This time, Li Daoxuan did not use the entire A5 sheet.
Instead, he printed the Supreme Treasure version of Sun Wukong onto a small corner of the paper, then carefully cut that section out with scissors. The resulting image was tiny, measuring only three centimeters long and two centimeters wide.
He could not reduce it any further. If he did, the details would blur, and the sculptors would have nothing clear to follow.
With deliberate care, he lowered the miniature image into the diorama box and placed it before Gao Yiye and the two sculptors.
To them, the paper appeared out of nowhere.
The effect was immediate.
The two sculptors stiffened in shock, their eyes widening as they stared at the object that had manifested without warning. This was the first Divine Miracle they had personally witnessed since arriving at Gao Family Village. Overwhelmed, they immediately dropped to their knees and began bowing repeatedly, their foreheads striking the ground with heavy, reverent thuds.
Only after Gao Yiye instructed them to rise did they dare to look more closely.
The moment they saw the figure, recognition dawned on their faces.
"This is… the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Sun Wukong."
As master sculptors, they possessed far greater familiarity with divine figures than ordinary villagers. Where others might hesitate, they recognized him almost instantly. Even Gao Yiye herself had not been certain at first glance.
Gao Yiye spoke with solemn authority.
"Tianzun has commanded that you carve this Buddha statue. It must match this image exactly. And one more thing, it must be made from wood, not clay."
The two sculptors exchanged startled glances.
"Match the image exactly?" one asked cautiously. "Two zhang tall?"
In their minds, a statue of such size would already qualify as a colossal Buddha. Worse still, carving it from wood would require an enormous tree, one large enough to sustain such a massive form. Finding such a tree nearby would be no small task.
Gao Yiye shook her head.
"No. A life-sized statue will be sufficient."
Relief washed over their faces.
"That will be much easier," one sculptor said quickly. "With our skills, carving a life-sized statue would only take a few days. However, reproducing every detail exactly as shown in the image will require more delicate work, so we will need additional time to refine it properly."
Gao Yiye tilted her head slightly, listening to the voice descending from above. Her expression grew serious.
"It must also be painted."
The two sculptors froze again.
Paint was expensive. Extremely expensive.
They hesitated before answering.
"We do not have access to colored paints. Such materials are beyond our means."
"That will not be your concern," Gao Yiye replied calmly. "Focus on finding suitable wood. Once the carving is complete and ready for painting, come to me."
Reassured, the sculptors bowed and hurried off to begin their search.
Meanwhile, Li Daoxuan stepped away from the edge of the diorama box.
"Looks like I'll need to make another trip."
Across from the east gate of his apartment complex stood a Hongxing Macalline furniture store. He vaguely remembered seeing paint supplies there before. Following that memory, he walked for about ten minutes until he found a small paint shop tucked into one corner of the building.
He purchased a small can of each color, each priced at fifteen yuan.
Individually, they were light.
Together, they were not.
By the time he finished buying everything, the weight surprised him. He carried the collection home with some effort and arranged the bottles and jars neatly beside the diorama box.
When he looked inside again, the village had already transformed.
Activity filled every corner.
Inside the forge, several blacksmiths surrounded Li Da, hammering iron under his direction. Sparks flew as metal rang against metal.
Elsewhere, villagers worked together to transport timber and stone, their movements filled with purpose. They were preparing to construct the temple.
San Shier moved through the crowd with his hands clasped behind his back, issuing instructions with exaggerated authority, sending villagers running first one direction, then another.
The entire village buzzed with life.
Voices rose and fell. Laughter mixed with effort. Determination hung in the air.
Li Daoxuan watched silently.
The scene stirred something within him. It felt strangely similar to watching children grow, and before he realized it, a faint smile had formed on his face.
As evening approached and the sun dipped below the horizon, movement appeared at the edge of the village.
Li Daoxuan narrowed his eyes.
A group was approaching.
At the front rode a general clad in armor, mounted on a tall horse. Behind him followed more than a hundred soldiers in cloth armor.
Imperial soldiers.
Li Daoxuan immediately understood why they had come.
He could easily erase them with a single gesture.
But there was no need for that.
He leaned closer to the diorama box.
"Gao Yiye," he said quietly. "Bring San Shier. I will teach him how to deal with them."
The officer leading the soldiers was Cheng Xu, a ninth-rank military inspector of the Great Ming Dynasty.
He rode at the front, his face dark with frustration as he unleashed a relentless stream of curses directed at Wang Er of Baishui. His insults spared no one, condemning Wang Er's ancestors, his descendants, and every branch of his lineage with equal enthusiasm.
His anger was not without reason.
His duty was to suppress bandits and maintain order.
Yet only days ago, while he had been watching an opera performance, Wang Er had launched a rebellion. Gathering hundreds of desperate commoners, Wang Er had stormed Chengcheng County, killed Magistrate Zhang Yaocai, slaughtered other officials and wealthy families, and seized the government grain.
By the time Cheng Xu received the news and mobilized his forces, it was already over.
Wang Er had vanished.
All that remained was destruction.
Magistrate Zhang Yaocai's head hung from the city gate, swaying in the wind.
Smoke still rose from ruined homes.
Cheng Xu knew exactly what this meant.
Failure.
Punishment was inevitable.
Now, capturing Wang Er was his only chance to redeem himself.
He had searched Wangjia Village, but it was completely abandoned. No one remained to question. No clues remained to follow.
And so he wandered.
Eventually, he arrived at Gao Family Village.
Then he saw it.
Towering walls.
Massive and unmistakable.
He rubbed his eyes.
"…Am I seeing things?"
His deputy leaned closer.
"You are not mistaken. There really is a city here."
Cheng Xu inhaled sharply.
Cold dread spread through him.
"Has Wang Er… built a city?"
If that were true, his small force would stand no chance.
His future would be finished.
"I'm doomed…"
At that moment, the gates opened.
San Shier stepped out, smiling broadly as if greeting an old friend.
"General Cheng! What fortune brings you here? Your presence honors our humble village."
Normally, Cheng Xu would find San Shier irritating.
Now, he felt relief.
He dismounted quickly.
"Strategist San Shier! A city has appeared here. I thought Wang Er was responsible. Explain this to me."
San Shier blinked.
"A city?"
He turned his head, looking left and right with exaggerated confusion.
"What city?"
Cheng Xu pointed at the enormous walls.
"Those walls!"
San Shier stared blankly.
"I see nothing."
He shook his head calmly.
"There is only a poor village here. No city. No walls."
He looked Cheng Xu directly in the eye.
"General… are you certain you are not imagining things?"
Cheng Xu's hand moved instantly.
His saber slid halfway from its sheath with a sharp metallic sound.
His voice turned cold.
"San Shier… are you lying to my face?"