The Black Spirit Stage had been achieved.
As Song Miaozhu felt the spiritual energy under her control within her spiritual platform, she finally gained the confidence to attempt the creation of a Lingxi Paper Doll.
If the little paper servants were favored for their spirit and the paper soldiers were built for combat, then the Lingxi Paper Doll was the best of both worlds—surpassing the servants in spirit and the soldiers in strength.
A well-made Lingxi Paper Doll could inherit part of her abilities, intelligence, and cultivation. Its outward form could resemble a real person so precisely that it would be indistinguishable from flesh and blood. Without the proper technique to identify it, no one could see through its disguise.
More importantly, it could learn on its own. The knowledge it gained could even be fed back into its creator.
It was, without doubt, the perfect assistant for any master.
Although her cultivation had not allowed it before, and her crafting skills had lacked the precision, Song Miaozhu had studied the Lingxi Paper Doll blueprint in the Secret Art of Paper Crafting countless times.
From the moment she opened that book, what she longed to learn most was this very technique.
To ensure her paper dolls would be uniquely striking—each with distinct masculine or feminine charm—she had spent a fair sum acquiring portrait rights from several ghost attendants at Yunlai Pavilion.
To serve at Yunlai Pavilion, one had to be more than passably attractive. Though not every ghost there could be called stunning, they all had pleasing appearances and well-balanced proportions.
She wasn't aiming to replicate the ghost attendants exactly. Rather, she planned to use their features as reference points, refining and combining them into paper dolls that felt more alive than purely stylized designs.
And now, at last, she had the cultivation and confidence to try.
Not even the thrill of advancement compared to the excitement of creating her very first Lingxi Paper Doll.
The moment her cultivation stabilized, Song Miaozhu detached her spirit and headed for the underworld.
Naturally, the little paper servants on the mountain continued working diligently, crafting paper items with tireless focus.
Because they were an extension of her, their work also drew in spiritual energy, just like her cultivation did. The spiritual surge atop Xiaozhu Mountain continued with unrelenting force.
Upon arrival in the underworld, Song Miaozhu floated out of her ghost workshop and summoned a striking Yin Paper Horse with a wave of her hand. With a quick motion, she mounted it. "To Yunlai Pavilion in Cuiliu Alley!"
The Yin Paper Horse neighed with joy, then galloped forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"It's been years since Boss Song of Anshou Hall rode through the streets like this!"
"That's right! I remember when I first died decades ago and exchanged spirit coins at Anshou Hall, it was Boss Song herself who helped me. The business got so big and hired so many ghosts that I never saw her again!"
"Hey! Don't push, there's plenty of the new paper clothes at Anshou Hall this time!"
…
It had indeed been a long time since Song Miaozhu strolled through the underworld.
With her current cultivation, she could stay for three days and nights without issue. But ever since she began refining spirit souls she had gradually suspended even the ghost instructors' classes. After all, absorbing the memories of deceased artisans was far more efficient than learning from lectures.
As her visits became less frequent, the underworld streets remained unchanged—time here flowed differently than in the living world.
She rode to Yunlai Pavilion without delay.
Before she could dismount, a group of ghost attendants approached with enthusiastic greetings.
"Boss Song! Long time no see. You still carry yourself with that same ghostly flair! Are you here for tea or a performance today?"
The one speaking was an entirely unfamiliar face. Song Miaozhu was sure she had never seen him before, and he wasn't listed in her collection of desirable features.
"Boss Song! I just knew something was up—my left eyelid's been twitching all day!"
In the underworld, whether a ghost's eyelid twitched or not was purely up to the speaker.
"Boss Song, what wind brought you here today? I heard you're into portraits of beauties. I have a Four Beauties scroll in my tomb. Care to come take a look?"
There was only one kind of wind in the underworld: the cold, Yin wind.
"Boss Song, the steward at Fragrant Cloud Pavilion has a newcomer they want to recommend. Why not let me take you there? The steward is on their way!"
…
Song Miaozhu's gaze landed on the ghost who mentioned Fragrant Cloud Pavilion. "Yun Yi, take me to the Xiangxian Hall."
Yun Yi immediately stepped forward to lead the way, bypassing the crowd.
At the hall, they were greeted by Fufeng, who had arrived in haste. A few other ghost attendants, both male and female, trailed behind him.
Though his posture was still delicate like a willow in the wind, Fu Feng's presence had grown more refined and assertive over the years.
"Boss Song, these are the most outstanding ghost attendants I've selected in recent years. They've agreed to sell their portrait rights."
Song Miaozhu scanned their faces and nodded in satisfaction. "Your taste has improved. Note them all down. Once the contracts are signed, they can go to Anshou Hall and find Manager Mao to collect their deposits."
Each one met her aesthetic standards, even more than she had hoped.
"But I'm not here today to see your new recommendations. Let them step out. Then send for Qing Ya, Xian Shuang, Huai Sha, and Lin Yuan. They've held their deposits for decades. It's time to fulfill the contract," Song Miaozhu said.
Fu Feng froze briefly, then quickly recovered. "Yes!"
His promotion from greeter at the main entrance to manager of Xiangxian Hall had only been possible thanks to Boss Song's generous support. She had practically singlehandedly boosted the hall's performance by contracting all of its attendants.
Helping her find more beautiful ghosts and buying their portrait rights had been his primary job.
At first, the ghosts—like Fu Feng in his early days—had been wary, fearing it might be a trap. But decades had passed. The money had been paid, and none of them had ever seen Boss Song use their likenesses.
Eventually, even Fu Feng had forgotten that she had plans for those portraits.
So when she suddenly mentioned calling them to fulfill their contracts, he found it hard to adjust.
But he soon gathered himself and left to summon them.
By the time he returned, Boss Song had already taken a seat before a tall wooden easel. A wooden board rested on the stand, and a nearby table was covered with brushes, ink, and pigments.
Across from the easel stood five chairs.
"All five of you, take a seat," Song Miaozhu said, picking up a brush.
"You're going to paint?" Fu Feng asked, curious.
"Yes," she replied. "A full-body, realistic portrait for each of you. I'll use them as reference to sketch out the preliminary designs for the dolls' appearances. I'll adjust the details during the crafting stage. Later, I may need you to pose again as models, but don't worry. You'll be paid for every hour you spend in Xiangxian Hall."
Fu Feng, Qing Ya, Xian Shuang, Huai Sha, and Lin Yuan were ghosts she had selected long ago.
She liked the contradiction in Fu Feng's gentle and aloof temperament, as well as his eyes, full of affection yet distant. She admired Qing Ya's facial structure and nose, Xian Shuang's lips, neck, and hands, Huai Sha's hair, and Lin Yuan's build.
She had always planned to combine their features, temperament, and proportions into her very first Lingxi Paper Doll.