inspire-indiana Chapter 14 Second Card Production
Chapter 14 Second Card Production
Lin Mo took the elevator to the sixth floor, swiped his card to open the door, and went inside.
The room wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy.
A card-making table is placed by the window, with drawing tools such as drawing pens and magic liquid on the table.
The walls are covered with soundproofing and shielding cards to minimize external interference.
"As expected of a hotel that caters specifically to card makers, the facilities are truly comprehensive."
Lin Mo looked around, nodded with satisfaction, then locked the door and drew the curtains.
He walked to the card-making station, sat down, opened the portable sealed bag, took out the three material cards inside, and set them aside.
Then he took out the eight material cards that he had previously sealed and arranged them neatly on the table.
"We are currently lacking sufficient material to flesh out the image of the door gods and to define their symbolic representation of skills!"
Lin Mo muttered to himself, recalling the images of Shen Tu and Yu Lei from his previous life:
According to actual Han Dynasty stone carvings, Shen Tu and Yu Lei "have horns on their heads, one holding a knife and the other holding an axe, standing on the left and right." There are also versions that depict the two "bare-chested and with fierce expressions, holding peach wood swords and sitting under a peach tree."
In later New Year paintings, Shen Tu is depicted with a white face and a happy expression, while Yu Lei is depicted with a red face and an angry expression.
In a more detailed description, "Shen Tu is the Left Gatekeeper General, wearing a silver helmet and silver armor, holding a solid iron fork, with a face as black as lacquer, eyes that reach the ears, eyebrows that point to the sky, and a full beard on his chin that is cut like iron wire."
Yu Lei, dressed in a black battle robe, looked relaxed as he gently stroked the enormous golden-eyed white tiger beside him.
"The image in the New Year picture feels more fitting, so there's still a lack of material that can represent his status as a 'general'."
However, the white tiger material can be replaced with the remnant soul of the three-eyed black-scaled demon tiger;
As for the means of conveying these skills, whether it's the "Chronicle of Seasonal Customs in Jingchu" which states, "Paintings of chickens are placed on doors, reed ropes are hung above them, and peach wood charms are inserted beside them; all ghosts fear them," or the text continues, "..."
The Eastern Han Dynasty scholar Ying Shao, in his "Customs and Traditions: Sacrificial Rites," quoted the "Book of the Yellow Emperor" to supplement the account of the two gods being brothers, stating that "Tu and Yulei were bound with reed ropes and captured to be eaten by tigers."
All of these indicate that reed ropes can bind spirits and ward off evil.
Seven material cards should be enough!
As for the unused materials, sell them all. Hmm, keep that [Spiritual Crystal of the Flying Skull Moon] for now; it might come in handy later.
Having made up his mind, Lin Mo took out his phone.
First, I took a picture of all the stock photos I wanted to sell using my camera, then logged into the [Wushan City Online Stock Photos Website].
Click on the "Personal Center - I Want to Sell" page, upload the photo you just took, fill in the relevant information and the selling price, and select to list the card.
After doing all this, Lin Mo went to the homepage and started browsing.
"【Twenty-Year-Old Courtyard Peach Branch】(White), that's a duplicate, and I already have a higher-quality 【Centennial Lightning-Struck Peach Heart】, so I don't need it..."
"【Ordinary Reed Rope】(White), this is good, perfectly matching the description of Shen Tu and Yu Lei as 'evil spirits wielded with reed ropes,' pending further consideration..."
"The [Soul of the Tomb Guardian White Tiger] (Blue) is also a duplicate, and it's a bit pricey, I can't afford it..."
Just as Lin Mo was engrossed in reading, a series of messages suddenly popped up:
The item you listed, "Corrupted Uterine Slice," has been sold.
The item you listed, "Mother's Lacrimal Gland," has been sold.
The item you listed, "Mother's Umbilical Cord," has been sold.
……
"It sold out so quickly?"
Lin Mo was somewhat surprised and quickly went into the backend, where he immediately discovered that his account had more than 74,000 star coins.
"I didn't expect these materials with a slightly chaotic feel to be selling so well!"
A glint of light appeared in Lin Mo's eyes as he secretly considered that he could pay more attention to these materials in the future.
