God-Sacrificing
Chen Ling was conflicted.
Relying on the absolute control over physical appearance from [Reshape], and the absolute insight into details from [Secret Pupil], theoretically, he could make this mask into any shape he wanted. He could even perfectly replicate a "Chen Ling" face down to the exact pores.
But Shen Nan stopped him. It wasn't that the more a Nuo Mask looked like the person, the better. Just like Opera Masks, it required exaggerating features to present a character's personality in the most straightforward way... In other words, it needed artistic processing.
Director Chen studied directing and screenwriting; he wasn't adept at the art and aesthetics of drawing, especially masks.
"Do you need to be so conflicted?" Yao's voice rang out from the bottom of his heart.
"If it was my own face, of course I wouldn't be conflicted... but..."
Chen Ling let out a long sigh.
"Perhaps you're overthinking it." Yao spoke patiently. "You can make a mask first to try. What if this thing actually isn't that strict?"
Chen Ling thought for a mont and also felt it made sense.
It had been a long ti since entering the Tiline Save File. Continually wasting ti like this wasn't a solution either... Regardless, he would try first.
After making up his mind, Chen Ling no longer hesitated. Yao's face erged in his mind, and relying on his vague impression of Yao's personality, he began to slowly carve it onto the mask.
...
Heavy clouds gradually shrouded the sky.
Shen Nan found a small table from who knows where and placed it in the open space at the door of the house. Yang Xiao and the others held small stools and sat in a circle around the table, staring intently at the Playing Cards in their hands.
"A 6."
"A Q."
"K."
"Little Joker."
As Lu Xun threw a gray joker card onto the table, the other three players remained silent. Everyone knew there was still a red joker card on the table, but no one wanted to play it right at the beginning... The most suppressive card must appear at the most critical ti. This was the simplest logic.
After playing a few rounds, Yang Xiao tossed his remaining cards into the discard pile and looked helplessly at Shen Nan beside him:
"Can't you start playing from the small cards? I have a bunch of 3s and 4s in my hand that I can't play."
"I can't help it, the smallest card in my hand is a 6... If I don't play him out, how can I bait out the Little Joker and Big Joker? I finally got the lead, I can't just waste it."
Shen Nan shrugged and began to shuffle the cards as the representative of the losing side.
"Playing cards also has a strategy. Knowing your cards aren't good, you have to find a way to let your teammate get out first." Lu Xun casually handed his unplayed cards to Shen Nan. "You guys lost because you were too disunited."
"It's not just a matter of unity." Shen Nan looked at the winner, Su Zhiwei, and let out a long sigh.
"Your cards are too good. The big and little jokers are both with you, and you also have two bombs... How are we supposed to play against this?"
"You guys don't have few bombs either. I can only say, luck is also part of strength."
Su Zhiwei replied with a smile.
While Shen Nan was shuffling the cards, Yang Xiao looked back in the direction of the barren field.
"Oh... is Director Chen almost done carving?"
Everyone turned their heads to look, only to see that Chen Ling didn't use [Reshape] to restore the wood again. Instead, after carving out the basic outline, he began to seriously sculpt the details of the mask.
Due to the distance being too far, the crowd couldn't clearly see what the mask in Chen Ling's hand specifically looked like, but it seed to be almost finished.
"Quite fast." Shen Nan checked the ti. "I thought he would dawdle for a few more hours."
While they were speaking, Chen Ling in the dim field had slowly stood up and walked straight toward the open space.
"Director Chen, you're finally done?" Su Zhiwei initiated the conversation.
Chen Ling saw the three of them and was initially taken aback. He couldn't connect them with the characters in The Script in his mind, but looking at their posture, they should be his acquaintances.
He didn't have many acquaintances in the Tiline Save File. If it was two n and one woman...
"Why are you guys here?" Chen Ling asked.
"We ca out of Bureau 749, saw your ssage, and followed the network cables to find you." Seeing Chen Ling approach, a smile appeared on Yang Xiao's face.
As if realizing sothing, Chen Ling sized up Yang Xiao in surprise several tis.
He guessed right, the one in front of him was Yang Xiao. In that case, the identities of the other two were also obvious... But what surprised Chen Ling was that Yang Xiao only learned to control magnetic fields a few days ago, and now he could actually locate his mobile phone through network signals... The speed of this guy's progress was a bit too fast.
"You've even started playing cards." Chen Ling glanced at the Poker on the card table. "Looks like you've waited quite a while."
"Seeing you were busy, we didn't go disturb you."
Shen Nan shuffled the cards well, handed them to Chen Ling, and raised his eyebrows.
"Tired? Want to play a round together?"
"There's no ti."
Chen Ling casually stuffed the Poker into his pocket and handed the mask to Shen Nan with his other hand. "Look at this first and see if it works."
Shen Nan took the mask, and his gaze fell upon it. This was a Black-and-White Mask. Unlike the hideous ugliness of Shen Nan's black mask, the mask in Chen Ling's hand was peaceful and quiet. It didn't look like there was anything special about it, except for a tinge of purple at the corners of the eyes, casting a faint sense of mystery.
Shen Nan stared at it for a while, his expression sowhat weird.
"What's wrong? Is it not okay?"
"Do you know how many years I spent learning to make Nuo Masks?" Shen Nan sighed. "Although this one still has so flaws, to be able to achieve this level on your first try is already quite perfect... Even if you have that special ability, I still think it's to an abnormal degree."
"Is it usable?"
"From a craftsmanship perspective, there's no problem. But whether it can solve your problem still needs to be verified."
"How to verify it?"
Shen Nan didn't answer imdiately. Instead, he looked at the sky, pondered for a mont, and turned around to walk into the house.
When he ca out again, everyone was slightly taken aback.
At this ti, Shen Nan had put on that black-and-red Theatrical Robe again, with a Ritual Bell hanging from his waist and a Black Flag resting on his shoulder. A hideous Nuo Mask was held in his palm, and the corners of the Theatrical Robe swayed gently with his steps.
"You are..."
"Whether it works or not, according to the thod of [Nuo], we'll know once we try."
Shen Nan walked to the open space where cold winds were blowing. Holding the mask, he slowly closed his eyes, as if listening to sothing... Drama and Witchcraft intertwined in his hands, and faint prayer sounds mixed in the cold wind lingered beside his ears.
Lu Xun, Yang Xiao, and Su Zhiwei were all seeing this kind of display for the first ti. Right now, they were sizing up the silent Shen Nan with closed eyes, not knowing what he was going to do.
But Chen Ling had, after all, seen Shen Nan act with his own eyes. The last ti Shen Nan ca to save him, he was also wearing this Theatrical Robe... And judging from Shen Nan's current posture, he should be completing a "prayer".
It was just that this ti it wasn't him praying himself, but listening to the wishes of other people nearby.
The crowd waited for a long ti before Shen Nan's voice slowly rang out:
"Chen Ling, next, you must rember my dance steps well..."
Shen Nan looked at Chen Ling solemnly. "This dance is a dance to communicate with 'gods'. When you put on the Nuo Mask, it is the dium to trigger Divine Descent...
Its na is called [God-Sacrificing]."
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