uncle directed the workers to move the statue outside, placing it directly in front of the pit. Then, he sent everyone away. They had been wanting to leave and didn't dare to stay for even a second longer.
Seeing this, Chen Kai rubbed his hands nervously, but before he could speak, my second uncle said, "You'll stay as a witness. If Mr. Zhang asks about this later, you'll be able to explain the process."
When Chen Kai heard this, his face turned as bitter as a melon.
I reassured him, "Once night falls, just follow my second uncle. Nothing will happen, and since you were involved in this, Mr. Zhang won't forget you once it's done."
Thinking about possible promotions and benefits, Chen Kai's fear seemed to lessen. He quickly brought out a few chairs from the office.
I went to collect Huang Jiu, who was still basking in the attention it had received earlier. Its little eyes were sparkling with excitement. I grabbed it and stuffed it back into the cat bag.
For dinner, Chen Kai brought back takeaway boxes. After we ate, the sky began to darken, but the construction site was lit up with huge 1000-watt bulbs that illuminated the entire area brightly.
I used my blood to draw an exorcism symbol on the back of the Fangxiangshi statue. Once I infused it with Taoist energy, it would animate and fight the monster.
As for whether it could defeat it, I wasn't sure myself.
Chen Kai stuck closely to my second uncle, not daring to leave his side.
We waited.
By midnight, just after the clock struck twelve, the lights flickered and went out with a loud snap. The whole construction site was instantly swallowed by darkness.
In the glow of the distant neon lights, the area looked like a place abandoned by light, the oppressive air making it feel more foreboding.
Under the cover of darkness, a blood mist began to rise from the pit, and a three-year-old child with horns on its head, pointed ears, and a body that was bright red emerged slowly.
It was a fierce beast.
But thankfully, it was a statue that had come to life.
Chen Kai screamed halfway, but his voice was cut off by fear. He grabbed the gold sword my second uncle had pulled out, trembling as he held it.
At this moment, the monster also left the pit and appeared outside.
But this creature had an affinity for dead bodies, and it seemed uninterested in us. After a brief pause, it tried to leave.
I panicked; if it left, it might cause trouble. I quickly flicked my finger against the Fangxiangshi statue.
As soon as I did, a golden light flashed, and the statue emitted a low sound.
The monster's attention was drawn to the statue. Upon seeing Fangxiangshi, its body swelled with anger, and it bared its fangs, charging toward the statue.
Huang Jiu, perched on my shoulder, excitedly stomped its feet, urging me to activate the statue.
Despite the chattering in my ear, I remained calm.
I took a deep breath, holding it in.
The distance was too great; if I activated it now, the Taoist energy I had left would be wasted unnecessarily.
As the monster approached aggressively, I waited for it to get within five meters before releasing the breath I had been holding and pointing at the statue.
A burst of golden light shot forth, and a ghostly figure flew out of the Fangxiangshi statue, brandishing a spear as it charged toward the beast.
The two enemies locked eyes and immediately began to clash violently.
The monster was fierce, but it was no match for restraint.
Under Fangxiangshi's continuous attacks, it began to fade and weaken within minutes.
The remaining energy exploded, and the last of its spirit tried to flee back into the pit. But Huang Jiu opened its mouth, using its demonic powers to suck the monster back in.
I heard Huang Jiu swallow with a gulp and quickly grabbed it from my shoulder. Seeing its yellow fur turn blood-red, I immediately tossed it away.
Huang Jiu hit the ground and rolled twice before sitting down in a meditative posture.
But Fangxiangshi, in its bloodlust, turned its spear and charged toward us.
I was startled, quickly spitting in my palm and wiping away the blood symbol from the statue.
Once the symbol was erased, Fangxiangshi turned into nothingness as it ran.
I let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
My second uncle stepped out from behind me and, seeing Huang Jiu, asked with concern, "Is it okay?"
"Don't worry about it. It keeps putting everything in its mouth; it'll die sooner or later." I was equally speechless about Huang Jiu's habit.
I turned around to see Chen Kai. His face had turned pale, and he was still holding my second uncle's gold sword, his gaze dazed.
My Taoist energy had been depleted, and I didn't have time to console him. I gathered my energy and, with a sharp shout, used the Soul Awakening Spell to rouse his spirit.
Chen Kai jerked awake, kneeling to the ground with a loud thud, trembling all over.
Some things, knowing about them and actually seeing them, are two completely different experiences.