As my thoughts raced, a sudden burst of rapid knocking sound rang out.
Lin Mo drew back the curtains, only to find that Night Owl Messenger had come to collect the package.
"No wonder he's known as the fastest mailman; his efficiency is unparalleled!"
Lin Mo clicked his tongue and handed over the prepared material cards.
After checking for a while and confirming that there was no problem, the latter made a cooing sound, then flapped its wings and flew away, turning into a black dot and disappearing into the horizon.
After watching the Night Owl Messenger depart, Lin Mo continued browsing the materials on the homepage.
Dried mugwort (white)
[Ordinary yellow paper money] (white)
[Paper Silver Armor] (White)
……
Half an hour later, Lin Mo finally selected the materials he wanted to buy.
Fragment of Silver Armor (Green), Ancient Battlefield Reed Rope (Green), Bloodstained Trident (White)
After placing an order with one click and paying over 70,000 yuan for the goods,
Lin Mo let out a long sigh of relief and lay down on the bed to rest.
I took a short nap, accompanied by a rhythmic tapping sound.
Lin Mo got out of bed and opened the window.
The black owl messenger immediately flapped its wings and flew in, its amber eyes scrutinizing Lin Mo for a few moments.
After confirming its identity, it used its beak to retrieve the three material cards from its storage pouch.
After receiving the material card from the Night Owl Messenger, Lin Mo checked it and, upon confirming that everything was correct, signed for it.
After finishing, he sat upright in front of the card-making table, took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing.
Crafting cards is no child's play.
He must adjust himself to his peak condition, and only begin to try when his mental energy is abundant and his spiritual energy is flowing smoothly.
Half an hour later, Lin Mo opened his eyes, his gaze sharp yet restrained, his aura calm and unwavering.
"Let's begin."
Lin Mo muttered to himself, then calmed his mind.
His spiritual energy surged continuously from his spiritual platform, enveloping the objects on the card-making table, and together with his consciousness, arrived at the mysterious and unpredictable space of his mind.
Just like last time, nothing is different.
It was still as ethereal and hazy as ever.
Lin Mo first mentally rehearsed the design of the door god card, and after confirming that there were no oversights,
With a single gesture, seven material cards instantly rose into the air, lined up in a row, and hovered in front of him.
Apart from the [Horned Twins] which is the main material card, all the other cards have returned to their original forms and are surrounding him.
Seeing this, Lin Mo took the drawing pen, dipped it in the spiritual liquid, and wrote with sharp strokes in the air!
At the very moment the final stroke concluded, the entire sea of my heart exploded with a magnificent, golden-blue radiance.
The countless points of light converged with a roar, eventually condensing into the four characters: 【神荼郁垒】.
With the real name finalized, the seven materials once again shone brightly.
Without delay, Lin Mo wrote down the story, which he already knew by heart, in one go:
The vast ocean stretches to the heavens, and the peach tree, its branches twisting and turning for three thousand miles, has its northeastern branch called the Ghost Gate, the place where ten thousand ghosts enter and exit.
[Above are two divine beings, born with the pure Yang energy of Heaven and Earth, and imbued with the spirit of mountains and rivers. One is called Shen Tu, and the other Yu Lei. They are born together and guard the same place, jointly presiding over the inspection of all ghosts, discerning good and evil in the human world, and observing the malevolent forces of the netherworld.]
For a thousand years, the two guarded the Gate of Hell, binding malevolent ghosts with reed ropes and feeding them to tigers. They never slackened their efforts, protecting the boundary between Yin and Yang and preventing evil spirits from disturbing the world.
[The Yellow Emperor, moved by their divine power, established rites and regulations, erected a large peachwood figure, painted two gods and a tiger on doorways, and hung reed ropes to ward off evil spirits, thus beginning the worship of door gods in China. From then on, every household worshipped them to ensure peace and security in their homes.]
Since ancient times, through the changing seasons, they have served the people of China, receiving their offerings and sacrifices at various times of the year. They are the ancestors of door gods and the guardian deities worshipped by the people.
[Establishing a gate prevents evil spirits from entering; guarding the gate repels all ghosts. As long as the gates of the human world remain and the incense continues to burn, the vow to guard them will never be forgotten.]
……